Recommended

Italie Mandolin ArcanaA552

Un air d’Italie: the mandolin in Paris in the 18th century (Arcana)

No-one with a fondness for the mandolin should miss this engaging disc [GPu]

Stravinsky Violin Concerto Ehnes Chandos SACD CHSA5340

Stravinsky: Violin Concerto, Apollon Musagète (Chandos)

Superb recordings of all the works here [SB]

Vaughan Williams Birthday Garland Somm CD0683

Vaughan Williams: A Birthday Garland (SOMM Recordings)

Lovers of English song should not hesitate: acquire this disc and gatecrash Uncle Ralph’s musical party [JQ]

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets Volume 1 (Chandos)

Consistently magnificent performances, but comparison has a sting in the tail [MG]

Ruby Hughes (soprano): End of My Days (BIS)

An outstanding recital; elegantly conceived, ideally recorded and beautifully performed [RH]

Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie (Harmonia Mundi)

A top-notch Turangalîla from Toronto; stellar sonics, too [DM]

ludford paraty ymaginacions

Ymaginacions – Mass upon John Dunstable’s square (Paraty)

A Lady Mass by a leading early Tudor composer in an exciting, unique performance [GH]

Wagner Die Walkure Solti 2022 remaster Decca 4853160SACD

Wagner: Die Walküre (Decca)

The last instalment of the Decca ‘Ring’ enhanced by remastering in magnificent sound [JQ]

Rachmaninov Sym2 PC2 Gerstein Petrenko BPHR230461

Rachmaninoff: Symphony 2 & Piano Concerto 2 (Berliner Philharmoniker)

This is in every way a distinguished Rachmaninoff album [JQ]

mahler symphony hdtt

Mahler: Symphony 3 (High Definition Tape Transfers)

A classic performance in a never-before-heard revelatory recording [NB]

Handel: Messiah (Erato)

Period-instrument Messiah, not to be missed [DF]

Cage: Music for Three, Music for One (CAvi-Music)

Cage’s ‘thing’ advocated by three superb musicians, in sympathetic sonics [RHa]

Wagner rheingold 4853159

Wagner: Das Rheingold (Decca)

A classic Wagner recording in magnificently remastered sound [JQ]

Cavalieri lamentations PC10451

Cavalieri: Lamentations (Pan Classics)

Incisive performances of stylistically groundbreaking and expressive works [JV]

Bedford In the Voices of the Living NMC D272

Bedford: In the Voices of the Living (NMC)

Bedford’s music is adventurous, exciting, humane and quite devoid of blandness or the easy option. Terrific performances and sonics [RHa]

sibelius symphony alpha

Sibelius: Symphony No 4 (Alpha Classics)

A performance to convert the Sibelian reluctant to appreciate the bleak Fourth’s special qualities, in a death-laden programme complete with two superb companion pieces [RMo]

eastern clarinet antarctica

Zayt Gezunterheyt – The Folk Soul of the Eastern Clarinet (Antarctica Records)

A simply outstanding meeting of stunning musicians and glorious music [PJ]

Briggs: Hail, gladdening Light (Hyperion)

A memorable disc [JQ]

Nature broman ABCD473 1

Recharged by Nature – Contemporary Nordic Works (Alba)

Two magnificent, distinctively folk-tinged concertos are vividly brought to life [RHa]

levit fantasia sony

Igor Levit (piano): Fantasia (Sony Classical)

Another outstanding recital from Levit, with a superb version of the big Busoni work [SB]

Ludford: Mass (Paraty)

A new perspective on the performance of the music of the English renaissance [JV]

Donizetti: La fille du régiment (Decca)

Sign me up for this regiment: this recording is as good as it gets [MP]

Messiaen: La Nativité du Seigneur (Aeolus)

A glowing and atmospheric account in spectacular SACD sound [SG]

Bach goldberg ABCD520

Bach: Goldberg Variations (Alba)

A poetic, refined, beautifully played account from a remarkable young Finnish pianist [RMo]