Nigel North continues his series of iconic lute recordings on BGS Records with the third volume in his series of works by Sylvius Leopold Weiss. Galanterie charts music for 13- course lute thought to have been composed between 1720 and 1730, whilst Weiss was employed as a royal chamber musician for the Elector August II of Saxony. Nigel North has assembled this programme of three sonatas, described by one of Weiss’s contemporaries as being: “... so filled with such ingenious, charming, well-connected ideas that one beautiful and exceptional thought accompanies another ... His playing consists of alternation between forcefulness and delicacy, as the music demands, and his concerti as well as his suites charm the ear extraordinarily.” “North speaks Weiss’s cosmopolitan language with finely attuned fluency, consummate flair and seductive persuasiveness.” (BBC Music Magazine)

Presented as a form of theme and variations on Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 (in a stunning new arrangement for four guitars by Mark Eden) VIDA’s new album presents music that takes its influence from Bach by composers such as Felix Mendelssohn and Heitor Villa Lobos. Also included are new works by Howard Skempton, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday, and talented young composer Laura Snowden. The Vida Guitar Quartet brings together four guitarists of exceptional artistry and “unerring musical instinct.” (Gramophone) Vida’s ability to “conjure up an orchestral palette of color and effects” (Classic FM) combined with their “exquisite tonal and dynamic control” has firmly established them as a passionate and masterful ensemble who sparkle with “vitality and spontaneity” (Acoustic)

Along with, perhaps, the piano, the guitar is one of the world’s most popular instruments, with examples to be found in homes and schools seemingly everywhere. Yet unlike the piano, the guitar does not have several centuries’ worth of classical masterworks in its repertory. And unlike other instruments, it does not have a place in the standard orchestra. In spite of its popularity, the guitar is in fact somewhat on the periphery of the classical music world. As artistic director of the International Guitar Foundation, Tom Kerstens has made it his goal to bring the guitar closer to the center. Tom Kerstens leads the G Plus Ensemble in a new album of premiere recordings by some of the UK’s leading composers, including Anna Meredith, John Metcalfe, Michael Parsons, Laurence Crane and Max Richter. “Kerstens and friends play with a precision that seems to grow out of the nature of the material rather than being imposed on it - interpretation at its most natural.” (Gramophone review of Tom Kerstens and G Plus Ensemble’s previous release, Utopia)

Mompou’s affinity for folkloric music demonstrates his love for an art with no artifice – one that can only be described as genuine, natural, sincere, and authentic. The meditative and contemplative qualities of his music speak to the individual in such intimate terms that the listener is transported to a moment in time, free from constraints of musical techniques and drama, but rather carried by the freedom and economy of notes, and once concluded the moment seems elusive and has evaporated without a trace leaving only a feeling of distant nostalgia like a long forgotten childhood memory from another world. The Eden Stell guitar duo record the Cançons i Danses of Catalan composer Federico Mompou, in a new collection of arrangements.

When do we ever have silence today? In the late 15th century, the renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino wrote that music was “nothing but a decoration of silence,” and music could bring out a “divine frenzy.” In our modern age, with piped music everywhere in lifts, airplanes and doctors’ offices, and music available on tap whenever and wherever we wish through digital media devices, our experience of music has been diluted, losing much of its original power. The Italian lutenist, Francesco da Milano, known as “il divino,” was said to have sent his audiences into a trance and rob them of their senses, save one, that of hearing. This album invites the 21st century listener into a world of sensual delight and a real decoration of silence. World-renowned lutenist Nigel North returned to the studio to continue his series of recordings of the works of Il Divino- better known as Francesco da Milano. “North leans more towards allowing a phrase’s flow gently to retard as it reaches the still pool of its final tone… ultimately it’s North’s intense introspection and empathy that make this a thoughtful programme…” (Gramophone)

This new recording from the Vida Guitar Quartet continues to highlight Vida’s passion for ground-breaking arrangements. Mark Ashford’s version of the English Folk Songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams is just one example of the quartet’s ability to re-work established masterpieces with breathtaking virtuosity. The Vida Guitar Quartet brings together four guitarists of exceptional artistry and “unerring musical instinct.” (Gramophone) Vida’s ability to “conjure up an orchestral palette of color and effects” (Classic FM) combined with their “exquisite tonal and dynamic control” has firmly established them as a passionate and masterful ensemble who sparkle with “vitality and spontaneity” (Acoustic) Vida’s seemingly effortless sense of ensemble and their broad range of timbres and dynamics evokes “listening to an entire orchestra and note merely to four guitars. There’s only one word for it: magic.” (Gramophone)