Two themes emerged in last month's classical reviews: opera and anniversaries. Two new operas appeared on record: Donnacha Dennehy's chamber opera The Last Hotel, and Lisa Bielawa's opera in 12 episodes Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch's Accuser. There were also selections from Offenbach operas by Jodie Devos and from Cavalli operas by Philippe Jaroussky, and a reconstruction of Liszt's unfinished opera Sarandapolo. Straddling the themes is a compilation of tracks from Les Arts Florissants' best Baroque opera recordings in celebration its 40th anniversary. In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the death of Berlioz, we covered La Damnation de Faust conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and L'Enfance du Christ conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, two concert works that are operatic in scope.






Giovanni Antonini, Kammerorchester Basel - Haydn 2032, No. 7: Gli Impresari
Les Arts Florissants - Les Arts Florissants 40 ans
Claire Booth, Susan Bickley, Andrew Matthews-Owen - Debussy, Fauré, Satie & Dove: Songs and Vexations
Claudia Boyle, Robin Adams, Alan Pierson - Donnacha Dennehy: The Last Hotel
Martyn Brabbins - Elgar: Caractacus
Gregor Bühl, Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz - Braunfels: Fantastical Apparitions of a Theme by Hector Berlioz, Op. 25; Sinfonia Brevis, Op. 69
Khatia Buniatishvili - Schubert
Sandy Cameron, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, John Mauceri - Danny Elfman: Violin Concerto "Eleven Eleven"; Piano Quartet
Imogen Cooper - Imogen Cooper plays Beethveon
Andrew Davis - Berlioz: L'Enfance du Christ
Jodie Devos - Offenbach Colorature
Peter Donohoe - Messiaen: Cantéyodjayâ; Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Ravel: Miroirs
Doric String Quartet - Purcell: String Fantasia in Four parts; Britten: String Quartets Nos. 1-3; Three Divertimenti
Isabelle Faust, Akademie für Alte Musik, Berlin - Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concertos; Sinfonias; Overture; Sonatas
Iván Fischer, Budapest Festival Orchestra - Mahler: Symphony No. 7
Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra - Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6
Alban Gerhardt - Bach: The Cello Suites
Clare Hammond - Josef Myslivecek: Complete Music for Keyboard
Franz Hauk, Concerto de Bassus - J.S. Bach: Magnificat; Helmschrott: Lumen
Philippe Jaroussky - Ombra mai fu: Francesco Cavalli Opera Arias
Kirill Karabits, Staatskapelle Weimar - Franz Liszt: Sardanapalo; Mazeppa
Klenke-Quartett, Harald Schoneweg - Mozart: The String Quintets
Kronos Quartet, Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat - Placeless
Lang Lang - The Piano Book
Jaakko Luoma, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Janne Nisonen - Bassoon Concertos: Mozart, Winter, Hummel, Rossini
Yo-Yo Ma - Salonen: Cello Concerto
Andrew Manze, NDR Radiophilharmonie - Mozart: Symphonies 40 & 41
Juanjo Mena, BBC Philharmonic - Falla: La Vida Breve
Madeleine Mitchell, London Chamber Ensemble - Grace Williams: Chamber Music
ORA Singers, Suzi Digby - Desires: A Song of Songs collection
Andreas Ottensamer - Blue Hour: Weber, Brahms, Mendelssohn
Rowan Pierce, William Carter, Richard Egarr - Henry Purcell: The Cares of Lovers
Simon Rattle, London Symphony Orchestra - Berlioz: La damnation de Faust
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Choir of London, Robert Ziegler - Animal Requiem by Rachel Fuller
Rowen Sabala, Lisa Bielawa - Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch's Accuser
Howard Shelley, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra - The Romantic Piano Concerto Vol. 78: Clara Schumann; Hiller, Herz, Kalkbrenner
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers - An Enduring Voice
Leonard Slatkin, Detroit Symphony Orchestra - Copland: Billy the Kid; Grohg
Yevgeny Sudbin - Beethoven: Sonatas Op. 110 & Op. 111; Bagatelles Op. 126
Yan Pascal Tortelier, Iceland Symphony Orchestra - Gounod: Symphonies
Emma Tring, Guy Cutting, Choir of Merton College, Benjamin Nicholas - Gabriel Jackson: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Trinity Laban Wind Orchestra, Keith Brion - John Philip Sousa: Music for Wind Band, Vol. 18
Various Artists - David Fennessy: Panopticon
Winchester Cathedral Choir, Andrew Lumsden - John Tavener: Angels