Doo-Min Kim, born in Seoul, South Korea, received his first cello lessons at the age of nine. After studying at the Korean National University of Arts in Seoul he went to Germany in 1998 to continue his studies with Tilmann Wick in Hannover and Frans Helmerson in Cologne.

Sir Simon Rattle's position as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker provides a real boost of inspiration. There is no other way to judge the recent development of the Rattle discography.

This Mendelssohn's trios disc from the Hamlet Trio, a group just four years old, boasts performances that shine with confidence and immediacy. Good things abound: in the D minor, the second movement’s tempo is spot-on, and the piano’s opening soliloquy persuasively done, while the scherzo sizzles without losing sight of an underlying elegance. The opening Allegro energico of the C minor, too, is certainly not short on fire.

Playing piano four-hands was both vital in the dissemination of music in the nineteenth century and also a popular domestic activity. The original 1853 Parisian Erard piano on which this recording was made demonstrates the clarity, warmth and differentiated timbres characteristic of the ‘straight stringing’ that was later replaced by the ‘cross-stringing’ of the modern concert grand. The repertoire from the period covers the many genres of four-hand piano works in their varied roles as domestic ‘info-entertainment’: orchestral works large and small, serious sonatas and variations, showpieces for emerging virtuosi and even a string quartet are all equally engaging in this once-familiar medium.

The German "Lautenschläger" were known throughout Europe for their complex compositions and high level of playing technique. One of them was Hans Judenkönig, who was one of the most important pioneers of German Renaissance music. In 1523, Judenkönig published Ain schone künstliche Underweisung, an early school in German lute tablature with many exemplary pieces. It forms the core of this informative program with Max Hattwich, which takes us into the music rooms of the bourgeois and aristocratic houses of the German Renaissance.

DUMKA is a quintet mixing reed instruments (saxophone, clarinet), brass instruments (trumpet, tuba) and drums.

The post-garage-punk and psychedelic power pop anomaly Chemtrails return with their upcoming third album – their boldest yet with a more danceable and rhythm-driven style, armed with their trademark fuzzy guitars and playfully sinister melodies.

As if it were a matter of course, the bond of romanticism with the most present theme of the epoch - longing - embraces, connects and winds itself around the composers and lyricists of the album.

Joel Gisiger was born in São Paulo in 1968. And Master from the Federal University of Bahia (2017). He studied with Benito Soares Sanchez, Washington Barella and Lothar Koch.

Mercury Classics, Soundtrack & Score will release a soundtrack album for the British survival drama The End We Start From. The album features the film’s original music composed by Anna Meredith (Eighth Grade, Living with Yourself, Tuesday).

In our time and age, a jazz singer from Korea may still seem like an exotic concept. But anyone who knows how much effort Asian countries invest in education and promotion also knows about the growing circle of jazz fans in the region. So with notable exceptions it’s astounding that there aren’t more artists from Korea or Japan whose names are on everyone’s lips. However, Youn Sun Nah could change all that, and as the first Korean artist exclusively under contract with ACT, anyone listening to her debut album "Voyage" will understand why.

A test compilation from Chesky Records. If you want to know how good your headphones can sound, listen to great sounding recordings. Each track on this sampler was selected to demonstrate specific audio qualities like transparency, dynamic range, imaging, etc.

Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll legend, Joe Walsh, returns with "Analog Man", his first solo recording in over two decades. "Analog Man" is a timeless effort that features Walsh’s beloved charm and musical know-how. Guitarist for the iconic rock band, The Eagles, Joe Walsh is best known for his powerful guitar licks and harder rock sound. The album is a playful reference to a new digital era. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the ten-track album was produced by Jeff Lynne and Joe Walsh with Tommy Lee James co-writing some of the tracks. The album boasts a guest appearance by Ringo Starr on Walsh’s favorite song off the album, "Lucky That Way".

"Alive" marks the 2014 return of Japanese pianist/composer Hiromi’s Trio Project, featuring contrabass guitarist Anthony Jackson (Steely Dan, Paul Simon, The O’Jays and Chick Corea) and drummer Simon Phillips (Toto, The Who, Judas Priest, David Gilmour and Jack Bruce). Hiromi's Trio, which DownBeat magazine called one of the most exciting groups working in any genre today, was first formed in 2011. On "Alive", Phillips’s powerful yet poetic percussion and Jackson’s flowing, glow-in-the-dark basslines beautifully support Hiromi’s improvisations. Her evocative compositions evoke the myriad moods and mysteries of life and reveal the soulful, syncopated simpatico of her thrilling threesome.

"In its second version of 1877, the Second is very compact; it is well balanced, and you can easily appreciate the large-scale arcs of tension and empathise with them. At the same time the huge contrasts are thrilling. It contains wonderful melodies. The Adagio is almost like a description of a wonderful landscape, by which I mean an inner and an external landscape. This is not programme music, but this movement in particular does exude a great sense of intimacy, closeness to nature and humanity - indeed, it radiates such an overwhelming sense of love that one simply cannot tear oneself away from it. The Scherzo on the other hand is at times coarse and abrasive. The Finale comes across as a whirling dance. So, in a nut-shell, it is a mystery to me why this symphony is not played more often. It is a masterpiece!" (Gerd Schaller)