this 5 CD box marks the complete re-release of the complete recordings. Apart from the 5 CDs with in all ca 6 hours of material, the CD box contains a 60 page booklet with essays by Teddy Hultberg and Sten Hanson, as well as historical photographs taken by Lütfi Özkök during the festivals. The term text-sound composition was coined in 1967 in Sweden by the composers/writers Lars-Gunnar Bodin and Bengt Emil Johnsson, and was meant to serve to name a genre that was a vital art form in the no man's land between sound, poetry, and music. Text-sound compositions had influences from previous modernistic waves such as futurism, dadaism, lettrism, etc., but perhaps the most important influence was the Swedish poet and visual artist Öyvind Fahlström, who had just over a decade earlier coined the term "concrete poetry". The term concrete poetry related to Pierre Schaeffer's concrete music, and it is somewhere between concrete poetry and concrete music that text-sound compositions appear. The birth of the electronic music studio and concrete music's idea that every sound can be freed from its original context and given a new meaning when it is reworked and put together with other sounds in the electronic music studio became the catharsis for text-sound composition. The CD box contains works by the following text-sound composers and sound poets: Charles Amirkhanian, Lars-Gunnar Bodin, Svante Bodin, Henri Chopin, Bob Cobbing, François Dufrêne, Gust Gils, Jarl och Sonja Hammarberg-Åkesson, Sten Hanson, Bernard Heidsieck, C. Christer Hennix, Åke Hodell, Bengt Emil Johnsson, Sandro Key-Åberg, Bengt af Klintberg, Ilmar Laaban, Annea Lockwood & Harvey Matusow, Arrigo Lora-Totino, Ghérasim Luca, Arne Mellnäs, Franz Mon, Ladislav Novák, Diter Rot & Emmet Williams, Erik Thygesen, Paul de Vree.

A composer who led a dissolute life and ended up stabbed to death in Genoa, Stradella nevertheless left a distinctive stamp on the history of music. He is situated at the intersection of several stylistic paths and periods, at the crossroads between opera and sacred drama, since his output, and especially San Giovanni Battista (St John the Baptist), marks the encounter of the great Roman oratorio inherited from Carissimi with the Venetian opera of Cavalli. Stradella is also close to the next generation, that of Scarlatti and Handel. His music is characterised by liveliness, expressiveness and profound humanity. Although San Giovanni Battista enjoyed genuine success when it was premiered in 1675, it was only in 1949 that the work was exhumed from the libraries where its score lay slumbering. That event took place in Perugia, and the role of Salome was sung by Maria Callas.

Having dazzled us with her coloratura ability in arias by Mozart, Gluck, and her fellow Czech, Myslivecek, this luscious young mezzo-soprano now offers us a generous program of French arias–15 of them, widely varied in tone, weight, dramatic intent, and style–and conquers and convinces in them all. Beginning again in coloratura territory, an aria from Auber's rare Le domino noir catches our attention with the heroine's opening words, "Je suis sauvée enfin!" ("I am safe at last!"), in which she paints the picture of our out-of-breath heroine immediately.

At the ripe old age of 19 Mozart wrote five violin concertos, and they represent his coming of age as a composer of orchestral music. From here on, it's basically one masterpiece after another. Though not difficult works, technically speaking, they partake in full measure of Mozart's uniquely sensual brand of melody. That means that successful performances must know how to spin out a singing musical line, while at the same time making the most of the rare opportunities for soloistic display. Taste and musicianship are more important qualities than virtuosity, and that makes these pieces ideal vehicles for Arthur Grumiaux's aristocratic temperament and technical polish.

THE FIRST LIVE RENDITION OF THE NOW WORLD FAMOUS TUBULAR BELLS Mike Oldfield s pre- Tubular Bells career had been somewhat chequered. Kicking off, on leaving school, as part of a folk-duo with his sister Sally, Mike suffered a nervous breakdown upon its demise. He later auditioned as bass player for Family in 1969, was a member of rock-band Barefoot for a while, and then became bass player for Kevin Ayers backing group The Whole World. He also played on an album by the Edgar Broughton Band, worked as reserve guitarist in the London production of Hair, and gigged with Alex Harvey. Then he met Richard Branson. Working at Branson s recently acquired Manor studios as a backing guitarist for one-no-hoper-or-another, Oldfield played some of his own tapes to Branson s engineer Simon Draper, who played them to Branson Branson then offered Oldfield a six-album deal with his new label Virgin Records. Tubular Bells was released on 25 May 1973 as the first album on the Virgin label.

Meanwhile is the twenty-second solo studio album by Eric Clapton. It was released on 4 October 2024 through Bushbranch Records/Surfdog Records. Along with six new tracks, the album also features eight songs Clapton has previously released as singles beginning from 2020, including collaborations with Van Morrison and Jeff Beck. This record marks Clapton's first studio album since Happy Xmas in 2018, and his first non-holiday studio album since I Still Do in 2016. Meanwhile was released on 4 October 2024. Physical vinyl and CD versions of the album released on 24 January 2025.

Entrance (1970). Edgar Winter came out of the chute kicking with this remarkable record filled with jazz, blues, and a little old-fashioned rock & roll. The record follows an established theme throughout its first side, stringing the songs together without breaks, highlighted by dreamy keyboard and sax work, plus Winter's smooth vocalizations. But jazz isn't the only thing Winter brings to the party. His first recorded version of the old J.D. Loudermilk tune "Tobacco Road" throws a few nice punches (although the live version with White Trash a few years later would prove the definitive one). "Jimmy's Gospel" plays on his early church influences, while "Jump Right Out" is the predecessor of half-a-dozen "jump up and dance" numbers Winter would pepper his records with in the years to come…

Recorded in 1973, Fuller's Blues was Johnny Fuller's much-belated full-length debut, and it also turned out to be his last record. That's too bad, because it certainly illustrates what he was capable of achieving. He runs the gauntlet here, pulling out jumping R&B numbers and acoustic blues with equal aplomb. It's an exhilarating listen - it's just too bad there weren't more like it.

Soirée captures the atmosphere of informal, domestic music making. Czech star mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená offers an intimate and highly personal collection of international songs together with an outstanding group of musical friends, including Sir Simon Rattle, who makes his recording debut as a pianist. The German lied is represented by Brahms (Two Songs, Op. 91 and Five Ophelia Songs, WoO 22) and Strauss (Morgen!), the French chanson by Chausson (Chanson perpétuelle) and Ravel (Chansons madécasses), and 20th-century avant-gardism with Stravinsky’s Three Songs from William Shakespeare.

Domenico Scarlatti was born in 1685 - the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. Only a small fraction of his compositions were published during his lifetime; his 555 keyboard Sonatas were published long after his death. These virtuosic single movement works display remarkable harmonic originality. Pierre Hantaï is recognized as one of the most notable harpsichordists of his generation. The previous five volumes of his dazzling cycle of Scarlatti Sonatas received strong critical acclaim. This long-awaited sixth volume continues to set a new standard for these works.

First performed in 1729 and quickly forgotten, Lotario is a worthy work with plenty of effective arias and a duet, with characters and intrigues that demand attention. Conductor Alan Curtis explains in the liner notes that he has cut the recitatives and an aria or two in order to get the work onto two CDs. I can’t argue with his decision, and it’s good to have such a fine performance of this unknown work available. Curtis breathes life into each aria and paces the recitatives wisely. He takes time over the warm, loving arias and doesn’t give in to the temptation to rip into the allegros.

When Kenny Wheeler expatriated from his native Canada to England, it was not headline news. But upon the release of Gnu High, he became a contemporary jazz figure to be recognized, revered and admired. Playing the flugelhorn exclusively for this, his ECM label debut, Wheeler's mellifluous tones and wealth of ideas came to full fruition. Whether chosen in collaboration with label boss Manfred Eicher or by Wheeler alone, picking pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette was a stroke of genius. They support the elongated and extended notions of Wheeler's in many real and important ways. What is also extant is a sense of self-indulgence, real for listeners with short attention spans…

6CD Box Set comprising the first five original studio albums plus exclusive bonus CD of demos, live tracks and non-album material, housed in a custom maroon and gold picture box with with a superb illustrated and detailed 28-page band chronology booklet!
Perhaps better known to most as a successful New Zealand, (and NZ's most successful band and hugely popular in NZ and Australia) new wave act from the early 1980s. Split Enz did in fact start life as a prog band formed in 1972 originally spelt Split Ends (the spelling changed to Enz when the band left New Zealand), by friends at Auckland University Phil Judd (Guitar, vocals) and Brian (Tim) Finn (Vocals, piano, guitar), who had an inspired period of song writing together. Their early sound was a mixture of vaudeville and influences of the Beatles, Genesis, Yes, Roxy Music, Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant…

Enjoy the wonderful winter season, with high quality lounge sounds selected by DJ Michael Maretimo. Cool and warm lounge sounds, sometimes melancholic, will warm your ears and your mind.

It does not take very long to realize that this is a nicely put together record. The singing is intense in somewhat of a Springsteen/David Eugene Edwards (Woven Hand) manner, but unique from them. The surrounding instrumentation weaves in and out in a folk rock manner at times and works as a full throttle rock band at others. The Singer-Songwriter category does not quite do justice to the songs. I would say rock fans will like this more than people wanting straight folk, but it has a good general appeal to both the crowds seeking lighter thoughtful material and those that want a good rock beat. The music is rather universal and what is truly interesting is that the California duo behind this band has historically done so much better in Europe than in the US. While I often can understand why some great European born music may not translate as well in the US (and vice versa), I have never understood why several great US bands (Wipers, 16 Horsepower) do so much better in Europe. Add this band to that list, as US listeners need to join in. I believe this album of eleven original songs comes with a bonus CD containing a full live set. (David Hintz)