January 2023
Hjellemo: Orchestral works (Sterling)
Norwegian discoveries from Belgrade [JW]
Akito Tani (piano): In Concert (Exton)
An exciting new talent, and a generous and rewarding disc [SG]
Villa-Lobos: String Quartets (Marco Polo)
Performed with an obvious reverence and love [SA]
Virtuoso Music of the 16th & 17th Century for Cornetto (Arta)
Perfect demonstration of the excitement that the cornett can arouse [JV]
Gregson: Music Vol. 7 (Doyen)
Another volume of Edward Gregson’s brass band music, rewarding and engaging [JF]
Leoncavallo: Piano Works (Da Vinci Classics)
Melodious salon pieces with some attractive and impish surprises [RCh]
Rimsky-Korsakov: Christmas Eve (Naxos)
A superlative cast in a crisply modern, but relatively faithful production of a rarely performed opera [MP]
Renée Fleming (soprano) Greatest Moments at the Met (Decca)
These live recordings form a tribute to one of the great voices of the past quarter-century [RMo]
Lourié: Chamber and Instrumental Music Vol. 1 (Toccata)
A transplanted Russian composer who valued intimate conjunctions and statuesque ritual [JW]
Dvořák: Poetic Tone Pictures (Sony)
A generous-minded performance somewhat let down by idiosyncratic recording quality [JW]
Vivaldi: Violin Sonatas (Forgotten Records)
Playing of elegance and refinement [SG]
Abel: Cello Concertos (Hänssler Classic)
Four graceful concertante works of the mid to late 18th century, which may not excite but do entertain [DJB]
Donizetti: L’elisir d’amore (Dynamic)
Another impressive release by the Donizetti Opera festival, uncut and on original instruments [RWe]
Song of Beasts (Ramée)
Impressive performances of fascinating medieval music about real and mythological creatures [JV]
Toscha Seidel (violin): Rare and Newly Re-mastered! (Parnassus)
The molten tonalist Toscha Seidel triumphs in a selection of his 78s [JW]
Sir Adrian Boult: The Decca Legacy Vol. 2 (Eloquence)
Boult’s Deccas handsomely boxed; two Messiahs, Acis and miscellaneous recitals [JW]
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]
Mozart: Symphonies (Genuin)
The outer movements of Symphony 41 are splendid; elsewhere Klumpp’s Mozart can be a shade relentless [MG]
Maria Kliegel (cello) Anniversary Edition (Naxos)
A fine cellist – expression, technical mastery, character all there – but a shame that this is a collection of excerpts [RB]
Beethoven & Mozart: Piano Transcriptions (BIS)
Sensational pianism, inspiration, and exuberant pianism in every track [MM]
Jascha Heifetz: The Heifetz Collection Vol 35 (RCA-BMG)
Vivid and admirable shorter pieces but a Mendelssohn that has a heart of jagged tin [RB]
The Splendour of Florence (Linn)
In this annual release, Gothic Voices will not disappoint, even if other ensembles often cover the same musical territory [GH]
Adams: Sila (Cantaloupe)
Almost impossible to evaluate, but this has opened my eyes, ears and mind to something quite new [WH]
Tomasi: Complete Violin Works (Naxos)
I have nothing but praise for this splendid disc [SG]
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