Antony Luc Douzet

Hyperion’s Romantic Violin Concerto series returns with three real rarities, rescuing them from their current neglect. All receive the strongest advocacy from Linus Roth, who plays them like the repertoire standards they may one day become.

The Orchestra of the Antipodes' 2011 set of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos is certainly worth having for its exquisite period performances of these perennial favorites, but it is even more attractive for offering eight popular sinfonias from the cantatas, thereby giving listeners added value in an already excellent set. The Australia-based ensemble plays original instruments, and the performances are appropriate in textures, tempos, and ornamentation, so everything a fan of Baroque performance practice could want can be found here. The pacing is fleet and efficient, the counterpoint is transparent, and the sonorities are bright, so the combination will certainly excite even the most experienced devotees of these works.

AKP special exclusive "Breaking Free Tour" compilation CD! Karfagen & Sunchild is the projects of the composer, multi-instrumentalist Anton Kalugin. Since 2006, he released 15 albums in English label Caerllysi Music. Musicians actively and successfully represents Ukraine on the world progressive rock scene. Behind performances of the team in the famous international rock festivals, numerous reviews, reviews of the major recognized Internet portals. France, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom - the countries where Karfagen / Sunchild professionally presented interesting, melodic, dynamic and at the same atmospheric material, roots stretching into the legacy of bands like Pink Floyd, Camel, Focus, Happy the Man , Yes, Genesis, Marillion.

Saint-Saëns excelled as a composer, conductor, pianist and organist – his composition output is enormous, reaching over 160 titles of which many are substantial – operas, ballets, symphonies – yet today much of his work remains neglected and he is known by a few works only: the Organ Symphony, Samson et Dalila, Danse Macabre and Carnival of the Animals. His original piano pieces are generally light ‘salon’ works but are nonetheless delightful and well formed. His major contribution to the piano works is the equally neglected body of transcriptions (of his own works and those of others) where he was sadly eclipsed by the more outgoing and promotion-minded Franz Liszt. This album and its companion include a number of first recordings, introducing a large body of keyboard gems to a new audience. Volume 1 is divided into two sections: transcriptions from Opera and Ballet, and pieces inspired by specific places.

Saint-Saëns excelled as a composer, conductor, pianist and organist – his composition output is enormous, reaching over 160 titles of which many are substantial – operas, ballets, symphonies – yet today much of his work remains neglected and he is known by a few works only: the Organ Symphony, Samson et Dalila, Danse Macabre and Carnival of the Animals. His original piano pieces are generally light ‘salon’ works but are nonetheless delightful and well formed. His major contribution to the piano works is the equally neglected body of transcriptions (of his own works and those of others) where he was sadly eclipsed by the more outgoing and promotion-minded Franz Liszt. This album and its companion include a number of first recordings, introducing a large body of keyboard gems to a new audience. Volume 1 is divided into two sections: transcriptions from Opera and Ballet, and pieces inspired by specific places.

Although the great historical opera in five acts by the composer Daniel Francois Esprit Auber was able to experience its 500th performance in 1880, the opera is almost forgotten today and is rarely performed. In April 2010 the work premiered in the original language at the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau under the direction of GMD Antony Hermus and is finally available on cpo.

Dutch composer Johan Wagenaar is considered post-romantic, but this designation is appropriate only insofar as it applies to the time period in which he lived. Otherwise, Wagenaar's music was just straight up romantic, sounding largely like Richard Wagner but with not as dense a scoring palette. In this respect, his music is more like Brahms or Berlioz. Sometimes Wagenaar is compared to Richard Strauss, but this projection can be a little confusing as the ingredients in Wagenaar's dish are often part Wagner and even part Dvorák; the most significant thing about his fare, though, is that it doesn't taste quite like anything else.

A switch back to Atlantic finds Jean-Luc Ponty continuing to dabble in West African waters while re-establishing his earlier solid base in repeating sequenced patterns. The electronics are back, for Ponty splits his time between the electric violin and various synthesizers and sequencers while Abdou M'Boup and Sydney Thiam add African percussion, which often takes a back seat to the electronics as the rhythmic basis for the music. This time, though, the material Ponty has composed isn't as compelling as it had been in the past; at times, Ponty sounds like he is very competently treading water (though "Blue Mambo" has a compelling groove). Yet despite all of the changes Ponty has put himself through, his music still has a Continental elegance that cannot be mistaken for that of anyone else.