Recommended
Charpentier: David & Jonathas (Château de Versailles)
A staging of French baroque opera at its finest [MP]
Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin (Harmonia Mundi)
A marvellous reading of Die schöne Müllerin that should please every lover of this indestructible masterwork [GF]
Bruckner: Symphony No 4 (BR Klassik)
Another superlative rendering of a Bruckner symphony from Haitink [RMo]
Sheppard: Choral Works (Gimell)
Magnificent examples of Tudor polyphony, superbly performed [JQ]
Mozart and his Europe (Genuin)
A beautiful tone and natural, unmannered playing and flexibility of phrasing [RCh]
Respighi: Roman Trilogy (Ondine)
An outstanding performance and recording of these orchestral showpieces [EJW]
Britten: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Opus Arte)
A superior reissue of Peter Hall’s other superlative Britten production from Glyndebourne [PCG]
Shura Cherkassky (piano) Complete Recordings (APR)
Astonishing playing from a giant of the piano world [RCh]
Liszt: Salon and Stage (Prima Facie)
This wonderful recital shows the amazing breadth of Liszt’s response to the composers who wrote for stages both grand and intimate [RCh]
Tubin: Kratt (Alpha Classics)
An excellent survey of Polish and Estonian music in virtuoso performances by Estonia’s Festival Orchestra [GT]
Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No 1 (Cedille)
Superb Shostakovich coupled with a contemporary concerto that challenges convention [NB]
Ysaÿe: 6 Sonatas for solo violin (Deutsche Grammophon)
Quite simply: this disc is a winner [SB]
Kõrvits: The Sound of Wings (Ondine)
A beautiful new work from Estonia which will add to the growing reputation of the composer [PCG]
Medtner: Complete Piano Music Vol. III
Virtuosity suffused with delicate poetry [DMD]
Janáček & Haas: String quartets (BIS)
At the very top of the list for these masterpieces [WH]
Bruckner: Symphony No 7 (Warner Classics)
A grand, majestic performance catching all the requisite light and shade of Bruckner’s most popular and accessible symphony [RMo]
Martinaitytė: Hadal Zone (Cantaloupe)
An extraordinary voyage to the depths of the ocean and of the psyche [DMD]
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin (Delphian)
Deeply committed performances, informed by consummate musicianship [SG]
Wagner: Götterdämmerung (Decca)
A recording for the ages, revealed in full splendour in a new re-mastering [JQ]
Echoes of Bohemia: Czech Music for Wind (Chandos)
The Orsini Ensemble rises superbly to all the challenges of this colourful and attractive music [GPJ]
Ekaterina Siurina (soprano) Where Is My Beloved? (Delos)
Ekaterina Siurina’s voice is in mint condition, with perfectly controlled vibrato and a glowing delivery [GF]
Leighton: Every Living Creature (SOMM Recordings)
A valuable collection of Leighton’s choral music, with several first recordings [SB]
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5 (Reference Recordings)
An enterprising pairing of two works given thrilling, gripping performances and sound [RMo]
Fauré: Piano Works (Hyperion)
Magical performances, illuminated and musically informed, recorded in superior sound [SG]
