Editor's Choice: February 2024 | The best new classical recordings

Monday, January 29, 2024

Featuring outstanding new releases from Behzod Abduraimov, Avi Avital, Sol Gabetta, Elena Urioste, Piotr Anderszewski, Cyrille Dubois, Les Talens Lyriques and more

In every issue of Gramophone, Editor Martin Cullingford chooses 12 albums (10 new releases, plus one DVD/blu-ray and one archive recommendation) as his Editor's Choice. Below, you will find the albums selected as Editor's Choice in the February 2024 issue, beginning with the Recording of the Month. 

We've included links to the album reviews in Gramophone's Reviews Database, a digital archive of all of our reviews from 1983 to today. To find out more about subscribing to Gramophone and the Reviews Database, please visit: magsubscriptions.com

Recording of the month

‘Shadows of my Ancestors’

‘Shadows of my Ancestors’

Behzod Abduraimov pf

Alpha

The drama in Romeo and Juliet is brilliantly articulated, Gaspard is both vivid and beautiful, Saidaminova’s work a fascinating find: all together a superb album from a brilliant pianist.

Read the Gramophone review


Beethoven and Schulhoff

Beethoven. Schulhoff Piano Concertos

Herbert Schuch pf WDR Symphony Orchestra / Tung‑Chieh Chuang

AVI-Music

Engaging Beethoven from Herbert Schuch, coupled with Schulhoff’s lesser-heard Concerto, both wonderfully performed.

Read the Gramophone review


Avi Avital ‘Concertos’

Avi Avital ‘Concertos’

Avi Avital mandolin Il Giardino Armonico / Giovanni Antonini

DG

A joyful journey through concertos by Vivaldi, Hummel, Bach and others courtesy of Avi Avital and his captivating virtuosity as a soloist on the mandolin.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Handel for Trumpet’

‘Handel for Trumpet’

Jonathan and Tom Freeman-Attwood tpts Anna Szałucka pf

Linn

Jonathan Freeman-Attwood concludes his series of trumpet transcriptions with a rewarding album of Handel reimaginings, including four concertos recast as sonatas.

Read the Gramophone review

🎧 Jonathan Freeman-Attwood on the Gramophone Podcast


Mendelssohn Cello Sonatas

Mendelssohn Cello Sonatas

Sol Gabetta vc Bertrand Chamayou pf

Sony Classical

Mendelssohn music for cello and piano presented with style and charm by Sol Gabetta and Bertrand Chamayou, accompanied by 20th-century pieces that follow in his footsteps.

Read the Gramophone review


‘A Lionel Tertis Celebration’

‘A Lionel Tertis Celebration’

Timothy Ridout va James Baillieu, Frank Dupree pf

Harmonia Mundi

A lovingly curated tribute to one of the past’s finest viola players, Lionel Tertis, from one of today’s, Timothy Ridout: a generously filled album of glorious music.

Read the Gramophone review

🎧 Timothy Ridout on the Gramophone Podcast


‘Le temps retrouvé’

‘Le temps retrouvé’

Elena Urioste vn Tom Poster pf

Chandos

Elena Urioste and Tom Poster – founders of the riveting Kaleidoscope Collective – continue their mission of introducing the unfamiliar in unfailingly superb performances.

Read the Gramophone review


Bartók. Janáček. Szymanowski Piano Works

Bartók. Janáček. Szymanowski Piano Works

Piotr Anderszewski pf

Warner Classics

Piotr Anderszewski brings a level of detail and overall vision to these works, collectively spanning a huge variety of musical colours, that is astonishing and highly compelling.

Read the Gramophone review


Schubert Winterreise

Schubert Winterreise

Cyrille Dubois ten Anne Le Bozec pf

NoMadMusic

Cyrille Dubois – winner of a Gramophone Award for his remarkable complete survey of Fauré songs – brings the same intimacy, humanity and beauty to Schubert’s tragic cycle.

Read the Gramophone review


Bertin Fausto

Bertin Fausto

Sols; Les Talens Lyriques / Christophe Rousset

Bru Zane

Louise Bertin’s 19th‑century take on the famed story of Faust remained largely forgotten until recent revivals: the ever-impressive Christophe Rousset brings his acclaimed conviction to a terrific discovery.

Read the Gramophone review


DVD/blu-ray

Monteverdi L’incoronazione di Poppea

Monteverdi L’incoronazione di Poppea

Sols; Cappella Mediterranea / Leonardo García Alarcón

Château de Versailles Spectacles

Filmed at Versailles, Monteverdi’s last operatic masterpiece is here performed with real drama, insight and musical excellence.

Read the Gramophone review


Reissue/archive

Herman Krebbers Edition

Herman Krebbers Edition

Herman Krebbers vn

Decca Eloquence

Post-war Dutch violinist Herman Krebbers is a worthy recipient of this Decca Eloquence celebration, featuring a full range of repertoire, and the pick of our featured box-sets this month.


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