The most comprehensive edition devoted to Gioacchino Rossini marking his 150th anniversary. Born in 1792, Rossini was the most popular opera composer of his time. Although he retired from the Opera scene in 1829, he continued to compose in other genres, including sacred music, piano and chamber works. He did gather his late works under the ironic title Péchés de vieillesse (Sins of Old Age), which veils a true collection of masterworks.

Petra is one of the most successful Christian rock bands ever, a veritable institution whose name (taken from the Greek word for "rock") has come to reflect not only their music, but their staying power as well, even in spite of Christian radio's reluctance to program their brand of loud, slick arena rock. Petra was formed in 1972 by guitarist Bob Hartman, who was attending the Christian Training Center in Fort Wayne, IN at the time; he recruited several fellow students - guitarist/vocalist Greg Hough, bassist John DeGroff, and drummer Bill Glover - to his cause, and the group began playing around the Fort Wayne area with backing from their school. Petra encountered early resistance to the very idea of Christian rock from many local churches, who held that the rock & roll sound was inherently evil; nevertheless, the group proved popular with younger Christians, and was signed to the Word Records subsidiary Myrrh in 1973…

Wild, raw, rough-edged Chicago slide guitar blues, this is jumpin', partyin' music in the tradition of Hound Dog Taylor and J.B. Hutto (Lil' Ed's uncle). Recorded live in the studio with no overdubs, it includes nine original compositions plus covers of Hutto and Albert Collins tunes.

In something of a departure, guitarist Jimmy Bruno leaves straight bebop largely behind on this release, cultivating a more funk-oriented, electric sound instead. He is joined by the well-regarded fusion bassist Gerald Veasley, as well as pianist Dave Hartl (who doubles on Rhodes and Hammond organ), saxophonist Ron Kerber, and drummer Marc Dicciani. Bruno's intention was to get away from playing standards, although he opens with a retooled "Secret Love" and ends the session with "Perdido," "Stella by Starlight," and "Impressions." The bulk of the remaining material is written either by Bruno or Kerber, with Veasley contributing the straight-up funky "Philly Joe." Some of the music strongly recalls early George Benson and Pat Martino, although the chorus-treated sound that Bruno uses on several tracks has him sounding a bit like John Abercrombie or Vic Juris…

This group from Norway is strongly evocative of King Crimson, Genesis, Gentle Giant along with newer symphonic prog bands like Anglagard and Anekdoten with a dash of Scandinavian folk and classical influences thrown into the mix.
Their albums contain long and complex tracks featuring lush, vintage keyboard sounds, making extensive use of Mellotron, Mini-Moog, Hammond C-3 and harpsichord, along with beautiful electric and acoustic guitar playing, a complex rhythm section along with flutes, recorder, saxophones, mandolins and various other instruments providing a very full, symphonic sound.
Highly recommended for fans of the early progressive greats and symphonic prog music.

The much anticipated collaborative studio project between these two true music innovators Deep Forest & Gaudi, has gloriously resulted in the release of ‘Epic Circuits’.
Their individual careers have spanned the last three decades, both pioneering the world-music scene back in the 90s and they still continue to relentlessly deliver distinctive "genre-bending” innovative sounds. Now Grammy Award winner Deep Forest and renowned electronica-dub producer/musician Gaudi have composed a beautifully-crafted cinematic album, using analogue and modular synthesizers as an “electronic platform” on which to place their other instruments of choice, from the grand piano to the theremin…

Art of Noise (also The Art of Noise) were an English avant-garde synth-pop group formed in early 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan and programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn and music journalist Paul Morley. The group had international Top 20 hits with "Kiss" and the instrumental "Peter Gunn", which won a 1986 Grammy Award. The group's mostly instrumental compositions were novel melodic sound collages based on digital sampler technology, which was new at the time. Inspired by turn-of-the-20th-century revolutions in music, the Art of Noise were initially packaged as a faceless anti- or non-group, blurring the distinction between the art and its creators. Collection includes: (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise! (1984); In Visible Silence (1986); In No Sense? Nonsense! (1987); Below The Waste (1989); The Ambient Collection (1990); The FON Mixes (1991); The Seduction Of Claude Debussy (1999).

The American Song-Poem Anthology captures a fascinating, if unessential, moment in modern music making. Back in the '60s and '70s, ads in the back of magazines beckoned readers to submit their very own "song-poems," original ditties of often dubious quality. Hopeful songwriters were then given an offer they (thankfully) couldn't refuse: for a few hundred bucks, creative session musicians would do their best to use the public's lyrics and churn out an actual, honest-to-goodness recorded album that they could cherish forever. Some of the finest recorded results–not counting those still awaiting to be discovered in thrift store dime bins–can be found on this often surreal disc. Who can complain about the aptly-titled "Do You Know the Difference Between Big Wood and Brush"? Who can't relate to a song like "I Lost My Girl to An Argentinean Cowboy"? Well, lot's of people. But that's beside the point. It's hard not to love these songs–some patriotic, some romantic, most just plain bizarre–that enterprising young musicians did their best to spice up in any number of different genres (country, funk, disco, and, of course, rock). The songs made by Rodd Keith are particularly genius, but fans of novelty music will be hard-pressed to fault any of these 28 oddball cuts. –Jason Verlinde

This release marks Vocalion's fifth foray into the seemingly endless vaults of the KPM 1000 Series, without doubt the world's greatest library music series. Expertly compiled and annotated, and with all the music remastered directly from the original analogue stereo tapes, these 28 tracks demonstrate the talents of some of the UK's finest arranger-composers. Spanning the years 1970-78, this tantalising selection brings to mind sunny skies and glamorous, far-flung locations through music by gifted composers such as Keith Mansfield, James Clarke, John Cameron, David Gold, Steve Gray, Alan Hawkshaw, Alan Parker and a host of others. Remastered from the original analogue tapes. First time on CD. STEREO.

The ever autumnal trio (and sometimes quartet) paint a lovely picture of country sides, bonfires, and melancholy with their tender guitar pop. Collection includes: Suburban Light (2000); The Violet Hour (2003); Strange Geometry (2005); God Save The Clientele (2007).

Bon Jovi's 40th anniversary year ends with an all-time best album of songs selected by Japanese fans. Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format. The booklet includes never-before-seen photos taken during past performances and promotions in Japan (subject to change). Commentary by Masanori Ito. Includes lyrics and bilingual translation. Japan-only release. This edition comes with a bonus Blu-ray featuring HD music video(s) and other footage (subject to change). Comes with four trading cards randomly selected from 15 kinds.

This is a very familiar and yet purely rhetorical question, as proven by the centenary anniversary of the composer’s death. Wherever you go you can find concerts of his works and events or exhibitions in tribute of the great German musician. Brahms was very fond of Switzerland, particularly of Thun and the region around its lake, often finding musical inspiration on his long hikes here. It is thus particularly appropriate that Claves honor this gentle man and giant composer by symbolically presenting him with two bouquets of flowers to accompany some of his most beautiful chamber music. French painter Bernard Cathelin (born in 1918) has kindly allowed us to use two of his paintings for the covers of these two compact discs. His exquisite pictures visually capture the perpetual youth and colors of Brahms’ music.

This 9-CD box set features the complete Bruckner Cycle of Daniel Barenboim and his Staatskapelle Berlin. This set is timed to coincide with a complete Cycle performance at Carnegie Hall in January which marks not only Barenboim's 60th anniversary at the hall, but also the first time a complete Cycle has been performed there in one season. New booklet notes on the repertoire and on Barenboim's and the Staatskapelle Berlin's congenial work together complete the package.

This recording – the first release of a complete cycle with the Finnish pianist and conductor Olli Mustonen, who plays two of his own cadenzas in Opus 15 – demonstrates the vitality of the piano concerto genre, which Beethoven preferred for various reasons. Synonymous with the composer, the five great individualities lie like continents in the sea of music, out of which they were catapulted, as it were, with volcanic force. But their geology also developed in phases of varying lengths. After Beethoven’s turbulent beginning in Bonn with the little E flat major concerto of 1784, historical developments forced a stylistic reorientation. In place of Johann Christian Bach, Mozart became his model.

UK collection that is comprised of musical selections from Kubrick's central masterpieces, complimented by pieces which the director used as 'temp tracks' during the production and by all accounts with every intention of using these in the film, only to decide to replace them late on. In 2001, the scherzo from Felix Mendelssohn's 'Midsummer Night's Dream' (used for scenes of weightlessness) and Vaughan Williams 'Antarctica Suite' (for the Stargate effects and scenes on the moon) were both used in preview showings of the film before being discarded. While on Eyes Wide Shut, Wagner's 'Lieder I'm Triebhaus' ('In the Greenhouse') from Wesendonck Lieder was a significant theme in the production for more than a year before being replaced. We have also assembled the complete vintage ballroom music from The Shining. The final movement from Berlioz's 'Symphonie Fantastique', with it's epic use of the chant from the Roman Catholic Requiem mass, the 'Dies Irae', and a Sibelius piece, 'Valse Triste'. Both were important to the evolution of the film. Finally, as a young man, Stanley Kubrick fell in love with Sergi Prokofiev's score for the Sergei Eisenstein's first sound film, Alexander Nevsky. He played it to death, and it would inspire him later in his own use of dramatic music. From the scintillating recording by Fritz Reiner with the Chicago SO, we include the movement, 'Battle On the Ice'.