James Horner’s “The Name of the Rose” is a deeply atmospheric and intellectually rich film score that reflects the dark, mysterious tone of the medieval mystery film. Combining choral elements, sacred motifs, and restrained orchestral writing, Horner builds a sound world rooted in monastic solemnity and spiritual tension. The use of Latin chants and ecclesiastical-inspired themes enhances the historical authenticity, while subtle harmonic progressions underline the film’s themes of knowledge, faith, and forbidden discovery. Rather than relying on large symphonic gestures, the score emphasizes mood and texture, creating an immersive sonic environment that mirrors the intellectual and religious conflicts at the heart of the story. Each cue is carefully constructed to support narrative progression, alternating between sacred reverence and underlying suspense. This soundtrack stands as one of Horner’s most refined and conceptually unified works, appealing to listeners who appreciate historically inspired and atmospheric film music.

“Classical Greats: The Finest Classical Collection” is a diverse compilation bringing together a wide range of classical and vocal performances interpreted by renowned artists. The collection blends traditional classical repertoire with modern crossover interpretations, offering a balance between operatic arias, sacred pieces, and popular adaptations. Across its two discs, the album highlights expressive vocal performances supported by orchestral arrangements, emphasizing melody, emotion, and accessibility. Featuring both established opera singers and contemporary classical crossover artists, the compilation creates an engaging listening experience that appeals to both classical enthusiasts and casual listeners. The selection showcases timeless compositions alongside reinterpretations of well-known pieces, making it a comprehensive introduction to classical and vocal music.

The year 1915 marked a tectonic shift in the history of the cello. When Zoltán Kodály completed his Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8, he did not merely write a piece of music; he excavated a new sonic language from the Hungarian soil. The sonata is widely regarded as the most significant work for unaccompanied cello since Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suites. It is celebrated for its daunting virtuosity, expanding the instrument's technical and expressive boundaries through a fusion of Hungarian folk music and modern 20th-century influences. The piece requires the cellist to tune the two lowest strings (G and C) down a half-step to F# and B.

The delicate art of the guitar, with its rich and intimate sound, invites introspection and relaxation. This selection of masterpieces performed by the finest guitar virtuosos including Sharon Isbin, Thibaut Garcia, Manuel Barrueco, Xuefei Yang will help you refocus on what truly matters and free you from daily stress.

Every man's death diminishes us all, but the death of a man so close to completing his greatest achievement and the summation of his life's work diminishes us all greatly – very, very greatly. When Emil Gilels died in 1985, he had completed recordings of most but not all of Beethoven's piano sonatas, released here in a nine-disc set. What's here is unimaginably good: superlative recordings of 27 of the 32 canonical sonatas, including the "Pathétique," "Moonlight," "Waldstein," "Appassionata," "Les Adieux," and the majestic "Hammerklavier," plus the two early "Electoral" Sonatas and the mighty Eroica Variations. What's missing is unimaginably priceless: five of the canonical sonatas, including the first and – horror vacui – the last. But still, for what there is, we must be grateful. Beyond all argument one of the great pianists of the twentieth century, Gilels the Soviet super virtuoso had slowly mellowed and ripened over his long career, and when he began recording the sonatas in 1972, his interpretations had matured and deepened while his superlative technique remained gloriously intact straight through to the last recordings of his final year.

“Soulmates Classic” by Man Doki Soulmates in collaboration with the Sturcz Quartet is a refined fusion of jazz rock energy and classical elegance, creating a sophisticated and cinematic listening experience. The album seamlessly blends contemporary instrumentation with the rich textures of a string quartet, resulting in a sound that is both dynamic and emotionally expressive. Each composition is carefully arranged to highlight the interplay between modern rhythmic elements and classical phrasing, offering a balance between melodic accessibility and structural depth. The presence of the Sturcz Quartet adds warmth and nuance, enhancing the harmonic layers and giving the music a timeless quality. The album moves fluidly between introspective passages and more uplifting, rhythm-driven sections, maintaining a cohesive atmosphere throughout. “Soulmates Classic” stands as a polished and imaginative project that bridges genres with finesse, appealing to listeners who appreciate both orchestral sophistication and modern jazz influences.

In his own words, Raymond Lewenthal was an octave thrower, long-distance arpeggioer and general producer of volcanic rumbles. This hugely talented, extroverted pianist was also a key figure in the revival of a great deal of 19th-century piano music, most of all that of Charles-Valentin Alkan. Sony Classicals new collection of Lewenthals complete recordings for RCA and Columbia Masterworks celebrates this maverick pianists recorded legacy, with three LPs of material specially remastered from the analogue tapes. Its release comes thirty years after Lewenthals death in November 1988. Both a showman and a scholar, Lewenthal was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1923, working as a child movie actor in Hollywood before beginning formal piano study at the age of 15.

Few bands embodied the pure excess of the '70s like Queen. Embracing the exaggerated pomp of progressive rock and heavy metal, as well as vaudevillian music hall, the British quartet delved deeply into camp and bombast, creating a huge, mock-operatic sound with layered guitars and overdubbed vocals. Queen's music was a bizarre yet highly accessible fusion of the macho and the fey. For years, their albums boasted the motto "no synthesizers were used on this record," signaling their allegiance with the legions of post-Led Zeppelin hard rock bands. In The Many Faces of Queen we will delve into the inner world of the legendary British foursome including their early recordings, collaborations and their fantastic repertoire. With remastered sound and fantastic artwork, The Many Faces Of Queen is an essential addition to your rock music collection. Also, remember that the album is not available on any streaming platform.

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

For fans of Sviatoslav Richter, it does not much matter if the sound is not all that great and it does not much matter if the repertoire is the same repertoire as always. It does not even matter much if the performances are not the greatest Richter ever recorded. For fans of Sviatoslav Richter, the only thing that matters is that there are new Richter recordings because that all by itself means that they will be some of the greatest performances of the greatest repertoire ever recorded. And this five-disc set of Sonatas by Beethoven, Schubert, and Liszt does not disappoint. With recordings dates from 1961 through 1975 and recording venues all in the USSR and its empire, the sound is hard and harsh. But with repertoire ranging from the last three Beethoven Sonatas through Schubert's last Sonata to Liszt's only Sonata, the music has the supreme masterpieces of the Romantic repertoire. And while there are Richter performances here and there that may arguably exceed these, Richter's performances here are as virtuosic, as expressive, as profound, and as transcendent as any he ever recorded. Which makes them some of the greatest performances of the greatest repertoire ever recorded.

With its new recording of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, *Resurrection*, the Basel Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Markus Poschner, makes a striking artistic statement marking the beginning of a new era. No other work could have been better suited to Poschner’s debut as the new principal conductor in autumn 2025: Mahler’s monumental Second combines existential depth with visionary sonic splendour and demands both emotional commitment and structural clarity. At the heart of Poschner’s interpretation lies a deliberately pared-back, crystalline and transparently shaped Mahler sound. Instead of overwhelming massiveness, he focuses on precise articulation, subtle dynamic nuances and a clear delineation of the orchestral parts. With this recording, Markus Poschner and the Basel Symphony Orchestra mark a significant artistic beginning.

Festive music from the greatest French Romantic operas! Conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Charles Mackerras treats us to a selection of ballet pieces from Gounod and Delibes and the irresistible España and Fête polonaise from Chabrier.

The album Philip Glass: The Complete Piano Etudes, performed by the Lithuanian pianist Jurgis Karnavičius, is a comprehensive recording of Glass’s 20 etudes for solo piano.