This release by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Modestas Pitrėnas includes the complete surviving symphonic oeuvre of the great Lithuanian composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911) restored back into their original versions. Čiurlionis was conceptually ahead of his time and the uniqueness and aesthetic value of his compositions have been fully understood only during the last decades.

An anniversary accolade with a twist: one hundred and fifty years after his birth, this is a wonderful recital of some of the many works dedicated to Leopold Godowsky. It’s difficult to imagine more persuasive performances than these by Andrey Gugnin, who makes a second appearance on Hyperion after his universally—and vociferously—acclaimed Shostakovich.

For much of the Baroque period, there was no useful distinction between orchestral and chamber music. All music, unless performed in church or on some festive occasion, was cultivated in the home, and even the concertos of Vivaldi and Bach rarely require more than a dozen people for an adequate performance. These "sonatas," which consist of single movement compositions with several linked sections, variously employ violins, violas, trumpets (and drums), cellos and continuo instruments (harpsichord, organ, lute). Biber had a unique ability to come up with catchy tunes and arrange them in formally satisfying way. The music is brilliant and consistently engaging. So are these performances.

In the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, Alison Balsom celebrates the heroic era of the Baroque trumpet in works by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) and Henry Purcell (1658 or 1659-1695), whose anthems, odes, sinfonias and operas have provided the music for numerous royal celebrations from their own day to the present.

ALCATRAZZ TO RELEASE ‘ALL NIGHT LONG IN JAPAN 2019’ LIMITED EDITION 12” DOUBLE COLOURED VINYL FOR RECORD STORE DAY 2025 A story of the Alcatrazz live album that never was… until now! Alcatrazz was booked to perform in Japan in 2019 for a series of shows unlike the band have ever done before. The tour included two sold out nights in Tokyo — “night one” (TSUTAYA O-EAST, 28th May 2019) would include the classic debut album ‘No Parole From Rock ‘N’ Roll’ performed in full in the intended track sequence the band originally wanted to be released back in 1983. “Night two” (TSUTAYA O-EAST, 31ST May 2019) would include Graham Bonnet’s Rainbow era album ‘Down To Earth’ performed in its entirety. The place was packed for these two unforgettable shows and now you can experience some of the magic from those special nights as Alcatrazz release ‘All Night Long In Japan 2019’ on limited edition 12” double coloured vinyl for Record Store Day 2025.

Orlando 2008 joins Tampa 2008 as the second half of a two-show celebration of life for founding E Street Band member Danny Federici who passed away six days prior. This cathartic, 25-song set mixes core tracks from Magic with three from Bruce's debut album ("Spirit in the Night," "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?" and "Lost in the Flood") and features a special guest appearance by The Byrds' Roger McGuinn who leads emotional readings of "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and "Mr. Tambourine Man" in the encore. Rarer still, the show opens with the only performance ever of the rock version of "Blood Brothers."

NEA Jazz Master Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. is one of finest saxophonists of his generation. His resume includes long associations with Terrance Blanchard and Art Blakey throughout the 1980s. But the foundation of Harrison's music, and the soul of his music, comes from his lifelong participation in the culture of New Orleans, his home town. Here he pays tribute to that rich culture, and accompanied by none other than the legendary Dr. John. Both artists, the embodiment of New Orleans music in their own right. The album features a mix of original compositions and jazz standards, all infused with the spirit and energy of New Orleans. Featuring the Mardi Gras Indian chants of The Guardians Of The Flame, this recording captures the magic of heritage New Orleans Mardi Gras music and wraps it all up in one package. Originally recorded at BMG Studios in New York City, May of 1991. Remastered by Bernie Grumman.

A two-CD survey of Winter's recordings for Columbia between 1969 and 1979, the era of his greatest commercial success. This collects many of his most popular tracks, though it doesn't do much to argue a case for artistic diversity. Includes two otherwise unavailable songs: an alternate take of "30 Days," and a previously unreleased 1973 cover of Robert Johnson's "Come on in My Kitchen."

Beyoncé Platinum Edition Box Set is a 2 CD/2 DVD limited edition package that includes two new songs, "7/11" and "Ring Off," plus four new and unreleased remixes with some superstar collaborators. The original, critically acclaimed self-titled visual album, featuring 14 songs and 17 videos, is also included. The special edition box set features a live performance DVD that chronicles the year-long 'Mrs. Carter Show World Tour,' a mini version of the official 2015 Beyoncé calendar, and more. MORE audio CD with two new songs and four unreleased remixes with collaborations from Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Mr. Vegas and Pharrell Williams.

A hand-selected collection of vintage demos, outtakes and buried treasures from the vast archive of beloved folk singer-songwriter icon, Melanie! • Real and raw, these recordings, drawn primarily from the early '70s, show how Melanie's songs grew from her soul and took shape organically!

When Opeth released Heritage in 2011 - the wonderfully indulgent, somewhat unfocused exercise in prog rock aesthetics - some longstanding fans were offended because the band had abandoned death metal. Truthfully, they had been exploring prog in fits and starts since 2005's Ghost Reveries. Pale Communion completes the transition, proving that Heritage was not only a next step, but a new beginning altogether. Vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt has obviously been listening to loads of prog in the interim - ELP's debut, Deep Purple's In Rock, early King Crimson and Eloy, National Health, U.K., Bill Bruford's early solo work, Pär Lindh, and even jazz fusion. Produced by the singer and mixed by Steven Wilson, Pale Communion states its ambitions outright. Opener "Eternal Rains Will Come" explodes with knotty, labyrinthine organ (from new keyboardist Joakim Svalberg) and Martin Axenrot's skittering, propulsive drums…

ACE O'DIAMONDS IS (NEARLY) HERE! Shipping mid-January… at last, the first ever release for Melanie’s early 1980s musical Ace o’Diamonds. Telling the story of Janey, daughter of wild west legends Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok, Ace o’Diamonds was sadly destined never to enter full production. And while a handful of the 30+ songs that Melanie wrote for the show would see release over the years, the majority exist only as rough demos, out-takes, cast demo recordings and live performances recorded at one of the play’s read throughs. And some were never recorded in any form. Pieced togeher over the course of a year spent delving into some very deep vaults, Ace o’Diamonds features, across 2 CDs, every song Melanie wrote for the play. Drawing upon every available source, disc one is based upon a 1981 copy of the script, and includes not only the songs, but also key pieces of dialogue, performed by Melanie in 1981, and Beau Jarred and Leilah earlier this year. Disc two then rounds up the best of the alternate versions, plus a number of songs that drifted in and out of the play as Melanie and writer Ed Kelleher saw fit.

A must for all Eurovision fans, the United By Music album features all the talented, somewhat quirky and occasionally bonkers participants from this year’s contest—because who doesn’t want to hear Europe’s finest (and most flamboyant) anthems all in one place? All 37 songs from the world’s largest TV music show contest are together on this official compilation. This 69th edition of the competition will take place in Basel, Switzerland, in May with the grand final hosted by Michelle Hunziker, Hazel Brugger, and Sandra Studer on Saturday 17th May.

First released in 1999, this well-played, superbly-recorded album makes a near-perfect single-disc introduction to the music of Einojuhanni Rautavaara (1928-2016), not only the most significant Finnish composer after Sibelius, but very probably among the finest of all later-twentieth century masters. Rautavaara is undoubtedly the greatest composer most people have never heard of, and that's a shame, though, one might hope, records such as this will go some way towards remedying so glaring an injustice.

One of most unusual Russian musicians, Arkady plays French horn, flugelhorn, alpenhorn and many more unusual wind instruments. A native of Moscow, at the age of six Arkady Shilkloper began playing brass instruments and studied flugelhorn at the Moscow Military Music Academy until 1974. From 1978 to 1985 he was a member of the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre and the "Bolshoi Brass Quintet". With this world-famous ensemble and as a member of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra from 1985 to 1989 he undertook numerous worldwide concert tours. Alongside with that he started playing traditional jazz with double-bass player Mikhail Karetnikov and avant-garde jazz in saxophonist Sergei Letov's band Three O (1985-1990). Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union Shilkloper has worked independently both as a solo performer and, since 1991, with Alperin and Starostin in the Moscow Art Trio and in other formations…