Recordings of the Month

Extraordinary playing of the highest quality and familiar music shown in a new light [RCh]

Everything here – music, performances, sound and notes – is exceptional [DJB]

An important and impressive contribution to the Bruckner discography [JQ]

The Cleveland Orchestra stakes a claim to be currently the best in the world [DMD]

Quite exceptional performances of rarely heard pre-Bach Baroque solo violin works [PB]

A comprehensive survey stunningly played and beautifully recorded [NB]

This disc goes straight to my list of recordings of the year [JV]

Bravo, bravo, and thrice bravo; Kirill Petrenko’s Shostakovich sweeps the board [DM]

Ideal performances of great works – and a fitting memorial to Lars Vogt [RMo]

Enescu’s finest piano works in superb performances by a newcomer [SB]

Moves the Korean into the elite group of pianists [DMD]

A tremendous performance of an important new work by James MacMillan [JQ]

A rewarding version of Beethoven’s only oratorio [SB]

The famous Vespers, beautifully sung and more intimate than usual but with no lack of gravitas [RMo]

Yet another superb Bruckner recording from a flawless Tokyo orchestra [RMo]

An innovative and at times challenging production, with high calibre singing and playing [RWe]

An outstanding, indeed revelatory recording which makes an irresistible case for Matiegka’s sonatas [GPu]

Stunning recorded sound, superlative performances of rare repertoire- an absolute winner! [DMD]

A magnificent full-size portrait of a truly great bel canto artist [GF]

A superlative cast in a crisply modern, but relatively faithful production of a rarely performed opera [MP]

Another winner in this series of Sibelius symphonies, suites and tone poems [RMo]

A premiere recording of an incandescent lost score [MP]

You will seldom find better, more compelling or beautiful performances than the ones recorded here [MMB]