Andrew Rangell
Bach: English Suites, BWV 806-811
A highly detailed, subjective Bach from Rangell: a worthy addition to his large Bach catalog.
Anna Fedorova / Modestas Pitrenas
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1; Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
A rather low-key, elegant Rachmaninov draws the listener in if given a chance.
Augustin Hadelich
Bohemian Tales
A thoroughly enjoyable all-Czech album from an impressive young violinist.
Bertrand Chamayou
Good Night!
A program of lullabies from pianist Bertrand Chamayou, masterfully executed.
Carlos Miguel Prieto / Orchestra of the Americas
Manuel de Falla: The Three-Cornered Hat; Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Live performance of de Falla favorites from the youthful Orchestra of the Americas crackles with energy.
Carolyn Sampson / Osmo Vänskä / Minnesota Orchestra
Mahler 4
Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra present Mahler's joyful Symphony No. 4, with soprano Carolyn Sampson as soloist in the finale.
Charles Richard-Hamelin / Jonathan Cohen / Les Violons du Roy
Mozart: Concertos pour Piano Nos. 22 & 24
Charles Richard-Hamelin joins Jonathan Cohen and Les Violons du Roy for their first Mozart recording together on Analekta.
Daniel-Ben Pienaar
The Long 17th Century: A Cornucopia of Early Keyboard Music
A superb survey of 17th century keyboard music that uses the piano as a kind of investigative tool.
Denis Matsuev / Gábor Tarkövi / Rainer Honeck / Kammerorchester Wien-Berlin
Shostakovich, Schnittke, Lutoslawski
An effective program showcases a new variety in Matsuev's playing.
Edward Gardner / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Schubert: Symphonies, Vol. 2 - Nos. 2 & 6; Overtures in the Italian Style
A marvelously sensitive, often delicate Schubert performed at a very high technical level.
François Leleux / Emmanuel Strosser
Bienvenue en France
A terrific collection of unfamiliar oboe-and-piano pieces rooted in French neoclassicism.
Gianandrea Noseda / National Symphony Orchestra
Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"; Copland: Billy the Kid
Gianandrea Noseda and the National Symphony Orchestra offer a program of touchstones of Americana by Dvorák and Copland.
Goldner String Quartet / Piers Lane
Bartók, Korngold: Piano Quintets
Beautifully played early and little-known works by Bartók and Korngold make a convincing Romantic (or neo-Romantic) pairing.
Isabelle Faust / Alexander Melnikov
Mozart: Sonatas for Fortepiano & Violin, Vol. 2
This fine historical performance of Mozart violin sonatas is sensitive to their innovative qualities.
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet / Swedish Chamber Orchestra
Beethoven: The Piano Concertos; Quintet for Piano and Winds
A crisp, chamber-sized Beethoven concerto performance with a praiseworthy level of detail.
Jenö Jandó
Franz Liszt: Historical Hungarian Portraits
Franz Liszt's late piano works are explored by Jenö Jandó, a major contributor to this comprehensive series on Naxos.
John Eliot Gardiner / London Symphony Orchestra
Schumann: Symphonies Nos 1 & 3
Live Schumann recording by Gardiner preserves and expands upon the virtues of his earlier Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique set.
John Wilson / Sinfonia of London
Escales: French Orchestral Works
John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London offer an orchestral showcase of exotic and evocative pieces by French composers.
Junhong Kuang / Darrell Ang
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez; Ponce: Concierto del sur; Garcia: China Sings!
Beautifully precise performances by fast-rising guitarist Kuang, with a major new work included.
Jörg Widmann / András Schiff
Johannes Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas
Laid-back late Brahms that gets at the endless subtleties and profundities.
Kirill Gerstein / Thomas Adès / Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Thomas Adès: In Seven Days
Crackling Adès performances by the pianist who understands them best.
Les Vents Français
Romantique
Superb wind chamber music rediscoveries by a group specializing in neglected wind music.
Luigi Piovano / Antonio Pappano
Two Sonatas and Two Romances: Brahms, Martucci
Exceptionally strong Brahms, with a period piano that catches the complex balances in the composer's two cello sonatas.
Marc-André Hamelin
Liszt, Thalberg: Opera Transcriptions & Fantasies
Technically difficult and tremendously enjoyable pieces in the opera transcription genre, characteristic of the 19th century.
Mark Elder / Hallé Orchestra
Sibelius: Symphony No. 4; Symphony No. 6
Mark Elder and the Hallé Orchestra complete their exceptional cycle of the symphonies of Sibelius with the Fourth and Sixth.
Maxim Rysanov / Sinfonietta Riga
Peteris Vasks: Viola Concerto; String Symphony 'Voices'
An excellent performance of a compelling recent viola concerto by Vasks, paired with one of the works that made his reputation.
Michael Collins / Philharmonia Orchestra
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5; Finzi: Clarinet Concerto
Clarinetist Collins offers exemplary work, both on clarinet and in his recorded conducting debut.
Nicola Benedetti / Vladimir Jurowski / London Philharmonic Orchestra
Elgar: Violin Concerto
A taut, muscular Elgar concerto that seeks a middle ground between muscular and lyrical approaches.
Nikolai Lugansky
César Franck: Preludes, Fugues & Chorals
Beautifully controlled performances of these Bachian but not neoclassic Franck keyboard works.
Paul Lewis
Beethoven: Für Elise; Bagatelles Opp. 33, 119 & 126
A probing recording of Beethoven's "trifles" captures the formal experimentation of every little work.
PostClassical Ensemble / Angel Gil-Ordóñez
Bernard Herrmann: Whitman; Souvenirs de Voyage; Psycho, A Narrative for String Orchestra
Obscure and fascinating Herrmann, with a radio drama score about Walt Whitman that receives its well-worthwhile world premiere.
Riccardo Chailly / La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra
Respighi
Clean, vivid performances of the Respighi standards are joined by rare early works.
Robin Ticciati / Louise Alder / Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Strauss: Tod und Verklärung; Don Juan; Sechs Lieder, Op. 68
Expert, fully realized Strauss tone poems with a nicely sung and less-familiar set of orchestral songs as a bonus.
Seiji Ozawa / Saito Kinen Orchestra
Beethoven 7, Leonore 3
For his 85th birthday, Ozawa issues one of the finest Beethoven Sevenths on recordings.
Sergei Babayan
Rachmaninoff: Préludes; Études-Tableaux; Moments musicaux
Delicate and spontaneous aren't always words associated with Rachmaninoff, but both qualities are abundant in this lovely recording.
Shai Wosner
Schubert: Piano Sonatas D845, D894, D958 & D960
Quiet, detailed readings of late Schubert sonatas reward close hearings.
Stephen Hough
Brahms: The Final Piano Pieces
Stephen Hough explores Brahms' final piano pieces and offers insights into the moods and expressions of his final years.
The Brodsky Quartet
Beethoven: Late String Quartets
The Brodsky Quartet presents Beethoven's late string quartets in warm and resonant readings that compare well with past great performances.
The Sixteen / Harry Christophers / Britten Sinfonia
James MacMillan: Symphony No. 5 'Le gran Inconnu'; The Sun Danced
A choral symphony of awe-inspiring scope by MacMillan, embodying incarnations of the Holy Spirit as breath, water, and fire.
Thibaut Garcia
Aranjuez
A landmark recording of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, accompanied by lovely smaller works.
Thierry Fischer / Utah Symphony
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique; Rêverie et caprice; La mort d'Ophélie; Sara la baigneuse
A confident, striding Symphonie Fantastique and a group of wonderful and forgotten small works make for a satisfying Berlioz release.
Thomas Bloch / Tamara Stefanovich / Alexander Soddy / National Theater Orchestra, Mannheim
Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie
A clean performance that brings out the many layers of this symphony of love.
Thomas Dunford / Jean Rondeau
Barricades
Extremely compelling, unique interpretations of French Baroque works on lute and harpsichord.
Trevor Pinnock / Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble
Bach: Goldberg Variations arranged for small orchestra by Józef Koffler
A unique arrangement of the Goldbergs from a modernist composer in Poland in the late 1930s, newly rediscovered.
Trevor Pinnock
J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier I
An exceptional Well-Tempered Clavier from this veteran musician, stressing the variety within the work.
Trio Wanderer / Christophe Gaugué / Catherine Montier / Ekaterina Semenchuk
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet; Seven Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok
Exceptional Shostakovich that captures both the darkness and the passion in his work.
Vasily Petrenko / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Stravinsky: Petrushka; Rossini/Respighi: La Boutique fantasque
A sparkling Petrushka is joined to an unusual work with links to the Russian-French ballet tradition.
Vladimir Jurowski / London Philharmonic Orchestra
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 in G Minor "The Year 1905"
Turbo-Shostakovich from conductor Vladimir Jurowski and his well-drilled London Philharmonic.
Víkingur Ólafsson
Debussy - Rameau
Elegant and often humorous performances effectively draw the connecting line between Rameau and Debussy.
WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne Chamber Players
Brahms: String Sextets
Very strong Brahms chamber music from musicians who know each other well and pay attention to detail.
