Stravinsky Violin Concerto Ehnes Chandos SACD CHSA5340

Stravinsky: Violin Concerto, Apollon Musagète (Chandos)

Superb recordings of all the works here [SB]

Wennakoski Zeng Avanti Alba ABCD529

Wennäkoski: Zeng (Alba)

A fine survey of Wennäkoski’s chamber music in good performances and recording [HC]

Bruckner Symph 2 1872ver Poschner Capriccio C8093

Bruckner: Symphony 2 (Capriccio)

A crisp, rhythmically alert account, making a wholly persuasive case for the original version of Bruckner’s Second Symphony [RMo]

Take3 Kopatchinskaja Alpha 772

Take 3 (Alpha Classics)

Uproarious music-making, not to be taken too seriously [LW]

Vaughan Williams Birthday Garland Somm CD0683

Vaughan Williams: A Birthday Garland (SOMM Recordings)

Lovers of English song should not hesitate: acquire this disc and gatecrash Uncle Ralph’s musical party [JQ]

Bertin Fausto Rousset Bru Zane BZ1054

Bertin: Fausto (Bru Zane)

A long-lost operatic curiosity. Well-performed but recorded harshly, with no sense of stage atmosphere [MP]

Brahms Sextets Menuhin Gendron Aronowitz EMI CDE5749572

Brahms: Sextets No 1 & No 2 (EMI Classics)

(Déjà Review) The quite wonderful playing of No 1, in particular, makes this an essential disc [CH]

Myaskovsky Cpt Symphonic Works v1 Olympia OCD731

Myaskovsky: Complete Symphonic Works (Olympia/Alto)

(Déjà Review) A major stride forward in the Myaskovsky revival. Strong and broadly expressed interpretations mostly in modern digital recordings [RB]

Durufle Requiem Poulenc Hyperion CDA68436

Duruflé: Requiem & Poulenc: Lenten Motets (Hyperion)

There is wonderful French choral music here and it’s expertly performed [JQ]

Busoni Doktor Faust Meister Dynamic 37998 DVD

Busoni: Doktor Faust (Dynamic)

Good singing and lighting do not outweigh poor orchestral playing and perverse staging [SB]

Mischa Elman (violin): The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (Biddulph)

An Elman discographic lacuna is put right; fine transfers too [JW]

janacek katya kabanova lso live

Janáček: Káťa Kabanová (LSO Live)

We seem to observe the tragic events as they might really have happened – no hyperbole, just committed singing [MS]

Rachmaninov vigil CHSA5349

Rachmaninov: All-Night Vigil (Chandos)

Another way to listen to this imperishable masterpiece, beautifully arranged for and performed by lower, male voices [RMo]

Rameau platee BAC524

Rameau: Platée (Bel Air Classiques)

Laurent Pelly’s production has matured with age and Brownlee gives the performance of his career in the title role [MP]

mahler symphony warner

Mahler: Symphony 8 (Warner Classics)

(Déjà Review) – A second view: Superbly performed by all concerned and expertly recorded [JQ]

monteverdi vespers naive

Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine (Naïve)

(Déjà Review) So many details teased out by Alessandrini make this new version very compelling indeed [TH]

donizetti lucia lammermoor pristine audio

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Pristine Audio)

Pristine refreshes Callas’s 1959 stereo recording and prompts a re-evaluation of its considerable merits [PT]

in two minds metier

Duo Menurida: In Two Minds (Métier)

Sensuous, inventive and often fantastic improvisations [JF]

stanford irish songs somm

Stanford: Irish Song Cycles (SOMM Recordings)

Winsome, windy and windswept with the occasional folkloric moment, but Stanford on auto-pilot [JW]

puccini trittico decca

Puccini: Il trittico (Decca)

Not a first choice recording but worth spending some time with for a few excellent individual contributions [MP]

jones concertos bmop

S Jones: Three Concertos (BMOP/sound)

A warm welcome to a trio of Samuel Jones’ finely wrought concertos [RHa]

strauss four last songs alpha

Strauss: Four Last Songs (Alpha Classics)

A thoughtful project and, as such, a significant addition to the discography of the Vier letzte Lieder [JQ]

magnard faure quartets aeon

Magnard & Fauré: String Quartets (Aeon)

(Déjà Review) Substantial works in immaculate performances [HC]

mahler symphony warner

Mahler: Symphony 8 (Warner Classics)

(Déjà Review) Lean and direct, intent on clarity and sense of direction, but an apparent lack of some grandeur and sense of occasion [TD]