Acclaimed flautist Lisa Friend writes: It has long been a dream of mine to record an album featuring the works of some of my favourite American composers. Having grown up in New York, I have cherished memories of watching, as a young child, my father, Rodney Friend (concertmaster), perform with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of his close friend Leonard Bernstein. I recall being in rehearsals, where my father and Bernstein would often discuss the scores during breaks – a time I wish I could relive. This album brings together a selection of American works and original arrangements that hold a special place in my heart. Dad always played Heifetz’s version of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, hence my wanting to record it here. Bernstein’s West Side Story, and especially the theme ‘Somewhere’, has been one of my all-time favourites. I have recorded Ashokan Farewell for my brother Steven, knowing how much he loves this beautiful melody.

“We have wanted to record Bach’s violin concertos with Sophie Gent ever since she joined Ensemble Masques in 2003”, says Olivier Fortin, harpsichordist and founder of the ensemble that explores Baroque music with such passion. "Sophie is an exceptional musician with an extremely convincing, honest and unpretentious style”. Another pillar of the group is Kathleen Kajioka, who is the soloist for Telemann's viola concerto. "Telemann is a fantastic storyteller," she says, "who provides a plot, characters, costumes and props — and leaves you to put it all together”. Two sinfonie by Albinoni link the concertos and shine a spotlight on each musician in the ensemble.

Following up her critically acclaimed recording of Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber's Rosary Sonatas, violinist and musical director Rachel Podger leads Brecon Baroque on Just Biber, an album of Sonatas from Biber's 1681 collection Sonatæ Violino Solo and his theatrical Sonata Representivo. These works are extremely virtuosic with extensive multiple stopping and dazzling passages of stylus fantasticus. In Biber’s time, harmony was something cosmic, vibrating in a God-given resonance between human, instrumental and celestial bodies. Dedicated to Archbishop Maximilian Gandolf, the sonatas were not only designed to delight, but also potentially to balm and heal; Biber described the sonatas as a kind of prayer for the Archbishop’s longevity and good health.

An artist whose work fuses the bold punch of arena-ready rock with defiant, thoughtful songwriting, John Mellencamp's most famous music is full of passion, heart, and an understanding of the lives of ordinary folks living in the American Midwest. One of the cornerstone artists of the heartland rock movement of the 1980s, Mellencamp's musical roots lie in the sounds of the '60s, particularly the muscular wallop of the Rolling Stones and their garage-y imitators, along with the folk-rock revolution pioneered by Bob Dylan. His early hits, such as "Hurts So Good," "Jack & Diane," and "Pink Houses" are knowing sketches of small-town life accompanied by a crack rock & roll band, and albums like 1982's American Fool and 1983's Uh-Huh took him to stardom. As his career progressed, Mellencamp evolved toward socially conscious storytelling. He co-founded the charity Farm Aid the same year he released his defining album, 1985's Scarecrow, which reflects the same kind of populist philosophies, and his characters changed little with time, even when his music did. Elements of folk, blues, and other roots rock music became more prominent in his arrangements, and his themes grew more introspective beginning with 1993's Human Wheels – those themes became dominant in his work as the '90s gave way to the 2000s. 2010's No Better Than This marked the point where he fully immersed himself in folk and roots music as his voice gained the grit of an elder statesman, and 2023's Orpheus Descending was a tough, rootsy blend of political and personal observations.

Seven years after their album "Debussy… et le jazz", the artists of the Quatuor Debussy have conceived the idea of celebrating Ravel in three quite different ways. As well as the French composer’s famous Quartet, they have recorded a transcription by Alain Brunier of Ma mère l’Oye (the Mother Goose suite), as well as inviting vibraphone virtuoso Franck Tortiller to join in the fun by combining the original score of Le Tombeau de Couperin with jazz improvisations – an approach that Ravel, from all we know of him, would have greatly relished.

Entité unique en son genre, les Talking Heads auront démontré la possibilité de faire rimer cérébral avec animal et de faire se rencontrer groove et rigueur en une recette art pop singulière, descendante du Velvet Underground autant que des rythmiques funk secouant New York à la fin des années 70, le tout sans sombrer dans la prétention. S'appuyant sur la section rythmique constituée de Tina Weymouth (basse) et Chris Frantz (batterie), futurs Tom Tom Club, ainsi que la guitare et les claviers de Jerry Harrison, la personnalité atypique et la voix unique de David Byrne trouvent un canevas de choix, menant à la publication d'une série de cinq albums hautement influents, entre 1977 et 1983, parmi lesquels les classiques Fear of Music (1979) et Remain in Light (1980) tandis que défilent les collaborateurs de choix à l'instar d'Adrian Belew ou Bernie Worrell avant la fin de l'aventure en 1991.

Baritone Florian Boesch and pianist Malcolm Martineau continue their successful collaboration on Linn with a recital pairing two geniuses who hated each other. Exploring the rivalry between Johannes Brahms and Hugo Wolf, the album showcases some of their most compelling songs which express deep emotion and philosophical themes.

Marvin Gaye Graced with an extraordinary voice, complex personality, musical genius, and a backstory worthy of a Hollywood movie, Marvin Gaye wasn't your average soul singer. Born in Washington on the 2nd of April in 1939, the now legendary singer began his career singing at church at the age of four, accompanied by his father on piano. Marvin's mother was a supportive figure who encouraged her son to pursue music, and once he got to high school, he joined various doo-wop groups. By contrast, Marvin's father was a violent man who would regularly beat his son, and this pushed Marvin to join the U.S air force once he had completed his schooling. He quickly became disillusioned with the forces however, and faked madness in order to be discharged. Back in Washington, Marvin Gaye started the Marquees with his best friend, Reese Palmer. The band made quite a buzz, and found itself working with Bo Diddley, who managed to secure them a contract at OKeh records, a sub-division of Columbia.

The fifth consecutive fortnightly release from the LPO label, currently celebrating their 20th anniversary year.

As part of its successful 'sessions' series, FTD is pleased to announce the release of The Harum Scarum Sessions - the 60th anniversary edition! Newly mixed and mastered by Sebastian Jeansson and Vic Anesini, the masters and outtakes now offer far superior audio to the original 1965 soundtrack album. For purists, the original masters are also featured on Disc 3.

The Living Fire is a celebration of choral music written for or associated with Jesus College, Cambridge. Featuring several premiere recordings of contemporary choral works by emerging composers, this album highlights the artistry within the College whilst honouring it's rich musical legacy. At the same time, it looks forward: the impetus behind this project was to provide a platform for emerging artists from within the College community to showcase their work. This project holds particular significance for several Choir members since, among the lyricists and composers, are former ensemble members. Their deep connection to the group has allowed for the creation of choral works uniquely suited to individual voices and our corporate strengths, making these world premieres all the more fitting. Many of the other contemporary works on this album are staples of Choral Evensong, beloved by the Choir and heard in Chapel services for many years. This album is a celebration of the bright future of music at Jesus College, the Choir's integral role in this special community, and it's broader contribution to the development and enjoyment of choral music globally.

Ike & Tina Turner As husband and wife, Ike & Tina Turner headed up one of the most potent live acts on the R&B circuit during the '60s and early '70s. Guitarist and bandleader Ike kept his ensemble tight and well-drilled while throwing in his own distinctively twangy plucking; lead vocalist Tina was a ferocious whirlwind of power and energy, a raw sexual dynamo who was impossible to contain when she hit the stage, leading some critics to call her the first female singer to embody the true spirit of rock & roll. In their prime, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue specialized in a hard-driving, funked-up hybrid of soul and rock that, in its best moments, rose to a visceral frenzy that few R&B acts of any era could hope to match.

Alexander Melnikov returns to Rachmaninoff with an exploration of the poetic world of the Variations on a Theme by Chopin. He travelled to Lake Lucerne to record this album on the master’s own piano at Villa Senar, Rachmaninoff’s last summer home. To accompany this eminently lyrical music, he joins forces with the luminous soprano of Julia Lezhneva and invites us to discover some of the Russian composer’s most beautiful songs from this period of intense creative ferment.

What is this Bryn Terfel collection, exactly, that contains "Simple Gifts," the beginning of Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater," "Send in the Clowns," and even "The Rose" (not the one e'er blooming, but the Bette Midler or Conway Twitty vehicle)? It is, per the back cover text, Bryn's "personal collection of sacred, spiritual, and meditative songs." The album still might seem like quite a hodgepodge to a browser reading the tracklist, but it is exactly the elusiveness of the thread connecting these songs that makes this a superior example of the crossover vocal species.

Chuck Berry is perhaps the defining musician of the early rock & roll era, the one figure responsible for the music's sound, style, and sensibility that created the blueprint for the generations that followed.