Balakirev · Piano Sonata & other works

'Danny Driver's recordings of York Bowen for Hyperion have enjoyed critical success; here he shows himself a sterling interpreter of Russian repertoire … Driver is most attentive to the musics nuances. The Mazurka second movement is another of contrasts and he captures the dance element perfectly, revelling in sometimes extreme ornamentation … The recording is first class, with great presence' --International Piano

Romantic Music for Cello and Orchestra

"Vytautas Sondeckis's was born into something of a cello dynasty. His father is a former pupil of Rostropvich, and Vytautas himself studied with David Geringas-one of Rostropovich's most renowned pupils. As such his command of virtuosity and lyrical expressive playing are firmly in place." --The Strad

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays Gershwin, Ravel, Debussy

Acknowledged as one of the UK’s most prestigious orchestras, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) enjoys an international reputation for bringing audiences worldwide first-class performances and the highest possible standards of music-making across a diverse range of musical repertoire.

Saxophone Concertos

Sugawa’s playing is a marvel in its own right… he seems to have lungs the size of barrage balloons, and breath- and lip-control that produce melodic lines of infinite ductility – and which are moreover as secure at the extremes of his range as in its centre. --International Record Review

Lovers of the saxophone must welcome a CD that offers two stalwart works in such fine interpretations, as well as significantly extending the recorded repertory. --Gramophone

Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations · Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante

“Gautier Capuçon and Valery Gergiev take both works very darkly and seriously. This furrowed-browed approach makes their Symphony-Concerto- …unlike any other. No one manages the first movement's withdrawal into dreams more magically than Gergiev with hushed Mariinsky strings, and Capuçon quickly follows pensive suit.” --BBC Music Magazine

“Even in this crowded field Gautier Capuçon stands out as exceptional, majoring in elegant, pure, singing tone and long lyrical phrasing rather than waspish attack...there are grand and glorious things here” --Gramophone

Danzi · Bassoon Concertos · Overture in E Flat Major · Forgotten Treasures Vol. 2

Of the period instruments currently on the scene—and I am generally not a fan—it is the bassoon that holds the most attraction for me. It alone makes me wonder sometimes whether the modern instrument is indeed a step forward, technical wizardry notwithstanding. The period bassoon has a plump, soft, and ultimately comforting tone that even the best of modern instruments cannot really match. Of course, you cannot cut through an orchestra with it, and that was not its role in the days of yesteryear; more to its liking was accompanying the basses and cellos with occasional solo bursts. 

Brahms · Sonatas & Trio

“Sharon Kam… hardly uses any vibrato, though her phrasing is expressive particularly in the slow movements. The Allegretto grazioso of the F minor Sonata is indeed graceful and the Andante con moto of the E flat Sonata is very gently handled, as are the passages which Brahms marks sostenuto in both sonatas. ...at all times she and the excellent Martin Helmchen work as a true chamber music partnership rather than as soloist and accompanist.” -- Gramophone

Bach · The Two Violin Concertos · Double Concerto · Partita No. 2

Over the course of more than 30 years of a distinguished career, violinist Gidon Kremer, born in Riga in 1947, has established a worldwide reputation as one of the most original and compelling artists of his generation, praised for his high degree of individualism, his rejection of the well-trodden paths of interpretation, and his search for new possibilities.

Holst · Orchestral Works Vol. 1

Yet another reminder of how much we’ll miss Richard Hickox’s advocacy of the great Edwardians… Hickox makes a much better case for them with more spacious and lively conducting, fine playing and a more focussed and animated chorus. -- BBC Music Magazine

Richard Hickox’s final project – reviving little-known Holst works, is a triumph. -- Gramophone

Manuel de Falla · Piano Music

Manuel de Falla is arguably the most authentic Spanish composer of the 20th century. More then his compatriots Albeniz and Granados he captured the raw spirit of the Spanish folk music. His imitation of the Flamenco Canto Jondo hurts the soul, in its open violence ánd tenderness.

Reinecke · Harp Concerto · Symphony No. 3

Carl Reinecke, who taught Bruch, Grieg, Karg-Elert and Albéniz, was held in great esteem by Liszt and Berlioz. His Harp Concerto is a virtuoso work which can stand comparison with Mozart s Concerto for Flute and Harp. The Symphony No. 3 was acclaimed by contemporary critics as a work with an ornate structure and magnificent instrumentation.

Música Mexicana

The music is performed expertly by the Royal Philharmonic, State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra of Mexico City, all conducted by the distinguished Mexican conductor Enrique Batiz and features soloists Henryk Szerying on violin and Jorge Federico Osario on piano. A definitive set that is compelling, different and mesmerizing, this fine collection deserves very serious consideration.

Dohnányi · Orchestral Works

The BBC Philharmonic clearly enjoy making the acquaintance of this unjustly neglected orchestral showpiece, and deliver both the variations and the ensuing Scherzo, Romance and Rondo with stunning verve. --Classic CD

The BBC Philharmonic play for Bamert with terrific verve, evidently enjoying it to the hilt – as Ive been doing… -- Financial Times ‘Compact Choice’

Howard Shelleys performance is a model of wit and style.--Gramophone

Melancolía

Unique for her dramatic flair, expert musicality, and interpretive powers, soprano Patricia Petibon indulges in her love of Luso-Iberian music. From zarzuela to art song, folk song, the Aria Cantilena of Brazil’s Villa-Lobos, and the traditional Afro-Brazilian Ogundé uareré, Patricia Petibon also samples the new. She includes the world-premiere recording of Nicolas Bacri’s song cycle, which was written in dedication to her.

Soul of Tango · The Music of Astor Piazzolla

Yo-Yo Ma might seem like an unlikely protagonist for the tango, but this intrepid musical explorer has taken his task seriously, collaborating with experienced tango musicians. Ma even participates in a posthumous collaboration with one 1987 Piazzolla recording. Furthermore, while he's obviously the headliner here, he doesn't dominate the arrangements nearly as much as he does the billing and photography of the disc. While the result isn't your essential Piazzolla album (that would have to include more of the composer's own playing), it's an atmospheric and convincing collection, perhaps a good introduction for those who don't know the music. --L.G.

Crusell · Clarinet Concertos · Forgotten Treasures Vol. 1

"Hoeprich’s interpretations are aglow with tonal beauty and rich in understanding that transcend the printed page. The expected stylistic conventions are employed and when added to the high quality playing of Kölner Akademie under the capable direction of Michael Alexander Willens, the result is a set of historically informed readings that will appeal to the most selective of listeners." --Fanfare

Sammartini · Symphonies and Overtures

Giovanni Battista Sammartini’s instrumental output is largely made up of symphonies (the attested number of which is calculated as about seventy individual works) and this significant presence, together with the intense concert activity exercised by the composer leading his own orchestra, has led to his being remembered as the ”father of the symphony”.

Romantic Flute Concertos

France and the flute are inseparably associated. The connection is nothing new, but one with clear historical roots. It was at the beginning of the eighteenth Century that nearly all instruments began to undergo rapid technical development. This set in train an evolution that was to continue well into the next century, the technical changes leading to a marked increase in expressive potential. Instrumental music naturally underwent a similar development.

Mozart · Piano Concertos Nos. 19 & 23 · Ch'io mi scordi di te?... Non temer, amato bene, K505

This album marks two 'firsts' for Hélène Grimaud - her first live DG recording and her first ever Mozart concerto recording – the Piano Concertos Nos. 19 in F, and 23 in A. Hélène Grimaud considers the concerto in A major "probably the most sublime concerto Mozart ever wrote", with a slow movement that is "an extremely deep and painful expression of longing, where you find the real Mozart." 

J. C. Bach, J. C. F. Bach · Keyboard Concertos

The booklet notes to this release make interesting reading. American fortepianist Susan Alexander-Max reveals that this was initially intended to be an album dedicated to the music of Johann Christian Bach. J.C. Bach was the youngest of J.S. Bach's surviving sons and was probably more famous and popularly successful than the rest of his brothers put together. After extending his education in Italy he established himself as “the London Bach”. He won fame throughout Europe as a leading exponent of the new and fashionable gallant style of music, sweeping aside the fussiness of the Baroque period with a sleek new Classicism. It helped that he was also a keyboard virtuoso – hardly surprising given that he would have heard his clan of older siblings playing the 48 while he was still in utero.

Grieg · Holberg Suite · Music for Strings

Here's an easy call: these are stunning performances of music that you'd have to be either deaf or dead not to love. Yes, there are zillions of performances of the Holberg Suite out there, many of them excellent, but Ruud's version is so compelling that it simply makes you forget about any other. It has freshness and poetry in abundance, and he gets the strings of the Bergen Philharmonic to do exactly what so many string sections find all but impossible: achieve sharp rhythmic accuracy without compromising tone quality. This is most evident in the Prelude and final Rigaudon, but on a more subtle level this keenness of rhythm, allied to shapely phrasing, also helps to float the melodies of the gentler inner movements, particularly the Air, which is just gorgeous.

Mendelssohn · Schumann · Violin Concertos

An outstanding version of an apt and rare coupling.

The lightness and resilience of Renaud Capuçon’s playing at the very start of the Mendelssohn, matched by the transparent textures of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under Daniel Harding, instantly establishes the distinctive character of this latest version of a much-recorded concerto. The urgency of the main Allegro still allows for Capuçon’s crystalline precision in rapid passagework, leading to a flexible account of the second subject.

The Oscar Peterson Trio · We Get Requests

The repertoire, of this 1964 studio session,  is mostly pop songs of the day, including bossa nova tunes and film themes, and the treatments are fairly brief, with emphasis placed squarely on the melodies. Even in their lightest moments, though, the group demonstrates some of the qualities that made it among the most influential piano trios in jazz, a group that could generate tremendous rhythmic energy and a sense of developing musical detail. This is undemanding, tuneful music best suited for casual listening, but it still sparkles with the trio's customary élan.

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Rodrigo · Concierto de Aranjuez · Villa-Lobos · Castelnuovo-Tedesco Guitar Concertos

An excellent account from Norbert Kraft, spontaneous and catching well the music’s colour atmosphere. If it is not quite as individual as bream’s version, it is has the advantage of vivid, well-balanced, modern, digital recording and excellent couplings. Another genuine Naxos bargain.

Rachmaninov · Suites pour Pianos

“Jos van Immerseel and Claire Chevalier are the first pianists to record these hugely challenging works on authentic instruments - in this case a pair of Pleyel pianos dating from around the turn of the 20th century… The magical, bell-like sonorities these hugely experienced players conjure up is perhaps reason enough to invest in this fine disc, especially as the recording quality is so richly detailed yet luxuriously opulent.” --BBC Music Magazine ****

Bonbons: Geminiani · Pachelbel · Purcell · Marcello · J.S. Bach

Musicians fondly think of some works as bonbons or candy, for they are as agreeable to play as they are to listen to; everybody likes them. Their melodies are engraved in our memories and run through our heads, as the makers of movies and ads know so well. Some, such as the Aria from Bach’s Suite in D major or Pachelbel’s Canon, cause us to shed tears at weddings or funerals. How can the popularity of these particular and apparently immortal works be explained, when their composers—with the exception of Corelli—have written so many other more elaborate masterpieces? Is it because, in their simplicity, these little jewels pierce straight into the hearts of their listeners? For ATMA and Les Violons du Roy the answer is yes.

Boccherini - Guitar Quintets Nos. 4, 7 and 9 "La ritirata di Madrid"

These very good recordings were always worth their place in the catalogue to which they are now restored. Bream's 1969 version of No. 7 is still the best available (RCA GL42753, 3/79) and Pepe Romero's integral set of the Quintets (Philips 6768 268, 12/81) has since come on the scene. What this disc offers is the two most colourful items of all, the last movements of No. 9 (La ritirata di Madrid) and No. 4 (Fandango, complete with castanets) on the same record; in a corpus of music with so much below 'masterpiece' level this is not unimportant. It offers also much first-class playing from all concerned, tonal warmth and faithful recording—though the guitar might have been given a bit more prominence, audibility being preferable to fidelity in music of this unpretentious kind. -- J.D., Gramophone [7/1982]

Chausson · Chamber Music

'The opulent sound of this disc is ideal for Chausson … Philippe Graffin’s sensuous unforced tone sails above the texture … [he] gives a plangent account of the solo part, with something of that sense of freedom that Ysaÿe, the work’s sponsor, would certainly have conveyed ... Neidich’s playing is quite remarkable for its breadth of expression in the Andante as well as for the extraordinarily brilliantly articulated Allegro. Hoffman and Devoyon are equally convincing in the beautiful, dreamy Pièce for cello and piano' --Gramophone

Mozart · The Complete Violin Concertos

This two-disc Nonesuch set of Mozart's violin concertos performed by Gidon Kremer and KREMERata BALTICA at the Salzburg Festival has many things going for it. It's vastly better than Kremer's previous recording of the works on Deutsche Grammophon, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Not only does the soloist appear more involved with the music, but the conductor in the Nonesuch set, Kremer himself, appears to have much more consideration for the soloist than the conductor in the DG set.

Brahms · The Piano Concertos

...The same perfect alchemy [in the First concerto] is at work in the Second concerto. Here the interpretive questions are less problematic--Brahms' intentions are more transparent--and their realization is closer to perfection. But Buchbinder and Harnoncourt don't let their attention fail. Again, the conductor uses the interplay between motives and registers to sustain the pulse and give the phrases the right bounce, presenting the orchestral fabric in all its varying facets.

Bach · Oboe Concertos

It's well known that the vast majority of what have come down to us as Bach's Harpsichord Concertos were originally written for violin, oboe, oboe d'amore, or some combination of the two. The originals have all disappeared, but reconstructions are possible within a very small margin of error, particularly in the case of the Double Concerto BWV 1060, which has been performed and enjoyed in its original form for violin and oboe (or oboe d'amore) for more than half a century.

Rosseti · Basson Concertos

Eckhart Hübner trained with the famous German bassoonist Klaus Thunemann, and he has played with a variety of orchestras, including the SWR Symphony Orchestra. Chamber music and teaching also occupy his time. This is his first recording as both soloist and conductor, and everything goes well, although the engineers have balanced him too prominently. The German Chamber Academy of Neuss on the Rhine is about twenty-five years old, and its musicians accompany Hübner suavely.

This isn't terribly important music, but it goes down smoothly like a cool glass of Rhenish wine. --classical.net

Franck · Sonate · Chausson · Concerto

In the Franck sonata it is remarkable how Amoyal and Rogé allow themselves greater freedom over rhythm and tempo without ever seeming undisciplined. So the opening Allegretto even more than usual emerges as a dreamy meditation, a happy preparation for more serious arguments later. With speeds in all four movements generally a degree broader, this is a reading full of fantasy, giving the impression of music emerging spontaneously on the moment.

Mendelssohn · The Piano Conciertos · Rondo Brilliant

“The outer movements of the concertos fizz and sparkle as they should yet Helmchen finds time to sculpt phrase-endings without any loss of momentum, heightening the drama in the process. The piano is centre stage in the sound picture - and how Helmchen can make it sing!...his burnished, singing tone bring[s] an unusual depth to this life-enhancing music.” --Gramophone Magazine

“the Rondo brillant was never meant to be anything more than what it says...and Martin Helmchen has just the youthful energy and dazzling technique to make the most of it. Everything is kept light and good-humoured, and this is really also the right manner for the concertos” --International Record Review

Tartini · Violin Concertos

'Toso plays impeccably, tempering tone and vibrato in extracting every drop of the essential character of each movement... a superb recording' -- Gramophone

Schaffrath · Six Sonatas

This is a highly enjoyable disc with first-rate music in fine performances.

Christoph Schaffrath was one of a group of composers who played an important role in the musical life of Berlin, at and around the court of Frederick the Great.  Epoca Barocca delivers vivid and imaginative performances, and Christoph Lehmann is particularly impressive in his brilliant performance of the demanding keyboard parts. Christoph Anselm Noll is his congenial partner on the second harpsichord in the Duetto in C. Hartwig Groth and Jan Freiheit deliver an engaging interpretation of the duet for two viole da gamba. -- Johan van Veen, MusicWeb International