Kaipainen: South by Northeast (Alba)
A superbly played and well-recorded selection from Kaipanen’s output [HC]
Bliss: A 50th Anniversary Tribute (SOMM Ariadne)
An indispensable collection for admirers of the music of Sir Arthur Bliss [JQ]
Das Partiturbuch: Instrumental Music of 17th Century Germany (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Played with flair, imagination and no little virtuosity [JW]
Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano): Enchantment (Deutsche Grammophon)
(Déjà Review) An excellent collection of works that show off the talents of this amazing young singer [KM]
Glöden: Polish & Swedish orchestral works (Swedish Society)
An outstanding disc of joyous and inspiring string music for these troubled times [PRJ]
Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem (LPO)
Another winning anniversary issue of a trio of Britten works from an in-form partnership [PH]
Osgood: English Folksongs (Convivium Records)
English folksong arrangements, beautifully recorded and performed [EJW]
Poulenc: Piano works (Meridian)
A serious view of Poulenc from an unexpected source [RMas]
Roberto Alagna (tenor) French Opera Arias (Deutsche Grammophon)
Alagna brings to each aria his familiar intelligence and musicality [RH]
Wagner: Siegfried (Opus Arte)
This Siegfried definitely had me hooked from beginning to end [GF]
Alma: Ibero-American Songs (SOMM Recordings)
A song-recital recording to convert those who think they are not keen on song-recital recordings [DC]
Delair: The Violin Sonatas (Warbling Quire)
Rich, multi-layered performances of obscure music from the French Baroque [RMas]
Monteverdi: Messa per Maria Salute (CPO)
A convincing reconstruction, but no texts [SB]
Bartók: Piano Concertos (Supraphon)
A new, enjoyable recording of Barók’s three piano concertos [MBu]
Sibelius: Luonnotar and Orchestral Songs (Ondine)
(Déjà Review) This is a glorious disc that will delight lovers of Scandinavian song as well as Sibelians everywhere [RB]
Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins (Sony Classical)
(Déjà Review) An authenticity that makes you tingle [PCW]
Organ Music in New England (Acis Productions)
One of the most imaginative organ discs to come my way in some time [WK]
Skrzydlewski: Piano works (Acte Préalable)
Acte Préalable have unearthed another forgotten name for this recital of idiomatically romantic music [RCh]
Verdi: Simon Boccanegra (CRQ Editions)
Tito Gobbi in one of his great roles at Covent Garden, by way of the BBC [PH]
Britten: Suite from The Prince of the Pagodas (Chandos)
A welcome reissue of an excellent recording placing Britten’s ballet in context [DHa]
Ben Heppner sings Scenes from Wagner’s Ring (Deutsche Grammophon)
(Déjà Review) This is a coup for Mr. Heppner, a disc deserving of any number of awards [KS]
Korngold: Captain Blood & other filmscores (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) An object lesson in swashbuckling film music [SA]
Pictures from Finland (Chandos)
An enjoyable, well performed disc with not much originality or interest [BSt]
Donizetti: Alfredo il Grande (Naxos)
Alfred battles with the Danes and the lack of star-quality singers in this slightly disappointing release [MP]
