Johann Christoph Graupner (1683-1760) was a German Baroque composer with over 1,500 published works to his credit, yet hardly anyone recognizes his name anymore. He worked as Kapellmeister at the Hesse court in Darmstadt for almost fifty years, composing both secular and religious music, and he might have gotten the music director's post in Leipzig that went to J.S Bach instead had Graupner's patron allowed him leave.

Purists may object and traditionalists may blanch, but for Bach fans with an open mind, this disc of harpsichord transcriptions of four of his solo violin works will be more fun than a barrel full of fugues. Although skillfully and soulfully performed by Dutch harpsichordist Bob van Asperen, the works themselves will take some getting used to. After all, where did the rolled chords, lush arpeggios, and additional counterpoints come from and what exactly are they doing in Bach's already wonderfully clean textures? But if the listener can get past any initial preconceptions and any aural memory of the originals, these performances can be tremendously enjoyable.

Polymath Sir Stephen Hough has a growing reputation as a composer of chamber, choral and above all solo piano music with four sonatas and a constellation of dazzling arrangements to his name. This album presents the premiere recording of his first piano concerto, recorded by the pianist with The Hallé under Sir Mark Elder. Its subtitle ‘The world of yesterday’ deliberately places the work in a broader context of the pianist-virtuosi of yesteryear who composed and performed their own piano concertos as they toured the world.

They may sound like the quintessential English prog band but, in fact, Westfauster hailed from the rust belt, Cincinnati to be precise, and this gem of an album was initially released on the Nasco label in 1971. A guitar-free trio, the band did encompass a rhythm section, a variety of keyboards from harpsichord to Moog synthesizer, and a flute and saxophone within their multi-instrumental ranks. The Moody Blues and the Beatles were Westfauster's avowed influences, and you could hear subtle inflections of both on In a King's Dream. Blissful jazz ripples through the epic "Everyday," one of a clutch of flute-led numbers on the set. On that song, it's twinned with piano and organ; on "Blind Man's Epitaph" the flute flutters and flies amidst the harpsichord and choral vocals; and the harpsichord itself is showcased again on the Beatles-esque "Low Sun"…

Novembre's 1996 effort "Arte Novencento" is the second album written by the young Orlando brothers. Well, compared to their first release, "Wish I Could Dream It Again", we see that songs still retain the dreamy doom sound that they borrowed from other European bands at the time (notably Katatonia and Anathema) but shift the focus from guitar driven melancholy to an upbeat floating sound.

Erik Truffaz received an early introduction into the world of a professional musician, thanks to his saxophone-playing dad. When he was ten years old, the French trumpeter began performing in his father's dance band. As he grew older, Truffaz performed with other bands in the region until he was 16 and heard Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. The great jazz trumpeter's music inspired him to learn more, and he set off for Switzerland's Geneva Conservatoire, where he became a student. Truffaz's repertoire expanded to works by Mozart and Verdi, and he performed as part of L'Orchestre de Suisse Romande. He also played in cover bands before establishing a group called Orange. The band concentrated on Truffaz's compositions…

Featuring the best material from their first two albums as well as their classic debut single "Market Square Heroes," 1984's Real to Reel is an excellent live document of Marillion, the undisputed leaders of the short-lived mid-'80s progressive rock revival. In fact, these recordings make a strong case for the many fans who actually prefer the band's more refined live versions over their rather flat studio counterparts. For the uninitiated, Marillion basically picks up where Peter Gabriel-era Genesis left off, writing complex, multifaceted, and unashamedly overblown compositions topped with dense, often incomprehensible lyrics from vocalist Fish. Thematically, the darkly ironic "Assassing" and the flippant "Garden Party" are complete polar opposites and clearly display the band's incredible creative scope. But the album's centerpiece has to be the dramatic, ten-minute war chronicle "Forgotten Sons."

Gold is right – after gradually building their reputation a series of nine LPs, the Climax Blues Band finally enjoyed a serious hit single with "Couldn't Get It Right," which hit number three on the American charts and led to this album and then two years of almost constant touring. The group is at its most laid-back here, slipping more into a funk than a blues groove for most of Gold Plated's length. They keep some elements of their earlier sound, such as Peter Haycock's searing guitar solo on "Mighty Fire," but those looking for the group's unabashed older style will have to content themselves with just three numbers here: "Berlin Blues," with its chiming overlaid and over-amplified guitars, or the slow, Chicago blues-style "Rollin' Home," and the high-energy "Extra."

It can be very difficult to write about an artist with a reputation like Edgar Froese (Tangerine Dream). Such thoughts can cloud one's judgment and objectivity. But Froese has not been on the e-music forefront for 40-plus years for nothing. He has stayed there because he is a great musician. Pinnacles showcases his penchant for gentle melodies, heavy sequences, and light atmospheres. This disc is firmly in the middle of the Berlin school, of which Froese is a founder. This CD will appeal to fans of Alpha Wave Movement, Klaus Schulze, Dweller at the Threshold, and Radio Massacre International. It is an important e-music CD.

Cieli di Toscana (Tuscan Skies) is Andrea Bocelli's eighth studio album, released in 2001. Cieli di Toscana sold millions of copies in a few weeks after its release, and quickly become the biggest selling album in the world in 2001, No. 1 on the CNN Worldbeat Global Album Chart. In the United States, the album peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 chart, with 85,000 units sold in its first week, and blew through 177,000 copies over Christmas week of 2001, Bocelli's best sales week in America, at the time. That record stood for the following 8 years, until My Christmas, Bocelli's first Holiday album, was released in late 2009 and achieved better sales weeks. The album topped the charts in Sweden and the Netherlands, and reached the top 3 in at least 8 other countries, including the UK, where it spent two weeks at No. 3 on the albums chart, Bocelli's highest chart position in the country to date, and the highest chart position ever for a foreign-language pop album.

The British singer-songwriter Sam Brown became famous with solo albums such as the unforgettable ,STOP' and recordings and gigs with Pink Floyd, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Jon Lord, Jools Holland and many many more. Together with the British singer Sam Brown the small but fine label Valle Venia has created into being a quite special project. Fragile is the sixth album by Sam Brown and is the eighth CD produced by Valle Venia, a label which combines music, art and science. It was released in 2002. Fragile is an album to dive into. It connects Sams sensory voice with different sound constellations under the most melodic aspect. Cello, piano, cembalo, loops, violins and percussion evoke the complete emotion spectrum of her voice. With its very special and unique instrumental constellation, deep lyrics and melancholy sounds, "Fragile" has no expiration date. Strongly recommended!