Luke Purshouse

Originally recorded for the small Music Masters label in the early '90s, this set of Bach's keyboard concertos was among a series of choice Music Masters items reissued by Nimbus late in the first decade of the 21st century. The Russians have never been known for Bach, but this is a solid traversal that can be recommended to anyone wanting to hear these concertos on a piano accompanied by modern instruments. Despite these forces, there is a good deal of influence from the British historical-instrument movement apparent here; the crisp string playing avoids any hint of Romantic sheen, and Feltsman is very subtle in his introduction of purely pianistic elements. The long notes in the slow movements tend to be just a bit more extended than would be possible on a harpsichord, and Feltsman thus creates a smooth, pearly texture that's quite lyrical. In several of the finales he pushes the tempo to high speeds, creating an entirely different effect on a piano that the music would have on a harpsichord.

Luke Morley has stood at the very heart of UK rockers Thunder since 1989 as their guitarist, chief songwriter and producer. He's been a lynchpin in their 14 albums' success and served a crucial role in building up these rock heroes' loyal fanbase and enduring popularity. That's helped Thunder enjoy 7 UK Top 10 albums and 18 Top 40 singles:. in the past 5 years alone, Thunder have released no fewer than three UK Top Five albums. In 2022 Thunder sold out a UK arena headline tour climaxing at Wembley Arena. Impressive metrics, but there's more to Luke Morley than most know, and his brand-new solo album 'Songs from The Blue Room' brings other aspects of his talents into the limelight, as he confidently steps into the arena of Rock-tinged Americana. The new album is a tour de force for Luke Morley's multiple talents: songwriter, singer, musician and producer. Not only is he a renowned guitarist, but he plays all instruments on the album, bar drums. 'Songs from The Blue Room' also brings Luke Morley's strong, but nuanced, rock vocals to the fore where he sings lead on all tracks.

Sir Charles Mackerras is one of the world's finest conductors. It's probably safe to say that he has never made a bad record, and his performances of music of the classical period, in particular, are always full of sparkle and excitement. Here, aided by some very polished and lively playing from the Orchestra of St. Luke's, he turns in super performances of two of Haydn's greatest symphonies. The Clock takes its name from the slow movement, which features a ticktock accompaniment to a graceful tune that rapidly evolves into one of Haydn's wittiest inspirations. The London symphony was the last of the twelve that Haydn wrote for his two visits to the English capital in the 1790s. This is wonderful music with great sound.

Haydn's Symphony No. 31 is known as the "Hornsignal" from its prominent horn parts in the first and last movements. Written in anticipation of palace-warming festivities at the Eszterháza estate, the symphony has a celebratory air in its bold fanfares and hunting calls. Haydn's originality is evident not only in his clever motivic development of these ideas, but also in his placement of the horn pairs at a distance from each other. Haydn's experimentation was unusual for its time, but it shows some of the freedom he enjoyed as Prince Nicholas' court composer.