These live recordings of Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and CosÏ fan tutte are a fine tribute to celebrate 40 years of La Petite Bande. They have released an Anniversary Series to mark the oustanding achievement of this highly regarded Belgium-based ensemble.

Classical Highlights is a spectacularly dynamic, highly melodic, and masterfully structured classical crossover anthology performed by the talented ensemble Symphonic Rock Orchestra, released on a rare compact disc edition in 1988 as a specialized promotional pressing for Mallinckrodt Medical. Spanning over 51 minutes across seven beautifully integrated medley tracks, this high-fidelity studio document delivers a brilliant, high-energy fusion of traditional classical masterpieces and driving pop-rock rhythmic arrangements. Heavily channeling the grand symphonic style popularized by Hooked on Classics and Louis Clark, the recordings breathe new life into timeless movements by Johann Strauss, J.S. Bach, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Frédéric Chopin using a rich canvas of sweeping string sections, active percussion engines, and modern synthesizers. Track titles are presented in their elegant European French styling, guiding listeners through high-velocity dance suites, dramatic operatic themes, and cinematic balladry—including the festive opening Strauss waltz/polka suite, the emotional architecture of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, and the blistering kinetic momentum of Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee. Exceptionally preserved in pristine lossless audio quality with complete booklet scans, this highly elusive corporate-associated archive stands as an absolute mandatory cornerstone and a prized collector's holy grail for global purists of instrumental pop, 80s synth-orchestral hybrid adaptations, and rare classical crossover history.

Classic Rock Symphony is a spectacularly vibrant, highly dynamic, and masterfully structured orchestral crossover extravaganza by the acclaimed ensemble The Symphonic Sound Orchestra, released on a rare compact disc edition by Squash Records & Tapes. Spanning over 50 minutes across seven beautifully integrated medley arrangements, this high-fidelity studio document delivers a dazzling, high-energy fusion of traditional classical music and driving, upbeat pop-rock instrumentation, heavily channeling the timeless sound pioneered by icons like Hooked on Classics and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The release showcases timeless themes from history’s greatest composers—including Johann Strauss, J.S. Bach, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Frédéric Chopin—completely reimagined with crisp percussion engines, electric basslines, and sweeping, multi-layered string arrangements. Each track unfolds as a continuous thematic journey, effortlessly blending high-velocity dance movements with lush, cinematic balladry, from the playful syncopation of the Strauss Polka suite to the towering emotional architecture of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee. Exceptionally preserved in pristine lossless audio quality with full booklet scans, this hard-to-find crossover archive stands as an absolute mandatory cornerstone and a prized collector's holy grail for global purists of instrumental pop, symphonic rock adaptations, and classic synth-orchestral fusion history.

One of Mozart’s most colourful and delightful scores, The Seraglio is stylishly sung here in a performance that includes the spoken dialogue. Gardiner’s orchestral forces are on tip-top form, and the sound is warm and fresh.

This double album, Mozart & Flute in Paris, brings together nine captivating works, all with their origins in Paris, which feature a solo flute. Emmanuel Pahud is joined by his colleagues from ‘wind supergroup’ Les Vents Français – oboist François Leleux (here also conducting the Orchestre de chambre de Paris), clarinettist Paul Meyer, bassoonist Gilbert Audin and horn-player Radovan Vlatković – and by Belgian harpist Anneleen Lenaerts.

Even though Vladimir Ashkenazy is most often celebrated for his brilliantly virtuosic interpretations of Romantic repertoire, his skills in playing works of the Classical era are just as worthy, as proved by this 10-disc set from London of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's piano concertos. These performances span a period from 1966 to 1988, capturing a youthful and vigorous Ashkenazy playing and conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard, in approved Mozartian fashion. All of the keyboard concertos are here, including the official 27 concertos for piano and orchestra, the Concerto for two pianos in E flat major, K. 365, the Concerto for three pianos in F major, K. 242, as well as the two Rondos K. 382 and K. 386. Ashkenazy's elegant playing has been highly praised by critics and placed on a level with his esteemed contemporaries Murray Perahia, Daniel Barenboim, and Alfred Brendel, all past masters of Mozart's primary medium of expression.

Eugene Istomin (1925–2003), one of America’s most respected pianists, was highly esteemed by audiences and colleagues alike for his mindful virtuosity and unusually wide-ranging repertoire. 2015 marks Istomin’s 90th birthday year, a milestone that Sony Classical celebrates with the first-ever release of his complete Columbia Masterworks concerto and solo recordings in a limited original-jacket collection including 10 previously unreleased studio recordings. Many of these performances appear in their first authorized CD editions, including the 19-year-old pianist’s recorded debut in Bach’s D minor Concerto led by Adolf Busch; his youthful concerto collaborations with Pablo Casals; Chopin’s complete Nocturnes; Brahms’s Handel Variations; Schubert’s D major D 850 Sonata, plus the long-out-of-print Rachmaninoff 2nd, Tchaikovsky 1st, Brahms 2nd, and Beethoven 4th and 5th (“Emperor”) Concertos with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Newly remastered from the original analogue tapes, the discs are presented in facsimile sleeves and labels corresponding to the original LP releases. An enclosed booklet offers full discographical information, an essay by Jed Distler, and a photographic retrospective.

This compilation covers 20 years of live recordings made by conductor Yevgeny Mravinsky and the then-named Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra for Erato. Mravinsky led that orchestra for nearly 50 years, from 1938 until his death. His last recording was that of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 12, made in 1984, found on Disc 3 here. His interpretations of Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky were highly regarded, so it's not surprising that several of their symphonies are here. There are also symphonies by Mozart and Beethoven in this set; tone poems by Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky; and orchestral excerpts from operas by Wagner, Glinka, and Glazunov. The final disc contains a rare recording of a rehearsal led by Mravinsky, something few outsiders were ever allowed to witness. Even though he was an elder statesman of Russian music at the time of these recordings, there is still precision and energy in his interpretations.

Anticipating the 50th anniversary of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in 2022, we present their complete recordings on DG. The intriguing sound culture of Orpheus, especially of the string section, is often explained as a result of the cooperative mindset of the orchestra and its artistic process of rehearsing.

The contents of the EMI box are too numerous to list but all the sonatas, variations, and most short pieces are here: absent is the London Sketchbook, which is trite juvenalia.

The Grammy award-winning pianist Daniel Barenboim, long known for his Mozart interpretations, turns his attention to Mozart’s piano sonatas, a body of work that, while forming the core of the pianist’s repertory, is not often heard in the concert hall. These sonatas showcase Mozart’s genius for the small-scale, and truly shine in Barenboim’s masterful rendering.

Anticipating the 50th anniversary of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in 2022, we present their complete recordings on DG. The intriguing sound culture of Orpheus, especially of the string section, is often explained as a result of the cooperative mindset of the orchestra and its artistic process of rehearsing.

In the liner notes to this disc, Swedish clarinetist Martin Fröst is described as a "daring performer" who has "stretched the limits of musical expression", likely owing to his frequent collaborations with several contemporary composers including Anders Hillborg and Krzysztof Penderecki. "Daring" does not leap to mind when describing Mozart, and happily Fröst himself does not flaunt his presumed reputation when tackling these popular works.

The Grammy award-winning pianist Daniel Barenboim, long known for his Mozart interpretations, turns his attention to Mozart’s piano sonatas, a body of work that, while forming the core of the pianist’s repertory, is not often heard in the concert hall. These sonatas showcase Mozart’s genius for the small-scale, and truly shine in Barenboim’s masterful rendering.

This recording of Così fan tutte was made when the cast was preparing for performances at the 1993 Edinburgh Festival, so the cast had the advantage of enough rehearsal time together to relax into the opera's humor. Their easy rapport is most evident in the spirited recitatives, which sparkle with spontaneity and wit. The fact that the principals are talented comedians makes their unforced interactions genuinely fun, and they sound like they are thoroughly enjoying themselves. Although they are not all international superstars, the performances are stellar. The soloists bring out the humanity and complexity of the opera, and artfully convey their characters' emotional development.