24 Bit Hi Res

If told about a band that consisted of only keyboards and drums, one wouldn’t be faulted for thinking, “Where’s the rest of the group?” But one listen to Amendola Vs. Blades—the funky California-based duo of Wil Blades on Hammond organ and clavinet and Scott Amendola behind the kit—and all fears will be assuaged. Blades’s cutting solos and deep bass lines make for a thick stew of soulful harmony and daring improvisation.

The Dallas Bach Society joined with their director and prominent harpsichordist James Richman provide a masterful debut recording with Onyx Classics, Handel’s ‘Messiah’, a new edition provided by Malcolm Bruno based on the original 1741 score. Handel had composed the work at an astounishing pace, spending less than a month in the summer of 1741. At its premiere in Dublin, over 700 patrons overcrowded the Musick hall, with the ladies had been requested to dress ‘without hoops’ in help make room. The Messiah was an instant hit and is established as Handel’s greatest works.

London-based composer Matt Dibble tragically passed away in 2021 shortly after completing his 24 Preludes and Fugues for solo piano. His death, attributed to complications from the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination, left a void in the classical, jazz, and pop music scenes where he was beloved and respected. Dibble’s compositions showcased his remarkable versatility, blending neo-Baroque, jazz, pop, and modernist influences into a deeply personal collection crafted over six years.

A renaissance artist for modern times, Lera Auerbach is a widely recognized conductor, pianist, and composer. She is also a published poet and an exhibited visual artist. All of her work is interconnected as part of a cohesive and comprehensive artistic worldview. Born in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in the Ural Mountains at the gateway of Siberia, Lera Auerbach has become one of today’s most sought after and exciting creative voices.

Of all the versions, Charpentier’s masterpiece celebrating the glory of Medea is among the most faithful to the grandiose nature of the ancient myth.

Alice Sara Ott presents a new deluxe version of the successful Echoes of Life album, set for release on 27 October. Among the 11 newly recorded tracks complementing the original album are the famous Bach Prelude in C Major both on a grand piano and a specifically prepared upright piano, as well as Silvestrov’s Distant Music, Chopin Preludes and a new composition by Alice’s friend Chilly Gonzales. The album is now available for pre-order alongside the second pre-release track ‘Silvestrov: Distant Music’.

With Jean-Baptiste Stuck's Polydore, Gyorgy Vashegyi's directing talents alight once again on a French opera from the era between Lully and Rameau. Whist Louis XIV's reign was gradually drawing to a close, his nephew, duke Philippe d'Orleans - due to become regent for Louis XV on the death of the child's great-grandfather, the Sun King - was greatly expanding his own court cultural activities (within which he had a pronounced predilection for Italian music).

‘Give It Back’ is an album of newly recorded re-worked classic tracks from their impressive catalogue now featuring Gavin Harrison.

Eighteenth century Naples was not only a creative, cultural melting pot, but also one of the most important cities in Europe. Full of impressive contrasts between decay and splendour, and with an immense artistic output whose musical influences stretched across Europe, attracting many musicians and composers, Naples was a source of fascination and has retained its appeal to the current day.