April 2025

Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins (LSO Live)

Rattle and spouse revisit the sins [MP]

Venables, Finzi, Gurney & Bliss: An English Pastoral (SOMM Recordings)

A wonderful CD featuring works by four English composers [KT]

Williamson: Chamber Music for Wind and Piano (Divine Art)

A superb reminder of why we need the music of Malcolm Williamson [PRJ]

Conti: Bravo! Bene! (cpo)

This disc proves that Conti was a quite fascinating and original composer [JV]

Pizzetti: Messa di Requiem & Ghedini: Ave verum corpus (Tactus)

A fine program, especially Ghedini’s works [WK]

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, A Tale (Alpha Classics)

Scheherazade in a new guise: a disc for the Rimsky curious [ST]

Messiaen’s Musical Universe (Fugue State Films)

A brilliant, revelatory release which enhances our understanding of Messiaen [DHa]

Różycki: Piano Works Volume 3 (Acte Préalable)

Colourful and richly imaginative piano works in this worthy third volume [RCh]

heavenly light CRD

Heavenly Light: Eton Choirbook Reconstructions (CRD)

Superbly reconstructed motets brilliantly brought to life [GH]

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Ponchielli: I Lituani (Accentus Music)

I Lituani may not be on the same level as La Gioconda, but it shows that Ponchielli wasn’t a one-work composer [GF]

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Hough: Piano Concerto (Hyperion)

Definitive performances of his own music by Stephen Hough [JQ]

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Mahler: Symphony 5 (SWR Music)

A pacier, more refined Mahler Fifth, beautifully balanced but rather too restrained in parts [RMo]

Kaleidoskop Europa: Tänze für Klaviertrio (Gramola)

A delightful anthology of European dances, familiar and forgotten [GPu]

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Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem (Antal Doráti Centenary Society)

A powerful live performance that also has some troubling aspects [WH]

Fritz Kreisler (violin): Violin Concertos (Pristine Audio)

The legendary Fritz Kreisler comes up pristinely in new transfers of his concerto recordings [PH]

Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus, Petites Esquisses d’Oiseaux (Piano Classics)

A superb new version of Messiaen’s great piano cycle [SB]

Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On (Signum Classics)

In times of war and unrest, this album from the masterly King’s Singers gives hope [GF]

Strauss: Don Juan, Ein Heldenleben (Gramola)

On the evidence of flabby playing and murky sound, the conductor should stick to Bruckner [RMo]

Mahler: Symphony No.3 (Farao Classics)

(Déjà Review) Mehta knows how to handle large forces, but is less successful in conveying the music’s symphonic direction and flow [TB]

Dufay: Mass for Saint Anthony Abbot; Binchois: Motets (Hyperion)

(Déjà Review) Often searingly beautiful, often surprisingly inventive, and always brilliantly performed [EML]

Ukraine SOMMCD0701

Ukraine – A piano portrait (SOMM Recordings)

A disc that should gain wide recognition [SA]

Verdi trovatore PACO220

Verdi: Il trovatore (Pristine Audio)

A finely produced package of golden age singing, splendidly refurbished for a new generation [MP]

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Spain On Fire (Challenge Classics)

A delight from first note to last [DJB]

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Timothy Reynish (conductor) Works for wind band (Mark Masters)

An enjoyably eclectic programme of music for wind band [PRJ]