''The voice of the Holy Ghost?
According to German theological tradition, which Bach knew very well, the alto voice was the very symbol of that of the Holy Ghost. These three solo cantatas do not contradict the rule, although we do not always know for whom Bach wrote them: it was neither a woman nor a castrato, so it could only be a falsetto or an extremely accomplished boy. These works demand enormous vocal virtuosity. Their extraordinary musical variety embraces sublime consolatory lullabies, a faithful echo of an organ concerto (BWV 170), and the dramatic qualities of an oratorio.'' – HarmoniaMundi.com

''‘Sound, ye drums! Ring out, ye trumpets!’
In his Leipzig years, Bach liked to remind people that he was not only Kantor of St Thomas’s, but also the city’s director of music. It was in this capacity that he wrote these sumptuous secular cantatas, in honour respectively of the university professor Kortte (BWV 207, 1726) and of Queen Maria Josepha (BWV 214, 1733). Allegorical figures such as Industry, Fortune, Honour and Gratitude take it in turns to sing of the learning and the merits of the recipients, borrowing material from one of the Brandenburg Concertos or ‘quoting’ some of the finest music from the Christmas Oratorio, not yet composed . . . '' – HarmoniaMundi.com

'“In peace and joy.'
The theme of death and dying was one of the favourite themes of Bach and his contemporaries in their cantatas – that “musical theology” which was held in such high esteem in deeply Lutheran Northern Germany. Composed between 1723 and 1725, the three cantatas on this record treat the subject from different angles: the expectation of a “marvellous dawn” (BWV 8), the final departure in peace and joy (BWV 125), and the vanity of earthly existence (BWV 138). There is “no consolation on earth”, but only in heaven – what other composer, what other artist succeeded in expressing this consolation with such depth, or with such obviousness as Bach?'' -- HarmoniaMundi.com

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December 1791, the final Requiem. Tired by his many voyages around Europe ever since he had been rejected in Vienna, Mozart could not find the strength to honour his promise to compose a Requiem in record time for the person who had commissioned it… He was in fact to be struck down by illness during its composition and it was his pupil Süssmayr who finished the work according to his instructions. This version remains the most convincing, for the presence and grandeur of Mozart are present everywhere - in the baroque imagination and the classical style, in the universal unrest and the sheer terror of a man alone in the face of Death.

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“A work of extraordinary richness
A crucial stage in Schütz’s development, The Psalms of David also mark a decisive milestone in the birth of Baroque music in Germany. Having returned from Italy in 1613, armed with all the knowledge and experience needed for composing “new music”, Schütz waited eight years before publishing his first “remarkable work” (sic) in the field of sacred music. This maturing process led to the full blossoming of one of the summits of musical expression in which each psalm is invested with its own specific character, and in which Venetian novelties are intermingled with a scrupulous attention to the text. The variety of the musical techniques employed is simply breathtaking.”

“Unusually light opera for Handel, done with energy and panache. Handel’s rarely heard Partenope, a comedy from 1730 which was first rejected as “too frivolous” by the Royal Academy of Music, can be an absolute joy in the right hands. The tone is light and the action, complete with disguises, cross-dressing and, of course, everyone ending up with the right partner, moves quickly. Though ensembles predominate, as the opera marches on to the accompaniment of some superb martial fare, solo fireworks occasionally light up the operatic sky.” – Laurence Vittes

The ''BEST 100'' compilation series has been a smashing success with over half a million sales to date. Now EMI is celebrating the musical hits of the greatest and most loved composer of all time - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This superb value for money collection features the top 100 tracks (spread over six CDs) made popular over the years. Released in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth in 2006.

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Recently appointed as Kantor of St Thomas’s Church in Leipzig, Bach directed the first performance of this St. John Passion on Good Friday in 1724. But it was to be revived in Leipzig on three further occasions, notably in 1725, in a partially revised version, since its opening chorus was replaced by a different one, later to become the final chorus of Part I of the St. Matthew Passion. An aria was added, and three more replaced by new and highly dramatic alternatives. It is this version that is now presented by Philippe Herreweghe, fourteen years after their recording of the original version of the work. – HarmoniaMundi.com

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The Danish Guitarist Kaare Norge,has in countless reviews been described as one of his generations foremost guitar masters on his chosen instrument - "The Classical Guitar". Since his debut in 1988, he has given more than 3500 Concerts around the world and released 16 recordings.