The 15 romances from Ludwig Tieck's Magelone represent Johannes Brahms' only true song cycle. With his reputation as an ideal accompanist it is clear that Brahms was extremely familiar with the examples of his predecessors Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann, and as such was able to convey an authenticity of feeling with this work. Set in medieval times, Die schone Magelone is a wonderfully epic yarn in which Count Peter falls in love and elopes with the fair Magelone, leading to disaster and dramas equaling that of any romantic opera.

Japanese guitarist Koki Fujimoto presents a recital of evocative pieces from France, Spain and Japan. He begins with his own arrangement of Ravel's Alborada del gracioso, a work shimmering with Spanish guitar evocations, and continues with one of Sor's finest masterpieces, the Fantaisie et Variations brillantes. Miguel Llobet was one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century and a prolific composer for the instrument. His mastery of harmony and melodic expressiveness can be heard in the exquisite miniatures celebrating Catalan folk music. They preface two expressive works from Japan - Fujimoto's Aki no Sankan Nigiri and Tropical Count by Sunao Isaji. Ansgar Krause's arrangement of Debussy's earliest known piano piece, Danse bohemienne, concludes the album.

John Adams is a composer whose works are shaped by the full breadth of American music, while being equally grounded in Classical and Romantic traditions that inform his sense of structure, harmony, and expressive line. Both Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Road Movies combine this aesthetic with a distinctive rhythmic drive that has made these some of his most enduring pieces, while Roll Over Beethoven demonstrates how far Adams has been able to move away from traditional minimalism. With the lyrical eloquence of arias from his stage works, and the 'Satie meets Bill Evans' transparency of I Still Play, this program is a vivid reminder of what makes John Adams one of the most versatile and influential composers of our time.

This volume explores the more intimate side of Eugene Zador's compositions, where his heartfelt creativity is at it's most personal. The Ode to Peace was written for the 17th anniversary of the United Nations and was premiered at the time of the Cuban missile crisis. The beauties of nature fail to compensate for lost love in his nostalgic song cycle From the Lonely Wayfarer, and in the Four Selected Songs grief, as well as love, is a constant companion. Both the Suite for Woodwind Quintet and the Brass Quintet show his mastery of characterisation and zesty rhythms.

Michele Carafa was a student of Cherubini and formed a lifelong friendship with Rossini based on mutual admiration. Carafa established a career in Paris through his association with the Opera Comique, which is where he presented his masterpiece Masaniello. Uniquely, Carafa was a descendant of characters in his own opera, which was based on real revolutionary events that took place in Naples in the 17th century. The result is a well-paced historical drama, closer to French operatic models with limited reliance on bel canto and the influence of Rossini.

Jose Antônio de Almeida Prado's music is the result of a unique combination of influences, moving through different styles and techniques while always displaying a recognisably strong personal imprint. Chamber music accounts for a large part of Almeida Prado's output. The Trio de Fontainebleau is infused with the ambience of his studies in France with Nadia Boulanger. The Balada is characteristic of the composer's mature style, with textures based on resonances, free modalism, consonant 'transtonal harmony,' and alternation between simple and complex rhythms. Trio Marítimo evokes the Portuguese poetry of Fernando Pessoa, while the Cello Sonata, with it's richly expressive palette of references, was considered by the composer to be one of his greatest achievements.

Even though Cipriani Potter's desire for lessons with Beethoven did not materialise, he benefitted from the great composer's advice and showed in his own music a thorough understanding of German models. As an admired soloist, he also introduced piano concertos by Mozart and Beethoven to Britain. Potter's Sonata in E minor shows these influences alongside some inventive flourishes and dramatic turbulence, whereas the three expertly written Toccatas reveal the influence of Bach. Enigma Variations was written in the style of five named contemporary composers, an example of witty, ingenious, and warm-hearted composition. Luke Jones' recording of the Fantasia in G major on Mayr's Chi dice mal d'amore is available for streaming and download as digital single 9.70391.

"The musicians immerse the listener sometimes in a profound mental repose, sometimes in a very joyous and dynamic ambience. This strongly melodious and frequently virtuosic music is pure velvet for the ears." - "MB", Pizzicato, January 2002

"The recorded sound is good and warm, and generous to the (already heavy) instrumental playing." - Alison Bullock International Record Review October 2001

"The playing of the Ensemble Accentus is excellent. The sound of the viol consort is gorgeous--rich and well balanced." - Peter Loewen, American Record Guide, Nov/Dec, 2001

"Thomas Wimmer, the only member of the Ensemble Accentus to be named by Naxos, writes the excellent programme notes to this most enjoyable recording... The Charles V palace is an extraordinary piece of architecture, a circular court in a square building superbly appropriate for music and drama. Cabezon must have known this building intimately. His surviving music however is entirely for keyboard, and on many other recordings where he has so often been anthologised, it is the occasional harpsichord work, which makes an appearance. Normally it is the same pieces like the 'Pavana Italiana', or the 'Diferencias sobre el canto del Caullero'. Yet this palace contained musicians of all types, and that included instrumentalists... There is no doubt that Naxos Early Music department is striking out into some fascinating areas, and they have found fine musicians to take us into some exciting repertoire. Highly recommended." - Musicweb.vavo.com (Gary Higginson), 28th June