Editor's Choice: August 2024 | The best new classical recordings
Friday, July 12, 2024
This month we feature outstanding new recordings from Konstantin Krimmel, Rebeca Omordia, Paavo Järvi and Gustavo Dudamel
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 August 2024 issue, beginning with the Recording of the Month.
Members of the Gramophone Full Club and Gramophone Digital Club can access our Reviews Database, a digital archive of all of our reviews from 1983 to today, with all of the new issue's reviews available on the day of publication. To find out more about subscribing to Gramophone and the Reviews Database, please visit: magsubscriptions.com
Recording of the month
Schubert. Loewe ‘Mythos’
Konstantin Krimmel bar Ammiel Bushakevitz pf (Alpha)
Konstantin Krimmel sings with an immediately engaging expressiveness, storytelling with clarity, intelligence and emotion, offering both delicacy and depth.
Fauré. Schoenberg Pelléas et Mélisande
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra / Paavo Järvi (Alpha)
This enterprising album presents two contrasting takes on the Pelléas et Mélisande story, from Schoenberg and Fauré – both performed with brilliance.
Mozart Symphonies Nos 34‑36
Philharmonia Orchestra / Michael Collins (BIS)
Three joyful symphonies to start a cycle in style – Michael Collins, a wonderful Mozartian, and the Philharmonia Orchestra clearly enjoying the collaboration.
Ortíz Revolución diamantina
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra / Gustavo Dudamel (Platoon)
Composer Gabriela Ortíz’s evocative music makes a strong case for the art form’s role as a powerful voice in today’s society.
Saxton The Resurrection of the Soldiers
English Symphony Orchestra / Kenneth Woods (Nimbus)
A superbly played album featuring two major works by this month’s featured Contemporary Composer, Robert Saxton.
Schubert. Josquin. Purcell ‘Tempus omnia vincit’
Protean Quartet (Linn)
Recent winners of the York Early Music International Young Artists Competition – and this month’s One to Watch – the Protean Quartet transcend centuries with style.
Weinberg ‘String Quartets, Vol 4’
Arcadia Quartet (Chandos)
In the fourth volume of their impressive Weinberg string quartets series, the Arcadia Quartet bring technical finesse and interpretative intensity to this trio of works: Quartets Nos 6, 13 and 15.
Ravel. Schumann. Stravinsky ‘Movements’
George Li pf (Warner Classics)
American pianist George Li offers thoughtfully shaped and characterful performances throughout a delightful showcase of his art and of this music.
‘African Pianism, Vol 2’
Rebeca Omordia pf (Somm)
Rebeca Omordia’s wonderful ‘African Pianism’ series continues with a welcome introduction to more fascinating and varied music and composers from around the continent, all beautifully played.
Rossini Ermione
Sols; Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra / Antonino Fogliani (Naxos)
‘The best recording we have yet had of Ermione’, writes reviewer and Rossini expert Richard Osborne of this thrilling performance of this dramatic opera.
DVD/blu-ray
Donizetti Alfredo il grande
Sols; Orchestra Donizetti Opera / Corrado Rovaris (Dynamic)
A filmed bicentenary revival of Donizetti’s take on Alfred the Great is the second of RO’s recommended operas this issue.
Reissue/archive
Brian The Cenci
Sols; The Millennium Sinfonia / James Kelleher (Toccata Classics)
The only performance of Havergal Brian’s early 1950s opera The Cenci was given in 1997 and is thankfully preserved here on this valuable release from the Toccata label.
All of these recordings, and many more, are reviewed in the August 2024 issue of Gramophone. You can also read the reviews of these recordings in Gramophone's Reviews Database - an archive of reviews stretching back to 1983, which subscribers to the Full Club and Digital Club can explore. To find out more about our subscription offers, please visit: magsubscriptions.com
