The Orpheus myth was as important for the birth of opera in France as it had been in Italy. In 1684, Charpentier composed a work for three voices, Orphée descendant aux Enfers. With this piece, remarkable for its style and concision, he showed how well he had assimilated Carissimi’s art. It is a dramatic scene, similar to the ‘sacred histories’ of the Roman master. The text, by an unknown author, narrates Orpheus’ quest for his beloved in the Underworld. /quote]

Anthony Newman does a fantastic job with the "great eight". Tempos are wisely chosen; never too quick (as is often the case with these suites played on harpsichord), but definitely never too slow (as is the case on almost all the piano recordings of these suites). The 1st, 3rd, and 8th suites are particularly well done; and as far as the 5th goes, it gets a very well-played, although somewhat straightforward performance.

Since his debut in 1959, harpsichordist and fortepianist Igor Kipnis has performed in recital and as soloist with orchestras throughout the world, including North and South America, Western Europe, East Germany, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Israel, the Far East, and Australia. He is a prolific recording artist with 81 albums to his credit, of which 55 are solo. Among the honors he has received are 6 'Grammy' Nominations, 3 'Record of the Year' Awards from Stereo Review , the 1969 Deutsche Schallplatten Prize, and the 1988 Gold Star award from the Italian periodical, Musica .

2CD set. Updated 2015 edition of Clinton Walker's landmark Aboriginal country compilation! Features 43 key tracks by Jimmy Little, Archie Roach, Vic Simms, Kev Carmody, Dan Sultan, Tiddas, Warumpi Band, Ruby Hunter, Thelma Plum, Roger Knox and others.

Frank Hooker and Positive People were an R&B group from the late ’70s\early ’80s. The group consisted of Frank Hooker (born Frank Ruppert Hooker in 1946), Al Williams, Calvin Charity, Gladys Matthews, Randy Choice, Warren Smith & Willie Vazquez.

After a stint in prison, David Crosby (guitar/vocals) emerged from his year-long incarceration a completely clean and sober (gasp!) man. His revitalization was marked by a period of unbridled creativity, yielding his second solo effort Oh Yes I Can (1989). Crosby was supporting the album during the spring 1989 tour that produced the material on this disc. The set was recorded live at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia and backed by a powerhouse combo that included longtime CSN bandmate Michael Finnigan (keyboards), Dan Dugmore (guitar), Jody Cortez (drums), and Davey Farragher (bass/vocals). Indeed, abstemiousness suits Crosby as his powerful, emotive vocals, and strident fretwork have rarely been as well defined or as energetic as they are here.

Hot on the heels of the band's 1986 debut album, this live radio broadcast recording from the Georgia Satellites captures the band's blend of Southern rock, blues and country. From the up close and personal Ritz and featuring their hit track "Keep Your Hands To Yourself", this is a great snapshot of what brought this band to the forefront of the southern rock revival. Homespun takes you on a trip to witness the rising band bringing their energetic, country-tinged rock 'n' roll to the Big Apple.

Resonance Records proudly presents the first release in 33 years from the unsung jazz guitar great who tragically died on May 4, 1990 at the age of 32. Culled from a previously unreleased collection of performances that were broadcast on KNPR Las Vegas in 1984 and 1988 as part of Alan Grant’s weekly radio program, “4 Queens Jazz Night from Las Vegas,” Cookin’ at the Queens captures Remler in quartet performances with pianist Cocho Arbe, bassist Carson Smith and drummer Tom Montgomery (1984) and trio performances with bassist Carson Smith and drummer John Pisci (1988).

Two CD set. 14 tracks new to CD. Fascinating insight into Lee Perry's musical development. Lee Perry had reached the top of the Jamaican music business as the 1970s dawned. His international chartbuster, 'Return Of Django' had not just confirmed his standing as one of reggae music's leading music makers, it also provided the funds that facilitated a significant increase in studio time, so providing the luxury of further experimentations with sound. This is clearly evident in his output throughout 1970, during which time the proto-dub recordings of his regular session band The Hippy Boys provided the primary focus of his releases. The extent to which the quartet dominated Perry's output during the first half of the year is demonstrated on this, the third volume of his Jamaican singles, with 75% of the collection comprising instrumental works. Featuring 14 of the tracks new to CD and many others unavailable on any format since the 1990s, 'Land of Kinks' not only provides a fascinating insight into the evolution of Lee Perry as a producer, it is also offers the opportunity to discover some of the most ambitious and remarkable reggae recordings of the early 70s.

This album offers a great program of works for piano trio from the 20th and 21st centuries.

As with Bach’s The Art of Fugue performed by the Berlin Saxophone Quartet (9990582), this is an alternate interpretation of some early music, this time it’s the music of the Renaissance. Music by composers such as Palestrina, Dowland, Gabrielli, Frescobaldi, Desprez and many more have been arranged for four saxophones.

Each new Handel release by The English Concert and Harry Bicket is a milestone in the composer’s discography, and the latest, Serse – ‘a spectacular treat for Handel lovers’ (The Times) – is no different. Created to astonish London audiences in 1728, Handel’s romantic and at times comic opera Serse is a spectacular drama of love, war, power and civil engineering set in ancient Persia, whose opening aria ‘Ombra mai fu’ remains an enduring favourite. Serse rules a vast empire, but the human heart is more difficult to command, and sometimes the beauty of a plane tree is the only constant in a dangerous world. The work is complemented by a world-class cast including the ‘barnstorming’ (The Daily Telegraph) Emily D’Angelo as the lovestruck king and Lucy Crowe as Romilda.

The Blue successfully expands on the sound experiment of Materia, the previous Novembre album, but also brings in elements from their earlier works. On some songs, it is easy to notice the mix of powerful death metal elements and the more mellow yet progressive side of Materia.
Contrary to their previous disc, The Blue exudes greater use of death metal-styled vocals and screams from Carmelo Orlando, but he hasn't abandoned his sombre clean tone completely. Actually, most of the tunes on The Blue boast his unmistakable clean singing a la Materia, such as "Cobalt of March" with its Ulverian intro and excellent guitar cascades; "Bluecracy" with its penchant for melodic guitar lines and groove-oriented rhythmic facade; or "Architeme" with its detailed Radiohead-like arrangement, something which has been carried over from Materia as well…

“Santtu conducts Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10” is the fifth album from Philharmonia Records. Largely interpreted as depicting Stalin’s regime in Russia, the orchestra delivers tragedy, violence and gloom before the brief but triumphant finale. Conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali, this performance was recorded at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in April 2024.

The Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo continues to present early works by Donizetti that have been unjustly neglected for decades. Alfredo il Grande, a love story that explores the defeat of the invading Danish army by the victorious Britons, was first performed in 1823 and was revived in this production two centuries later. Skilfully orchestrated, it features memorable arias for the hero Alfredo, and includes a superb concluding rondo for the heroine Amalia, as well as a radiant quintet. The opera is heard here in Edoardo Cavalli’s 2021 critical edition. Gramophone called it ‘a vocally accomplished performance’ and ‘a fine revival’.