The Smetana Quartet, a famous Czech group representing the latter half of the 20th century, visited Japan for the first time in 1958 as the first cultural envoy to restore diplomatic relations between Japan and Czechoslovakia. Having visited Japan, he was very familiar to us. During that time, more than 200 of their LP records have been released in Japan, including reissues, and they have won the Record Academy Award sponsored by Ongaku no Tomosha seven times. I was. In 1980 and 1985, "Ongaku no Tomo" magazine ranked the top 10 most popular string quartets by musicians such as Amadeus, Italia, Juilliard, LaSalle, and Alban Berg. It won first place both times, pushing aside its rivals. The two pillars of their repertoire were works from their native Czech Republic, such as Smetana, Dvořák and Janáček, and Beethoven in this set. This set was not recorded at once, but was recorded one song at a time. Known as a monumental masterpiece.
The reason why they like to play Beethoven is that it is ``a piece that is deeply connected with reason and emotion'' and ``a song that makes you think deeply about philosophy, aesthetics, and morals'', especially his late string quartet.

Edward Elgar, one of the pre-eminent musical figures of his time, bridged the 19th and 20th centuries as the finest English composer since the days of Handel and Purcell. His compositions have been recorded countless times, and many have become mainstays in the classical repertoire throughout the world.

It's taken three years from Brittney Spencer's attention-grabbing Compassion EP to her much-anticipated debut album, with a handful of singles and EPs between. And now that My Stupid Life is here, she's already transcended the "next big thing" label; Spencer is a star who just hasn't held the spotlight on her own yet. She's part of the supergroup Highwomen family, has opened for artists like Jason Isbell, and made a big impression at the 2021 CMAS performing with Mickey Guyton and Madeline Edwards. "I'm doing something that is probably already going in the history books," Spencer recently told Rolling Stone of being a Black female artist in country music, "and not because it's me and my song, but because I'm part of something."

Despite having a title that suggests a new thrash metal direction, Sam Beam’s sixth album as Iron & Wine essays yet more romantic, Americana-tinged songwriting, and it’s cosier than ever. As Beam sings poetically in his goose-down voice, cadences resolve as contentedly as old married couples, even in songs of friction such as Bitter Truth.