Erick Friedman (violin) Live in Texas (Rhine Classics)
Live sonata performances from a Heifetz protégé who became his own man [JW]
Bruckner: From the Archives Vol 3 (SOMM Recordings)
A good archive reading of Bruckner’s Third symphony and a more questionable Fourth [JQ]
Sorabji: Toccata Terza (Piano Classics)
Behind its forbidding walls lies a garden of unexpected delights [DMD]
Alison Balsom (piccolo trumpet) Baroque Concertos (Warner Classics)
Doesn’t take the place of the Maurice André transcriptions in my affections, but still has much to offer [DJB]
Bertali: Valoroso (Mirare)
Highly musical players who manage to imbue each piece with a special improvisatory feeling [JR]
Lloyd: Works for Violin and Piano (Lyrita)
Lloyd’s reissue series contains a new recording derived from ‘The Serf’ [JW]
Wagner: Das Rheingold (Deutsche Grammophon)
A stunning new high resolution transfer of this classic recording [MP]
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht, Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie (C Major)
A ravishing Verklärte Nacht, but a lacklustre Alpensinfonie [ST]
Sorabji: Vocal and Chamber Works (BIS)
First recordings of some of the unique output of an enigmatic and complex composer [GH]
Polish Chamber Music (Dux)
Challenging music, brilliantly played, in a celebration of three decades of performing excellence [NB]
Mithras Trio: Eros (Linn)
Stunning musicianship from a young group with a very bright future [PRJ]
Bruckner: Symphony No 7 (Reference Recordings)
One of the finest modern Bruckner 7 recordings available today [KC]
Dvořák: Rusalka (Supraphon)
(Déjà Review) This is a recording which instilled in me a love of the opera which has so far not died; it will surely do the same for many new listeners [CH]
The Kurt Weill Album (Deutsche Grammophon)
An impressive recording debut from Joana Mallwitz [PH]
Ives: Orchestral Works (Naxos)
A great CD showcasing Ives’s grasp of traditional genres and his lifelong propensity for weaving familiar tunes into his work [KT]
Khachaturian: Piano Transcriptions (Grand Piano)
Khachaturian’s colourful scores brought to life at the piano [RCh]
Leo Sirota (piano) Piano Recital Vol. 1 (Sakuraphon)
A full and varied recital programme, characterized by great dynamic range and highly creative phrasing [MK]
van Bree: Orchestral Works (cpo)
Charm and concision from this little known early-Romantic charmer [RB]
Aaron Rosand (violin) In Memoriam (Rhine Classics)
The vibrant, alluring art of arch-Romanticist, Aaron Rosand [JW]
Bizet: Carmen (Pristine Audio)
A marvellous restoration of an old and half-forgotten recording [GF]
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas (Doremi)
(Déjà Review) A once-in-a-lifetime portrait of two very great and even somewhat enigmatic artists at the top of their form [KS]
Ombre di luce – recital (Pentatone)
An attractive programme, very well sung, with several rarities [GF]
George Benjamin: Picture a day like this (Nimbus)
A beautiful, subtle, yet fully effective portrait of grief [MBu]
Vecchi: Le veglie di Siena (Glossa)
Impressive testimony to Vecchi’s brilliance as a composer of madrigals [JV]