Few contemporary groups are as versatile as the Ohio State University Wind Symphony and their exploration of new and exciting wind music is second-to-none. This largely American program centers on two works by Frank Ticheli: Rest a beguiling piece dedicated to the memory of the father of conductor Russell Mikkelson and Symphony No. 1 which in the words of the composer represents 'a kind of journey of the soul - from innocence to introspection to darkness and finally to enlightenment.' Michael Gibertson's Vigil is nocturnal and lyrical in character while John Mackey's Asphalt Cocktail promises the scariest taxi ride of your life. There is also a real rarity from Gustav Holst.

Xavier Montsalvatge's music enriched Catalan culture throughout the second half of the twentieth century, and he remained one of Spain's leading composers. This overview of his orchestral music begins with excerpts from his ballet Manfred, which reveal the important influence of Stravinsky. The ingenious Bric � brac is his last orchestral work, written when he was eighty-one and premi�red by the forces who perform it on this recording. The mainly orchestral Simfonia de R�quiem is one of Montsalvatge's most important and well-known works.

The Manchester Gamba Book is the largest extant manuscript of 17th century viol music, now kept in the Watson music collection in Manchester. Different in many regards from the later cello, the secrets of viola da gamba performance style are revealed in this priceless volume, including Gervise Gerrarde's Paven (C2), the most richly ornamented piece in the instrument's literature. Other contributions include settings of popular English songs of the period, and from otherwise unknown musicians such as Stephen Goodall and Richard Sumarte. Dietmar Berger now lives in Cologne and plays the cello as well as the viola da gamba in renowned ensembles such as the Delos Trio Koln (with Gudrun Hobold, violin, and Hubert Koppel, guitar) both in Germany and abroad; he appears as a soloist on numerous television and CD recordings.

When planning your wedding, one of the most exciting and enjoyable experiences is selecting the music that will be as colorful as the autumn season and complement your special autumn ceremony. Music will be an integral part of this unforgettable time, reflecting your style and personality through the events of the day. Perfect Autumn Wedding, provides a variety of styles to choose from to make your ceremony complete.

Lazhar Cherouana, winner of the 2012 coveted Pittaluga Competition, graduated with a gold medal from the conservatory of Lyon under the world famous Peruvian artist Jes�s Castro-Balbi, studying further with Eliot Fisk and Marco Tamayo in Austria. Here he demonstrates the guitar's versatility and capacity to absorb many styles and idioms. Rameau's mimicry of birdsong is the spectacular opening to a program which unites Dusan Bogdanovic's Serbian energy with the Basque lyricism of Manj�n's Aire Vasco, and the delicate colors of Asencio's Collectici �ntim to the 19th-century Italianate virtuosity of Legnani and Regondi.

A member of one of the most important English musical dynasties of the 19th and 20th centuries, Eugene Goossens trained as a violinist and composer but gained fame as a conductor.

When planning your wedding, one of the most exciting and enjoyable experiences is selecting the music that will warm and complement your special winter ceremony. Music will be an integral part of this unforgettable time, reflecting your style and personality through the events of the day. Perfect Winter Wedding, provides a variety of styles to choose from to make your ceremony complete.

From the misery of a failed love affair came Bartók’s Fourteen Bagatelles, unashamedly experimental, decidedly forward-looking and displaying many of the qualities of his mature style. Buoyed by the success of his Dance Suite a concert in Budapest in 1925, Bartók felt inspired to compose major works for himself to play as a concert pianist, including the neo-classical Nine Little Piano Pieces (1926) which owe something to Italian Baroque composers such as Frescobaldi and Marcello.

"• World première recordings! • New Zealand composer Jack Body's fascination with Javanese, Cambodian and Japanese traditional music has had a profound impact on his own works, which often tell ‘dark stories of repression and unjust political imprisonment’. "

By all accounts a truly virtuoso performer known as 'the Paganini of the flute', the Italian Cesare Ciardi wrote principally for his own instrument, his works forming the basis of acclaimed concert performances that took him to many prestigious venues.

Gabriel Fauré’s chamber works, long overshadowed by his popular Requiem (Naxos 8.550765), are regaining their rightful place. This new release from the Kungsbacka Piano Trio follows their recording of Fauré’s First Piano Quartet and other chamber works (8.573042), described by Gramophone as ‘a delectable way into Fauré’s chamber music’. The program features the less frequently heard original version, with clarinet, of the Piano Trio, the Second Piano Quartet, which includes an evocation of the bells of Cadirac near the composer’s home, the Romances sans paroles, described by Marcel Proust as ‘intoxicating’ and one of Fauré’s most famous works, the Berceuse from the Dolly Suite.

The second Naxos recording of music by Lyell Cresswell, one of New Zealand's most distinguished composers. Pianist Stephen de Pledge, the New Zealand String Quartet and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra led by Hamish McKeich are featured on this disc. Lyell Cresswell's music is widely performed; he has been a featured composer at many festivals around the world. His orchestral songs can be heard on Naxos 8.570824.

BOCCHERINI: 3 Cello Sonatas / FACCO: Balletto in C major / P

Described by Classical Guitar Review as "nothing short of inspirational", this d+-but recording by Tracy Anne Smith and Rob MacDonald unveils a refreshing and innovative program of works by some of the most exciting living composers of our time. Stephen Goss's contrasting miniatures in the Raw and the Cooked reference musical greats from Django Reinhardt to Astor Piazzolla, and Still the Sea is a homage to Toru Takemitsu. Christopher William Pierce's mellifluous sound world explores the sensual, the ornate and the spectacular. Following his innovative and rhythmic Niter+�i, Roland Dyens brings US home with the succulently melodic Comme des Grands. Praised by Soundboard Magazine for their "great fluidity and technical perfection" and "sensitive and lyrical style", Tracy Anne Smith and Rob MacDonald of ChromaDuo unveil refreshing and innovative programs of new works by some of the most exciting living composers of our time.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s colourful Capriccio espagnol reflects a Russian fascination with distant lands, evoking sunny climes and exotic dancing in one of the composer’s most popular and uplifting scores. Steeped in the cultural nationalism of the ‘Mighty Handful’, the Overtures are linked to deeply Russian themes and tales, portraying dramatic life amongst the Tsars with brilliant orchestration and inspired use of folk or liturgical melodies. This release follows the multi-GRAMMY®-nominated and Emmy Award-winning Seattle Symphony ‘spectacular’ (MusicWeb International) recording of Sheherazade (8.572693).