Cheap Trick Combining a love for British guitar pop songcraft with crunching power chords and a flair for the absurd, Cheap Trick provided the necessary links between '60s pop, heavy metal, and punk. Their sound provided a blueprint for both power pop and arena rock; it also had a long-lived effect on both alternative and heavy metal bands of the '80s and '90s (and beyond), who often relied on the same combination of loud riffs and catchy melodies. The band's early albums were filled with highly melodic, well-written songs that drew equally from the crafted pop of the Beatles, the sonic assault of the Who, and the tongue-in-cheek musical eclecticism and humor of the Move.

Claudio Santoro’s late works are marked by great concision and considerable emotional density. The music on this album was written in the last months of his life. The Viola Concerto and the Concerto for Chamber Orchestra juxtapose restless energy and expansive – if at times desolate – lyricism. The powerful Symphony No. 13 shows Santoro’s mastery of orchestration and form at its peak, and the compact Symphony No. 14 was to be the last in a cycle widely acclaimed as the most significant of its kind ever composed in Brazil.

For Quatuor Arod, the six string quartets in Haydn’s opus 76 “represent the apogee of the Classical style, but they are also ageless, presenting almost infinite possibilities”. This Haydn project – the Paris-based quartet’s first Erato recording of works from the late 18th century – has been close to Arod's heart for a long time.“Haydn, the founding father of the string quartet, composed the op. 76 quartets in his mid-sixties. Representing Haydn in all his maturity, achievement and mastery as he exploits a broad expressive palette, they constitute a turning point in the history of the quartet as a genre. They undoubtedly influenced Beethoven.”

Among the main achievements during Daniel Barenboim's fifteen-years long mandate as musical director of the Orchestre de Paris, the Mozart recordings occupy the top spots, notably with a fiery rendition of the Jupiter symphony, made available on digital for the very first time, and a Requiem enhanced by the vocal presence of such soloists as Kathleen Battle or Matti Salminen. Coupled with the delicate Little Night Music, all these recordings come in a remastering restoring them to their full glory.

Reissued for the first time since 1987, Bryan Ferry’s ‘Bête Noire’ is a masterclass in moody sophistication, blending art-pop, jazz-tinged balladry and late-’80s electronic textures into a rich, cinematic whole. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, the album features collaborations with some of the era’s finest musicians, including guitarist Johnny Marr (The Smiths), whose co-writing credit on the brooding lead single “The Right Stuff” brings an edgier undercurrent to Ferry’s signature style. Other highlights include the sultry “Kiss and Tell” and the hauntingly atmospheric “Limbo,” both of which showcase Ferry’s ability to fuse romance and intrigue with sonic elegance. With production contributions from Patrick Leonard (known for his work with Madonna), Bête Noire stands as one of Ferry’s most ambitious and polished solo statements — a collector’s essential and a hidden treasure from one of British pop’s most distinctive voices.

The viola bastarda is much more than just a specific instrument: it is also a technique for playing the viola da gamba that involves developing a vast skill in ornamentation over the entire range of the instrument and covering all the tessituras from bass to soprano. Today’s performers are faced with a repertoire compiled by a few virtuosos, while at the same time they have to reconstitute a performing practice that exists only in a few historical treatises. Manon Papasergio has devoted her first recording to this art form and its development during the exciting transitional period from the Renaissance to the Baroque.

The elegant and versatile pianist Young Hyun Cho continues her ambitious project to record all 32 Beethoven Sonatas with this double album that includes Sonatas 1-4, 19, and 20 on two CDs. Her previous release of Sonatas 12-15 has been universally praised by critics and audiences: “Cho’s complete set of Beethoven’s sonatas would be well worth acquiring,… she would appear to be the perfect pianist for the project, given her impeccable technique and the clarity of expression and articulation.”

While the famous Te Deum secured Charpentier's place in history, it was undoubtedly his Messe de Minuit that most contributed to his renown. True to Charpentier's genius, this mass is a perfect synthesis of the secular and the sacred, popular melodies and refined composition, offering a piece of remarkable originality and joy. These melodies, familiar to all, peasants and gentlemen alike, are enriched by orchestral parts and interwoven with subtle counterpoint and renewed harmony. The pleasure of music is thus offered to everyone: to recognise a familiar tune, or to grasp its extraordinary arrangement. Under the direction of Gaetan Jarry, the Marguerite Louise ensemble sublimates these Latin oratorios and French pastorals, infusing the Christmas celebration with unparalleled fervour!

It is through a double CD that Musique en Wallonie is honoring the Belgian composer Lucie Vellère. When, in 1957, the jury (entirely male) of the International Composition Contest for Women Composers, organised by Grace Spofford and the American division of the Conseil international de femmes, awarded her a first prize, Lucie Vellère found herself, for the first in her life, in the public eye. She who had always cultivated discretion now aroused curiosity.

Benjamin Britten first met cellist Mstislav Rostropovich in 1960 at the London premiere of Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1, sparking a deep friendship that inspired Britten to compose several major cello works for him, including the Cello Sonata (1961), Cello Symphony (1962-63), three Solo Cello Suites (1964, 1967, 1971-74), and Tema Sacher (1976). These pieces, influenced by Baroque models, Russian themes, and Rostropovich's virtuosic style, explore the cello's full expressive and technical range. The document also profiles Norwegian cellist Amalie Stalheim (b. 1993), a leading interpreter of both classical and contemporary music, known for commissioning new works, performing with major European orchestras, and founding the Classical Link mentoring program to support young musicians.

In 1725, Jose de Torres crafts the narrative of the royal funerals of Spain's first Bourbon monarchs. At the heart of this tribute, the Misa de difuntos para Luis I, the first Bourbon born on Iberian soil, blends with exquisite finesse the echoes of Versailles with the exuberant splendour of Spanish Baroque. The offering is here completed by the monumental Dies Irae by Francisco Corselli, a Franco-Italian composer, to the glory of Philip V. Alberto Miguelez Rouco revives these rare works, bringing the music of the Real Capilla de Madrid to life in the Royal Chapel of Versailles!

Jalapeno Records are celebrating their 25th anniversary in the business.
The label are marking the occasion with the release of a 3LP compilation featuring some of label boss Trevor Mac’s favourite dancefloor gems from across the years.From a humble start in a basement recording studio on Holloway Road to a quarter century anniversary celebrated from their Brighton offices – Jalapeno Records has been an indie label with a mission - to bring the funk to the masses. Along the way that has taken in so many genres from chill to house, gospel to soul, breaks to drum & bass but it has all had a common thread running through it - the funk.“Twenty Five years means there are too many artists to list and this album is not supposed to be a Greatest Hits. We did that on the 20th anniversary. The album is dedicated to all of the artists that trusted us with their music and all the people who supported us along the way” says Trevor Mac.

Jukebox Ella: The Complete Verve Singles, Volume 2 collects 50 singles from Ella Fitzgerald’s hit-making years on Verve Records. Ella began her glorious association with the newly formed label in 1956, and her album debut, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book, bankrolled Verve’s initial success. Four tunes were chosen for pre-release to secure advance publicity: “It’s All Right with Me,” “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love),” “All of You” and “What Is This Thing Called Love?” It was an approach that turned out to be spectacularly successful and, when repeated for each new release, put Verve in the commercial market, propelling sales of the albums the singles were drawn from. This limited-edition collection, the second of two volumes, showcases Ella singing with an incomparable level of artistry, whether interpreting songs by Cole Porter, the Gershwins or The Beatles, and features liner notes by Ella biographer, Stuart Nicholson.

Green Day’s sixth studio album Warning was released on October 3, 2000, and has gone on to sell over 1 million copies in the US and over 3 million worldwide.The album includes three hit singles: “Warning”, “Waiting” and “Minority”, a track that continues to be a live favorite. The album has been one of the most celebrated in the band’s catalogue, with the critics applauding the band’s adventurous musical direction and Billie Joe Armstrong’s strong song writing.

Released in 2025, is a compilation album that focuses on the acid jazz genre. It features a collection of instrumental tracks with jazz funk breaks and rhythms.