The E. Power Biggs recording of Bach's six Trio Sonatas needs little introduction. Recorded by Biggs in 1966, the performances have been a staple of the CBS/Sony discography. These six sonatas are usually performed on organ, but they excellently accomodate the pedal harpsichord. Generally thought of as a practice instrument for organists, the pedal harpsichord becomes an ideal performing tool with E. Power Biggs at the helm.

With their new album, Cologne soprano Theresa Nelles and cathedral organist Winfried Bönig invite their listeners to an atmospheric Christmas Eve in Cologne Cathedral, performing a rich and varied program of Romantic repertoire from various countries: music for the Christmas feast that goes straight to the heart. Bönig never limits the role of the organ to that of a simple accompanying instrument, but skilfully presents it with all its tonal colors. The great acoustics of the Cologne Cathedral were consciously captured in an impressive way.

Gong gone punk. "About Time" documents Daevid Allen's 1979 New York trip to partake of the then-happenin' CBGB's scene. The new sound is an odd hybrid of Psychedelia ("Preface"), New Wave ("I Am a Freud") and Punk ("Much Too Old"), with a lyrical sentiment reminiscent of early-'70s Gong ("Jungle Window"). The CD opens with an effects-laden recording of Allen reciting his "trippy" poetry. Some of the compositions, like "I Am a Freud," bleed quirky rhythms and melodies resembling the work of the League of Gentlemen and Talking Heads. "Materialism" and "Strong Woman" feature Allen's glissando guitar, which seems a forerunner to the sound Fripp and Belew employed on their early-'80s King Crimson projects. "Materialism," penned by Laswell, is a standout with its dominating bass driving home the groove…

It's been six years since Divinidylle, and Vanessa Paradis is making up for lost time with the 22-track Love Songs. The title bears some poignancy – this is her first offering since splitting from Johnny Depp. (He and their daughter Lily Rose get co-writing credits on the dubwise "New Year.") Benjamin Biolay produced the set, wrote six tunes for it, co-wrote another with Paradis, and performed a duet with her…

The 1920s was an exceptionally rich period in Finnish music history: Sibelius composed his last two symphonies and Tapiola, Leevi Madetoja released his opera The Ostrobothnians and two symphonies, Uuno Klami produced orchestral suites, Yrjo Kilpinen continued to publish internationally-acclaimed Lieder collections, and Aarre Merikanto (1893-1958) wrote his opera Juha. The true worth and inner essentialness of Merikanto's ideas has only been recognized after the man's death. What was then seen as eccentricity or even a lack of craftsmanship turns out in fact to have been and honest and well-founded search for the new.Merikanto spent the first two years of the 1920s composing Juha. The libretto was drafted by Aino Ackte, the leading Finnish operatic diva. Juha is a classic triangle drama featuring the elderly husband Juha, his young wife Marja, and the seducer Shemeikka. The depth of the tragedy is made still greater by the fact that of the three, the one driven to suicide is Juha, whose only sins appear to be those of lack of resolution and a certain simplicity. To be fair, Juha does give Shemeikka a bit of pasting, but he does not kill him, because he suddenly recognizes that after the betrayal that he has encountered "there is nothing left in life anymore".Merikanto's opera was never performed during the composer's lifetime. However, the opera was performed at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in 1970 and 1971, and is now recognized as one of the most important and influential Finnish operas.

As well as being internationally recognised as a leading interpreter of music new and old, Peter Sheppard Skærved is the only violinist to have performed on the personal violins of Viotti, Paganini, Joachim, Kreisler and Ole Bull. Here he presents the works from ‘Preludes or Voluntarys’ (2nd edition, published by John Walsh in 1705. The edition includes petite gems from the leading lights of the age such as Purcell, Biber, Pepusch, Correlli and Torrelli, and some whose names are somewhat forgotten: Matteis, Bassani and Vitali – and more who are only known by their surname, probably musicians of the royal court who had presented a work to Walsh for publication. It’s also true that Walsh included several extracts from sonatas, suites and other chamber works, not always correctly attributed.

Time flows and stands still in this contemplative music that sounds old and new and yet neither old nor new, naive art and higher mathematics, a child‘s game, a glass bead game, like first steps and last words – all rolled into one. The compositions that Arvo Pärt has been writing for almost half a century defy any labelling or ideology. In his anachronistic art, the Estonian composer – who emigrated from the Soviet Union with his family in 1980 and found a refuge in (West) Berlin – chose the path of renunciation, reduction, and voluntary poverty. The most famous testimony to this musical conversion is undoubtedly Fratres (“Brothers”), which was written in 1977 but has appeared in all kinds of different instrumentations and versions over the years. In its ascetic austerity and almost liturgical solemnity, Fratres is reminiscent of a communal prayer or a spiritual act.

The Pasadena Roof Orchestra is a contemporary band from England that specialises in the jazz and swing genres of music of the 1920s and 1930s, although their full repertoire is considerably wider. The orchestra has existed since 1969, although the line-up has frequently changed. It has achieved success outside of the United Kingdom, most notably in Germany.

Jonah Kim, one of America’s finest young cellists, steps out in this wide-ranging program, joined — in two of the three works — by esteemed collaborative pianist Robert Koenig.

Astor Piazzolla, the great Argentine composer and bandoneon player, was born exactly a century ago in 1921. Fascinated by the music of Bach, Mozart and Chopin, Piazzolla wanted to compose great classical music. From Alberto Ginastera he received lessons in orchestration, composition and conducting, as well as in literature and poetry. Following his studies with Ginastera, Piazzolla received a scholarship to study in Paris with the renowned pianist and composer Nadia Boulanger. Under her guidance, he began to conceive of and perfect his own style of composition.

Two former LPs were reissued in full on this single CD. The earlier date features pianist Erroll Garner in typically brilliant and witty form with his 1961 trio, which also included bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin. Whether it be a sly "My Silent Love," "All of Me," or a joyful "Back In Your Own Backyard," Garner is heard throughout in his prime. The later date is a bit more unusual, for the pianist improvises on ten themes that would be used in the Paul Newman film A New Kind of Love. Joined by a big band and string orchestra conducted by Leith Stevens, Garner, who never learned to read or write music, contributed several original themes to the score (a few of which are quite catchy) in addition to jamming on such tunes as "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me," "Louise," and "Mimi"…

Matthew Locke, England's leading composer in the 17th century, was also one of the busiest, writing for court, theater, and church. Surprisingly little of his music has been recorded, but this excellent recording helps correct this. The music has a strong emotional character, with dramatic, often pictorial harmonic effects that are less favored by today's choirs, but the quality of these works only makes us wonder why Locke is not better known.

Worth is a 2020 biographical film directed by Sara Colangelo, from a screenplay by Max Borenstein. It stars Michael Keaton, Amy Ryan, Stanley Tucci, Tate Donovan, Shunori Ramanathan and Laura Benanti. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020. The film was released in a limited release and on Netflix on September 3, 2021.

Synopsis: Imagine a place that is vast, wild and untouched, where some of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles unfold. The Arctic National Wildlife refuge, situated in the northeastern corner of Alaska, is the wildest place left in North America. A symbol of wilderness for the world. No one has truly ever seen it. ”The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness” will feature the first-ever cinematic account of this little known land where people can experience a world untouched by time.

After a six-year span since making her final recording for Concord, singer Eden Atwood's triumphant return to the studio exudes a confidence that some writers think was lacking in her earlier work. With first-rate arrangements by pianist Bill Cunliffe and a supporting cast including alto saxophonist and flutist Pete Christlieb, guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Darek Oles, drummer Joe LaBarbera, and percussionist Scott Breadman, Atwood delves into memorable tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim ("Meditation," "The Girl From Ipanema," and "He's a Carioca") as well as bossa nova treatments of Duke Ellington's overlooked gem "Don't You Know I Care?," Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is the Ocean?," and the Beatles' "The Fool on the Hill" with equal success…