Heitor Villa-Lobos and Alberto Ginastera are two of the most popular South American classical composers to have lived. Paired here with composer Carlos Chavez, this recording features some of the best orchestral music Latin America has to offer.

Amy Beach was one of the first prominent women composers in the United States. She is the first American woman to compose a symphony and to have it be performed by an orchestra. This recording presents some of Amy Beach's most popular works for piano. Originally released on KOCH this recording features pianist Virginia Eskin, a performer who has spent her career championing women composers. Alto is pleased to bring this recording back to international availability.

He was very well thought of by Stanford, at the Royal College of Music; and not just out of sympathy with allowing a black composer a hearing in London. The Clarinet Quintet (that pleased Stanford) also received approval from Joachim. It is a very agreeable quintet, most acceptably performed and recorded, and as easy on the ear as it's more famous predecessors (Mozart and Brahms). Petite suite de concert: lovable music; Other of the piano music could have great appeal: especially so could the arrangements of Spiritual Melodies with their easygoing simplicity (MusicWeb)

altogether this is as tempting a Hummel collection as any we know... His G major (mandolin) Concerto here in even more agreeable form, as Op.73 Piano Concertino, and Martin Galling is even more persuasive, helped by a very spirited backing in Berlin... also La Galante, a lilting Rondo for solo piano... Zukerman and Faerber return for Hummel's Bassoon Concerto, impressive to be discussed in the same breath as Mozart's, particularly with this splendid soloist, who is deliciously jocular in the characterful finale. The disc concludes with Septet Militaire, Op.114: the very happy finale, with it's ingenious upward scale, is most felicitous (Gramophone)

(His) Symphony is a very likeable discovery. Both middle movements display a disarming melodic felicity and assurance, and admiring glances towards Dvorak, although Stanford (his teacher) was never happy with the finale. It was first played by RCM students in 1896 (including Holst and Vaughan Williams !). Although it went down well, it gathered dust for over a century. Bostock's alert and affectionate lead enjoy making it's acquaintance... crisp and clear sound for this world premiere recording. In every respect, a solid thumbs-up [Gramophone] "The much-loved Hiawatha's Wedding Feast recalls the extraordinary excitement of it's first performance. Coleridge-Taylor was then 23 and the work an immediate and wild success. Parry suggested that because of the composer's West African father, "he loved plenty of sound, plenty of colour, simple and definite rhythms and, above all, plenty of tune". All these qualities kept it popular, and are admirably captured here: the Philharmonia provide the orchestral colour, and Sir Malcolm keeps the admirable Royal Choral Society on their rhythmic toes. Richard Lewis gives a suitably romantic Onaway! Awake, beloved ! Hiawatha's Wedding Feast has been done proud in every way" [Gramophone]

although the best-known Rachmaninov works are not uncharacteristic, they represent only one side of his musical personality. Some of his finest scores have nothing to do with the piano, or the orchestra, and ranking high among them are his two major religious pieces, the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, and the Vespers... The culmination of 100 years of effort by Russian composers to fuse liturgical and art music. Certainly they were not unexpected for Rachmaninov, because the tones of Russian religious choirs - dark, rich, sonorous - haunted his inner ear as much as the sound of piano (Gramophone)

Iconic recordings of core Classical Repertoire Arthur Grumiaux (violin), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink, Eduard van Beinum, Riccardo Castagnone (piano) - [Brahms] "recordings are excellent, Grumiaux's playing and interpretation equal any I have ever heard... balance between soloist and orchestra is natural, no praise is too high for interpretation - a most lyrical performance, full of beauty" - " [Mendelssohn] "these performances are among the best and Grumiaux's playing has his usual purity of style and instinctive musicianship to commend it." - [Corelli] : "a glorious tone, and he infuses Corelli's beautiful slow movements with warm lyricism... difficult to resist such beauty" (all: Gramophone)

All the great reviewing publications, Penguin Guide, Gramophone, International Record Review, gave this release a rapturous reception when first issued. The atmoshpere of a great occasion is caught admirably with impressive timpani and organ, and a special mention for the final Chorus Mysticus bringing a real sense of gravitas and uplift. The massed voices are wonderfully hushed. Outstanding.

Regarding this performance of the 7th Symphony, The Sunday Times remarked; "This beautiful performance deserves to win many new friends for Dvorak's most Brahmsian symphony. Davis's love of this music shines out of every bar culminating in a towering account of the finale, which unlike many, here emerges as a fully satisfying conclusion" With reference to the 8th symphony, BBC Music Magazine applauded this performance; "More successfully than any other recording, Davis captures the slow movement's elusive heart of darkness." BBC Radio 3 1st Choice Recording.

(Guitar) "Yepes' cadenza is as clean and bright as a new pin, and his rapid repeated-note finish is fantastic." "I am coming to regard the Fantasia para un gentilhombre with it's gracious nobility and baroque feeling as a masterpiece to match the more famous Concierto de Aranjuez." (Harp): "Zabaleta plays most beautifully and the recording is immaculate." (Gramophone)

These vignettes are touching... and spring from a love affair... most are full of strong poetic feeling and beauty of melodic line... 'An erotic diary for piano' (Gerald Abraham)... played with great sensitivity and subtlety... haunting music, fine pianism (Penguin Guide).

A 70 minute selection of Lyric Pieces. Pletnev's highly acclaimed mid 1980s performance. "This masterly recital... contains playing of great poetic feeling and sensibility. Bell-Ringing has a remarkable range of color and dynamics... there are many (other) individual insights... nothing is routine, and there is a concentration that gives these miniatures a freshness and depth that few artists can match" (Penguin Guide - 3 stars).