This is a Barbiere "di qualità, di qualità": in fact, of very great quality indeed, from Deutsche Grammophon. Recorded in London in the summer of 1971, it is one of the first meetings of Claudio Abbado and the London Symphony Orchestra. It is also the first of Alberto Zedda's philological editions of Rossini's works, whose scores have been covered over by inherited errors for over a century. Getting rid of the additions which have, quite wrongly, become traditional, means restoring certain interruptions and the fine instrumentation of the period; and above all, singing and playing without exaggerations, thanks to an innate sense for the theatre. It's a spot of spring cleaning which has restored the youth of the 24-year-old composer's masterpiece. Bravo, signor barbiere, ma bravo! It is a dream record, with singers who are well-versed in the repertoire. Everyone is right where they need to be, from Teresa Berganza's wiley and cheeky Rosina, to the refined and hard-working Figaro played by Hermann Prey, via Luigi Alva's frivolous Count and the utterly ridiculous Basilio played by the outrageous Paolo Montarsolo. We're amused by their antics, as we admire the well-oiled and unstoppable machine of Rossini's theatre, under the unceasingly inventive and thrilling baton of Claudio Abbado. © François Hudry/Qobuz

This is history in the making. Queen B surprised us with the release of a live album taken from her two dazzling concerts at Coachella in 2018, chronicled by a Netflix documentary. B performs a retrospective, revisiting 40 tracks from her 22-year career. There are no new songs here, but there is a studio cover with Tay Keith of Before I Let Go, the Frankie Beverly and Maze 1981 soul track. Other Destiny’s Child members Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland make bonus appearances on Lose My Breath, Say My Name and Soldier, husband Jay-Z on Déjà Vu, sister Solange on Get Me Bodied, and her daughter sings Afro-American anthem Sing and Lift Every Voice. This performance effectively explains why it was nicknamed ‘Beychella’, as this makes its mark on the festival’s history. And that was the goal, with 200 people on stage, colossal high-budget visual spectacle in this immense two-hour performance highlighting afro-feminist empowerment; Beyoncé has earnt her throne. “When I decided to do Coachella, instead of me pulling out my flower crown, it was more important that I brought our culture to Coachella.” To the sound of the second lines of a New Orleans brass band, a revamped drumline, Malcolm X on Don’t Hurt Yourself and amidst multiple references to African-American history, the queen of pop inhabiting the Queen Nefertiti reminds us of the importance of her discography in the 3rd millennium. © Charlotte Saintoin/Qobuz

In Cieli di Toscana, tenor Andrea Bocelli pays tribute to his Tuscan heritage through performances of a number of romantic Italian-language songs, old and new, that relate to the Northern Italian region associated with high quality olive oil and unspoiled, pristine coastline. As such, Cieli di Toscana serves as a sort of Tuscan counterpart to Bocelli's album of Neapolitan standards, Sentimento. While powerhouse producer Caterina Caselli Sugar's arrangements are dated -- they smack of the Europop sound of the 1980s -- Bocelli's voice has such a warm and loveable personality that it is impossible for him to rub the listener the wrong way. In these relatively simple songs, Bocelli draws on his operatic skills as a singer only very sparingly, applying vibrato to notes when he is in need of more power or a more secure sense of pitch. Most of Cieli di Toscana is done in a pure, "pop" voice that's as clear and unpretentious as the olive oil produced by the region of which he is singing, and it is a joy to hear. Cieli di Toscana (in English, Skies of Tuscany) was a sales blockbuster in the EU upon its release in 2001, moving millions of units in only a few weeks and occupying the top spot on charts worldwide. The album is not a natural fit for American audiences, but it got a boost nonetheless in the United States through the appearance of the song "Mille Lune Mille Onde" in the background of a television commercial. While the opulent booklet provides complete texts and English translations, it would've been nice to have a little background on the music itself -- not present here. Of the popular albums that Bocelli has recorded, this one is probably the best so far, and certainly the one that is most accessible to American listeners.© TiVo

A gargantuan set for a gargantuan collective, Ponte Duro: The Fania All Stars Story presents a portrait of the salsa supergroup that has never been seen before -- at least not in one place. Including three discs of live material and one disc of studio material, it mirrors the scope of their long career and, although it doesn't include much that's new or unheard, it's a good way to understand the group in a single package. Expanding from New York to around the world, from San Juan and Havana to Zaire and Japan, the Fania All-Stars' live material was always the highlight of their discography, and here's it's right at the front, nearly four hours of it. Meanwhile, the non-live sides reflect their studio power, although material from their Columbia years during the late '70s was not licensed for use. (Most fans won't consider that a tragedy.) The live material from concerts in Cuba, Zaire, and Japan is rare (although all of it originally appeared on LP), so fans could just as easily pick up a couple of the best live albums for roughly the same price, but between the five hours of music and the interesting essay and priceless photos, Ponte Duro is a fine release.© John Bush /TiVo

Commercially, 2005 was a great year for the multilingual Laura Pausini, who got a lot of mileage out of her 2004 releases Resta in Ascolto and Escucha (which were essentially two versions of the same album -- one in Italian, and one in Spanish). The dreamy ballad "Vivimi" (from Resta in Ascolto) was a major hit in Europe, and the song's Spanish-language version "Viveme" (from Escucha) was used as the theme song for the Mexican Televisa network's popular telenovela La Madrastra (although, for licensing reasons, Televisa was unable to use "Viveme" in its DVD release of La Madrastra -- much to the disappointment of Pausini's Spanish-speaking fans). Pausini did a considerable amount of international touring in 2005, and this 77-minute CD documents a March 22-23, 2005 appearance at Le Zenith in Paris. Pausini performs in three different languages on Live in Paris 05: Italian, Spanish and English, and she is expressive in all three. Italian, however, dominates the Paris gig, but whatever the language, Pausini maintains her adult contemporary/Top 40 outlook -- an outlook that serves her pleasingly well whether she is performing in Italian on "Vivimi," "Le Cose Che Vivi" and "Strani Amori," in Spanish on "Escucha Atento," or in English on the '80s-tinged "Surrender." One of the album's most pleasant surprises is the only track that wasn't recorded in Paris: an acoustic version of "Viveme," which was recorded backstage during a rehearsal at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles in April 2005. The material on Live in Paris 05 isn't terribly challenging, but then, there is no law stating that music has to be ultra-challenging to be worthwhile. When it comes to warmth, feeling and charisma, Pausini is clearly in the upper echelon of adult contemporary and Top 40 -- and longtime fans will not be disappointed by Live in Paris 05.© Alex Henderson /TiVo

In 2006, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth, the Salzburg Festival set itself the task of producing all 22 of Mozart's operas, and this recording of highlights from Le nozze di Figaro is a result of a live performance. Nikolaus Harnoncourt's reading of the score is marvelously nuanced; it's clear that the performance reflects a lifetime of living with and performing the opera. His dramatic pace tends toward briskness, which works well in a work as wordy as this. He's especially skillful at bringing out the instrumental colors of the score, particularly of the winds and timpani; he makes the listener especially aware of the inventiveness, cleverness, and subtlety of Mozart's orchestration. The Vienna Philharmonic and Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor perform with finesse, warmth, and sensitivity to the opera's poignancy and humor. The singers are both dramatically and vocally superb; this is probably as close to a dream cast for the opera as one is likely to get. Ildebrando D'Arcangelo and Anna Netrebko are completely winning as Figaro and Susanna, and there's real chemistry between them. D'Arcangelo is an embodiment of Mediterranean masculinity; his dark and supple baritone is in the service of a portrayal that's both ferociously impetuous and goofily playful, without ever compromising his dignity. Netrebko is adorably girlish, but her Susanna is obviously the most grounded and grown-up character in the opera. Her voice is silken, velvety, and infinitely expressive. Bo Skovhus' Count is a genuinely creepy character, alternating between furtiveness and bluster, but his tone is consistently round and robust. Dorothea Röschmann's large soprano is incisive and richly textured. She brings a deep sense of resignation and anger to the to Countess; at the opera's end there's little assurance that she will find joy with the Count again. Christine Schäfer's Cherubino is jaw-droppingly assured; she spins out her lines with abandon and exquisite musicality. As Basilio, Patrick Henckens manages to sound lyrical and full-bodied, and at the same time convey his character's unctuousness. Franz-Josef Selig's Bartolo is splendidly gruff and Marie McLaughlin is hilarious as Marcellina, but her voice seems a little inflexible. The sound is remarkably fine for a live recording; it's bright and clear, as well as warm and intimate, and the singers' volume levels are steady despite their movement around the stage.© TiVo

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Fania has issued and reissued so many Héctor Lavoe compilations that it's difficult to keep track of them all-- especially when they change names. Ultimately, it mostly comes down to marketing. The two-disc Anthology contains 27 tracks, including all 14 from 2010's Greatest Hits (which was originally issued in its current remastered form in 2007--confused yet?) and 13 more. This set contains almost all of Lavoe's fan favorites, best-sellers, and other aesthetic achievements. All of disc one, and three selections on disc two were recorded during his tenure with Willie Colón. Disc two is made up of his solo album cuts and "El Rey de la Puntualidad" with the Fania All-Stars. Essentially, there isn't a miss on the entire collection, so anyone looking to discover Lavoe or to get an extensive best-of would be well served by this. That said, 2007's two-disc A Man and His Music: La Voz (which also contains 27 tracks with slight variations), is an arguably better compilation in terms of presenting a more well-rounded overview of Lavoe's career, and it contains far more extensive liner notes than this dashed-off bunch. More than likely, Fania will continue to issue Lavoe anthologies as long as there are those willing to buy them, but this, or either of the aforementioned collections, is all that's necessary for most fans.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

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Two decades after fellow Detroiters Carl Craig, Claude Young, and Stacey Pullen were among the first contributors to !K7's DJ-Kicks, Kenny Dixon, Jr. adds to the series with a largely low-key, genre-spanning set. The selections suggest that the mix, or most of it, was knocked out long before its February 2016 release; not one of the tracks was first issued later than 2014. Perhaps Dixon was content to wait out a protracted licensing snag, though it's not as if he has a rep for spinning strictly new arrivals. Besides, the man does tend to take his time. Certain coveted KDJ productions have surfaced years after they were first whispered about, and he hasn't been all that quick to capitalize on re-pressings of his output. Take one of this set's highlights, Andrés' "El Ritmo de Mi Gente!," which quickly multiplied in cost after Dixon issued it in 2008. Though Dixon doesn't include any of his productions and, just as unfortunate, abstains from the shout-outs and other vocal interjections for which he is correctly celebrated, his presence is felt beyond the frequent but easy transitions. The Andrés cut samples the same Letta Mbulu-fronted piece from Quincy Jones' Roots score heard on Dixon's own "Meanwhile Back at Home." Dopehead's rugged "Guttah Guttah" comes from Detroit's underground hip-hop scene, where Dixon got his start, and was produced by Nick Speed, another one of his Mahogani Music artists. The Motor City is also represented with the wobbling Platinum Pied Pipers remix of Rich Medina and Sy Smith's "Can't Hold Back," and a neo-electro jam from Marcellus Pittman. Though Dixon has no evident connection to the Rodney Hunter remix of Fort Knox Five's "Uptown Tricks," it shows that his spot for Chic-styled disco remains as soft as when he released the Sister Sledge-sampling "One Night in the Disco." Additionally, Dixon judiciously edited over one-third of the tracks to facilitate flow, his craftiness most evident in the way Talc's breezy part-soft rock/part-Daft Punk hybrid melts into one of Beady Belle's graceful lounge laments. Dixon's taste dips back several decades, but he keeps it relatively contemporary all the way through. The oldest track is Nightmares on Wax's "Les Nuits," which bubbles out of Flying Lotus' "Tea Leaf Dancers" and, once more, draws from the Quincy Jones catalog. © Andy Kellman /TiVo