For this fourth volume of their complete recording of Mahler's symphonies, Paavo Jarvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich present a monumental work: Symphony No. 2, with it's five movements and colossal orchestra, complemented by a choir and soloists: 'Mahler's Symphony No. 2 is a gigantic work - both in substance and in scale', says Paavo Jarvi. Mahler completed the composition in 1894, after more than six years of work, at a time when, whilst he was certainly regarded as a great conductor, his life was difficult: he had lost his father, mother and sister Leopoldine in quick succession - suddenly finding himself responsible for his brothers and sisters - his first symphony had not been well received, and he was the target of an anti-Semitic press campaign in Budapest, where he had been director of the Royal Opera from 1888 to 1891. In a letter dated 1896, Mahler wrote: 'When you wake from this melancholy dream and have to return to life and it's chaos, it can easily happen that this ceaselessly moving, never resting and always incomprehensible bustle of life becomes horrifying to you"

Mezzo-soprano Justina Gringyte, one of the most electrifying voices of her generation, returns to Ondine with a powerhouse new album-an all-Verdi celebration recorded with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI under the dynamic baton of Robert Trevino. This album charts Verdi's creative evolution across nearly five decades, from the youthful fire of his 1839 debut opera to the sweeping emotional landscapes of his mature masterpieces. Gringyte brings blazing intensity and velvet-dark lyricism to iconic arias from Il trovatore and Aida, while also illuminating hidden gems from Verdi's rarely performed early operas-works that modern audiences seldom have the chance to experience. A thrilling blend of discovery and tradition, this release showcases Gringyte at her dramatic best, revealing Verdi's genius in all it's breadth, beauty, and operatic grandeur.

The contralto voice range did not emerge in French opera until around 1850, largely thanks to the singer Rosine Stoltz, who made her debut at the Paris Opera in 1837. The low female voice then gained prominence on all the Parisian opera stages, with contraltos and sopranos becoming increasingly distinct. It is this entire evolution that is highlighted in the recital presented by Aude Extremo: she performs the world premiere recording of the aria from Niedermeyer's Marie Stuart; she impresses in Joncières' Dimitri, portraying Tsarina Marpha, a role with an exceptionally wide range, extending down to F3 (the F below middle C) but capable of reaching A?5 (the high A-flat). The roles written by Massenet for Ariane or Cleopâtre are equally fascinating, not to mention the iconic Dalila in Saint-Saëns's Samson and Dalila. Other instrumental and vocal gems punctuate this recital, conceived by Alexandre Dratwicki, artistic director of the Palazzetto Bru Zane.

Written for the bass Luigi Lablache, the tenor Giovanni David and the soprano Josephine Fodor-Mainville, Amazilia premiered on 6 July 1825 at the Teatro San Carlo In Naples and was well received, although the local press reported a 'brilliant opening, which the rest of the performance did not quite live up to'. Restaged the following year at the San Carlo, Amazilia was definitively a 'highly praised score'. In the same year, outside the San Carlo, it was also performed in Palermo and Milan. Amazilia was subsequently performed in Rome, again in Naples and Palermo, in Messina and in Livorno, either in the one-act version or the two-act version, both of which were published in reductions for voice and piano in 1831. Amazilia remains an opera that Pacini must undeniably have considered significant: he even named one of his daughters Amazilia, and the opera enjoyed great popularity as a source of popular arias. Almost all the pieces can be found incorporated into operas by other composers, and Pacini himself consented to the grand rondo from Amazilia being sung within Gli Arabi nelle Gallie. This practice continued for a long time, ensuring the success of pieces from Amazilia well into the early 1850s, thanks in part to certain performers' fondness for specific arias from the opera. Zadir's cavatina, for example, became a signature piece for the tenor Mario de Candia, who incorporated it-adapted to his own needs-into operas such as Rossini's La donna del lago and Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia. A few decades earlier, to give another example, Lablache introduced Cabana's cavatina into some performances of Rossini's Mose in Egitto in Paris. The French press still had Pacini's melodies ringing in their ears when, a few years later, they accused Bellini of plagiarism, claiming he had copied passages from Amazilia, which may well have had some influence on works such as Norma (1831). Even in the 20th century, Beverly Sills inserted the cabaletta 'Parmi vederlo ahi misero' into the 1974 New York production of Rossini's Assedio di Corinto, unaware of the aria's origin.

John Rutter writes: 'In 1971, David Willcocks invited me to co-edit Carols for Choirs 2. This most happy association cemented my lifelong association with Cambridge and with Christmas, and in calling this double album A Cambridge Christmas, I am paying homage to that association. Some of the carols included in it were written by Cambridge authors or musicians, others were made famous by Cambridge Choirs, some I have included just because I like them, and there are several carols I have arranged or composed myself, generally for friends or organisations I cherish.

For this fourth volume of their complete recording of Mahler's symphonies, Paavo Jarvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich present a monumental work: Symphony No. 2, with it's five movements and colossal orchestra, complemented by a choir and soloists: 'Mahler's Symphony No. 2 is a gigantic work - both in substance and in scale', says Paavo Jarvi. Mahler completed the composition in 1894, after more than six years of work, at a time when, whilst he was certainly regarded as a great conductor, his life was difficult: he had lost his father, mother and sister Leopoldine in quick succession - suddenly finding himself responsible for his brothers and sisters - his first symphony had not been well received, and he was the target of an anti-Semitic press campaign in Budapest, where he had been director of the Royal Opera from 1888 to 1891. In a letter dated 1896, Mahler wrote: 'When you wake from this melancholy dream and have to return to life and it's chaos, it can easily happen that this ceaselessly moving, never resting and always incomprehensible bustle of life becomes horrifying to you"

John Wilson and Sinfonia of London continue their series of complete recordings of shows from the golden age of Broadway with Frank Loesser's Guys and Dolls. The show opened in 1950, ran for 1,200 performances, and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The book is based on short stories by Damon Runyon, written in the 1920s and 1930s. These stories concerned gangsters, gamblers, and other characters of the New York underworld. Runyon was known for the unique comic dialect he employed in his stories; mixing highly formal language, without contractions, and colourful slang. As in all previous issues in this series, John Wilson has gone back to the original orchestrations of the show's opening night, and the recording includes every note. In the case of Guys and Dolls, these originals were lost (subsequent productions had used a simplified orchestration calling for fewer players), but have been painstakingly reconstructed by Larry Moore. Wilson says of his soloists: 'Casting is so important, choosing singers who not only perform the role but who can make an impression on a record. I keep my eyes peeled and, on every recording, you see new additions, but at the core there is a group of artists who I know can turn up on a Monday morning for the recording and deliver the goods. That extends right through the ensemble which is a collection of the brightest stars in London.' The notable additions for this recording are Damien Humbley as Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Sir Thomas Allen (persuaded by John to come out of retirement!) in the role of Arvide Abernathy.

From Grammy and Emmy Award-winning trumpeter, synthesist, and Academy Award-nominated film composer Mark Isham comes At the Carousel Club, a six-track album that brings together jazz improvisation, vintage analog electronics, and cinematic atmosphere into a single, deeply personal statement. The album began with Isham's towering collection of vintage analog synthesizers and modular instruments: a vast, interconnected system he used to generate massive electronic landscapes and evolving sonic textures. Those foundations became the architecture for live ensemble performance, recorded at the legendary Mad Hatter Studios with drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, bassist Kaveh Rastegar, guitarist Nels Cline, vocalist Ayo Awosika, and the Orchid String Quartet. At the center of it all is Isham's trumpet, lyrical, searching, and unmistakably human. Moving through each environment as an observer, a storyteller, and an improviser. The result is music that is electronic but organic, cinematic but intimate, structured yet alive with spontaneity. At the Carousel Club is a record for listeners who find themselves at the intersection of jazz, ambient, and contemporary classical music. For fans of Pat Metheny, Brian Eno, Jon Hassell, and Nils Frahm.

At Ease with Coleman Hawkins was originally released on the Moodsville label in 1960 and as such is often referred to as Moodsville 7. Featuring prominent saxophonist Coleman Hawkins alongside a stelar line-up of players including Tommy Flanagan (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Osie Johnson (drums) it was recorded at the famed Van Gelder Studios. This new edition is presented on 180-gram vinyl pressed at QRP with all-analog mastering from the original tapes and housed in a Tip-On Jacket.

Originally recorded and released in 1960 this newly remastered edition of the Tommy Flanagan Trio, also known as Moodsville 9, is released as part of the new Moodsville Series. Featuring Tommy Flanagan (piano), Tommy Potter (bass) and Roy Haynes (drums), it was recorded at the famed Van Gelder Studio. This new edition is presented on 180-gram vinyl pressed at QRP with all-analog mastering from the original tapes and housed in a Tip-On Jacket.

The Tiberi Tapes opens a door long-whispered about among Coltrane fans: intimate, previously unheard live recordings made by saxophonist Frank Tiberi as he followed John Coltrane through Philadelphia and New York clubs in the early 1960s. Captured on modest reel-to-reel equipment, these performances trade Polish for presence, placing the listener close to the bandstand as Coltrane and his bandmates test, stretch and transform the music in real time. The sound bears the immediacy of it's origins: raw, direct and alive with discovery. For Tiberi, these tapes were study materials, a private archive of harmonic information and musical inspiration. More than 60 years later, they emerge as something larger: a vital chapter in the Coltrane story, preserving the feeling, risk and relentless searching that made the bandstand his truest laboratory. Heard now, the music feels not archival but immediate, a living document of curiosity, discipline and ecstatic momentum. 4-LP set.

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis with Shirley Scott was originally released in 1960 as the 4th volume on Moodsville Records. This newly remastered edition of the album sees Davis (tenor sax) and Scott (piano) joined by George Duvivier (bass) and Arthur Edgehill (drums). Released as part of the new Moodsville Series it is presented on 180-gram vinyl pressed at QRP with all-analog mastering from the original tapes and housed in a Tip-On Jacket.

The Best Of Miles Davis & John Coltrane (1955-1961) is on vinyl for the first time for the dual centennial of both Miles and 'Trane! From 1955-1961, Miles Davis led a simply extraordinary small band that changed the course of jazz. This quintet/sextet primarily spotlighted tenor saxophonist John Coltrane but also included such greats as alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley; pianists Red Garland, Bill Evans, and Wynton Kelly; bassist Paul Chambers; and drummers Philly Joe Jones and Jimmy Cobb. These nine tracks across 2LPs collect the highlights from the some of the best albums in jazz history: 'Round About Midnight, Milestones, Someday My Prince Will Come, and the legendary Kind of Blue.

The Tiberi Tapes opens a door long-whispered about among Coltrane fans: intimate, previously unheard live recordings made by saxophonist Frank Tiberi as he followed John Coltrane through Philadelphia and New York clubs in the early 1960s. Captured on modest reel-to-reel equipment, these performances trade Polish for presence, placing the listener close to the bandstand as Coltrane and his bandmates test, stretch and transform the music in real time. The sound bears the immediacy of it's origins: raw, direct and alive with discovery. For Tiberi, these tapes were study materials, a private archive of harmonic information and musical inspiration. More than 60 years later, they emerge as something larger: a vital chapter in the Coltrane story, preserving the feeling, risk and relentless searching that made the bandstand his truest laboratory. Heard now, the music feels not archival but immediate, a living document of curiosity, discipline and ecstatic momentum. 3-CD set in 8-panel Softpak.

The new voice of jazz is here. Following his acclaimed debut album Open Up Your Senses, award-winning vocalist Tyreek McDole returns with CHROMA, a bold, genre-defying record that takes the jazz tradition somewhere unexpected. Drawing from the rich Black musical canon, from Nina Simone's "Wild Is the Wind" and Miles Davis' "Blue in Green" to OutKast's "She's Alive", McDole completely inhabits each song, bringing his extraordinary baritone, soul and contemporary vision to a repertoire that spans generations. 7 reimagined classics, 3 original compositions, one unmistakable voice. Produced by Grammy-nominated trumpeter Theo Croker, CHROMA is a striking record where jazz tradition meets the sounds of today - the sound of a new generation of jazz.

The new voice of jazz is here. Following his acclaimed debut album Open Up Your Senses, award-winning vocalist Tyreek McDole returns with CHROMA, a bold, genre-defying record that takes the jazz tradition somewhere unexpected. Drawing from the rich Black musical canon, from Nina Simone's "Wild Is the Wind" and Miles Davis' "Blue in Green" to OutKast's "She's Alive", McDole completely inhabits each song, bringing his extraordinary baritone, soul and contemporary vision to a repertoire that spans generations. 7 reimagined classics, 3 original compositions, one unmistakable voice. Produced by Grammy-nominated trumpeter Theo Croker, CHROMA is a striking record where jazz tradition meets the sounds of today - the sound of a new generation of jazz.

Zohar & Adam aren't waiting for the future of music-they're creating it. Osmosis is experimental, raw and impossible to box in, collapsing jazz, hip-hop, indie, electronic music and the sounds of the world around them into something entirely their own. Featuring Christian McBride, Steve Wilson, Skylar Tang and rapper Nory, the album connects generations without nostalgia and crosses genres without asking permission. In an era increasingly shaped by algorithms and artificial creation, Zohar & Adam are making a case for something radically human: instinct, improvisation, risk and the unpredictable chemistry that happens when real artists create together. And the world is already paying attention. After opening for Marcus Miller before a sold-out audience at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Zohar & Adam head overseas for an 11-date European run before their debut album has even been released. But this is bigger than the arrival of a new album. Osmosis is the opening statement of a worldwide movement, one determined to put human creativity and artistic value back at the center of an ever-changing musical landscape. Zohar & Adam aren't simply entering the conversation.

Zohar & Adam aren't waiting for the future of music-they're creating it. Osmosis is experimental, raw and impossible to box in, collapsing jazz, hip-hop, indie, electronic music and the sounds of the world around them into something entirely their own. Featuring Christian McBride, Steve Wilson, Skylar Tang and rapper Nory, the album connects generations without nostalgia and crosses genres without asking permission. In an era increasingly shaped by algorithms and artificial creation, Zohar & Adam are making a case for something radically human: instinct, improvisation, risk and the unpredictable chemistry that happens when real artists create together. And the world is already paying attention. After opening for Marcus Miller before a sold-out audience at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Zohar & Adam head overseas for an 11-date European run before their debut album has even been released. But this is bigger than the arrival of a new album. Osmosis is the opening statement of a worldwide movement, one determined to put human creativity and artistic value back at the center of an ever-changing musical landscape. Zohar & Adam aren't simply entering the conversation.