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When Franz Liszt overheard Camille Saint-Saëns playing the organ at the Madeleine in Paris, he hailed the young Frenchman as the ‘greatest organist in the world’. Saint-Saëns’talents did not end there: he was a gifted composer - among his most famous works are ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ and ‘Danse Macabre’ - and, naturally, the symphony in which he used his own virtuoso instrument would become his one of his best-loved works. This collection brings together his revered ‘Organ’ Symphony and the Symphony in F ‘Urbs Roma’.

Saint-Saëns originally subtitled Symphony No.3 in C minor Op.87 (unusually arranged in just two movements) as simply avec orgue; the organ does not feature as a solo instrument, but its presence alongside the orchestra adds an exciting dimension to the piece, especially in the lowest pedal notes and the delightful dialogues between the organ and strings. The addition of the arpeggios of the piano part (scored for four hands) provides a wonderful contrast to the organ’s thunderous notes. The Symphony in F ‘Urbs Roma’ is the longest of Saint-Saëns’symphonic compositions, and remained unpublished during the composer’s lifetime. The first movement brims with elegant strings, while the subsequent Molto vivace invokes a whirring dance. The third movement has been described as a ‘funeral march for the death of an empire’, after which the ensuing Poco allegretto - Andante con moto brings the work to a tranquil end. The works are performed by the Orchestre National de l’ORTF conducted by Jean Martinon, featuring acclaimed organist Bernard Gavoty.

Such was his renown in the musical world ('one of the most celebrated Masters of the Science of Musick in the Kingdom and scarce inferior to any in Europe'), when Henry Purcell tragically died aged only 36 in 1695, he was essentially afforded a state funeral. This collection brings together the composer's complete works for strings.

Showing Purcell's success as a cutting-edge composer, both sets of sonatas showcase the contrapuntal technique with which he would become so intimately linked, demonstrating the techniques that Purcell detailed in John Playford's The Introduction to the Skill of Musick of 1694.

The act of pushing the boundaries of composition here is in stark contrast to the Fantasias, which resurrected a form that had been long since forgotten. The use of the viol - rather than its more modern counterpart, the violin - is also a curious choice, but this series of works may in fact be the last written for viol consort. Among them in this special collection is the magnificent 'Golden Sonata' as well as the 'One Note Fantasia', in which the tenor viol plays a sustained middle C for the entire piece, perhaps showing Purcell's impish sense of humour, with the part being intended for a particularly unskilled player.

The works are performed by Musica Amphion, a group dedicated to performing works of the 17th and 18th centuries on period instruments. The ensemble was formed in 1993 by harpsichordist Pieter-Jan Belder and the leader is violinist Rémy Baude, who is also concertmaster of Frans Brüggen's Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) - virtuoso organist and composer of a wealth of orchestral, chamber and vocal music - is one of the most influential composers ever to have lived, one whose works form an established part of the repertoire of every instrument for which he wrote. This collection comprises the Goldberg Variations BWV988, a composition that takes its name from a young pupil of Bach, Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who was in the service of Count von Keyserlingk. The Count was a notoriously bad sleeper, and requested of Bach a series of pieces for Goldberg to play to him when he could not sleep; he then considered the work to be 'his', although it is widely referred to by the name of its performer. The variations are in groups of three, with the last in each group being a canon and the final variation weaving together two popular song melodies into a quodlibet. The variations range in character, and feature fughettas, a French overture, ornamental slow arias as well as virtuosic pieces for two manuals.

The Goldberg Variations are played on a variety of different instruments. The first CD features organist Pieter-Jan Belder, and the second Yuan Sheng on piano. The variations of CD3 are performed on the organ by Elena Barshai, while the Amati String Trio -- Gil Sharon, violin; Ron Ephrat, viola; Alexander Hülshoff, cello - feature on the final disc of the collection.

Fame is a strange thing. Although Johann Friedrich Fasch was highly esteemed by his contemporaries and the generations of musicians who followed him, in the concert repertoire of today he is grouped together with many minor masters who wrote a lot of works that sadly communicate very little. Yet music scholar Johann Adolf Scheibe put Fasch into the same class as Telemann, and J.S. Bach possessed copies of several of the composer's works. This release therefore aims to expose the genius of Fasch, and in doing so to help restore appreciation for what has become a largely forgotten corpus of deftly written, utterly absorbing music.

Fasch made his name largely through his overtures, works which in the 17th and 18th centuries referred to a series of dance movements prefaced by an extensive introduction of pompous gravity. Two are explored in this release - the Overture in D minor and the Overture in B flat 'a due cori', arranged by M. Fechner and E. Steinsdorff respectively - and they are followed by a selection of Fasch's sonatas for two oboes and bassoon, with and without basso continuo, works whose details (such as free, fantasy-like episodes to be played at a slow pace) reveal a rich field for experimentation. A Concerto in D and a Sonata for 2 oboes and 2 bassoons also feature, and overall one is struck by this composer's highly personal style of chamber music -- a stark contrast to the ingratiating melodies and harmonic suavity of his large-scale instrumental pieces.

Recorded during 1986--87, the overtures and Concerto in D are played by esteemed ensemble Virtuosi Saxoniae (all members of the Staatskapelle Dresden) under the directorship of renowned trumpeter Ludwig Güttler. The sonatas complete the all-German line-up of musicians; renowned oboists Burkhard Glaetzner and Ingo Goritzki feature among others.

Carl Loewe was born in Löbejün, studied in Halle, toured through Germany in his mid-20s and then secured an appointment as professor and Kantor at the Gymnasium and seminary in Stettin (formerly in Prussia, now in Poland), where he remained for the rest of his life. A contemporary of Schubert, he was a central figure in Stettin's musical life, and was a prolific composer of songs and oratorio to cater for the increasing musical appetite of the late-19th-century German bourgeoisie.

Loewe is today remembered for his treatment of the ballad, a relatively new genre at that time which took the form of a lengthy story comprising many verses, characters and dramatic events. Country life, olden or idealised times, love and the passing of time are often the subject matter for his works, which are set to a variety of then-contemporary poets ranging from classical masters Rückert and Schiller to more forward-looking ones such as Chamisso - while Prinz Eugen (1844) recounts the victory of Prince Eugen of Savoy during the Austro-Turkish War of 1716-18, for instance, Süßes Begräbnis describes the final resting place of a shepherdess (1837).

Also included on the release is Loewe's intimate setting of Goethe's Erlkönig, a direct contrast to Schubert's infamous and much more extrovert rendition of the text, composed just one year earlier.

Performing these often over-looked works are the tenor and bass singers Eberhard Büchner and Theo Adam, accompanied by Norman Shetler and Rudolf Dunckel respectively. The two duos cover all manner of moods in what are highly atmospheric pieces, and in doing so offer a strong case for why Loewe - nicknamed the 'Schubert of North Germany' in his day - deserves to be better known.

Packed with intrigue, jealousy and revenge, Beatrice di Tenda is a tragic opera in two acts that retells the final months of one of Renaissance history's most fascinating and ill-fated characters. The work was written after ‘Norma’ and before ‘I puritani’, and therefore stands as Bellini's penultimate opera, a bel canto composition of transitional flavour that drew on 15th-century accounts and more recent studies of the Visconti era for its subject matter. Beatrice di Tenda, widow of Facino Cane and a high-minded but powerconscious woman of mature years, is married to the young Filippo Maria Visconti, whose station has been considerably improved by Beatrice's dowry of property and armies. Instead of feeling grateful towards his wife, however, Filippo is tired of the much older Beatrice, and decides to take Agnese del Maino - one of her ladies-inwaiting - as his mistress. But Agnese is in love with a nobleman called Orombello, who himself is enamoured of Beatrice. Gradually becoming more suspecting of his wife's innocent relationship with the signore of Ventimiglia, and increasingly incensed by the rebellion of Facino's one-time followers who resent their new ruler, Filippo finally decides to rid himself of Beatrice by accusing her of adultery and conspiracy.

Subjected to torture along with Orombello, Beatrice was tried and eventually beheaded in 1418. First performed on 16 March 1833, ‘Beatrice di Tenda’, evidently more reserved in terms of musical resources when compared to the vocal pyrotechnics of its predecessor, was only half-heartedly received by the public, its number of performances gradually diminishing thereafter. In recent years, however, the work has undergone a resurgence in popularity, thanks largely to the American Opera Society's revival of the opera in 1961 (which featured Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne among others). This acclaimed recording is based on a production of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, which presented Beatrice di Tenda in a series of concert performances in 1992.

Though its popularity has sadly diminished over the years, up to about the middle of the last century Martha was one of the most frequently performed operas on the German stage - largely owing to the great tenor Enrico Caruso's acclaimed portrayal of Lyonel, a role which he repeated all over the world. The work is one of about 30 operas written by Friedrich von Flotow, and indeed it was through Martha that the German composer achieved lasting fame. Only a decade after its first performance, and Martha has already been performed as far afield as Algiers, San Francisco and Sydney.

The seed of the opera can be found in the pastiche ballet Lady Harriette, whose Act 1 Flotow was commissioned by the Paris Opéra to write in 1844. Set in Richmond, England, during the reign of Queen Anne, the plot centres around Lady Harriet Durham who, tired of court life, decides to have some fun by visiting the local fair with her foppish cousin Lord Tristan and maid Nancy. Disguised as servant girls, both she and Nancy hire themselves off to the rich farmer Plumkett and his foster brother Lyonel (whose origins are unknown, the only vestige being a ring which his father left him and which he should present to the queen if ever he is in danger) -- only to be wooed by the two men, who have each fallen for the maid and her lady respectively. When the next day Queen Anne is out hunting with Lady Harriet and her court, a chance encounter with Lyonel sees him make claim to his 'maid', and he is subsequently arrested, having been declared insane by Harriet and Lord Tristan. But when his ring is brought to the queen, Harriet is told that he is in fact the son of the unjustly banished Early of Derby, and she rushes back to the farm to relay the news and to ask for Lyonel's hand in marriage. Lyonel at first angrily rejects her, but a replica of Richmond Fair sees the initial encounter between the four characters renewed, giving rise to jubilant celebrations.

Made in Berlin in 1944 while Germany was still in a state of 'total war', this recording remains one of the most acclaimed interpretations of the opera. Comprising some of the best singers of that generation, it is astutely conducted by Johannes Schüler -- to whose credit the Staatsoper was able to rebuild its repertoire after 1945 - and thus represents an invaluable addition to Brilliant Classics' ever-growing opera collection.

A careful blend of recitative, arioso and set piece, ‘Euryanthe’ was Carl Maria von Weber’s second opera, first performed in 1823 (two years after the premiere of Der Freischütz) and based on an early 13th century French romance with a libretto by Helmina von Chézy - the eccentric author of Schubert’s five-act ‘Rosamunde’. The work is largely based on the then common opera theme of a husband driven to test his wife’s fidelity. Lysiart, Adolar’s secret rival, boasts that he can lead the latter’s betrothed Euryanthe astray - a claim to which each reacts by staking all his possessions on the outcome. Lysiart appears to have triumphed when Eglantine, jealously in love with Adolar, manages to unlock from Euryanthe a secret concerning Adolar’s dead sister, who will not find rest until the ring from which she drank poison is wet with tears; Adolar, distraught, abandons Euryanthe and gives up all his possessions.

Things take a turn for the better, however, when Eglantine’s betrayal is uncovered by the king and his hunting party, who stumble upon an exhausted Euryanthe after she has just saved Adolar from a huge serpent. Alleging that Euryanthe has died, the king guilt-trips Eglantine at the ensuing peasant wedding into confessing her crime, whereupon she is fatally stabbed by an enraged Lysiart. Adolar is crazed with grief, but at this moment Euryanthe enters and the two are happily reunited.

Rarely staged because of its weak libretto, ‘Euryanthe’ is nevertheless a groundbreaking work due to its repeated use of chromaticism for depicting evil characters – Weber was well ahead of his time in this respect, as music history would have to wait another 40 years before Wagner pursued the ‘dissolution of tonality’ on a similar scale in ‘Tristan und Isolde’. This recording, made in 1974, features a stellar cast (Nicolai Gedda and Jessye Norman sing the roles of Adolar and Euryanthe respectively) and is directed by esteemed Polish-born conductor Marek Janowski.

The art of transcription has been a part of the history of keyboard instruments since the Renaissance period, a time that saw the first publishing of sacred as well as secular vocal works. In the 19th century, however, the trend entered its golden age, thus satisfying the domestic music-making appetite of the bourgeoisie across Europe and reflecting technological advances in mechanisms such as the organ. This release is dedicated towards this king of instruments, whose expansion into concert-like proportions allowed the music of Handel to flourish in particular.

The recording is based on a selection of the Baroque composer's most famous works, arranged by some of the 19th century's greatest organ virtuosos. As well as W.T. Best, who gave about 100 recitals a year for 40 years and who published two great collections -- of which Handel's Choruses, selected and arranged for the Organ is included here -- there features transcriptions by the likes of George C. Martin (organist of St Paul's Cathedral), F.C. Woods, Théodore Dubois (organist at the Madeleine in Paris) and Alexandre Guilmant (organist of Saint-Trinité in paris and a noted concert performer). The two symphonies of Saul, Zadok the Priest and excerpts from the Messiah are just some of the works contained on this engaging release.

Performed by Massimo Gabba at the Mascioni organ of the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Alessandri (Italy), Romantic Organ Transcriptions details a fascinating area of 19th-century music-making and exposes the predilection for all things Baroque at that time. Gabba explores the full gamut of the instrument, revealing the immense variety of timbres and characteristic grandeur that the organ came to attain during the 1800s.

This CD is entirely devoted to the music of the early Baroque Italian composer, poet and organist, Carlo Milanuzzi. During his lifetime, Milanuzzi's fame spread far and wide; today, however, he is shrouded in obscurity. The artists hope that this recording - the first dedicated to his music - will contribute to the rediscovery of one of the most significant Italian musicians of the 17th century.

Indeed, it seems that Milanuzzi enjoyed a veritable 'pop star' status back in his day. In addition to masses, motets and psalms, he also wrote nearly 200 songs (brought together in nine books entitled Le Ariose Vaghezze which were published between 1622 and 1643), works which reveal him to be one of the most progressive monodists of his generation, clearly intent on reaching as wide an audience as possible.

The arias to be found in the nine volumes, 13 of which feature on this recording, are mostly short, tuneful pieces in the style that was rapidly gaining popularity in northern Italy in the 1620s. They are complemented by instrumental dances written in guitar 'alfabeto' notation, 'expanded' on this recording by way of a larger ensemble.

Performing the arias is Baroque specialist, mezzo-soprano Lucia Sciannimanico, who has appeared in festivals across Europe and worked with renowned conductors such as Nicholas Cleobury and Alessandro De Marchi. She is joined on the recording by the Cappella di Santa Maria degli Angiolini, directed by esteemed lutenist and Brilliant Classics regular Gian Luca Lastraoili.