Those inclined to take for granted Gluck's remarks concerning opera seria (''florid descriptions, unnatural paragons and sententious, cold morality'') could do a lot worse than listen to Handel's Orlando. Based at some remove on an episode from Ariosto's epic poem Orlando furioso, it's a work which in place of posturing heroes and unlikely dilemmas offers credible characters and situations, all drawn with that touching human sympathy and understanding that were such an important part of Handel's creative personality. First staged in London in 1733, it is one of the greatest operas the eighteenth century produced, yet it almost goes without saying that the very musical and dramatic qualities that place it beyond Gluckian criticism were at least partly responsible for the limited success it enjoyed in its own day.

Robert Schumann considered Peter Joseph von Lindpaintner the most promising operatic composer in the country, yet despite his 21 operas he has been almost forgotten. Like most leading German composers of his time he took Meyerbeer’s historical grand operas, conceived in Paris, as his model. Set in Sicily at the dawn of the 1848 revolution, Il vespro siciliano (‘Die sizilianische Vesper’ / ‘The Sicilian Vespers’) is a dramatic four-act opera that reveals why he was held in such esteem by Schumann, Spohr and Mendelssohn: expressive harmonies, folksong-like strophic songs, rich orchestration, the use of the latest stylistic devices, and tuneful bel canto melodies that point to the work’s Franco-Italian lineage.

Ike Quebec was something like Ben Webster in his ability to play lush ballads or to scream like a smokestack when the band was cooking. After working for Roy Eldridge and Frankie Newton, Quebec became Cab Calloway's star tenor man in 1944, making everyone sit up and take notice when he wailed over Cab's band in a wonderfully raspy tone utilizing the instrument's extremities for maximum effect. Each of Quebec's sessions as a leader produced staggeringly potent records. J.C. Heard is the drummer on all 20 tracks - check him out on "Indiana" - and for bassists you have Milt Hinton, Grachan Moncur II, or Oscar Pettiford. While Roger Ramirez was an excellent pianist, it is a gas hearing Johnny Guarnieri on the Savoy session. Guest horn players are Buck Clayton, Keg Johnson, Jonah Jones, and Tyree Glenn. Guitarist Tiny Grimes is present on three of these dates…

Steven Wilson really is a workaholic. Apart from being the singer, guitar player and main songwriter for Porcupine Tree, he has several solo projects and collaborations with others going on. And he's also involved in producing and remixing the work of others. He never takes the easy road. Back in 1989 it wasn't an obvious choice to start a prog rock-psychedelic band, but he did and he managed to make a success out of it. Now it would be easy for him to harvest the success of Porcupine Tree, but instead he puts his energy in less successful side projects.
Bass Communion is his main solo project. It's the oldest one with the most releases, apart from I.E.M. that have been terminated and No-Man, which isn't really a solo project but a collaboration with Tim Bowness…

To discover an island space is always to discover Oneself. The journey is equally sensory, a slow perception of the deep nature of the Elements, as a journey into one's own interiority, our buried self. And this is all the more true when chance put you there, at the mercy of the Winds, or when it's this particular opportunity, like Robinson, of finding one's own means of sustenance, the necessary rebound to any attempt at survival.
First of all, it's the moment to summon the Spirit of Solidarity, the very one that will fertilize the relationship between Human and Earth, that will encourage the discoverers in their respectful appropriation of the Ecosystems, that will allow Cyrus, Spilett, Nab, Pencroff and Harbert, the shipwrecked from the Sky, to remain "upright", to enjoy a land that becomes their nourishing island, to finally discover the identity of a host as Mysterious as it's protective…

One of Canada’s most sought-after flautists, Claire Guimond proudly introduces her version of Mozart’s four flute quartets. A most interesting mixture of dreamyness and humour is presented, on what is destined to become a truly important recording. An impeccably engineered product and extremely well performed – totally imbued by the warmth and softeness of Claire Guimond’s baroque flute which has become a real trademark for this outstanding performer.

Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre is one of the most remarkable female musical figures in history. Rarely has a woman composer garnered such esteem in her own time, and her success, rather than provoking resentment in the hearts of her contemporaries, inspired the utmost admiration. One has to give credit to the Grand Siècle, a unique period in this regard, for granting Élisabeth the respect she truly deserved. This recording features works seldom heard but nonetheless of exceptional quality, exemplifying two genres in which Jacquet de La Guerre excelled: the French cantata and the suite for harpsichord. In these, we can discover the intrinsic and timeless value of her artistry, regardless of the anecdotal aspects of the historical and social conditions in which they were created.

This recording of works by Sir Paul McCartney transcribed for flute quartet is a tribute to his love for his hometown and his immense love of music, a love he has shared with all so generously for nearly half a century.

If you enjoy opera, you will surely appreciate the new twist given here to the loveliest arias and most famous overtures, as arranged by the members of "The Magic Flute Quartet." True to its vocation, the group presents the most beautiful works from the classical repertoire in a manner accessible to all.