‘Die Schöpfung’ (The Creation) is one of the great choral masterpieces that Haydn composed after finishing his 104th symphony in 1795. It is a work championed by Igor Markevitch who made this critically-acclaimed recording of it with a compelling team of soloists, including the radiant Irmgard Seefried.

A timely revival of marvellous music by a late 16th-century English composer too often neglected, this collection of eighteen dances for wind and string ensembles comes from from a rich collection of instrumental pieces published in 1599. The reissue – making its first international appearance on CD – contains the fascinating original L’Oiseau-Lyre booklet notes […]

With a career as Attorney in the Exchequer in the service of Sir Henry Fanshawe, John Ward’s profession was only incidentally (or at least not primarily) that of a musician. From all accounts Fanshawe himself had musical enthusiasms and his household apparently included ‘many gentlemen that were perfectly well qualified both in that [music] and […]

One of Couperin’s most important, varied and profound compositions, ‘Apothéose de Lully’ is cast in a programmatic form. Each movement tells a section of the story of the acceptance of Lully into Parnassus, his meeting there with Corelli (the founding fathers of the rival French and Italian styles) and Apollo’s persuading of them to bring […]

Among the music Ernest Ansermet championed was that of some of his Swiss compatriots – Honegger and Martin among them. So it is appropriate that a whole CD should be devoted to Swiss composers including an LP of music by Geiser and Oboussier that has never before appeared on CD. Zara Neslova is cello soloist […]

To mark the reissue of this important Consort of Musicke recording, Anthony Rooley writes: ‘Of all the English Lute-Song Books of the Elizabethan/Jacobean Era none has been more misunderstood, nor wilfully maligned as John Maynard’s unique creation. Highly individual, full of rare humour, amazing invention – and at times quite exquisite poignancy – it deserves […]

A generous disc (nearly 80 minutes) of some of Raymond Leppard’s pioneering L’Oiseau-Lyre recordings of French Baroque music with the English Chamber Orchestra. The brilliant realisations of Rameau’s ‘Temple de la Gloire’ suites have seldom been more strikingly realised. ‘Le Temple de la Gloire’ was a theatrical entertainment to a text by Voltaire, written to […]

A glorious collection of orchestral pieces from operas and ballet music by Lully. At the same time easy and luscious on the ear, these instrumental movements or ‘symphonies’ from his ballets and operas were made into suites for performance away from the theatre, a fashion which eventually led to the overture-suites of Bach, Handel and […]

Among the many Sibelius recordings in existence, those that have certainly been overlooked are the Okko Kamu readings of the Four Legends, Karelia Suite and two of the tone poems – The Bard and En Saga. Previously issued on a French ‘Double’ disc, they make their first significant appearance, coupled with the much-praised Sibelius readings […]

Nielsen’s six symphonies are the backbone of his compositional career. His bold and individual melodies and fresh-sounding ideas marked him out immediately as an individual voice among the new music of the day. The concertos were written for his friends, the members of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. Only two were completed before his death, the […]

Over the years, Eloquence has pioneered on CD the Decca discography of Zubin Mehta. Here is his beautifully-graded account of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony together with passionate performances of the Leonore Overture No. 3 and the Egmont Overture.

Beethoven was most distressed when he discovered that of all his recent compositions, it was his Septet that was gaining greatest favour by Viennese audiences. He considered it somewhat unworthy of himself! Yet, the music continues to endure and this marvellous recording is now coupled on CD with the more intimate ‘Serenade’ as well as […]