Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most performed composers of all time. The Beethoven anniversary year of 2020 will see countless releases of his famous works, be it the nine great symphonies, the 32 piano sonatas or other instrumental masterworks such as the Violin Concerto in D major. The pianist Matthias Kirschnereit has therefore given himself something of a challenge for his new album by researching and recording the small but nevertheless brilliant jewels of Beethoven’s piano repertoire.“On this album it is my aim to bring to life those works by Beethoven that are seldom in the limelight and to let them sparkle anew. They include pieces that are not going to set the world on fire. I am no archaeologist who hunts around in attics, libraries or archives in search of works yet to be published. Everything he ever wrote has already been published. So I set about compiling a list – and I was utterly amazed,” explains Matthias Kirschnereit

Domenico Scarlatti's distinguished career included a royal post in Rome where he competed against Handel, the latter being declared the better organist and Scarlatti the better harpsichordist. Written for his pupil the Infanta Maria Bárbara, Scarlattis legacy of hundreds of single-movement keyboard sonatas forms a valuable resource for performers today. This collection includes a wealth of Spanish dances with virtuoso leaps, unusual modulations, flourishes and ornamentation, as well as Scarlattis irrepressible verve and energy.

Canadian duo Megan James and Corin Roddick released their debut album ‘Shrines’ eight years ago, and their cohesive vision was striking from the start. Melding uneasy, fidgety beats with creepy imagery, it was an eerie, skittering creation composed back-and-forth over email. Lyrically, it depicted dissected bodies (‘Fineshrine’) and fairytale-ish evil grandmothers drilling little holes into eyelids. Purity Ring in six words: macabre imagery enveloped in hypnotic electronica.

Creators: The Past is an upcoming Italian fantasy film written by Piergiuseppe Zaia and Eleonora Fani, directed by Piergiuseppe Zaia and starring Gérard Depardieu, Bruce Payne, Eleonara Fani, Marc Fiorini, Jennifer Mischiati and William Shatner.

With his debut album “Inspiration” Florian Christl jumped straight on No. 1 on the iTunes Classical Charts. The 28-year-old is an autodidactic 21st century German contemporary classical composer, pianist, and arranger. His passionate, melodic compositions reflect his passion for music and inner emotions. His style can rightly be called “classical crossover,” and his music sounds right at home in the crossroads of 21st century “new classical” composers such as Max Richter and Ludovico Einaudi, and the cinematic sound of the late Johann Johansson.

Morton Gould was an American musical phenomenon, equally at home in classical, crossover and film genres, and the recipient of both GRAMMY and Pulitzer awards during his long and distinguished career. The Symphonettes represent Gould’s best crossover work—the Symphonette No. 4 deriving its character from Latin-American dance forms to make it one of his most popular compositions. The first movement of Symphonette No. 3 has been described as “a collection of dance band licks, full of bent notes and syncopations” and the central Pavanne of Symphonette No. 2 with its bluesy trumpet motif is one of Gould’s biggest hits. Spirituals for Orchestra utilizes the strings as a choir, with antiphonal responses in the rest of the orchestra.

Martin Fröst is an internationally renowned clarinettist and conductor ‘Vivaldi’ is a baroque adventure based on the question: What might Vivaldi have composed for the clarinet if it had been more fully developed? For this recording three clarinet concertos have been newly composed, made up of music drawn from Vivaldi’s most beautiful opera and oratorio arias Performed on the mellow, songlike chalumeau – the predecessor of the modern clarinet – and the brilliant, virtuosic clarinet of today, Martin Fröst and Concerto Köln create a won- derful symbiosis between the old and the new The album is complemented with two popular sinfonias by A. Vivaldi and one new air com- posed for chalumeau ‘Vivaldi’ was recorded with Grammy award winning baroque ensemble Concerto Köln

Ren Harvieu has announced news of her long-awaited new album Revel In The Drama, due for release 3rd April via Bella Union. The album is a brilliant, bolder and broader take on her timeless pop classicism, a compelling diary of a struggle with self-belief and a celebration of liberation and survival, seven years after her Top 5 debut album and having overcome a life-threatening injury. Think of Revel In The Drama as Harvieu's second debut album; a new beginning.