Few chamber music groups have as proud a history as the Smetana Quartet, or a history that evokes as much nationalistic passion. Founded during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, the group's very existence was an anomaly during an era when any manifestation of Czech nationalism was outlawed. They survived into the post-Nazi era, and went on to an acclaimed international performing career, making some of the finest chamber music recordings of the 1950s and 1960s…

SPV/Steamhammer will re-release VIRGIN STEELE's third album, "Noble Savage", on April 18 in Europe and May 17 in North America. This re-release comes with 19 bonus tracks, 12 of them previously unreleased. And since 1986, it will be available for the first time again on vinyl.Commented VIRGIN STEELE frontman David DeFeis, "'Noble Savage' is an extremely important album in the history of VIRGIN STEELE. It was a major accomplishment for us at the time that it was recorded, and an immensely satisfying recording that I feel still holds up quite well today. It was the most focused, most well recorded, written and performed album we had done up to that point in our career. For me it is really our first album."This is also the first album where the current musical style of the band can be said to be found fully manifested, containing grandiose compositions with a multilayered keyboard sound and more sophisticated arrangements than heard before on previous albums."Noble Savage" has become one of the most popular VIRGIN STEELE albums and it includes the songs "We Rule the Night" and "Noble Savage", which the band still plays in concert.

Encouraged by their continued success as a touring unit, Slaughter reorganized following the tragic death of guitarist Tim Kelly with Back to Reality, which introduces new guitarist Jeff Blando. Regardless, it's still the same old Slaughter, albeit a touch heavier than they were in their hit-making prime – they're catering to hard rock radio rather than power-ballad-hungry Top 40 programmers (which actually serves them well). Still, it's knowing their audience that's kept Slaughter around this long, and that audience wants straight-ahead, melodic, meat-and-potatoes hard rock. So even if most of the music on Back to Reality will sound somewhat rote and by the numbers to listeners who have no appetite for '80s-style pop-metal in 1999, it simply wouldn't pay for the band to take any chances or alter their sound – and, actually, as Back to Reality proves, they're still pretty good at it, delivering decent songs and convincing performances demonstrating that they aren't just phoning it in. There's nothing earth-shattering here, but the level of quality is pleasantly surprising, and certainly not that far below their commercial heyday.

Ut Gret is a self-described pan-idiomatic musical ensemble from Louisville, Kentucky. They are led by multi-instrumentalist Joee Conroy, who joined with French TV leader Steve Roberts in 1996. Boasting a full-bodied Rock-in-Opposition sound, they employ a myriad array of wind and stringed instruments including bouzouki, sitar, mandolin, bassoon, flute, bass clarinet, and many more, in addition to more standard rock instruments and electronics.

This recording brings together all the arrangements for harpsichord by Bach of instrumental concertos by his Italian contemporary Antonio Vivaldi, adding those of one concerto each by the brothers Alessandro and Benedetto Marcello. They are performed by Sophie Yates who has made a series of solo CDs for Chandos, many of which have won international awards. She has been described by Gramophone as ‘hugely talented’ and by BBC Music as playing ‘with exceptional poise’.

First Haydn Il Mondo della Luna (which has blissfull Mozartian spirit) on DVD and Blu-ray! Nikolaus Harnoncourt created an interpretation in which Haydn’s work can become a veritable gem of opera literature. Renowned actor and director Tobias Moretti relates the story as a light-footed, magical fairy tale infused with slapstick, witty details and fantasy costumes.

The Baroque Theatre of Český Krumlov Castle provides an ideal setting for one of the most important operas in music history, Christoph Willibald Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice”. Director Ondřej Havelka captures much more than a stage performance: combining period details with modern psychological interpretation he chooses a cinematic approach that literally takes us behind the scenes of this unique venue. Bejun Mehta, ‘arguably the best countertenor in the world today’ (Sueddeutsche Zeitung), lends credibility to the emotions tormenting Orfeo’s heart. As his beloved Euridice, Austrian soprano Eva Liebau juggles joy and jealousy. Bringing comic relief to the work’s dark tone is Regula Mühlemann as Amore, who cheerily sends mortals zigzagging on their way to life, love – and, maybe, death. Under the baton of baroque specialist Václav Luks, the splendid soloists are supported by the Prague orchestra and vocal ensemble Collegium 1704 and Collegium Vocale 1704. This is the perfect new release to celebrate Gluck’s 300th anniversary in 2014!