Angela Gheorghiu leads a magnificent cast in Franco Zeffirelli’s iconic production of Puccini’s La Bohème – filmed live at the Metropolitan Opera in Hi-Definition. This grand, sumptuous production of Puccini’s timeless masterpiece is brought to you on DVD by EMI Classics, continuing its collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera and its hugely successful Metropolitan Opera : Live in High-Definition series.

The most famous of Mozart’s has also been the most controversial not in his lifetime, but in the 20th century! Many commentators of that period saw it only as the final metamorphosis of an outdated genre, whereas, on the contrary, the young Mozart threw himself into the work with true creative fury. But that injustice has now been overcome, as is demonstrated here: after a series of distinguished Mozart operatic recordings, notably , René Jacobs has shown he has all the requisite vigour to perform this dazzling composition, given here in the absolutely complete text Mozart intended for its premiere in Munich on 29 January 1781.

With Christmas (and other assorted holidays) just around the corner, it’s expected that holiday-themed recordings begin to make their way to the marketplace. The cool thing about holiday albums is that any one can become a lifetime classic.
Mary Fahl has made a great solo career, post-October Project. With her phenomenal solo set, The Other Side of Time (2003), and her unique approach to the Pink Floyd classic, The Dark Side of the Moon with her own From The Dark Side of the Moon (2011), she has mesmerized many fans with her extraordinary voice. Her last album, Love & Gravity (2014) achieved many things, as well as include a stunning version of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”. Now, Mary Fahl provides a new album for the holiday season with Winter Songs and Carols

Eventyr means “adventure.” Classical listeners may also recognize it as the name of Frederick Delius’s lovely 1917 tone poem, which is often translated as “Once Upon A Time” to underscore its origins in the folk tale collections of Norwegian scholar Peter Christen Asbjørnsen. Here, the name adorns one of Jan Garbarek’s most recondite efforts to date and, like its own “Once Upon A Time,” houses a world of lessons and signs for those willing enough to interpret them. Joined by John Abercrombie and Nana Vasconcelos, he spins a string of seven improvisations, rounded out by a standard, “East Of The Sun And West Of The Moon” (Brooks Bowman), that doesn’t so much end the album as open us to its nebulous center.

Among his most imaginative works, Schubert's fragmentary piano sonatas offer insights into his struggles with form and his experiments with tonality, preoccupations that led to great innovations in his final masterpieces. Composed between 1817 and 1823, the 12 unfinished sonatas reveal the most striking ideas and expressions, though many proved too difficult to develop satisfactorily; or, in other cases, the sonatas are incomplete because pages or whole movements are missing. The Sonata No. 5 in A flat major, D. 557, is the most complete and is included here because its unusual ending in E flat suggests an unwritten fourth movement.

Jean-Luc Ponty has been extremely satisfied with his international touring quintet, which not only excels in performances of his latest compositions, but also brings new life to older works. Earlier in his career, the violinist became enamored with the use of banks of synthesizers plus digital delay for special effects on his instrument, as well as the prominent presence of an electric guitarist. But this quintet, heard in a brilliant 1999 concert in Warsaw, is considerably stripped down, featuring keyboardist William Lecomte, electric bassist Guy Nsangue Akwa, drummer Thierry Arpino, and percussionist Moustapha Cisse. A perfect example is "Rhythms of Hope," first recorded for Ponty's album Mystical Adventures; Ponty's dazzling solo is followed by Akwa's intricate, yet never excessively flashy bass solo.

Cosmic Messenger is more elegant, European-flavored jazz-rock from the French virtuoso Jean-Luc Ponty, and pretty much in the same mold as his previous Atlantic albums but with gradually tightening control over every parameter of performance. Ponty's analog-delay special effects on the title track are spectacular, and the album is loaded more than ever with revolving electronic arpeggios as Ponty's own involvement with the ARP synthesizer grows. But there is still plenty of his fluid, slippery electric violin soloing to be heard within the tight structures of these pieces, and the tunes themselves are often pretty good.

cclaimed actress, singer and author LEA MICHELE will release her first-ever holiday album, Christmas in The City, on October 25th via Sony Music Masterworks. Inspired by her fond memories of growing up in New York City, Lea has captured the unique magic of the city's holiday spirit throughout the 11-track collection, which is available now for preorder.

Grammy Award winning cellist Sara Sant'Ambrogio first hit the international stage by winning the Tchaikovsky International Violoncello Competition in Russia which resulted in her Carnegie Hall debut televised nationally in the US. Since then, she has performed thousands of concerts on six continents both as a soloist and with her ensemble, the Eroica Trio. Sara has finally fulfilled her lifelong dream of recording the romantic masterpiece, Elgar Cello Concerto, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra-one of England's finest orchestras. She pairs the Elgar with a lush, new romantic cello concerto written for her by Bruce Wolosoff and her own arrangements of Astor Piazzolla's sultry Libertango and Oblivion to complete a recording designed to delight the listeners ears and linger in their souls.

Ralph Sharon - The Magic Of Irving Berlin (2000) {Avid Records AMSC 715 rec 1992}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 267 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 134 Mb
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© 1992, 2000 Avid Records | AMSC 715
Jazz / Cool / Standards / Piano

This is one of a set of 5 CDs released in 2000 by Avid. The Trio comprises Ralph Sharon on piano, Lennie Bush on bass and Jack Parnell on drums, all of whom played in the Ted Heath orchestra at some time. Lennie Bush also played in Jack Parnell's ATV orchestra. The other CDs in the series feature the music of George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers. There are 20 tracks on the disc including three medleys. The tempo at which some of the tunes are played are not the ones we hear most often - but the music is none the worse for that. The Trio often include the verses as well as the refrains of some of the songs.