Author: Laurence Slater
Grieg: Violin Sonatas (Pristine Audio)
Classic Menuhin in these delightful sonatas [SB]
The Sound of Adventure (Prospero Classical)
A thoroughly enjoyable selection of less often heard film music [DJB]
Shostakovich: Suite for Variety Orchestra No 1 (Spivakov Sound)
A short and sweet recent release from the conductor/violinist’s personal label [NC]
Mahler: Symphonies 1 to 9 (Pentatone)
A very mixed bag; several symphonies are superb, especially in terms of orchestral playing and sound engineering, but several fall short [RMo]
Mahler: Symphony No 2 (Tudor)
(Déjà Review) Not to be missed [DM]
Mozart: Arias for Tenor (Nimbus)
(Déjà Review) No one wanting an all-Mozart recital can possibly go wrong with this issue [GF]
Bonis: Orchestral Works (cpo)
Pretty, but ultimately rather shallow music, not a patch on her chamber works [DJB]
Cilea & Longo: Chamber Music (Tactus)
Unusual light shone on two composers not known for chamber composition [JW]
Sibelius: Violin Concerto (Alpha Classics)
A really impressive, beautifully balanced partnership resulting in a memorable account of Sibelius’ wonderful concerto paired with a superb Lemminkäinen Suite [RMo]
Strauss: Salome & Elektra (Pristine Audio)
Straussian excellence from seven decades ago silences any of the more recent competition [MP]
Garro & Guerrero: Choral Music (Delphian)
A fine celebration of Portuguese polyphony [DC]
Baroque German Bass Cantatas (cpo)
(Déjà Review) Cantatas by completely unknown German composers of the early 18th century – music and performances of high quality [JV]
Dallapiccola: Orchestral Works Vol 1 (Chandos)
(Déjà Review) Superb performances and recordings of works from an important decade in Dallapiccola’s composing life [HC]
Adès: Orchestral Music (Warner Classics)
(Déjà Review) An important disc of remarkable contemporary music [LW]
Berlioz: Les Troyens (SOMM Beecham)
(Déjà Review) No enthusiast for Les Troyens should be without this set [JS]
López-Gavilán: Orchestral Music (Reference Recordings)
Sit back and enjoy a plenipotentiary’s sound-picture [RB]
Beethoven & Brahms: Orchestral Music
Old-fashioned, perhaps, but big, bold and sometimes surprisingly effective accounts [RMay]
Holst: The Planets (LSO Live)
A Planets that just about justifies itself thanks to Pappano’s colourful theatricality [ST]
Schubert: Piano Music (Pentatone)
A marvellous rendition of Schubert’s final sonata [ST]
The Great Forgotten Danish Violinist Henry Holst (Danacord)
Fascinating concerto survivors from Henry Holst’s British days [JW]
Shostakovich 8 & Bruckner 8 (Le Palais des Dégustateurs)
A startlingly good Bruckner 8 [RB]
Kosma: Choral music (Hortus)
An intriguing recording [WK]
Wagner: Orchestral music from Der Ring (Sony Classical)
Extraordinarily vibrant orchestral extracts from Wagner’s greatest works by an orchestra and conductor at their peak {RMo]
Symbiosis – Tribute to Bill Evans (Pentatone)
An ambitious and rewarding tribute to a jazz legend. [DHa]
