Eero Heinonen has long been a champion of the composers neglected output for piano. With this recording he continues to make the case for music that does not easily give up its secrets but, in the right hands, sings with Sibeliuss unique voice. Sibelius was not himself an accomplished pianist, but he wrote for the instrument at which he composed throughout his career, and maintained that, while often overlooked, its time would come. In recent years his prophecy has come true, especially with the Op.75 suite of five pieces which he composed in 1914 and titled The Trees.

Powell returns from the original 2010 animated trilogy to re-score the 2025 live-action adaptation, weaving in themes from his beloved original work.John Powell's score for How to Train Your Dragon stands as an emotional, adventurous masterpiece celebrated by both fans and critics. Its blend of sweeping orchestration, folk inspiration, and vivid themes earned it widespread acclaim and prestigious award recognition, securing its place among the best animated film scores of its decade.

Memorable melodies and a descriptive sense of place mark out Alexey Shor’s two concertos. The Cello Concerto juxtaposes styles across the epochs in pursuit of a unique ‘musical pilgrimage’, while in the Violin Concerto No. 3 his focus is on ‘seasonal’ Manhattan, as he adds a contemporary vision to the historical precedents set by Vivaldi and Piazzolla. Phoenix is a rhapsodic fantasy, lyrical and full of variation, which evokes a sense of renewal and transformation, while Schubertango offers a celebration of playful contrasts.

One of the foremost vocal chamber ensembles active today, New York Polyphony is renowned for its innovative programming ranging from Gregorian chant to contemporary commissions.

Martin Gester Gester, founder of Le Parlement de Musique, keeps active in a variety of roles, from Baroque music conductor to organist to lied accompanist.

Traffic Though it ultimately must be considered an interim vehicle for singer/songwriter/keyboardist/guitarist Steve Winwood, Traffic was a successful group that followed its own individual course through the rock music scene of the late '60s and early '70s. Beginning in the psychedelic year of 1967 and influenced by the Beatles, the band turned out eclectic pop singles in its native Great Britain, though by the end of its first year of existence it had developed a pop/rock hybrid tied to its unusual instrumentation: At a time when electric guitars ruled rock, Traffic emphasized Winwood's organ and the reed instruments played by Chris Wood, especially flute. After Dave Mason, who had provided the band with an alternate folk-pop sound, departed for good, Traffic leaned toward extended songs that gave its players room to improvise in a jazz-like manner, even as the rhythms maintained a rock structure.

Queen ruled the airwaves of the 70's and 80's with their showy pomp-rock, packing out stadiums and storming the charts. Their elaborately-produced records were matched only by the showmanship of legendary frontman Freddie Mercury, whose swagger and vocal gymnastics were perfectly matched by Brian May’s overdubbed guitar. Over their career, Queen achieved six platinum records and eight gold, with hits including “We Are the Champions”, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Will Rock You” and “Under Pressure”. The band’s reign of the charts came to an abrupt end in 1991 with the tragic death of Mercury. The surviving members have since toured the world with a number of guest vocalists, and their place in rock history cemented in 2001 when Queen were indicted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Byrds Although they only attained the huge success of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys for a brief period in the mid-'60s, time has judged the Byrds to be nearly as influential as those groups in the long run. They were not solely responsible for devising folk-rock, but they were certainly more responsible than any other single act (Dylan included) for melding the innovations and energy of the British Invasion with the best lyrical and musical elements of contemporary folk music.

This splendid and authoritative recital by Elissa Edwards and Richard Kolb of arias and cantatas from Barbara Strozzi’s last published opus showcases the dramatically coloured, highly charged power of the composer’s expressive toolkit, lit by the emerging harmonic language of the Baroque, influenced by Monteverdi through her teacher Cavalli, as a serious precedent for the future of opera. In his booklet notes Kolb comments that in Strozzi’s time a taste for ‘indulgence in the sensual pleasure of vocal melody or as an esoteric manifestation of nothingness’ was growing – the future indeed.

One of the greatest stars of the rock & roll era, David Bowie evaded easy categorization throughout his career, operating as the artiest rocker within the mainstream and the most accessible musician on the fringe.

100 No 1 Hits of the '50's is designed and signed as a reference on your choice of several exchangers file. 100 No.1 Hits Of The ’50s Artist: VARIOUS ARTISTS Format: 4CD Digipack If ever there was a time that saw a seismic shift in musical output and fan reaction on both sides of the Atlantic, it was the fifties. From the early years of the decade, when virtually nothing rivalled the Tin Pan Alley-based records from established stars, through to the later years with the arrival of rock & roll and skiffle, there was never such a radical upheaval in the music business. Our selection of 100 hits is drawn from both the American and British charts, though many of them were top sellers in both countries. Convenience, reliability and availability, is the property of our portal, as well as the immensity of the creative transformation!

Queen epitomize all the glittery excess of album-oriented rock in the 1970s, marrying the crunch of heavy metal to the pomp of prog rock then leavening the heady mixture with camp humor. It's an eccentric blend that proves to be surprisingly versatile, allowing for the mock-operatic "Bohemian Rhapsody," soaring arena rock like "Somebody to Love," thumping rockers like "Fat Bottomed Girls," the neo-rockabilly "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," and the disco excursion "Another One Bites the Dust." Queen's range proves that they were a deceptively egalitarian band: they're the only classic rock group where each member wrote at least one of the group's signature songs.

Daniel Hope Described at one time in his publicity materials as "the British violinist," as if he were the only one, Daniel Hope is at least the most versatile British violinist of the early 21st century. An advocate of contemporary music, he has also performed Beethoven and Schumann with the period-instrument ensemble Concerto Köln, recorded music inspired by Indian classical composer/performer Ravi Shankar, partnered with actor Klaus Maria Brandauer in conceptual projects involving music and the spoken word, and recorded a pair of successful albums that use the familiar music of Antonio Vivaldi as a starting point for further creative activity.

Chicago was one of the most successful bands of the rock era, racking up 21 Billboard Top Ten hits between 1970 and 1990, a period where they survived the departure of key band members while also subtly adapting to changing times. That's not an easy task for any rock band and it's especially difficult for a group like Chicago, a band that placed equal (if not greater) emphasis on horns as guitar. Picking up where Blood, Sweat & Tears left off, Chicago initially specialized in jazz-inflected prog-rock, using the sides of a vinyl record as canvasses for sprawling, adventurous rock. Chicago quickly learned how to channel this expansive sound into concise pop songs, scoring hits in the early 1970s with such punchy tunes as "25 or 6 to 4" and "Beginnings," while also showing facility with sweeter melodies on "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "Saturday in the Park." As the decade progressed, the band began to emphasize their softer side with bassist Peter Cetera singing such mellow standards as "If You Leave Me Now," "Baby, What a Big Surprise" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry." The band stayed in this lane after Cetera's departure in the mid-1980s, not missing a beat with new lead vocalist BIll Champlin; he sang the number one hit "Look Away," as well as "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and "Look Away." Hits dried up in the 1990s but Chicago remained a pop/rock institution, with original members keyboardist Robert Lamm, trumpeter Lee Loughnane and trombonist James Pankow leading a rotating cast of supporting members through regular tours and albums.

Chicago was one of the most successful bands of the rock era, racking up 21 Billboard Top Ten hits between 1970 and 1990, a period where they survived the departure of key band members while also subtly adapting to changing times. That's not an easy task for any rock band and it's especially difficult for a group like Chicago, a band that placed equal (if not greater) emphasis on horns as guitar. Picking up where Blood, Sweat & Tears left off, Chicago initially specialized in jazz-inflected prog-rock, using the sides of a vinyl record as canvasses for sprawling, adventurous rock. Chicago quickly learned how to channel this expansive sound into concise pop songs, scoring hits in the early 1970s with such punchy tunes as "25 or 6 to 4" and "Beginnings," while also showing facility with sweeter melodies on "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "Saturday in the Park." As the decade progressed, the band began to emphasize their softer side with bassist Peter Cetera singing such mellow standards as "If You Leave Me Now," "Baby, What a Big Surprise" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry." The band stayed in this lane after Cetera's departure in the mid-1980s, not missing a beat with new lead vocalist BIll Champlin; he sang the number one hit "Look Away," as well as "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and "Look Away." Hits dried up in the 1990s but Chicago remained a pop/rock institution, with original members keyboardist Robert Lamm, trumpeter Lee Loughnane and trombonist James Pankow leading a rotating cast of supporting members through regular tours and albums.