This is, by operatic standards of fidelity, a very faithful musical treatment of Edmond Rostand's classic drama about the swashbuckling poet and swordsman with the big nose. The music is competent but not spectacular; that quality is found in the libretto. The title role is expertly filled by Roberto Alagna, who not only has the best tenor voice in France but also turns out to be an accomplished actor in a demanding role. He is well-supported by a cast that clearly loves the story, its various characters and its often brilliant dialogue.

Richter on the road in Tours France, with no studio in sight, and with a great Russian string quartet in a live performance. This enterprise in thoroughly inspired. Good tempi throughout and nothing drags. There is great interplay between Richter and the Borodins. They milk the lyrical content of the first movement and build the finale to its electrifying finale.

Fortune dealt Hans Rott a cruel hand. The Austrian composer, born in Vienna in 1858, struggled as a freelance musician and died at the age of twenty-five soon after succumbing to mental illness. Rott’s name lives on thanks to his Symphony No. 1 in E major and receives top billing in a new recording of the work by the Bamberger Symphoniker and its Chief Conductor Jakub Hrůša. They complete their programme with the Symphonic Prelude by Rott’s organ teacher Anton Bruckner and “Blumine” by his friend and fellow Vienna Conservatory student Gustav Mahler.

The Swedish saviors of heavy metal HammerFall let the hammer strike again, radiating power on all artistic levels with their twelfth studio album, Hammer Of Dawn! When HammerFall released their debut album, Glory To The Brave, in 1997, they not only brought a breath of fresh air into the metal scene, but also managed to trigger a gargantuan boom for traditional heavy metal. Up until today, HammerFall has released several massive albums bursting with distinctive strength that assuredly won’t disappoint, just as can be expected of Hammer Of Dawn.
Hammer Of Dawn starts off with remarkable opener “Brotherhood”, a hymn echoing the deep friendship of bandleaders Joacim Cans and Oscar Dronjak, but also serving as a shout-out to their loyal Templars…

In the bebop revolution of the 1940’s, as Charlie Parker was the leading voice of the alto saxophone, so was Bud Powell the leading voice of the piano. Recorded in 1956 (before his Paris sojourn), the long-unavailable Blues in the Closet features Powell’s lightning-fast runs and nimble keyboard navigations on a set of originals and well-chosen standards. He is accompanied by Osie Johnson, a solid mainstream drummer, and the dean of jazz bassists, Ray Brown. A must for Powell fans and bop devotees.

Swedish band Life was founded in 1970 by Tomas Rydberg, Anders Nordh and Paul Sundlin, the latter two also know for their work in 60's band Trolls. Inspired by bands such as Tear Gas and Leafhound they explored a form of progressive hard rock, and produced one full length album in 1970 followed by two 7 inch singles in 1970 and 1971 respectively. Their album was actually issued in bilingual versions - one Swedish version for the home market and an English one for the buying audience in the rest of the world. Life fell apart in 1972 though, for one reason or another. 34 years later Life reunited, initially to prepare for a jubilation concert.

One From the Heart is the score to the most misunderstood of Francis Ford Coppola's films. Far ahead of its time in terms of technology, use of color, montage, and set design, its soundtrack is the only thing that grounds it to earth. Coppola's movie is a metaphorical retelling of the exploits of Zeus and Hera set in Las Vegas. Coppola claims to have been taken with the male-female narrative implications of the track "I Don't Talk to Strangers," off Tom Waits' Foreign Affairs album. That cut was a duet with Bette Midler. Midler wasn't available for One From the Heart, however, so Waits chose Crystal Gayle as his vocal foil. The result is one of the most beautifully wrought soundtrack collaborations in history…