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Simon Thompson
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht, Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie (C Major)
A ravishing Verklärte Nacht, but a lacklustre Alpensinfonie [ST]
Britten: Billy Budd (Orfeo)
An interesting Billy Budd, but not a library choice [ST]
Gesualdo: Silenzio Mio – Madrigals (PHI)
Musically sumptuous and alarmingly intimate [ST]
Günther Groissböck (bass) I live alone in my heaven (Gramola)
A profile of the singer Günther Groissböck – no revelations, but there’s always the voice [ST]
Tippett: A Child of Our Time (Chandos)
A fitting memorial to a magnificent musician [ST]
Mahler: Symphony No 9 (Alpha Classics)
Full of surprises, this is a disc that will change the way you hear Mahler 9 [ST]
Rheinberger & Mendelssohn: Choral Works (Pentatone)
Heady sensuality combined with religious rigour: what’s not to like? [ST]
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Naxos)
A strong musical performance hampered by the directors’ silly concept and by technical issues with the sound [ST]
Mozart: Piano concertos (Academy of Ancient Music)
A total delight [ST]
Brahms: Piano Concerti (Linn)
A treat: the Brahms piano concertos given lavish and loving musical treatment [ST]
Mozart: Requiem (Acis)
Mostly of interest to Marylanders, but contains a gutsy performance of Mozart’s Requiem in a new performing edition [ST]
Distler: Die Weihnachtsgeschichte (OUR Recordings)
In the great German tradition of sung Biblical narrative, but reinterpreted for the early 20th century [ST]
Mendelssohn: Symphonies 3 & 5 (Linn)
Sui generis: a disc that will change the way you hear Mendelssohn [ST]
Advent Live Vol. 3 (Signum Classics)
Andrew Nethsingha’s farewell to St John’s – a beautiful disc and a culminating celebration [ST]
Strauss: Complete Music for Wind Instruments (Capriccio)
Precious jewels, delightfully played [ST]
Mozart: Ecstasy and Abyss (Sony Classical)
A release that will probably only appeal to superfans of clarinettist Martin Fröst [ST]
Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos (Dynamic)
A modern-dress production that plays it pretty straight, and a very strong singing team [ST]
R Strauss: Tone Poems (Philharmonia Records)
Some marvellous Strauss tone poems that mark the beginning of Rouvali’s stewardship of the Philharmonia [ST]
R Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra (LSO Live)
A patchy Zarathustra and a good Jeux, but you’ll find better performances of both elsewhere [ST]
Elgar: Violin Concerto (Chandos)
(Déjà Review) Outstanding throughout [ST]
Wolf: Italienisches Liederbuch (BIS)
A beautiful realisation of Wolf’s great song collection, particularly remarkable for the contribution of Allan Clayton’s tenor voice [ST]
Brahms: Symphonies (Channel)
A variable Brahms cycle, let down by inconsistent conducting decisions and an unfortunate lack of contextual information in the booklet [ST]
Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito (Alpha)
A very good new Tito which marks a new chapter in the development of Nicky Spence as the title character [ST]
Schubert: Schwanengesang (Pentatone)
The final instalment of Bostridge’s Schubert trilogy is a partnership of equals, voice and piano coming together to create something very special [ST]
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