EQUINOX. Equal night, equal day; a threshold between the seasons. For centuries, the English New Year was marked not in January, but after the spring EQUINOX, on Lady Day - the feast of the Annunciation, where Mary learns that she will give birth to the Christ child. Like many of the waypoints in the church year, the timing of this festival evolved from earlier pagan rites deeply rooted in the seasons and the slow, constant shifting of the natural world around us.

This recording presents for the first time the complete works of the Forqueray family – music that is powerful, virtuosic, fascinating, that touches our innermost being – and combines harpsichord pieces with pieces for viola da gamba and basso continuo. It includes the four early pieces by Antoine Forqueray from the Recueil de pieces de violle avec la basse tiré des meilleurs autheurs, and our transcription for two harpsichords of the pieces for three viols found in the Lille Manuscript, as a nod to the family practice of the Forquerays (transcription was a very widespread practice at the time).

Today almost entirely forgotten, Reutter has been the most successful composer of opera in Vienna during the 1730s, and the single and most influential composer of church music in Vienna for three decades, enjoying the estimation of both Charles VI and Maria Theresia. The son of a court organist and music director at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Reutter studied with Antonio Caldara and, having returned from a period of study in Italy, was nominated imperial court composer in Vienna in 1730.

This recording explores some of the lesser-known music from eighteenth-century Vienna that combines solo voice with virtuoso trombones. During the first half of that century, the city’s musical life experienced an unprecedented blossoming. The Habsburg Emperors aimed to turn Vienna into a truly magnificent capital for the Holy Roman Empire and used visual art, architecture, liturgy, court ceremony and, above all, music to help achieve this.

Pianist Alexandre Tharaud and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras are long-established as a duo team, but this is the first time that Queyras has joined Tharaud for an Erato recording. They have chosen works that lie at the heart of the Romantic repertoire, all by Brahms: his two cello sonatas and the duo’s own transcriptions of six of the Hungarian Dances.

The Jerusalem Quartet explores two aspects of Dvořák’s chamber music: one of the first big successes in the genre of a Bohemian composer who now enjoyed a well-established reputation in Europe (op.48), and one of the masterpieces from the years of American exile which brought him worldwide fame (op.97).

This recording presents for the first time the complete works of the Forqueray family – music that is powerful, virtuosic, fascinating, that touches our innermost being – and combines harpsichord pieces with pieces for viola da gamba and basso continuo. It includes the four early pieces by Antoine Forqueray from the Recueil de pieces de violle avec la basse tiré des meilleurs autheurs, and our transcription for two harpsichords of the pieces for three viols found in the Lille Manuscript, as a nod to the family practice of the Forquerays (transcription was a very widespread practice at the time).

Known for his eclectic and fascinating programmes, conductor and pianist David Greilsammer is recognised as one of today’s most audacious classical artists. The New York Times has recently awarded two of David Greilsammer’s albums as Recording of the Year, in addition to selecting his solo recital “Scarlatti:Cage:Sonatas” as one of the ten most important musical events of the year.

A journey into the Romantic self: It is clear from its genesis that Schubert did not have any strict dramatic action in mind in this song cycle. Unlike Die schöne Müllerin, Winterreise tells no story; it is a journey into the interior, into ever-deeper realms of loneliness.

Cellist Edgar Moreau and pianist David Kadouch have some pleasurable surprises in store with this programme of French sonatas from the late 19th and 20th centuries. The composers are Franck, Poulenc and two little-known figures, Rita Strohl and Fernand de La Tombelle. Forming an adjunct to the programme is the world premiere recording of a piece by Poulenc, titled Souvenirs and written in 1944. As the French magazine Télérama has written: „Both known as outstanding soloists, David Kadouch and Edgar Moreau also form a close-knit, well-balanced chamber duo, playing with passion and commitment.“

An enthralling solo debut, Van William’s Countries signals the arrival of a gifted young artist on the rise. Known for the meticulous song craft of his former acclaimed indie outfits, Port O’Brien and WATERS, on Countries, Van William offers an auspicious glimpse into a new and promising future. Includes the single “Revolution” featuring acclaimed Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit.

Let The Record Play is a triumphant moment of rock-pop exploration that proves that Moon Taxi is a rare band that can address the temperature of our turbulent times while also providing the euphoric musical escapism we so badly need. Produced and mixed by Spencer Thomson (the band’s guitarist), Let The Record Play is a document of one of the most creative bands to emerge from Nashville’s immensely fertile landscape and one that has been thriving on the festival scene for years, bringing their electric performances to Coachella, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo and beyond. Beloved enough in their hometown to sell out two nights at the famed Ryman Auditorium this past October, this album and their new relationship with RCA is certain to catapult them even higher.

Caitlyn Smith is on the rise with a debut release, Starfire, that is burning bright and capturing attention and accolades. Her Monument Records release, which is due on January 19, 2018, is the culmination of years spent writing for other artists including James Bay, John Legend, and Meghan Trainor, before finding her own voice and expressing what she wanted to say as an artist in her own right. Admired for her ability to whirl pure emotion into unforgettable tracks, Starfire, is a raw, visceral journey about love, hardship, and the struggle to pave your own way all anchored by her unforgettable vocals.

Saxophonist and clarinettist John Surman is often characterized as a quintessentially English improviser and composer, and hints of folk music and a pastoral ambience are attributes of his music on well-loved albums like 'The Road to Saint Ives' or his last ECM recording, 'Saltash Bells'. Yet Surman also has a long history of working with musicians from other countries and cultures, players united by such invisible threads as a shared feeling for melody that transcends the idioms.

Fall Out Boy has been one of the few bands, along with Imagine Dragons, that still commands attention in both the pop and rock worlds. And their adventurous new album “Mania” shows why. Singer-guitarist Patrick Stump makes the most of his distinctive voice, which manages to always sound soulful whether he’s playing tough (“The Last of the Real Ones”) or vulnerable (“Bishops Knife Trick”). He also manages it in an array of ever-changing musical settings.