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Passacaille Records

Passacaille is an independent label for classical music. www.passacaille.be

Passacaille records
MUSURGIA BVBA
Tel +32 492 951505
BTW BE 0443 895 061
www.passacaille.be
[email protected]

20/07/2025

Continuing our summer journey through this year’s releases from Passacaille Records — one album each week.

This week, we step into the stillness of Holy Week in 18th-century Lisbon.

𝑱𝒐𝒔é 𝑱𝒐𝒂𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒎 𝒅𝒐𝒔 𝑺𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒔: 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚 unveils a world where violins are silent — and the weight of grief is carried by concertante violas, bassoon, cello, and double bass.
This unusual soundscape, shaped by Neapolitan influence, became a signature of the Portuguese court’s sacred music.

At its heart is José Joaquim dos Santos — a composer shaped by David Perez, and a central figure at the Patriarchal Chapel.
Performed by 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖â𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮, 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐄𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞, and 𝗘𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗼 𝗢𝗻𝗼𝗳𝗿𝗶, this recording brings his deeply expressive Responsories into the present for the very first time.

Fun fact: While working on ideas for the CD cover, we found ourselves drawn to the work of Josefa de Óbidos. In the process, we came across several hauntingly beautiful Agnus Dei paintings by this artist, who lived in Óbidos—a small village about an hour from Lisbon, and also the birthplace of José Joaquim dos Santos. Born in Seville to a Portuguese father and Spanish mother, Josefa spent her entire career in Portugal. Though she died in 1684 and wasn’t a contemporary of Santos, her work feels deeply in tune with the spiritual world he composed in. Her paintings offered a powerful visual entry point into the emotional terrain of Parasceve.

Photo by Vitor Oliveira

Available now on Passacaille Records.

13/07/2025

We’re proud to share that 𝘜𝘯 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘙𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 by 𝗗𝗮𝗿í𝗼 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮, released on Passacaille Records, has been awarded the “Disco Excepcional Scherzo” distinction in the July issue of Scherzo magazine! 🏅⁠
⁠In the same issue, Darío is featured in an in-depth interview by Stefano Russomanno, a conversation marked by listening, curiosity, and artistic insight.⁠
⁠Thank you to Scherzo and Stefano for this beautiful recognition and congratulations to Darío for this bold, imaginative and moving tribute to Ravel and the French Baroque!⁠
Un Tombeau pour Ravel by Darío Cervera is available on Passacaille Records website and all streaming platforms.
https://scherzo.es/producto/scherzo-ano-xl-no-419-julio-2025/

12/07/2025

This summer, we’re revisiting the albums Passacaille Records has released so far this year — one each week, tracing a path across countries through the music itself.

We begin in Bruges.
Not with a painting, but with a sound of wood and metal — the Klais organ at the Cathedral of Our Saviour, newly restored and brought to life by 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗹𝘀.

In 𝘍𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦, Michiels guides us through a century of rarely heard organ works, from the Romantic depth of Joseph Callaerts to the luminous clarity of Flor Peeters and others.

Photo by Wolfgang Staudt

Now available on Passacaille Records.

12/07/2025

What happens if 20 musicians with grand artistic personalities gather together to record the most beautiful pieces of the 14th and 15 the centuries? Find out with our upcoming release of LA FLAMBOYANCE.

Avec le soutien du

11/07/2025

Is the Leuven Chansonnier’s size more than just a visual curiosity?
In episode 37, Thomas Schmidt examines the manuscript’s remarkably compact format—small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Was such a miniature size unusual for a songbook in the late 15th century? And what does it tell us about how the chansonnier was used?
Schmidt explores the implications of its scale, from practical portability to the craftsmanship challenges it posed during production. Discover how format and function go hand in hand in this exquisite object of musical history.
Watch the full episode on alamire.tv or your preferred platform.
Alamire Foundation

03/07/2025

Who owned the Leuven Chansonnier after its creation?
In episode 36, Ryan O’Sullivan traces the journey of the manuscript beyond its earliest known owner. The coat of arms on the front flyleaf strongly suggests a connection to the House of Savoy—possibly Philip II himself, who may have acquired the chansonnier in Moulins around 1470. But what happened after it left his hands?
O’Sullivan explores the manuscript’s potential path through noble libraries, family archives, and private collections—from the 15th century to the modern day.
Uncover the manuscript’s fascinating post-medieval history on alamire.tv or your preferred platform.
Alamire Foundation

27/06/2025

Artists Spotlight: 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘇 𝗞𝗿ä𝗺𝗲𝗿, and
𝗦𝗲𝗱𝗮 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝗿-𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻
𝗙𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘇 𝗞𝗿ä𝗺𝗲𝗿 works with orchestras such as Kammerorchester Basel, Symphoniker Hamburg, Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra, L’arpa festante, Basel Sinfonietta, Camerata Bern, Capriccio Barockorchester, Les Passions de l’Ame, Elbipolis Barockorchester, Neues Orchester Basel, OPUS Bern, and soloists like Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Hana Blažíková, Maurice Steger, and Seda Amir-Karayan. He is conductor and artistic director of early music ensembles BERNVOCAL and Camerata Vivaldiana, which he founded. He studied conducting, musicology, and philosophy in Hamburg, Heidelberg, and Bern, with masterclasses under Frieder Bernius and an internship with Philippe Herreweghe. His graduation concert was supported by ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius. Recent highlights include Mahler/Reger/Brahms program with Kammerorchester Basel, Bach’s Mass in B minor Armenian premiere, and Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine. Upcoming projects feature Verdi’s Requiem and Händel’s Messiah.

𝗦𝗲𝗱𝗮 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝗿-𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻 is an internationally sought-after concert singer and lied recitalist, performing at venues including Elbphilharmonie, Berlin Philharmonie, Cologne Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, and Leipzig Bach Festival. She has worked with renowned conductors such as Ton Koopman, Frieder Bernius, Helmuth Rilling, Alessandro De Marchi, and Fritz Krämer, and with orchestras including Stuttgart Philharmonic, L’arpa festante, Il Gusto Barocco, and Bavarian Chamber Philharmonic. Born in Yerevan, Armenia, she studied jazz singing with Robert Amirkhanyan. She completed musicology studies on Armenian medieval church music and holds a master’s degree with distinction from Stuttgart State University of Music and Performing Arts(Prof. Ulrike Sonntag). She has won prizes, scholarships, and participated in masterclasses with Helen Donath and Brigitte Fassbaender. Her debut CD Wehmut was released in 2020.
©Sue Neuenschwander, Fritz Krämer

24/06/2025

Here’s the story behind the cover of our new album, 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗛: 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 . The photograph, taken by Andrew Behesnilian, shows Khor Virap Monastery in Armenia, with Mount Ararat rising in the background. It’s a place layered with meaning. Khor Virap is where Saint Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned in the 3rd century. His release marked the beginning of Armenia’s transformation into the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD.

Mount Ararat, though now across the border in modern-day Turkey, remains a powerful symbol in Armenian identity—connected both to biblical tradition as the resting place of Noah’s Ark and to centuries of cultural memory.

We chose this image because it quietly reflects the essence of the album: a dialogue between Bach’s sacred music and the deep spiritual tradition of Armenian chant. The landscape holds a kind of stillness that echoes both worlds—one Western, structured, and familiar; the other ancient, modal, and intimate. It felt like the right meeting point.

Credits Khor Virap Monastery in Armenia with Mount Ararat, photo by Andrew Behesnilian

20/06/2025

𝗦𝗲𝗱𝗮 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝗿-𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻 reflects on one of her favorite tracks from her latest album for Passacaille Records.
“Narekatsi’s “Havun, havun” (“Little bird”), dating back over a thousand years, is a gem of Armenian sacred music. In this piece, not only does the human voice detach itself and move freely like a bird, but the human soul also takes flight and rises above the mountains. The melody carries me home, no matter where I am. In every place, this piece transforms into a small universe for me: Armenia.”

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