Elgar: Cello Concerto, Sea Pictures (Vinyl) - At the premiere of Elgar's Cello Concerto in 1919, John Barbirolli - himself a cellist - was playing in the London Symphony Orchestra. When he recorded the work in 1965 he chose Jacqueline du Pr� as soloist and she remains inextricably linked with this elegiac, but passionate work. Barbirolli's special affection for Elgar's music is just as evident in the glorious account of Sea Pictures with Janet Baker and the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Limited triple vinyl LP pressing. Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, with it's story of magical transformations, love and deceit and it's irresistibly melodic score, defines Romantic ballet. It is no coincidence that conductor Andr� Previn has described himself as "a complete romantic" and that this recording has become a classic of the catalogue. When it was made in 1976, Previn had spent the best part of a decade as Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. With their combination of show business flair and deep sensitivity, he and the LSO's players proved to be the ideal team for Tchaikovsky's glorious ballet music.

Vinyl LP pressing. When it comes to evoking the colors and moods of Vivaldi's Spring', 'Summer', 'Autumn' and 'Winter', Itzhak Perlman deploys an inimitably rich and varied palette. He directs the London Philharmonic Orchestra from the violin.

Abel Selaocoe, the innovative South African cellist, composer and vocalist, announces the release of his second album, Hymns of Bantu on Warner Classics on 21st February 2025. Abel follows the acclaimed release of his 2022 debut Where Is Home (Hae ke Kae) with a remarkable new body of work celebrating his South African heritage, and tracing his ancestral path that leads into his vast influences including Western classical repertoire.

Under the light of a full moon, something most curious occurs. Benjamin Button is born old. Bound to the fate of growing younger each day, Benjamin wants nothing more than to live a little life. But will he ever find a place to belong? With a breathtaking soundtrack brought to life by an extraordinary actor-musician ensemble, F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic short story is relocated to a fishing village on the north coast of Cornwall by writing team Jethro Compton and Darren Clark. Winning three 2025 Olivier Awards for Best New Musical, Outstanding Musical Contribution (Darren Clark and Mark Aspinall), and Best Actor in a Musical (John Dagleish), the 14-strong cast of actor-musicians playing 30 instruments perform "MIRACLES OF DEXTERITY ON STAGE" (The Times) - bringing to life a heart-burstingly, magical tale of a love that defies all odds. From Darren Clark: "These songs have then been brought to life by an awe-inspiring company of actor musicians who put their heart and soul into every lyric and note of this score."

Lionel Bart's musical masterpiece, freely adapted from Charles Dickens' novel, Oliver! Tells the story of the orphaned Oliver Twist, who escapes the harsh Victorian workhouse and takes refuge in London's murky underworld with the wily gang leader Fagin and his team of resourceful pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger. He finds a friend in the kind- hearted Nancy and when he's wrongly arrested for stealing, Oliver meets an unexpected saviour; but is happiness truly within his grasp? With a sensational score, including Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You've Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I'd Do Anything, Oom Pah Pah, As Long As He Needs Me, and many more, the Olivier, Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece vividly brings to life Dickens' ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more.

The term 'living legend' is genuinely apt to Martha Argerich, whose dazzling amalgam of virtuosity, insight, eclecticism, generosity and mystery makes her a pianist of unrivalled fascination. Argentinian-born, Viennese-trained, and winner of the 1965 Chopin Competition, she became a sometimes elusive figure whose every appearance and recording aroused eager anticipation.

The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from the movie Maria, directed by Pablo Larra�n, written by Steven Knight, which delves into the tumultuous final days of the iconic opera singer in 1970s Paris, interpreted by Angelina Jolie. The producer of the soundtrack is John Warhurst, the sound engineer of Freddy Mercury's biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. John Warhurst's extraordinary work involved immersing Callas's voice in a contemporary sound environment: It contains the most beautiful and iconic arias by Maria Callas and for the first time since her death, Callas's voice resonates in a completely new setting.

The German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter is celebrated for her exceptional talent and unwavering dedication to her craft. A child prodigy, she rose to international acclaim under the mentorship of Herbert von Karajan. Throughout her illustrious career, Mutter has collaborated with renowned orchestras and conductors, showcasing her versatility and technical brilliance. This LP features two of the most celebrated concertos for two instruments: Bach's Concerto for Two Violins and Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, recorded in the 1982 and 1991. Anne-Sophie Mutter magnifies them with her powerful and distinguished playing, still imbued with a youthful energy in Bach (she was only 19 at that time). Her interpretations are marked by a perfect balance of sensitivity and power, making her a true icon in the world of classical music.

The charismatic, cosmopolitan cellist Giovanni Sollima joins the instrumentalists of Il Pomo d'Oro for Al-Bunduqiyya - The Lost Concerto. The album, which crosses cultures and eras, sets Vivaldi, born in Venice in 1678, in the context of his native city's historical relationship with the eastern Mediterranean and Asia. Al-Bunduqiyya is the Arabic name for Venice and 'The Lost Concerto' (Il Concerto Perduto) is a work composed in 2021 by Sollima. His starting point was all that remains of one of Vivaldi's concertos for cello: the orchestral viola part, now preserved at the Venice Conservatory. Among the other items are complete concertos by Vivaldi, solo improvisations by Sollima, a piece by Vivaldi's contemporary Tartini, and music of the Cypriot and Albanian traditions. When the programme of Al-Bunduqiyya was performed at London's Wigmore Hall, Seen and Heard International wrote: "Sollima conjured a feast of tone colours, plunging into pizzicatos, climbing to the heights of the fingerboard with Romantic bravura, conjuring ornamental flourishes with improvisatory flair, finding intense sentiment before whipping up a wild dance and concluding with some glissandi yelps! This was as much theatre as music."

This recording is of a very highly regarded production of Wagner's Ring Cycle; the four operas are completely re-staged at Bayreuth every six years. When recorded in 1991/1992 at the famous Bayreuth opera house built by Richard Wagner himself, this version, staged and directed by Harry Kupfer and conducted by Daniel Barenboim, had matured over five years and is still well remembered and much requested. "If a cycle is going as well as the Harry Kupfer/Daniel Barenboim Ring was, the super-test of G�tterd�mmerung brings out the best in everyone. Barenboim manipulates his orchestra with Furtw�nglerian virtuosity, huge rits, pauses and all, tailor-made to the stage drama." Gramophone "All the cast work fiendishly hard. Tomlinson (and Kupfer) illustrate the glorious Prelude that Wagner called "Wotan's last ride", the lasers make a furious fire, and Evans is in streaming form as the awoken Br�nnhilde. Aptly weighty, Furtwangler-ish conducting." Gramophone 2006

Shani retains the joy without over-forcing the music's physical impact... The Rotterdam Philharmonic possesses an appealing inner glow and warmth that radiates a strong sense of collegiate endeavour. (BBC Music Magazine) The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and it's chief conductor Lahav Shani open this Mendelssohn album with Mendelssohn's Symphony No 3, the 'Scottish', that was inspired by his first visit to Great Britain in 1829. The overture Meeresstille und gl�ckliche Fahrt (Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), first heard in 1828, was inspired by two short poems by Goethe. The album closes with 3 of Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Worte Op.19b, orchestrated by maestro Shani.

Rufus Wainwright's Dream Requiem is an extremely prestigious project, the result of a commission from major cultural institutions in the US, UK, and Europe. This world premiere recording features a new composition by the legendary, Grammy-nominated musician, who has collaborated with the who's who of the pop music world. With narration by Meryl Streep, the project will be followed by a worldwide tour starting in January 2025. Written during the pandemic, it's a requiem "for the people we have lost in this crisis, for the past from which we are cut off and for the future to which we do not yet know how to connect, a Requiem for human contact, solidarity and the human voice that have all become dangerous and contagious"; It's also a reflection on environmental collapse and the increase in the number of natural disasters. The text of Dream Requiem weaves together words from the Latin Mass for the Dead - as used by his hero Verdi - with Lord Byron's apocalyptic poem 'Darkness', written after the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 and which brought about "the year without summer".

Aldo Ciccolini (1925-2015) launched his career in 1950 after winning the prestigious Marguerite Long Competition. A child prodigy, he dedicated himself to rigorous study, drawing influence from Busoni, Liszt, and the Bel Canto tradition, which shaped his emotionally charged interpretations-he described himself as a "lirico spinto pianist." His rich discography, largely released by Warner/Erato, includes complete piano cycles by Liszt, Saint-Sa�ns, and S�verac, along with acclaimed performances of Debussy and Satie. This enriched collection also features exclusive, previously unreleased recordings, including live recitals at the Nohant Festival and a studio session of his favorite Encore pieces. To experience Aldo Ciccolini through his extraordinary recorded legacy is to be immersed in a masterclass of elegance and humility, struck by the richness of his tone or captivated by the mysteries of an entrancing piano.

This September marks the 90th birthday of Arvo P�rt, a composer whose music has become a universal language of peace. To honour this milestone, PAX brings together some of his most emblematic works-compositions that invite stillness, reflection, and spiritual clarity. Rooted in simplicity and silence, P�rt's music offers a powerful path to inner peace, while echoing a deeper call for global harmony. In a time of noise and unrest, PAX is both timely and timeless-an essential listening experience.

Following on the acclaimed 'Where is Home' and 'Hymns of Bantu', two genre-defying albums, 'Four Spirits' is also drawn from Abel's South African roots and seeks to create a communal experience with the audience through cello concerto, percussion, singing & improvisation. His first solo cello concerto and, formally speaking, a concerto cast in four movements - each movement takes an essential aspect of township life: ancestors, children, faith and community. Selaocoe positions himself as chief storyteller, combining cello improvising with lyrics in the Southern Sotho and Zulu languages.

It is quite impossible to imagine today's violin heritage without the absolute musical genius of Perlman. Daniel Barenboim. Over the past 60 years Itzhak Perlman has become established as one of the great violinists of history - a player on a level with such legendary figures as Fritz Kreisler, Jascha Heifetz and David Oistrakh. Providing a treasurable memento of his art, this is a newly assembled 5LP collection of masterworks for violin and orchestra in what have become legendary recordings. They bear witness to his collaborations with the world's greatest orchestras, and feature an array of superlative fellow soloists and conductors: Carlo Maria Giulini, Daniel Barenboim, Yo-Yo Ma and Eugene Ormandy.

Long acknowledged as one of the great pianists of our time, Elisabeth Leonskaja shares her wealth of experience of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 5, the 'Emperor', with the players of the Orchestre Fran�ais des Jeunes, aged between 16 and 25. She describes it as "the supreme piano concerto... "Nothing transcends the connection it creates between the soloist, conductor and orchestra." Belgium's Crescendo magazine, reviewing a live performance of the concerto, admired "the perfectly disciplined orchestra and the sureness of Michael Sch�nwandt gestures," writing: "The young instrumentalists... showed flexibility in following the marvellous Elisabeth Leonskaja, who... with the absolute 'rightness' of her playing, immersed everyone present in a moment of true grace."

Itzhak Perlman, born in 1945, is the supreme violinist of his time. Over the past 60 years he has become established as one of the great violinists of history - a player on a level with such legendary figures as Fritz Kreisler, Jascha Heifetz and David Oistrakh, and an influential musician admired around the world by a broad and varied public and by students of his instrument. Presenting his art in all it's warmth, generosity and brilliance, this comprehensive 78-CD edition features all the recordings Perlman made for EMI Classics, Teldec, Erato and Warner Classics over a period of more than 40 years. The recordings document his collaborations with the world's greatest orchestras and feature an array of superlative fellow soloists and conductors, including Martha Argerich, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daniel Barenboim, Carlo Maria Giulini, Bernard Haitink, Lynn Harrell, Yo-Yo Ma, Zubin Mehta, Seiji Ozawa, Andr� Previn and Pinchas Zukerman.

Perlman already had a recording of the Brahms Double Concerto to his name - on that occasion sharing the bill with Mstislav Rostropovich, conducted by Bernard Haitink (1979). He creates an equally sumptuous dialogue here with Yo-Yo Ma. The two performers match one another for brio and lyricism, their playing informed by the same sense of joyfulness, as their enthusiasm and generosity of spirit combine. Indeed, the coherence of sound, vibrato and intonation of these two soloists, each at the peak of his powers, reveals a fellowship both instrumental and spiritual. The vigour of the attacks and power of the phrasings, sustained by dazzling playing from the orchestra, add a rarely achieved Romantic dimension to this performance, transforming it into a veritable feast for the ears.

Georgian pianist Mariam Batsashvili's Influences features works by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven-the three giants of the sonata form. Mariam has selected her favourite sonatas, leading to the final piece on the album: Liszt's Fantasia quasi sonata. The album includes Liszt's famous Liebestraum No. 1 & 3 and Campanella, along with other beautiful solo works.

Following on the acclaimed 'Where is Home' and 'Hymns of Bantu', two genre-defying albums, 'Four Spirits' is also drawn from Abel's South African roots and seeks to create a communal experience with the audience through cello concerto, percussion, singing & improvisation. His first solo cello concerto and, formally speaking, a concerto cast in four movements - each movement takes an essential aspect of township life: ancestors, children, faith and community. Selaocoe positions himself as chief storyteller, combining cello improvising with lyrics in the Southern Sotho and Zulu languages.

Second of two LP releases devoted to the legendary Martha Argerich, the first being a best of her Concertos recordings, the second a best of her Solo piano & Chamber music albums (a day after her 84th anniversary). The term 'living legend' is genuinely apt to Martha Argerich, whose dazzling amalgam of virtuosity, insight, eclecticism, generosity and mystery makes her a pianist of unrivalled fascination. Argentinian-born, Viennese-trained, and winner of the 1965 Chopin Competition, she became a sometimes elusive figure whose every appearance and recording aroused eager anticipation.

For more than six decades, Adrian Boult was at the forefront of British music-making. He was the most skilled British conductor of his era, with the widest musical sympathies. Known for his conducting style characterized by it's clarity, discipline, and objectivity, his recordings are highly regarded for their integrity and musical insight. This edition includes all his mono recordings made between 1920 and 1957 for HMV, Pye Nixa and Parlophone labels. More than half of this box set is available for the very first time on CD, in HD remastering made from the original sources, and it includes several previously unreleased recordings. This first box devoted to the Mono recordings will be followed in January 2026 by another box devoted to the complete Stereo recordings by Adrian Boult on Warner Classics. The albums are presented as original pairing programs with original cover artwork.

One of the great modern versions of Puccini's most celebrated opera. Angela Gheorghiu embodies an incandescent Tosca of rarely seen dramatic power and vocal flawlessness, and Roberto Alagna is an ideal Mario Cavaradossi, also at the peak of his art. Supported by a great artistic complicity, the warm and ample voices of these two star singers can flourish without restraint and unleash all the fires of passion. Ruggero Raimondi, masterful, portrays the infamous Scarpia as a model of perversity and darkness. Antonio Pappano, leading the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, once again proves himself one of the greatest operatic conductors of our time, preserving the slightest nuances of this multi-coloured score.