At the harpsichord, Rinaldo Alessandrini creates several ‘suites de danse’ from the magnificent output of Louis Couperin.

Though a quick perusal of the score to his F-minor Piano Quintet (op. 95) immediately whets the appetite for more, Wilhelm Berger (1861–1911) is completely unknown today, even among musicologists. Almost an exact contemporary of Gustav Mahler, he does not even appear on the periphery of the standard music histories of fin de siècle Germany. Berger is a truly forgotten figure who is at best occasionally mentioned in the statistics of the period’s art music.

Franz Berwald’s four symphonies are becoming better known, but the shorter orchestral works hardly receive a mention, even though they are no less deserving. Though conservative in style (what can you expect from a composer born in 1796?), they belong to no particular “school” but have a distinctly Nordic quality thanks to Berwald’s fresh feeling for harmony and attractive woodwind writing. This comes through quite clearly in Reminiscence of the Norwegian Mountains, a lovely pastoral portrait in tones, and in Elfenspiel. Wetlauf (Foot-Race), subtitled “Etude for String Orchestra”, must rank among the more imaginative early works in the medium–but then all of this music is well worth hearing.

This series of the complete harpsichord concerti of C.P.E. Bach is one of the most important and monumental recording projects of the century so far… it is a whole planet of delights and amazing discoveries.

In this 2003 performance from the Austin City Limits series, New England's Susan Tedeschi demonstrates a range that extends well beyond her blues base. Following the blueprint employed by Bonnie Raitt a few decades earlier, she covers John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery" (a signature tune for Raitt), inserting a snippet from the Grateful Dead's "Sugaree." The piano balladry of her "Wrapped in the Arms of Another" could fit just fine on a Raitt album. The set also finds her sampling from the songbooks of Sly Stone ("You Can Make It If You Try"), Bob Dylan ("Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"), and Stevie Wonder ("Love's in Need of Love Today"), in addition to the more straightforward blues of Koko Taylor ("Voodoo Woman"). Though Tedeschi's stinging lead guitar provides the focus, she receives strong support from a band featuring the interplay of electric pianist Jason Crosby (who doubles on violin) and William Green on Hammond B-3 organ. Highlights include a tribute to jam-band inspiration Col. Bruce Hampton on "Hampmotized" and the simmering "Wait for Me," with its echoes of Aretha Franklin.

Mozart claimed to dislike the flute and, for that matter, the harp as well which also plays a prominent role in this compilation. But in spite of that, he produced music for the flute in a variety of genres all of which is delightful and much of which is masterful. This release on Philips's "duo" series presents an excellent opportunity for an overview of Mozart's works for flute, well played. It also offers a rare opportunity to hear a variety of performers on the flute and other instruments and orchestras.

A killer 2CD set – one that features 4 full albums from the country duo of Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton! First up is We Found It – a gem of a record from the glory days of the Porter Wagoner/Dolly Parton partnership on record – a set that's overflowing with original material penned by each of the singers, which gives the whole thing a way of feeling a lot more personal and pointed than most other country duo albums! Porter and Dolly really share the vocal chores equally – and maybe break off less into the separate modes of some of their earlier records, but in a good way – on titles that include "Love City", "I've Been Married", "Satan's River", "I Am Always Waiting", "That's When Love Will Mean The Most", and "How Close They Must Be".

As a jazz critic, the first thing I notice with Myriam Alter’s latest release, cleverly titled It Takes Two, is a friendly reminder: Alter is not a jazz musician. The music on It Takes Two, as with most of the music from her releases over the years (dating back to the early 1990s), bespeaks of more elemental musical qualities and less so about altered chords (not to mention chord changes), intricate arrangements or rhythmic complexity, all qualities that are typically found in most of the music we call jazz.

Not only is Cyrille Aimée, the young French Dominican singer, one of the most adept and charismatic stylists of her time, her band is also one of the greatest two-guitar combos ever. In this live setting, Adrien Moignard’s acoustic blend of gypsy jazz, folk, and bebop, and Michael Valeanu’s warmth and limitless versatility on electric come together to frame every arrangement with creative élan and impeccable taste. Aimée covers Sondheim, Sidney Bechet, Michael Jackson, and Thelonious Monk in ways that connect funk, western swing, jump blues, and more in a seamless continuum, with clutch support from bassist Dylan Shamat and drummer Dani Danor.

Gilels had immense physical power and impeccable control, but he was also capable of exquisitely refined poetry and had an acute perception of the lyrical impulse lying behind even the most assertive of Brahms's writing. The firmness of attack and the depth of sound that make his (and the Berlin Philharmonic's) playing so thrillingly dynamic can be offset by the most poignant of delicate gestures. There is undeniable grandeur to these readings, but with those additional qualities of wise thinking, generous expression and artistry of great subtlety, these performances are in a class of their own.

Here is Vince Guaraldi's breakthrough album – musically, commercially, in every which way. After numerous records as a leader or sideman, for the first time a recognizable Guaraldi piano style emerges, with whimsical phrasing all his own, a madly swinging right hand and occasional boogie-influenced left hand, and a distinctive, throat-catching, melodic improvisational gift. The first half of the program is taken up by cover versions of tunes from the Antonio Carlos Jobim/Luiz Bonfa score for the film Black Orpheus, recorded just as bossa nova was taking hold in America. These are genuinely jazz-oriented impressions in a mainstream boppish manner, with only a breath of samba from Monty Budwig (bass) and Colin Bailey (drums) in the opening minute of "Samba de Orpheus"; an edited version of this haunting song was issued as a 45 rpm single. But DJs soon began flipping the single over to play the B-side, a wistful, unforgettably catchy Guaraldi tune called "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" that opens the North American half of the album.

There was a backlash against Laurie Anderson in "serious" musical and artistic circles after the completely unexpected mainstream commercial success of her debut album, Big Science. (The eight-plus-minute single "O Superman" was a chart hit in England, unbelievably enough.) A fair listen to Big Science leaves the impression that jealousy must have been at the root of the reception because Big Science is in no way a commercial sellout. A thoughtful and often hilariously funny collection of songs from Anderson's work in progress, United States I-IV, Big Science works both as a preview of the larger work and on its own merits. Opening with the hypnotic art rock of "From the Air," in which an airline pilot casually mentions that he's a caveman to a cyclical melody played in unison by a three-part reeds section, and the strangely beautiful title track…

With the glut of "String Tribute To" albums floating around out in the world, an orchestral version of an album is typically just cause to run in the other direction. That said, the orchestral version of Elect the Dead is a welcome re-imagining of the System of a Down frontman’s solo debut. On Elect the Dead Symphony, Serj Tankian worked with composer John Psathas and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra to convert the album from biting prog rock to an elegant symphony that was performed live in Auckland, New Zealand in 2009. Thanks to the singer’s prog leanings, the album translates surprisingly well from one medium to another, bridging the already short gap between progressive rock and classical music…

By the time Columbus Calvin Pearson Jr. arrived in New York in early 1959, he had studied piano, mellophone, baritone, trumpet, and bass. Although best known for his innovative arrangements for Blue Note, he was a pianist at heart, and Profile, recorded within the demanding context of the trio, was his first album as a leader. This is fine, mellow music that makes you feel good. "Like Someone in Love" is a bit up-tempo. "Black Coffee" is a slower composition that captures the need to shake off early-morning cobwebs. "Taboo" is mystical, with the introduction and bridge in different, yet completely complementary tempos. "I'm Glad There Is You" is soft. Mr. Pearson composed "Gate City Blues" and "Two Mile Run": the former is understated elegance; the latter is set in a minor key, with a nice exchange between piano and drums after a bass solo…

Lennie Wright from Web and Samurai produced Brainchild's first and only album, so it's no surprise that "Healing of the Lunatic Owl" is in a similar style to both "I Spider" and Samurai's self-titled album. That means early 70's progressive rock dominated by horns and organ. Brainchild is a septet that recorded their sole album Healing Of The Lunatic Owl in western London in 1970 on the A&M label. The album contains sizzling brass rock, which must rank among the best of the genre, but also with the much more obscure and even more brilliant Warm Dust and Galliard. Brainchild's line-up was basically your standard prog quartet, plus a three-man wind instrument section, including flute, sax, trumpet and trombone.