Schubert: Eine Winterreise (Naxos)
Musically excellent and dramatically intriguing re-imagining of Schubert’s story [RWe]
Schoenberg: Gurrelieder (Warner Classics)
(Déjà Review) Recorded just a week after 9/11, this stunning performance heralds a new era for Rattle in Berlin [CT]
Puts: The City (Naxos)
Three substantial and very fine orchestral works; the Marimba Concerto is a joy [DJB]
Beethoven: Piano Trios (Sony Classical)
A terrific Ghost Trio, less impressive E flat major Trio [PBW]
Lalo & Casals: Cello Concertos (Sony Classical)
My high expectations were exceeded by Jan Vogler’s compelling performances [MC]
Holst: Choral Works (SOMM Recordings)
A mixed bag, but indispensable to the Holst completist [SB]
Gluck: Alceste (Pristine Audio)
A fine transfer of Flagstad’s farewell to the Metropolitan in a performance of great dignity [RMo]
Baroque Arabesque
A very enjoyable disc, full of delightful textures, infectious rhythms and inventive juxtapositions [GPu]
Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony (Chandos)
(Déjà Review) If you have any interest in the music of Vaughan Williams this is an almost mandatory purchase [SF][PC]
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (Fuga Libera)
A performance suffused with the Russian spirit, technically and sonically proficient, aesthetically satisfying [RMo]
Miaskovsky: Cello Concerto, Cello Sonatas (cpo)
A welcome release centred on the cello works of Nikolai Miaskowsky and his teachers [GT]
Haydn: String Quartets op. 33 No. 1-3 (BIS)
A very valid interpretation emphasizing Haydn’s wit and invention [LP]
Magnificat 3 (Signum Classics)
Outstanding performances of a varied and satisfying programme in superb sound [WH]
Gomes: Opera Overtures and Preludes (Naxos)
Enjoyably tuneful music, a delight in these attractive accounts [RMay]
Petersen: Symphony No. 3 (Profil)
A valuable and welcome addition to the Petersen discography [SG]
Korngold: Sinfonietta, Violin Concerto (Dorian)
(Déjà Review) A classic of recorded sound [RB]
Vivaldi: Nulla pax in mundo (Gramola)
The performances are neat and stylish, but the expressive and theatrical features of Vivaldi’s music are underexposed [JV]
Verdi: Falstaff (C Major)
A classic staging and superlative cast return to the catalogue, newly minted on Blu-ray [MP]
Slavic Rhapsody (Brilliant Classics)
This programme of Czech music for strings gives much pleasure [LW]
Porpora: Carlo il Calvo (Parnassus Arts)
A neglected baroque opera providing a surfeit of beauty, best enjoyed over a couple of days [NF]
Liszt: Death and Transfiguration (Prima Facie)
thoroughly enjoyed this set – clearly a lot of thought went into programming these pieces [JWe]