Royer: Harpsichord Works (Ambroise)
(Déjà Review) Works, varying from tender to tumultuous, are given brilliant performances on a splendid historical harpsichord [JV]
Plácido Domingo – The First Recital (Warner Classics)
Déjà Review) Open-toned, virile and expressive singing [RJF]
Bach: Water Through Ice (Diversions)
Crudely played and recorded, this simply cannot be recommended [RMo]
Liszt: Harmonies du soir (Decca)
(Déjà Review) An absolutely superlative recital [RBe]
Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine (Erato)
(Déjà Review) Sheer vitality and excitement [GH]
Borrett: Interlude, Rebellion, Then (Signum Classics)
Lyrical works that follow in the long tradition of British string music [DJB]
Chimera (Urlicht)
An enriching and engaging album of improvised music led by the quixotic and brilliant Iva Bittová [JW]
Wagner: Die Walküre (Pristine Audio)
This reissue may still have sound issues, but Amy Shuard’s performance alone makes it a worthy addition to anyone’s collection [SGa]
Reich: Music for 18 Musicians, Double Sextet, Radio Rewrite (Harmonia Mundi)
Second time around, but still just as good [DC]
Liszt: A Faust Symphony (Sony Classical)
(Déjà Review) White heat roller-coaster thrills [IL]
Minkus: La Bayadère (Opus Arte)
(Déjà Review) One of the best productions of a classical ballet that the ROH has ever staged or filmed [MMB]
John Williams: Spotlight (Prospero Classical)
An enjoyable selection of lesser-known Williams, showcasing his versatility [DJB]
Čiurlionis: Complete Works for Orchestra (Northern Flowers)
Čiurlionis’s nature scores heard in eloquent performances by a foremost interpreter of his music [JW]
JS Bach: The Cello Suites · Guitar Transcriptions (IBS Classical)
A thoroughly convincing, beautifully played, and sensitively transcribed version of these masterworks [RMo]
Brahms & Contemporaries: Piano Quartets, Vol 3 (Chandos)
The next volume in the Kaleidoscope’s Brahms series proves again that he is mightier than his contemporaries [ST]
The Viola Sonatas from the Royal Chapel of Madrid (Eudora Records)
An important recording of viola sonatas from the classical period in Spain [JV]
Haydn & Schubert: Symphonies (Forgotten Records)
(Déjà Review) The Jochum brothers’ reputations don’t need to be reversed, but it’s quite an enjoyable peep into the past [CH]
Karłowicz: Rebirth Symphony & The White Dove (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Wonderfully satisfying performances of striking music [WH]
Haas: Violin Concerto 2 & de terrae fine (Urlicht AudioVisual)
Big-boned, capricious and unremittingly serious [RB]
Maija Einfelde: Organ music (SKANi)
Contemporary organ works evoking the Northern Sea by a composer highly adept in nuance and shading [ACG]
Bruckner: Symphony 4 (Warner Classics)
A loving, dedicated performance which combines drama, mystery and, ultimately, triumph [RMo]
Victor Schiøler (piano) The Great Danish Pianist Vol 8
An apt final volume saluting the admirable pianist Victor Schiøler [JW]
Paris 1200 – École de Notre-Dame (Musica Ficta)
These performances may cause the same excitement as those in Paris 800 years ago [JV]
Enescu: Piano Quartets Nos. 1 & 2 (Chandos)
(Déjà Review) Involved music delivered with elegance and panache [GD]
