Giovanni Benedetto Platti left his home country Italy and settled in the wealthy environment of the Würzburg court, where he became an esteemed soloist, singer and composer. Platti’s music, firmly rooted in the Italian Baroque style of Corelli and Vivaldi, shows an exceptional depth of feeling and a “personal touch”, quite unlike some of the thirteen‐to‐the‐dozen works of some of his contemporaries.

If only one of Paul McCartney's varied musical strengths carries his oratorio, Ecce Cor Meum (Behold My Heart), it is his astonishing melodic talent: indeed, it is because of the piece's undeniable tunefulness that it is at all viable. This grandiose, neo-Romantic work for soprano, mixed choir, boy choir, and orchestra would seem unbearably tedious were it not for the chains of attractive themes that are laced throughout, and the monumental structure would collapse under its ponderous weight were it not for the light, lyrical touches that hold it up…

Excellent Album from Extravagant French Pop Diva of the Big 80's. Perhaps the most original debut to come out of the French music movement of the late-'80s, "Labyrinthe" bears very little resemblance to traditional French chanson and synth pop from the likes of Les Rita Mitsouko. Instead, it provides an accessible but rough sound driven by Guesch's hoarse, snotty voice and the tight accompaniment of her backing band Encore. "Etienne" was #1 in several European countries, while the video clip (with Guesch using a chair as sexual partner) caused much uproar. As debut albums go, there's a couple of filler and uninspired tracks, and the band sometimes falls into rock cliches. Nevertheless, the funny "Let be must..", the suprisingly sinister "Bon anniversaire", and the bright pop of "C'est pas assez" are other highlights. "Labyrinthe" is rather a collection of songs (and not a very consistent album), but the dynamic performance of Guesch and her band keeps things fairly interesting.

Yesterdays is a pleasant but minor compilation of early Yes cuts. Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman put in an appearance on an up-tempo art-rock reworking of Paul Simon's "America"; listen for Bill Bruford's wah-wah bongos…

The Fitzwilliam String Quartet give a revelatory recording on period instruments of Schubert’s String Quartet in G major, D. 887.

A post-Tropicalia masterpiece from one of the movements key figures and true legends of Brazilian music, Gal Costa. Features a stellar line up of musicians including Gilberto Gil, Arthur Verocai, Dominguinhos, Rogerio Duprat and Tenorio Jr. amongst others.