Author: Laurence Slater
Grieg: Music for String Orchestra (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) A veritable smorgasbord of simply scrumptious music! [GPJ]
20th Century British Masters Vol 2 (Avie)
(Déjà Review) One of the finest choral discs to have come my way for some time [JQ]
Bartók: Viola Concerto & 44 Duos (First Hand Records)
One of the very finest recordings of the concerto [PBW]
G Williams: The Parlour (Lyrita)
A historic recording of Grace Williams’ unique opera [PH]
Rachmaninoff: Symphony 1 & Symphonic dances (Chandos)
Flawed by an unidiomatic account of the symphony [RMay]
Orchestral Anthems Vol. 2 (Delphian)
A second volume matches the high quality of the first – sensitive performances beautifully recorded [NB]
Rossini: Otello (Opera Rara)
(Déjà Review) A natural aural ambience tells in its favour as does the liveliness and vibrancy of the chorus [RJF]
Schoenberg: Complete Works for Violin and Piano (BIS)
(Déjà Review) A valuable and involving musical experience that far outreaches the purely musicological [CC]
Haydn: Complete Symphonies (Hänssler Classic)
An admirable and highly desirable cycle – it goes straight to the top of my list [SG]
The San Carlo Opera House, Naples (1943-46) (ARS Recorded Editions)
Let’s Make an Opera: The British Army and the Teatro San Carlo [PH]
Lalo: Le Roi d’Ys (Bru Zane)
A welcome set which will provide considerable pleasure with one outstanding performance [PSt]
Sondheim: Chamber Music Arrangements (Bridge)
An interesting release that concentrates on Sondheim’s music rather than his lyrics [PT]
Liechtenauer: Masses (cpo)
A well-deserved monument to a forgotten composer [JV]
Vaňhal: Flute Quartets (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Beautifully played music which makes few emotional demands, but hiding a verdant garden of rich colour and variety [DC]
Verdi: Ernani (Warner Classics)
(Déjà Review) Outstanding portrayals from Domingo and Bruson to compensate for an over-parted Freni [RJF]
Pitfield: Orchestral Music (Toccata Classics)
A valuable exploration of Pitfield’s eminently approachable orchestral music [JF]
Elim Chan (conductor) All These Lighted Things (Alpha Classics)
A new disc from a new star in the conducting firmament, featuring new music – and a couple of old warhorses [LD]
Agricola: Masses (Fra Bernardo)
Two great masses in the Cantus firmus tradition from a master composer in splendid new readings from Vienna [PH]
W Mundy: Vox patris caelestis (Linn)
An insightful performance of the underrated music of a fascinating late-Tudor composer [GH]
Unpublished! Spalding and Dohnányi in Concert (Parnassus)
Albert Spalding in the sunset of his career accompanied by Dohnányi in a sonata sequence [JW]
Nielsen & Aho: Clarinet Concertos (BIS)
(Déjà Review) A clear winner on all accounts and Aho’s concerto is destined to be a standard work [GF]
Poulenc & Francaix: Chamber music (Capriccio)
(Déjà Review) A thoroughly engaging disc of very worthwhile music all superbly recorded [DM]
Brahms: Symphonies 3 and 4 (BIS)
A lovely pairing of Brahms’ last two symphonies, elegantly and fluidly played, in ideal sound [RMo]
Handel and Colonna: Sacred music (Ricercar)
A good case for Colonna and one of the best performances of Handel’s Dixit Dominus [JV]
