September 2025
Beethoven: Septet
by Alan George
And the Blackbird Sang (EM Records)
An interesting survey of British part-songs – sensitively sung and well-recorded [NB]
Debussy, Messiaen: L’extase – songs (Pentatone)
A valuable addition to the catalogue of French song [RWe]
Bruckner: Symphonies 4 & 7 (Pristine Audio)
Somewhat puzzling, even erratic, performances, alternately captivating and disappointing, recorded in Walter’s Indian Summer [RMo]
Tarney: Lux Stellarum (Convivium Records)
A new requiem with a difference, superbly sung [DHa]
Strauss: Elektra (Capriccio)
(Déjà Review) Varnay and Fischer are superb, alas in compromised sound [DH]
Scriabin: Piano Music (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Stunning pianism and clever programming [GF]
Mozart: Complete Violin Concertos (Pentatone)
Could this be your ‘one and done’ set of Mozart’s Violin Concertos? [DC]
Assad & Villa-Lobos: Preludes & Dances from Brazil (Eudora)
An excellent disc of Brazilian music for guitar, played superbly and in fine recorded sound [GPu]
Bembo: L’Ercole Amante (cpo)
A fine, newly discovered Baroque opera receives a confident debut recording [MP]
Lerner & Loewe: My Fair Lady (Chandos)
A great show, vividly brought to life in this superb recording [JQ]
Stanford: Symphony No 1, Clarinet Concerto (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) A fitting culmination to the Naxos cycle of Stanford symphonies [JQ]
Sibelius: Symphonies 3 & 6, Stravinsky: Violin Concerto (Avie)
(Déjà Review) A wonderful testament to the talents of the Northern Sinfonia [CC]
Anne-Lise Polchlopek (mezzo-soprano) Gracias a la vida (Fuga Libera)
An excellent debut from a young mezzo-soprano, of whom I’d like to hear a lot more [PT]
Bax: The Blessed Damozel (EM Records)
A well-planned and exceptionally generous recital compromised by a very flawed recording and less than convincing performance choices [NB]
Caetani & Fano: Violin Sonatas (Brilliant Classics)
Two rare Italian violin sonatas from the 1890s make for contrasting listening [JW]
Tippett, Britten & Walton: Works for Piano & Orchestra (BIS)
A must-have programme for seekers of rarely performed mid-20th century British repertoire [DC]
Shostakovich: Symphony 4 (BIS)
A great performance of a symphony among Shostakovich’s greatest [TB]
Rota: Symphonies 1 & 2 (Chandos)
The best non-mainstream works I have heard in a long while [DJB]
Vogler: Scala Symphony & Overtures (cpo)
Some fun new music from that neglected period between ‘Classical’ and ‘Romantic’ [DC]
Bizet/Gounod/Saint-Saëns: Premières symphonies (Alpha Classics)
A charming trio of French first symphonies – not major music, but beautifully played and exuding good humour [RMo]
Eduard Tubin: Chamber Music (MDG)
A successful Tubin mixed chamber selection, with two sonatas sharing disc space with some novelties. [JW]
Beauty Veil’d: Berkeley Ensemble (EM Records)
A wholly enjoyable and well-performed programme with McEwen the highlight [NB]
Roman: The Swedish Virtuoso (Proprius)
(Déjà Review) In every respect a superb disc [GF]
