A blind pianist full of sensuality: Maria Theresia Paradis, born in Vienna in 1759, was a pianist, singer, composer and music teacher. Although deprived of sight from an early age, she gained a firm place in musical life and, thanks to her prominence, was acquainted with important representatives of Viennese classical music. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dedicated his Piano Concerto KV 456 to her, and Maria Theresia Paradis played Joseph Haydn's Concerto in G major several times on tour in Europe. The pianist campaigned for the education of blind girls and was instrumental in the development of Braille, which was established by Louis Braille one year after her death in 1825 and is still in use today.

Although it isn't the revelation or surprising, extraordinary achievement that his 2010 record Praise & Blame was, Spirit in the Room is another solid, very welcome set of stripped-back interpretations from Tom Jones, produced once again by Ethan Johns, making those comparisons to Johnny Cash's late-period recordings with Rick Rubin all the more fitting. Know that the songbook has changed from classic (spirituals, blues, and traditional numbers) to more contemporary (Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, the Low Anthem, and others) and that Jones and Johns are both in top form and you've got the picture, along with that same frustration that no matter how fun "What's New Pussycat?" and "Sex Bomb" were, a couple more albums like this along the way would have been rich and rewarding.

John Wilson and Sinfoina of London complete their set of Rachmaninoff symphonies with this recording of the First Symphony and the Symphonic Dances. Rachmaninoff hoped that the First Symphony, composed in 1895, would build on the reputation of his graduation opera Aleko, which had proved a great success. The première, in St Petersburg in March 1897, was, however, a disaster. Rumour had it that the conductor, Alexander Glazunov, was drunk: true or false, it seems clear that he had little interest in the piece, leading to a raft of scathing reviews. This setback hit Rachmaninoff very deeply, and is considered by many to be the reason for the following three-year creative block only lifted by a course of hypnotherapy.

Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a live album released by English synthpop duo Erasure in 2007. It is a double-CD set that is a recording of a concert appearance performed on 25 September 2007 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. This concert was a performance to promote the band's 2007 album Light at the End of the World. It was recorded and distributed in conjunction with Live Here Now and was available only through direct order and as a digital download via Live Here Now. Because of this limited availability, the album was ineligible for the UK Albums Chart. A DVD of the same concert was released at the beginning of 2008 and got wider commercial release so that it charted at #7 in the UK music DVD chart and at #19 in the German music DVD chart.

Disarmonia Mundi, a name synonymous with melodic death metal, has been captivating audiences worldwide since its inception in 2000.
After almost a decade of silence since their last release, during which they pursued various musical projects, Disarmonia Mundi returns with their new studio album "The Dormant Stranger".
As with previous releases, Disarmonia Mundi are once again supported by Björn Strid (Soilwork), who lends his voice to various parts of the album, adding an extra portion of intensity and energy!

The Boston Symphony Orchestra and their music director Andris Nelsons announce their upcoming album, on which they present their acclaimed Shostakovich symphony cycle to mark the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death in 1975.

Dutch jazz pianist, composer and art history student Fee Aaij (2004) makes quite an impression. With her movement JOKERJAZZ combining modal jazz and (post-)punk, Fee likes to imagine herself as a troubadour converting people to the power of art. The influences in her playing and writing go from modal jazz and hardbop to baroque and classicism to new wave and punk: David Bowie, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, The Velvet Underground, Radiohead, Mozart, Stravinsky, John and Alice Coltrane, to name a few…

This is the third in a series of five CD reissues from guitar legend Joe Diorio's classic Spitball Records recordings from the mid-70's. Originally released in 1976 on Spitball Records, "Straight Ahead to the Light" was recorded on May 23, 1976 at The First Unitarian Church in Miami, Florida and features Joe Diorio on guitar and Steve Bagby on percussion. Now available for the first time on CD including the original album cover artwork from the LP release. The album contains four original compositions by Joe Diorio and Steve Bagby which include "Straight Ahead to the Light", clocking in at over ten minutes long, "Gong", "India", another extended song that lasts for over ten minutes and "Bagbito" which features an extended percussion/drum solo by Steve Bagby…

Pianist Lara Melda and the acclaimed Carducci Quartet present A Portrait of Chopin, a striking reimagining of Chopin’s First and Second Piano Concerti, arranged for piano and string quartet.The project offers an intimate perspective on these pianistic masterpieces, illuminating their chamber-like qualities and evoking the spirit of 19th-century salons where Chopin himself might have performed. Lara Melda, winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2010, is celebrated for her expressive touch and refined interpretations, earning acclaim on major stages worldwide.

The aim of this musical tour - an expedition that travels backwards, from today to the Renaissance - is to reconstruct the overarching strands that comprise and unite five centuries of music of a "Roman school" famed for its contrapuntal rigour, melodic flair and popular roots. The label "romano", which many a musician of bygone eras proudly displayed after their name, is a sure sign of belonging to a school, to a special style. The backdrop for this excursion back in time is Rome, which in this same Jubilee Year of 2025 is the destination for millions of pilgrims on the march from every part of the world, each with their own history and culture. And the various stops on the journey present the music of the eternal city, a music that - no matter whether sacred or secular or whatever the type of work - is as capable today as then of moving, delighting and nourishing the soul of any human being. After exploring the personality of Giovanni Zamboni (L'ultimo romano, 2016) and the refinements of the French repertoire (Meditation, 2022), in this, his third solo album for Arcana, Simone Vallerotonda engages with contemporary and ancient music, broadening the horizons of the lute with a confidence and sense of novelty that fascinate and surprise.

Premiata Forneria Marconi (or P.F.M.) were arguably the finest Italian Progressive rock band of the 1970 s and certainly one of the most well known. A successful act in their home land, they came to international attention when they signed to Manticore label in 1973, recording a series of albums with English lyrics, some penned by Elp and King Crimson lyricist Pete Sinfield. Over the next four years they released four studio albums and a live recording for the label, and it is from these albums that this 2CD anthology is drawn. In addition, four previously unreleased live recordings from the Manticore vaults also grace this collection, along with the CD debut of a rare B-side to a UK single.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has held a prominent place in British music-making for more than seven decades. With a wide reach across Britain, in addition to its regular concerts in London's Cadogan Hall, including concerts in places where access to orchestral music is limited, the RPO can lay claim to the title of Britain's national orchestra. The RPO incorporates the pops-oriented Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, the avant-garde Sharp Edge group, and RPO Resound, a community and educational outreach program.

Irrespective of the ups and downs of her career, Tracy Chapman has had one thing going for her that a number of singer/songwriters lack: a major label. This assures that she'll always get what every performer wants: a fair hearing and perhaps even radio exposure. On Let It Rain, Chapman turns in another introspective album that flows quietly from track to track and will remind listeners of New Beginning (1995) and Telling Stories (2000).

Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner have a unique musical companionship. Both artists bred the '80s British music scene into pop candy delight thanks to Marr's charming guitar hooks while fronting the Smiths, and Sumner, whose ingenuous lyrical poetry pushed New Order's dance-oriented sound into the new wave mainstream. But since their musical collaboration began back in 1991, the duo continues to make music for themselves, uninhibited by current norms and marketing success. Twisted Tenderness, the band's third album, is certainly a vast improvement over their sophomore effort, 1996's Raise the Pressure. Twisted Tenderness steps back into Marr's talented guitar work: carefree, a bit rollicking at times, but in classic Electronic fashion…

Sam Cooke - aka 'The Man Who Invented Soul' - is the most important R&B singer of all time.This compilation features the very best of his recordings between 1957 and 1960, seventeen of which were US hits, including four million sellers, 'You Send Me', 'I'll Come Running Back To You', 'Wonderful World' and 'Chain Gang'.Alongside his hits are a number of collector's rarities, including various B sides and tracks from his 1960 LPs 'Cooke's Tour' and 'Hits of the '50s', which have not previously appeared on CD.This is an enormously influential body of work which effectively laid down the roots for '60s Soul.