Feb. 1, 2018
To begin 2018, why not sample the works of a single composer in one genre, as our reviewers did? Naxos continues its series of recordings devoted to Saint-Saëns with one release devoted to his symphonic poems and another to his music for cello and orchestra. The Elias String Quartet soldiers on with its Beethoven cycle, recorded live at Wigmore Hall in London. Signum begins a series dedicated to English, Pre-Restoration, verse anthems -- admittedly a somewhat specialized subject, but interesting nonetheless. Sprinkled among the other releases are symphonies of Ludwig Spohr, and harpsichord pieces by François Couperin and Claude-Bénigne Balbastre, and much more.
Blair Sanderson
Giovanni Antonini, Kammerorchester Basel - Haydn 2032: No. 5 - L'Homme de Génie
Elias String Quartet - Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets, Vol. 4
Ning Feng - Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin BWV 1001-1006
Nelson Goerner - Chopin: Nocturnes
Howard Griffiths, NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra - Louis Spohr: The Complete Symphonies
Marc-André Hamelin, Leif Ove Andsnes - Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Concerto for Two Pianos; Circus Polka; Tango; Madrid
Kirill Karabits, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra - Walton: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
Mark Kroll - François Couperin: The Complete Pièces de Clavecin, Vol. 3
Christophe Rousset - Balbastre: Pièces de Clavecin, Livre 1
Gerd Schaller, Philharmonie Festiva - Bruckner: Symphony in F Minor, 1863 Study Symphony
Arthur Schoonderwoerd, Ensemble Cristofori, Gesualdo Consort - Mozart: Missa da Requiem
James Manheim
Nelly Akopian-Tamarina - Brahms: Handel Variations Op. 24; Ballades Op. 10
Arcangelo, Jonathan Cohen - Bach Magnificats: Johann Sebastian, Johann Christian, Carl Philipp Emanuel
The Bach Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, David Hill - George Dyson: Choral Symphony; St. Paul's Voyage to Melita
Brabant Ensemble, Stephen Rice - Jacob Obrecht: Missa Grecorum & Motets
Martyn Brabbins, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra - Tippett: Symphonies 1 & 2
City of London Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra- Nation's Favourite Carols
Andrew Davis, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra - Elgar: Falstaff; Orchestral Songs; Grania and Diarmid Incidental Music and Funeral March
Martin Fröst, Lucas Debargue, Janine Jansen, Torleif Thedeen - Messiaen: Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps
Delphine Galou, Accademia Bizantina, Ottavio Dantone - Agitata
Edward Gardner, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra - Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Dance Suite; Rhapsodies Nos. 1 and 2
Eugene Goossens, John McCabe, Raymond Leppard - Bax: Symphony No. 2; Winter Legends
Augustin Hadelich, Joyce Yang - Franck, Kurtág, Previn, Schumann
Stephen Hough - Debussy: La Plus que Lente; Children's Corner; Image; L'Isle joyeuse; Estampes
Clare Howick, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Grant Llewellyn - British Violin Concertos
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Constantine Orbelian - Verdi: Rigoletto
Steven Isserlis, Connie Shih - The Cello in Wartime
Eivind Gullberg Jensen, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and Choir - Ståle Kleiberg: Mass for Modern Man
Christina Johnston - Blessing
The Choir of King's College London, Joseph Fort - Johannes Brahms: An English Requiem
Louis Langrée, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra - Concertos for Orchestra
Latvian Radio Choir, Sinfonietta Riga, Sigvards Klava - Peteris Vasks: Laudate Dominum
Vincent Lauzer, Mathieu Lussier - Vivaldi, Boismortier, Fasch, Telemann: Sonatas pour flûte à bec et Basson
Leonore Piano Trio - Pixis: Piano Trios
Magdalena Consort, Fretwork, His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts - In Chains of Gold: The English Pre-Restoration Verse Anthem, Vol. 1
Jun Märkl, L'Orchestre National de Lille - Saint-Saëns: Symphonic Poems
Denis Matsuev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev - Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
Andrew Matthews-Owen - Halo: Music for Piano
Toke Møldrup - Bach: The Six Cello Suites Revisited
Amit Peled Peabody Cello Gang - The Amit Peled Peabody Cello Gang
Nicholas Phan, Myra Huang - Gods & Monsters
Rachel Barton Pine, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton - Elgar, Bruch: Violin Concertos
David Pyatt, Roderick Williams, Sacconi Quatret, John McCabe - John McCabe: Silver Nocturnes; The Woman by the Sea; Horn Quintet
Gabriel Schwabe, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Marc Soustrot - Saint-Saëns: Works for Cello and Orchestra
Chang-Yong Shin - Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven
South Dakota Chorale, Brian A. Schmidt - Tyberg: Masses
Liza Stepanova - Tones & Colors: Music & Visual Art
Michael Stern, Kansas City Symphony - Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony; Finding Rothko; Picture Studies
Daniel Taylor, The Trinity Choir - The Path to Paradise
Various Artists - Stecher & Horowitz Commissions
Wihan Quartet - Kol Nidrei: Elegy for Pamela
Glen Wilson - Marco Antonio Cavazzoni: Complete Works - Italian Ricercars
John Wilson, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra - Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Vol. 1
Blair Sanderson
Giovanni Antonini, Kammerorchester Basel - Haydn 2032: No. 5 - L'Homme de Génie
Elias String Quartet - Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets, Vol. 4
Ning Feng - Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin BWV 1001-1006
Nelson Goerner - Chopin: Nocturnes
Howard Griffiths, NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra - Louis Spohr: The Complete Symphonies
Marc-André Hamelin, Leif Ove Andsnes - Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Concerto for Two Pianos; Circus Polka; Tango; Madrid
Kirill Karabits, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra - Walton: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
Mark Kroll - François Couperin: The Complete Pièces de Clavecin, Vol. 3
Christophe Rousset - Balbastre: Pièces de Clavecin, Livre 1
Gerd Schaller, Philharmonie Festiva - Bruckner: Symphony in F Minor, 1863 Study Symphony
Arthur Schoonderwoerd, Ensemble Cristofori, Gesualdo Consort - Mozart: Missa da Requiem
James Manheim
Nelly Akopian-Tamarina - Brahms: Handel Variations Op. 24; Ballades Op. 10
Arcangelo, Jonathan Cohen - Bach Magnificats: Johann Sebastian, Johann Christian, Carl Philipp Emanuel
The Bach Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, David Hill - George Dyson: Choral Symphony; St. Paul's Voyage to Melita
Brabant Ensemble, Stephen Rice - Jacob Obrecht: Missa Grecorum & Motets
Martyn Brabbins, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra - Tippett: Symphonies 1 & 2
City of London Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra- Nation's Favourite Carols
Andrew Davis, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra - Elgar: Falstaff; Orchestral Songs; Grania and Diarmid Incidental Music and Funeral March
Martin Fröst, Lucas Debargue, Janine Jansen, Torleif Thedeen - Messiaen: Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps
Delphine Galou, Accademia Bizantina, Ottavio Dantone - Agitata
Edward Gardner, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra - Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Dance Suite; Rhapsodies Nos. 1 and 2
Eugene Goossens, John McCabe, Raymond Leppard - Bax: Symphony No. 2; Winter Legends
Augustin Hadelich, Joyce Yang - Franck, Kurtág, Previn, Schumann
Stephen Hough - Debussy: La Plus que Lente; Children's Corner; Image; L'Isle joyeuse; Estampes
Clare Howick, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Grant Llewellyn - British Violin Concertos
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Constantine Orbelian - Verdi: Rigoletto
Steven Isserlis, Connie Shih - The Cello in Wartime
Eivind Gullberg Jensen, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and Choir - Ståle Kleiberg: Mass for Modern Man
Christina Johnston - Blessing
The Choir of King's College London, Joseph Fort - Johannes Brahms: An English Requiem
Louis Langrée, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra - Concertos for Orchestra
Latvian Radio Choir, Sinfonietta Riga, Sigvards Klava - Peteris Vasks: Laudate Dominum
Vincent Lauzer, Mathieu Lussier - Vivaldi, Boismortier, Fasch, Telemann: Sonatas pour flûte à bec et Basson
Leonore Piano Trio - Pixis: Piano Trios
Magdalena Consort, Fretwork, His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts - In Chains of Gold: The English Pre-Restoration Verse Anthem, Vol. 1
Jun Märkl, L'Orchestre National de Lille - Saint-Saëns: Symphonic Poems
Denis Matsuev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev - Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
Andrew Matthews-Owen - Halo: Music for Piano
Toke Møldrup - Bach: The Six Cello Suites Revisited
Amit Peled Peabody Cello Gang - The Amit Peled Peabody Cello Gang
Nicholas Phan, Myra Huang - Gods & Monsters
Rachel Barton Pine, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton - Elgar, Bruch: Violin Concertos
David Pyatt, Roderick Williams, Sacconi Quatret, John McCabe - John McCabe: Silver Nocturnes; The Woman by the Sea; Horn Quintet
Gabriel Schwabe, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Marc Soustrot - Saint-Saëns: Works for Cello and Orchestra
Chang-Yong Shin - Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven
South Dakota Chorale, Brian A. Schmidt - Tyberg: Masses
Liza Stepanova - Tones & Colors: Music & Visual Art
Michael Stern, Kansas City Symphony - Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony; Finding Rothko; Picture Studies
Daniel Taylor, The Trinity Choir - The Path to Paradise
Various Artists - Stecher & Horowitz Commissions
Wihan Quartet - Kol Nidrei: Elegy for Pamela
Glen Wilson - Marco Antonio Cavazzoni: Complete Works - Italian Ricercars
John Wilson, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra - Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Vol. 1