In the miraculous year of 1840, which Schumann began in despair, forcibly separated from Clara by her father, he composed nearly 150 lieder, including the two outstanding cycles presented here, based respectively on poems by the great Heine (the Liederkreis op.24) and by Justinus Kerner (the twelve Kernerlieder op.35).

Maurice Ravel has created some of his major pieces in the Salle Gaveau : the Valses nobles et sentimentales, Le Tombeau de Couperin, the Trio avec Piano and Tzigane. It is the task of Svetlin Roussev, Aurélien Pascal, David Lively and Denis Pascal to perform these mythical works in the context of their creation.

Orange, which features six of Shaw’s pieces for string quartet, is the first full-length album to exclusively feature works by Shaw. It is also the first release in a new partnership between the two record labels, established with the goal of enabling contemporary American composers to realize creative ambitions that might not otherwise be achievable.

The Münchner Philharmoniker have arguably given more performances of Anton Bruckner’s music than any other orchestra. A great number of Bruckner recordings led by the many legendary conductors that have worked for and with the Münchner Philharmoniker are stored in the historical archive of the MPHIL Label including magnificent pieces with Sergiu Celibidache, Christian Thielemann, Rudolf Kempe, Günter Wand and Oswald Kabasta.

Following the release of his debut album in May 2007 the virtuoso horn player Etienne Cutajar, who took up his first orchestral seat at 18, has seen his career develop with important orchestral appointments in Scotland and elsewhere before returning to his native country to become principal horn of the Malta Philharmonic. He has also appeared as chamber soloist in many prestigious venues. This album is named for the central work, Mdina, by Maltese composer Jesmond Grixti; this is a work for horn solo and accompanied by two more contemporary pieces: Air für Horn by Jörg Widmann and Cynddaredd-Brenddyd by Heinz Holliger.

The Silesian Quartet’s most recent release under the CD Accord label is the first in the series of Mieczysław Wajnberg’s complete chamber works with string quartet. The album containing the String Quartet No. 7 in C major Op. 59 and the Piano Quintet in F minor Op. 18 (with pianist Piotr Sałajczyk) inaugurates a 7CD-series which will be completed in 2019 – the year of Wajnberg’s birth centenary. With this series, the Silesian Quartet pays tribute to this eminent Polish artist, considered as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. His impressive output of compositions is now being rediscovered and is increasingly winning acclaim among both musicians and audiences worldwide.

Can there be a more prodigiously gifted and versatile musician in the world today than Daniel Barenboim? Symphonic and opera conductor as well concert pianist, recitalist, chamber musician, Lieder accompanist par excellence, the Argentinian-born Israeli Renaissance man of music is also one of the most extensively recorded artists of all time. Sony Classical is proud to present the first complete retrospective collection of his albums for CBS/Sony Classical and RCA Red Seal.

Possessor of one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century, Sarah Vaughan ranked with Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday in the very top echelon of female jazz singers. She often gave the impression that with her wide range, perfectly controlled vibrato, and wide expressive abilities, she could do anything she wanted with her voice. Although not all of her many recordings are essential (give Vaughan a weak song and she might strangle it to death), Sarah Vaughan's legacy as a performer and a recording artist will be very difficult to match in the future.

„In the mid-to-late '70s, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton had the opportunity to record with some of his favorite jazz musicians on his Who's Who label. For his reunion with pianist Teddy Wilson, Hamp also utilized the fine clarinetist Jerry Fuller, bassist George Duvivier, Sam Turner on congas and Teddy Wilson, Jr. on drums, making this the only time that father and son recorded together. The music is a bit predictable with eight veteran swing standards, but the enthusiasm of Hampton makes the results more exciting than one might expect.“ (Scott Yanow, AMG)

Recorded live at the original Grand Ole Opry building (the Ryman Auditorium) from April 30, 1991 to May 2, 1991. The generous set reaches all the way back to the 19th century for Stephen Foster's "Hard Times," also touching on cowboy songs "Cattle Call," "Montana Cowgirl", honky tonk "Half As Much", gospel "Get Up, John", bluegrass "Walls of Time", and modern traditionalism "Guitar Town". Harris also manages to nod toward rock (Bruce Springsteen's "Mansion on the Hill," John Fogerty's "Lodi") without breaking stride. Throughout, her band provide seamless, effortlessly virtuosic support. At the Ryman is a great album from one of modern country's greatest artists.

Digitally remastered and expanded Deluxe edition of this classic 1979 album including nine bonus tracks, seven of which are previously unreleased. "Damn The Torpedoes" catapulted Petty and company into the first rank of American Rock acts. It's not hard to understand why. With a slate of driving songs destined to become FM staples ("Refugee", "Here Comes My Girl", "Even the Losers", "Don't Do Me Like That"), it's an album that plays much like half a greatest-hits collection. Fusing a rootsy sensibility heavy with Dylan and Byrds affectations with his own pop instincts and coupling them with one of rock's most consistently underrated powerhouses, The Heartbreakers, Petty's throwback traditionalism oddly found him riding the crest of the new wave in the late '70s.

"Echo" is Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' tenth studio album and was mostly recorded at M.C Studios in Los Angeles, CA. It was produced by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell with Rick Rubin. There were no singles released to retail, but "Room At The Top", "Free Girl Now", and "Swingin'" were released to radio and each made it to the top 20 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1999. Echo was the last album to feature bassist and vocalist Howie Epstein before his passing in 2003.

Eine wunderschöne, brilliant interpretierte Aufnahme wird nicht allein dadurch "geschmacklos", dass sie nicht neu ist. Wenn auch der Ruf von Herrn von Karajan nicht selten maßlos übertrieben wurde, so bleibt ihm doch unbenommen, dass er so wunderbare Talente wie Frau Mutter entdeckte und förderte. Diese Aufnahme zweier - garnicht einmal besonders 'spannender' - Mozart-Konzerte ist ein überzeugendes Beispiel dafür. Anne-Sophie Mutters hochintelligentes, feinnerviges, unglaublich musikalisches Geigenspiel ist ein Glücksgeschenk für jeden, der den 'Gesang' einer Geige schätzt und liebt. Sie hat das später vielleicht reifer bewiesen. Aber nur selten schöner.

Karajan does it again. The Prokofiev 5th is another of the great conductor's famous recordings. He labored for years, refining and perfecting his interpretation of this perennial favorite. It's one of the most played of 20th-century symphonies. Unlike many other works, Karajan recorded this symphony just once and he got everything right the first time. It's my experience with Karajan that when the man records only once, it's usually quite an accomplishment.

Throughout the 70’s and into the 80’s, pianist/composer Stu Goldberg was a major force on the international jazz scene, performing alongside such legendary fusionists as the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Al DiMeola, and Freddie Hubbard. This solo piano outing was the second of four albums Goldberg recorded for MPS. Berliner Morgenpost critic Dieter Gruenfeld best sums up the music: “…Goldberg strokes the keys as tenderly as Cezanne paints pastel colors on a canvas…his compositions showcase a talented visionary musician with great technique who creates his own universe…”