Guillaume de Machaut is the first “famous” composer in western musical history. In his time, the Middle Ages, most composers delivered their works anonymously (as part of their clerical duties), but Machaut was considered such a master of his creative art that he presented his works under his own name. He was in service of the highest monarchs, among whom Charles V, King of France. Machaut’s “Messe de Nostre Dame” is the first polyphonic Mass written, a complicated structure full of ingenious compositorial techniques. But even without the theoretical knowledge we are still spellbound by the haunting beauty and mystery of this masterpiece.
Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann is among those operas with most textual problems, since the composer did not live to its premiere, leaving an incomplete score. The traditional text, bringing in extra material, much of it unauthentic, and leaving out alot, was only established in the 20th century. This Dresden recording sessions were held (June 1987-June 1989) borrowed much from Michael Kaye's 1991 Schott Edition.
There have been countless UFO live recordings issued over the years, with the best undoubtedly being 1979's classic Strangers in the Night. But certainly one of the more intriguing live UFO releases came in 2008 with the arrival of the four-disc set Live Throughout the Years. And what makes this set stand out from the oodles of other live UFO items is that it includes standout live performances from three different decades – 1976 (London), 1982 (London), and 1998 (Vienna)…
Trance has turned into a global phenomenon. Like no other genre in EDM, it puts its listeners in a frenzy, hypnotizing with every beat. And that’s a lot, with a bpm that high…
Ford's 20 track album release, "Resurrected: The Best Of And Then Some" has been met with accolades, and highlights Ford's superb vocals, lyrical ability and instrumentation – including title track, "Resurrected," "Acoustic Sunrise," "Going Back," and a fantastic covers of Lou Reed's "A Perfect Day," and Geoff Stephens' "The Crying Game." Ford has also picked up the ukelele, adding a new element to his music. As a British singer, songwriter, guitarist, bass player, producer and recording artist, John Ford's talent has made an enduring impact in music and pop culture through the years. Ford's versatile live performance shifts easily from Solo Acoustic, to fronting a full electric band.
At the dawn of a new century when André Campra was busy writing his Carnaval de Venise (1699), was the composer aware that he would be passing onto the Académie Royale de Musique a fabulous and legendary work that would remain without successors? And whilst the court of the ageing Louis XIV was endeavouring to conserve the spirit of the Grand Siècle at Versailles, Paris was already humming with the new ideas of the Age of Enlightenment.