From the most dizzying energy to lyrical bel canto, from strict fugue to the andante bordering on a Romance without Words, the palette of the Mendelssohn Sonatas is immense. Thanks to the Cavaillé-Coll of Saint-Omer, they encounter a poetic, colourful and powerful instrument, and on a comparable scale as well.

Pianist and composer Nicolas Namoradze’s new album, Rachmaninoff Refracted, explores the oeuvre of Sergei Rachmaninoff on the occasion of his 150th anniversary year. Namoradze approaches his work from several angles: as a pianist, composer, transcriber, and one whose music is arranged.

"Die schöne Magelone" (The Fair Magelone) is the name of a wonderful lied cycle by Johannes Brahms, which the duo Tomas Kildišius (baritone) and Ani Ter-Martirosyan (piano) is releasing as a debut CD on GENUIN. Fortunately, they have linked the 15 Romances on texts by Ludwig Tieck with the poet's original prose fragments so listeners can experience Brahms' music in the context of the entire romantic and exotic story.

In its new GENUIN CD "Die Weihe des Hauses" (The Consecration of the House), the Philharmonie Südwestfalen / Landesorchester NRW presents the entire diversity of a modern symphony orchestra. The occasion for this CD is the orchestra's move to its new domicile, the Haus der Musik in Siegen.

Immediately returning to the studio after the initial success of Pain, Ohio Players created what would be the most influential album of their career. Released near the tail end of 1972, along with another set of powerful and soul funk, The Players unleashed “Funky Worm” onto the world. Massive chart success followed, and the world at large met Junie’s “Granny” character and a tale about the funkiest worm of all time. Beyond the massive initial success, Junie’s high-pitched ARP synth sounds also provided one of the foundational motifs of West Coast Rap and “Funky Worm” remains one of the most sampled songs in the history of Hip Hop. Truly original and staggeringly influential.

When Anton Bruckner composed his Symphony No. 1 in 1865/66, he was employed as cathedral organist at Linz Cathedral. However, the premiere in 1868 was to be the only time for almost a quarter of a century that this work could be heard. After he had already completed seven more symphonies, he dealt again with the First at the request of the conductor Hans Richter, who wanted to perform the early work again, and revised it fundamentally.

As a young man, the composer Hans Gál experienced an artistic turning point, as the worlds of late Romanticism and New Music collided during the First World War. Everything was in motion. During this turbulent time, Gál shaped his own style with ingenious formal progressions.

Take the "A" Train is the vibrant signature composition of Duke Ellington, the most important composer in the history of jazz, also a rare bandleader who held his large group together for almost 50 years. It is quite impossible for one album to capture the full flavour and rich diversity of Duke Ellington’s music and orchestra. The eight tracks here offer a remarkably well-balanced sample of the prolific repertoire – the immortal compositions, the arresting arrangements, the outstanding soloists and, not least, the distinctive solo work of the piano player, Edward Kennedy Ellington, the Duke who became King of Orchestral Jazz.

This special remastered edition of Erik Wøllo’s long out of print 1989 release, “Images Of Light”, includes the original album plus four previously unreleased tracks from the era, all remastered with a depth and clarity that far surpasses the original release.

"Echotides" is deeply expansive and contemplative ambient electronic music. These sonic identities reflect the ever-changing alternatives in nature and our environments. It’s music that is rich in depth and colors with echoes of memories and imaginary places, epic dimensions and a minimalist’s restrained elegance.

"Sunlight" originated as a UK import album in 1978. The album is viewed as more funk than jazz and encounters the beginnings of Herbie's electro-funk stage heard in some of his later albums. Sunlight features the UK single "I Thought It Was You".

II was the album where Kingston Wall most successfully merged their hard rock, progressive, psychedelic, and Middle Eastern sounds. Much of this owes to the bandmembers' instrumental interplay, which is given freer rein and allowed to stretch out more than on their other two albums. Ranging from the soaring guitar (acoustic and electric) and violin piece "Istwan" to the Zeppelin-esque blues of "And It's All Happening" and "Shine on Me," to the high octane jamming of "Palekastro," the stylistic palette is varied. Unfortunately, this variation also accounts for the one downright bad song, "Love Tonight" (think "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?"-era Rod Stewart or bad Scorpions). On the other hand, Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" is actually a somewhat successful merging of disco and hard rock. The reissue bonus disc is composed of "Between the Trees" and "She's So Fine," originally from the "We Cannot Move" single, plus a live track, "Can't Get Through."

Leading off with the heavy, acid guitar-drenched "With My Mind," Kingston Wall starts things off in a stirring fashion. Unfortunately, the rest of the album, while it does have its moments, doesn't quite live up to the promise of this track. The band is very tight and intense in songs such as "I'm Not the One," but the chanted "I'm not the one to blame/Not the one to blame!" makes it a little hard to take the track seriously. Similarly, the cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" is sung with such over-the-top exuberance, that it makes it a little funny (assumingly unintentional). Throughout the album, though, the musicianship is stellar, as evidenced on "Nepal" (a staple of their live shows). This first album would be the band's rawest. The reissue with bonus disc includes a live show from 1991, with mostly cover songs, some expected ("Purple Haze"), some unexpected ("Call Me the Breeze," "Rocky Raccoon").