Star countertenor Philippe Jaroussky continues his exploration of operatic settings of the Orpheus myth with the most famous of the many operas inspired by the story of the Greek poet who searches for his dead wife in the Underworld: Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. It contains one of the world's best-loved operatic arias, Orfeo's restrained, but moving lament, 'Che farò senza Euridice'.

What matters is not what he can do, for this is only the beginning. What matters is how many ideas occur to him and how much he can demand of the music and of himself. In short, he is an artist who must be taken seriously, a hugely talented pianist who radiates an extraordinary fascination. In a word, he is exciting.

Johann Christian Bach's op 17 sonata's were written considerably later than the op 5 and therefore display a more mature style. The op 5 published for harpdichord or fortepiano were keen to dazilingly exploit the possibilities of the the new piano, the op 17 were written when the piano was more comfortably established (Broadwood was now producing pianos almost exclusively the last harpsichord being produced in 1783), and therefore do not strive to employ such fantastic devices such as extreme contrasts of dynamics and orchestral effects as their predecessors.

The most popular opera of Gluck might be Orfeo ed Euridice, but this one, Iphigénie en Tauride, is probably his most dramatically involving. It is about familial love and deep friendship and, as such, lacks the usual "love" music and interest. But the waters here run deep, and Martin Pearlman and his singers plumb those depths. Christine Goerke's Iphigénie is dignified, rich with expression and beautiful tone. Almost no less good is the Orestes of Rodney Gilfry, who uses his high baritone with intelligence and ease, singing tenderly when needed and explosively at other times. Vinson Cole brings grainy, expressive tenor to the role of Pylades firmly and effectively; and Stephen Salters, as the villainous Thaos, might sing coarsely, but it suits the character.

In 1789 Mozart arranged George Frideric Handel's Messiah on behalf of a group of Viennese noblemen.He abridged the work in an effort to tauten the drama, transposed arias to suit his singers' abilities and he subjected it to a fundamental re-orchestration to adapt the sound of the work to the musical taste of his time. lt was not until the 20th century that the historical and musical value of Mozart's Messiah arrangement was reappraised. Mozart's interpretation of Handel's Counterpoint and his synthesis of Baroque and Classical stylistic elements give the work a compelling new sound.

Ewald Demeyere performs Keyboard Variations by CPE Bach and Mozart on the harpsichord in what is an inquiring and original project. Demeyere shows us the two profoundly different styles from the composers in works dating from the same years.

Here’s a performance to make you sit up and marvel anew at the originality, power, and beauty of this, the most popular symphony ever written. Characteristically, Teodor Currentzis has thought long and hard about the work, and he directs a performance in which every bar has been mulled over and re-evaluated. But it sounds anything but text-bound. One second it’s shouting from the rooftops, the next it’s barely whispered. This is a Beethoven Fifth that packs a mighty punch, and the momentum will have you perched on the edge of your seat. Definitely a milestone in this work’s long recorded history.

Swedish-born guitar virtuoso Johan Löfving returns to Resonus Classics to record his debut solo album with a programme of works for both solo guitar and guitar with string quartet. Joined by the Consone Quartet, and castanet player Nanako Aramaki, for Boccherinl’s fourth guitar quintet, Löfving presents a compelling selection of Romantic guitar repertoire framed by two fandango movements that show the influence of Spanish folk music, an idiom so intimately connected with this medium. With this recital of works from across Europe, the considerable reach and versatility of the guitar is on full display with music from the height of the instrument’s popularity.

This latest version of Gluck’s masterpiece is something of a double hybrid: its starting point is the Berlioz version, which combines what Berlioz regarded as the best of the Italian original and the French revision (and using a contralto Orpheus), and then it is modified further, with a number of reorderings and some music restored, as well as revised orchestration. It isn’t very ‘authentic’, in terms of Gluck No. 1, Gluck No. 2 or Berlioz, but that of course doesn’t much matter as long as it works.

Even though Marc-André Hamelin is world-renowned for his astonishing virtuosity and a massive repertoire of the most demanding piano works, including those of Scriabin, Godowsky, and Sorabji, he has startled many with his sudden turn toward the placid domain of Classical music. First came his critically acclaimed recordings of Franz Joseph Haydn's keyboard sonatas, which were surprise best-sellers for Hyperion, and here he offers a double-CD of the piano sonatas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with a handful of short pieces to round out the discs. Since Hamelin's fine reputation precedes him, suffice it to say that these are among the most meticulously played and wittily interpreted renditions of these pieces ever recorded. Even though Mozart's sonatas are tamer than the showpieces of pianistic derring-do normally associated with Hamelin, they are endlessly fascinating for their skillfully crafted details, subtle phrases, and elegant expressions. Since the issue isn't how Hamelin manages all the notes, but instead how he shapes them into such entertaining and moving performances, there is much food for thought in this album, and anyone who attentively follows his playing will find a deeper appreciation of Mozart. Highly recommended.

A violinist in a class of his own, Renaud Capuçon shows why he is 'Le Violon Roi'; (The Violin King) in this 3-CD collection. As the leading French violinist of his generation, Capucon records exclusively for Virgin Classics and has a rich discography. The set brings together not only some of his best and most popular performances as a soloist but as a collaborator.

Alpha is now reissuing three recordings from its back catalogue, the first discs of the conductor Teodor Currentzis. An opportunity to discover or rediscover three very different styles, and three facets of the talent of ‘the enfant terrible of classical music’, as Le Figaro called him, for whom ‘music is intended to transport into the waking world the sentiments we feel when we dream’. With their invitation to travel through different periods and territories, these reissues may be appreciated both separately and as a triptych revealing the artistic approach of Teodor Currentzis and his ensemble MusicAeterna, from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (here served by an exceptional cast of singers) to Shostakovich’s Symphony no.14 (conducted like a dance of death) by way of Mozart’s Requiem, the Salzburg composer’s last work, here given an invigorating reinterpretation.

…Gardiner's account of the Vienna Orfeo ed Euridice is peerless. One soon loses all sense of its being a period-instrument performance at all, so profound, at times overwhelming is its impact - so utterly right. In detail after detail - hauntingly poetic offstage instrumental complement, perfectly positioned in the drama (and perfectly captured by the excellent Philips recording); superbly stirring brass playing, which makes every entry a dramatic event; choral singing extraordinarily light in weight yet rich in emotional substance; exquisitely refined dance movements - and in sustainment of a delicately tenebrous, uniquely Gluckian atmosphere throughout, Gardiner's command of an opera championed since his first London concert performance, 21 years ago, is revealed as simply larger and fuller than almost anyone else's.

Although Joseph Haydn is still regarded principally as a master of instrumental music, he was also one of the forward-looking opera composers of his day, devoting a significant portion of his working life to the genre. As the opera director for Prince Esterházy, he oversaw more than a thousand opera productions at the Esterházy court, which included popular stage works of the time, as well as his own. These two operas are unusual and ahead of their time in that it is women who take centre stage. These female protagonists are people of real flesh and blood, strong, pragmatic, and clearly representative of the spirit of the Enlightenment.