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Chopin pieces enjoyed a prominent place in the early concerts of this French pianist-and when he began his recording career, Chopin once again dominated his attention. A longtime lover of jazz, Francois lent an almost improvisational quality to his interpretations; his performances, in particular, of the ballades and nocturnes are not quite like any other on record.

From Monteverdi to Brahms via French Baroque rarities: the Decca Gold (US) legacy of a complete musician, newly remastered and issued complete for the first time, with fascinating liner notes by Nigel Simeone. Original Jackets, Limited Edition.

Universal Music Distribution's Icon series dealt with Barry White's extensive back catalog in two forms. This one, a single-disc compilation (the other was a two-disc set), stays true to the Icon series format with 12 tracks and minimal packaging. It’s a decent sampler, but it’s nowhere near definitive and it doesn’t distill White’s work to its essence (an impossible task when limited to one disc). Several of the man’s most popular singles are here, including “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe,” “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me,” “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Baby,” and “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything.” This merely scratches the surface.

iCon Zero is a revised presentation of the Wetton/Downes album and is a precursor to their iCon series of albums. It is essentially a collection of tracks mostly recorded in the late 1980s through the time of their brief reformation in 1990…

[:SITD:], with their apocalyptic and ravaging approach to electro/industrial, have stated themselves to be somewhat of a ruling class in this genre, having received a number of awards from 2003 to 2007. With Icon:Koru, the band sets out to take the listener on a massive if somewhat inconsistent journey…

What a great set this is: thirteen discs chock full of masterful performances, many of which have already been praised here. EMI has not included any of Berglund’s Sibelius symphonies (except the Helsinki Kullervo) since they have been issued elsewhere, nor are there any concertos, which is a pity. But all of his Shostakovich symphonies for EMI (Nos. 5-7, 10, and 11) have finally been gathered together, including these benchmark performances of Nos. 6 and 11.

These 6 CDs take you from 1925 (the year Heifetz became a U.S. citizen) to 1949-you'll find many a benchmark recording of the violin repertoire here. He reaches towering heights of emotion and virtuosity as he plays Mendelssohn ( Violin Concerto in E Minor ), Mozart ( Violin Concerto No. 4 in D ), Sibelius ( Violin Concerto in D Minor ), Tchaikovsky ( Violin Concerto in D ), Beethoven ( Violin Sonata No. 9 in A ), Franck ( Sonata in A ), and more!