Concertgoers and critics alike rave about Silke Aichhorn's entertainingly moderated concerts, and her goal is nothing less than the redefinition of the image of the harp! Active as a soloist and chamber musician, Aichhorn is one of the most sought-after and versatile harpists of her generation. Following her release featuring Eichner's harp concertos, she now interprets for cpo three harp concertos by Johann Wilhelm Hertel, a composer regarded as one of the most important representatives of the empfindsamer Stil during the German preclassical period. His concerto oeuvre comprises some fifty solo concertos, and seventeen harpsichord concertos by him are known today.

Bianca e Falliero was commissioned by La Scala, Milan, for its prestigious Carnival season of 1819–20, enjoying a run of no fewer than 39 performances. Rossini responded with a score the virtuosity and expressivity of which outdid even his Neapolitan works. Prevailing tastes at La Scala meant that ensembles predominated over arias but behind the conventional dictates Rossini lavished the utmost care on his work, fashioning an opera full of dramatic coloratura and powerful theatrical craft and notable for its rich and often surprising use of harmony.

The style of the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů was enriched by numerous influences which are reflected in The Greek Passion; magnificent choirs contrast vividly with intimate chamber music, and folkloristic elements are placed next to complex, classically worked-out orchestral movements. A highly emotional mixture of oratorio and dramatic opera takes the listener into a world in which catastrophes abound. Lorenzo Fioroni, who has directed operas in Nuremberg, Augsburg and Heidelberg, has produced this dramatic contest against fear in Graz.

Revived after 171 years in oblivion, the staging of Rosmonda dInghilterra at Bergamos Teatro Donizetti proved fascinating for the Italian public. From the excellent cast of singers, Jessica Pratt and Eva Mei gave standout performances. The opera revolves around a tale of love and intrigue surrounding the main protagonists- the famous Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, her husband Henry II of England, and the fair Rosamund de Clifford. Rosmonda is the quintessential innocent, unaware that the man she loves is the King of England and that she has unwittingly become a rival to the much-feared Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor, having already had her first marriage annulled for reasons of consanguinity, is unwilling to se her second marriage also fail.

After the success of his recordings of Symphonies nos. 1, 3 and 4, released on the Phi label in 2016, Philippe Herreweghe offers us the next instalment of Schubert’s orchestral output with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic: the Symphony no.2 D. 125 and Symphony no.5 D. 485 – both in B flat major. Like those on the previous disc, these works from his youth – written when the Viennese composer was not yet twenty years old – mark the promising beginnings of an already highly accomplished composer.

Originated from the new-wave scene that followed the punk explosion of the late 70's, The Police stood out of the pack mostly due to the fusion of reggae and punk that permeated their music. When you top that with an exquisite songwriting talent and a level of execution that was way above the band with which they shared the scene, you have a band for the ages. In The Many Faces Of The Police we will explore the band’s different paths, their lesser known projects, we will honor their songs and finally we will examine the scene that gave birth to their career. The Many Faces Of The Police is an essential album for every rock music fan, a fantastic journey through their music, presented with extended liner notes, a luxurious cover art and remastered sound.

Inspired by the raw power of the Stooges and the glam rock excess of the New York Dolls, Birmingham, England, native Dave Kusworth formed his first band (TV Eye) at the age of 16. Since then, the versatile singer/songwriter/guitarist has done time in the Hawks, Dogs D'Amour, the Jacobites (with ex-Swell Maps mastermind Nikki Sudden), the Bounty Hunters, and the Tenderhooks, as well as his own Dave Kusworth Group. His songs, gutter-bound tales of rock & roll heartache that bring to mind the Faces and the Rolling Stones, have been covered by Evan Dando and Mercury Rev and feted by the likes of Tom Waits, Chuck Prophet, and Peter Buck.

Brigitte - Klassik zum Genießen: Die neue Serie mit einfach schöner Musik, ausgewählt von der Musikredaktion der Brigitte und Sony Classical.
Dorothee Oberlinger hat längst bewiesen, welch abwechslungsreiches und virtuoses Instrument die Blockflöte ist. Für ihre herausragende Musikalität wurde sie 2008 mit dem Echo Klassik als Instrumentalistin des Jahres ausgezeichnet. Sowohl Fachpresse als auch Musikliebhaber überschlagen sich mit Lob. »Barocke Freuden! Welch' Klangwelle rollt auf uns zu, wenn man die Flötentöne von Dorothee Oberlinger hört«, schreibt Spiegel Online.

'Armide' is in the form of a tragédie en musique, a genre invented by Lully and Quinault, and was their last collaboration. It was a new form of opera that combined elements of classical French drama with ballet, French song and a new form of recitative. Critics in the 18th century regarded 'Armide' as Lully's masterpiece and it continues to be well-regarded, featuring some of the best-known music in French baroque opera and being arguably ahead of its time in its psychological interest. The subject, chosen for Lully by King Louis XIV, is the enchantress Armide’s unhappy love for the knight Renaud, drawn from Tasso’s 'Gerusalemme liberata'.

The life of the Russian composer Alexey Stanchinsky makes for a sad read. Afflicted by mental illness, initially brought to a head by the death of his father, he met an untimely end in October 1914 next to a stream. The exact circumstances remain unclear to this day. What is certain is that he was only 26 years old, and had already made an impression with the musical cognoscenti of the time, being admired by the likes of Prokofiev and Medtner. As a teenager he had benefited from the tutelage of such distinguished figures as Josef Lhévinne and Alexander Grechaninov, and later at the Moscow Conservatoire with Sergei Taneyev and Konstantin Igumnov. Although he was acutely receptive to the musical influences of the day, he wasn't slow in finding his own individual voice. Having said that, I can hear echoes of Rachmaninov and Scriabin in these works, the melodic generosity of the former and the adventurous harmony of the latter.

With that of Orpheus, the myth of Dido has no doubt been one of the most prolific in epics, drama and, as from the 17th century, in musical theatre. Teodor Currentzis, a young rising star on the international scene (let's just mention his success in 2008 at Opéra Bastille), took hold of this musical monument to offer us a version where, for once, drama prevails.

A 2017 remaster of Rock St. Trop, the fascinating 1969 collaboration between The Pretty Things and Philippe Debarge (an eccentric wealthy playboy from France).
In late August 1969, Phil May and Wally Waller were flown to St. Tropez by Philippe Debarge and taken to the DeBarge family estate - a magnet for the rich and famous of the era, from politicians to film and rock stars. DeBarge had serious money and wanted to make a serious album, with him as front man. Philippe had done his research and knew exactly who he wanted to make that album with The Pretty Things…