The discography of Strauss’s last opera is not exactly crowded, but the two existing accounts provide formidable competition for any newcomer. First there was Sawallisch, conducting the Philharmonia for EMI in 1957 (unfortunately in mono) and a cast led by Schwarzkopf, Ludwig and Fischer-Dieskau. Then, in 1971, came that other supreme Straussian, Karl Böhm, with Janowitz, Troyanos and (again) Fischer-Dieskau, recorded in Munich for DG. The new Decca set brings together many of today’s leading exponents of Strauss’s roles, dominated, for me, by the unsurpassed Clairon of Brigitte Fassbaender, now alas, never to be heard on stage again following her retirement. Heilmann and Bär make an ardent pair of rival suitors, Hagegård an admirable Count and Halem a sonorous, characterful La Roche. (There is a delightful link with the past history of the opera in the person of Hans Hotter: he sang Olivier in the 1942 premiere, La Roche in the 1957 Sawallisch set, and here, at 84 when recorded in December 1993, a one-line cameo as a servant.) For many, though, the set’s desirability will rest on Te Kanawa’s Countess.

Long overdue reissue of Berlin-based experimental new wave/post-punk outfit Sprung Aus Den Wolken's vital self-titled debut, remastering it from the original tapes and bundling it with extra material from the same period. RIYL Malaria!, Einstürzende Neubauten, Suicide or Tuxedomoon.

This fascinating collection was put together by archivist Christopher Wagner, who assembled these vintage 78 rpms recorded between 1922 and 1959 by all manner of emigrant musicians – each addressing the hopes, dreams, fears and confusions of starting a new life in a new world – into an amazing statement on diversity. Some 50 million people migrated from Europe to America in the 19th century, with millions more coming from the Far East, the West Indies, and points in between, all putting to the test the melting pot theory of American democracy, a theory that is, in many ways, still being tested. Consisting of selections by Irish string bands, Scandinavian folk ensembles, ragged street corner calypso orchestras, conjunto bands and so much more, Stranded in the USA holds a mirror to a vital period in U.S. history, and also sheds light on a nascent recording industry trying anything and everything to reach pocket audiences, a process that is difficult to imagine in a contemporary setting full of corporate multimedia giants more intent on selling culture than reflecting or serving it. This truly is the sound of America singing. Kudos to Trikont Records, a German label, for recognizing the importance of these tracks.

Die Erfolgs-Ausgabe Fetenhits – Neue Deutsche Welle kehrt als Best Of Album zurück! Das 3CD-Set erscheint mit allen Klassikern der NDW. Viele hochkarätige Superstars wie z.B. Nena, Peter Schilling, Trio, Rio Reiser, Hubert Kah oder Joachim Witt sind auf dieser “Best Of“-Ausgabe vertreten. Legendäre Songs wie „99 Luftballons“, „Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst)“, „Goldener Reiter“, „Bruttosozialprodukt“, „Skandal im Sperrbezirk“, „Der König von Deutschland“, „Ich bau' Dir ein Schloß“ oder „Da Da Da ich lieb dich nicht du liebst mich nicht Aha Aha Aha“ sind auf 3CDs vereint, weshalb diese Compilation auf keiner 80er Party fehlen darf! Fetenhits Neue Deutsche Welle – Best Of - Für jeden NDW-Fan ein Muss!

Two CD collection. The follow-up to Light In The Attic's game-changing I Am The Center box set is finally here. Three years in the making, The Microcosm: Visionary Music Of Continental Europe, 1970-1986 is the first major overview of key works from cosmically-taped in artists needing little introduction - Vangelis, Ash Ra Tempel, and Popol Vuh - and and unknown masterpieces by criminally overlooked heroes like Bernard Xolotl, Robert Julian Horky and Enno Velthuys. Whereas I Am The Center called for a reconsideration of an entire maligned genre, The Microcosm requests nothing more than an open mind to consider this ambient, new age, neuzeit, prog, krautrock, cosmic, holistic stuff, whatever one calls it as a pulsating movement unto itself, a mirror refracting the American new age scene in unexpected, electrifying ways, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt the universality of the timeless quest to express "the Ineffable" through music. Drawing from major label budgets and homemade cassette distributed circumstances alike, The Microcosm demonstrates a depth of peace profound to behold, and clearly expands the boundaries. Lovingly conceived and lavishly presented by producer Douglas McGowan (Yoga Records) and liner notes contributor Jason Patrick Woodbury (Pitchfork, Aquarium Drunkard), The Microcosm features stunning cover paintings by Étienne Trouvelot, and labels by Finnish savant Aleksanda Ionowa.

Direkt vom Parkett der Tanzschulen präsentiert »Discofox Klassiker Vol. 1 - Die größten Tanzschulen Hits« 40 starke Discofox Hits auf 2 CDs.

"Einfach nur Magie" ist das sechste Studioalbum des Sängers aus Mülheim an der Ruhr.
Sein Motto lautet:
„Die Vergangenheit abhaken und voller Energie und positiver Einstellung zum Leben einen Neuanfang wagen".

One of Germany's most successful pop singers during the 1970s and '80s, Howard Victor Carpendale was born on January 14, 1946 in Durban, South Africa. Howie, as he is affectionately known, was working as an Elvis impersonator when he relocated to Europe in 1966, settling first in the U.K. He moved to Germany in 1969 when he was offered a recording contract with Electrola Records, having success right out of the gate that year on the German pop charts with a cover of the Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." Carpendale was unable to follow up on that success, however, and his stay with Electrola was over by the early '70s.

In the year 1688, when the 52-year-old Georg Daniel Speer, son of a reputed peltmonger family of Breslau, had his 'Musicalisch-Türckischer Eulen-Spiegel' published in Ulm, he was an organist and assistant teacher in South Germany and already had an eventful life behind him. At the age of 18, he had set off through the Carpathian Mountains to Spisz (located in the north-east of present-day Slovakia). Throughout the following years, he worked as a mercenary for various armies, once as an army drummer, then as a bugler in the war of Hungary against the Turks. Finally, he reached Constantinople in the company of a 'high-born lord'.

Mit insgesamt 15 Studioalben (von denen sie mit 7 die Top 10 der deutschen Longplay-Charts enterte) hat Michelle in den zurückliegenden drei Jahrzehnten den deutschen Schlager wie kaum eine andere Künstlerin geprägt und sich mit ihrer sympathisch unangepassten, direkten Art zu einer der beliebtesten und erfolgreichsten Musikerinnen des Landes entwickelt.

Musik verbindet - und das in allen Bereichen. Darum erhalten Sie hier jetzt eine musikalische Jukebox vollgepackt mit einem großen Mix an Schlagern und zeitlosen Oldie-Klassikern zum Immer-Wieder-Anhören. Hier ist für jeden Geschmack etwas dabei. Wählen Sie selbst aus dieser CD-Sammlung Ihre persönliches Lieblings-CD. Vertreten sind Musiker, die die Welt mit ihrer Musik geprägt haben und uns damit viele Erinnerungen schenken. Mit dabei: Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Vicky Leandros, Aretha Franklin, Jürgen Marcus, Roland Kaiser und viele andere.

Im Gegensatz zum berühmten späteren Amtsnachfolger J. S. Bach konnte Thomaskantor Sebastian Knüpfer vom politischen Arm ungehindert seinen musikalischen Fähigkeiten freien Lauf lassen. Das Ergebnis sind prächtige Psalm- und Choralkonzerte für den feierlichen Gottesdienst an der Thomaskirche.

"Denn er selbst, der Herr, wird mit einem Feldgeschrei und der Stimme des Erzengels und mit der Posaune Gottes hernieder kommen vom Himmel, und die Toten in Christo werden auferstehen zuerst". Dunkel und drohend lässt Telemann dazu den Donner grollen, den Zorn Gottes. Der Herr, der Richter naht. Es beginnt der Tag des Gerichts. Mit diesen Signalen hebt ein packendes musikalisches Geschehen an, das dem, der sich mit ihm auseinanderzusetzen gewillt ist, eine reiche, symbolgeladene Welt schönster, erfüllender, oft eigenwilliger künstlerischer Bewältigung von Wort und Ton eröffnet.

This recording is of the rarely performed late fourth version of the St. John Passion. Cantus Cölln performs the entire work as a double vocal quartet, producing vocal brilliance and immaculate solo sections. The ensemble is one of the most renowned vocal groups for Renaissance and Baroque music.

45 years after his debut Philips recording of Beethoven’s 9th, Seiji Ozawa returns to this epic masterpiece. The Mito Chamber Orchestra features many international star players including Radek Baborák (horn), Ricardo Morales (clarinet) and Philippe Tondre (oboe). The German baritone Markus Eiche leads a quartet of leading Japanese soloists and the Tokyo Opera Singers in a fascinating performance on a chamber orchestra scale.