Polyphia 2023

CHICAGO CHRISTMAS COMPLETE features all three of Chicago's classic Christmas albums - FROM WHAT’S IT GONNA BE, SANTA?, O CHRISTMAS THREE, and CHICAGO CHRISTMAS - in a 3CD set.

Chicago is lighting up the holidays with a new collection that combines all three of its beloved Christmas albums - What's It Gonna Be, Santa?, O Chritsmas Three, and Chicago Christmas - in a 3-disc set! A truly comprehensive collection from the legendary "rock band with horns"!

Maria Callas was one of the most controversial singers of the twentieth century. She had a wide range from high E to the F below the staff, and an innate feel for the style of bel canto roles, but she was most notable for bringing a commitment and intensity to her dramatic portrayals that was nearly unprecedented at the time. Using photorealistic video projection, Callas was brought back to the stage for a new tour in 2018. Callas in Concert features an interactive Callas on stage performing some of her most iconic recordings with a live orchestra.

New Order are pleased to announce a remastered series of formats from Substance 1987, which was released via Warner on November 10th.

Although he took up the baton mainly for practical reasons and originally hoped to focus on composing, Wilhelm Furtwängler is remembered as one of the 20th century's most important, most argued-about conductors. The quasi-Brucknerian music he wrote is now of merely passing interest; Furtwängler was a truly personal, original artist only on the podium. He approached performing as a way of re-composing someone else's work, reconstituting it with a strong infusion of the performer's own ideas and personality. At their worst, Furtwängler's performances could sound mannered, full of sudden, seemingly unmotivated tempo shifts.

7th March 2023 marked the 40th anniversary of the release of one of the all-time great debut albums, The Hurting by Tears for Fears featuring the hit singles ‘Mad World’, ‘Change’ and ‘Pale Shelter’. I have remixed the album for the occasion in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround and instrumental stereo, all fully approved by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. The Dolby Atmos mix is available for streaming on supported platforms, but the 5.1 and instrumental stereo mixes are included (along with the Atmos mix) on a standalone blu-ray audio disc issued by Virgin/UMR and exclusively for sale via Super Deluxe Edition. The blu-ray additionally features the original stereo master. As if that wasn’t enough my stereo mixes of two recently rediscovered earlier recordings of ‘Mad World’ & ‘Watch Me Bleed’ made at sessions with producer Mike Howlett prior to the album versions will also be exclusive to the blu-ray. These tracks were found on the multitrack reels, possibly having never been mixed before. Even Roland and Curt had not heard them for 40 years!

The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet; founded in 1950; comprised the principal woodwinds and French horn of The Philadelphia Orchestra. They made their recording debut for Columbia in 1953: four players from the ensemble were joined by pianist Rudolf Serkin in the Beethoven and Mozart Quintets in E-flat. Serkin; a frequent soloist with the orchestra; had been so taken by the artistry and tonal colors of its first-chair winds that he approached them about making a record together. So began the group’s history at Columbia’s 30th Street Studio in Manhattan. It would span 15 years; during which the ensemble naturally focused on the many outstanding works scored for standard woodwind quintet. But guest performers often joined them on recordings as well as in concerts; extending their repertoire to include not only composers of their own time; but even music outside the classical sphere written by the legendary jazz trumpeter Ornette Coleman.

The complete collection of their singles from across 35 years of the duo's acclaimed career.

Between January and April 1975, classically trained, award-winning jazz pianist and composer Dick Hyman - whose prodigious resume includes playing with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Benny Goodman, writing and arranging for Count Basie, and scoring most of Woody Allen's films - went to RCA's Studio A in New York City and made the definitive recording of ragtime legend Scott Joplin's piano works.