The Thomaskantor position in Leipzig was one of the most important jobs for musicians in Germany in the 18th century; several important musicians applied to succeed Johann Kuhnau after his death in 1722. In the recruitment process, the Leipzig city council was able to choose from the most famous personalities of the time. The first choice was Georg Philipp Telemann, who declined however, after he had obtained a decent salary increase at his Hamburg post.

The Czech pianist Johann Ladislaus Dussek (1760-1812) had an extremely successful concertizing career throughout Europe and especially in England, where he stayed for ten years. Dussek is credited with being influential in extending the size of the early pianoforte, working closely with British piano-maker John Broadwood and playing one of Broadwood's first six-octave instruments. One has to wonder whether Dussek was aware how much the "future" of pianism belonged to him, and how thoroughly that "future" would forget his existence.

The Finzi Clarinet Concerto has been particularly lucky on CD, with a whole series of fine versions issued, including those above. Yet Emma Johnson, spontaneous in her expressiveness, brings an extra freedom and often an extra warmth to make this in many ways the most winning of all. Finzi's sinuous melodies for the solo instrument are made to sound as though the soloist is improvising them, and with extreme daring she uses the widest possible dynamic range down to a whispered pianissimo that might be inaudible in a concert-hall.[[/quote]

Helge Sunde is a 44-year-old Norwegian trombonist and composer who often works with jazz/classical composer Geir Lysne, sounds as if he checks out Hermeto Pascoal, Django Bates, Carla Bley, and British jazz and TV composer Colin Towns – and who has produced a cracker of a contemporary big-band album with this set. Sunde's Denada ensemble has produced powerful work before, but the balance of moods, melodic variety and arranging ingenuity on Finding Nymo (the sax-playing Nymo brothers Frode and Atle are star soloists) ought to raise his standing outside continental Europe. He throws listeners off the big-band scent with the eerie vocoder whispers at the start, but busy phrase-swapping between the horns, and arrhythmic ensemble riffs with solo-sax wails rising out of them introduce a Django Bates feel. When In Rome is a hooting, swaggering theme with revving engines and street noise, Valse Triste starts like a funeral lament and turns into a demonically waltzing dance, and the title track begins as tentative, sputtery improv, then coalesces into a melody. Guests Olka Konkova (piano) and Marilyn Mazur add flourishes to an already formidable set.