Oct. 28, 2021
Quite frequently, classical recordings feature one or two or maybe three large, multi-movement works by one or maybe two composers. This month our reviewers found a few programs of a more varied nature that impressed them. Among these were a virtuosic guitar recital by Krzysztof Meisinger; an album of arias that blur the boundaries between the tenor and baritone vocal ranges, performed by Michael Spyres; favorite and appealing pieces by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet (pictured above); and lastly, the album Nostalgia by Magdalena Kožená and Yefim Bronfman, which contains two complete sets of songs -- one by Bartók and one by Mussorgsky -- followed by several songs by Brahms. That wasn't all we listened to, so be sure to check out the full list.
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Isabelle Faust, Antoine Tamestit - J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos
Marin Alsop, London Symphony Orchestra, Anne Sofie von Otter, Sir Thomas Allen - Bernstein: Candide
ARC Ensemble - Chamber Works by Dmitri Klebanov
Arcangelo - Buxtehude: Trio Sonatas, Op. 2
Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Chiara Skerath, Pierre Dumoussaud - Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande
Mary Bevan, Nicky Spence, Roderick Williams, William Vann - Ralph Vaughan Williams: Folk Songs, Vol. 3
Ian Bostridge, Saskia Giorgini - Respighi Songs
Rudolf Buchbinder - Buchbinder: Beethoven Piano Concertos
Karen Cargill, Simon Lepper - Fleur de mon âme
Peter Cigleris, Gareth Hulse, Duncan HoneyBourne, Tippett Quartet - Dedication: The Clarinet Chamber Music of Ruth Gipps
Collectif9 - No Time for Chamber Music
Lucas Debargue, Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica - Zal: The Music of Miłosz Magin
Jeremy Denk, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra - Mozart: Piano Concertos
Ehnes Quartet - Beethoven: String Quartet No. 12 Op. 127; String Quartet No. 14 Op. 131
Thierry Escaich, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Jean-Jacques Kantorow - Saint-Saëns: Symphonies No. 3 'Organ' & 'Urbs Roma'
Fretwork, Helen Charlston - An Elizabethan Christmas: Byrd, Gibbons, Holborne, Peerson, Weelkes
Michael Halász, Pavla Honsová, Libor Jezek, Yury Revich, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra - Saint-Georges: Symphonies Concertantes; Symphony in G major
Christopher Herrick - Northern Lights: Organ of Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway
Daniel Hope, Zürcher Kammerorchester - Hope
Stephen Hough - Schumann: Arabeske; Kreisleriana; Fantasie
Janine Jansen - 12 Stradivari
Tedd Joselson, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Arthur Fagen - Tedd Joselson's Companionship of Concertos: Grieg: Piano Concerto; Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2
Jonas Kaufmann, Helmut Deutsch - Liszt: Freudvoll und Leidvoll
The King's Singers - Christmas Carols with The King's Singers
Magdalena Kozená, Yefim Bronfman - Nostalgia
Jakob Kullberg, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Francis - Remembering: Nørgård & Saariaho Cello Concertos
Igor Levit - On DSCH
Paul Lewis - Joseph Haydn: Piano Sonatas Nos. 20, 34, 51 & 52
Andrew Litton, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra - Prokofiev: The Symphonies: Scythian Suite; Suites from Romeo & Juliet, Lieutenant Kijé, The Love for Three Oranges
Susanna Mälkki, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra - Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta
Antonello Manacorda, Kammerakademie Potsdam - Mozart: Symphonies No. 39-40
Albrecht Mayer, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Andris Poga - Peteris Vasks: Oboe Concerto; Vestijums; Lauda
Krzysztof Meisinger - Elogio de la Guitarra
Nathalia Milstein - Visions Fugitives: Prokofiev, Liszt, Bartók, Chopin, Arzoumanov
Yannick Nézet-Séguin / Philadelphia Orchestra - Florence Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
Ian Page, The Mozartists - Jommelli: Il Vologeso
Christoph Poppen, West German Radio Chorus Cologne, Cologne Chamber Orchestra - Mozart: Mass No. 16 'Coronation Mass'; Missa longa
François-Xavier Roth, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Tabea Zimmermann, Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne - Richard Strauss: Don Quixote; Till Eulenspiegel
Anthony Roth Costanzo, Zachary James, Metropolitan Opera, Karen Kamensek - Philip Glass: Akhnaten
Dario Salvi, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus - Penderecki: Complete Quartets
Julia Sitkovetsky, Christopher Glynn - Where Corals Lie: A Journey through Songs by Sir Edward Elgar
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers - Carol of the Bells
Solem Quartet - The Four Quarters
Michael Spyres - BariTenor
Alexandre Tharaud - Rameau
Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Carte Blanche
Robin Ticciati, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin - Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2
Elena Urioste, Tom Poster - The Jukebox Album
Nate Wooley, Yarn/Wire - Annea Lockwood: Becoming Air; Into the Vanishing Point
Sophie Yates - Bach: Complete English Suites
William Youn - Schubert: Piano Sonatas II