Beethoven's permanent move to Vienna in 1782 allowed him direct contact with the operatic and Italianate culture of the city. He took lessons in Italian word setting from Salieri and almost immediately began the composition of a series of arias in that language, including Primo amore, piacer del ciel and later the dramatic recitative and aria Ah! perfido. Beethoven also set strophic songs in German that form part of the popular Singspiel tradition which are genial and rare examples of his art. Leif Segerstam has said that he has a special place for Beethoven between his ears, having grown up with the composers music and conducting it frequently during his years in Vienna during the 1970s and 80s.

Magdalena Kozena, one of the most acclaimed recitalists of today, presents a personal collection of songs she has known since childhood and that form some of her earliest musical influences. A haunting collection of songs by Czech composers such as Dvorak, Janacek, Martinu, Schulhoff and Eben, all deeply rooted in the rich Czech folk song tradition. Like Magdalena explains about the songs on the album: They are just the sort a mother would sing to her baby. My mother is not a professional singer, but she loved to sing and knew a lot of songs!

This must surely be the most lavish and welcome Procol compilation ever released: 57 tracks, all the A and B sides from 1967 to 2002, with lavish photographs and comprehensive liner notes. All collectors will prize this album, not least since it includes Adagio di Albinoni and the live Blue Danube that was its B side… items too precious to play from the rare vinyl versions.

John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Billie Holiday, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James, Leadbelly and many others.

In 1956, trumpeter Art Farmer was teamed with tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley and pianist Horace Silver in one of the most vital and important modern jazz groups of the seminal hard bop era. But it was Farmer here who was emerging as a leader, with Mobley tagging along on this excellent date. Not to say that Mobley was a slouch, and indeed far from it as a peer of Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. Fact is, Mobley led the band with Farmer and Silver, but achieved his greatest acclaim alongside trumpeters Lee Morgan, and eventually Miles Davis. For Farmer, this recording was a coming out party, establishing him not only as a fine player, but a composer who lyricists were attracted to. "Farmer's Market" with its by now immortal swift hard bop melody and harmony courtesy of the Farmer/Mobley tandem, and the languid ballad "Reminiscing" with Mobley out but pianist Kenny Drew adding reinforcement a hundredfold…

Guru Guru played in the Wartburg, a Wiesbaden hall, on September 17th, 1973. It was one of the gigs recorded by Xhol (Caravan) acquaintance Muck Krieger. His recording equipment was then state-of-the-art: an Uher tape recorder CR 124 and two Revox microphones for the stereo sound, the equipment he had used the year before (CD 'Wiesbaden 1972'). The result has turned out satisfactory, although the occasional singing sounds slightly thready and reverberant. That is partly due, however, to the live sound reproduction during the gig. With its 37 minutes, 'Ooga booga' leaves a lot of space for free improvisation. 'Round dance' and 'Das Zwickmaschinchen' are from their fifth LP, 'Don't call us', which had just been recorded at that time. Thus, Muck Krieger's supply of Guru Guru materials has been exhausted.

Code Indigo is one of those hard to categorise electronic bands whose music and concept albums cross genres and has wide appeal. The music is original, with thematic compositions, an imaginative combination of synths, keyboards, guitar, samples and rhythms plus a good helping of experimental, ambient and down tempo chill out influences. The music compares to that of a ‘Blade Runner’ style soundtrack, with Pink Floyd and Art of Noise influences. The band was founded in 1994 by David Wright and Robert Fox with the original line-up completed by Nik Smith and Vaughn Evans.