Founded in 2010, Trio Gaspard has become one of the most sought-after piano trios of its generation, whose members are praised for their unique and fresh approach to the score. The Trio is regularly invited to perform at leading concert halls throughout the world. It has an impressive history of international festival appearances, and each member also continues to pursue a successful solo career. Haydn has been central to the repertoire of the Trio since its inception, to the extent that it is rare for it to perform a programme that does not include his music. For this complete survey of Haydn’s Trios, the pianist Nicholas Rimmer notes: "we have decided to record the trios neither chronologically nor in the groups in which they were first published. Instead, we have aimed to create an interesting and contrasted "programme" of trios for each volume, so that it can be listened to in a single, satisfying sitting. In addition, we have asked a composer to write a short work inspired by one of the trios from each volume, and we are excited by the contemporary perspectives on Haydn that these composers open up for us. This first album features a work by our good friend, the percussionist and composer Johannes Fischer. We hope that the listener will share in this rich journey – spanning forty years of Haydn’s life and more than forty brilliant works of music. Amazingly, each of these trios is unique enough to warrant individual attention and repeated listening". © Chandos

Francesco De Gregori's first three records, as brilliant as they often were, went largely unnoticed. Everything changed with Rimmel, the 1975 release that made him into a pop superstar, and second only to Fabrizio De André as the greatest of Italian cantautori. With a little help from friends such as Lucio Dalla, De Gregori expanded his singer/songwriter compositions into full-blown pop songs. Accordingly, the spare acoustic guitar that dominated his previous albums is replaced by band arrangements, with the central role given over to piano and organ. Certainly, the addition of keyboards, drums, backing vocals, electric bass, and studio effects made the record much more radio- and concert-friendly, but the secret of Rimmel's triumph lies in its concise yet uniformly brilliant set of songs. Every De Gregori greatest-hits collection includes at least half of this album's nine tracks. In fact, it is hard to think of any other album by any Italian artist that brings together so many songs destined to become standards of modern Italian pop music. It is also this record that started the accusations leveled at De Gregori of selling out his left-wing beliefs for commercial success, by committing the ultimate sin of writing love songs. While in retrospect this appears as utter insanity, it is testimony to the charged climate of 1970s Italy, as well as to the key role played by politics in the music and public persona of Italian songwriters. More importantly, such accusations manage to ignore the blatant fact that Rimmel has its fair share of remarkable "political" songs, such as the classics "Il Signor Hood" and "Pablo," both subject to much debate as to who were the real-life personalities that inspired them, as well as the gorgeous "Le Storie di Ieri," about the childhood of the son of a political opposition figure. Furthermore, De Gregori's love songs are a far cry from the trite offerings of, say, the San Remo Festival. In fact, a song like the stunning "Pezzi di Vetro" is full of the same surrealist imagery and enigmatic characters that populate the songwriter's universe, as it stubbornly refuses any easy interpretation while managing to suggest a myriad of complex emotions. Lastly, separate mention is due to the extraordinary title track, which juxtaposes an elegant, lilting piano melody with a subdued vocal; they gradually mount together into a crescendo, to ultimately settle for resignation. As the verses go by, De Gregori shapes contrasting yet coexistent waves of bitterness, dejection, gratitude, and lingering affection into a farewell thank-you/curse-you note to an ex-lover; to many, it is one of the finest Italian songs ever written. "Rimmel" became De Gregori's signature song, and it is only fitting that one of the most important Italian albums of the 1970s should be named after it.© Mariano Prunes /TiVo

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Is there such a thing as being too prolific or having too much to say? Stephin Merritt, one of popular music's true eccentrics, is also one of its most copious songwriters. Over the years, in side projects like The 6ths, The Gothic Archies and Future Bible Heroes, as well as his main band, The Magnetic Fields, Merritt has spun his own wonderfully ornate and populous creative universe, one that has often expressed itself in massive multi-song, multi-volume epics. While he may never again equal the massive chunk of creativity of the exceptional 69 Love Songs (1999), Merritt did give it an equally compelling run for its money with his last outing, 50 Song Memoir (2017). While there is no doubting the craft and intelligence behind his artful melodies and silly, absurdist sense of humor, there is an argument to be made that Merritt might focus his vision more effectively by distilling even further his folk pop sprawl. That may be some of the inspiration behind Quickies, a 28-track collection of bite-sized snatches of love, wit and wisdom. Musically, the uber brief format—all songs are well under the two and a half minute mark, with the shortest at 13 seconds—compresses his synth folk melodies into hooky flashes, all orchestrated with his trademark blend of keyboards (Moog, ARP, Omnichord, Wurlitzer) and exotic acoustic instruments (cigar box guitar, banjolele, wine box cello). Along with Merritt's deep, resounding croon, the vocals are handled by longtime Magnetic Fields vocalists Claudia Gonson and Shirley Simms. Lyrically, random thoughts become tuneful snatches with typically droll titles like "Kraftwerk in a Blackout," Let's Get Drunk Again (and Get Divorced)," and "I Wish I Had Fangs and Tail." With highlights like the New Orleans swirl "Evil Rhythm," the abject frolic "I've Got a Date with Jesus" or topical single "The Day The Politicians Died," these deadpan bursts are not only essential for fans but a prime introduction to the austere methods and approachable humor of Merritt's musical cosmos. © Robert Baird/Qobuz

Patricia Kaas' 2002 release Piano Bar is a lovely, seductive collection of romantic mood music, pulled directly from the chanteuse tradition but sounding utterly contemporary. Some credit must go to producer/arranger Michel Legrand, who keeps the polished surface softly glimmering, yet this is merely a stage for Kaas, whose vocals are never flashy, but always alluring. The album consists primarily of mid-20th century songs from such stalwart European composers as Charles Anzavour and Jacques Brel, who were covered frequently during the '60s by European and American singers alike. As such, Piano Bar can feel a bit like a '60s vocal pop album at times in terms of approach and material, but Legrand's synth-heavy arrangements help bring it into the modern era as much as Kaas' unhurried delivery. The end result is a lovely, winning album, another fine recording by a fine vocalist.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo