Hank Williams’s legend has long overtaken the rather frail and painfully introverted man who spawned it. Almost singlehandedly, Williams set the agenda for contemporary country songcraft, but his appeal rests as much in the myth that even now surrounds his short life.

There have been countless Hank Williams compilations issued over the years, ranging from cheap budget-line discs to box sets of his complete recordings, but the idea for the triple-disc 2005 set Turn Back the Years: The Essential Hank Williams Collection is a fresh one: instead of following the traditional chronological approach, or mixing up his greatest hits in random order, this borrows a cue from Columbia/Legacy's 2000 set Love, God, Murder and arranges Hank's work thematically.

Updated with Hank's strongest cuts over the last seven years, the box includes all of the carreer hits and more, including 8 never before released alternative versions of tracks including "All My Rowdy Friends" and more.

The Choir of Merton College reunites with Britten Sinfonia to explore some much-loved Anglican repertoire in its full orchestral splendour.Stanford in A, as it was originally heard in 1880, reveals its symphonic side, not least in the masterful and eloquently scored Nunc dimittis. Anthems by Elgar and Bairstow gain new life in their original scoring, while others, originally for organ, are given added dimensions by their composers' orchestrations.Walton's The Twelvematches W.H. Auden's striking and dramatic poetry with typically dynamic vocal and instrumental writing; Ireland's Greater love and Wesley's mighty Ascribe unto the Lord bring to the anthem tradition a richness of harmony and orchestral colour to which Benjamin Nicholas's combined forces do full-blooded justice.

Cyprien Katsaris is a Contemporary French pianist known for his effortless technique and masterful control of voicing, phrasing, and dynamics. He is also a passionate champion for forgotten and neglected composers. He was born in Marseilles, France in 1951, and he started playing the piano when he was four years old. He spent his childhood in Cameroon, where he attended the local school, and he studied piano with Marie-Gabrielle Louwerse. Later, he enrolled at the Paris Conservatory, where his piano professors were Aline van Barentzen and Monique de la Bruchollerie, and he received instruction in chamber music from René Leroy and Jean Hubeau. He made his debut in Paris in 1966, with the Orchestre Symphonique d'Ile-de-France and conductor René-Pierre Chouteau. Katsaris excelled at the conservatory, and he earned first prizes for piano in 1969 and chamber music in 1970.

A world premiere recording of elegant harpsichord suites from the high French Baroque.
Philippe-François Véras (c.1690-1742) published a single volume of Pièces de Clavecin in 1740 in Paris. Following the example of Couperin, he arranges his four suites in ‘Ordre’. Much about his life and work remains unknown and mysterious, but a firm fact is that Véras was organist at Saint-Maurice in the city of Lille.

Heitor Villa-Lobos was one of the least prolific composers of guitar music in the early 20th century, with only 24 pieces published during his lifetime, including Chôro No. 1, Suite Populaire Brésilienne, Cinq Préludes, and Douze Études. It is remarkable that despite his vast catalogue of composition and his affinity for the guitar, he has produced relatively few works for the instrument. Nonetheless, Villa-Lobos gained prominence in concert and recording programs starting in the 1960s due to the high musical quality of his works and his deep connection to the instrument. His relationship with the guitar has often been compared to that of Chopin with the piano; highlighting his natural and joyful style, though different in musical language.

Originally founded in 1969 by former Crazy World of Arthur Brown organist Vincent Crane, Atomic Rooster recorded five albums between 1969 & 1973 and enjoyed two hit singles with the tracks ‘Tomorrow Night’ and ‘Devil’s Answer’ in 1970 and 1971 respectively. The band line-up varied from album to album, but it was generally recognised that the “classic” line-up of the band featured Vincent Crane joined by John Du Cann (guitar, vocals) and Paul Hammond (drums) that existed between 1970 – 1971.

Anna Lapwood, renowned for introducing the organ to new fans through viral TikTok videos, high-profile collaborations and sold-out live concerts, takes flight with a remarkable new album. On Firedove, audiences will hear her spread her wings in a range of both new and familiar repertoire, all performed in her engaging and inimitable style.

Released on April 12, 2005, through Island/Def Jam Records, The Emancipation of Mimi is Mariah Carey’s tenth studio album and is widely regarded as her “comeback” project. The multiplatinum album features hit singles “We Belong Together,” “Shake It Off,” “Don’t Forget About Us,” and “It’s Like That.”

instrumental output is being championed on the Brilliant label by Italian pianist Costantino Catena, who features in this well-rounded 8-CD set in solos as well as in the Violin Sonatas, Cello Sonata and Piano Quintet.
Completing the chamber music side are recent recordings of the String Trios and Quartets, the Piano Trios and the Violin-Cello duo.

Klaus Mäkelä’s forthcoming album with the Orchestre de Paris will be released on Friday, June 6, 2025 on Decca Classics. This is the third album in Mäkelä’s series with the orchestra and features two famous French works: Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and Ravel’s La Valse.

On this, the second volume of Magnificat’s three-part project ‘Lassus: The Alchemist’, the ensemble explores the composer’s Magnificats based on motets. It is remarkable that, of Lassus’s thirty-five Magnificats based on polyphonic models, only eight draw musical inspiration from motets. But if these Magnificats are relatively few in number, their musical quality and impact are outsized. Whether in Praeter rerum seriem, where he expands Josquin’s motet into a formidable 250-bar Magnificat, or Aurora lucis rutilat, where he transforms his own Eastertide motet into a jubilant musical celebration, these works exemplify some of Lassus’s finest compositional achievements. Inspired by the lavish musical resources of the ducal chapel in Munich, where Lassus worked from 1557 until his death in 1594, this album brings together voices and instruments in diverse combinations, enhancing the richness and variety of the scoring.

Introducing "#1s - 50s," the first installment in the highly-anticipated '#1s' series. Dive deep into the golden age of music with this compilation of chart-topping sensations from the 1970s. This disc collection captures the spirit, innovation, and charm of a transformative decade. Expect to be transported back in time with iconic tracks that still resonate today.

Anyone who thinks that there is no longer anything to say on the subject of Sviatoslav Richter’s discography is wrong. For sixty years these recordings, which were made by Deutsche Grammophon at the Tours and Lucerne Festivals in 1965, have slumbered in the Yellow Label’s archives. Carefully restored by Emil Berliner Studios, they are being released now for the very first time. Like many other artists, Richter felt that he could play more freely and give better performances in the concert hall rather than in the studio. These tremendous recordings reveal the pianist at the pinnacle of his powers as a pianist. Indeed, they evoke Van Cliburn's comment: ‘That is the most powerful piano playing I have ever heard’. Richter's interpretations of Beethoven are phenomenal. The performances of the Sonatas Nos. 18, 27, 28 and 31 show a strikingly modern approach that never shies away from taking risks to express the music in its furthest extreme. Pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja, a confidante of Richter, was enthusiastic about the artistic freedom, technical brilliance and love of the music conveyed in these recordings. The album is available digitally, as a CD and double LP and includes a recent interview with Elisabeth Leonskaja, an essay by Jed Distler and editorial notes by Markus Kettner. Numerous photographs, some previously unpublished, complete the edition.