Release Date: February 12th

Harmonia Mundi and its affiliate labels have a promising set of new releases and re-issue slated for the 12th of February. Some of them include, but are not limited to...

Having tackled Handel's Op. 3 with much critical acclaim, worthy sales and a gramophone award, the Academy of Ancient Music and Richard Eggar set their sights on Handel's Op.4 Organ Concertos. This is a priority release for Harmonia Mundi so expect lots of press, promotion and other hoopla in the coming months. For you audiophiles out there this is also an SACD Hybrid.

Harmonia Mundi's budget priced re-issue series Musique d'Aboard has six previously deleted titles reemerging, most of which focus strongly on early music including discs by Englishman John Blow, the young Rameau contemporary Jean Joseph Mondonville, early 20th century Spaniard Joaquín Turina, rococo composer Luigi Boccherini and 2 separate releases of early chant, one entitled Carmina Burana the other focusing on Syrian chant called Chant Traditionnel Maronite

And the hits just keep on coming. Sir Colin Davis and the LSO bring us a live recording of what may be the biggest tear jerker in classical music history, Mozart's Requiem (sorry, no link at the moment). Few would disagree that Davis is one of the premier Mozart interpreters around, having recorded more Mozart in his career than any other composer. If he puts out anything less than an absolutely exceptional performance my jaw will hit the floor.

Nothing gets my pulse racing like an eclectic pairing of pieces (I'm not sure why, they usually end up being awkward and strange) so needless to say, this new disc from Onyx has me salivating. The fantastic Christine Schäfer has chosen to pair up songs by the proper Brit, Mr. Henry Purcell, with American eccentric George Crumb on a disc called Apparition. Not only is she performing them together, but she's blending the twos compositions into one mass in order to help find parallels between the two. I can barely contain myself.

And finally, we have one for fanatics only. Testament is finally releasing the 1955, premiere stereo recording (according to Testament) of Der Ring des Nibelungen. Now, the four separate operas have been available previously, but this is the first time it's been all in one box. Testament is the very definition of a full priced label, so it's a commitment.