The Suk Trio is one of the most historically present and enduring piano trios from Czechoslovakia. Although the piano and cello chairs have been filled by several different musicians since the group's formation in 1951, the most historically and musically notable member has always been violinist Josef Suk, grandson of composer Josef Suk and great-grandson of the venerable Antonin Dvorák. This album, featuring the greatest hits of Beethoven's piano trios (numbers 3, 5, and 7) and Schubert's First Piano Trio, was originally recorded in the mid-'60s. The disc's remastered sound is pleasingly clear and clean. Each of the trio's members is exceptionally skilled. Technical execution cannot be faulted; articulation between the strings is abundantly crisp and refined.

Having already checked off the second (and by far most popular) cello sonata of Bohuslav Martinu in his first album for the Supraphon label, cellist Tomás Jamnik (all of 23 years old at the time of this recording) has set his sights on Martinu's Third Cello Sonata. Other works on this program include the Suita balladica for Cello and Piano of Petr Eben and the Sonata for Cello and Piano of Lubos Sluka. All of these works share not only a common Czech pedigree, but were composed within about five years of each other. Though they were all heavily influenced by the Czech folk music tradition, they are stylistically contrasting, resulting in a thoroughly enjoyable program of works not likely to be found anywhere else. As in his first album, Jamnik again proves himself to be an artist to watch. His technique is remarkably well developed and he skips nimbly around his instrument with apparent ease.

Supraphon's Bohuslav Martinu: Chamber Music with Viola is part of their undesignated, but apparently aiming to be complete, survey of Martinu's works and concentrates on viola-driven chamber music dating from the last dozen years left to the eminent Czech composer. All but seven of those years were spent in New York City, where he taught at Mannes College of Music; during his time in New York Martinu forged a great many friendships with talented American musicians, including violist Lillian Fuchs and her husband, violinist Joseph Fuchs. Along with those two, Martinu made the acquaintance of pianist and Polish émigré Artur Balsam .

There probably isn't a recording anywhere of Johann Sebastian Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos that can match the breakneck speeds of the performances by early music specialist Marek Stryncl and his virtuoso period ensemble Musica Florea. In cases where a jaunty Allegro or Allegro moderato can be assumed, Stryncl opts for Presto, or even Prestissimo, apparently with sound scholarship to back up his choices. This may be a legitimate Baroque practice (lay listeners could not know otherwise, without access to Stryncl's research), but there is a point where the rapid tempos will seem unduly hasty and become irritating to anyone who wants to linger over such niceties as instrumental color, articulation, harmony, and counterpoint.

Naïve releases the third volume dedicated to Vivaldi’s violin concertos in its ground breaking project, the Vivaldi Edition. Multi award-winning violinist Duilio Galfetti is accompanied by acclaimed early music ensemble I Barocchisti under the direction of Diego Fasolis.

The music of Robert Schumann and the artistry of Sviatoslav Richter are a natural match. Schumann was loathe to use flashy, purely virtuosic elements in his compositions, a fact brilliantly illustrated in the vast majority of his works for solo piano. Rather, Schumann was much more likely to tell a story, paint a picture, or read a poem through his music, although his works were not overtly programmatic. Richter possessed a technique virtually unrivaled during his career and was able to definitively toss off even the most technically demanding works. At his heart, however, Richter was a poet and an artist with profound musical insights and introspections.

Two factors should disqualify this disc immediately. First, the pieces are incomplete and out of order. Second, and arguably more crucially, the pianist misses handfuls of notes in nearly every selection and bucketfuls of notes in some. But some listeners won't care about these things because of the miracle of Sviatoslav Richter. What in another pianist would be grounds for dismissal is here cause for celebration. Check out Richter's Shostakovich: the mysterious colors of his F minor Prelude and Fugue, the fleet virtuosity of his A minor Prelude and Fugue, or the intensity of his E minor Prelude and Fugue.

Idiomatic doesn't even begin to describe the music-making on this disc coupling Dvorák's String Quintet in G major, Op. 77, and his Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81. Not only are the four members of the Czech Skampa Quartet – violinists Pavel Fischer and Jana Lukásova, violist Radim Sedmidubský, and cellist Lukás Polák – incredibly tight, together, and in the groove with the music's Bohemian rhythms, but so are their guest artists: French double-bassist Laurène Durantel and English pianist Kathryn Stott.

Historically informed performance practice is no longer just an issue for Baroque or Classical music, but now a relevant matter in twentieth century music, as well, as this 2005 release from Supraphon demonstrates. Harpsichordist Monika Knoblochová has applied her considerable scholarship and meticulous keyboard skills in rendering Bohuslav Martinu's entertaining works for harpsichord and small instrumental groups in their original state, as found in the manuscripts, without compromises or later editorial changes. Martinu's "Back to Bach" pieces, along with the quirky Concerto (1923-1926) by Manuel de Falla, seem to benefit from this exacting period treatment, and the vivacious Concerto for harpsichord and chamber orchestra (1935) may be appreciated as one of the most satisfying neo-Baroque works since Stravinsky's celebrated "Dumbarton Oaks" Concerto.

The Piano Quintet, unusually scored for clarinet, horn, violin and cello, is a product of Fibich's maturity. The Largo is the heart of the work, one of the most richly Romantic slow movements in the Czech chamber repertoire. These excellently recorded performances are near-ideal. The performers provide idiomatic, affectionate readings that fully convey the originality and lyrical assurance of these works.

If you ever feel the overpowering urge to hear a disc with the best performances of the best music ever written for violin and piano by Czech composers, this is that disc. If you ever feel the overwhelming compulsion to hear a disc with sweetly lyrical, passionately expressive, and deeply soulful music played with unparalleled insight, unmatched understanding, and complete comprehension, this is that disc. The music is truly the best ever written for violin and piano by Czech composers. Smetana's Pieces (2) from The Homeland are charming. Dvorák's Sonatina and Romantic Pieces are heartfelt and instantly memorable. Suk's Ballade and Pieces (4) are works of stunning intensity and staggering expressivity. And Dvorák's transcription of his Slavonic Dance in E minor is a bravura display of nationalist fervor. The performances are the best ever recorded for the repertoire.

This disc most definitely has a recital feel about it. I say that not solely because it was recorded live at the Smetana Hall in Prague, where thankfully the audience was silent throughout until breaking into wild applause at the end of each item. The chief cause for the recital feel is structural – groups of arias interspersed by three intermezzi – two Italian, one French – thus providing a good framework for the whole. Having composers similarly grouped and arias given in sequence within each opera is also beneficial to the listener.

The cover may clue you in that you're not getting a conventional recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons here, but just in case that doesn't do the job, this is, in the words of violinist Roby Lakatos (who writes his own utterly distinctive notes), "Vivaldi alla Gypsy." This involves not only a cimbalom but, in some sections, wholesale rewriting of Vivaldi's score (the central movement of "Winter" brings the biggest departure). Lakatos says that he made the album because his label wanted him to record a classical repertory work, but the links between the gypsy tradition and the classics is centuries old, and Lakatos comes from a musical family that taught Franz Liszt back in the day. Lakatos is undoubtedly an exciting and dynamic player. One might object that the logic in when he sticks to the score and when he takes it merely as a stimulus to new music-making is not entirely clear.

The violin virtuoso Pavel Šporcl’s new CD captures his two unique concerts with the Slovak Gipsy cimbalom ensemble Romano Stilo. The events were truly extraordinary not only due to these superlative musicians combining their forces but also the repertoire (a startling departure for Šporcl) and the atmosphere on the stage and in the auditorium alike. Just as Pavel Šporcl steps out with zest from the domain of classical music into other genres so Romano Stilo cannot be considered an orthodox cimbalom band. Besides Gipsy, Hungarian and Romanian folk music, the visitors to the concerts heard compositions by Pablo Sarasate, Johannes Brahms and Aram Khachaturian inspired by this music, all spiced up with a soupcon of jazz.

This midline-priced compilation attempts to survey Barry White's recording career from 1973-1999, giving equal weight to different periods of that time as if they were equally successful. That's what can happen when the artist is involved in the selection of a compilation; White is credited as compilation producer along with Universal's Harry Weinger in what may be his final contemporary album credit (he died while the disc was in production).