sa
Steve Arloff
Shostakovich: Symphony 8 (BIS)
An interesting and highly individual performance worth hearing. [SA]
Łukaszewski: Musica Profana 4 (DUX)
The perfect introduction to a composer who not only writes beautiful music but also tugs on the heartstrings [SA]
Hevel: Polish piano works of the 20th and 21st centuries (Dux)
Wachowski’s excellent selection of works makes for a disc I shall be enjoying for a long time to come [SA]
Smaldone: What no one else sees… (New Focus Recordings)
Music with a strong spirit of innovation and spontaneity [SA]
Chiaroscuro (Blue Griffin Records)
A fascinating programme, capable of weaving a magic all of its own [SA]
Debussy: String Quartets and Sonatas (Hyperion)
Combines the wonderful world of Debussy with the superb playing of the Nash Ensemble [SA]
Can Çakmur (piano): Schubert+ Volume 4 (BIS)
Luminous and insightful, supple and fluid playing, crisp and clear sound [SA]
Arc III: Brahms and Schubert piano works (First Hand Records)
The way Orion Weiss plays reflects his love of the works he has chosen [SA]
French Piano Trios (Hänssler Classic)
The obvious enjoyment in playing together here results in committed performances that delight the ear [SA]
Trio Contrasti: Epochs & Cultures in Dialogue (Oehms Classics)
Interesting repertoire, excellent playing [SA]
Exile (Alpha Classics)
The playing by both soloists and Camerata Bern is faultless [SA]
Kaleidoscope – Contemporary Piano Music by Female Composers (Grand Piano)
This is a disc to savour through repeated hearings [SA]
Ukrainian Preludes: Silvansky, Gozenpud & Yakhnina (Hänssler Classic)
Once heard, these works are difficult to ignore; this is an altogether magnificent disc [SA]
Pipkov: Complete Piano Music Vol 2 (Toccata Classics)
I have eagerly awaited Volume 2 and am thrilled to have it now as it certainly doesn’t disappoint [SA]
Bardanashvili: Complete Piano Music (TYXart)
A perfect introduction to the music of this fascinating composer [SA]
Gruodis: Piano music (Toccata)
There is much to discover from the ‘Father of Lithuanian Music’ [SA]
Ester Mägi: Complete Songs for Female Voice (Toccata Classics)
We are unlikely ever to come across a finer exemplar of this music [SA]
Alexander & Nikolay Tcherepnin: Complete Works for Violin and Piano Volume 1 (Grand Piano)
A valuable addition to the recorded legacy of the Tcherepnins’ contribution to the joy of music [SA]
Smyth, Beach & Spain-Dunk: String Quartets (Lorelt)
I cannot remember a record I’ve enjoyed more this year or one I felt compelled to listen to time after time [SA]
Gál: Works for Violin and Orchestra (cpo)
This joy of a disc will help increase Gál’s popularity [SA]
Jean-Paul Gasparian (piano): Origins (Naïve)
A brilliant introduction to Armenian piano music [SA]
Thomas Pitfield, His Friends and Contemporaries (Divine Art)
An appropriately inspired selection of works that illustrate brilliant compositional skills [SA]
Ewald & Tcherepnin: Brass Quintets (cpo)
A surprising and captivating disc, played with obvious glee [SA]