Discover the music of Heinrich Isaac with these authentic performances from La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Hespèrion XXI under the inspired direction of early music specialist Jordi Savall. This program paints a portrait of an era during which the Hundred Year's War ended, the Medici family reached its peak, the idea of the Reformation surged and Charles V was crowned at the head of an Empire that redefined the idea of Europe.

The monumental creativity which Beethoven, Haydn and Bartók gave to the genre of the string quartet is our greatest inspiration. In the Harp we find Beethoven at his most entertaining and least problematic, although slightly provocative in the almost forced gentleness of the final movement. We chose to record the String Quartet 1956 including its incredibly atmospheric final Largo in honour of one of Norway's greatest composer, Arne Nordheim. The intensity and individuality of Bartók's 3rd Quartet make it a natural conclusion for us, juxtaposing the most intimate and lonely music with hard-hitting rhythmic sections which only Bartók could bring off.

Considered by the classical world as one of the most magnificent works of the 20th century, Chesky Records combines its outstanding recording technique with the renowned Bruckner Orchester Linz to produce an extraordinary recording of The Planets by Gustov Holst. This aural spectacular features . . .

The booklet notes for this Scottish audiophile release, perhaps surprisingly in view of American-British annotator and group leader Laurence Dreyfus' background in academic musicology, are models of their kind. They make the best possible case for the viol music of early seventeenth century composer John Ward, who usually plays third or fourth fiddle (or viol) to Gibbons, Dowland, Purcell, and even John Jenkins among general listeners and specialists alike. In both his prose (given in English only) and his interpretations, Dreyfus and his Phantasm consort capture the pleasantly meandering quality of Ward's viol pieces, which lack the melancholy of Dowland's, the pungent and daring dissonance of Gibbons', or the general brilliance of Purcell's.

With this recording we wish to present a fresh version of the most elegant violin concertos in the history of music. While respecting the origin and tradition of this music, we have sought a new and dynamic musical experience rooted in our present time. To us, Mozart is as solid as rock, as soft as snow, and as clear as ice; this recording embraces the listener in a sonic world that invites to participate actively in the experience, in close and mutual interaction with the soloist and the orchestra. Only in this way can we genuinely express our love of Mozart's music. - Trondheimsolistene

Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor is one of the seminal works of the Romantic piano repertoire and one of the most technically challenging pieces any pianist can undertake. Continuing this virtuosic theme, and demonstrating his great ambition as a pianist of the highest calibre, Lazaridis also presents Liszt's Grandes études de Paganini. This six-part composition, based on themes originally composed for violin by Niccolò Paganini, again places huge demands on the technical and interpretive abilities of the performer.