Leifs: Baldr (BIS)
(Déjà Review) Tough, tonal, uncompromising music, rhythmically emphatic, not without melodic softness, hewn out of granite and adversity [RB]
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos 1-9 (Brilliant Classics)
(Déjà Review) A masterly and visionary cycle offered at a ridiculously low price [NH]
Bruckner: Symphonies Nos 1-3 & 7-9 (NCPA Classics)
Bruckner from Beijing – I am transported by the beauty, conviction and coherence of the playing here [RMo]
Paganini: Violin Concerto No 2 & 24 Caprices (Rhine Classics)
A Romanian Paganini specialist whose career trailed away [JW]
Beethoven: Violin Concerto (Forgotten Records)
A performance of exquisite refinement [SG]
Weinberg: String Quartets Nos 6, 13 & 15, Vol. 4 (Chandos)
Stand-out performances [SA]
Alexander Brailowsky (piano) Live Concert Performances in Europe (Meloclassic)
Playing that leaves you gasping, mostly in astonishment but occasionally in frustration [RCh]
Christine Brewer (soprano) Great Operatic Arias (Chandos)
(Déjà Review) Chandos’s faith in Brewer has been justified, completely and utterly [CC]
Mantovani By Special Request Vol. 2 (Guild)
A fascinating disc as it gives us an opportunity to appreciate the wider aspects of Mantovani’s art [RH]
Center: Instrumental and Chamber Music, Volume Three (Toccata Classics)
Intriguing course through a whirlpool of inventiveness [JPu]
Donizetti: Alfredo il Grande (Dynamic)
No masterpiece, but a well-performed and welcome addition to filmed Donizetti [RMay]
Prokofiev: Symphony No.6 (The Cleveland Orchestra)
A memorably sharp and sympathetic Prokofiev Sixth [NC]
Scriabin: Piano Sonatas No 2-4 & other piano works (Bridge Records)
The cream of Scriabin’s early sonatas and a handful of miniatures in strong performances [RCh]
Finger Prints (EM Records)
Entertaining music played with affection and skill [NB]
Prokofiev: Piano Concerti (Danacord)
(Déjà Review) This fine addition to the discography could well be your first choice [JF]
Schwantner: Orchestral works (Hyperion)
(Déjà Review) Superb, immaculate and committed playing by all concerned, making the best of this strongly communicative music [HC]
Mozart: Don Giovanni (Orfeo)
A re-issue of one of Karajan’s best live Mozart outings with a superb cast, in decent sound [RMo]
Monteverdi: Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (Sony Classical)
An audio treasure trove of fine performances, in an orchestration contrary to modern period performance dictates [MP]
Mignone: Concertos and Concertinos (Naxos)
Attractive and interesting works here receive idiomatic and exciting performances [NB]
Johnson: Preludes & Fugues (Divine Art)
Anything but desiccated; technically highly skilled and in places very moving [JPu]
French Opera Overtures (Chandos)
A mixed bag of goodies, distinctive and well worth a listen [RMay]
Mozart: Concertos (Warner Classics)
(Déjà Review) Definitely one to own – it’s not often that “new” Mozart pieces become available [JR]
Madetoja: Intimate Garden (Alba)
(Déjà Review) Played by a fine advocate well attuned to the music and its endearingly soft melancholia [RB]
Tippett: A Child of Our Time (Chandos)
A fitting memorial to a magnificent musician [ST]
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