By Laurie Niles: Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!![Time for Three]()
Time for Three: bassist Ranaan Meyer and violinists Charles Yang and Nick Kendall. Photo by Shervin Lainez, courtesy Deutsche Grammophon.Letters for the FutureTime For ThreeThe Philadelphia Orchestra, Xian Zhang conductingThe New Four SeasonsElena Urioste, violinChineke! OrchestraMax Richter, composerTrios From Contemporary ChicagoLincoln Trio

Time for Three: bassist Ranaan Meyer and violinists Charles Yang and Nick Kendall. Photo by Shervin Lainez, courtesy Deutsche Grammophon.
String trio Time For Three (TF3), which includes violinists Nick Kendall and Charles Yang and bassist Ranaan Meyer, has been praised by Simon Rattle as "benevolent monsters, monsters of ability and technique surely. But also conveyors of an infectious joy that I find both touching and moving." Their album, recorded with the Philadelphia Orchestra, comprises world premiere recordings of two technically demanding and musically virtuosic concerti for trio and orchestra by two Pulitzer Prize-winning composers: Jennifer Higdons 2007 Concerto 4-3 and Kevin Puts new piece, "Contact." BELOW: By composer Kevin Puts: "Contact" - 2. Codes (Scherzo) (Excerpt):
It's been 10 years since composer Max Richter's "Vivaldi The Four Seasons Recomposed" topped the classical charts in 22 countries. For this project, Richter's music, which puts a 21st-century twist on Vivaldi's most famous work, is played using Baroque period instruments with gut strings, by the British ensemble Chineke! and American violinist Elena Urioste. Richter calls it "a new trip through the text using Vivaldis own colors." The new recording was produced on an analogue mixing desk at Richters own Studio Richter Mahr, with the composer himself playing an early Moog synthesizer from the 1970s. Recording at Richters newly-built Oxfordshire studio complex, composer and players worked in close collaboration, without a conductor, discussing all aspects of the music, from Baroque instrumental technique to the language and storytelling involved in Vivaldis original. BELOW: Max Richter - The New Four Seasons: Vivaldi Recomposed (Trailer):
The twice-Grammy-nominated, Billboard-charting Lincoln Trio violinist Desirée Ruhstrat, cellist David Cunliffe, and pianist Marta Aznavoorian surveys works by five of Chicagos most highly lauded contemporary composers on an album that features three world-premiere recordings. The works on this album include the world-premiere recording of Shawn E. Okpebholo's "city beautiful"; Augusta Read Thomas' "a circle around the sun"; Shulamit Ran's "Her Soliloquy"; the world-premiere recording of Mischa Zupko's "Fanfare 80"; and Stacy Garrop's "Her Sanctuary," another world- premiere recording. BELOW: Excerpts from the album:If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our Thursday "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.You might also like:
- For the Record, Op. 200: Anne-Sophie Mutter Plays John Williams; Itamar Zorman; Maya Magub; Danish String Quartet
- For the Record, Op. 199: Mari Samuelsen; Jordan Bak; Elena Urioste; Tomás Cotik; Ehnes Quartet; Joo Yeon Sir; Kronos Quartet
- For the Record, Op. 198: Cellist Alisa Weilerstein; works by Margaret Brouwer; Soli Chamber Ensemble