Gilels recorded this work several times, and the dierence to the other stereo recording in print is evident instantly. Just play the rst 10 seconds from the Gilels/Maazel recording and then this one: RCA in 1955 captured a cleaner, better, richer sound than EMI engineers 20 years later. So you are instantly captivated by the sound alone; and then follows a performance with tremendous sweep and boldness. Reiner is denitely instrumental in helping this along: he was a far better conductor than Maazel could ever aspire to. In a word: don't worry too much about niggling imperfections.

Pianist Boris Giltburg - winner of the 2013 Queen Elisabeth Competition - releases his second recording on the Orchid Classics label, following his acclaimed Prokofiev War Sonatas release of 2012. Giltburg's new project, Romantic Sonatas is inspired by the beauty and drama of piano literature from the Romantic period and features the music of Grieg, Liszt and Rachmaninov. Giltburg's War Sonatas received huge critical acclaim, including a Gramophone 'Editor's Choice' accolade and a 5-star review in the Daily Telegraph.

Queen Caroline was an emblematic female figure of the 18th century: the wife of King George II of England, a woman of great beauty, a champion of science and the arts, Caroline d’Ansbach was also the friend and patroness of Handel. The latter was entrusted with the solemn music composed for the grand ceremonies that marked the reign – be it «The King shall rejoice», given for the King’s coronation, the «Queen Caroline» Te Deum written for her own ascension to the throne, or «The Ways of Zion do mourn» performed at her funeral. This recording brings together, for the first time, three works underlining the strong link between the monarch and his favourite composer. This performance by the complete forces of the choir and orchestra of Les Arts Florissants brings to life these scores which are both flamboyant and brimming over with humanity.

The ofcial titles of the works performed here are not helpful: what they conceal are the most extraordinary sound worlds from two composers at the vanguard of the contemporary Polish music scene, and the magicians of the Royal String Quartet summon from their instruments sounds of collective and individual wonder.

Giovanni Sollima (born 24 October 1962 in Palermo, Sicily, Italy) is an Italian composer and cellist. He was born into a family of musicians and studied cello with Giovanni Perriera and composition with his father, Eliodoro Sollima, at the Conservatorio di Palermo, where he graduated with highest honors. He later studied with Antonio Janigro and Milko Kelemen at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart and at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg.