After "Carmina Burana" - Carl Orff's most famous piece - the composer went on to write two large compositions for soloists, chorus and instruments which completed the trio of "Trionfi." The current recording presents very fine performances of these two compositions, the "Catulli Carmina" (1943) and "Triumph of Aphrodite" (1951). The last of these is a genuine discovery, a very interesting and attractive take on Greek culture.

Of the many important anniversaries occurring in 2018, it is worth remembering the 350th death anniversary of the violin virtuoso Francesco Maria Veracini. What better occasion to (re-)discover Enrico Gatti’s first reference recording for the label Arcana?

Throughout its Golden Age, England cultivated the masque, an elite entertainment featuring dialogue, song, and dance. As part of these spectacles, courtiers—and at times even the queen herself—often graced the dance floor. But it was hired professionals who provided the musical heart of these productions. Lutenists in particular were especially adept at creating music for any occasion. The dances, variations on popular songs, and fantasias they composed are full of versatility and virtuosity. This recording features lute works by the foremost composers of the Elizabethan-Jacobean era, with music by Dowland, Holborne, Bacheler, Ferrabosco, and other contemporaries who participated in The Queenes Maskes.

The violin virtuoso Pavel Šporcl’s new CD captures his two unique concerts with the Slovak Gipsy cimbalom ensemble Romano Stilo. The events were truly extraordinary not only due to these superlative musicians combining their forces but also the repertoire (a startling departure for Šporcl) and the atmosphere on the stage and in the auditorium alike. Just as Pavel Šporcl steps out with zest from the domain of classical music into other genres so Romano Stilo cannot be considered an orthodox cimbalom band. Besides Gipsy, Hungarian and Romanian folk music, the visitors to the concerts heard compositions by Pablo Sarasate, Johannes Brahms and Aram Khachaturian inspired by this music, all spiced up with a soupcon of jazz.

Three 20th-century orchestral scores, Bartók’s Two Pictures, Debussy’s Jeux and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, all dating from 1910-13 and all linked (as the detailed CD booklet explains), are brought to life in the hands of two exceptional French pianists. The central interest is the ballet Jeux. One of the world’s outstanding Debussy interpreters, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet has added to his complete Chandos recordings with his own transcription for two pianos. Written late in Debussy’s life for Nijinsky, Jeux involves an emotionally erotic and harmonically daring game of tennis. Bavouzet and his well-matched partner, François-Fréderic Guy, play with nimble grace, capturing the works wit and mystery. This gripping album is dedicated to Pierre Boulez, guru and enabler, for his 90th birthday.

Melodic synth-metal masters Delain are set to break new ground with their upcoming EP, Dance with the Devil, set to be released on November 8, 2024 via Napalm Records! Following the success of their latest full-length opus, Dark Waters (2023) - which debuted at #9 on both the US Hard Music Albums chart and the Official German Album Charts - this EP promises to showcase the best of Delain’s discography while striding ahead into a future that promises to explore new, more synth-driven soundscapes than ever before. As their second release with a revitalized lineup anchored by founding member and band mastermind Martijn Westerholt, Dance with the Devil features a thrilling collection of two brand new tracks, two newly-presented favorites, nine electrifying live performances, and two instrumental bonus tracks…

Adam Faith was a contemporary of early British rock & rollers like Cliff Richard and Billy Fury, but Faith's sound was less Elvis Presley-derived and more aligned with teen idol pop such as that of Bobby Vee (who covered Faith's number one U.K. hit "What Do You Want?"). John Barry had a hand in Faith's early efforts, and the instrumental arrangements are truly remarkable, from the surprising hoedown-style fiddling on "Don't That Beat All" to the musical saw on "What Now." In fact, it is the arrangements that elevate this music above standard teen idol fare. Faith rocked occasionally, as on "Made You," had moderate success adapting to the changes wrought by the Beatles, and later worked with folk-pop material. The Very Best of Adam Faith tracks his evolution by collecting 26 U.K. chart hits from 1959-1966, four of which were recorded with the Roulettes. Faith had two minor hits in the U.S. in 1965 that aren't included, but The Very Best of Adam Faith is otherwise an exemplary and essential anthology of an early British pop star.