This 2-CD set with The Purcell Quartet and a distinguished group of soloists is the third in a series devoted to Bach’s early cantatas and the second focussing on the Weimar period. On an earlier release, International Record Review wrote, ‘The Purcell Quartet and guests are most welcome: even the most distinguished of period performers with larger ensembles can’t achieve the intimacy that the forces here have at their disposal’.

The Purcell Quartet - two violins, cello and continuo, augmented by two violas, recorders, oboe, bassoon, and trumpet - reflect the meagre forces available to Bach. The four solo singers combine in a one-to-a-part chorus… With no designated 'conductor', this is chamber music, warmed by the acoustic environment of a London church. The resulting clarity is delightful, more subtle that the similarly scaled Ricercar Consort (Mirare)

"…rhythmically supple performances with generally effective tempos and which demonstrate an awareness of the antecedent styles of Buxtehude and others."

Verdi dominated the world of Italian opera from his first considerable success in 1842 with Nabucco until his final Shakespearean operas Otello, staged at La Scala, Milan in 1887, and Falstaff, mounted at the same opera house in 1893. His career coincided with the rise of Italian nationalism and the unification of the country, causes with which he was openly associated.

Francis Poulenc is considered one of the greatest melodists of the 20th century but it is his individual and immediately recognisable harmonic language that makes his music so distinctive. Often overlooked in his lifetime and in the years after his death, his sacred music was an expression of his more serious side and, following the death of his close friend, Pierre-Octave Ferroud, a re-awakening of his religious faith. The Sixteen’s new recording centres round the themes of conflict and atonement, reflecting both Poulenc’s intense internal struggles and the turbulence of life in France during the mid-20th century.

William Byrd was one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance. He was widely admired in his own time both at home and abroad and the influence he had on future generations of composers was immense. This programme explores the music of his influences, his colleagues and his pervading faith. In his 400th anniversary year, Byrd’s legacy is marked by the commission of two new pieces from acclaimed composer Dobrinka Tabakova, bringing his musical heritage firmly into the modern day. The two premieres, Arise Lord into thy rest and Turn our captivity, highlight the beauty of modern polyphony and showcase The Sixteen in a new light. The programme also features works by van Wilder, de Monte, Clemens non Papa and, of course, Byrd himself.

Pristine vocals are the ultimate goal of every audiophile listener. You want to hear every breath, note, and nuance of the vocal performance. We've assembled for you on this compilation the greatest collection of audiophile vocal recordings ever made.

CHESS the Musical (2025 Broadway Cast Recording) documents the long-awaited Broadway revival that opened at the Imperial Theatre on November 16, 2025 — the first English-language cast recording of a fully staged production of the musical since the original Broadway album of 1988. With music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA, lyrics by Tim Rice, and a substantially rewritten book by Emmy Award winner Danny Strong, the musical sets a politically charged Cold War chess tournament at the center of a love triangle between an American and a Soviet grandmaster. The American champion Freddie Trumper was conceived as a loose portrait of Bobby Fischer, while the Soviet grandmaster Anatoly Sergievsky draws on elements from the careers of Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov.

Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 is quite simply one of the greatest works of sacred music ever written, without doubt the most varied and inspired before Handel and Bach began composing their oratorios and passions. It's variety alone makes it unique, from thrilling psalm settings with virtuosic writing for both multi-part choir and instrumentalists, to exotic and sensual settings of texts from the Song of Songs for solo voices. Every movement is full of luscious harmonies, drama, and evocative musical language.

The album features a gritty, road-weary sound—think dark country, biker rock, and classic blues-rock vibes with themes of drifting, reckoning, and open-road introspection (tracks reference places like Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Panhandle, and Lone Star)

Speaking To The Body can refer to any physical form and its relationship to the space it is in, the expectations imposed upon it, and actions that unfold from it. Through the conception of this record, Goldstein battled with overwhelming anxiety and panic disorder, which extended itself into the work in mysterious ways.

Emeralds, the second album by Ohio's Parlor Greens, proves that the funky jazz organ trio is an idea that never gets old. The musicians have clearly logged lots of time marinating in the sounds of Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott, Charles Earland, Baby Face Willette, et al, but they've found a middle ground between honoring their influences and putting a fresh spin on a style that's been around longer than they've been alive.

Hikari Fukuda is a Japanese keyboardist specializing in late Baroque music. Following two Bach works, she has chosen Domenico Scarlatti for this album. After extensive research in Italy and Spain and studying early instruments, she has tackled a repertoire that she has been working on for a long time. It is a wonderful collaboration between the bright Italian qualities of D. Scarlatti and the Spanish qualities she acquired in the latter half of her life.

Experience the spellbinding essence of Yann Tiersen's "Eusa" through the deft fingers of pianist Alessandro Simonetto in this 2023 release from OnClassical. A profound homage to Tiersen's Breton homeland, Simonetto's rendition breathes a new life into these compositions, capturing the essence of the rugged landscapes and evocative stories embedded within each piece.