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Simon Thompson

Mozart concertos AAM043

Mozart: Piano concertos (Academy of Ancient Music)

A total delight [ST]

Brahms: Piano Concerti (Linn)

A treat: the Brahms piano concertos given lavish and loving musical treatment [ST]

dreamer mozart requiem acis

Mozart: Requiem (Acis)

Mostly of interest to Marylanders, but contains a gutsy performance of Mozart’s Requiem in a new performing edition [ST]

Distler clemens 620684

Distler: Die Weihnachtsgeschichte (OUR Recordings)

In the great German tradition of sung Biblical narrative, but reinterpreted for the early 20th century [ST]

mendelssohn symphonies linn

Mendelssohn: Symphonies 3 & 5 (Linn)

Sui generis: a disc that will change the way you hear Mendelssohn [ST]

Advent vol3 SIGCD768

Advent Live Vol. 3 (Signum Classics)

Andrew Nethsingha’s farewell to St John’s – a beautiful disc and a culminating celebration [ST]

strauss wind capriccio

Strauss: Complete Music for Wind Instruments (Capriccio)

Precious jewels, delightfully played [ST]

Mozart Ecstasy and Abyss Frost Sony 19658772252

Mozart: Ecstasy and Abyss (Sony Classical)

A release that will probably only appeal to superfans of clarinettist Martin Fröst [ST]

Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos (Dynamic)

A modern-dress production that plays it pretty straight, and a very strong singing team [ST]

R Strauss Philharmonia Santu SIGCD720

R Strauss: Tone Poems (Philharmonia Records)

Some marvellous Strauss tone poems that mark the beginning of Rouvali’s stewardship of the Philharmonia [ST]

Debussy Jeux Strauss Also Sprach Roth LSO0833

R Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra (LSO Live)

A patchy Zarathustra and a good Jeux, but you’ll find better performances of both elsewhere [ST]

Elgar Violin Concerto Little Chandos CHSA5083 SACD

Elgar: Violin Concerto (Chandos)

(Déjà Review) Outstanding throughout [ST]

Wolf Italienisches Liederbuch BIS2553

Wolf: Italienisches Liederbuch (BIS)

A beautiful realisation of Wolf’s great song collection, particularly remarkable for the contribution of Allan Clayton’s tenor voice [ST]

Brahms syms CCSBOX7322

Brahms: Symphonies (Channel)

A variable Brahms cycle, let down by inconsistent conducting decisions and an unfortunate lack of contextual information in the booklet [ST]

Mozart La clemenza di Tito Alpha793

Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito (Alpha)

A very good new Tito which marks a new chapter in the development of Nicky Spence as the title character [ST]

Schubert: Schwanengesang (Pentatone)

The final instalment of Bostridge’s Schubert trilogy is a partnership of equals, voice and piano coming together to create something very special [ST]

Psalms SIGCD721

The Psalms (Signum Classics)

A rather wonderful experience spiritually, historically and, of course, musically [ST]

VW symphonies CHSA5303

Vaughan Williams: Symphonies (Chandos/Halle)

Two very highly accomplished sets, either of which any listener would be happy with, but ultimately my heart belongs to the Chandos box [ST]