American Tapestry: Calidore String Quartet (Signum Classics)
A well-planned, enjoyable selection of American string quartets [LW]
López-Gavilán: Orchestral Music (Reference Recordings)
Sit back and enjoy a plenipotentiary’s sound-picture [RB]
Beethoven & Brahms: Orchestral Music
Old-fashioned, perhaps, but big, bold and sometimes surprisingly effective accounts [RMay]
Holst: The Planets (LSO Live)
A Planets that just about justifies itself thanks to Pappano’s colourful theatricality [ST]
Schubert: Piano Music (Pentatone)
A marvellous rendition of Schubert’s final sonata [ST]
The Great Forgotten Danish Violinist Henry Holst (Danacord)
Fascinating concerto survivors from Henry Holst’s British days [JW]
Adès: Orchestral Music (Warner Classics)
(Déjà Review) An important disc of remarkable contemporary music [LW]
Berlioz: Les Troyens (SOMM Beecham)
(Déjà Review) No enthusiast for Les Troyens should be without this set [JS]
Beethoven and His Teachers (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Another insightful, informative album of early Beethoven from Naxos [BR]
Bella Napoli (Alba)
(Déjà Review) Lively and energetic performances of music by Neapolitan composers [JV]
Wood: String Quartets No.2, 4 (SOMM Recordings)
Continued reclamation of Charles Wood’s string quartets in generous performances [JW]
Darkness (Challenge Classics)
An interesting if sombre compilation of German songs; the singing may not rival the very best [DJa]
Wagner: Das Rheingold (Pristine Audio)
A fine performance in excellent sound for the provenance, well enhanced, but with attendant flaws and failings [RMo]
Mozart: Serenades (Nimbus Records)
Fresh as a daisy: beguiling playing and a big sound [RB]
MacMillan: The Birds of Rhiannon (Chandos)
A good primer to start exploring Sir James MacMillan’s music [ST]
Bax, Delius & Bridge: English Spring (Hallé)
Déjà Review: A winner on all counts [RB]
Schubert: String Quintet (Nimbus)
(Déjà Review) An excellent performance, intense and thrilling, elegant and thought-provoking [OL]
Alexandra Dariescu (piano): A Child’s Dream (Signum Classics)
Dariescu is in fine form in this excellently curated collection of pieces that have real meaning for her [RCh]
Finzi, Swain & ApIvor: Clarinet Concertos (SOMM Recordings)
Imaginative programming presents two Clarinet novelties and an established classic [JW]
Garro and Guerrero: From Fire & Earthquake (Delphian)
Garro’s cause has been very well served here [JQ]
Kerem: Orchestral Music, Vol 2 (Toccata Classics)
Northern climes … taiga and tundra … laconic … not dazzle and drama [RB]
Messiaen: Chamber Works (Chandos)
The greatest chamber work of World War Two in a persuasive performance [RWe]
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano) Perfect Prima Donna (Warner Classics)
A very special collection of lieder, opera and operetta from one of the great post-war sopranos [DBe]
Echoes of Paris: Violin sonatas (Avie)
A highly recommendable programme [WH]
