Rutter: Gloria, Magnificat & Te Deum (Naxos)
I cannot imagine anyone who engages with John Rutter’s music being anything but delighted with this disc [NB]
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi (Regis)
A classic recording, which captures the spirit of the opera superbly [GPu]
Stevenson: Piano Music Vol. 8 (Toccata Classics)
Brilliant premiere recordings of masterly originals and transcriptions [JF]
Menuhin conducts Prokofiev (Nimbus)
(Déjà Review) An excellent document of Menuhin’s conducting prowess [OL]
The Romantic Piano Concerto: Reger & Strauss (Hyperion)
(Déjà Review) Absolutely outstanding [RBe]
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1 (Philharmonia Records)
Rouvali puts his mark on this symphony in a splendidly daring and arresting manner [RMo]
Carolyn Enger (piano) American Ethos (Métier)
A curious selection of works to celebrate 250 years of American Independence [PRJ]
Haas: The Violin Works (Ars Produktion)
Premiere recordings of Joseph Haas’s violin works, an agile and droll student of Max Reger [JW]
Late Romantic Music for Violin and Piano (Et’cetera)
A delightful recital, beautifully planned and brilliantly played [DHa]
Ye: The Backyard of the Village (Signum Classics)
Four attractive works blending East and West [DJB]
Mozart: Arias for Tenor (Nimbus)
(Déjà Review) No one wanting an all-Mozart recital can possibly go wrong with this issue [GF]
Mahler: Symphony No 2 (Tudor)
(Déjà Review) Not to be missed [DM]
Mahler: Symphonies 1 to 9 (Pentatone)
A very mixed bag; several symphonies are superb, especially in terms of orchestral playing and sound engineering, but several fall short [RMo]
Shostakovich: Suite for Variety Orchestra No 1 (Spivakov Sound)
A short and sweet recent release from the conductor/violinist’s personal label [NC]
The Sound of Adventure (Prospero Classical)
A thoroughly enjoyable selection of less often heard film music [DJB]
Grieg: Violin Sonatas (Pristine Audio)
Classic Menuhin in these delightful sonatas [SB]
Mozart: Symphonies No.39-41 (Berlin Classics)
(Déjà Review) Suitner’s handling of these scores is fleet and vigorous [SV]
Kashperova: Piano Concerto, Symphony (Capriccio)
Premiere recordings of two fine works by a little-known Russian pianist-composer who taught Stravinsky [GH]
Feldman: For Bunita Marcus, Palais de Mari (True Blanking)
Compelling live performances of Feldman piano works by a doyen of the field [DHa]
Baroque + Forth. Baroque masterpieces transcribed for solo piano (Azure Sky)
A thoughtful collection of baroque piano transcriptions that ventures beyond the familiar [RCh]
Albert Coates conducts 20th Century music (Pristine Audio)
Dynamic, dramatic, speedy but unexpectedly noble Albert Coates in action [JW]
Ries: Concert Overtures (cpo)
(Déjà Review) Strong performances of music that is soft-toned in colour yet engaging to the ear [RW]
Fiddlers Three – Music from Charles II’s ‘Private Musick’ (Barn Cottage Records)
An exciting recording given an exemplary production [JV]
Piazzolla: Sinfonía Buenos Aires (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Freshness, spontaneity matched by committed, idiomatic playing [DM]
