MusicWeb International

by Alan George

(Déjà Review) A superb rendition of the opera [RMg]

(Déjà Review) One of the most handsome Coates collections [RB]

A generation after his first brilliant recordings, Bernstein again champions the symphonies of a favourite composer [RMo]

A wide range of creative achievement by contemporary Maltese composers [GH]

A beautifully performed and recorded set of six modestly-conceived and barely known harpsichord suites [JW]

A special Creation from Rattle with his beloved Bavarians [PH]

An indispensable addition to any collection of Renaissance music [JV]

(Déjà Review) Classic accounts of Beethoven that demand to be heard [CC]

(Déjà Review) Two premiere recordings at bargain cost and generally excellent performances [JW]

Another group of exemplary performances show this composer in the best possible light [NB]

A most auspicious way to mark the 500th anniversary of Palestrina [JQ]

Excellent advocacy for Schumann’s less well-known works [WK]

Fascinating corners in the vast harpsichord repertoire from the court of the Sun King [GH]

Confrontational, challenging, novel, pessimistic – not for the faint of heart [RHa]

(Déjà Review) It is reassuring that in so ephemeral and vulgar a society as ours, music such as this still holds evident value [TB]

(Déjà Review) A series of recordings that has gone from unusual and interesting to groundbreaking and formidable [KS]

A contemporary Italian composer with a real gift of creating narrative music that engages the listener [KT]

Deft and charming songs from a composer best-known for his choral and organ music [JW]

Another utterly satisfying and convincing traversal of Schumann’s enigmatic late sonatas [RHa]

Another winning programme of wonderful cello music from Lyrita [PH]

An admirable revival of one of Massenet’s most varied, inventive, yet neglected scores [RMo]

A version of the Franck Symphony that matches the great versions of the past [CH]

A living text; a source of drama and commitment [JW]