The genre of solo concertos has become increasingly important for Peter Ruzicka since the 1990s. In his oeuvre, it mediates between the dramatic forms of music theater and orchestral or ensemble works. The four compositions on this CD were created over a decade: AULODIE in 2011, STILL in 2016 (included as the final movement in the Chamber Symphony in 2021), the second concerto for viola or violin and large orchestra in 2020 and 2021 (expanded to include a chamber choir in the violin concerto). DEPART and EINGEDUNKELT were written when cultural life was at a standstill due to the COVID pandemic. For both, remembering acts as an elixir of life, and in both, Paul Celan once again takes center stage in Ruzicka's music. In DEPART, the title and form refer to the poet, "who knew how to name the wounds of the 20th century like no other" (P. Ruzicka), in EINGEDUNKELT his poetry forms the center.

Scarabus is the third and the last studio album by British jazz rock band Ian Gillan Band, released in October 1977. The album was reissued in 1982 by Virgin Records in the height of popularity of Ian Gillan's group Gillan (a CD edition followed in 1989). The CD reissue included an extra track, "My Baby Loves Me". This track, recorded live at the Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan, on 22 September 1977, was originally part of the double LP set Live at the Budokan, and had been omitted from the UK release in error. Ian Gillan re-used the vocal melody of the title track "Scarabus" on the song "Disturbing the Priest" six years later, on the album Born Again (1983) during his short tenure with the British hard rock/heavy metal band Black Sabbath. The guitar riff on "Mercury High" is the same as the one played by guitarist Ray Fenwick on "Back USA" from his 1971 solo album Keep America Beautiful, Get a Haircut.

A 10 CD collection of the legendary conductor's recordings for Everest and Vanguard, made between 1958 to 1967, and with a bonus disc of recordings for other labels. Presented in a deluxe clamshell box, and totalling more than 12 hours of music.

In Hearing of is the third album by British rock band Atomic Rooster. Although not included on the album, "The Devil's Answer" single was released just prior to it, becoming the band's highest chart success at number 4 in the UK. This helped push the album to a number 18 UK chart placing, despite the fact that the four musicians pictured on the inside cover never played together. The backing tracks (and some vocals) were recorded by Vincent Crane, John Cann and Paul Hammond, but Cann and Hammond left the group soon after vocalist Pete French was drafted in. The finished album's sound was dominated by Crane and Hammond, with many of Cann's guitar parts either not used or placed lower in the mix. In addition, many of the songs were written by Crane, along with his first wife, Pat Darnell.

Following up the superb Elegant Gypsy was no mean feat, but Al di Meola gave it his best shot with the similarly styled Casino, released in 1978. Featuring a core band of Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, and Barry Miles (whom di Meola came up with before the guitarist was invited to join Return to Forever), the playing is sharp and fiery, matching the youthful intensity of the leader. Di Meola is a good composer in the fusion idiom, and the four original compositions on Casino, although clearly bearing the mark of Chick Corea's influence, are strong. His "Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars," featuring di Meola accompanying himself via multi-tracking, is beautiful and dramatic, and hints at the guitarist's later all-acoustic works such as Friday Night in San Francisco.

At last, the wait is over, we hear you cry! AVID have finally inducted Miss Peggy Lee into the 4 Classic Albums “hall of fame”! Ok so we have taken our time in paying tribute to the great lady, but we wanted to get it right, we wanted to select the best albums that truly captured Miss Lee’s huge vocal talents. Peggy Lee spent most of her recording career at Capitol Records which she joined in 1947. She had a short break between 1952-56 where she recorded for Decca, and ironically made one of her greatest albums “Black Coffee” (AVC876). We feature three albums for her Capitol years, a couple of classics arranged by the legendary Nelson Riddle, “Jump For Joy” and “The Man I Love” which also features conducting duties by that other rather famous Capitol Records artist, Mr Frank Sinatra! These two are joined by another classic “concept” album “Blues Cross Country” arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones. To round off our selections we feature the extraordinarily intimate “Dream Street” recorded by Peggy for Decca in 1956. And if you need any further proof of the regard Peggy Lee was held in by the jazz fraternity, take a look at some of the names that appear on our selections. Harry “Sweets” Edison, Pete Condoli, Mel Lewis, Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Bill Perkins, Lou Levy, Max Bennett, Benny Carter and Buddy Collette. Oh and did we mention Nelson Riddle, Frank Sinatra and Quincy Jones?!

Composed 25 years after the celebrated work of the same name by Pergolesi, and for the same forces, the Stabat Mater by Nicola Logroscino (pronounced “Logròscino”) belongs to the long list of compositions born of the Neapolitan school, beginning with the model by Alessandro Scarlatti (1723). Although inspired by its illustrious precedents, this work distinguishes itself in its strong theatrical character, derived from the author’s long experience in opera (especially comic opera), of which he was a leading figure until the mid-eighteenth century.

The music by Alessandro Stradella is gaining rapidly in recognition and popularity. The composer’s extremely adventurous life (he was a ladykiller, who himself was murdered in the end by a revengeful rival) and his equally adventurous music presents a forceful image of a fascinating and important figure of the Italian Baroque.

Magdalena Kozená's silken mezzo delivers definitive interpretations of this luscious and enchanting orchestral-song repertoire. Magdalena Kozená, Sir Simon Rattle, and the Berliner Philharmoniker seduce in Ravel's Shéhérazade, stir and awe in Dvořák's austere Biblische Lieder, and render to the fullest the bittersweet potency of Mahler's intricately orchestrated Rückert Lieder. Recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie, these performances excite with the intense musical understanding shared by this husband and wife musical dream team. This release is destined to rival the popularity of Kozená and Rattle's enthralling Mozart collaboration. This is the first in a new series of recording projects reviving the legendary partnership between DG and the Berliner Philharmoniker.

After the success of Bring the Family, John Hiatt originally intended to reunite that album's all-star backing band (Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe, and Jim Keltner) for a follow-up. Hiatt's "dream band" proved to be unavailable, and he ended up cutting Slow Turning with his road band, the Goners, but the finished product proves he remembered well the lessons learned from Bring the Family. Slow Turning is a lighter and wittier affair than Bring the Family; the outlaw rocker "Tennessee Plates" and its more subdued companion piece, "Trudy and Dave," are more rambunctious than anything on the previous album, and the tempos are sharper this time out, with a bit less blues and a touch more twang in the melodies.

Limited 20 disc (17 CDs + three DVDs) set. As one of the UK's most beloved and unconventional bands, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band have delighted audiences for over 60 years with their distinctive blend of music, comedy, and surrealism. This comprehensive 20-disc collection celebrates the complete works of the legendary Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and their impact on a generation of revered artists and comedians, from The Beatles to Monty Python. Known for their hit "I'm the Urban Spaceman," produced by Paul McCartney under the pseudonym Apollo C. Vermouth, the Bonzos left an indelible mark on the British music and comedy landscape. Seven years in the making and put together with band's full co-operation, 'Still Barking' includes: 17 CDs documenting a spectacularly entertaining career featuring: Stereo versions of all of the band's original albums, carefully remastered to capture their idiosyncratic charm. Additional remastered versions 'Gorilla' and 'The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse' in their original mono mixes. A newly compiled remastered CD of all the band's singles. Two discs of demos, rehearsals, and outtakes. A single disc of backing tracks. Three discs of BBC Sessions that capture the band's eccentric live energy. Two live discs: Studio Bellevue, Amsterdam. Recorded: November 1968. Fillmore East, NYC, 17 October 1969. A CD featuring a live show from London's Marquee Club and additional material of band rehearsals from the Manor Studios in Oxfordshire. Plus: Three DVDs of TV performances, including the complete 'Do Not Adjust Your Set' shows, 'Colour Me Pop', 'Beat Club', and more. Highlights include rare appearances, short films, and vintage footage from the height of their career. 148 page hardback coffee table book featuring an essay by Bonzos authority Chris Welch and an in-depth Day By Day Chronology/Cornology by noted author Andy Neill (The Who; Ready, Steady, Go!).

'I Want Blood' is the 2024 solo album from Alice In Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell. Co-produced by Joe Barresi (Tool, Queens of the Stone Age), the album has an energy that rivals any of Cantrell's previous work - powerful, nuanced, and electric. It features Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES), Robert Trujillo (METALLICA), Gil Sharone (TEAM SLEEP, STOLEN BABIES), Mike Bordin (FAITH NO MORE) and backing vocals from Lola Colette and Greg Puciato (BETTER LOVERS, ex-THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN).

ATMA Classique, Ensemble ArtChoral and Mécénat Musica are proud to present Art choral, vol. 6: Moderne with Ensemble ArtChoral under the direction of Matthias Maute. Volume 6 surveys modern choral repertoire from 20th and 21st century composers, including Canadian Andrew Balfour (Præter rerum seriem), Americans Samuel Barber (Agnus Dei), Aaron Copland (Help Us, O Lord), and Morten Lauridsen (O magnum mysterium), and English composer Edward Elgar, among others. The album features outstanding works in the modern choral repertoire, some of which have become a reference point for any choir open to contemporary music.

Steppenwolf were one of the pioneering bands of American hard rock, conjuring the roaring sound of a biker gang laying claim to the highway on hits like "Born to be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride." Like most early hard rock acts, Steppenwolf's approach was steeped in the blues, but with an added level of lyrical swagger and a full-bodied attack that added hints of acid rock. The key elements of their sound were the rough, throaty vocals of leader John Kay, the hard, barking tone of the eclectic guitar, and the thick, muscular voice of the overdriven electric organ. While wild good times informed most of their hits, as their career went on they shifted their focus to more serious themes, including politics, militarism, feminism, and the environment. Steppenwolf's initial run is documented thoroughly by the 2021 box set Magic Carpet Ride

A Plastic Theatre takes its name from a commission for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Youth Company in 2023 – a 20-minute work for orchestra, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston and the RLPO Youth Choir and Children’s Choir. The centrepiece of this album is a recording of the world premiere performance.Joanna Marsh is a renowned British composer of choral and orchestral music. Marsh’s music has long been celebrated and she was recently nominated for an Ivors Academy Award.