Beethoven, Martinů and Stravinsky: the Orchestral shortlist

The 2012 Gramophone Awards take place this year on September 27, when we'll reveal the winning recordings in each category from which the Recording of the Year will be chosen.

Between now and the ceremony, we'll be publishing two Podcasts a week in which we'll discuss the three shortlisted discs in one of the categories with one of our critics, along with musical excerpts. We begin with Orchestral, and Rob Cowan and James Jolly discussing Riccardo Chailly's set of Beethoven symphonies with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Decca), Jiři Bělohlávek's set of Martinů symphonies with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (Onyx) and Iván Fischer's recording of Stravinsky orchestral works – including The Rite of Spring and the Firebird Suite – with the Budapest Festival Orchestra (Channel Classics).

You can stream the Podcast below, but to download our Podcasts - or to subscribe for free - visit our iTunes pages. By doing so, you'll automatically receive the Awards Podcasts as soon as they are published, as well as our usual monthly Podcasts – the latest one of which will be published in the next few days, featuring The Sixteen's founder-conductor Harry Christophers, pianist Khatia Buniatishvili, and an insight into life at Wells Cathedral School.