Reviews
Review: Bassoon Concertos (Martin Kuuskmann)
Martin Kuuskmann brings technical brilliance and sonorous, expressive warmth to three modern Estonian bassoon concertos
Review: Ravel, Stravinsky (Pavel Kolesnikov, Samson Tsoy)
David Nice is astonished by a wonderful piano duo’s interpretation of Stravinsky and Ravel ballets
Review: Shostakovich – Piano Trios; Piano Quintet
Erik Levi voyages through Shostakovich’s kaleidoscopic chamber works in the company of violinist Julia Fischer and friends
Review: Rameau – Platée
Berta Joncus enjoys a 2024 Versailles take on Rameau’s rarely recorded Platée
Review: Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No.3 (Yunchan Lim)
The young pianist’s stupendous 2022 Van Cliburn final performance is a must-hear, says Paul Riley
What's new?
Review: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 etc (RLPO/Hindoyan)
Sarah Urwin Jones enjoys the RLPO’s fine-tuned approach to the ‘Pathétique’
Review: Dance of the Night Sky (Black Oak Ensemble)
Kate Wakeling is left invigorated by Black Oak Ensemble’s delightful selection
Review: A Prayer for Deliverance (Tenebrae / Nigel Short)
Ashutosh Khandekar enjoys the choir’s characteristic warmth and versatility under director Nigel Short
Review: Purcell – Complete Suites and Other Music for Keyboard
In her review, Kate Bolton-Porciatti believes pianist Cristian Sandrin has set the bar with his thrilling modern take on Purcell keyboard gems
Review: Moonlight Variations (Pablo Ferrández)
Cellist Pablo Ferrández serves up an appetising menu of works, perfectly played and curated, says Jo Talbot in her review
Chamber
Review: Brahms – Piano Quartets Nos 2 & 3
Krystian Zimerman and friends deliver a superb performance of radiant and whimsical Brahms Piano Quartets, says Jan Smaczny in his review
Review: Dvořák & Price – Piano Quintets (Takács Quartet)
Takács Quartet and Marc-André Hamelin are on sublime form in contrasting piano quintets by Dvořák and Florence Price, says Jan Smaczny in his review
Review: Shostakovich – String Quartets Nos 2, 7 & 10 (Jerusalems)
In his review, Erik Levi goes on a real rollercoaster of musical emotions thanks to the Jerusalem Quartet’s winning survey of three of Shostakovich’s mighty quartets
Choral & Song
Review: For Dieter... (Benjamin Appl)
Benjamin Appl’s heartfelt and imaginative album homage to Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is cherishable, says Natasha Loges in her review
Review: Lament & Liberation (St John's, Cambridge)
In his review, Ashutosh Khandekar is impressed by new music director Christopher Gray’s ambitious, intense and no holds barred album debut with St John’s
Review: Ravel – Complete Songs
In his review, Paul Riley thinks this foray into Ravel’s vocal works by pianist Malcolm Martineau and friends is a box of delights
Concerto
Review: Bruch • Erkki-Sven Tüür – Violin Concertos (Hans Christian Aavik)
Violinist Hans Christian Aavik makes light work of Bruch and Erkki-Sven Tüür in these captivating performances, says Michael Jameson in his review
Review: Järnefelt, Sibelius, Szymanowski – Violin Concertos etc
In his review, Malcolm Hayes thinks this flawless performance by violinist Lea Birringer is a remarkable and memorable display of panache and precision
Review: Saint-Saëns – Violin Concertos Nos 1 & 2 etc (Leia Zhu)
In his review, Christopher Dingle is very impressed by the young violinist Leia Zhu’s dazzling Saint-Saëns survey
Instrumental
Review: György Kurtág – Játékok (Pierre-Laurent Aimard)
In his review, Michael Church enjoys Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s wholehearted performance of György Kurtág’s epic piano cycle Játékok
Review: Complete Works for Solo Piano (Bavouzet)
In her review, Rebecca Franks enjoys Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s characterful new take on the complete solo piano works of Ravel
Review: Solo Viola Works (Timothy Ridout)
In his review, Nicholas Kenyon enjoys the marvellous musicality in Timothy Ridout’s beautifully delivered showcase of solo works for the viola
Opera
Review: Salieri – Cublai, gran kan de’ Tartari
In his review, George Hall enjoys this stylish, studio take on Salieri’s colourful banned opera, ‘Cublai, gran kan de’ Tartari’
Review: Bartók – Duke Bluebeard's Castle
In his review, Christopher Cook is chilled to the bone by a concert take on the Bartók’s nightmarishly blood-curdling masterpiece, Bluebeard
Review: R Strauss – Arabella (DVD/Berlin, 2023)
In his review, David Nice is enthralled by this memorable and moving Berlin staging of Strauss’s colourful opera, Arabella
Orchestral
Review: Sibelius – Symphony No. 5; Swanwhite Suite etc
In his review, Malcolm Hayes is impressed by the surefootedness and attention to detail in this remarkable selection of Sibelius’s symphonic works
Review: Thomas Adès – Suites
In her review, Steph Power is left exhilarated by the LPO’s visceral survey of imaginative operatic suites by the British composer Thomas Adès
Review: Mahler – Symphony No. 5 (Tonhalle/Järvi)
In his review, David Nice thinks there’s no better Mahler 5 than this full-throttle recording by Paavo Järvi and his Zurich orchestra who set a fine new benchmark