Recommended

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Beethoven & Dean: Piano Concertos (Orchid Classics)

A refreshing and compelling pairing of two piano concertos [WH]

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Pacific Quintet: United (Fuga Libera)

The playing on this outstanding issue is nothing short of spectacularly good [GPJ]

Henselt, Bronsart: Piano Concerti (BIS)

Unequivocally first-rate, brilliant in every respect – for the lover of 19th-century piano concertos [EJW]

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Senfter: Chamber Music (cpo)

A debut album that’s a triumph [SG]

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Recording British Music (Vocalion Books)

The immense contribution to British Music made by a ‘librarian-hobbyist’ [JW]

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Florian Noack (piano) I Wanna Be Like You – The Piano Transcriptions (La Dolce Volta)

A hugely enjoyable celebration of the piano from this supremely gifted pianist [RCh]

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Urlicht – Songs of Death and Resurrection (Harmonia Mundi)

The singing is masterly, the playing of the orchestra excellent and the recording first class [GF]

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Damase: Orchestral Works v2 (Dutton)

Superbly performed concertante music by a French neo-classical conservative [NB]

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Korngold: A Portrait for Piano (TRPTK)

This homage is a gem for admirers of Korngold’s music [GF]

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J S Bach: Guitar Transcriptions (Naxos)

One of the best guitar recordings of music by JS Bach [ZT]

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Donizetti: Dalinda (Oehms Classics)

Good, honest, open-throated singing in an intriguing and highly enjoyable reconstruction of a formerly lost work – and a star performance by the lead soprano [RMo]

Rose in Bloom – recital (Orchid Classics)

An imaginative programme, stunningly performed [NB]

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State Fair and the 20th Century-Fox Songbook (Dutton)

A celebration of great Hollywood musicals of the 40’s & 50’s performed with stunning style, sophistication and pizzazz [NB]

recording british music foreman

Recording British Music (Vocalion Books)

A ready source of rare information, insight and record – and a great read [GHu]

Grieg: Symphonic Dances (Chandos)

Exemplary performances of some rare Grieg [SB]

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Mahler: Symphony No 3 (High Definition Tape Transfers)

An excellent, parallel recording of one of the finest Mahler performances ever committed to disc [JQ]

Vivaldi: Le Quattro Stagione & La Follia (Alpha Classics)

An electrifying rendition of the Four Seasons to set alongside Fabio Biondi’s [DJB]

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Amsterdam 1850 (Navis Classics)

An experience of deep friendship, hard work, and joy in the results [DC]

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Britten: Spring Symphony, Sinfonia da Requiem (LSO Live)

Three superb Britten readings, including possibly the finest Spring Symphony on disc [GPJ]

Danza Gaya – Music for Two Pianos (Lyrita)

Delightful from start to finish [WK]

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Cristal Bello (Vanitas)

A rewarding collection with a clear historical purpose, though it delights at least as much as it educates [GPu]

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Art Songs of the Jewish Diaspora (Acis)

Milhaud and Castelnuovo-Tedesco are just two composers contextualised in this wide-ranging programme [JW]

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Delius: Hassan (Chandos)

The warmest welcome for a superb new realisation of Delius’s greatest work of incidental music [PCG]

Elgar: Symphony No. 1, Cockaigne Overture  (Oehms Classics)

A swift, cohesive, sensitive and beautifully played account of the greatest English symphony [RMo]