David Lloyd Jones Holst Gustav The Planets (2004) [sacd R][of]

Rich, full Naxos sound with high dynamic contrasts adds satisfying weight to David Lloyd-Jones’s taut and dramatic account of Elgar’s elaborate Shakespearean portrait. Speeds are often on the fast side, but idiomatically so, with a natural feeling for Elgarian rubato and spring rhythms. Both in Falstaff and in The Sanguine Fan, Lloyd-Jones draws fragmented structures warmly and persuasively together so that the late ballet-score emerges strongly, not just a trivial, occasional piece. The beautiful Elegy is most tenderly done, modest in length but no miniature. An outstanding bargain, competing with all premium-price rivals.

Matthew Bourne’s triumphant modern re-interpretation of SWAN LAKE turned tradition upside down, taking the dance world by storm. Now firmly crowned as a modern day classic, this iconic production is perhaps best-known for replacing the traditional female corps de ballet with a menacing male ensemble. Matthew Bourne blends dance, humour and spectacle with extravagant, award-winning designs by Lez Brotherston, to create a provocative and powerful Swan Lake for our times.

This album was created 4 years after 'Icesteps' and was rightly hailed by many as his most inspired work to date. Considering the quality of his previous albums, the fact that he seems to "raise the ante" with each release is amazing. Glyn's previous works displayed his uncanny ability to harmonise sequences with breathtaking melodies. 'Ocean of Serenity' continues this approach and the title track, like so much of Glyn's work, is based around a stunningly beautiful yet simple theme which manifests itself in many guises. The opening refrains build to a climax then relax to a solitude which initially hints at, then leads into, the sequenced section. Here a rhythm is woven around a trademark synth lead which embellishes the main theme. A quality opening…

This album was created 4 years after 'Icesteps' and was rightly hailed by many as his most inspired work to date. Considering the quality of his previous albums, the fact that he seems to "raise the ante" with each release is amazing. Glyn's previous works displayed his uncanny ability to harmonise sequences with breathtaking melodies. 'Ocean of Serenity' continues this approach and the title track, like so much of Glyn's work, is based around a stunningly beautiful yet simple theme which manifests itself in many guises. The opening refrains build to a climax then relax to a solitude which initially hints at, then leads into, the sequenced section. Here a rhythm is woven around a trademark synth lead which embellishes the main theme. A quality opening…

For a long time, maybe 15 years or so, Robert Smith rumbled about the Cure's imminent retirement whenever the band had a new album ready for release. Invariably, Smith said the particular album served as a fitting epitaph, and it was now time for him to bring the Cure to an end and pursue something else, maybe a solo career, maybe a new band, maybe nothing else. This claim carried some weight when it was supporting a monumental exercise in dread, like Disintegration or Bloodflowers, but when applied to Wild Mood Swings, it seemed like no more than an empty threat, so fans played along with the game until Smith grew tired of it, abandoning it upon the 2004 release of his band's eponymous 13th album. Instead of being a minor shift in marketing, scrapping his promise to disband the Cure is a fairly significant development since it signals that Smith is comfortable being in the band, perhaps for the first time in his life…