From the early 17th century onwards, the polyphonic motet that had dominated sacred music in previous centuries found itself complemented in both liturgical and devotional contexts by a new, more stream– lined form: the solo motet.

This anthology of unknown American violin sonatas – the first of a series – reveals music of astonishing craftsmanship and energy. All three composers – Rossetter Gleason Cole, Henry Holden Huss and Henry Schoenefeld, born less than ten years apart – went to Germany to study before returning to enrich American musical life at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The sheer confidence of their writing, for both violin and piano, in these sonatas, in a bold Brahmsian style, indicates how much more fine music still has to be discovered, in the output of these three men and from their ‘lost generation’ of American composers more generally.

The 1977 Voyager I and II spacecraft contained, among other things, two “Golden Records” that each carried a representation of life and culture on Earth into deep space. The records included the sounds of nature, greetings in 50 languages, and an assortment of music from around the world.

Pier Paolo Scattolin’s eclectic compositional style, which developed in parallel with his assiduous activity as a choir conductor, reaches an important stage in this discographic production with a sacred and spiritual character, in contrast to his last cd Suoni e rime sparse published in 2021 and centred on profane poetic inspiration.

5 stars: Johansen is not the first guitarist to record this entire collection, but he might be the best to do so.

Leonor Watling, renowned actress and singer, embarks on a new musical adventure alongside musician and composer Leo Sidran. Leo & Leo is the result of a mutual admiration that has developed over time. Watling, known for her work with the band Marlango, discovered Leo’s talent through her fascination with his father, the poet and musician Ben Sidran. Meanwhile, Leo, a fan of Leonor’s acting, connected with her music thanks to Marlango and his friendship with Jorge Drexler, the Uruguayan singer-songwriter and Watling’s husband.

Star-violinist Christian Tetzlaff, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor John Storgards present in this album two major British violin concertos written between a century, in 1910 and 2005. Elgar's passionate violin concerto, completed in 1910, is a classical-romantic violin concerto in three movements. This huge and highly emotional work was in the wake of modernism neglected for several decades before entering into standard concerto repertoire.

Her fifth recital album on Signum Records, celebrated soprano Mary Bevan returns with a selection of French songs, featuring works by composers including Britten, Ravel, Debussy and Faure.

With her unmistakable trumpet sound, Linnea Jonsson has emerged as one of the most expressive voices on today’s Nordic jazz scene. Now she celebrates the release of Hive Mind – a subtle yet powerful album built on collective artistry, featuring some of the most exciting young players in Scandinavia. Guesting on the album is legendary pianist Lars Jansson. The music flows through ECM-toned atmospheres, Nordic introspection and New York-inspired energy all carried by Jonsson’s lyrical tone and deep musical presence.

A compelling introduction to the choral works of Simon Beattie, this album showcases a fresh yet deeply rooted voice in British music. Entirely self-taught, Beattie draws on the English choral tradition with a rare sensitivity to text and vocal colour.

We are excited to announce the upcoming release of Ditta Rohmann and the Anima Musicæ Chamber Orchestra’s new album called Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – The Three Cello Concertos.

BACH AND BOURBON captures the eclectic spirit of a live concert by The Old Guitarist, including works by Bach, Mozart, Ralph Towner, and six of The Old Guitarist’s own compositions. The album features everything from Irish folk music of the Baroque period to wistful originals with historically sourced arrangements, bridging centuries and traditions. Highlights include Jesu After-Bach Fantasia, a lyrical tribute that imagines Bach as a 20th-century Irish-American guitarist, and Distant Hills by Ralph Towner, whose contrapuntal clarity echoes Pachelbel's Canon. The collection closes with three original pieces reflecting poignant moments in the composer’s life.

It is a question without an answer – certainly not a fully satisfying answer. The way the chord is built is a contributing factor: its highest note is not the “root”, but the third, making it softer-edged, less definitive than it might be.

The final volume in a new groundbreaking and much-praised complete symphony cycle of Ferdinand Ries’ (1784–1838) symphonies by the Tapiola Sinfonietta and conductor Janne Nisonen includes the composer’s two final statements in the symphony genre. Like most of his symphonies, also Ries’ Symphony No. 6 was premiered in London in 1822. His Seventh Symphony, written a decade later, remained in the shadows and was published only in 2004. Both works, however, are full of discoveries.

There are guitar gods, and then there’s Michael Schenker. From his early breakthrough with Scorpions and his groundbreaking work with UFO to the formation of the Michael Schenker Group in 1979, Schenker has been a benchmark for the evolution of hard rock and metal. Decades later, MSG remains a vehicle for his uncompromising artistic vision, and ‘Don’t Sell Your Soul’ is its latest manifestation.