rmo

A pleasing, generally very well sung performance of what remains essentially second-rank Donizetti but one with some rewarding passages [RMo]

Superb sound and sincere, committed playing without quite the heft and sonority of the greatest Mahler orchestras [RMo]

A trio of classic “lollipops” is given the typically energised Mitropoulos treatment [RMo]

World premiere recordings of cheerful, tuneful, uplifting Belle Époque music by a mother and son [RMo]

A swings-and-roundabouts recording of the Dresden version of Tannhäuser – stick with Konwitschny and Solti [RMo]

A remarkably listenable and comprehensive survey, showcasing the extraordinary depth of vocal talent available in Moscow in the first decade of the 20C [RMo]

Clear, cool, lucid performances, short on passion but interpretatively consistent and coherent [RMo]

Varied, energetic, colourful music by a composer who never found a distinctive, individual voice before his premature death [RMo]

Superlative, daringly innovative accounts of two Romantic chamber music masterpieces [RMo]

A lovely pairing of Brahms’ last two symphonies, elegantly and fluidly played, in ideal sound [RMo]

A hugely enjoyable and wholly satisfying account of some wonderfully uplifting music [RMo]

A thoroughly enjoyable, beautifully sung outing for this rarely heard version of Donizetti’s masterpiece [RMo]

Hardly a Pagliacci to stir the blood; there is much better to be had in terms of both singing and sound [RMo]

A thoroughly disappointing recording, poorly sung, indifferently conducted and afflicted by problems in the recorded balance [RMo]

Much here is vivid and compelling, especially with Pristine’s enhanced sound, but for me de Sabata prevails [RMo]

As satisfying an account of the youthful Puccini’s first success as one could wish to encounter [RMo]

A delicate, subtle, very Gallic account, beautifully engineered [RMo]

by Ralph Moore

A fine Dutchman whose focus is firmly centred upon Lise Davidsen’s radiant Senta [RMo]

Pristine elevates the sonic experience of hearing two great artists in their Met debuts [RMo]

by Ralph Moore

A pacier, more refined Mahler Fifth, beautifully balanced but rather too restrained in parts [RMo]

On the evidence of flabby playing and murky sound, the conductor should stick to Bruckner [RMo]

Spectacularly virtuosic playing of some of Bach’s most joyously inventive music [RMo]