Déjà Reviews
Re-published reviews from the archive
Ataúlfo Argenta (conductor) (EMI Classics)
(Déjà Review) Lisztians need to hear Argenta’s Faust; his El Amor Brujo is perhaps the best ever [RB]
Schoenberg: Gurrelieder (Warner Classics)
(Déjà Review) Recorded just a week after 9/11, this stunning performance heralds a new era for Rattle in Berlin [CT]
Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony (Chandos)
(Déjà Review) If you have any interest in the music of Vaughan Williams this is an almost mandatory purchase [SF][PC]
Korngold: Sinfonietta, Violin Concerto (Dorian)
(Déjà Review) A classic of recorded sound [RB]
Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (Deutsche Grammophon)
(Déjà Review) Truly inspired performances of masterful music [PJL]
Elgar: Symphony 1 (Hallé)
(Déjà Review) An interpretation that underscores the mutual admiration between Elgar and Strauss [CF]
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Commitment … involvement … a feeling of wonder [SA]
Bach: Complete Organ Works (Hyperion)
(Déjà Review) Undoubtedly ranks among the finest achievements of recorded music in recent times [TB]
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (Warner Classics)
(Déjà Review) One of the classic performances of this symphony [CH]
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 (ICA Classics)
(Déjà Review) Leinsdorf belatedly enters the select list of the greatest Tchaikovsky performances on record [CH]
Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier Books I-II (Capriccio)
(Déjà Review) A fine synergy: superb instrument, performer and recording [DC]
Mahler: Symphony 10 (Warner Classics)
(Déjà Review) Rattle is always a compelling guide to this work [TD]
Brahms: Concertos (Sony)
(Déjà Review) Fortunate the listener who learns her/his Brahms through these works [RB]
Brahms: Choral works (Chandos)
The varied moods are perfectly realised by Stefan Parkman and his choir [JP]
Dvořák: Violin Concerto (Philips)
A remarkable record – I have little hesitation in making the Dvorák a first choice [CC]
Frederica von Stade (mezzo-soprano) Song Recital (Sony Classical)
(Déjà Review) One of the most sheerly beautiful and instantly recognisable mezzos of the last fifty years [RMo]
Wagner: Das Rheingold (Oehms Classics)
(Déjà Review) Both performance and engineering are of the highest quality [GD]
Chopin: Complete Waltzes & Impromptus (Nimbus)
(Déjà Review) This goes straight to the top of my list of favourite Chopin CDs [RMo]
Fauré: Works for Cello & Piano (Alpha Classics)
(Déjà Review) If the rest of this series is of this standard, it will be a compulsory acquisition for all lovers of this composer [GA]
Bach: St. Matthew Passion (Orchid)
(Déjà Review) A very successful and involving performance that conveys the essence of Bach’s masterpiece very well [JQ]
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (Sony Classical)
(Déjà Review) Verdi singing does not come much better than this [RJF]
de Sabata: Orchestral Works (Hyperion)
(Déjà Review) For all unashamed romantics — this recording is absolutely fabulous [IL]
Chopin: Young Chopin (Pavane)
(Déjà Review) Trzeciak highlights the inherent sense of longing and the spirit of Polish dance to good effect [CC]
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra (Decca)
(Déjà Review) Superb modern versions of these works [JP]