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The 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci falls on May 2, 2019. Probably the greatest polymath of all time, Leonardo was also a musician and revered music as the only serious rival for his divine 'science' of painting. Marking this...

The 500th anniversary of the death of Emperor Maximilian I this year is the occasion for several exhibitions and also for the programme of the ensemble Per-Sonat's new release. Maximilian, who was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1508, was a...

The 30-songs featured on the Jive-A-Rama Volume Three are full of jiving intensity and command dance-floor action. Every song is carefully selected and the album is programmed to sound like an evening at your local sock hop. Staying true to our...

The 30-song Bop-A-Rama Volume 3 album is jam-packed with bopping sounds for the toe-heel dancers to dance all night long. Every song is carefully selected and the album is programmed to sound like an evening at your local rockabilly hop. Staying true to...

The 1960s were a period of revolution in classical vocal composition, a time of re-inventing and re-creating the classical voice's sound world that inspired the generation of composers featured on this album. Spear-headed by such imaginative singers as...

The 18th-century Dutch Republic served as a magnet attracting musicians across Europe. It was one of the wealthiest of European countries. Celebrities such as Handel and Mozart may have passed through only briefly, but others such as Locatelli made a...

The 18th century experienced a mass migration of musicians from Italy - hitherto regarded as "the home of music" - seeking better fortunes in nations to the north. Giacobbe Basevi Cervetto, Giambatista Cirri and Francesco Geminiani went to London, Luigi...

The 17th century was marked on the one hand by war, infirmity and devastation, but at the same time by great innovations in research and science. In music, which until then had been characterized by structure and order, new ideals such as virtuosity and...

The 17th and 18th centuries marked the era of Enlightenment, overseas exploration, unprecedented European economic expansion and a flourishing of art and culture, not to mention the birth of the greatest composers in history. From concertos to fantasias,...

The "King of Instruments," the pipe organ, has a long and storied history. It's long association with the church has been a source of strength but also, in recent times, led to it's seeming neglect by contemporary concert composers. Organon Novus is a...

The "Haricots Rouges" are not only the unassailable ambassadors of New Orleans jazz in France, but also probably the world's best-known French jazz band. Their material here is timeless and international: the great film themes. These Best New Artists -...

The "Folia" was a popular dance born in the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century. The meaning of "folia" being "madness", it is documented that in it's early days it was a fast, ecstatic dance. Both a harmonic structure and a melody (developed a bit...