Verdi's brilliant final masterpiece Falstaff, in its first new Met production in 50 years – and conducted by Met Music Director James Levine in his first new production since his return to his podium at the Met. When it comes to theatrical flair, captivating costumes, stage antics and imagination, there are not many shows on Broadway to rival the Met s new Falstaff. “Ambrogio Maestri is made for the title role, with the apt physique, nimble acting and superb vocal presence that make him the leading Falstaff of the day. There is no weak link in a finely balanced, comically-attuned cast (the women are especially impressive) and Levine’s conducting is pitch-perfect. The show fizzles from start to finish and is tremendous fun” (Classical Music).

It was George Szell who made the Cleveland Orchestra into a highly responsive virtuoso body, and when he died in 1970 he was in due course succeeded by Lorin Maazel, himself a renowned orchestral trainer. Here is Maazel's first Cleveland recording, notable for a quite outstanding quality of orchestral playing. The strings in particular have a remarkable depth of tone, though they play with great delicacy when it is needed; but then the orchestra as a whole plays with extraordinary virtuosity, tonal weight and exactness of ensemble. If the woodwind have a somewhat piquant blend this suits the music, which throughout is admirably served by Maazel's highly rhythmic, dramatic conducting.

Night Ranger, like many bands on CMC International, were simply playing for the fans in the '90s. They knew that they would never have a hit like "Sister Christian" ever again, but they wanted to continue making music, and there were enough fans out there to go to their concerts…

Ideally, one would avoid compilations of the Doors' work, except perhaps for the hit singles and moments when one wanted very light listening. This was a band that took itself very seriously, almost to the point of self-parody at times, and their music ought to be discovered in the setting and context in which it was intended, but assuming that one needs a Doors anthology, this 18-track collection (19 on CD) is the place to start…

Azel is the second studio album recorded in the West by Tuareg Ifoghas guitarist, singer, and songwriter Bombino (Omara Moctar) and fifth overall. It stands in sharp contrast to 2013's Nomad, produced by Dan Auerbach. The earlier album placed Bombino's signature playing style – directly descended from the Niger master Haja Bebe and informed by Jimi Hendrix and Mark Knopfler – inside a mélange of lap steel guitar, vibes, and a less syncopated rhythmic framework. While the songs and jams were unmistakably Bombino's, the sound and arrangements reflected the producer as much as the artist. Azel was produced by the Dirty Projectors' Dave Longstreth, a hardcore fan. Recorded in a converted barn in Woodstock, New York, this set delivers the full range of Bombino's gifts as composer, singer, and guitarist. The only Longstreth signature is the bright, canny mix. Bombino's double-tracked guitar is framed by a crack rhythm section.

Though Gloryhallastoopid boasts a couple great songs, "Big Bang Theory" and "Theme from the Black Hole," it's unfortunately one of the least essential Parliament-Funkadelic albums. In particular, the ten-minute "Party People" and the nine-minute "The Freeze (Sizzaleenmean)" plod on (and on, and on) for no good reason. Unlike other epic P-Funk songs, most notably "(Not Just) Knee Deep," these songs are terribly uneventful. Shorter songs like "May We Bang You?" are better, but "Big Bang Theory" and "Theme from the Black Hole" are far and away the chief draw to Gloryhallastoopid. Thankfully, the two songs are easily found on a number of best-of compilations, making this album – along with its similarly vacuous successor, Trombipulation (1980) – one best left to completists.~Jason Birchmeier.

While concerts and cheering crowds seem to be a long-lost echo from the past these days, melancholic progressive metallers AMORPHIS bring back some of the life and incomparable energy that many of us have been missing so desperately. Recorded during a special hometown show that took place on December 7th, 2019, little did the Finns know that this would be one of their last concerts before the pandemic outbreak in early 2020. With 15 tracks in total and a running time of over one and a half hours, AMORPHIS take you on a journey through their past, showcasing their best songs from the last 30 years that saw the band turn into one of Finland’s finest metal exports.

Leon Parker continues to be one of the true originals of the day. Though it's doubtful if his spare less-is-more approach to the drum kit will be widely influential-it's likely to remain his exclusive territory-Parker's effectiveness is certain to give pause to aspiring drummers who take note; and it's liable to give drum manufacturers the shakes along the way. Declaring himself solely a percussionist, Parker has shed the perceived encumbrances of the full drum kit. To shape and round his muse here he employs the additional percussion of Adam Cruz and regular bandmate Natalie Cushman, who join the leader at the heart of this date. They are surrounded by bassist Ugonna Okegwo, and on several tracks the saxophones of regular bandmate Steve Wilson, plus Steve Davis' trombone, and Tom Harrell's trumpet and fluegelhorn. Further percussive color is lent by berimbau, marimba, and steel pan.

Seven songs remixed over nine tracks from Kylie Minogue's early catalog, this collection will satisfy serious fans of her work. Those more unfamiliar, or those looking for certain single tracks from this era, should stick to her first two albums, or a greatest hits collection.