Sacd 2019

After winning the Prix de Rome for his cantata Fernand in 1839 and spending two years in Rome, Gounod should have gone on to study in Germany, but he managed in 1842 to persuade the authorities that he should remain in Rome to work on a symphony. In 1843 he visited Mendelssohn who (while trying to dissuade him from wasting his time on Goethes Faust!) urged him to write another symphony. We do not know how much of the First Symphony Gounod had completed by then, but it is not surprising that Mendelssohn figures as one of the key influences on both symphonies. After performances of individual movements in 1855, premieres were given of the First Symphony on 4 March that year and of the Second Symphony on 13 February 1856. Yan Pascal Tortelier and his Iceland Symphony Orchestra demonstrate outstanding precision and musicality in these unjustly neglected works.

Italian jazz pianist Giovanni Guidi was born in Foligno in 1985. While attending the Siena summer seminars, he was noticed by Enrico Rava, who placed him in the Rava Under 21 group, which later became Rava New Generation. With this latter group he recorded three CDs for l'Espresso in 2006, 2010 and 2016. His first album as a leader is Tomorrow Never Knows, recorded by the Japanese label Venus, receiving five stars in a review by the Swing Journal magazine.

Guitarist Kenny Burrell recorded this session in 1962 with guest Coleman Hawkins sitting in on tenor sax on half the songs, the third time they recorded together. Pianist Tommy Flanagan is among the stellar musicians who worked with Burrell on this collection of songs that have been called "sad, contemplative and at times gentle" by All About Jazz.

John di Martino is a jazz pianist, arranger and producer, based in New York City. He has been described as a "shape-shifter", for his creativity across musical genres. For this tribute to Lady Gaga, John and his Romantic Jazz Trio perform some of Gaga's biggest hits, including "Americano", "Paparazzi", "Born This Way", "Poker Face", "Telephone" and "Alejandro".

Stefano Bollani is an artist of ebullient virtuosity, with uncommon sensitivity and range. The Italian pianist has proved to be at home on ECM improvising solo or leading a trio, as well as engaging in duos with Enrico Rava and Chick Corea. This album features Jazz reinterpretations of TEN popular Italian songs.

Led by Karl Böhm, the 3rd and 4th symphonies have long been recognised as classics of the Gramophone, but the ‘Vienna Philharmonic Bruckner cycle’ also contains several less-familiar recordings. Böhm's lyrical and expansive approach to Bruckner is probably best suited to the 7th symphony, which was certainly the best recorded legacy. Also on the disc the eight symphony of the Nowak edition, including the 1976 studio recording for Deutsche Grammophon.

Julian Coriel is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Like his father, Larrry Coryell, Julian Coryell is a talented guitarist, but his style is more in the smooth jazz vein than his dad's. Inspired by Miles Davis, a friend and colleague of his legendary jazz guitarist father, Larry Coryell, who once told him, "jazz is easy, creating fresh pop music is hard", singer/songwriter Julian Coryell has searched around for the perfect niche. This disc contains more great jazz compositions and features Michael Brecker on saxophone.

Julian Coriel is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Like his father, Larrry Coryell, Julian Coryell is a talented guitarist, but his style is more in the smooth jazz vein than his dad's. Inspired by Miles Davis, a friend and colleague of his legendary jazz guitarist father, Larry Coryell, who once told him, "jazz is easy, creating fresh pop music is hard", singer/songwriter Julian Coryell has searched around for the perfect niche.

This three SACD set contains Richard Strauss' opera "Der Rosenkavalier" performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, led by Helmut Froschauer. Sung in German. This reissue series of classical music masterpieces by Esoteric has attracted a lot of attention, both for its uncompromising commitment to recreating the original master sound. This series marks the first hybrid SACD release of historical recording selections that have been mainstays of the catalog since their initial release.

Great Italian trumpeter Flavio Boltro applies his warm and beautiful trumpet sound to standards including "I Remember Clifford", the instrumental written by jazz tenor saxophonist Benny Golson in memory of Clifford Brown, the influential and highly regarded jazz trumpeter who died in an auto accident at the age of 25. Also included are "Whisper Not", "Ceora", "I Can't Get Started", "Mamacita", "There Is No Greater Love", "Nutty", "Con Alma" and Boltro's own "Wasabi Blues". Japanese Venus Records release.