Dec. 1, 2016
Among the more unexpected items from our November classical reviews includes ancient Scandinavian music and instruments, works written for the adventurous Arditti Quartet, compositions by Johann Gottlieb Goldberg--the namesake of Bach's Goldberg Variations--and classical favorites performed on the banjo. On the mainstream side are fresh recordings of Mozart and Beethoven violin sonatas, Sibelius symphonies, and Monteverdi's Vespers.
Blair Sanderson
Arditti Quartet - Gifts and Greetings
Leonardo García Alarcón, Cappella Mediterranea - Monteverdi: I 7 Peccati Capitali
Semyon Bychkov, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra - The Tchaikovsky Project: Pathétique, Romeo & Juliet
Benjamin Chénier, Galilei Consort - Giovanni Rovetta: Messe pour la Naissance de Louis XIV
William Christie, Les Arts Florissants - Beyond Caravaggio: Monteverdi Vespers, 1610
Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra - Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1-7: Kullervo; The Oceanides; Pohjola's Daughter
Pierre Fouchenneret, Romain Descharmes - Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Piano & Violin
Yoel Gamzou, International Mahler Orchestra - Mahler: Symphony X
Valery Gergiev, Yefim Bronfman, London Symphony Orchestra - Stravinsky: The Firebird; Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3; Suite from the Miraculous Mandarin
Kirill Gerstein - Liszt: Transcendental Etudes
Yevgeny Kutik - Words Fail
Kent Nagano, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal - Danse Macabre
Rebel, Jorg-Michael Schwarz - Johann Gottlieb Goldberg: Beyond the Variations - Chamber music for strings & basso continuo
Klaus Tennstedt, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Wagner: Die Walkure - Act 1
Antje Weithaas - Bach & Ysaye, Vol. 2
Jaap van Zweden - Die Walküre
James Manheim
Ashley Bathgate - Kate Moore: Stories for Ocean Shells
Jirí Behlolávek, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorák: Slavonic Dances Opp. 46 & 72
Fabio Biondi - Telemann: 12 Fantasias for solo violin
John Bullard - Classical Banjo: The Perfect Southern Art
Cambridge Singers, Aurora Orchestra, John Rutter - Rutter: Visions; Requiem
Gautier Capuçon, Frank Braley - Beethoven: Sonatas & Variations for Cello & Piano
The Cory Band, Tredegar Town Band - War Memorials: Music for Brass Band
Teodor Currentzis, MusicAeterna - Mozart: Don Giovanni
Lucas Debargue - Bach, Beethoven, Medtner
Barry Douglas - Celtic Airs
Dunedin Consort, John Butt - Bach: Christmas Oratorio
Ensemble Mare Balticum, Åke Egevad, Jens Egevad - Ice and Longboats: Ancient Music of Scandinavia
Lisa Friend - Cinema Affair
Lucie Horsch, Amsterdam Vivaldi Players - Vivaldi
Alina Ibragimova, Cédric Tiberghien - Mozart: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1, 2, 4, 10, 14, 22, 24, 29
Martin Jones - Francis Shaw: Piano Concerto No. 1; Piano Concerto No. 2
King's College Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury - Duruflé: Requiem; Four Motets; Messe Cum Jubilo
Choir of the King's Consort, Robert King - A Voice from Heaven: British Choral Masterpieces
Vladimir Lande, Siberian State Symphony Orchestra - Weinberg: Symphony No. 17 "Memory"; Suite for Orchestra
Jenny Lin - Melody's Mostly Musical Day
Louis Lortie - Après un rêve: A Fauré Recital
Mivos Quartet - Garden of Diverging Paths
Riccardo Muti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ildar Abdrazakov - Schoenberg: Kol Nidre; Shostakovich: Suite on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti
Itzhak Perlman, Martha Argerich - Schumann, Bach, Brahms
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ben Gernon, Sean Shibe - Peter Maxwell Davies: An Orkney Wedding, With Sunrise
Arabella Steinbacher - Fantasies, Rhapsodies & Daydreams
Alexandre Tharaud - Tharaud plays Rachmaninov
Alan Tongue, Britten Sinfonia - Ralph Vaughan-Williams: Fair Child of Beauty
Various Artists - Howard Shore: A Palace Upon the Ruins
Various Artists - Peter Scott Lewis: The Four Cycles
Walter Verdehr, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr - Double Concertos for Violin & Clarinet
Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier - Johann Caspar Kerll, Johann Joseph Fux: Requiems
Blair Sanderson
Arditti Quartet - Gifts and Greetings
Leonardo García Alarcón, Cappella Mediterranea - Monteverdi: I 7 Peccati Capitali
Semyon Bychkov, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra - The Tchaikovsky Project: Pathétique, Romeo & Juliet
Benjamin Chénier, Galilei Consort - Giovanni Rovetta: Messe pour la Naissance de Louis XIV
William Christie, Les Arts Florissants - Beyond Caravaggio: Monteverdi Vespers, 1610
Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra - Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1-7: Kullervo; The Oceanides; Pohjola's Daughter
Pierre Fouchenneret, Romain Descharmes - Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Piano & Violin
Yoel Gamzou, International Mahler Orchestra - Mahler: Symphony X
Valery Gergiev, Yefim Bronfman, London Symphony Orchestra - Stravinsky: The Firebird; Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3; Suite from the Miraculous Mandarin
Kirill Gerstein - Liszt: Transcendental Etudes
Yevgeny Kutik - Words Fail
Kent Nagano, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal - Danse Macabre
Rebel, Jorg-Michael Schwarz - Johann Gottlieb Goldberg: Beyond the Variations - Chamber music for strings & basso continuo
Klaus Tennstedt, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Wagner: Die Walkure - Act 1
Antje Weithaas - Bach & Ysaye, Vol. 2
Jaap van Zweden - Die Walküre
James Manheim
Ashley Bathgate - Kate Moore: Stories for Ocean Shells
Jirí Behlolávek, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorák: Slavonic Dances Opp. 46 & 72
Fabio Biondi - Telemann: 12 Fantasias for solo violin
John Bullard - Classical Banjo: The Perfect Southern Art
Cambridge Singers, Aurora Orchestra, John Rutter - Rutter: Visions; Requiem
Gautier Capuçon, Frank Braley - Beethoven: Sonatas & Variations for Cello & Piano
The Cory Band, Tredegar Town Band - War Memorials: Music for Brass Band
Teodor Currentzis, MusicAeterna - Mozart: Don Giovanni
Lucas Debargue - Bach, Beethoven, Medtner
Barry Douglas - Celtic Airs
Dunedin Consort, John Butt - Bach: Christmas Oratorio
Ensemble Mare Balticum, Åke Egevad, Jens Egevad - Ice and Longboats: Ancient Music of Scandinavia
Lisa Friend - Cinema Affair
Lucie Horsch, Amsterdam Vivaldi Players - Vivaldi
Alina Ibragimova, Cédric Tiberghien - Mozart: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1, 2, 4, 10, 14, 22, 24, 29
Martin Jones - Francis Shaw: Piano Concerto No. 1; Piano Concerto No. 2
King's College Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury - Duruflé: Requiem; Four Motets; Messe Cum Jubilo
Choir of the King's Consort, Robert King - A Voice from Heaven: British Choral Masterpieces
Vladimir Lande, Siberian State Symphony Orchestra - Weinberg: Symphony No. 17 "Memory"; Suite for Orchestra
Jenny Lin - Melody's Mostly Musical Day
Louis Lortie - Après un rêve: A Fauré Recital
Mivos Quartet - Garden of Diverging Paths
Riccardo Muti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ildar Abdrazakov - Schoenberg: Kol Nidre; Shostakovich: Suite on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti
Itzhak Perlman, Martha Argerich - Schumann, Bach, Brahms
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ben Gernon, Sean Shibe - Peter Maxwell Davies: An Orkney Wedding, With Sunrise
Arabella Steinbacher - Fantasies, Rhapsodies & Daydreams
Alexandre Tharaud - Tharaud plays Rachmaninov
Alan Tongue, Britten Sinfonia - Ralph Vaughan-Williams: Fair Child of Beauty
Various Artists - Howard Shore: A Palace Upon the Ruins
Various Artists - Peter Scott Lewis: The Four Cycles
Walter Verdehr, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr - Double Concertos for Violin & Clarinet
Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier - Johann Caspar Kerll, Johann Joseph Fux: Requiems