Deutsche Grammophon has created a landmark new edition that offers a cross-section of the great German conductor’s career in all its remarkable creative phases. Wilhelm Furtwängler – Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon and Decca, which commemorates the 65th anniversary of his death on November 30, 1954, comprises 34 CDs and a DVD of his irresistible 1954 Salzburg Festival Don Giovanni performance, as well as in-depth essays and analysis from critic and blogger Norman Lebrecht and broadcaster Rob Cowan. The release is also backed by contextual information and video interviews contributed by critic and blogger Norman Lebrecht.

Francois-Xavier Roth and Les Siècles present a fascinating new interpretation of Mahler's Symphony No.1. It features the first period instrument recording of the 1893-94 version, using a performing edition prepared by musicologists Anna Stoll Knecht and Benjamin Garzia, working in collaboration with Universal Edition. Initially presented as a symphonic poem entitled Titan, the work was met with severe criticism as it developed. This fascinating reconstruction using the composer's Hamburg and Weimar manuscripts testifies to the genius of one of the greatest symphonists of the modern era.

Scarlatti et la mandoline : ce disque propose un rapprochement captivant et inattendu entre l’un des plus importants compositeurs du baroque et un instrument originaire de Naples qui a connu un véritable âge d’or à Paris et dans les capitales européennes au xviiie siècle. Le protagoniste de cet enregistrement est l’ensemble Pizzicar Galante, fondé à Paris en 2012 par la mandoliniste Anna Schivazappa et le claveciniste Fabio Antonio Falcone.

Vocalion favourite Paul Mauriat makes a welcome return with a further two albums, El Bimbo (1975) and Toccata (1973), which presented the complete original stereo and quadraphonic mixes of 24 titles culled from his back catalogue. Originally produced for the Japanese 4DX series, this reissue makes them widely available for the first time.

Silk Baroque presents a musical encounter between Wu Wei and Holland Baroque, performing a programme that ranges from Baroque greats such as Bach, Vivaldi, Telemann and Rameau to Chinese traditional tunes, all tied together by the musicians’ openness to improvisation, experimentation and cultural exchange. Wu Wei plays the sheng, an extraordinary ancient Chinese mouth organ, which looks like a bundle of bamboo reeds cased in a metal bowl. It is a miracle of harmony, melody and rhythmic possibilities, and Wu Wei’s abilities fully bring out the sheng’s beauty: whispering, charming, and compelling. Age-old traditions come together in performances that sound fresh and contemporary. Silk Baroque carries listeners into a lively, enticing and fascinating sound world.

In early 18th-century England, the recorder was a popular instrument among music lovers, therefore – since the eminent Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli’s works made an enormous impression in the country – it was only a matter of time before numerous virtuoso recorder arrangements of his string works began to appear. Estro Cromatico leader Marco Scorticati (recorder) and his longstanding partner Davide Pozzi (harpsichord and organ) join forces with Evangelina Mascardi (archlute), Sara Campobasso (recorder), Michela Gardini (cello) and Pietro Pasquini (organ), to deliver a new rendition of this well-loved music, including two premiere recordings.

For a long time Johannes Ockeghem (ca.1420-1497) was one of the most famous Unknown Persons in music history. There is no doubt about his position as the most important representative of the second generation of Franco-Flemish composers.

Violinst Rachel Podger presents the first recording of Bach's Cello Suites on violin. Bach had a habit of recycling his own compositions for different instruments and different uses. The examples are endless; concertos appearing as sinfonias in cantatas, or concertos for violins turned into harpsichord concertos. Podger, who has spent a fair bit of time coaching cellists, both modern and baroque alike, found herself playing along to demonstrate various points. ''I started catching myself playing some of the movements I particularly loved while warming up, and realizing that it was actually possible to play them on the violin, and to find a special expressive vocabulary at the higher pitch.''