December 2022

Beautifully crafted and entertaining music, showing the composer’s stylistic evolution [DJB]

A very valuable survey establishing the quality and beauty of Milford’s sensitive compositions [NB]

Astonishing virtuoso playing in a highly empathic partnership – the best modern accounts I know [RMo]

Baines’ piano music always impresses and is well performed here, the songs less so [NB]

Finesse and elegance in these richly recorded recitals [RCh]

Captivating performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s enchanting Christmas opera [CRo]

A major survey of the discography by Lee Denham

A delight from start to finish [MC]

Penderecki’s Dies Irae is frighteningly powerful, but Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater is given an underwhelming performance [SW]

A great introduction to the achievement of an unjustifiably less well-known composer [JF]

The original version of Zoroastre, substantially different from the usually performed revision, superbly presented here [RWe]

A staple Mozart concerto joined by two rarities [JW]

Kapsperger’s vocal oeuvre is very well served here [JV]

Overall, an accomplished and enjoyable performance of Messiah [JQ]

A reissue devoted to a director and choir less well remembered for their early music recordings [JW]

Attractively conceived music, well played [SG]

A very interesting pairing on a single CD but the performance achieves mixed results [MP]

A powerful work of considerable creative strength and technical proficiency [JF]

Clarity, flexibility, detail and beautiful playing here but inconsistent as a set; some symphonies are superlative, others lack excitement [RMo]

Another major step towards a reassessment of Wolf’s oeuvre [JV]

Fine performances somewhat compromised by indifferent sound [RMo]

A premiere recording of an incandescent lost score [MP]

A significant release of Holst’s sacred choral music [JF]

Instrumental ‘highlights’ culled from Handel’s oratorios and operas [JW]