Tasmin Little and her accompanist Piers Lane begin this most generous recital disc (comprising 72 minutes of music) in commanding style, with an appropriately gradiloquent account of Kreisler's Praeludium and Allegro. The playing is committed and demonstrative, although Little is less convincing in the other Kreisler work, the Caprice viennois, where her vocalization and sense of timing lack that special Viennese charm so characteristic of Kreisler's original compositions.

Born in France of Algerian parents, Soha has a bit of a love affair with R&B and dancehall, but with just enough of a twist (apart from the fact that she sings in French) to make it obvious these aren't American productions. She can summon up sultry beats and emotion on "Ma Mélancolie" or "Mon Rêve à Moi" in fact it seems her forte but there are touches of reggae coloring "Heureuse," while "On Ne Saura Jamais" starts out as hip-hop-inflected R&B before taking a very odd left turn into dancehall midsong (and then going back).

From its Nagel cover to the haircuts and overall design – and first and foremost the music – Rio is as representative of the '80s at its best as it gets. The original Duran Duran's high point, and just as likely the band's as a whole, its fusion of style and substance ensures that even two decades after its release it remains as listenable and danceable as ever. The quintet integrates its sound near-perfectly throughout, the John and Roger Taylor rhythm section providing both driving propulsion and subtle pacing.

Recorded at the end of Riccardo Muti's tenure with the Philadelphia Orchestra, this 1993 disc of late nineteenth and early twentieth century French orchestral music on the subject of the sea is far better than Muti and the Philadelphia's earlier recordings together. After 12 years of sharing the same stage, Muti and the Philadelphia musicians had apparently reached a sort of understanding: he wouldn't ask them to do anything they didn't want to do and they'd do what little he did ask them to do.

Since his international debut as an astonishing child prodigy in the early 1980s, Evgeny Kissin has matured into one of the finest piano virtuosos of the age. His phenomenal keyboard technique and impeccable artistry continue to astound and amaze audiences and critics alike, leading The Washington Post to call Kissin "one of the world's greatest artists".
Kissin continues his fruitful relationship with EMI Classics with this new recording of two of Mozart's most famous piano concerti: Nos.20 in D minor and 27 in B-flat Major.

Lilith is the 2003 release by France's most creative singer-songwriter. With 23 songs this double CD has plenty of space to hit on many styles and feelings. Less "poppy" than his pre-Mustango albums. Lilith continues Murat's trend toward simpler arrangements that will remind English speaking audiences of the Velvet Underground(Emotion), Matthew Sweet(Le Cri du Papillon), and of course Neil Young and Leonard Cohen.

Pastoral and dramatic, lyrical and brutal by turns, Job is one of Vaughan Williams’s finest scores. Despite its subtitle, A Masque for Dancing, there is nothing homely about the work. Vernon Handley’s authoritative view of the score makes the most of the drama and brings rare passion to the long, lyrical lines. Matched by a clear recording, this reissue makes splendid and inspiring listening.

The Verdi Messa da Requiem is probably the best known Requiem in the repertoire. Many great conductors have recorded it. I’m thinking of Toscanini at New York/1951, Victor De Sabata at Milan/1954 and probably the best known of all Carlo-Maria Giulini at London/1964-65. Some more recent versions have proved popular notably John Eliot Gardiner using period instruments in London/1992, Claudio Abbado at Berlin/2001 and also Nikolaus Harnoncourt at Vienna/2004.

For those who can only judge Callas' voice, any recording can be very disapointing. To enjoy listening to her voice, one must be aware of her work as a dramatic performance rather than a technically perfect and beautiful voice. She sang with her soul, her heart and all the deep feelings a human being can experience and this led her to the top of the opera world, although her voice never achieved beauty and evenness as it would be expected of an opera Diva.

This CD has two of the best arias every Callas fan should have….the bell song and la mamma morta these arias alone make this cd worth it….she shows her true power and agility in both of these arias that display what is called perfect technique….making her a true Dramatic Colortura singer…and maybe the only real one…but this cd has more it contains an aria from her famous role of Nedda from Pagliacci which she never did on stage so this is a real treat… and her Carmen is always perfectly done…this cd runs through so many beautiful arias and Callas did great in all of them…this is why we call her La Divina

This CD is absolutely beautiful. Rachmaninoff has always been a master at harmony. His orchestral pieces are brilliant and this choral work is even richer in its harmonies, and faithfully follows the Russian Orthodox tradition. The tenor James Gilchrist is superb. If you are a lover of choral music, and if you want to experience music with a deep spiritual significance, then please purchase this CD. It will make your spirit soar.

Scott Ross was an American harpsichordist who was both popular and renowned for his brilliant technique and insightful interpretations. He recorded the complete works of Scarlatti, Rameau, and Couperin, three composers, along with J.S. Bach, whose music he became identified with over his brief career. Ross was also a highly respected harpsichord teacher in Canada and France.

In his introductory note to this CD, Itzhak Perlman informs us that, more than anything else he has recorded, this is truly his own music–"what you might hear if you came to my house and I decided to jam with some friends." And jam he does–with some very talented friends indeed. Klezmer music, which combines the folk and religious music of Yiddish-speaking cultures with various musical traditions of countries such as Russia, Turkey, and Greece, is unusual territory for a major label and a superstar artist, but here the combination works perfectly.

With his whimsical, melancholy music, Yann Tiersen has become a sought-after composer, not only for his soundtrack work, but in his own right. Borrowing from French folk music, chanson, musette waltz, and street music, as well as rock, avant-garde, and classical and minimalist influences, Tiersen's deceptively simple style has been likened to Chopin, Erik Satie, Philip Glass, and Michael Nyman.

Télépopmusik's sophomore effort is filled with beautiful backing tracks. Pillows of soft synth slowly emerge while pianos, harps, brass instruments, electronic ticks, and glitches stroll in and out of the picture as they please. This subdued electronica landscape is something to get lost in, and while it's nothing you haven't heard before, it's exactly what headphones crave on rainy days and almost enough to excuse the hackneyed lyrics and overindulgence.