Bregenzs Tales of Hoffmann is different from everything you saw before. The New York Times praised the thoughtfulness and creativity of Stefan Herheims new production, devised by the director as a search for ones own self in a sparkling drag show. A shining-toned (NYT) Hoffmann is embodied by tenor Daniel Johansson in the title role. He is supported by a fantastic cast: Rachel Frenkel is positively ideal as Muse and Niklausse (Kurier), Kerstin Avemo as Olympia is endowed with brilliant, cheekily extemporized coloraturas (Neue Zürcher Zeitung), Michael Volle sings the parts of Lindorf, Coppelius, Dr. Miracle and Dappertutto, the works four villains, with warmth and intensity (NYT) and Mandy Fredrich is a finelyphrased Antonia (Kurier).

François-Xavier Roth, not this time with his ‘period’ ensemble Les Siècles but with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, conducts a performance of César Franck’s Le chasseur maudit that has dramatic thrust, demonic intensity and clearly defined textural detail as well. There is a very real sense, in listening to this performance, that Roth and his orchestra have the dark narrative in their very blood, so that its frenzy, its tensions and the cursed hunter’s wild chase towards death come vividly before the mind’s eye.

The nuanced titles - miniature works of art in themselves - merely hint at the delights to come in Pavel Kolesnikovs sensitive realization of Hahns rened sound-world.

First and foremost, Quincy Jones is a musician, composer and arranger of some of the finest music of the 20th Century, and this 4 CD Set houses his very finest work. Eight original albums released by Jones on Mercury and other labels between 1960 and 1963, on which he was leader or co-leader, remain, certainly for jazz fans, the great man’s finest hour. This set includes these integral albums in their entirety and in pristine re-mastered form, complete with full musician lists and release details, to make for perhaps the best collection yet of Quincy Jones’s jazz recordings which pre-date almost everything this giant of a man remains most famous for.

A smorgasbord album, the cast list includes Bjork, Siouxsie Sioux, Brendan Perry, and long-term sidekick Barbera Googan. As expected, the mood is cold, often somber in tone. Only on "The Long Voyage," a springy ditty fronted by Suzanne Vega and John Cale, does the album ascend from the depths. Some of the gloom works, like in "Havet Stomar," a brilliant slow burner with B.J. Cole's pedal steel guitar and ECM artist Lene Willemark's chilling howls. "Annukka Suaren Neito" presents what must be the closest to an Eskimo rap you can get. Mark Isham provides freestyle trumpet that almost sounds like seagulls swooping the skies. The Jane Siberry-fronted "She Is Like the Swallow" is a beauty, as soft as it is light. Hector Zazou's electronics are in fine check too. The canvas expands to new textures, such as metallic percussion in "Adventures in the Scandinavian Skin Trade".

Given that Vovin sees yet another round of major changes in the Therion lineup, it's remarkable how consistent frontman Christofer Johnsson's vision remains from record to record. Cut with a symphony choir, this outing continues in the vein of the prior Theli, offering a rich and majestic sound a cut above the genre norm.

Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulen (known to Western audiences simply as "Amelie") was a magic realist romantic comedy by French auteur Jean Pierre-Jeunet which introduced French composer Yann Tiersen to listeners worldwide. Tiersen's whimsical, deceptively simple instrumental music was equally influenced by composers like Chopin and Satie, as well as contemporaries such as Michael Nyman and Philip Glass, and emerged as an enjoyable blend of European classical music and French folk. Playing a variety of instruments from piano and violin to accordion and xylophone, Tiersen composed a number of delicate, charming pieces which suited the somewhat magical mood of the film very well and deservedly made him a star in his own right.

OF ALL the Canadian melodic rock bands that failed to make a global impression, Harlequin must surely rank as one of the most talented. With a rich, confident sound and songs that delivered both muscle and melody, they took their position in a marketplace eager to embrace tunes supported by solid riffs, razor sharp guitar work and pedal-to-the-metal energy. ‘Love Crimes’, Harlequin's previous album, had established a firm beach-head in their home country, achieving platinum status and propelling them into major league venues from coast to coast. With everything to play for, they once again set about recording with renowned American producer Jack ‘Aerosmith’ Douglas, in Toronto. The results were quite spectacular, moving Harlequin’s sound and style one step closer to heaven, and beyond. ‘One False Move’, originally released in 1982, is a consummate melodic rock album, full of vim, vigour, and all things nice. Above all else, it is the quality of their songs that elevates it to classic status. Think Loverboy, April Wine, Streetheart and Sheriff all wrapped up in one glorious bundle of fun, with talent to burn and hearts to break. Thoroughly recommended.

“From Bohemia’s Woods and Fields” – this is how we might sum up the shared roots of these four composers. Pichl and Vanhal penned their works in an early classical style, while Martinů and Leistner-Meyer deployed the aesthetic means of expression of their own period to enrich the repertoire while still invoking the ideals of the classical era. This programme is the perfect treat for listeners who enjoy discovering new works and expanding their musical horizons!

Mathieu van Bellen and Mathias Halvorsen present an ambitious and first ever completly instrumental arrangement of Giaccomo Puccini’s entire opera La Bohème. The musicians have arranged the score themselves, bringing together the parts of the soloists, the choir and the orchestra into a hyper-virtuosic piece for just violin and piano. Recorded live in front of an audience, van Bellen and Halvorsen give everything they have; bringing forth each scene in an expressive and highly evocative tour de force.

Harlequin's roots began as a Winnipeg circuit band in early 1978. The band reigned of singer George Belanger, guitarist Glen Willows, Gary Golden on keyboards, drummer David Budzak and Ralph James on bass. Within a year they were doing regular gigs across mid and eastern Canada and were signed to Epic Records in 1979. Their debut album, VICTIM OF A SONG was produced by Jack Douglas, who'd previously worked with the likes of Cheap Trick, Patty Smith, Aerosmith and John Lennon. Released that fall, it immediately made an impression with both the critics and the fans alike. "Sweet Things In Life" and "You Are The Light" both became instant radio staples across the country and Harlequin was rewarded with a debut gold record. Backed by the solid writing of other tracks like "Turn Around" and their first single "Survive", the band was heralded as one of the country's most promising new groups.

Not Far From Here introduces award-winning pianist Julia Hülsmann’s new group in which her long-time working trio with Marc Muellbauer and Heinrich Köbberling (together now for 17 years) is expanded to a quartet with the addition of Berlin-based saxophonist Uli Kempendorff. In Kempendorff’s playing “both suppleness and unruliness are in ample supply”, Jazzthetik has noted, and he brings a fresh energy to the Hülsmann group concept. Each member of the quartet contributes original compositions, with Julia herself penning five new pieces for the album.