Giorgio Strehler was one of Europe’s most celebrated theatre directors. In his Piccolo Teatro in Milan he created outstanding interpretations of Bertolt Brecht and William Shakespeare. As an opera director he worked at all the major international opera houses, most notably the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, where he was responsible for productions of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra (1971), Macbeth (1975) and in 1980 for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. This legendary production of Mozart’s masterpiece is now available as a 2006 recording, featuring the wonderful Diana Damrau as Susanna and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as Figaro.

On Mr. Gone, Weather Report becomes merely a cover name for a Joe Zawinul/Jaco Pastorius jazz/rock/funk record production, with several guest drummers (Steve Gadd, Tony Williams, Peter Erskine), no resident percussionist, and Wayne Shorter as a still-potent solo saxophone threat. This album was denounced in its time as a sellout, probably on the reputation of Jaco's pulsating "River People," which is as close as WR ever came to outright disco.

Black Market is an instrumental jazz fusion album released by Weather Report in 1976. This album was produced by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter. It was recorded in December 1975 and released in April 1976 through Columbia Records. This is Weather Report's seventh overall album and the first with the bass player Jaco Pastorius who features on two tracks. The back cover photo shows Pastorius, Chester Thompson and Alex Acuña with the band, although Alphonso Johnson played on more than half of the record. The album draws heavily from African influences and its style could be described as "world fusion". The second Track, "Cannon Ball" is tribute to Zawinul's then recently deceased former band leader, saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley.

Bach's The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080, was apparently his final work, breaking off unfinished in what would have been a monumental final section. It is written in open score, with no indication of instrumentation, which has given rise to various solutions: performances exist for organ, harpsichord, orchestra, small ensemble, and even piano, an instrument Bach is known to have encountered in his last years.

The regime of Queen Elizabeth I dealt harshly with supporters of the old Catholic religion. Torn between obedience and conscience, some of England’s most talented musicians - Philips, Dering and Dowland - chose a life of exile abroad. Others chose to remain in spiritual isolation in England, comparing themselves to the exiled Israelites in Babylon.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Liberator (1993) {Virgin CDVF2715}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 354 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 118 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 211 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1993 Virgin Records | CDVF2715 / 0777 7 88237 2 8
Synth Pop / New Wave / Alternative Dance / New Romantic

This album really isn't as bad as you think. It may not be progressive or truly brilliant (i.e. Sugar Tax), but it's total no-brainer: eh, easy to like, easy to listen to. The overall feel of this album is upbeat and joyous. In fact, it's a little TOO happyhappyjoyjoy (almost like Erasure, which i'm not fond of.) If you are looking for a that melancholy synthpop vibe, you won't really find it here. However, this album IS worth your money b/c of the amazing, amazing track "Christine" which will bring you to your knees in tears. Absolutely stunning and i guarantee you will agree. Everyone who has heard "Christine" falls in love with the track.

Herbie Hancock - Sunlight (1978) {2009 Columbia Japan Blu-spec DSD Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (image)+CUE+LOG -> 255 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 93 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 21 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1978, 2009 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICP 20206 | DSD Remaster
Jazz / Post Bop / Jazz Funk

After Man-Child, alas, Herbie Hancock's American jazz-funk records in the 1970s grew gradually more commercial, less stimulating, and crucially, less truly funky with each release, even as his equipment rack grew larger. Just take a look at the staggering collection of keyboards on the back cover of the Sunlight LP – all sought-after collectors' items now – yet Hancock makes so little use of their possibilities here. For much of the album, he seems most interested in establishing a new career as an electronic vocalist.