Fridrich Bruk – born in Kharkov in 1937 and a Finnish resident since 1974 – made his name as a composer of tangos. But the heart of his music lies in a series of (to date) 21 symphonies, which have a strong narrative element, some reflecting Jewish themes, others inspired by Karelia and Finland. The three most recent together form a kind of meta-symphony premised on the persecution of the Jews in the first half of the twentieth century. Bruk’s kaleidoscopic use of orchestral colour, his angular but expressive melodies and his dramatic musical language reflect this urge to chronicle the outrage visited on his fellow Jews – and which directly impinged on his own life.

This harpsichord recital by Scott Ross was first broadcast on the French radio France Musique in 1986. It was only released on CD in 2009 by Diapason. In this recital, Scott Ross plays the Suite in E minor and the First Concert in C minor by Jean-Philipe Rameau, the 4th suite in D major by Johann Sebastian Bach and three sonatas (K215, K492 and K27) by Domenico Scarlatti.

Uchida's performances seem completely natural as if that is the way the performances were intended. Not a point of cunning escapes her. Yet there is never a trace of self-consciousness in her point-making, not even in the heightened intensity of the tragic B minor Adagio. It is Mozart at his purest.

When I founded my ensemble Les Arts Florissants in 1979, I knew at once that I wanted the battle I was launching to make the baroque repertory popular again to be fought not only in the concert hall but also through that wonderful weapon of seduction, recordings.

Loreena McKennitt's fourth release, and first for a major label, is a quietly majestic tapestry of worldbeat and Celtic pop that effortlessly weaves together traditional and contemporary songs into lush showcases for her fluid voice and harp. The multi-talented Canadian utilizes all of her strengths here, resulting in her most rewarding batch of tunes to date. With larger production values and more ambitious arrangements than the sparse Elemental and Parallel Dreams, her flair for the dramatic and the theatrical runs rampant throughout. Whether she's toasting the souls of the departed with Pagan glee on the delicious "All Souls Night," or reinterpreting King Henry VIII's "Greensleeves" through Tom Waits, it's never without both feet in the water.

German/British rock band, established 1971 in Krefeld, led by Colin Orr. In Germany, a British band, Janus, who were re-writing the rules of progressive music, by combining ear-shattering rock with classical and flamenco music, were the first band to be signed to Harvest in Germany. They released the legendary “Gravedigger” album, and one single, at the tail end of 1972, but then went into self-destruct mode, by burning through their advance royalties in a 12 month party, which may well have achieved an even greater legendary status than their debut album.

The impressive Downwind is the first release from the band under its new moniker, Pierre Moerlen's Gong, as Moerlen assumes creative control and dominance. The release marks a return to vocals/lyrics, which proves only partially successful. Moerlen's voice is a hit on the opener, the rocking "Aeroplane," and the collective vocals on the fast-paced, percussive "Jin-Go-Lo-Ba" (popularized by Santana) are right on target. His singing is weak, though, on "What You Know" and detracts from the song's quality. Mick Taylor makes his only appearance here with an exceptional guitar solo.

Grandine il vento is the 13th studio album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, first released in 2013 and re-released as Symphony of Light in 2014. First Renaissance studio album in over a decade, with vocalist Annie Haslam and guitarist/composer Michael Dunford. Recorded before the tragic passing of Michael Dunford in late 2012. Featuring guest appearances by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull (on Cry to the World) and John Wetton (Blood Silver Like Moonlight).

Resonance Records goes out of its way again to unearth yet another significant chapter in jazz history, and once again, it's one that relatively few fans have ever heard. This performance of Jaco Pastorius' Word of Mouth Big Band was captured during George Wein's Kool Jazz Festival at Avery Fisher Hall. It was broadcast on NPR's Jazz Alive program, but this double disc contains the entire performance, with more than 40 minutes of additional music.