Editor's Choice: January 2023 | The best new classical recordings

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

The Editor's pick of the albums reviewed in the January 2023 issue, featuring new releases from Javier Camarena, Roderick Williams and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

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 January 2023 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

Donizetti ‘Signor Gaetano’ 

Javier Camarena ten Coro Donizetti Opera; Gli Originali / Riccardo Frizza

Pentatone 

Mexican tenor Javier Camarena offers a personal and musically thrilling tribute to Donizetti. A singer on top form, in repertoire he has a clear affection for and affinity with – a splendid album.

Read the Gramophone review


Beethoven Five Piano Concertos 

Haochen Zhang pf Philadelphia Orchestra / Nathalie Stutzmann

BIS 

Van Cliburn Gold Medal winner and Avery Fisher Prize recipient, Haochen Zhang now adds a hugely impressive Beethoven concerto set to his list of achievments.

Read the Gramophone review


Langgaard Symphony No 1 

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Sakari Oramo 

Dacapo 

The Berlin Philharmonic premiered this work – Langgaard’s First Symphony – back in 1913; under Oramo, they bring immense understanding and instinct to it today.  

Read the Gramophone review


Guðmundsson Windbells 

Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra 

Sono Luminus 

Crystalline, clarity of texture – Andrew Mellor’s well-chosen words perfectly capture what makes Icelandic composer Hugi Gumundsson’s music so fascinating, and so worth hearing. 

Read the Gramophone review


Martinů Two Cello Sonatas

Johannes Moser vc Andrei Korobeinikov pf

Pentatone 

A perfect control of rhythm allows for beautifully expressive playing – Johannes Moser and Andrei Korobeinikov offer a wonderful set of Martin≤’s cello sonatas. 

Read the Gramophone review


Rzewski The People United Will Never Be Defeated! 

Vadym Kholodenko pf

Quartz 

Another Rzewski cycle to add to recent acclaimed recordings, but one every bit as personally thought-through as the composer might have hoped. Vadym Kholodenko is on fine form.

Read the Gramophone review


Handel ‘Eternal Heaven’ 

Lea Desandre sop Iestyn Davies counterten Jupiter / Thomas Dunford lute

Erato 

A beautiful exploration of arias drawn from Handel’s English oratorios, from singers and players of immense distinction.

Read the Gramophone review


Monteverdi Madrigals, Book 7 

Concerto Italiano / Rinaldo Alessandrini 

Naïve 

A gorgeously performed and recorded album from an artist, Rinaldo Alessandrini, with a richly personal association with Monteverdi’s madrigals, their musicality and humanity. 

Read the Gramophone review


Pascoe Secular Requiem 

Truro Cathedral Choir; BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Christopher Gray 

Regent 

A powerful tribute both to Russell Pascoe’s work and to Christopher Gray’s leadership of Truro Cathedral’s music-making. 

Read the Gramophone review


‘A Shropshire Lad’ 

Roderick Williams bar Hallé Orchestra / Sir Mark Elder

Hallé 

A singer of extraordinarily communicative skill, as composer Roderick Williams has wonderfully orchestrated these much-loved works with care and understanding. 

Read the Gramophone review


DVD/blu-ray

Cilea Adriana Lecouvreur 

Sols; Chorus and Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale, Florence / Daniel Harding 

Naxos 

An intriguing and engaging directorial take on Cilea’s opera, with Daniel Harding leading the music-making excellently. 

Read the Gramophone review


Reissue/archive

Haydn. Schubert String Quartets 

Musical Art Quartet 

Biddulph 

A historic ensemble caught at a period of particular beauty, Rob Cowan is entranced by the Musical Art Quartet’s inner glow in this outstanding Biddulph set. 


Read the reviews of all of these albums – and many more – in the January 2023 issue of Gramophone. Never miss an issue of the world's leading classical music magazine – subscribe to Gramophone today

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