- 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]
- Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky (Vox)Splendid performances on this Vox reissue, but the Lt. Kije Suite is the less popular vocal version [RC]
- Weber: Oberon (RCA)Weber’s magical score is lovingly presented on this fine set [MP]
- Hermann: Complete Surviving Music Vol. 3 (Toccata Classics)A fitting finale to the three-volume Hermann series; a carousel of small pleasures [JW]
- Tchaikovsky: Orchestral works (Chandos)A very well played anthology of what is not Tchaikovsky’s most memorable or celebrated music [RMo]
- Gál: Concertinos (Hännsler Classic)A fine addition to Gál’s discography [WK]
- Poulenc, Duruflé & Alain: Organ Works (Apex)An imaginatively planned programme, performed with dedication and total accomplishment [GPJ]
- Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (piano) Mozart & Beethoven (Music & Arts)A must-hear for Michelangeli fans, and indeed for all lovers of great pianism [CC]
- Bertin: Fausto (Bru Zane)A long-lost operatic curiosity. Well-performed but recorded harshly, with no sense of stage atmosphere [MP]
- 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]
- Take 3 (Alpha Classics)Uproarious music-making, not to be taken too seriously [LW]
- Bruckner: Symphony 2 (Capriccio)A crisp, rhythmically alert account, making a wholly persuasive case for the original version of Bruckner’s Second Symphony [RMo]
- Wennäkoski: Zeng (Alba)A fine survey of Wennäkoski’s chamber music in good performances and recording [HC]
- Stravinsky: Violin Concerto, Apollon Musagète (Chandos)Superb recordings of all the works here [SB]
- Myaskovsky: Complete Symphonic Works (Olympia/Alto)(Déjà Review) A major stride forward in the Myaskovsky revival. Strong and broadly expressed interpretations mostly in modern digital recordings [RB]
- Brahms: Sextets No 1 & No 2 (EMI Classics)(Déjà Review) The quite wonderful playing of No 1, in particular, makes this an essential disc [CH]
- Rameau: Platée (Bel Air Classiques)Laurent Pelly’s production has matured with age and Brownlee gives the performance of his career in the title role [MP]
- Rachmaninov: All-Night Vigil (Chandos)Another way to listen to this imperishable masterpiece, beautifully arranged for and performed by lower, male voices [RMo]
- Janáček: Káťa Kabanová (LSO Live)We seem to observe the tragic events as they might really have happened – no hyperbole, just committed singing [MS]
- Mischa Elman (violin): The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (Biddulph)An Elman discographic lacuna is put right; fine transfers too [JW]
- Busoni: Doktor Faust (Dynamic)Good singing and lighting do not outweigh poor orchestral playing and perverse staging [SB]
- Duruflé: Requiem & Poulenc: Lenten Motets (Hyperion)There is wonderful French choral music here and it’s expertly performed [JQ]
- Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine (Naïve)(Déjà Review) So many details teased out by Alessandrini make this new version very compelling indeed [TH]
- Mahler: Symphony 8 (Warner Classics)(Déjà Review) – A second view: Superbly performed by all concerned and expertly recorded [JQ]
- Strauss: Four Last Songs (Alpha Classics)A thoughtful project and, as such, a significant addition to the discography of the Vier letzte Lieder [JQ]
- S Jones: Three Concertos (BMOP/sound)A warm welcome to a trio of Samuel Jones’ finely wrought concertos [RHa]
- Puccini: Il trittico (Decca)Not a first choice recording but worth spending some time with for a few excellent individual contributions [MP]
- Stanford: Irish Song Cycles (SOMM Recordings)Winsome, windy and windswept with the occasional folkloric moment, but Stanford on auto-pilot [JW]
- Duo Menurida: In Two Minds (Métier)Sensuous, inventive and often fantastic improvisations [JF]
- Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Pristine Audio)Pristine refreshes Callas’s 1959 stereo recording and prompts a re-evaluation of its considerable merits [PT]
- Mahler: Symphony 8 (Warner Classics)(Déjà Review) Lean and direct, intent on clarity and sense of direction, but an apparent lack of some grandeur and sense of occasion [TD]
- Magnard & Fauré: String Quartets (Aeon)(Déjà Review) Substantial works in immaculate performances [HC]
- Leoni: L’Oracolo (Decca)Worth getting to know even in a less than successful recording [MP]
- Handel: Handel for Trumpet (Linn)A superbly programmed set of pieces by Handel, reimagined for trumpet and piano [PB]
- Lloyd: Symphonies (Lyrita)George Lloyd conducts his first six symphonies in Lyrita’s reissues [JW]
- Labor: Piano Concertos for the left hand (Capriccio)Three conservative concertante works for the left hand in exemplary performances [NB]
- Schubert: Lieder. Love’s Lasting Power (Delphian)Two recent competition winners in an impressive debut recital, more than promising [PT]
- Beethoven: Complete String Quartets Volume 1 (Chandos)Consistently magnificent performances, but comparison has a sting in the tail [MG]
- Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, Carnival Overture; Smetana: The Bartered Bride Overture (RCA)(Déjà Review) Ebullient and powerful and the finale sweeping but not overdone, and with tremendous inner rhythm [JW]
- Lauridsen: Choral music (Hyperion)(Déjà Review) This disc is a must – I hope you enjoy it as much as I have [JPh]
- Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie (Harmonia Mundi)A top-notch Turangalîla from Toronto; stellar sonics, too [DM]
- Liszt-Beethoven: Complete Symphonies Vol 3 (Dynamic)Vigorous and purposeful performances with an eye for detail [RCh]
- Handel: Theodora (Alpha Classics)A splendidly cohesive musically-rewarding example of integrated casting and performance [JW]
- Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia (C Major)Vocal riches in a depressingly hyperactive production that is devoid of amusement [MP]
- Ruby Hughes (soprano): End of My Days (BIS)An outstanding recital; elegantly conceived, ideally recorded and beautifully performed [RH]
- Tůma: Motets, Dixit Dominus & Sinfonia (Aparté)Andreas Scholl’s fine performances should help in promoting Tůma’s music [JV]
- Chopin: Reminiscences (Linn)(Déjà Review) It depends on whether you’re a fan of Pizarro, or his personal selection [TH]
- Quatuor Kandinsky: French Piano Quartets (Erato)(Déjà Review) A sultry recording of surgingly romantic music given the hot-blooded approach [RB]
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