VW carols ALBCD064

Carols from Herefordshire (Albion Records)

Beautifully performed and lovingly presented but not essential listening [NB]

grumiaux live meloclassic

Arthur Grumiaux (violin) Live Concert Performances (Meloclassic)

The epitome of violin playing, with interpretations thoughtful and profound [SG]

carpenter ballets bmop

Carpenter: Complete Ballets (BMOP Sound)

Extolling the American spirit: Carpenter’s 1920s ballets brought to life [JW]

italian lute da vinci

16th Century Italian Lute Music (Da Vinci Classics)

A fine survey of Italian Renaissance lute music [JV]

bach goldberg artway

Bach: Goldberg Variations (Artway)

A real mixed bag, maddeningly inconsistent with some quirky and mannered decisions [RMo]

mengelberg congebouw pristine

Willem Mengelberg (conductor) The Concertgebouw Telefunken Recordings Vol. 4 (Pristine Audio)

Further excellent performances and transfers in this ongoing series [PSt]

Taneyev symphonies chandos presto

Taneyev: Symphonies (Chandos/Presto)

Two most interesting Russian symphonies in accomplished and committed performances [JQ]

gesualdo madrigals cpo

Gesualdo: Madrigals (cpo)

(Déjà Review) Harry van der Kamp who directs and sings has done a wonderful job with these works [GH]

Bellini: Norma (Pristine Audio)

A pleasure to be reacquainted with Callas’s Norma in this remastering of her second studio recording [PT]

Warlock: A Peter Warlock Merry-Go-Down (Convivium Records)

A Warlock obscurity rescued from LP oblivion in handsome style [JW]

Destinées (Alpha Classics)

An exploration of music by ten women composers from the age of Louis XIV and Louis XV [PH]

Naftel: Orchestral, chamber and instrumental works (Divine Art)

A variety of compositional styles, interesting and evocative music, and a great selection of pieces [KT]

Hartmann, Gade, Mendelssohn: Clarinet trios (MDG)

Slow tempos blunt much of the impact, but the Hartmann stands out [DJB]

Vaughan Williams: Royal Throne of Kings (Albion Records)

Another well planned, well executed survey of little-known Vaughan Williams [NB]

Dvořák: Symphonies No.6-9; Smetana: Má vlast; Janáček: Sinfonietta (LSO Live)

A fitting celebration of the Year of Czech Music and the silver jubilee of LSO Live [JQ]

Mozart: Haffner Serenade, Bella mia fiamma (Profil)

(Déjà Review) Wand’s devotion plays itself out in these elegant performances [KS]

Verdi: Rigoletto (Warner Classics)

An under-rated, somewhat overlooked recording featuring an array of superb voices, very well conducted [RMo]

rodgers carousel chandos

Rodgers: Carousel (Chandos)

Wilson and his colleagues do full justice to this Broadway masterpiece [JQ]

Michael Rabin (violin): On the Bell Telephone Hour (Parnassus)

The conclusion of a focused, chronological look at Rabin’s ‘Bell Telephone Hour’ broadcasts [JW]

Cookson Puccini Messa di Gloria Repusic BR Klassik ed RM

Puccini: Messa di Gloria, Preludio sinfonica (BR Klassik)

Ivan Repušić’s impressive conducting helps create a distinct sense of occasion [MC]

Padding: Greatest Hits (So Far!) (Attacca)

Lively new music from a lost concert hall [DC]

Claire Huangci (piano): Made in USA (Alpha Classics)

Claire Huangci impresses in her American showcase [PH]

busoni nicoara hanssler

Victor Nicoara (piano): Polyphonic Dreams (Hänssler Classic)

The version here of Busoni’s magnus opus for piano should now become the standard one [SB]

Le Flem: Works for Solo Piano (Accord)

(Déjà Review) Melancholy, heroic, sombrely optimistic – I cannot overstate the high quality of this music [RB]