Recommended
Gilbert & Sullivan: Utopia, Limited (Opus Arte)
Hurrah for the Joint Stocks Companies Act of 1862! Ulahlica! [PH]
Kaipainen: South by Northeast (Alba)
A superbly played and well-recorded selection from Kaipanen’s output [HC]
Glöden: Polish & Swedish orchestral works (Swedish Society)
An outstanding disc of joyous and inspiring string music for these troubled times [PRJ]
Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem (LPO)
Another winning anniversary issue of a trio of Britten works from an in-form partnership [PH]
Alma: Ibero-American Songs (SOMM Recordings)
A song-recital recording to convert those who think they are not keen on song-recital recordings [DC]
Organ Music in New England (Acis Productions)
One of the most imaginative organ discs to come my way in some time [WK]
French School Pianists play French concertos (APR)
A great piano tradition is celebrated in style [PH]
Hommages: Works for strings (BIS)
A varied selection that repays repeated hearing; the arrangement of Apollon musagète is a real ear-opener [HC]
Sacred concerti of the 17th century (Passacaille)
A exciting disc with first recordings of German 17th century sacred music [JV]
Benjamin Appl (baritone) Hommage à Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Alpha Classics)
A cornucopia of wonderful songs, superbly sung, for every lover of art songs to delve into [GF]
McCormack: mine but for its sublimation (Another Timbre)
The first recording of a spellbinding composition for piano [DHa]
Pitfield: Orchestral Music (Toccata Classics)
A magnificent new release of unjustly neglected British music [DJ]
Bach: King of Kings (Chandos)
A celebration of the unassuming genius of Sir Andrew Davis [NB]
Gernsheim: Concertos (cpo)
Fascinating, unduly neglected repertoire, very well performed and recorded [JWe]
Haydn: String Quartets, op. 33 Nos 4-6 (BIS)
In its 20th year, the Chiaroscuro Quartet continues to set the standard for authentic-instrument quartets [DJB]
Timothy Ridout (viola) Works for solo viola (Harmonia Mundi)
A young virtuoso of the viola goes solo [PH]
Schubert: Piano Music (Hyperion)
All round excellence from one of our greatest pianists [PH]
Haydn: Complete Symphonies (Hänssler Classic)
An admirable and highly desirable cycle – it goes straight to the top of my list [SG]
Bax: Complete Music for Cello and Piano (SOMM Recordings)
My go-to version for these remarkable compositions [JF]
Boismortier: Sonatas for 2 Pardessus de viole (First Hand Records)
A lovely disc and a perfect case for a forgotten instrument [JV]
Agricola: Masses (Fra Bernardo)
Two great masses in the Cantus firmus tradition from a master composer in splendid new readings from Vienna [PH]
Mozart: Complete Works With Clarinet Vol. 1 (Alpha Classics)
Nicholas Baldeyrou assembles a union of equals that is enormously appealing – bring on volume two! [ST]
Haydn: ‘Russian’ Quartets Op. 33 (BIS)
Matchless Haydn from the Chiaroscuro Quartet [DHa]
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto 2 & Britten: Cello Sonata (Decca)
Some of the 20th century’s greatest cello music, superbly played and recorded [GPJ]
