Bishop: Shakespeare At Covent Garden (Decca)
(Déjà Review) This excellently recorded disc sheds enlightenment on a long dimly-lit but far from discreditable corner of British music [PSc]
Harpsichord Concertos (Hyperion)
Communicative powers to the fore, Esfahani breathes life into three Czech harpsichord works [JW]
Sibelius: Symphony 4 (Forgotten Records)
An interesting but largely disappointing CD, mainly because of an underpowered performance of the symphony [PBW]
Schubert: Schwanengesang (Decca)
Urgent unfettered performances certain to divide the crowd [DMD]
Franck: Symphony (Alpha Classics)
A new team offers a distinctive account of an old favourite [RMay]
MacMillan: Christmas Oratorio (LPO)
A tremendous performance of an important new work by James MacMillan [JQ]
Hvoslef: Chamber Works XIII (Lawo)
Four highly contrasted works by an elder statesman of contemporary Norwegian music [GH]
Alwyn: Symphonies 1-5 (Chandos)
Lively interpretations that steer well clear of the routine [RB]
Bartok: Duke Bluebeard’s Castle (DG)
No lover of Bartók’s music or of modern 20th century classics should be without this exceptional issue [GFe]
Aumann: Chamber Music (Challenge Classics)
Entertaining music by a little-known composer, played with infectious enthusiasm [JV]
Neeme Järvi (conductor) In Concert (Chandos)
For the conductor’s fans only [SV]
Primrose String Quartet: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (Biddulph)
William Primrose’s elite string quartet recordings back after 30 years [JW]
Der wilde Sound der 20er – 1923 (BR Klassik)
Four works reflect the time between modernity and tradition, revolution and republic, jazz and dance music [JF]
Lortzing: Der Waffenschmied (Capriccio)
By and large, a worthy reading of Der Waffenschmied, and it is good to see a brand-new recording of the work [GF]
R Schumann: Piano Works (Hänssler Classic)
Gerhard Oppitz excels in Schumann works he has lived with his whole career [MC]
Prokofiev: Ivan the Terrible (Warner Classics)
(Déjà Review) A very clever idea to package Prokofiev’s two major film scores together [IL]
Bruch: Violin Concerto 1 (BIS)
(Déjà Review) Quite the finest performance of the Bruch concerto I have ever heard [CF]
Verdi: Aïda (Pristine Audio)
A superlative transfer of an Aida which should be in every serious opera collection [PSt]
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Beulah)
A largely unsung Das Lied gleams like old gold in Beulah’s new issue [DMD]
Widor: Organ Symphonies 9 & 10 (Solstice)
A satisfying, inspiring and moving recital [JF]
Fitelberg: String Quartets (Acte Préalable)
Two striking and almost forgotten string quartets from a short-lived émigré Pole [JW]
Carl Schuricht (conductor) (Forgotten Records)
Absolutely lovely live performances which must be heard through a veil of crumbly mono sound [RMo]
Hofer: Psalms (Christophorus)
This disc suggests that the oeuvre of Hofer deserves to be thoroughly explored [JV]
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5 (Chandos)
(Déjà Review) A most impressive album [IL]
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