Rinaldi Alessandrini and his admirable ensemble Concerto Italiano present a thrilling album of music from the very dawn of the Baroque era, a time when Western music was being revolutionised with exciting new trends. The program, specially chosen by Alessandrini, illustrates most of the new forms of instrumental music that galvanised composers across Europe, leading to the later masterpieces of Handel and Bach, as well as to the birth of the string quartet.

Anonymous Fantaisie (les pleurs d'orphee ayant perdu sa femme)
Giovanni Gabrieli Canzone a quattro detta la spiritata
Merula Canzone quinta a quattro detta la chremasca, Capriccio cromatico
de Macque Consonanze stravaganti
Frescobaldi Canzona quinta a quattro
Salvatore Canzone francesca seconda a quattro
Castello Sonata decimasesta a quattro
Zanetti Il scolaro per imparare a suonare di violino
Marini Passacaglio a quattro e a tre
Legrenzi Sonata seconda a quattro
Bononcini Sinfonia quarta
Dall'Abaco Concerto a quattro Op 2 No 1

Accentus chamber choir, one of Naive's most successful ensembles, turns 20 in 2012. This is a stunning disc consisting of recordings taken from some of Accentus' 18 recordings for Naive over the last few decades, including rarely recorded monuments like Richard Strauss's masterpieces for a capella choir, and many other choral favourites. The result is more than a mere compilation - more of a voyage of discovery and a great celebration.

Special 20th Anniversary album with music by Faure, Barber, Buxtehude, Poulenc, Schumann, R Strauss, Brahms, Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Dusapin, Ravel, Schoenberg, Dvorak, Schubert, Haydn, Rachmaninov, Vivaldi and Handel

2 CDs for the price of 1. Joseph Achron was an extraordinarily gifted and boundary-defying violinist/composer whose Jewish faith found expression in several pieces heard here. A prolific recitalist, his music is strikingly varied and emotionally engaging, and on this new 2-CD release it receives unbeatable perfoamnces by Hagai Shaham and Arnon Erez. Well worth discovering!

CD 1 - Hebrew Melody Op 33, Two Hebrew Pieces Op 35, Eli Zion, Prelude Op 13, Souvenir de Varsovie Op 14, Coquetterie Op 15, Serenade Op 17, Les Sylphides Op 18, Berceuse Op 20, Dance Improvisation Op 37, Scher Op 42, Marchen Op 46, Liebeswidmung Op 51, Canzonetta Op 52 No 2, Zwei Stimmungen Op 32, Zwei Stimmungen Op 36, Two Pastels Op 44, Stempenyu Suite

CD 2 - Suite No 1 'en style ancien' Op 21, Suite No 2 Op 22, Quatre Tableaux Fantastiques 'Suite No 3' Op 23, Suite bizarre 'Cycles des rhythmes Suite No 4' Op 41, Children's Suite, Pensee de Leopold Auer, La Romanseca

Perhaps the most celebrated ballet of the Romantic era, Adolphe Adam's intoxicating Giselle is the dramatic story of a peasant girl whose betrayal by her aristocratic lover causes her to go mad before dying and returning as a ghost. Featuring the fabulous Alina Cojocaru in the title role and Johan Kobborg as a torn Count Albrecht, Peter Wright's sparkling production and John Macfarlane's pastoral designs create an opulent feast for the eyes, here captured in High Definition video and true surround sound.

Also available on Blu-ray BAC474

On its second album, American Stringbook, the young do.gma chamber orchestra led by Mikhail Gurewitsch demonstrates its high sound culture mixed with nonstop performance joy and an absolutely enthusing freshness. 'Presented with youthful elan, nuanced, magnificent in sound, and with just the right dose of refinement.' (SWR). Alongside Barber's famous Adagio are other equally engaging American works for strings.

Diamond Rounds for String Orchestra (1944), Foote Suite in E major Op 63, Barber Serenade Op 1, Adagio for Strings

Heartfelt Romantic/modern classics, some works with folk inspiration. Recorded in the Armenian capital of Jerevan with leading Armenian musicians, this fascinating album reveals the richness and diversity of Armenian orchestral and chamber music. Includes the haunting sound of the Armenian wooden flute, the duduk.

Arthur Benjamin's The Storm Clouds Cantata, originally composed for Hitchcock's first version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, was so impressive that it found its way into the soundtrack for the later colour remake (with other music by Bernard Hermann). Benjamin's film score for The Conquest of Everest was one of his most popular. Several cinematic music highlights by Leighton Lucas, who also composed several scores for Hitchcock films, also feature on this disc, including movements from The Dam Busters and Ice Cold in Alex. 'Rumon Gamba conducts the music with a blazing conviction that entices the listener back to the films themselves' wrote Gramophone of another CD from the popular Chandos Movies series.

Benjamin The Conquest of Everest Suite, The Storm Clouds Cantata (The Man Who Knew Too Much), Waltz and Hyde Park Gallop (An Ideal Husband)

Lucas Portrait of the Amethyst (Yangtse Incident), Dedication (Portrait of Clare), Prelude and Dam Blast (The Dam Busters), Stage Fright Rhapsody (Stage Fright), Ice Cold In Alex Suite, This Is York, March-Prelude (Target for Tonight)

The music of female Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz links the Romantic and modern traditions and is beautifully played by the award-winning young soloist Joanna Kurkowicz. Vol 1 (CHAN10533) won the Diapason d'Or and was nominated for The German Record Critics Award 2009 and the Fredyrik Award 2010.

This latest volume in BIS's consistently praised series (Gramophone Editor’s Choices and other accolades) presents four cantatas composed during 1728-9 that set texts by Bach's contemporary Picander (Christian Friedrich Henrici) that range from jubilation to heartfelt anguish. Pristine performances and superb recorded sound.

The three cantatas on this album are among the few works that remain from 1729: tragically, almost an entire year's worth of cantatas has been lost to us. You'll recognise the sinfonia to Cantata BWV174 as a version of the first movement of the 3rd Brandenburg Concerto. Other volumes from this benchmark series are also available.

Sigiswald Kuijken's highly personal interpretation of Bach's cantatas have gained critical notice for their 'striking delicacy. His vocal soloists sing with disarming simplicity and ease in arias, and blend superbly in ensemble. A rare treat, Kuijken - and Bach - at their very best' (5 STARS, BBC Music Magazine on Vol 9 - ACC25309). On this recording, Vol 14, Kuijken and Co present four of Bach's beautiful Christmas Cantatas.

Recorded live in Munich in 2010 with an especially colourful lighting design, this is a wonderful performance. The excellent line-up of soloists, the acclaimed Bavarian Radio Choir and the multi-award-winning Academy of Ancient Music Berlin are ably directed by Peter Dijkstra. The booklet inlcudes the libretto.

Released to help support the victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Bach for Japan comprises a beautiful selection of movements from the acclaimed series of Bach cantatas and orchestral works being recorded by the Bach Collegium Japan. Featuring leading international soloists, this disc - and, indeed, the Bach series in general - are widely regarded as benchmark recordings. Their recording of Bach Complete Motets (BISSACD1841) from which Komm Jesu Komm is drawn, won the BBC Music Award in 2011 in the Choral category. Many of their other Bach recordings have won awards including Diapason d'or and the Deutschen Schallplattenkritik Prize.

Arias and cantata movements, three organ chorales, Air from Orchestral Suite No 3, Komm Jesu Komm

The brilliant Leopold Trio  interprets this immortal work with sensitivity and vigour. Dmitry Sitkovetsy’s arrangement for string trio is a classic in its own right, quite different to Bach’s original version for harpsichord, which is a Baroque masterpiece without compare.

Ouvertures' or Orchestral Suites were among the most popular large-scale instrumental works of the Baroque Era. A grand French Overture introduces a series of dance movements in each of Bach's magnificent compositions, the third of which features the famous 'Air on a G String'.  In the 3rd and 4th Suites trumpets and timpani add a splendidly martial touch, while the 2nd Suite showcases solo flute.

Great poetry set to great music interpreted by great artists. A glittering treasury of songs, Lieder and ballads interpreted by the multi-award-winning partnership of Gerald Finley and Julius Drake.

Recorded between 1988 and 1990, Grammy Award-winning pianist Daniel Barenboim plays Mozart's complete piano sonatas with all the mastery which this beloved music demands. A rare treat for music lovers and an especially valuable document for pianists.

Acclaimed young French violinist Isabelle Faust and legendary maestro Claudio Abbado bring to bear their inimitable artistic talents to two highly contrasting violin concertos. Across the centuries and the manifest differences in their musical styles, Beethoven and Berg seem to speak to each other on this outstanding album. Certainly, hearing these works performed side by side sheds fascinating light on both masterpieces.

Berg Violin Concerto 'To the Memory of an Angel'
Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major Op 61

Passionate period-instrument performances of revolutionary masterpieces by the original young ‘rebel with a cause’: Ludwig van Beethoven! This wonderful album includes ballet music, arias, concert music and the complete Symphony No 1.

Following his acclaimed recordings of Beethoven's piano sonatas, sonatinas and bagatelles, Ronald Brautigam here presents the first of four discs dedicated to Beethoven's piano variations, composed between 1796 and 1802. These were momentous years during which Beethoven became established as the leading young composer following Haydn and Mozart, but also began to suffer from a loss of hearing which in the summer of 1802 would bring him to a deep personal crisis. The one work here that was composed after this crisis, the 'Eroica variations' Op35, is on a much larger scale than any of his previous variations and Beethoven described them as being in 'a wholly new style'. Highlighting this change in style and illustrating the rapid development of the fortepiano during this period, Brautigam uses two different instruments for this program: the earlier works, left without opus numbers by the composer, are played on an instrument by Paul McNulty after Walter and Sohn c.1805, while the Op 35 set is performed on another by the same maker, after Conrad Graf c.1819.

Twelve Variations on the Russian dance from Das Waldmadchen WoO71
Eight Variations on Une fievre brulante WoO72
Ten Variations on La stessa la stessissima WoO73
Seven Variations on Kind willst du ruhig schlafen WoO75
Eight Variations on Tandeln und Scherzen WoO76
Six Variations on an original theme in G major WoO77
Fifteen Variations and Fugue in E flat major Op35 ('Eroica' Variations)

Thoughtful and rewarding new interpretation of Beethoven’s greatest variations. Also available: Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas (HMX290190211), Beethoven Complete Piano  Concertos (HMC90205355)

Beethoven had little liking for organised religion, but he was deeply spiritual, believing in God as an all-powerful, loving Father. The awesome, sublime Missa Solemnis is one of his supreme achievements, which he headed 'From the heart - may it in turn go to the heart!' In this live concert recording, the fervour of Beethoven's vision is powerfully realised by conductor Christoph Eschenbach with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. A prolific recording artist over five decades, Christoph Eschenbach has a longstanding association with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and this release adds to their critically acclaimed recording of Bruckner's Symphony No 6 (LPO0049) released in 2011. The stellar quartet of soloists includes the great lyric soprano Anne Schwanewilms, who enjoys an unparalleled reputation for her performances of Strauss and Wagner, and tenor Nikolai Schukoff who is destined to become a leading voice of his generation.

Composed between 1796-98 and regarded by the young Beethoven as 'the best of my works' to date, these three beautiful String Trios abound in drama and inventive novelty. Trio Zimmermann (Frank Peter Zimmermann, violin, Antoine Tamestit, viola, Christian Poltera, cello) is a world-class ensemble.

Conducted by violinist David Grimal, the acclaimed French period-instrument chamber orchestra Les Dissonances present an exhilarating interpretation of Beethoven's masterpiece. In addition to the CD, this album comes with a bonus DVD with pictures by Heliox Films. Also available: AP009 Beethoven Violin Concerto, Symphony No 7, AP011 Piazzolla, Vivaldi Four Seasons.

Final volume from the ‘star-kissed young performers’ (The Times) who have each toured Australia to rapturous audience and critical acclaim. Of the concert at the Wigmore Hall in May 2010, The Times commented 'The duo’s boldest showcase was the Kreutzer Sonata, with its firecracker outer movements and lovely soft centre'. Vol 1 (WHLive0036) and Vol 2 (WHLive0041) are also available.

Lucciano Berio had an abiding fascination with reconciling the past and present, which can be heard in these orchestral realisations of music by three masters of Germanic Romanticism. In Rendering, he 'restores' sketches by Schubert, orchestrating them in period style and writing new music to fill the 'empty patches'. Brahms's first Clarinet Sonata has been given a fourteen-bar introduction, while six of Mahler's early songs are given new orchestral garb.

Schubert/Berio Rendering
Brahms (arr. Berio) Clarinet Sonata Op 120 No 1
Mahler (arr. Berio) Six Early Songs:
Hans und Grete
Phantasie
Scheiden und Meiden
Erinnerung
Fruhlingsmorgen
Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grunen Wald

First in a new series of splendid recordings from The Gabrieli Consort. Rarely has this barn-storming, rule-breaking, super-sized monster of a masterpiece sounded so utterly coherent and convincing. From its softest choral whispers to its loudest bursts of braying period-instrument brass, Berlioz's Great Mass for the Dead resounds like the soundtrack to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel fresco of The Last Judgement. This astonishing live concert recording involving some 400 performers is simply too good to miss - a revelation!

Having performed Berlioz's Les Nuits d'Ete many times together in concert, acclaimed mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and conductor Marc Minkowski have now recorded this immortal song cycle with the renowned period-instrument orchestra Les Musiciens du Louvre. With violist Antoine Tamestit they also perform Harold in Italy on this exquisite new release.

World premiere recording of the original viola part for Harold in Italy that Berlioz composed for Paganini. The temperamental Italian virtuoso rejected the work but it has become a mainstay of the concert repertoire nonetheless! Paganini's own Sonata for viola and orchestra is a great companion piece.  Stunning young violist David Aaron Carpenter and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy are marvelous musical partners in this romantic repertoire.

Showcase of little-known but luminous American choral music that impressed acclaimed conductor Stephen Layton during his travels and which provide the context in which famous composers such as Morten Lauridsen and Eric Whitacre learnet their craft. Stephen Layton conducts ‘vital and immaculate performances’ (MusicWeb) with one of the world’s leading choirs.

Includes the famous Minuet and Fandango, which conjures night life in 18th-century Madrid, and the String Quartet, with its tribute to the Viennese Classical style. Brilliantly played and recorded, this album gives Boccherini's music an appealing immediacy for modern listeners.

A colourful compilation of favourite orchestral excerpts from popular works that express the beauty of Bohemia. These touching evocations of country landscapes enlivened by dashes of folk music brought their composers international fame.

Acclaimed British composer & pianist York Bowen was dubbed ‘the English Rachmaninov’. Assured music by the young composer—beautiful, lyrical, full of rich orchestral colour, life-affirming music with wide appeal.

As with his critically acclaimed series of Brahms symphonies recordings, John Eliot Gardiner here complements the major work - the famous German Requiem - with shorter works that help to place it in a musicological context, in this case two motets by Heinrich Schutz, whose music he loved. The profoundly moving German Requiem, one of Brahms' most highly personal musical statements, comes vividly to life on this new release. The use of period brass, in particular, is notable, while the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique are justly renowned worldwide.

Schutz Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen SWV29,
Selig sind die Toten SWV391
Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem Op 45

Romantic cello sonatas performed with luminous virtuosity by a critically-acclaimed young partnership. ‘a convincing showcase...warmly lyrical..fiery vigour ’ (Classic Music Magazine). Ludwig Thuille's little-known Cello Sonata sits well besides those of Brahms and Richard Strauss.

This is the first volume in a new series devoted to the works for solo piano by Johannes Brahms, starting with a selection of highly personal collections of capriccios, intermezzi, ballades, rhapsodies and a romance. The series also marks the first major Chandos project of internationally acclaimed pianist Barry Douglas. Since winning the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow, Douglas has established a major international career, and his reputation as a pianist and conductor continues to grow. Featuring some of Brahms's greatest works, the mood of this disc varies from introspective and reflective, to passionate and playful and everything in between.

Rhapsodies Op 79 Nos 1 and 2
Intermezzos Op 116 No 4, Op 117 No 1, Op 118 No 2
Capriccios Op 116 Nos 1, 3 and 7
Romances Op 118 No 5
Ballade Op 10 No 4
Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Op 24

On 17 July 2011 more than 800 performers presented Havergal Brian's phenomenal 'Gothic' Symphony in the Royal Albert Hall. The concert sold out within 24 hours, so it is particularly pleasing to feature the live concert recording so quickly. This 2-CD set of Brian's symphonic juggernaut is a 'must have' on all counts.

Scintillating music by composers and poets from Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and California, including Ann Boyd's iconic choral classic As I Crossed A Bridge Of Dreams and the world premiere recording of Ross Edwards' Sacred Kingfisher Psalms (2009), both sublimely spiritual Australian works. 'Everything Paul Hillier touches turns to choral gold' wrote The New York Times, and nowhere moreso than on this fascinating new album.

Volume 1 in a new series of British Clarinet Sonatas presents superb chamber music by five popular composers. Stanford's sonata delightfully echoes the style of Brahms, Bliss's early work precedes his later fascination with the avant guarde, while Bax's sonata combines influences from Wagner and Richard Strauss with his own personal responses to Irish landscapes and Celtic literature. Stanford's students Ireland and Howells are also heard here, the latter composer providing a direct link to clarinetist Michael Collins: he taught Frederick Thurston who in turn was Collins' teacher. Chandos exclusive artist Michael Collins tours Australia during September and October 2012.

Stanford Clarinet Sonata Op 129
Bliss Pastoral
Bax Clarinet Sonata
Ireland Fantasy-Sonata
Howells Clarinet Sonata

The Welsh flautist Emily Beynon plays a selection of British flute concertos, accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Bramwell Tovey. Beynon is the Principal Flute of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. Sir Lennox Berkeley was on of the leading British composers of the mid-twentieth century, a Francophile who brought to his music clarity, economy, and elegance. His Flute Concerto, composed in 1952, displays these qualities in abundance. William Alwyn was seventy-five years old and contemplating giving up composition when he was approached by the English Chamber Orchestra Wind Ensemble to write a piece for them. The work, a Concerto for Flute and Winds, was completed in 1980 and in 2006, at the request of the William Alwyn Foundation, John McCabe arranged it for flute and full orchestra, the version included on this disc.

Alwyn Flute Concerto
L Berkeley Flute Concerto
Poulenc Flute Sonata (orch. L Berkeley)
Dove The Magic Flute Dances

'Glyndebourne's [A Midsummer Night's Dream] has unbeatable charm' (Financial Times), 'musically it's fabulous, too. [Bejun] Mehta gives one of the greatest performances you will ever hear' (The Guardian), 'Matthew Rose makes an exceptionally endearing Bottom..Ilan Volkov's conducting gets to the heart of the score' (Daily Telegraph). What fools those mortals be who miss this magical recording!

Features multi-award-winning mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly. Important works by Benjamin Britten.

Celebrated tenor Mark Padmore joins with Britten Sinfonia in some of the most beautiful English music for voice and orchestra. The centrepiece is Britten's magical evocation of twilight and nightfall, the Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (with Stephen Bell, horn). In Gerald Finzi's war-time cycle Dies natalis, the ecstatic mood reflects a child's wide-eyed wonder at the world. Britten's poignant Nocturne - equal in impact to the Serenade - completes the program.

Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings Op 31
Nocturne Op 60
Finzi Dies Natalis Op 8

Much admired as a chamber musician, violinist Anthony Marwood is also an accomplished concerto soloist, as is star violist Lawrence Power. The viola was Benjamin Britten's own instrument, and these works showcase his love of its expressive potential and uniquely rich timbre. Both concertos are youthful works, though the Double Concerto had to wait for 65 year before receiving its premiere in 1997. The Lachrymae is a much-loved staple of the viola repertoire.

Violin Concerto Op 15
Double Concerto in B minor
Lachrymae Op 48a

Created by Antonio Gades in collaboration with Carlos Saura, this matchless production shows how the explosive power and intensity of feeling in traditional Spanish flamenco can bring vividly to life the sultry passion, earthy emotion, love and rivalry that is Carmen. Vanessa Vento lives and breathes Carmen, emphasising the many faces of this character - female, passionate and freedom fighter. But Carmen's gypsy wildness becomes her own downfall when she discards Don Jose's (Angel Gil) love for that of the bullfighter (Jairo Rodriguez), as possessed by a piercing despair Don Jose kills her. Filmed in High Definition at the Teatro Real, Madrid for the 75th anniversary celebration of Gades' birth, the Compania Antonio Gades performs Carmen to perfection. 'When the passion of Bizet's tragic love story is combined with the depth of flamenco and the energy that Gades' disciples demonstrate on stage, the result is simply explosive. It's a show full of colour and feeling.' (esMadrid.com)

Also on Blu-ray TR97004BD

German cellist Alban Gerhardt tours Australia during August and September 2011. This album of delightful musical bon-bons played with finesse and verve is a superb tribute to the legendary cellis Pablo Casals.

Young oboist Celine Moinet begins her collaboration with Harmonia Mundi with an adventurous tour-de-force CD that combines and contrasts masterpieces from the 18th and 20th Centuries. The 'tenderness' which Berlioz loved about the oboe's wide-ranging and expressive sonority is much to the fore here, especially in the modern music which sings with unparalleled sensitivity in Moinet's more-than-capable hands. She is a major talent on the verge of an international star career.

JS Bach Partita BWV1013
CPE Bach Sonata Wq132
Berio Sequenza VII
Carter Inner Song
Britten Six Metamorphoses After Ovid

It's easy to understand why Beethoven regarded Luigi Cherubini as one of the best composers of his day: this is music full of character, delighting in its virtuosity and absolutely assured - at times prefiguring the agility of Rossini. From the strong-jawed sinfonia to Cherubini's youthful opera Armida abandonnata to the dark drama of Demophon, these rarely-heard orchestral and vocal highlights provide a fascinating introduction to Cherubini's operatic output.

Il Giulio Sabino Sinfonia
Ifigenia in Aulide - Aria: Turbata ai dubbi accenti (Ifigenia)
D'un dolce ardor la face
Demophon Ouverture: Allegro spiritoso
Ti lascio adorato mio ben
Armida abbandonata Sinfonia: Allegro assai and Aria: Qual da venti combattuta (Zelmira)
Il Giulio Sabino - Aria: I mesti affetti miei (Epponina)
Mesenzio, re d'Etruria Sinfonia

Composer and conductor Bob Chilcott has been steeped in the British choral tradition since he was a boy chorister. A former member of The King's Singers, he is now one of the UK's most prolific and creative choral composers, writing appealingly direct and accessible music with memorable melodies reminiscent of John Rutter at his best. Of his most recent large-scale work, his Requiem (2010), is characterised by a gentle, forgiving atmosphere clearly modelled on Faure's Requiem, with a crystalline, reflective 'Pie Jesu' for solo soprano at the emotional heart of the work. This and the other works performed here, all first recordings, are beautifully performed by Wells Cathedral Choir and Matthew Owens, The Nash Ensemble and two superb young soloists.

Requiem
Salisbury Motets - I Sing of a Maiden, When to the Temple Mary went, Lovely Tear of Lovely Eye, Hail Star of the Sea Most Radiant
Downing Service
Pilgrim Jesus
The Nine Gifts
Jesus springing

A frequent and popular visitor to Australia, pianist Stephen Hough gives compelling performances of these evergreen waltzes. His affinity with Chopin's music has gained critical accoldaes: 'totally convincing' (The Guardian), 'seductive warmth and clarity' (Sunday Times), 'Chopin interpretation at its very best' (Gramophone). Chopin’s Late Masterpieces (CDA67764) and Ballades & Scherzos (CDA67456) are also available.

First commercial release of an absolute treasure! Recorded at the Abbey Road studios shortly after the 18-year old Maurizio Pollini won the Warsaw Chopin Competition, this album is a spine-tingling experience. Producer Peter Andry recalls: 'This was pianism of the very finest kind. Rarely had I heard such perfection.' The musicality and spontaneity of Pollini's interpretations are simply revelatory.

This stunning new disc features Chopin's first and second piano concertos, pillars of the Romantic piano repertoire and works that demand both virtuosity and elegance. Award-winning pianist and conductor Christian Zacharias was Artist of the Year at the MIDEM Classical Awards in 2007, Winner of the 2008, 2009, and 2010 ECHO Klassik Award, and was also made Officier dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la Republique Francaise. 'Certainly he can play Chopin beautifully, for this is a very attractive recording, notable for the warmth and naturalness of its sound, for Zacharias' unaffected phrasing and sweet tone, and for the subtlety of his interactions with the chamber orchestra he leads. Zacharias never overacts.' (Fanfare)

Piano Concerto No 1
Piano Concerto No 2

This iconic, critically acclaimed 1989 Chopin recording  has been unavailable for many years. Moravec’s subtle pianism has been compared to Chopin’s own elusive artistry. If you wanted only one Chopin CD in your collection, this would be the one to have! Highly recommended.

Unique gala concert with star artists recorded in Warsaw on Chopin’s 200th birthday. Soloists Demidenko and Kissen each give marvelous performances. Also on Blu-ray ACC1020B.

French-Canadian pianist Louise Lortie performs in April 2012 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. On this new release, the exclusive Chandos artist continues his fine interpretations of Chopin's music, Volume 1 of which was hailed by International Piano as 'likely to become one of the finest Chopin surveys', while his Chandos CD of Chopin's Etudes was named by BBC Music Magazine as one of the '50 great performances by superlative pianists',  which augurs very well for the success of this dramatic, vivacious and expressive new recording.

Nocturnes Op 9 No 2, Op 15 Nos 1-3, Op 48 No 1, Op 55 No 1
Four Ballades
Berceuse
Barcarolle

Inspired by the traditional servide of Nine Lessons and Carols given every Christmas Eve in England, this recording presents the Nativity story as told through chant, motets, 17th-century dialogues and carols. Paul Hillier has sourced and arranged a wonderful bouquet of music from Italian, German, Danish, English and American sources.

Christmas motets and highlights from cantatas by Bach family members, Johann Sebastian, Carl Philipp Emanuel, Johann Christoph Friedrich, Johann Christian and Wilhelm Friedemann. An enjoyable survey of seasonal music by a most productive musical dynasty.

Fascinating indeed, how Anette Maiburg always finds just the right new partners for her popular 'Classica...' concept series released on MDG! These musicians most naturally and inspiringly combine the particular local colour of their traditional instruments and the characteristic sound of the transverse flute, classical guitar, and double bass. After Cuban, Venezuelan, and Argentine albums, this time the musical pleasure tour takes us to the rich and varied regions of Spanish folklore and classical music.

Granados Andaluza (Danza espanola No 5), Albeniz Malaguena (Espana No 3), Acosta Jazmin (Tango), Albeniz Sevilla (from Suite Espanola Op 47), De Falla Danza espanola No 1 (from La Vida Breve), Acosta Sevillanas criollas, Rabbath Ode d'Espagne, Lama La risa, Granados Oriental (Danzas espanolas No 2), Falla Danza ritual del fuego (Ritual Fire Dance from El Amor Brujo), Acosta Por Alegrias, Granados Villanesca (Danza espanola No 4), Acosta Bulerias de Anette, Albeniz Rumores de la Caleta (from Recuerdos de Viaje), Corea Spain, Albeniz Tango (from Espana)

2 CDs for the price of 1! Benchmark performances of very enjoyable Classical keyboard works by an outstanding pianist. Clementi's music is closer to that of Haydn or the early Beethoven than to that of Mozart and has only recently been rediscovered by modern music lovers. Well worth discovering for yourself.

FIVE CLASSIC OPERAS ON SIX DVDS AT AN EXTRAORDINARY PRICE
12 1/2 HOURS OF OPERA!
Puccini Gianni Schicchi - Alessandro Corbelli, Felicity Palmer, Marie McLaughlin, Massimo Giordano, Sally Matthews, Vladimir Jurowski (conductor), Annabel Arden (director)
View Trailer for Gianni Schicci
Donizetti L'elisir d'amore - Ekaterina Siurina, Peter Auty, Alfredo Daza, Luciano di Pasquale, Eliana Pretorian, Maurizio Benini (conductor), Annabel Arden (director)
Verdi Falstaff - Christopher Purves, Tassis Christoyannis, Dina Kuznetsova, Marie-Nicolre Lemieux, Jennifer Holloway, Bulent Bezduz, Adriana Kucerova, Vladimir Jurowski (conductor), Richard Jones (director)
View Trailer for Falstaff
Bizet Carmen - Anne Sofie von Otter, Marcus Haddock, Laurent Naouri, Lisa Milne, Philippe Jordan (conductor),  David McVicar (director)
View Trailer for Carmen
Rachmaninov The Miserly Knight - Sergei Leiferkus, Richard Berkeley-Steele, Maxim Mikhailov, Viacheslav Voynarovskiy, Albert Schagidullin, Vladimir Jurowski (conductor), Annabel Arden (director)
View Trailer for The Miserly Knight
London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Glyndebourne Chorus (L'elisir d'amore, Falstaff & Carmen)

The internationally famous Glyndebourne Festival brings together the world’s most acclaimed artists, conductors and directors excel in producing top-flight performances every year and this new collection offers the choice of five classic opera productions. Ideal box set for both the beginner and the opera connoisseur, a festival of delights!

Four sonatas from the 1750s including one of CPE Bach's most graceful works, with several shorter works - Solfeggios and Fantasias imbued with originality and ingenuity. Respected keyboardist Miklos Spanyi 'probes beneath the surface of Bach's highly articulate musical surfaces' (International Record Guide). Other volumes also available.

Exuberant, emotional music played by the award-winning Janacek Chamber Orchestra. Janacek's First String Quartet 'Kreutzer Sonata', based on Tolstoy's tragic story of marital jealousy, and his early Suite for Strings complement his student Pavel Haas's Study and Bohuslav Martinu's spirited Sextet.

Clarinetist Martin Frost is an intrepid adventurer who challenges conventional notions of how classical music should be presented. Together with the acclaimed Australian Chamber Orchestra, whose recording of Mozart Violin Concertos Vol 2 (BISSACD1755) was a 2011 ARIA Award finalist, he plays an impressive variety of music with stylish verve.

America's first outstanding classical ballet company of black dancers started as a ghetto experience that quickly reach world-class level. In this special studio production, the Dance Theatre of Harlem performs a selection of its most popular works. Includes Special Feature: Introduction to the Company.

Fall River Legend - Morton Gould (music), Agnes de Mille (choreography)
Troy Game - Bob Downes (music), Robert North (choreography)
The Beloved - Judith Hamilton (music), Lester Horton (choreography)
John Henry - Milton Rosenstock (music), Arthur Mitchell (choreography)

Celebrates the 60th Anniversary of Daniel Barenboim’s stage debut. Highly praised concert recording. Also on Blu-ray ACC10202A.

Recorded 1992 to mark Daniel Barenboim's 70th birthday in 2012 and directed by Christopher Nupen (whose award-winning Allegro Films Select also distributes), this DVD features the accomplished pianist performing one of the landmark worlds of the keyboard literature, Bach's astonishing and ever-fresh Goldberg Variations. In the bonus introduction he explains how he aimed imaginatively to evoke a range of instruments on a modern piano. Concert: 91 min. Bonus: 9 min.

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Virtuoso orchestral showcase of shimmering, subtle and stirring orchestral masterpieces. Gergiev draws absolutely exquisite playing from the LSO, with gorgeous recorded sound.

The Brodsky Quartet celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year. Formed in 1972, the Quartet quickly emerged at the forefront of the international chamber music scene. It has performed more than 2000 concerts and made more than fifty highly acclaimed recordings. The Quartet are now releasing their second disc on Chandos with guest piano soloist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and the harpist Sioned Williams. The Piano Trio is an early work, written before Debussy established his own very distinctive musical language, and another early piece, Reverie, was written by the young struggling composer at a time when he was trying to make a living in Paris. In a somewhat different league, the String Quartet is considered a defining work in the history of chamber music. Sensual and impressionistic, it employs a cyclic structure that constituted a split from the rules of classical form and pointed the way forward. The Deux Danses, made up of the 'Danse sacree' and 'Danse profane', complete the disc.

String Quartet
Danse sacree et danse profane
Reverie (arr. Paul Cassidy)
Piano Trio

Includes first recording of Poem of Love and Life, Delius’s last work for orchestra alone.

Released together for the first time on one CD, these three concertos by Frederick Delius are in the best hands: the BBC Symphony under Sir Andrew Davis -  acclaimed for 'the greatest performance and recording of Delius' Appalachia' by International Record Review (Chandos CHSA5088) - violinist Tasmin Little  - Critics' Choice Award-winner at the 2011 Classic BRIT Awards - and cellist Paul Watkins, former principal cellist of the BBC Symphony.

Disc of the Week - Daily Telegraph (UK) 6 August 2011: ‘Here is a Lucia to match Callas or Sutherland. Natalie Dessay’s light soprano gives a vivid impression of Lucia’s vulnerable personality. The Mad Scene is enthralling. Piotr Beczala is a gloriously virile Edgardo, and the Italian style of the Russian cast more than acceptable. With Valery Gergiev a surprisingly sensitive conductor, this is a top-rank recording of a marvellous opera’ This dramatic and highly satisfying recording of the original version uses glass harmonica instead of flute in the famous Mad Scene to truly uncanny effect! This new recording is sure to set the new benchmark for this popular bel canto operatic classic.

Vivid a varied collection of English song sung by a leading young countertenor. ‘You are conscious of being in the presence of greatness.’ (The Guardian). Bejun Metha has an amazing voice, as rich and full as a mature female mezzo-soprano - think of Kathleen Ferrier or Marylin Horne, for instance - and sings these much-loved folksongs with extraordinary emotion and  finesse.

Classic Chandos presents notable re-releases from the British label's outstanding catalogue. On this new release the late Australian conductor Sir Charles Mackerras joins acclaimed cellist Raphael Wallfisch and the London Symphony Orchestra in performances that were highly praised on first release and gained Critic's Choice in Gramophone: 'deep, unexaggerated expressiveness and thrillingly taut co-ordination between soloist, conductor and the LSO...Donhanyi's Konzertstuck makes a rare and attractive fill-up'.

Dvorak Cello Concerto in B minor Op 104
Dohnanyi Konzertstuck in D major Op 12

In 2004 Bernarda Fink released a recording of Dvorak songs that created a genuine sensation, winning awards including Diapason d'Or Arte, Diapason de l'Annee, and 10 de Repertoire. Now, eight years later, she returns to the composer, in the company of the young soprano Genia Kuhmeier, to sing thirteen of the Moravian Duets which brought the young Dvorak fame far beyond his homeland. The other two cycles, for solo voice, round out the portrait of a Dvorak still attached to musical traditions, whether sacred (Biblical Songs) or secular (Gypsy Melodies).

Zigeunerlieder (Ciganske Melodie / Gypsy Songs) Op 55
Moravian Duets (Moravske Dvojzpevy) Op 32
Biblical Songs (Biblicke Pisne) Op 99

Highly-praised production with young rising star soprano Kristine Opolais as Rusalka - 'dazzling' (Frankfurter Rundschau), 'natural, effortlessly glowing voice' (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung). Includes bonus 'The Making of Rusalka'. Also available - for the first time - on Blu-ray 706504.

Sir Charles Mackerras and the London Philharmonic Orchestra created a joyful partnership  for 45 years. His love of Czech music is evident from the outset. This 1992 live concert recording is a jewel in the crown of Australian-born Mackerras’s long and successful international career, both subtle and vivacious.

The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra joins acclaimed solo violinist Adele Anthony on the only CD recording currently available of Ross Edwards’ Maninyas - an iconic Australian violin concerto, brimming with dancing rhythms and serene spirituality - and an excellent rendition of Sibelius's much-loved violin concerto.

Paul Watkins is the cello soloist in a recording that showcases some of Elgar's most popular works. He is accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic and Sir Andrew Davis, a conductor steeped in the English music tradition. Elgar started writing his Pomp and Circumstance Marches in 1901 in the wake of his national successes with the Enigma Variations and The Dream of Gerontius. The First March gained worldwide fame largely due to the trio melody, which Elgar considered 'a tune that comes once in a lifetime'. The Cello Concerto in E minor, written in 1918-19, was the last major work Elgar completed. Its mood is often described as 'autumnal', and being highly reflective of the ageing composer's own state of mind. Paul Watkins says: 'It is a privilege to have the opportunity to add my voice to the many different interpretations of this iconic work.'

Cello Concerto Op 85
Introduction and Allegro Op 47
Elegy for Strings Op 58
Pomp and Circumstance Marches Nos 1-5

These leading Australian artists have an ever-growing Hyperion discography. Premiere recordings of the four solo piano pieces. Other Hyperion CDs with these acclaimed artists are also available include Bloch Piano Quintets (CDA67638), Bridge Piano Quintet, String Quartet No 4 (CDA67726) and Dvorak Piano Quintets (CDA67805).

A must-have album for Austen fans. Includes Jane Austen’s 3 favourite songs plus a dozen more premiere recordings all using an authentic 1817 Broadwood fortepiano. Indeed, the composer JB Cramer is the only composer she actually named in her novels (Emma).

SOME WITH THE NEW EUROARTS AND IDEALE AUDIENCE CATALOGE The Berlin Philharmonic's annual Europa Concerts are 5-star events in the musical calendar. Filmed live at Lisbon's spectacular Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, this DVD brings out the best from the acclaimed artists. BONUS: A Portrait of lisbon, Behind-the-scenes Picture Gallery.
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A contemporary of Mozart, Joseph Eybler has often been overshadowed by his friend's overwhelming reputation. Nevertheless, some true gems abound in his catalogue of published works, among them the String Quintet and the Trio Op 2 featured on this beautifully recorded disc. 'In this sumptuous recording of his Quintetto and Trio for strings, Eybler's delightful yet reserved music is brought wonderfully to life by the Germany's Quintett Momento Musicale.' (AllMusic.com)

Quintetto
Trio Op 2

Chandos's new Spanish series with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Juanjo Mena presents evocative works for stage and concert hall by Manuel de Falla. Nights in the Gardens of Spain is among his most impressionistic and poetic works, full of shimmering textures. The Three-cornered Hat was commissioned by Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes and tells a tale of jealousy, possessiveness, mistaken Identity and deception. In Homenajes, de Falla pays tribute to fellow musicians and composers.

Nights in the Gardens of Spain
The Three-corned Hat
Homenajes

Quintessential Spanish piano music played by an acclaimed young Spanish pianist: ‘Perfection’ (Daily Telegraph), ‘Flawless art’ (El Mundo), ‘Stardom’ (Scherzo). Includes Nights in the Gardens of Spain, Four Spanish Pieces, Fantasia baetica, Le Tombeau du Claude Debussy, Pour le tombeau de Paul Dukas, Cancion, Noturno, Mazurka & Serenata andaluza.

Evocative and highly enjoyable concerts from Berlin and Madrid performed by internationally renowned artists. Pianist Joaquin Achucarro was named UNESCO's Artist for Peace and has won countless plaudits and prizes. Also on Blu-ray 2058884.

Exclusive Chandos artist and BBC TV Classical Star Karen Geoghegan joins pianist Philip Edward Fisher (whose Chandos album Piano Works by The Mighty Handful CHAN10676 was a Collectors Corner album in May 2011). Hailed for her 'phenomenal brilliance and precision' (BBC Music) and tipped as one of today's leading bassoonists by Gramophone, Karen Geoghegan ranges from deep melancholy to excited ebullience on this new album.

Whenever the Bach family and their friends gathered there was music-making. This exquisite albums presents intimate chamber music (sonatas and trio sonatas) by JS and CPE Bach as well as Telemann (the father, son and godfather of the album title). Paradiso Musicale, featuring acclaimed recorder player Dan Lauren, plays with disarming freshness and invites you to join them for this 'at home' event.

Described as a 'lullaby of death' Gabriel Faure's popular Requiem focuses not on the Day of Wrath (indeed, he excludes the Dies Irae and includes a lyrical Pie Jesu and transcendent In Paradisum) but offers consolation to those who grieve. On this notable DVD it is complemented with other choral and orchestral works, including the little-known motet By the River of Babylon. Leading performers make this an exquisite release.

Pavanne for orchestra and choir Op 50
Elegie for cello and orchestra Op 24
Super flumina Babylonis
Cantique de Jean Racine Op 11
Requiem Op 48

2011 live recording from Waldbuhne, one of Europe's ideal amphitheatres and home to the Berlin Philharmonic's popular summer concerts which attract audiences of 20,000 or more. On this new release the ebullient Riccardo Chailly conducts a sparkling concert of effervescent music abounding in instrumental tone colours. 105 min.

Shostakovich Jazz Suite No 2,
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk Suite
Rota La Strada Suite
Respighi Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome, Danza guerresca (Belkis)
Lincke Berliner Luft

Also on Blu-ray 2058404

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Afro-Cuban/Creole-inspired music from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Peru—all world premiere recordings. Latin American music is the speciality of conductor Gabriel Castagna, who inspires the orchestra in vivid performances.

Remastered from original tapes made at the height of Bernard Hermann’s recording career, this album features 'Concert hall jazz’ by four great composers. Kurt Weill's biting songs Mack the Knife, Instead of, The Good Life Foxtrot, Polly’s Song; Tango and The Big Shots Charleston contrast with Gershwin's sparkling Variations, while the works by Milhaud and Stravinksy assimilate various aspects of early jazz.

This disc celebrates the centenary of Jean Francaix.  A precocious talent, Francaix wrote his first chamber work for winds - the Quartet - in 1933 at the age of 21, and completed his Quintet No 2 more than 50 years later.  Francaix's works are favourites not only with audiences but also with the musicians themselves, who enjoy the challenges of his virtuosic writing, his fleet way with rhythms and timbres and the conversational character of the interplay between individual parts. The highly regarded Bergen Woodwind Quintet, consisting of solo players from the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, perform four chamber works for winds which all share these characteristics.  The versatile ensemble released its first disc on BIS in 1985, and has recorded chamber music by Carl Nielsen as well as by David Maslanka, to critical acclaim.

Wind Quintets No 1
Wind Quintet No 2
Wind Quartet
Divertissement for oboe, clarinet and bassoon

Founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet, Frederick Ashton created more than 100 ballets over his 60-year career. The three shorter works on this marvellous DVD demonstrate his sophisticated, elegant and widely popular style, and include music by Meyerbeer, Massenet, Tchaikovsky, Paganini, Brahms, Strauss, Tommasini and Stravinsky.
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2012 marks the tercentenary of Frederick the Great's birth and this lovely album comprises a 'musical visit' to his famous palace at Potsdam with orchestral and chamber works by composers who were associated with the court of the music-loving Prussian king.  Indeed, one of his own Flute Sonatas is included here. The award-winning Academy for Ancient Music of Berlin records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi.

Graun Ouverture in D minor
Nichelmann Keyboard Concerto in C minor
Frederick the Great Flute Sonata in C minor
Graun Viola da Gamba Concerto in A minor
CPE Bach Symphony No 1 Wq 183

5 rarely-heard symphonies by the great operatic reformer Christoph Willibald Gluck. Comparable with the music of Haydn and Mozart—tasteful, emotional, wonderfully crafted, and well worth discovering by all music lovers.

World premiere recordings. Delectable and tuneful French Romantic music with a touch of Oriental exoticism. Lovers of Romantic orchestral music will respond to these beautifully crafted and highly enjoyable works, especially in such brilliant performances as can be heard here.

Classic title tracks, themes and suites from films that became legends during Hollywood's golden age, including a superlative performance of Richard Addinsell's Warsaw Concerto. Performed in true swashbuckling style by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Grammy Award-winner Jose Serebrier.

The German-French composer Louis Theodore Gouvy was much admired for the bravura and clarity of his music, which combined the masterful templates of Haydn and Beethoven with his own virtuosic and sophisticated style. These symphonies are splendid examples of mid-19th century symphonism. Gouvy's Symphonies Nos 3 and 5 (CPO7773792) and Symphony No 6, Sinfonietta (CPO7773802) are also available.

Acclaimed for his 'remarkable' (BBC Music Magazine) and 'outstanding' (International Record Review) performances of Brahms and Chopin, Garrick Ohlssen now shines some Mediterranean light on Enrique Granados's pianistic masterpiece, Goyescas. These pieces, each a veritable tone poem filled with patriotic fervour, were inspired by Goya's famous Caprichos and other works. El pelele and the Allegro de concierto provide fittingly brilliant counterparts on this sparkling album.

Goyescas o Los majos enamorados
El pelele 'Escena goyesca'
Allegro de concierto

With seven renowned dancers from the world of international ballet performing their favourite solos and pas-de-deux choreographed by Michail Fokine, Renato Zanella, Marius Petipa, Uwe Scholz, Kenneth MacMillan and Val Caniparoli and dancing to music by Bach, Bruckner, Chopin, Massenet, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Weber, Great Dancers of Our Time is a must-have DVD for ballet lovers of all ages. Recorded in Berlin 2003. 80 min.

This is the fourth and final volume of colourful and highly appealing orchestral works by Norwegion composer Johan Halvorsen, performed by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra under Neeme Jarvi. Halvorsen considered his Norwegian Fairy Tale Pictures to be one of his best works. The suite is colourful and vividly programmatic, drawn from music that Halvorsen had written for a children's comedy. Also on this disc is Halvorsen's orchestration of Grieg's piano piece Norwegian Bridal Procession. Halvorsen's lush, but non-idealising orchestration of Grieg's piece proved an immediate success, and at concerts and in the theatre over the next twenty-six years Halvorsen conducted the work at least 140 times.

Rhapsodies norvegiennes Nos 1 and 2
Passacaglia for violin and viola
Norwegian Fairy Tale Pictures including Dance of the Troll Maidens
Dance Scene from Queen Tamara
Symphonic Intermezzo from The King
Norwegian Festival Overture
Grieg arr. Halvorsen Norwegian Bridal Procession

Handel's oratorio Belshazzar, which tells the Biblical story of the fall of Babylon, is one of his most gripping works. From the dread prophecy with which it opens, through the dramatic account of Belshazzar's Feast and the conquest of the great empire by the Persian king Cyrus, Belshazzar is cinematic in scope, rich in character and spectacular in conception.The all-star cast includes Kenneth Tarver as Belshazzar and Bejun Mehta as Cyrus. 'the entire cast achieve an abundance of highly effective acting and dramatic visual ideas...most of the singers are superb...Bejun Mehta's coloratura in the noble Cyrus's faster arias is dazzling' (Gramophone). Also on Blu-ray HMD9809028.

Hailed as 'one of the most accomplished Handel singers around' (Chicago Tribune) and praised for reaching 'the heart of the music' (The Times), young soprano Lucy Crowe combines a voice 'of great beauty, freshness and purity' (CT) with unerring musicianship and compelling theatricality. She is superbly accompanied by The English Concert, which also plays several sonatas on this highly enjoyable album.

For its Harmonia Mundi debut recording the London-based La Nuova Musica led by David Bates presents a Baroque rarity - the world premiere of the original 1712 version of Handel's Arcadian opera Il Pastor Fido (The Faithful Shepherd). Although a contemporary waspishly noted that 'the scene represented only the Country of Arcadia; the Habits [costumes] were old - the Opera short', this brilliant recording is free of any such production-related defects and is recommended on all counts. An excellent young cast is headed by the ravishing soprano Lucy Crowe.

Austrian composer Michael Haydn,  brother of Joseph, produced a significant amount of music during his lifetime which is only now beginning to be heard by modern audiences. The Requiem featured on this marvellous album was composed after the death of the Count Archbishop Sigismund von Schrattenbach in 1771 in Salzburg, though Haydn is believed to have commenced the work following the death of his daughter earlier in the same year. Both the Swiss Chamber Choir and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra shine on this disc, which also includes two rarely-heard Sinfonias. 'The orchestra plays brilliantly and flawlessly. There is not a single moment where this recording fails to deliver these masterpieces in all of their refined glory.' (MusicWeb International)

Absolute unanimity of tone and complete command of the Classical style by the renowned Takacs Quartet (which has toured Australia to the highest acclaim on many ocassions) make this new recording a 'must have' on all counts. Haydn's astonishing elegance, lyricism and immense skill in fusing the profiound with his trademark wit abound in these chamber music masterpieces.

The three string quartets on this disc are taken from Opus 20, known as the 'Sun' Quartets, which earned Haydn the nickname 'The Father of the String Quartet'. Composed in 1772, they are considered one of the milestones of the quartet genre, furthering its development and introducing stylistic hallmarks that would define the string quartet in the Classical era and beyond. The Leipzig String Quartet is widely regarded as one of the foremost chamber groups in the world. Formed in 1988, with nearly 70 CDs and countless critically-acclaimed international coincert tours to its credit, 'these artists help fulfil Haydn's aim to make "the greatest impression possible on the soul''' (The Strad)

String Quartet in A major Op 20 No 6 (Hob III:36)
String Quartet in D major Op 20 No 4 (Hob. III:34)
String Quartet in C major Op 20 No 2 (Hob. III:32)

Best known as a film-music composer, Bernard Hermann was also an accomplished conductor (The Four Faces of Jazz CDLF8148 was a Collectors Corner album in August 2011) a talented classical composer. This album presents in superb sound his thrilling cantata Moby Dick - an unjustly forgotten masterpiece that ranks beside Britten's equally fateful maritime opera Billy Budd - and his Sinfonietta, which never received a public performance though parts of it found their way into his famous score for Hitchcock's Psycho.

Music from award-winning and popular movies and TV series. Authoritative performances conducted by the composer.

Brahms' friend Heinrich von Herzogenberg is increasingly recognised as a truly independent voice among German Romantic composers. His early admiration of Wagner and Liszt persists in these chamber pieces, clarified by his highly personal take on the 'classicism' of Brahms, marking them uniquely enjoyable for modern listeners.

Fascinating first full-length documentary on Holst, an unjustly neglected and sadly still largely misunderstood composer. Includes previously unreleased material—an essential film.

Following the resounding success of his Homage to Chopin (CDA67803), Jonathan Plowright is now the first artist to record the album of works written and published in homage to Polish pianist, composer and politician Jan Paderewski. With works by Bartok, Benjamin, Goossens, Milhaud, Britten, Chaminade, Wieniawski and others, this is an ear opening album of pianistic pleasures.

Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra in three of Arthur Honegger's most lyrical works, the dreamy Summer Pastorale, the nostalgic Fourth Symphony and the reflective and heartfelt Christmas Cantata. The Times has particularly praised 'the beguiling, brushed-velvet textures' Jurowski conjured for the Summer Pastorale and the 'immaculate ensemble and textural clarity' of the LPO.

The young Nury Guarnaschelli  is a world-renowned horn player, much admired by leading conductors such as Claudio Abbado. She plays delightful music from the Classical and early Romantic  periods - beautiful and highly enjoyable on all counts.

A jewel of a recording with the choir’s new Director of Music. Lyrical and intensely spiritual English music sung with great sensitivity and precision. Rarely-heard repertoire by a master of British music.

New recording of original Fritz Lang cult classic film Metropolis soundtrack. Frank Strobel conducts this amazing film score live with the movie later this year.

Autumn ('Herbst' in German) was a season that seemed to inspire many Romantic composers. The sacred and secular choral music by Schubert and Brahms on this album receives moving performances by the acclaimed Norwegian Soloists Choir, whose previous BIS album, White Night (BISSACD1871) was highly praised by Gramophone magazine.

Jenufa is English soprano Amanda Roocroft’s signature role. Recorded live at the Teatro Real in October 2009, this production has been praised for its  ‘extraordinary tension and sensitivity...wonderful playing’ (Seen and Heard International). Also on Blu-ray OABD7089D.

Johann Christian Bach, Johann Sebastien's youngest son and the young Mozart's friend, composed this Requiem the the Miserere in his own youth at the age of 22 while in Milan. The foundations of his later Classical style are already evident in these remarkable works. The RIAS Chamber Choir, Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin, Hans-Christoph Rademann have also recorded JL Bach's Funeral Music for Harmonia Mundi (HMC902080).

George Balanchine's classic ballet Jewels, filmed in the Mariinsky Theatre, features the languid music of Faure (Emeralds), Stravinsky's playful Capriccio (Rubies) and movements from Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 3 (Diamonds). Starring the Mariinsky Ballet's most famous dancers, this is a 'must-have' for all ballet fans. Also on Blu-ray MAR0516

Johann Friedrich Fasch helped lay the foundations of the Classical style of music. He delighted in exploring orchestral colour and thematic development, which later composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven brought to new heights as the Classical style in turn gave rise to Romanticism. Tempesta di Mare are renowned for their zestful and virtuosic interpretations. Volume 1 is available on CHAN0751.

From a period when music in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary was particularly popular come these works by the immortal Josquin, whose ingenious and sublime choral music powerfully influenced sacred composition around the turn of the 16th century. Weser Renaissance Bremen gives lucid and vibrant performances of these poetically-coloured masterpieces.

The Tallis Scholars, hailed as 'the rock stars of Renaissance music' (The New York Times), present the fifth in their multi-award-winning series of recordings of the complete Masses of Josquin des Pres. His Missa Beata Virgine, probably the most performed Mass setting of the entire Renaissance period, is paired with his early Missa Ave Maris Stella.

One of the world's most popular vocal ensembles, The King's Singers, mixes an eclectic assortment of modern Christmas classics with special arrangements of much-loved favourites. 'beautifully detailed…even the most familiar carols sound fresh' (Classic FM Magazine)

These are the crowning glories of Kalinnikov’s orchestral compositions, as melodic and richly orchestrated as Tchaikovsky’s better-known symphonies and composed at around the same time as Rimsky-Korsakov's beloved Sheherezade and Capriccio Espagnole. ‘real enthusiasm and fire’ (ClassicsToday on the MPO’s recordings of Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonies - BISCD166768)

The Romantic Piano Concerto Vol 56. The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra plays on several of Hyperion's hugely popular Romantic Piano Concerto series, which has now passed what is believed to be its halfway mark. Friedrich Kalkbrenner, an admired contemporary of Chopin, wrote big bold orchestrations that are topped (incredibly enough) once the solo piano makes its powerful entry. Such glittering panache still thrills modern audiences, especially when the soloist is the prodigious and ever-popular Howard Shelley, who performs with the TSO in July 2012.

Piano Concerto No 2 in E minor Op 85
Piano Concerto No 3 in A minor Op 107
Adagio ed Allegro di bravura Op 102

In this entertaining film version of Emmerich Kalman's The Circus Princess some of the greatest singer-actors from the 1960s and 70s can once again be enjoyed. Kalman's love of Hungarian gypsy music and his natural affinity for the Viennese waltz tradition characterise this delightful operetta, which also incorporates aspects of the new dance music of the 1920s.

The extraordinary popularity of the Adagio from Act 3 of Aram Khachaturian's ballet Spartacus has almost completely overshadowed the many marvels of the complete score. Composed between 1940 and 1952, it was the Armenian composer's last great work and was revised in 1968 by Yuri Grigorovich for a Bolshoi Theatre production which gained international success and forms the basis of this stunning new complete recording. 2 CDs for the price of 1.

Spartacus Complete Ballet

This new DVD, recorded at LSO St Luke's in London, ranges from the beautiful simplicity of Praetorius's Es Ist Ein Ros' Entsprungen to the mad capers of Gordon Langford's arrangement of Deck The Hall. Pure delight from start to finish, a stand-out Christmas show.
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Noel nouvelet
Veni, veni Emmanuel
Jingle Bells

Soloist Laurent Korcia brings a shimmering intensity to Korngold's hyper-Romantic Violin Concerto and a controlled emotionalism to Tchaikovsky's much loved masterpiece. Prone to over-interpretation, these two works here benefit from the extraordinary collaboration between the solo instrument and the orchestra, subtley co-ordinated here by conductor Jean-Jacques Kantorow, himself also a violinist of note.

Korngold's String Sextet (1914-16) takes on some of the theatrical elements from his contemporaneous opera Violanta and features an intensely sensuous Adagio framed by faster movements brimming with counterpoint, high spirits and good humour. His Piano Quintet, premiered in 1923, displays Korngold's sunny disposition and incorporates a secret musical code as a love message for his fiancee. The Doric String Quartet, praised as 'one of the finest' (Gramophone), is joined by acclaimed pianist Kathryn Stott, Jennifer Stumm (viola) and Bartholemew LaFollette (cello).

String Sextet in D major Op 10
Piano Quintet in E major Op 15

Legendary 1980 LP recording reissued on stunning SACD. La Spagna, a hugely popular tune across 17th-century Europe, makes a comeback!

No fewer than twelve of today's leading ladies of Baroque music share the spotlight on this very special new release. With arias by Vivaldi, Handel, Bach, Strozzi, Purcell, Pergolesi, Porpora and Monteverdi, Ladies Sing Baroque is a fabulous compendium of astonishing 17th and 18th-century vocal music, sacred and operatic, English and Italian, that will enhance any CD collection and surely become a much-played favourite.

Choral classics for Candlemas in Renaissance Rome. Arcadelt Missa Ave Regina caelorum, Palestrina  Senex puerum, Diffusa est gratia, de Silva Ave Regina caelorum, Inviolata, Chants - all sublime works.

While titled 'The Triumph of Love' this gorgeous new release could as easily have been called 'The Triumph of Sandrine Piau', such is her incredible mastery of French Baroque vocal music. Among selected favourites by Lully and Rameau, the listener will also make many discoveries which reveal the extraordinary wealth of musical activity spanning the late 17th and 18th centuries.

Rebel and Francoeur Scanderberg Overture
Rameau Anacreon - L'Amour est le dieu de la paix, Les Paladins - Je vole amour, Les Indes galantes - Viens hymen, Les Fetes de Ramire Sarabande, 2 gavottes, 2 tambourins
Lully Acis et Galatee - Enfin j'ai dissipe la crainte
Campra  Idomenee - Espoir des malheureux
Rebel Les Elemens - Le chaos
Charpentier David et Jonathas - A-t-on jamais souffert
Gretry Le Tableau parlant - Overture, L'amant jaloux - Je romps la chaine qui m'engage
Favart La Zingara - Pauvre nise!
Sacchini Renaud - Que l'Eclat de la victoire se repande sur vos jours

Widely regarded as the founder of the French violin school, Jean-Marie Leclair was one of the foremost Baroque violinists and composers of his generation. A formidable performer as well as composer, Leclair was able to incorporate into his music the national styles and fashions of European nations and produce work of the highest quality. Although murdered in Paris under suspicious circumstances in 1764, Leclair's legacy survives through his rich output of instrumental music, of which these Trio Sonatas are just a few examples. 'Highly recommended.' (Fanfare)

Six Trio Sonatas for 2 violins and basso continuo Op 4

Recorded in Edvard Grieg's home town with his 'own' Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, the ever-popular Piano Concerto in A minor receives an exciting and magesterial interpretation by Stephen Hough (who recently toured Australia). The almost superhuman virtuosic and lyrical demands of Franz Liszt's two piano concertos pose no threat to Hough's impeccable artistry.

Daniel Barenboim's performances with his 'own' orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by his close friend Pierre Boulez, of Franz Liszt's demanding and diverting piano concertos have been showered with praise. The concert recorded here on the 200th anniversary of Liszt's birth was a landmark event and this DVD is a worthy celebration of Liszt's status as a pioneering composer and extraordinary performer.

Piano Concerto No 2 in A major
Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat major
Consolation No3
Valse oubliee No 1
Wagner A Faust Overture, Siegfried Idyll

Also on Blu-ray ACC10239

A triumph at its premiere and sold out during subsequent performances, San Francisco Ballet's production of Lera Auerbach's The Little Mermaid, based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale and choreographed by John Neumeier, stars Yuan Yuan Tan in the title role 'in a noteworthy dramatic performance' (San Francisco Examiner).
Also Available on Blu-Ray 708704

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Carl Loewe, dubbed ‘the Schubert of North Germany’, made the ballad a powerful art form. Masterful interpretations of these sadly neglected but truly compelling mini-masterpieces of 19th-century song.

Arias by Handel, Purcell and Bach. 'Must have' collection of the very finest recordings by this outstanding singer. This unique 2-CD set survey's Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson's remarkable career. She could summon the deepest rage, sadness or joy in her performances to thrilling effect, bringing to life the greatest heroines of Baroque opera and oratorio.

This stunning new production (2011) of Lully and Quinault's masterpiece, Atys, from the Opera Comique in Paris features 115 sumptuous costumes, the silver furniture from the Grand Appartements de Versailles, and an outstanding cast directed by the man who, more than anyone, was responsible for the astonishing revival of 17trh-century French opera in our own day - William Christie - and his celebrated ensemble Les Arts Florissants.
Also Available on Blu-Ray FRA506

Gorgeously full-bodied sound, masterful orchestral music. These modern masterpieces are all very accessible in terms of their styles, rich with Romantic resonance and thrilling to hear. Highly enjoyable on all counts.

2 CDs for the price of 1! From the unique Capriccio Archive comes an all-star survey of Romantic and modern orchestral songs, including Mahler's Ruckert Lieder and Songs of a Wayfarer, Zemlinsky's Symphonic Songs Op 20, Schreker's Five Songs for Deep Voice, Wolf's Five Orchestral Songs and rarities by Wellesz and Bloch - all sung by outstanding singers.

‘one of the best Butterflies of our time’ (ForumOpera.com). Strong cast, great production. Also on Blu-ray 706304 (for the first time!)

Celebrates the 150th Anniversary of Mahler’s birth and Boulez’s 85th birthday. 'profound, visceral understanding of this music' (WCLV Classic FM). Mahler's 'Wunderhorn' song settings are among his most important. Also on Blu-ray ACC10231.

Recorded in 2010, Thierry Malandain's magical choreography and Tchaikovsky's marvellous music combine on this DVD. The title, Magifique, signals Malandain's desire to remove hatred ('hain' in French, pronounced like the letter 'n') from the world and replace it with magic and magnificence through the creation of wonderful works of art. Also on Blu-ray K108034

Internationally renowned young singer with a deep affinity for Mahler. Sublimely moving music that hits the heart head on.

Critically acclaimed album: ‘this RCO issue takes some beating...every note is clear...the mezzo soloist is the marvellous Bernarda Fink, and the three choirs help make this an outstanding interpretatation.’ 4 STARS (The Daily Telegraph UK)

This stunning new version for the 21st Century of Mahler's magnificent and mystical Symphony No 8 was recorded live at Leipzig's International Mahler Festival in May 2011, where Riccardo Chailly commanded almost 500 musicians, and the result is simply splendid. The special cover image by internationally renowned artist Neo Rauch, who was inpired by hearing this outstanding interpretation. See DVD trailer on YouTube Also on Blu-ray ACC10222

Final volume in Russian maestro Valery Gergiev’s highly acclaimed Mahler Symphonies recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra. 'Mahler's message is important for all time, for all people, for all centuries', says Gergiev. Also available:  Symphonies No 1 (LSO0663), No 2 (LSO066), No 3 (LSO0660), No 4 (LSO0662), No 5 (LSO0664), No 6 (LSO0038), No 7 (LSO0665), No 8 (LSO0669).

Two legendary dancers, Dame Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes CBE, are seen here in three studio recordings made between 1954-9 of scenes from Tchaikovsky's best-loved ballets. A pefect match in terms of physique, presence, style and technique, they created a perfect partnership. Fonteyn's brilliance as an actor and Somes' dymanism remain thrilling to this day.

Celebrated Swiss cellist Christian Poltera here presents three rarely-heard yet highly individual works composed between 1929 and 1966. Poltera's previous BIS releases have gained critical acclaim - 'absorbing listening' (International Record Review), 'suave, sophisticated' (BBC Music Magazine) and 'plenty of fireworks for the soloist' (classicstoday.com) -  and gained Gramophone Editor's Choice and Diapason d'or. The equally renowned Malmo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tuomas Hannikainen again give admirable support to one of today's most impressive young cellists.

Martin Cello Concerto (1966)
Honegger Cello Concerto (1929)
Schoeck Concerto for Cello and String Orchestra Op 61

Stefan Irmer has a special fondness for French piano music. After his complete overview of the sins of Rossini's old age and a recently released recording of Gabriel Faure's thirteen nocturnes, he now turns to another complete recording full of unknown yet simply charming compositions from the piano oeuvre of Jules Massenet.

Grande Fantaisie sur le Pardon de Ploermel (1861), Dix pieces de genre Op 10, Le roman d'Arlequin, Pantomime enfantine (1870-1), Sept imrpovisations (1875), Toccata (1892), Deux impressions (1892), Un Momento musicale (1897), Devant la Madonne (Souvenir de la campagne de Rome, Nuit de Noel 1864) (1897), Valse folle (1898), Valse triste lente (1901), Musique pour bercer les petits enfents (1902),
Deux pieces pour piano (1907)

This sumptuous recording of Massenet's final great opera stars Italian bass Ferrucio Furlanetto in the title role of Don Quixote, powerfully backed by the forces of the Mariinsky Theatre. Conductor Valery Gergiev provides inspirational leadership and the the magnificent Mariinsky Concert Hall's fine acoustic is well captured on this excellent double-SACD set.

Described as ‘a prince of the viola’ Maxim Rysanov plays much-loved Romantic repertoire for (or convincingly arranged for) viola and orchestra. In their beautiful new orchestral garbs these works retain the lightness and delicacy of their original versions. He will perform at the Melbourne Festival in October 2011.

Nikolai Medtner's Second Arabesque moved Rachmaninov to exclaim 'Write one such piece and one can die', an indication of the immense delights awaiting today's listeners of Medtner's piano music. One of Britain's leading pianists, Hamish Milne has garnered the highest praise from the world's leading classical music critics and plays Medtner's many miniatures with fearless aplomb.

CD 1 - Stimmungsbilder Op 1, Trois Improvisations Op 2, Quatre Morceaux Op 4, Drei Arabesken Op 7, Drei Dithyramben Op 10

CD 2 - Drei Novellen Op 17, Vier Lyrische Fragmente Op 23, Etude in C minor, Trois Morceaux Op 31, Drei Hymnen an die Arbeit Op 49, Theme and Variations in C sharp minor Op 55, Zwei Elegien Op 59

Felix Mendelssohn's unfinished masterpiece Christus (only Parts 1 The Birth and 2 The Passion of Christ were completed before his untimely death) is complemented by two chorale cantatas, O Haupt Voll Blut und Wunden and Von Himmel Hoch, which he composed in his youth. Acclaimed performers give these works impeccable interpretations.

Australian educated fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout performs in July-August with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. This new recording of two of Mendelssohn's youthful concertos is based on recently published critical editions and gives pure delight from start to finish!

For almost 40 years, until earlier this year, Bambini di Praga (Children of Prague) toured the world winning the hearts of audiences. This Christmas album celebrates their remarkable achievement with an irresistable offering of seasonal music from Bohemia, England, Moravia, America, Poland, Germany, Spain and France.

Songs from Yentl, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Thomas Crown Affair, Summer of 42, The Young Girls of Rochfort,  The Three Musketeers, Brian's Song, The Happy Ending and other films. Live from Salle Pleyel Paris 2009

Features Steve Reich and Volker Schloendorff and includes unprecedented access to Michael Nyman’s life as a composer, performer and also a film-maker: an unforgettable journey with a great artist.

Wind players from one of the world’s greatest orchestras in dazzling performances of virtuoso chamber music. From Anton Reicha's charming early-19th-century music to Martinu and Janacek's sparkling 20th-century masterpieces, this album is a delightful introduction to the wind ensemble repertoire.

French Baroque delights by Michel Pignolet de Monteclair, an admired contemporary of Francois Couperin. These solo voice cantatas are highly effective and dramatic 'mini-operas' with mythological or historical themes. ‘Emma Kirkby’s virtuosity is splendid, but so is her characterization...Outstanding’ (BBC Music magazine).

Hailed by critics as a thrilling Konstanze and compared to Edita Gruberova, Diana Damrau partners the tall and aristocratic tenor Christoph Strehl (Belmonte) as they outwit the Pasha's overseer Osmin in this acclaimed procution of Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio. 'Diana Damrau achived a huge success', 'Franz-Josef Selig, the best Osmin I have ever seen', 'The importance of the Teatre del Liceu cannot be overstated' (Opera News).

Also on Blu-ray 709204

Although his music has been overshadowed by the music of his son, Leopold Mozart composed a great deal of music in his own lifetime, working as both a church and court musician and teacher. The Horn Concertos are among Leopold Mozart's most well-known works today and are expertly rendered here by Dutch horn virtuoso Herman Jeurissen, principal horn with the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague, who has performed in orchestras and as a soloist all over the world and made a number of recordings. 'the playing throughout is sensitive yet lively; the recording sets everything in a good clear perspective.' (HiFi News)

Sinfonia pastorella for Alphorn and Strings in G major
Symphony in G major, G 9 'Sinfonia da caccia'
Concerto for 2 Horns in E flat major
Sinfonia da camera for Horn, Violin, 2 Violas and Basso Continuo in D major

From the opening notes of the overture to the final curtain, Emilio Sagi's classic, triumphant production fully brings to life all the elegant wit and theatricality of Mozart's comic masterpiece. A continuation of the plot of The Barber of Seville, and set several years later, Le nozze di Figaro explores the intricate relationships between men and women of different social classes, weaving passion and humour with genuine dramatic tension. Leading baritone Ludovic Tezier shines as the lustful Count Almaviva who attempts to obtain the favours of Figaro's bride-to-be, Susanna (Isabel Rey), while Luca Pisaroni gives a feisty performance as Figaro. Conductor Jesus Lopez Cobos masterfully captures the enchanting score. A witty yet profound tale of love, betrayal, and forgiveness. 'An incontestable success...full of Sevillian atmosphere. [Tezier] is in exceptional vocal shape and the role suits him perfectly.' (Musicweb International) 'Brilliant, beautiful...Tezier is a great baritone...Sagi's [production] allows us to breathe Seville.' (Concertonet.com)

Also on Blu-ray TR97001BD

The phenomenal Angela Hewitt embarks on another 'Hyperion journey', this time through Mozart's piano concertos. Here Hewitt displays her characteristic elegance and innate musicality, supported by the impeccably refined playing of the Mantova Chamber Orchestra. Her feeling for Mozart's music is equal to, though distinct from, her feeling for the music of JS Bach which she has also recorded for Hyperion on countless highly acclaimed albums.

Mozart's sacred music brims with the theatricality and lyricism that are hallmarks of all his music, though with the exception of the famous Requiem and unfinished Mass in C minor many of them remain relatively unknown to modern listeners. The opulent 'Coronation' Mass contrasts with the intimate reverence of the much-loved Ave verum corpus (one of his last works), while the Missa brevis and two Church Sonatas provide diverting contrasts. Renowned soprano Susan Gritton heads the line-up of accomplished soloists, while the world-famous Choir of St John's College Cambridge and period-instrument St John's Sinfonia are in peak form on this marvellous disc.

Mass in C 'Coronation' K317
Missa brevis K192
Ave verum corpus
Church Sonatas in E flat major K67 and in F major K224

These six of Mozart's earlier and shorter symphonies composed between 1769 and 1770 are vividly played and beautifully recorded. The Danish National Chamber Orchestra and Adam Fischer have developed a unique – and widely acclaimed – Mozart sound. Vols 4 (6220539), 5 (6220540), 6 (6220541), 7 (6220542) & 8 (6220543) are also available.

Expect the highest standard of early music singing, immaculately polished and poised on this unusual album of sublime ceremonial music from the princely chapels of 15th-century England. The House of Lancaster was devoted to religious music, partly in order to strengthen their precarious position against their enemies, the House of York, during the famous Wars of the Roses. The booklet is beautifully illustrated with full-colour examples of the original illuminated manuscripts from which this music is drawn.

This is the only available documentary about Mariss Jansons, covering his career from its early days until today. This 2-DVD set includes a performance of Mahler's Symphony No 2 'Resurrection' by the internationally famous singers Ricarda Merbeth and Bernarda Fink and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, of which Jansons has been chief conductor since 2002. 'No conductor has a more extraordinary story to tell than Mariss Jansons' (The Independent). Documentary: 53 min. Concert: 94 min.

Also on Blu-ray 709804

Internationally acclaimed and multi-awarding-winning Australian pianist Roger Woodwood presents a fascinating glimpse of the music of Russian composers who were active during the heyday of the avant garde, 1905-27. From the surreal music of Alexandre Skryabin and the ambitious works of his son Julian to music composed by the author of Dr Zhivago, Boris Pasternak, this album is a rewarding voyage of discovery. Select Audio-Visual Distribution now distributes the entire Celestial Harmonies range in Australia.

Renowned mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly's voice, praised as 'strong and steady...velvety, but with a soft, subtle graininess' (The New York Times), is an ideal vehicle for these English songs. In partnership with equally accomplished pianist Malcolm Martineau she gives a delightful recital on this appealing album. Also available: CHAN10671 Britten Phaedra, A Charm of Lullabies - Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano), Maxim Rysanov (viola), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner (conductor). Full-page article in Gramophone October 2011 issue.

A celebration of dance and music from Venice's world-famous opera house. Includes highlights from The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, La Forza del Destino, La Traviata, I Lombardi, Nabucco, L'Elisir d'Amore and Tosca with three international operatic stars, the superb La Fenice chorus and orchestra all directed by celebrated conductor Kurt Masur.

6 DISCS FOR THE PRICE OF 3!
The 3 CDs, 1 SACD and 1 DVD in this beautifully presented box set present prize-winning and highly praised recordings: 'the best modern recordings of these symphonies' (10/10 Classics Today) 'as close to ideal as I ever hope to hear…top-drawer' (Gramophone Editor's Choice), unqualified top recommendation' (Fanfare Critics' Choice). The DVD features live recordings of Nielsen's six symphonies.

Baroque love songs and 'bird songs' (evoking larks, nightingales and other amorous avians) from Germany, France, Italy and England. Includes many beautiful arias that have remained unheard since the time they were composed. 'Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter', wrote the great poet Keats. Fortunately for us, as this exquisite album shows, he was mistaken.

The works on this remarkable disc have become Finnish pianist Olli Mustonen's signature recital pieces. From the virtuoso sets of Etudes and Preludes, through Scriabin's masterpiece, the Tenth Piano Sonata, to the amazing Vers la flamme, Mustonen conveys his profound love of this passioniste and visinoary music. 'A living dream of pianism, having broken through an expressive barrier that other players do not know exists' (The Sunday Times)

Twelve Etudes Op 8
Six Preludes Op 13
Five Preludes Op 16
Piano Sonata No 10 Op 70
Vers la flamme Op 72

Recorded in the Chapel of St John's College Cambridge in superb surround sound this album features music by Rutter, Rodney Bennett, Elizabeth Poston and Leighton, as well as a bumper selection of traditional favourites all performed by one of the world's best loved British choirs.

This extraordinary story of the devilishly talented  violinist is ‘the best we have seen’ (Paganini Institute, Genoa). This outstanding documentary is a fascinating film about the man who made himself the most talked about, the most famous, the most successful, the richest and the most controversial classical soloist that the world of music has ever known. Paganini was the inspiration for Liszt, himself a self-made legend of 19th-century music.

When this fascinating film was first released in Germany it was censored: 30 minutes were removed because they were deemed 'political', 'uncomfortable' and 'irrelevant'. Now restored to its complete form and approved by Placido Domingo, this DVD features Wagner's grandson Wolfgang who explains the meaning behind Parsifal and the first performance on film of Anna Nebtrnko.

Gramophone Award winners, The Cardinall's Musick, reveal the glories of a somewhat neglected contemporary of William Byrd, his successor as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. Parson's opulent vocal music is that of a polyphonic master, so his accidental death aged around 40 (he drowned in the storm-swollen Thames) was an immense tragedy. This album revives his sumptuous and sophisticated output, composed during the reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I.

Paul Hillier's celebrated vocal ensembles Theatre of Voices and Ars Nova Copenhagen are Estonian composer Arvo Part's preferred interpreters of his choral music, a wide selection of which may be heard on this sublimely beautiful new release. 'Paul Hillier is an eloquent interpreter of Mr Part's idiosyncratic style' wrote The New York Times, and this disc confirms in spades that assessment.

Veni Creator, The Deer's Cry, Psalom, Most Holy Mother of God, Solfeggio, My Heart's in the Highlands, Peace upon you Jerusalem, Ein Wallfahrtslied, Morning Star, Stabat Mater

Music by Monteverdi, Bencini, Antonio Soler, Alessandro Scarlatti, Carissimi and Stravinsky praising the Blessed Virgin Mary. More than 300 years of truly ravishing sacred music, lovingly performed!

Chandos Records has signed an exclusive contract with the Brodsky Quartet to coincide with the renowned ensemble's 40th Anniversary in 2012. On their debut Chandos CD, they are joined by acclaimed young British pianist Philip Edward Fisher and violist Bob Smissen to perform a delightful selection of music arranged by past or current members of the quartet. This is a superbly enjoyable and original collection.

Khachaturian (arr. Andrew Haveron) Sabre Song
Mendelssohn (arr. Paul Cassidy) On Wings of Song
Prokofiev (arr. Andrew Haveron) March from The Love for Three Oranges
Falla (arr. Andrew Haveron) Nana, Polo
Schumann (arr. Paul Cassidy) Sehr Langsam, Three Pieces from Kinderszenen (arr. for Quartet and Piano)
Kreisler (arr. Paul Cassidy) Caprice viennois Op 2 for Quartet and Viola
Shostakovich (arr. Ian Belton) Duet for Two Violins and Piano (arr. for Quartet)
Shostakovich Waltz from Suite for Variety Orchestra
Debussy (arr. Paul Cassidy) Beau Soir
Elgar (arr. Paul Cassidy) Chanson de Nuit, Chanson de Matin, La Capricieuse
Ravel (arr. Andrew Haveron) Blues
Ravel (arr. Paul Cassidy) Valse No 6
Godowsky (arr. Paul Cassidy) Alt-Wien
Dvorak (arr. Paul Cassidy) Humoresque for Quartet and Piano
Sarasate (arr. Paul Cassidy) Playera, Zapateado

Borodin Petite Suite, Scherzo Rimsky-Korsakov Scherzino Op 11 No 3, Waltz Op15 No 1, Romance Op 15 No 2, Cui Nocturne in F sharp minor, Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition, Balakirev Islamey, Reverie
Played by talented young Royal Academy and Juilliard School graduate Philip Edwards Fisher.

Dame Felicty Lott and the Joyful Company of Singers serve up a rich Christmas feast, well spiced with favourite carols and readings by actor Gabriel Woolf. 'compiled with rare intelligence' (MusicWeb International). Includes music by Vaughan Williams, Victoria, Byrd, Leighton, Samuel, Reger, Cornelius, Barber, Guerrero, and many more.

Young countertenor Iestyn Davies is the soloist on this enchanting disc of cantatas by Italian Baroque composer Nicola Porpora. The intricate vocal writing, elaborate ornamentations and virtuosity of Porpora's cantatas pose no problems for Davies, whose luminous tone and technical assurance are strikingly demonstrated. This imaginative album is certainly greater than the sum of its parts.

Acclaimed for her ‘sensuality and warmth’ (Sunday Times), renowned Soprano Miah Persson, interprets love songs by Robert and Clara Schumann. The Schumann’s own legendary love story finds timeless expression in these moving and intimate works about women in love, in pain and in emotional turmoil.

Film now showing in Australia. A veritable hit Parade from 1977  - includes J’ai oublié de vivre (Johnny Hallyday), More than a Woman (Bee Gees) and Sunny (Boney M), with  Philippe Rombi’s original film score played by the Bel Arte Symphonic Orchestra.

Distinguished mezzo-soprano Alice Coote here makes her Hyperion debut with legendary pianist Graham Johnson on what the latter describes as a 'pageant of English song and poetry'. Through a half-century-long journey surveying the theme of love in its many forms (human, of nature, even of money!), these songs are by turns tender, serene, humorous and high spirited. Certain to delight!

Molloy Love's old sweet song
White So we'll go no more a-roving, The Spring has come, The Devout Lover
Elgar Speak music, Pleading
Lehmann Ah moon of my delight, Love if you knew the light
 Vaughan Williams Silent noon
Peel Almond wild almond, The early morning
Quilter There be none of Beauty's daughters, Now sleeps the crimson petal, Love's Philosophy
Grainger The power of love
Gibbs Hypochondriacus
Lehmann Pa's bank
Gibbs A Song of Shadows
Warlock Take O take those lips away, The night, Queen Anne
Moeran In youth is pleasure
Gurney Goodnight to the meadow, The boat is chafing, Lights Out
Holst Journey's End, Betelgeuse

Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini consists of 24 variations, of which the 18th has become so popular that it is often included separately in compilations of classical favourites. The soloist, Yevgeny Sudbin, has been described in BBC Music Magazine as 'exhilarating, barnstorming, spine-tingling'. The warm reception that the Rhapsody received no doubt spurred Rachmaninov on to the composition of his Third Symphony. The work of a reluctant exile from his native land, its themes have a markedly Russian character. With this disc, Lan Shui and his Singapore Symphony Orchestra follow up on their 2008 recording of the composer’s Symphony No.2, which impressed critics around the world: ‘Lan Shui...propels his marvellous orchestra to musical heights from which the entire panorama of this work can be perceived.'

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Symphony No 3 in A minor Op 44

The 6th and final volume in Chandos’s highly acclaimed Rachmaninov series, praised for its ‘full-blooded intensity’ (BBC Music Magazine). Prince Rostislav  and Capriccio bohemian are welcome rarities. Also available Vol 1 Symphony No 1 (CHAN10475), Vol 2 Symphony No 2, The Rock (CHAN10589), Vol 3 Francesca da Rimini (CHAN10442), Vol 4 The Miserly Knight (CHAN10544) & Vol 5 Aleko (CHAN10583).

Seventh and final volume in Chandos' acclaimed Rachmaninov Series. His 'choral symphony' The Bells, the brooding cantata Spring and the poignant Three Russian Songs were recorded live at the 2011 Proms in London's Royal Albert Hall. 'The soloists soared, the choir bloomed, and Noseda powered the orchestra through thrilling climaxes' (The Guardian). Volumes 1-6 are also available (CHAN10442, CHAN10475, CHAN10544, CHAN10583,CHAN10589, CHAN10677).

Impressionism with a touch of jazz make Maurice Ravel’s music highly popular. This gorgeous album also includes Guillaume Lekeu's tremulously emotional violin sonata which was composed for the great violinist Eugene Ysaye. The two equally popular and hugely talented young performers are well known to Australian audiences.

Describing it as a 'choreographic symphony', Maurice Ravel was particularly proud of his score for Dapnhis and Chloe, which he regarded as his most important work. While the two orchestral suites are perhaps best known, the complete ballet is unsurpassable for its epic sweep, scintillating orchestration (including wordless female chorus) and story of the passionate love between the goatherd Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloe. This is a luminous recording conducted by a leading exponent of Ravel's music, Bernard Haitink.

An artist of great subtlety with truly dazzling technique, 29-year-old Russian pianist Anna Vinnitskaya performs Ravel's demanding and thrilling music with intense delicacy, amazing legato and dynamic control, and a strong sense of personal involvement. First Prize-winner of the Queen Elizabeth Competition in 2007 and Echo Klassik (Germany) 2011 Award-winner, she is a musician to watch - and, of course, to hear!

Pavanne pour une infante defunte
Miroirs
Gaspard de la nuit

Composer Steve Reich himself loves this new recording: ‘Incisive, focused and intense...Bravo’. ‘Minimalism’ for the thinking music-lover, rewarding and significant repertoire.

Newly remastered reissue of the classic 1968 recording of Terry Riley's epochal Minimalist masterpiece In C, which inspired Philip Glass and rock musicians including Pete Townsend of The Who and Pink Floyd. This reissue fully restores all the original album artwork and features a new essay. In C, a sensation on its initial release, remains a major triumph of 20th-century composition and recording.

Newly remastered reissue of the classic 1969 recording, with fully restored original artwork and a new essay. Terry Riley's influential 1967 composition A Rainbow in Curved Air, which with the help of a tape loop Riley performs entirely by himself, and Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band, described as a sonic 'hall of mirrors', are Minimalist classics well deserving of their revival on this release.

A Rainbow In Curved Air
Poppy Nogood And The Phantom Band

These ever-popular Russian orchestral classics are played by Russia's leading orchestra conducted by Carlo Ponti Jnr (son of the late film director Carlo Ponti and Sofia Loren). 'Scheherazade [sounds] properly sensuous...luxuriant, voluptuous, even sensual. [Ponti's version] is more lyrical than most...[Capriccio espagnol] contains moments of great beauty....The Neapolitan Song is full of verve and high spirits' (Classical Candor)

With new music by Eleanor Alberga, this is a magical retelling of Roald Dahl's story. 'Snow White is a wonderful piece,' wrote Joanna Lumley, 'Thrilling, exciting, funny and sometimes a bit frightening. I am hugely proud to have been involved in this recording.' Proceeds contribute support to the Roald Dahl Foundation, which helps children living with serious blood or brain illness.

Brilliant young cellist and Pierre Fournier Award-winner Gemma Rosefield here makes her Hyperion debut. She gives thoughtful accounts of these Romantic rarities, her beautifully consistent and richly hued tone supported by the orchestra. Given the quality and craftmanship of  this music, it is hard to understand why it has remain such a secret for so long. Gratifyingly well worth discovering!

Three world premiere recordings feature on this scintillating album of Romantic  rarities in Hyperion’s acclaimed Romantic Piano Concertos series. Sommervell and Cowan may not be household names, but this album shows that their immediately appealing music deserves to be much better known.

100 Years of American Music (1770-1870). Swoony-voiced bass-baritone Joel Frederiksen revives folk songs from the War of Independence to the American Civil War - simple, very moving music.

Best known for his film scores, Nino Rota was also a talented composer of classical music. His highly enjoyable two Cello Concertos, composed in quick succession during the 1970s, provide a rewarding showcase for the soloist's virtuosity and demonstrate his mastery of Neo-romantic and Neo-classical style.

Thrilling album of tuneful major works by famous film composer Nino Rota played by leading musicians—a must-have album!

Jennifer Pike was a BBC Young Artist of the Year. Best known for his film music (for which he received no fewer than 13 Oscar nominations), Miklos Rozsa was also a notable compoer for the concert hall. Vol 1 also available on CHAN10488

On this delightful album the Freiburger Baroque Consort has chosen to illustrate the compositions of Johann Heinrich Schmelzer as elements in a veritable little 'world theatre', an ideal concept for exploring the multiple facets of one of the great masters of 17th-century Austrian instrumental music, whose sonatas and dance suites had such influence both at the Habsburg court for which they were written and with the composers who followed in his footsteps (notably Biber).

Sonatas, Balletti, Serenata con altre arie, Polnische Sackpfeiffen, La bella pastora

Exuberant, highly imaginative French orchestral music. Florent Schmitt’s grandly neo-romantic works sit well beside those of Ravel or Stravinsky—well worth discovering!

This is the only recording of  Schoenberg’s immense, Romantic choral/orchestral masterpiece Gurrelieder available on DVD.  'All of the soloists are first-rate, particularly Michael Volle’s impassioned Speaker. Video is excellent and engineers have provided a rich sonic tapestry of remarkable clarity considering the vast army of performers.' (ClassicalCDReview.com)

Complete surviving works by 16th-century composer Philipp Schoendorff, sung by renowned Gramophone Award nominees Cinquecento.

Having completed his landmark recordings of Beethoven's Complete Piano Sonatas (HMX290190211), Piano Concertos (HMC90205355) and the Diabelli Variations (HMC902071), Paul Lewis returns to his other musical passion - the music of Franz Schubert - with these three late Piano Sonatas, Impromptus and Piano Pieces. Of his recent all-Schubert recital at the 92nd Street Y  in October this year, The New York Times praised ' the intimacy of his interpretations, the resigned melodies unfolding with a sorrowful glow...a warm, inviting sound and heartfelt commitment' of his subtle interpretations.

Revelatory account of Schubert’s  posthumously-published song set by a partnership praised for its ‘exquisitely thoughtful and refined’ artistry (The Telegraph, UK). This is the third and final volume of Mark Padmore's  and Paul Lewis's Schubert Lieder series on Harmonia Mundi. Also available and highly praised albums from this accomplished duo: Winterreise (HMU907484), Die Schone Mullerin (HMU907519)

Matthias Goerne continues a Schubert survey that has already established him as one of the most fantastically gifted exponents of the song repertoire; Goerne does not 'interpret' Schubert, he lives each song from the inside and invites the listener to share this poetic and musical intimacy without ever falling into the trap of overstatement. This sixth volume in the series also features an unforgettable performance of Schubert's last piano sonata by one of the baritone's favourite partners, Christoph Eschenbach. Offered on a free bonus CD, this 'second swansong' reveals hitherto unexplored resonances under his expert fingers.

Schwanengesange
Sonate D960

Taking its name from Goethe's poem ('Hail and Farewell' in English), this album features two highly respected artists performing a selection of Schubert's marvellous songs. Werner Gura has been critically acclaimed for his interpretations of Romantic Lieder: 'By comparison with the veteran Peter Schreier, the younger tenor has a more rounded, agreeable basic timbre, but, like Schreier, he uses a wide palette of vocal and expressive colours' (Gramophone), 'lucid and heartfelt' (Limelight) and 'Gura takes a place among the best - and he's given exemplary assistance and support by his piano partner (Classics Today).

Heidenroslein D257
Schlummerlied D527
Wiegenlied D867
Geheimes D719
Ganymed D544
Auf der Bruck D853
Der Fischer D225
Dass sie hier gewesen D775
Bei dir allein D866
Der Schiffer D536
Willkommen und Abschied D767
Der Wanderer D493
Im Walde D834
Wandrers Nachtlied D22
Der Einsame D800
Der Winterabend D938
Herbst D945
Romanze aus Rosamunde D797
Nachtstuck D672

Recorded live in the Tonhalle Dusseldorf in 2010 and visualised by acclaimed director Johannes Deutsch. ‘The visual impact is truly spectacular and combines with the words and music to create a unified whole...With his youthful, honest diction, Johann von Bulow is an impressive Manfred’ (Das Opernglas)

As is the case with much of his music, Schumann's three Violin Sonatas have not always received the appreciation they deserve. Ulf Wallin and Roland Pontinen make a persuasive case for these engaging Romantic chamber works. Their partnership has been praised as 'sympathetic and insightful' (Daily Telegraph).

A pioneer of Soviet film music, Shostakovich wrote scores for 30 films between 1929 and 1971, recreating and evoking emotions to merely making colorful sound pictures. Shostakovich’s film music is hugely enjoyable and essential for all who love his other music - these film scores are rare treats indeed!

Joie de vivre predominates in these wonderful works by Dmitri Shoskatovich, which are masterfully interpreted by talented young pianist Alexander Melnikov and acclaimed violinist Isabelle Faust (who performs with the Sydney and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras this month). The Mahler Chamber Orchestra, founded by Claudio Abbado, has gained an enviable reputation worldwide for its felxibility and high standards.

Piano Concerto No 2 in F major Op 102
Violin Sonata in F amjor Op 134
Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings In C minor Op 35

Final recording from the popular Florestan Trio, which disbands later this year. Turbulent and intimate Russian masterpieces shot through with light and darkness.

Dramatic and lyrical Romantic theatre music and tone poems performed by Internationally-renowned Sibelius experts. The Tempest is Sibelius's most ambitious theatre score. Tapiola and The Bard were inspired by finnish folk traditions. Okku Kamu has succeeded Osmo Vanska as conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra.

Eloquent singing  by ‘one of America’s leading vocal ensembles’ (International Record Review). Spirituals are the bedrock of American music - moving, expressive and much-loved by people of all ages and musical tastes. Theses Spirituals range from celebratory and defiant to heart-breaking and mournful.

BBC Music Magazine Award-winning ensemble. Profoundly moving Romantic chamber music that is played with utter conviction and flawless musicality.

Louis Spohr’s symphonies were popular for their novel style and spirit, quite different from those of his contemporary Beethoven. Schumann regarded Spohr's symphonies very highly, particularly for their instrumentation, and modern listeners are rediscovering them. The highly-praised Vol 1 (CPO7771772) & Vol 2 (CPO7771782) are also available.

Louis Spohr's ten symphonies remain overshadowed by Mozart's forty-one, Beethoven's nine and  Mendelssohn's five, yet they share appealing characteristics with those acknowledged masterpieces as well as their own brand of originality which have only recently begun to be appreciated. Spohr's programmatic Seventh and Ninth are among his most intriguing and innovative. The powerful Introduction and Rossini-esque Festival March round off this triumphant conclusion to Howard Shelley's revelatory survey of Spohr's unjustly neglected symphonies.

Symphony No 9 in B minor 'The Seasons' Op 143
Symphony No 7 in C major 'The Earthly and Divine in Human Life'
Introduzione in D major WoO5
Festmarsch in D major WoO3

A composer of both popular and classical music, David Bedford was one of the most well-respected British musicians of his generation. Born in London, Bedford studied both in the UK and later in Italy with Luigi Nono and was influenced early on in his musical life by the works of Nono, Hindemith, Webern and Schoenberg. His avant-garde piece Star's End was first recorded in 1974 with prog rock stars Mike Oldfield (guitars) and Chris Cutler (percussion) adding an extra dimension to the recording.

Star's End Parts 1 and 2

Already brimming with symbols and transformations, the epic fairytale recounted by Strauss and his librettist Hofmannsthal in Die Frau ohne Schatten acquires a further allegorical dimension in Christoph Loy's inventive production for the Salzburg Festival. The central character, the Empress - half-spirit, half-human, and unable to bear children until she finds a shadow - here becomes a young soprano who makes a voyage of personal and professional discovery as she records the opera. A superb cast fulfils the complex vocal and dramatic demands of the piece while Christian Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic rise gloriously to the challenges of Strauss's most ambitious and splendid operatic score.

Also on Blu-ray OABD7104D

Two contrasting Richard Strauss masterpieces - his thrilling autobiographical tone poem A Hero’s Life and his rapturous Four Last Songs, unforgettably sung by the internationally acclaimed soprano Dorothea Roschmann. Premiere BIS album from conductor Yannick Nezet-Suguin and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.

Daniel Behle has become well known since the release in 2010 of Harmonia Mundi's award-winning recording of Mozart's The Magic Flute under Rene Jacobs, when his interpretation of Tamino earned glowing praise from music critics, who compared him to the young Fritz Wunderlich. The tenor has also made a name for himself as a Lied singer and now presents a glorious album of songs by Richard Strauss.

Standchen Op 17 No 2
Herr Lenz Op 37 No 5
Ich liebe dich Op 37 No 2
Freundliche Vision Op 48 No 1
Vier Lieder Op 27
Ruhe meine Seele Op 27 No 1
Cacilie Op 27 No 2
Heimliche Aufforderung Op 27 No 3
Morgen op. 27 Nr. 4
Lieder Op 10 nach Hermann von Gilm zu Rosenegg
Zueignung Op 10 No 1
Nichts Op 10 No 2
Die Nacht Op 10 No 3
Die Georgine Op 10 No 4
Geduld Op 10 No 5
Die Verschwiegenen Op 10 No 6
Die Zeitlose Op 10 No 7
Allerseelen Op 10 No 8
Sechs Lieder Op 19 nach Adolf Friedrich von Schack
Wozu noch Madchen soll es frommen Op 19 No 1
Breit' uber mein Haupt Op 19 No 2
Schon sind doch kalt die Himmelssterne Op 19 No 3
Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten O. 19 No 4
Hoffen und wieder verzagen Op 19 No 5
Mein Herz ist stumm mein Herz ist kalt Op 19 No 6
Befreit Op 39 No 4

Late Romantic classics in gorgeous new a capella arrangements make this album a wonderful discovery. The famous Liebestod from Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde, Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer and Lieder by Richard Straus radiate gloriously in these choral versions, supported by warm, crystal-clear sound. Recorded between 2009 and 2011, this disc captures the extraordinary artistry of the  acclaimed Bavarian Radio Choir to perfection.

R Strauss Evening, Hymn, Three Male Choruses to Words by Friedrich Ruckert
Mahler (arr. Gottwald) Songs of a Wayfarer
Wagner (arr. Gottwald) Three Songs to Tristan und Isolde

Handel’s genius as a theatrical composer shines throughout this superb collection of arias and duets from his oratorios. Two expert singers excel in this emotionally rewarding Baroque vocal repertoire, brilliantly accompanied by the renowned period-instrument ensemble Il Complesso Barocco under the sensitive direction of Alan Curtis.

First volume in a beautiful new series from Chandos. The Norwegian composer Johan Svendsen was a contemporay of Edvard Grieg and is best known for his Norwegian Rhapsodies. Open to the new musical trends launched by Berlioz, Liszt and Wagner, he also wrote a significant body of other joyful, lyrical and Romantic music from the pomp-and-ceremony of Festival Polinaise to the charming folkloricism of Ifgol gjett e gjeitin (When I Was Tending The Mountain Goats).

Complete iconic Beatles album arranged by Nick Townsend, with bonus tracks Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need Is Love, Yesterday, and Can’t Buy Me Love. Also features vocal ensemble Metro Voices (heard in Pirates of the Caribbean).

The Mariinsky label's first DVD features Tchaikovsky's best-loved symphonies – the fateful Fourth, the dramatic and triumphant Fifth, and the passionate Sixth, the famous ‘Pathétique’ – in rivetting performances conducted by Valery Gergiev. Under his masterful direction, this lyrical and full-blooded music come alive as if being played for the very first time. Filmed in the famous Salle Pleyel in Paris in 2010. Also on Blu-ray MAR0515.

Set on Christmas Eve, Tchaikovsky's ever-popular ballet The Nutcracker is here presented complete in a stunning new recording. The Russian National Orchestra is recognised by Gramophone as one of today's top ten orchestras, while conductor Mikhail Pletnev domonstartes his warm-hearted affinity for this great Romantic music.

Collegium Musicum 90 was founded by Simon Standage and the late Richard Hickox in 1990, and is today a well-established ensemble for the performance of baroque and classical music. The works presented here all survive in autograph scores, or have autograph connections. Today only eighteen such scores of instrumental music survive from Telemann's long and prolific career as a composer, and nine of them are included in a collection that belonged to his grandson Georg Michael Telemann.

Ouverture-Suite in A major TWV55:A7
Ouverture-Suite in F major TWV55:F16
Concerto in D major TWV43:D4
Ouverture-Suite in D major TWV55:D23
Fanfare in D major TWV50:44
Divertimento in E flat major TWV50:21

Tudor and Jacobean music by Tomkins, Campion, Byrd, Tallis, Dowland, Gibbons and others from the Golden Age of early English music. Described as 'an ensemble of breathtaking freshness, vitality and balance (The New York times), Stile Antico joins the equally renowned ensemble Fretwork on this ravishing selection of Renaissance music composed for domestic devotion drawn from collections prepared for that purpose.

Tomkins O praise the Lord
Amner O ye little flock
Taverner In Nomine (Missa Gloria Tibi Trinitas)
Ramsey How Are The Mighty Fall'n
Tallis Purge Me O Lord
Amner A Stranger Here
Parsons In Nomine a 4 No 1
Browne Jesu Mercy How May This Be?
Parsons In Nomine a 4 No 2
Croce From Profound Centre Of My Heart
Dowland I Shame At My Unworthiness
Campion Never Weather-beaten Sail
Byrd Why Do I Use My Paper Ink And Pen?
Thomas Tomkins When David Heard
Gibbons See See The Word Is Incarnate

Inspired American choreographer Jerome Robbins regarded the Paris Opera Ballet as his 'second home', the New York City Ballet being his first. A decade after his death the world-renowned French company paid tribute to his remarkable achievement, his love of music and his all-embracing attitude to modern arts. Also on Blu-ray BAC470.

The colourful folk melodies and rhythms of Spain knit seamlessly with 20th-century French compositional sophistication in Joaquin Turina's chamber works. Born in Seville, the young composer went to study in Paris in 1905, where he was greatly attracted to the forward-looking style of the likes of Debussy. However, his musical course was altered when he encountered countrymen Falla and Albeniz, who encouraged him to write in a style that fully embraced his Andalucian musical heritage. Later in life the composer himself explained 'my music is the expression of the feeling of a true Sevillian who did not know Seville until he left it'. The acclaimed Nash Ensemble here demonstrates what a satisfying artistic homecoming he made.

Piano Quartet in A minor Op 67
Violin Sonata No 2 in G major Op 82 'Sonata espagnola'
Escena andaluza Op 7
Piano Trio No 1 Op 35
La oracion del torero Op 34

Shot in the Chateau of Versailles, this DVD presents 90 min of great Baroque and early Classical music by Landi, Lully, Charpentier, Campra, couperin, Marchand, Rameau, Destouches, Duphly, Mozart, Piccini, Haydn, Gluck, Cambini and Gallay. Take an unforgettable musical tour through one of the world's great palaces.

Johann Baptist Vanhal composed some 77 symphonies matching quantity with unerring quality and gaining Charles Burney's highest praise. While subsequently overshadowed by Haydn and Mozart, Vanhal is today enjoying a revival of interest - unquestionably well deserved - for his own inventive style and mastery.

Britain's star viola player' (The Times) Lawrence Power has often been compared with the pioneering violist Linel Tertis, for whom the three works on this disc were originally composed. The unabashed romanticism and pastoral elegance of Vaughan Williams' Flos Campi (Flowers of the Fields) and the rarely-heard Suite complement John McEwan's lush and melodious Viola concerto.

Halle Principal Oboist Stephane Rancourt is the soloist in Vaughan Williams' virtuosic Oboe Concerto which, beside his A London Symphony, was one of the composer's favourites among all his works. The Symphony vividly evokes the street cries, Cockney mouth-organs, Westminster chimes and ever-changing moods of the vibrant British capital city.

'Zubin Mehta conducts with easy-going mastery, letting the score breathe and live...The cast is a dream team' (Financial Times). 'Nina Stemme is a grandiose Leonora, dramatic, lyrical, sensitive, technically amazing…Carlos Alvarez, the top baritone, is fascinating as Don Carlo' (Kurier). Also Available on Blu-Ray 708204

Simon Keenlyside makes his British debut as an athletic, brooding Macbeth with Liudmyla Monastryka as his subtle and imperious Lady in this acclaimed production from The Royal Opera House Covent Garden. 'an impressive company showcase, full of moments when chorus and orchestra are in full throttle. Whipped up by Antonio Pappano's baton, they sounded truly thrilling' (The Guardian) 'drama and fire' (Seen and Heard International)

Also on Blu-ray OABD7095D

Tomas Luis de Victoria’s choral masterpiece has gained an almost mystical status for its sheer beauty and luminosity. Tenebrae is a highly-praised British vocal ensemble conducted by Nigel Short: ‘astonishing’ BBC Music Magazine

Live recording from the Vienna Musikverein. Ozawa is at his impishly most playful as he conducts this light-hearted concert which is broadcast to more than 50 countries worldwide. BONUS: Seiji Ozawa Picture Gallery, Vienna Opera Ballet, Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Dance of the Machines, Vienna 2002 - Art & Delights.

Vivacious waltzes and dances from Vienna’s golden age on three delightful discs. Performed with unique verve and authority by the Johann Strauss Orchestra conducted by Jack Rothstein, who was the leader of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. ‘designed to raise the spirits; the CD sound sparkles’ (Penguin Guide)

Here's a delightful album of Baroque favourites interpreted by the world famous Petri Hannibal Duo and presented in state-of-the-art Super Audio sound. 'Michala Petri has no peer today as a master of her instrument, and she wrings more color and expressive intensity from the recorder than you ever believed possible' (Classics Today). The 'amiable duo' has been praised for its 'considerable musicianship' (Gramophone).

Vitali Chaconne in G minor
Telemann Sonata in D minor TWV41:d4
Bach Sonata in F major BWV1033
Vivaldi (arr. Chedeville) Sonata in G major RV59
Corelli La folia
Tartini Sonata in G minor 'The Devil's Trill'
Handel Sonata in B flat major HWV377

Naïve's Vivaldi Edition has become almost an addiction to lovers of The Red Priest's vivacious music. This second volume of his Bassoon Concertos is set to match the achievement of Volume 1 (OP30496) which gained an Echo Award, Diapason d'Or and Choc de Classica. Sergio Azzolini also joins oboist Hans Peter Westermann on Vivaldi Basson and Oboe Concertos (OP30379).

Vivaldi championed the cello as a solo instrument in no fewer than 27 concertos, revelling in its expressive potential, pushing it to its virtuosic limits and exploiting its extraordinary lyrical character. Jean-Guihen Queyras's 'sensibility, style, agility and poise' (The Daily Telegraph) and 'comprehensive and multi-faceted mastery of his art' (Herald Scotland) are well to the fore on this exquisite album, which also features Caldara's rarely-heard sinfonias San Elena al Calvario and La Passione.

In addition to his many concertos for solo instruments, Vivaldi also penned some fifty concertos for string orchestra without soloist. The acclaimed Polish period-instrument ensemble Arte dei Suonatori have chosen ten of the most beautiful for this engaging album. Probably composed during the 1720s and -30s, these concertos for strings are characterful and entertaining.

Includes two world premiere recordings. Exciting, eloquent, effervescent concertos, extravagantly virtuosic in character-great fun! Vol 1 also available on AV2178 (Gramophone Award-winner)

In 1705, Giuseppe Sala published in Venice Antonio Vivaldi's Opus 1. This set of trio sonatas marked the official debut of a composer who was already more than a mere youth, and probably contains the earliest works of his that have come down to us. L'Estravagante is the fruit of the association of four internationally recognised musicians eager to share their passion for chamber music played on period instruments, and the award-winning group has quickly become established internationally.

Trio Sonatas Nos 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12

The Wagner family has ruled the Bayreuth Theatre for the last 140 years, surviving a mixture of lies, deception, fraud and dangerous political alliances
Tony Palmer’s probing new documentary reveals a family at war with itself. ‘The Wagner Family is a superb film’ (The Times).

No singing, just sumptuous orchestral playing! A celebration of 'Holy German Art', Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg is the only comedy among Wagner's mature operas and contains some of his most rousing and nationalisitic music. This wonderful album also includes some rarely-heard music - Wagner's Faust Overture, Columbus Overture & Entreactes tragiques Nos 1 and 2. It's a great introduction to Wagner's world and an interesting alternative to the usual recordings of operatic highlights.

Chandos' series of recordings of Richard Wagner's music continues with these fascinating early symphonies - the first penned by a 19-year-old, the second left unfinished two years later but completed more than 50 years afterwards by Felix Mottl at the request of Wagner's widow Cosima - two heroic marches and the overture to his mammoth opera Rienzi, which begins with the music to 'Rienzi's Prayer' (the opera's best-known aria) and concludes with the dazzling military march.

Symphony in C major
Symphony in E major
Huldigungsmarsch
Kaisermarsch
Rienzi Overture

Wagner specialist conductor Sebastian Weigle, husband-and-wife team Peter Seiffert and Petra Maria Schnitzer as Tannhauser and Elizabeth, and a fantastic cast from one of Europe's leading opera houses make this production something truly special. 'full of vitality and visibly inspired' (ABC Spanish newspaper) 'emotionally potent' (Opera News) - by all accounts a great performance.

Also on Blu-ray 709404

Thrilling accounts of two of William Walton’s greatest works. Features acclaimed Australian baritone Peter Coleman-Wright. Fabulous recorded sound. Belshazzar's Feast bristles with excitement while the Symphony has never sounded so good.

Authoritative performances of two British symphonic masterpieces. Walton's symphonies boast music of breathtaking energy and invigorating character, yet remain less well-known than they deserve to be. Also includes Walton’s intimate orchestral miniature Siesta.

Romantic drama and Classical suavity combined with colourful orchestration in this theatrical  music. Outstanding artists bring these overtures to life, sounding as fresh as the day they were first composed.

Part of a critically-acclaimed benchmark series recorded in fabulous surround sound. Also available: Symphonies Nos 1, 7 (CHSA5087), Concertos (CHSA5064)

Best known for his organ music, Charles-Marie Widor also composed these two dazzling piano concertos which here receive their first recordings. The highly regarded performers respond with enthusiasm to Widor's imaginative French Romantic style. Hyperion's pathbreaking Romantic Piano Concerto series is returning countless forgotten classics to the rightful place in today's discography.

Jan Dismas Zelenka's Easter cantatas come back to life after three centuries. World premiere recording from Supraphon's successful Music from Eighteenth-Century Prague series. The three sepolcri (cantatas for performance on Good Friday at the Holy Sepulchre) represent Zelenka’s earliest preserved music yet they are already truly singular pieces encompassing all the traits of their creator’s remarkable compositional style.