The band, based around the figure of keyboard player Guy Leblanc, puts together a very potent mix of sounds to produce this Progressive (mostly instrumental) work. Their music is both dark and light, complex and largely symphonic prog, loud and quiet, yet always stretching way beyond. Their musical style incorporates elements of Yes, ELP, Gentle Giant and even a bit of Frank Zappa, blending it together to create a style that is very much their own.
Hyperion's Romantic Cello Concerto series continues to bring new works to light, expanding a repertoire that has long focused on a select group of composers. Here, Alban Gerhardt performs the three concertos by Hans Pfitzner. Pfitzner's early Cello Concerto in a minor was scorned by his teachers (although liked by the composer himself). His Cello Concerto Op.42 is a beautifully constructed work that derives it's material from a lyrical cello solo heard at the very start of the work. The Cello Concerto Op.52 is dedicated to Ludwig Hoelscher, a pupil of two giants of German cello-playing: Hugo Becker and Julius Klengel. As a bonus, the recording also includes Pfitzner's Duo for violin, cello and small orchestra.
North Star is the band’s first album featuring new studio material since 1976!
Curved Air features original members Sonja Kristina and Florian Pilkington-Miksa with classic era guitarist Kirby Gregory. They are joined by violinist Paul Sax, keyboardist Robert Norton and bass player Chris Harris. The full length CD features a mixture of re-recordings, cover songs and seven new original songs, all housed in a lavish digipack.
The 32 Piano Sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven are often referred to as the ‘New Testament’ of the keyboard literature, following on the ‘Old Testament’ of J.S. Bach's 48 preludes and fugues in the Well-Tempered Clavier. Composed over a period of almost three decades, from 1795 to 1822, the sonatas constitute a fascinating panorama of an artistic career which underwent numerous changes – not to say upheavals – but nevertheless remained remarkably consistent.
Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge is the first solo album by Finnish songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, best known for his work in the symphonic metal band Nightwish. The album is based on the Walt Disney graphic novel "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" written and illustrated by Don Rosa, who illustrated the cover artwork. It was released on April 11, 2014, with the first single "A Lifetime of Adventure" being released on February 5, 2014 along with a music video directed by Ville Lipiäinen. It features several vocalists including Johanna Kurkela, Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica and narration by Alan Reid, with lyrics in English and Scottish Gaelic. It also features the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the choir group Metro Voices, and several guest musicians including fellow Nightwish member Troy Donockley. Limited Edition includes bonus CD, which contains the entire album as instrumentals.