Henri Herz was a phenomenon in 1830s Paris and 1840s America, but today his music is mostly forgotten. He wrote eight piano concertos, one of which was lost. Concertos 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 appear across two previous volumes of the Romantic Piano Concertos series. Here, Howard Shelley and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra put on their finest dancing shoes to complete the cycle with Piano Concerto No. 2 (the one with which Herz conquered America in 1846) and three extended fantasies.

Genesis is a unique case in the world of popular music, as it began its career as a cult band and despite losing its lead singer, the charismatic Peter Gabriel, they moved on with then-drummer Phil Collins as front man, which brought them massive and unexpected success in the 80s. In this chapter of our The Many Faces series, we explore Genesis' inner world, including some of its members' rare side-projects, their collaborations, versions of some of their most iconic songs and the early-stages of the band, when they were still a bunch of teens who hardly imagined they would become one of the greatest bands of all times. The Many Faces Of Genesis is an essential album, that showcases the hidden stories behind a unique band.

In this group of a dozen songs spanning more than half a century, Nancy Harrow demonstrates her ability to absorb the essence of the most valuable popular music from any era. She concentrates on pieces that helped the Beatles become one of the best-known bands in the world and leavens the collection with standards by master songwriters who have enriched the lives of generations.

A new Antonio Florio-directed recording from Glossa, once more focusing on a famous Italian singer from the Baroque era, again features the gorgeous vocal qualities of the modern-day Italian interpreter of such music, Roberta Invernizzi. This new and glorious succession of virtuoso arias captivated audiences in Roman theatres through the vocal chords of one eminent singer from 1718 onwards…

Formed in 1971 by old schoolmates Dane Stevens and Cedric Sharpley, along with local bass player Neil Brewer, Druid spent years playing clubs as a trio before winning a competition by Melody Maker for the best unsigned band. At this point they added Andrew McCrorie-Shand, a recent London College of Music graduate. The Melody Maker prize included new instruments and a recording contract, and their debut album appeared in July 1975 among envious whispers by rival bands and music publications. The band had a difficult time shaking the charge of hype, and they were also charged in some quarters as being Yes soundalikes – Starcastle in the U.S. was later to be tarred with the same brush.