An English aristocrat with a mixed heritage, Georges Onslow was highly regarded for his musical talents during his lifetime, being praised by Berlioz and Schumann and becoming known as the "French Beethoven". Onslow composed 34 string quintets at a time when the string quartet was dominant and his discovery of the double bass to replace the second cello was transformative. Challenging notions of stringed instruments as being merely lyrical in character, these quintets are striking for their contrasts of warm expressiveness and great dramatic intensity. They are true hidden gems to rival the great composers of chamber music in this era.

Fernando Sor was not only one of the great guitarists of his era but a major composer for the instrument, described by a contemporary critic as "the Beethoven of the guitar". His desire for the guitar to represent a miniature orchestra in timbre is a distinctive feature of his many compositions. The 24 Progressive Lessons, Op. 31 offer a panoramic lexicon for the student, moving from a simple waltz to perpetual motion, whilst the charming Six Little Pieces, Op. 32 further explore technical efficiency and musical expressiveness.

Lázsló Lajtha was one of the most significant Hungarian composers of the 20th century, yet his international recognition suffered under Communist suppression and his remarkable oeuvre remains neglected. Described by the composer as "very tragic, epic, like a ballad", the Fifth Symphony is a heartfelt and forceful statement reflecting persecution and the elusive nature of hope. With its moments of nocturnal enchantment and sparkling humor, the Sixth Symphony is enriched by uniquely colorful orchedstration. These moods are also present in the wittily brilliant overture to Lajtha's ballet Lysistrata.

The versatility of the suite form proved well suited to Johann Sebastian Bach in his instrumental works, and the English Suites are no exception. These are distinct from Bach’s other suites with their quasi-improvisatory opening Preludes, and further movements encompassing a wide range of moods and styles from lively dances to the pensive intensity of the slow Sarabandes. The Montenegrin Guitar Duo’s fresh and historically informed performances of these works have been acclaimed as “simply ravishing” (American Record Guide). The Montenegrin Guitar Duo is frequently invited to venues such as the Philharmonia Hall in Saint Petersburg, Manuel de Falla Hall in Madrid, and the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. International festivals regularly engage the duo to give recitals, deliver lectures and masterclasses, and adjudicate major competitions. In 2013 their debut album was released by the Montenegrin Music Centre, featuring works by Domeniconi, Piazzolla and Bogdanovic. The first of their two volumes of Bach’s English Suites was released in 2015 and received excellent reviews.

Kara Karayev was one of the most prominent figures in the music of twentieth-century Azerbaijan, and an inspiration to subsequent generations of Azerbaijani composers. His eloquently expressive and tautly dramatic First Symphony is a significant work in Karayev’s output, reflecting both the harmonies and melodic characteristics of the South Caucasus region and, in its orchestral brilliance, the influence of his mentor Shostakovich. The Violin Concerto shows a notable shift in style, exploring the serial techniques that add astringency and inventive depth to Karayev’s already richly colored and vividly diverse palette.

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach’s oldest son, enjoyed a reputation as one of Germany’s finest organists, but his career was one of mixed fortunes and he died in poverty. The dating of his Six Duets is the subject of speculation, but their level of technical sophistication is quite remarkable. Each instrument is given equal status in music that is full of the kind of joyous brilliance, passion and free-mindedness of spirit that transcends virtuosity and the stylistic boundaries of W.F. Bach’s period. Patrick Gallois belongs to the generation of French musicians leading highly successful international careers as both soloist and conductor. From the age of 17 he studied the flute with Jean-Pierre Rampal at the Paris Conservatoire, and at the age of 21 was appointed principal flute in the Orchestre national de France. Today, he has a wide repertoire both as a conductor and a flautist, with a predilection for contemporary music. Kazunori Seo was born in Japan in 1974. He began his music studies first with his parents, and then in Paris at the Paris Conservatoire where he was awarded the Premier Prix in flute in 1998. A prizewinner of international competitions, he has gained recognition as one of the world’s outstanding flautists through numerous appearances as soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.

Most known for his piano works which were based on folk music idioms, Isaac Albeniz is a figurehead in Spanish classical music. Transcriptions of many of his pieces are part of the classical guitar repertoire, although he never composed for the instrument. Pianist Miguel Angel Rodriguez Laiz studied in Murcia, Madrid, Dallas, and Canada. He currently serves as a piano professor, chamber music professor, and theory professor at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Musica “Victoria Eugenia” de Granada. On this release he presents some of Albeniz’s most colorful and influential piano works, including the Rapsodia espanola.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion is, along with the St. Matthew Passion, without doubt one of the most important works he ever composed. It established a new tradition for Good Friday vespers in Leipzig, and with sublime skill Bach managed to retain a spirit of church worship while creating an almost operatic narrative that movingly depicts Christ’s trial, death, and ultimate apotheosis. Bach’s numerous revisions always demand a certain amount of scholarly decision-making, and this recording of the St. John Passion uses the final 1749 version that not only draws on and reinforces the best of Bach’s original concept, but incorporates the additional movements of the 1725 version.

Recorded live in Lisbon, this programme brings together the voices of celebrated early music soprano Ana Quintans and popular fado singer Ricardo Ribeiro, as well as traditional Portuguese instruments. Incorporating medieval cantigas, works of the 18th and 20th centuries and traditional fado in its purest form, the result is a vivid portrait of Portuguese music from the 13th century to the present. The Portuguese soprano, Ana Quintans, finished her studies in sculpture in 1998. She then started studying singing at the Conservatory of Lisbon with José Manuel Araujo. She graduated from the Workshop La Musique des Mémoires with the French composer Claire Renard at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Ana Quintans is known for her playful lightness in voice and movement as well as for her touching and profound interpretation of characters. Ricardo Ribeiro is a fado singer from Portugal with a traditional style whose full-length solo album releases are few and far between yet popular. Born on August 19, 1981, in Lisbon, he is primarily influenced by fado legend Fernando Maurício.

In an exciting collaboration, guitarists Adam del Monte and Mak Grgic journey through the wide landscape of Spanish and Latin American music. With brand new arrangements they explore classics of Iberian Romanticism from Albeniz and Granados as well as promoting the vivid ethnic rhythms of Ginastera and the beautiful filmic nostalgia of Carlos Gardel, master of the tango-song. The bittersweet poetic richness of Hector Stamponi is balanced by del Monte’s own original flamenco dances, which take the genre into vivid new directions. Adam del Monte and Mak Grgic make up Duo Deloro, who are in the vanguard of the new Classical/Flamenco movement.