This is Marc-André Hamelin's second recording of the Alkan Concerto for Solo Piano (the first for Music & Arts dates from 1992) and he now trumps his previous ace with a performance of the Concerto of such brilliance and lucidity that one can only listen in awe and amazement.

These three early symphonies join the series of ASMF/Marriner recordings of all the 'named' symphonies of Haydn. They are delightfully lightweight with unusual prominence given to the woodwind, and they receive here wholly enjoyable 'chamber-music' style performances of great style and precision. The recorded balance has ideal spread and depth, the harpsichord being just in evidence. The sum of its many musical and technical virtues makes this CD compulsive listening through every one of its 13 movements.

Composed in 1976, Górecki’s Symphony No. 3, “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs,” describes the anguished, raw pain of separation and death with music of a timeless, almost primitive quality. Its performance demands an emotional directness from both orchestra and soprano soloist, and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki, is in searing form alongside the fragile, unvarnished voice of Beth Gibbons, singer of UK trip-hop pioneers Portishead. Gibbons intones the tragedy of each movement with an earthbound purity and honesty, and her voice carries aloft the almost unbearably powerful second movement. That this is a live recording makes her performance all the more impressive.

Rosanne Cash left Nashville in the early 90's. The first album she recorded in New York with John Leventhal, The Wheel, celebrates 30 years with an exclusive 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition that features a 2023 Remastered version of the original album and an additional 11 tracks from the 1993 Live from Austin City Limits and Live from The Columbia House Records Radio Hour sessions, making their digital debut. Rosanne says of the album, "It’s satisfying and sweet to re-introduce The Wheel in this thirtieth anniversary year. I can’t look back at that time and separate the music from Love. What was true then has become more true and more alive every day since. We listen to this record now, and wish we had mixed the vocal a little louder on this track, or had a different guitar sound on that track, but honestly, it’s perfect for its time and place. I have a friend who doesn’t believe that artists evolve, but that there are only different stages and expressions. I’m not sure about that, but in either case, I’m so grateful for The Wheel. It turns out I can’t orchestrate the movement of the stars. They do that all on their own."

Featuring 15 tracks of the month’s best new music by John Cale, The Dirty Three, Linda Thompson, The Folk Implosion, John Grant, Cassandra Jenkins, Eiko Ishibashi, Bill MacKay and more.

Cyrille Dubois is unstoppable: after two albums dedicated to Liszt and the Boulanger sisters, both acclaimed by the critics, and a flamboyant complete set of Fauré songs, the tenor is back to his preferred repertoire, the French art-song. He reunites with his accomplice, pianist Tristan Raës, to bring the Bordeaux composer Louis Beydts (1895-1953) out of oblivion, most of whose pieces are recorded here for the first time.

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Serge Rachmaninoff, PaTRAM Institute Male Choir invites you to experience the extraordinary beauty of his choral tour de force, the All-night Vigil, composed in 1915. The Vigil is a traditional Russian Orthodox evening worship service. Combining the offices of Vespers and Matins, it is celebrated on evenings in advance of Sundays and major feast days. Rachmaninoff’s setting of fifteen fixed texts appointed for Saturday evening services relies principally on traditional chant melodies. The ‘Rachmaninoff in the Holy Land’ project brought together experienced choristers from around the globe to unite as PaTRAM Institute Male Choir.

Hailing from Kristiansand, Norway, In Vain has been a pioneering force in Norwegian progressive extreme metal since 2003. Founded by guitarist Johnar Haaland and vocalist Andreas Frigstad, the band's melodic extreme metal sound set them apart early on. In 2007, In Vain released their first full-length album 'The Latter Rain', a collaborative effort with nearly twenty guest musicians, showcasing their prowess in diverse, progressive arrangements. Subsequent albums like 'Mantra' (2010) and 'AEnigma' (2013) continued to push musical boundaries. Their album 'Solemn' is showcasing exceptional musicianship across the board, and further elevating the experience with a resplendent, organic production, masterfully honed to perfection by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Katatonia, Devin Townsend, Kreator).