This budget-price compilation disc brings together twenty favourite tracks from The King’s Consort’s acclaimed Handel recordings. There are movements from recent releases such as ‘The trumpet’s loud clangour’ from An Ode for St Cecilia’s Day plus two tracks released for the first time on Hyperion—‘Largo’ from Concerto Grosso Op 3 No 2 and ‘Let the bright seraphim’ from Handel’s much-loved oratorio Samson.

Hyperion is thrilled to welcome 2015 Honens Prize Laureate Luca Buratto to the label, a pianist whose ‘fiery imagination and finesse’ (Musical America) are perfectly suited to the demands of this all-Schumann programme. Despite its unassuming title, the Humoreske is no mere miniature but a full-scale piano cycle, very much on a par with the Davidsbündlertänze.

East is one of the most beloved prog acts from Hungary (if not the most). While the rest of the world was into New Wave, Marillion carried the prog torch for Great Britain and points west. Guitarist János Varga, keyboardist Géza Pálvölgyi, singer Miklós Zareczky, bassist Péter Móczán and percussionist István Király decided to pick up the prog banner for Eastern Europe. In 1981, they released their debut album "Játékok (Games). It was a well-received debut, and is still highly regarded. However, it is the sophomore effort, 1982's "Hüség" (Faith), that seems to capture more hearts. The first two albums were more symphonic inspired, but they felt the need (or perhaps pressure) to pursue a more mainstream approach. This led to replacing lead singer Miklós Zareczky, with József Tisla on "Rések a Falon" (Cracks in the Wall). While the third album is not the darling of prog fans, it was a great commercial success.

Today, Axxis stands as one of the most enduring and influential hard rock bands in Germany. Their sixteenth studio album once again solidifies the band's exceptional status. And with Coming Home, the Axxis circle is closing. The two masterminds, Bernhard WeiSS and Harry Oellers, have led Axxis through highs and lows since the 90s, allowing them to look back on a solid 35 years of band career, especially with their loyal fans. With the release of the new album on July 12, 2024, on their own label, this chapter comes to a close. Axxis will release their final album and embark on a tour in the fall of 2024, including two major anniversary shows - returning home, indeed. On the new album, the band returns to its roots without neglecting the evolution of recent years…

For a long time, maybe 15 years or so, Robert Smith rumbled about the Cure's imminent retirement whenever the band had a new album ready for release. Invariably, Smith said the particular album served as a fitting epitaph, and it was now time for him to bring the Cure to an end and pursue something else, maybe a solo career, maybe a new band, maybe nothing else. This claim carried some weight when it was supporting a monumental exercise in dread, like Disintegration or Bloodflowers, but when applied to Wild Mood Swings, it seemed like no more than an empty threat, so fans played along with the game until Smith grew tired of it, abandoning it upon the 2004 release of his band's eponymous 13th album. Instead of being a minor shift in marketing, scrapping his promise to disband the Cure is a fairly significant development since it signals that Smith is comfortable being in the band, perhaps for the first time in his life…