Tchaikovsky P
Gerald Finley (bass-baritone) Recital (Wigmore Hall Live)
An exceptionally fine recital [JQ]
Yevgeny Svetlanov (conductor) Debussy & Rachmaninov (ICA Classics)
A formidable Soviet conductor with legendary technique directs three London orchestras in music from Russia and France [PH]
Aline van Barentzen (piano) Radio Archives Edition (Meloclassic)
Pianophiles will warmly embrace this latest addition to the Meloclassic roster [SG]
Sergio Fiorentino (piano) The Complete SAGA Album Collection (Rhine Classics)
Fiorentino’s complete Saga recordings of 1958-60 heard in excellent remasterings [JW]
Shura Cherkassky (piano) The Ambassador Auditorium Recitals 1981-9 (First Hand Records)
Autumnal never-before-released Cherkassky recitals show few signs of fatigue [JW]
György Cziffra (piano) Live in Concert (Solstice)
These live recordings make a very welcome addition to the Cziffra discography [SG]
Yevgeny Svetlanov (conductor) Debussy & Rachmaninoff (ICA Classics)
Outstanding live performances by the great Russian conductor with three different London orchestras [GPJ]
Aline van Barentzen (piano) Radio Archives Edition (Meloclassic)
An absolute feast of piano recordings that greatly expands our knowledge of a pianist who has been very undeservedly forgotten [RCh]
Journey to the Orient – Music for Flute and Guitar (Dynamic)
An enchanting musical journey towards the Orient involving familiar and brand new music [KT]
Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame (RCA)
A fine testament to five great singers at the top of their game in this beautifully engineered live recording [MP]
Edith Peinemann (violin) Radio Archives Edition (Meloclassic)
A set to treasure [SG]
The Berliner Philharmoniker and Seiji Ozawa (Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings)
A great orchestra pays its tribute to a much loved conductor [PH]
David Oistrakh (violin): The Warner Remastered Edition (Warner Classics)
A massive celebratory David Oistrakh box features strikingly good remasterings of his HMV legacy and a vast array of live and broadcast material [JW]
Mischa Elman (violin): Complete HMV Recordings (Biddulph)
Elman in glowing pre-war Concerto recordings in London [JW]
György Cziffra (piano) Live in Concert (Solstice)
Nothing new to his discography but Cziffra is heard in previously unreleased, energising performances [JW]
Shura Cherkassky (piano) The Ambassador Auditorium Recitals 1981-9 (First Hand Records)
A desirable collection that captures the Cherkassky magic [SG]
Mussorgsky: Symphonic Transcriptions (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Whatever superlatives you hear about this disc I urge you to believe them [MC]
Frederick Stock (conductor) Chicago Symphony Vol. 4 (Pristine Audio)
An absorbing study of an unjustly neglected body of recordings continues [JW]
Mischa Elman (violin)The complete Victor recordings (1926-32) (Biddulph)
Elman’s glittering morceau (and some others) in splendid transfers [JW]
Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations; Dvořák: Cello Concerto (Orchid Classics)
Crawford plays splendidly but spotlighting him disadvantages the orchestra [MG]
Roberto Alagna (tenor): Roberto Alagna 60 (Aparté)
A vital and compelling celebration of Roberto Alagna’s 60th birthday [GF]
Alexander Brailowsky (piano) Live Concert Performances in Europe (Meloclassic)
Playing that leaves you gasping, mostly in astonishment but occasionally in frustration [RCh]
Budapest Quartet: Early Recordings Vol 2 (Pristine Audio)
Finally, volume 2 appears and it’s well worth the wait [JW]