NOVO Quartet – like novo, “new.” The name reflects the curiosity and spirit of discovery that has already carried these four musicians, trained by Tim Frederiksen, to the podiums of the Geneva and Carl Nielsen competitions. Their debut album, Track 1, returns to their roots: Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8, the very first piece they studied together; HJERTEBLAD (literally “heart-leaf,” the seed’s first leaf) by Matias Vestergaard, which opened the door to contemporary repertoire; and Carl Nielsen’s First Quartet, a tribute to the “great Danish hero” and the starting point of an upcoming complete cycle.

Everything in the world—whether it is life, a piece of art, a scientific discovery, a revolution, or even a simple idea—has its own starting point. For composers, it is the work that marks their first step into the world. 'Opus 1' is an exploration of those beginnings, where ambition meets uncertainty and raw ideas take shape. In this album, pianist Anna Geniushene, whose career highlights include being a Silver Medalist at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and being named Young Artist of the Month by Musical America, explores the early creative voices of great Romantic composers such as Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Berg and Tchaikovsky, uncovering the ambition, curiosity, and individuality that shaped their musical identities. Was an Opus 1 a declaration of will or just a sketch of what was to come? This album delves into that question, offering a glimpse of great composers who were taking their first steps and searching for their true voice —when everything was still possible.

After a first album (Because, Alpha 936) devoted to African American spirituals that won several awards (Opus Klassik, Edison Klassiek, GRAMMY® Award nomination), the American countertenor Reginald Mobley devotes this new recording to English repertoire with a simple combination of primarily voice, lute, and viola da gamba. Solitude opens with Henry Purcell's moving 'Tis Nature's Voice and other famous Purcell melodies, sails through John Dowland's deeply melancholy waves, and also reveals the declamatory charm of the 17th-century English composers who surrounded Samuel Pepys.

This five-disc box collects Reinhardt's first 124 recordings between 1934-1939. Curiously enough, these sides aren't chronological. Rather, while each disc's featured sessions are presented mostly chronologically, the discs themselves are rather awkwardly sequenced, with different discs covering different years in a seemingly random order. That doesn't really detract from the set's appeal, however, as this music is terrific no matter how it's presented. If there is a flaw, it's that the remastering isn't nearly as superb as the fawning front-cover quotation would lead one to believe. To his credit, however, Kendall admits that he has attempted no "enhancement" of the sound, but has instead concentrated on clearing away much of the audio rubble. His work is, in fact, generally excellent - especially on the later sides, many of which are virtually devoid of hiss…

This is a two-CD collection capturing King Crimson during a pair of multi-night stands at The Longacre Theater in New York City (November 20-25, 1995) and The Metropolitan Theater in Mexico City (August 2-6, 1996). This double-trio lineup includes the talents of: Robert Fripp (guitar, soundscapes), Adrian Belew (guitar, vocals), Trey Gunn (touch guitar), Tony Levin (basses, stick), Bill Bruford (percussion of all sorts), and Pat Mastelotto (percussion of all sorts). Vrooom Vrooom includes much of the same frenetic energy and immaculate sonics that awaited attendees of these performances. Happily much of the repertoire focuses on materials from the 1995 studio release, Thrak, King Crimson's first in over a decade. Likewise, both the Mexico City and New York City sets are laden with the profound and otherwise solicitous vibes that present themselves whenever this band is running at full capacity on all six cylinders…