Joseph Boullogne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges (sometimes spelled Saint-George) (December 25, 1739 – June 10, 1799) was one of the most important figures in the Paris musical scene in the second half of the 18th century, he was also famous as a swordsman and equestrian. Known as the "Black Mozart" or the "Voltaire of music" he was one of the earliest musicians of the European classical type known to have African ancestry. (…) He was a mulatto born out-of-wedlock in Guadeloupe to Nanon, a former slave of black African descent, and a white French plantation owner of noble birth, Guillaume-Pierre Tavernier de Boullogne. The child was named after his uncle George de Boullogne Saint-Georges. At the age of ten he accompanied his father to France and was enrolled in a private academy. Schooled in both the fine and martial arts, he soon distinguished himself by his extraordinary skill on horseback, in sports, fencing, and music. (…)(Wikipedia)

For the very first time Cecilia Bartoli explores the Baroque musical treasures of Tsarist Russia with music from the court of three 18th century Tsaristas: Anna, Elizabeth and Catherine the Great. With music written by Italian and German composers working for the Russian court, this album sheds new light on an incredible and momentous time for Russia, shaping its politics and culture towards the enlightened West. Mostly sung in Italian, the album also offers the first opportunity to hear Bartoli sing in Russian. The music has been intricately researched by Cecilia herself, unlocking the archives of St Petersburg’s Mariinsky Library to uncover music lost for over 200 years. The new recording reunites Bartoli with Baroque specialists Diego Fasolis & I Barocchisti.

Antiqua is a series of essays in italian enriched with a valuable set of illustrations and a CD with original music by great musicians rediscovered and interpreted by the best Italian & Europeans ensembles on period instruments. Each volume explores one of the glorious cities in the past, including courts, palaces and abbeys, where the supreme art of musicians blends with the discussion of art, the achievements of science, the political and social reality. A trip between small and large capitals of Music and Art between the Renaissance and the Baroque embellished by treasures of ancient music performed by the best instrumental and vocal groups of the international scene.

In 1985, to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Scarlatti, French radio broadcast a weekly series of Scarlatti Sonatas played by harpsichordist Scott Ross. By the end of the series Ross had recorded, for the first time, the entire set of the 555 Scarlatti's sonatas. A monumental undertaking, Ross recorded 2 sonatas a day over 15 months, and the result was 34 compact discs packed with these miniature masterpieces, many of which had never been recorded before.

In 1958 the first records appeared under the banner of Harmonia Mundi, the company founded by the French journalist Bernard Coutaz. Half a century later, Coutaz is still in charge and his creation has developed into one of the most important independent classical labels in the world, carefully preserving the same values and virtues. Next year's anniversary is being marked by this collection, a retrospective of 50 works.

With the success of the 2009’s limited-edition 55-CD box (The Collector’s Edition), DG are following up with another multi-CD box in 2010 – The Collector’s Edition 2. This time there is a total of 56 CDs, bringing the number of discs in both boxes to a combined number of 111.

Ever since Beethoven wrote his last piano sonata and called it opus 111, the number 111 has enjoyed certain kudos in musical circles – of which we are proud to take advantage, as Deutsche Grammophon celebrates its 111th anniversary in 2009. This unique limited-edition, specially priced collection of 55 CDs contains landmark recordings from DG's past to present.

The idea of combining DGs all-encompassing 111 concept with the works of an individual composer has entailed a new focus for this popular brand. Our aim is twofold: first, to offer as comprehensive a Mozart edition as possible; secondly, to reflect the labels extraordinary tradition of Mozart interpretation. Thus you ll find big-band Mozart at its best…

To celebrate what would have been Herbert von Karajan's 100th birthday on April 5, 2008, EMI has gathered together all of the conductor's recordings for the label in two super-budget boxed sets. Volume 1 weighs in at an imposing 88 discs and focuses on orchestral repertoire (the second volume consists of vocal and operatic works).

A quintessential selection of the best western sacred music through the ages and continents that will please one and all, from an inquisitive novice to the discerning connoisseur. 90 complete works of essential repertoire [on 30 CDs]. Harmonia Mundi offers you the finest selection of 111 cornerstone works of western sacred music. From the earliest Christian chants to Bernstein's mass, from the gems of the Baroque to beloved Lutheran hymns, this vital collection has been created by today's finest artists at the peak of their talents. Harmonia Mundi is offering it in this extremely Limited Box Edition. Ready for your MP3 player

French composer Marin Marais (1656-1728) was remarkably prolific, writing nearly 600 compositions for viola da gamba, as well as many operas. One of his major collections of music for the gamba is Suitte d'un Gôut Etranger, a collection of 33 short works written, according to the composer, "to stretch the skill of those who do not like easy pieces.". Between 1975 and 1983, Jordi Savall recorded five albums including the most beautiful pieces from each of the five Books of Pieces for the Viol composed by Marin Marais between 1686 and 1725. A silence of nearly 250 years came to an end. A repertoire - and even better, an instrument - returned from oblivion. The memory of a composer had never been so closely linked to the performing art of a musician.

If you thought the viola da gamba and lute weren’t to your taste, you can’t have heard this disc. From the opening track, you are treated to a succession of strongly characterised, superbly executed performances by Vittorio Ghielmi and Luca Pianca. (Can there only be two of them playing on this disc?) No mincing or simpering here, not even in Marais’s ‘Minaudière’: this is passionate, virile playing.

The revival of Vivaldi's operas continues with L'incoronazione di Dario (The Coronation of Darius), which has been recorded several times. This release comes from a 2013 live performance in Bremen, Germany, very well recorded indeed by Naïve. The title might lead one to expect a solemn opera seria, but it almost immediately announces itself, with a sparkling duet as the first vocal number, as something different and unusual, a sort of dramedy about the competition for the hand of the daughter of a deceased Persian emperor. A worthwhile and even entertaining addition to a Baroque opera shelf.

This whopping 40-disc set, which sells for very little, contains familiar performances of the major works, and most of them are quite good. As an overview of Dvorak's complete works, this is entirely honorable, and it needs to be viewed whole. Naturally you can do better in individual works, but if you want to know what the composer was all about and don't want to spend a fortune finding out, this is quite a deal.

18 years and 55 discs later, a great adventure is brought to a close. The chronological approach adopted by Suzuki means that the three works included here are the last extant cantatas by Bach’s hand.
This series has been a landmark recording project for BIS and is released to coincide with the label's 40th anniversary. Throughout the series, individual volumes have regularly picked up ‘choice’ awards from the major music magazines as well as numerous appearances in the UK classical chart.