Treasures from the Russian vaults from the Melodiya label are featured at special sale prices now through September at The Music Store.  Many of the titles are previously unavailable recordings of the Russian masters and their Soviet performers .  Recorded live in 1958, this is the legendary Van Cliburn at his best, supported by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Kirill Kondrashin.  A must have for any historical music enthusiast, or anyone fascinated with stunning musicianship.

A groundbreaking new recording featuring Beethoven’s Symphony 5, excerpts from the Egmont Overture, and The General, an entirely new interpretation of the Egmont Overture dedicated to Canadian General Romeo Dallaire.  Based on a musical idea of Maestro Kent Nagano, and written by musicologist Paul Griffiths, The General is scored for orchestra, chorus, soprano, and narrator ( the great german actor, Maximilian Schell), and recounts the April 1994 genocide in Rwanda.  A perfect example of the continued power of classical music to tell the stories of our lives, this disc is a current Music Store favourite.

Sonic Rebellion is a new series launched by classical budget label Naxos, featuring ‘alternative’ and contemporary compositions.  This introductory sampler is a perfect place to begin your exploration of composers such as John Adams, Philip Glass, Arvo Part, and John Cage.  So join the Sonic Rebellion and wake up to a whole new sound!

“This is a great start for a strong, renewed orchestra!” raves Toronto Star critic John Terauds of Portraits, the premiere release on the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s new in-house TSO Live label. For their first disc in seven years, the TSO is in fine form, performing two major works from the orchestral cannon. Featuring a shimmering performance of Elgar’s Enigma Variations and a rich and well-shaped performance of TSO staple Pictures at an Exhibition that captures the essence of each painting with brilliance. This disc is the perfect souvenir of an evening with Peter Oundjian and his Toronto Symphony Orchestra.