The Best Classical Music Albums Of 2023

Monday, December 4, 2023

All of these outstanding classical albums were Editor's Choices in Gramophone magazine and are highly recommended. If you are searching for an inspirational new recording, look no further

best classical albums of 2023

In every issue of Gramophone, Editor Martin Cullingford chooses 10 new releases as his Editor's Choice selection. Below, you will find all of the albums selected as Editor's Choice in 2023 – so far.

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

debussy

Debussy Études. Pour le piano, etc

Steven Osborne pf

Hyperion

Steven Osborne brings extraordinary colour, characterisation and imagination to this album of Debussy’s works for solo piano, and the recorded sound is absolutely superb.

Read the review


mozart

Mozart Piano Concertos Nos 20 & 23

Charles Richard‑Hamelin pf Les Violons du Roy / Jonathan Cohen

Analekta

From the intense opening of No 20 to the joyful arrival of No 23, Charles Richard‑Hamelin and Jonathan Cohen form a compelling Mozart partnership.

Read the review


saint-saens

Saint-Saëns Symphonic Poems

Les Siècles / François‑Xavier Roth

Harmonia Mundi

The diversity of Saint-Saëns’s sound world is gloriously brought to life in a generous survey performed with elegance and insight by François-Xavier Roth and his superb ensemble Les Siècles.

Read the review


weinberg

Weinberg Symphony No 12

BBC Philharmonic / John Storgårds

Chandos

The ongoing reappraisal of Weinberg continues with this powerful recording by John Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic, one alert to his rich orchestral textures.

Read the review


brahms

Brahms Piano Trio No 1 Krenek Trio‑Fantasie

Feininger Trio

AVI-Music

Two early chamber works by two Viennese composers of different eras, Brahms and Krenek, beautifully played by the Feininger Trio simply embodying collaborative charm.

Read the review


sean shibe

‘Profesión’

Sean Shibe gtr

Pentatone

Sean Shibe once more offers audiences a breathtaking masterclass in tone, virtuosity, drama and delicacy as he presents an exquisite exploration of South American music, by Villa‑Lobos, Ginastera and Barrios.

Read the review


rachmaninov

Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No 1 (original version)

Lukas Geniušas pf

Alpha

Lukas Geniu≈as offers the original version of Rachmaninov’s First Sonata, recorded on the composer’s Steinway at his Lake Lucerne Villa: a valuable, and muscially rewarding, album.

Read the review


beethoven

Beethoven Missa solemnis

Sols; La Capella Nacional de Catalunya; Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall

Alia Vox

Jordi Savall draws on all his experience of Beethoven’s music to offer a Missa solemnis rich in dignity, drama and devotion.

Read the review


josquin

Josquin Motets & Chansons

Cut Circle / Jesse Rodin

Musique en Wallonie

This is gloriously invigorating early music singing from Cut Circle, a survey of music by Josquin presented with precision, personality, individuality and yet also an attractive sense of intimacy.

Read the review


pickard

Pickard Mass in Troubled Times

BBC Singers / Martyn Brabbins

BIS

Music by John Pickard spanning his career, the highlight the thought-provoking, ambitious Mass in Troubled Times, which you can hear Pickard discuss in a recent Gramophone Podcast.

Read the review


offenbach

Offenbach Le princesse de Trébizonde 

Sols; Opera Rara Chorus; London Philharmonic Orchestra / Paul Daniel

Opera Rara 

Offenbach’s opéra-bouffe brought wonderfully to life by an expert cast, conductor and players; another triumph for Opera Rara, the superb champion of lesser-known works.

Read the Gramophone review


brahms

Brahms Double Concerto 

Christian Tetzlaff vn Tanja Tetzlaff vc Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin / Paavo Järvi

Ondine 

A wonderfully played album, dedicated to Lars Vogt by friends and collaborators.

Read the Gramophone review


mahler

Mahler Symphony No 1 

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Semyon Bychkov 

Pentatone 

A highlight in an ongoing Mahler series from Semyon Bychkov, one beautifully played by the Czech Philharmonic, ever-alert to the music’s inner themes and voices. 

Read the Gramophone review


ravel

Ravel Daphnis et Chloé 

Sinfonia of London / John Wilson 

Chandos 

Can John Wilson do no wrong? From the initial and exhaustive study of the score, to the fine studio sound, this is hugely impressive recording from a stunning ensemble and conductor. 

Read the Gramophone review


respighi

Respighi Roman Trilogy 

Orchestra Nazionale Sinfonica della RAI / Robert Treviño 

Ondine 

This is an immensely enjoyable recording of Respighi’s ‘Roman Trilogy’, Robert Treviño capturing every element of the work’s intensity and atmosphere. 

Read the Gramophone review


weinberg

Weinberg Concertinos 

Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich / Daniel Grossmann 

Onyx 

A powerful performance from the Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich under Daniel Grossmann of Weinberg; a significant addition to the composer’s catalogue. 

Read the Gramophone review


Beethoven Piano Trios, Vol 2 

Sitkovetsky Trio 

BIS 

Two Beethoven trios brilliantly presented by the Sitkovetsky Trio: an excellent interpretation of an earlier work in the genre, and a tender, poetic performance of the magnificent Archduke. 

Read the Gramophone review


hommage

‘Hommage’ 

Sergio Tiempo pf and guests 

Avanti 

When Sergio Tiempo’s guests here include Mischa Maisky, Martha Argerich and Nelson Freire, you know you are in for a rather special album of collaborative music-making.

Read the Gramophone review


daser

Daser Missa Pater noster 

Cinquecento 

Hyperion 

An album of Ludwig Daser’s music won this year’s Early Award, and here’s a brilliant way to continue the journey of discovery into the composer’s work, with Cinquecento on excellent form.

Read the Gramophone review


luzzaschi

Luzzaschi Il concerto segreto 

La Néréide 

Ricercar 

This is superb singing from La Néréide, a young ensemble of three wonderfully matched artists, who bring a haunting beauty to the music of Italian Renaissance composer Luzzasco Luzzaschi.

Read the Gramophone review


Monteverdi Vespro della Beata Vergine

Pygmalion / Raphaël Pichon 

Harmonia Mundi 

‘Gripping … impactful … bursting with energy and passion’ – the words of critic Edward Breen perfectly encapsulate this riveting performance of the Monteverdi Vespers from Raphaël Pichon. 

Read the Gramophone review


Bartók Concerto for Orchestra. Viola Concerto 

Amihai Grosz va Orchestre National de Lille / Alexandre Bloch

Alpha 

Alexandre Bloch and his Lille players offer a brilliant Bartók pairing, revealing their shared vision and cohesion as collaborators.

Read the Gramophone review


Mozart Piano Concertos Nos 9 (‘Jeunehomme’) & 24 

Paris Chamber Orchestra / Lars Vogt pf

Ondine 

A wonderful Mozart concertos album from the late Lars Vogt – a moving tribute to the joy and love he brought to music-making.

Read the Gramophone review


Dvořák Complete Piano Trios 

Veronika Jarůšková vn Peter Jarůšek vc Boris Giltburg pf

Supraphon 

Chamber music-making at its finest - these Dvořák trios burst with the energy and spirit that makes such shared performance a pleasure to hear and, it sounds, to play too! 

Read the Gramophone review


Liszt Études d’exécution transcendante 

Haochen Zhang pf

BIS 

A kaleidoscopic range of tone, virtuosity placed at the service of an exploratory interpretation, Haochen Zhang’s Transcendental Études are a supreme achievement. 

Read the Gramophone review


‘Baroque’ 

Miloš Karadaglić gtr

Sony Classical 

Miloš brings a beautiful sense of searching and reflection to this music of the Baroque – whether Bach or Boccherini, Vivaldi or Weiss – throughout a thoughtfully chosen, wonderfully personal programme.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Fantasia’ 

Igor Levit pf

Sony Classical 

Every work, every bar, from the tenderest Bach to the mightiest Liszt, feels so deeply, so carefully considered – another compelling triumph from Igor Levit, one of our era’s most thought-provoking virtuosos.  

Read the Gramophone review


Hough Missa mirabilis 

London Choral Sinfonia / Michael Waldron 

Orchid 

The range and reflectiveness, the spirituality and humanity of Stephen Hough’s choral music is wonderful explored on this beautifully performed collection. 

Read the Gramophone review


Puccini ‘The Great Puccini’ 

Jonathan Tetelman ten PKF Prague Philharmonia / Carlo Rizzi

DG 

‘The Great Puccini’ from, it’s quickly clear, a great Puccinian – his beauty of tone is paired by an instinctive sense of drama.

Read the Gramophone review


Purcell Dido and Aeneas 

Sols; La Nuova Musica / David Bates 

Pentatone 

David Bates offers superbly engaging playing from La Nuova Musica plus a luxurious cast of soloists for a theatrically thrilling performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.

Read the Gramophone review


Parry

Parry Scenes from Prometheus Unbound. Blest Pair of Sirens 

Sarah Fox, Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, Crouch End Festival Chorus, London Mozart Players / William Vann

Chandos 

Parry’s compelling response to Shelley’s lyrical drama is given a superb performance of real conviction, conducted by William Vann and with a line-up of starry soloists.

Read the review


Fuchs ‘Orchestral Works, Vol 1’

Fuchs ‘Orchestral Works, Vol 1’ 

Sinfonia of London / John Wilson 

Chandos 

The ever-excellent Sinfonia of London turn their virtuosity to new music, and to richly scored, beautifully crafted works by Kenneth Fuchs – all captured in super-stylish Chandos sound.

Read the review


Liszt Eine Faust-Symphonie

Liszt Eine Faust-Symphonie 

Staatskapelle Weimar / Kirill Karabits 

Audite 

The atmosphere and unfolding narrative of Liszt’s epic choral symphony are wonderfully and vividly presented here by Krill Karabits and his excellent Weimar musicians. 

Read the review


‘From Mannheim to Berlin’

‘From Mannheim to Berlin’ 

Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde vc picc

Challenge Classics 

A fabulously enjoyable opportunity to enjoy the unique sound of the violoncello piccolo, an instrument Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde clearly understands intimately and relishes. 

Read the review


‘Infinite Voyage’

‘Infinite Voyage’ 

Emerson Quartet 

Alpha 

What a thought-provoking way to crown 40 years of excellence: joined by Barbara Hannigan and Bertrand Chamayou as guests, the Emersons sound as vital at the end as they did the start of their acclaimed career. 

Read the review


Fauré Complete Barcarolles and Nocturnes

Fauré Complete Barcarolles and Nocturnes 

Marc-André Hamelin pf

Hyperion 

Hamelin’s survey of Fauré’s complete Barcarolles and Nocturnes allows us to hear and investigate these fascinating works in the most impressive pianism imaginable.

Read the review


Rodgers Oklahoma!

Rodgers Oklahoma! 

Sinfonia of London / John Wilson 

Chandos 

John Wilson’s second appearance this month: Oklahoma! presented in full, and every single second infused with immense care, love and belief in its place as a pivotal 20th-century work. 

Read the review


Schubert Die schöne Müllerin

Schubert Die schöne Müllerin 

Konstantin Krimmel bar Daniel Heide pf

Alpha 

Konstantin Krimmel’s poetically evocative voice powerfully conveys his interpretation of Schubert’s tragic cycle, pianist Daniel Heide matching his compelling vision perfectly. 

Read the review


‘Sirens’ Song’

‘Sirens’ Song’ 

The Sixteen / Harry Christophers 

Coro 

One of this country’s finest choral ensembles brings us a collection of mostly a cappella, mostly 20th-century, British song. Another beautiful addition to The Sixteen’s ever-impressive catalogue. 

Read the review


‘You did not want for joy’

‘You did not want for joy’ 

Carolyn Sampson sop Matthew Wadsworth lute/theorbo

Deux-Elles 

These superb performers take music – and song styles – that span almost the entirety of classical music history and tie it together in a perfect, and perfectly beautiful, recital.

Read the review


tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky Symphony No 5 Schulhoff Five Pieces 

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra / Manfred Honeck

Reference Recordings 

I’ve come to expect excellence, in thrilling sound, from all new albums by Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh SO – this Tchaikovsky and Schulhoff recording is no exception.

Read the Gramophone review


walton 

Walton Violin Concerto Respighi Violin Sonata

Liya Petrova vn Adam Laloum pf Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Duncan Ward

Mirare

A lyrical coupling of Walton and Respighi further adds to this violinist’s reputation.

Read the Gramophone review


Schmittbaur Symphonies

Schmittbaur Symphonies

L’Arte del Mondo / Werner Ehrhardt 

DHM 

New music to me, but what a glorious discovery – the 18th-century composer Schmittbaur couldn’t ask for better advocacy than from Werner Ehrhardt and L’Arte del Mondo. 

Read the Gramophone review


Mozart Violin Sonatas

Mozart Violin Sonatas

Renaud Capuçon vn Kit Armstrong pf

DG 

A very stylish album this, Renaud Capuc¸on and Kit Armstrong clearly relishing Mozart’s music and conveying their own joy in completely compelling performances.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Mythes’

‘Mythes’

James Ehnes vn Andrew Armstrong pf

Onyx 

No stranger to this page, violinist James Ehnes together with pianist Andrew Armstrong here offer us an intriguing programme as musically wide-ranging as it is beautifully performed and recorded. 

Read the Gramophone review


voyager

‘Voyager’ 

Munich Opera Horns 

BSO Recordings 

The in-house label of the Bayerisches Staatsorchester has not rested on its laurels (three Gramophone Awards in its inaugural year), but continues to expand and explore; this album from the Munich Opera Horns is captivating.

Read the Gramophone review


Liszt Études d’exécution transcendante

Liszt Études d’exécution transcendante 

Yunchan Lim pf

Steinway & Sons 

Nobody who watched Yunchan Lim win the Van Cliburn competition will forget his awe-inspiring playing – this recording of the 12 Transcendental Studies is remarkable. 

Read the Gramophone review


‘The Verbier Festival Debut Recital 2008’

‘The Verbier Festival Debut Recital 2008’ 

Yuja Wang pf

DG 

With her 2008 Verbier Festival debut, aged just 21, this month’s cover star Yuja Wang truly made a mark – now available as a DG online album, it really is a recital to remember.

Read the Gramophone review


Liszt Orchestral Songs

Liszt Orchestral Songs 

Sols incl Thomas Hampson bar Vienna Academy Orchestra / Martin Haselböck

Aparté 

These orchestral versions of Liszt’s songs – including arrangements of Schubert – make for a fascinating, even revelatory, release.

Read the Gramophone review


Saariaho Choral Works

Saariaho Choral Works 

Helsinki Chamber Choir / Nils Schweckendiek 

BIS 

With the recent death of Kaija Saariaho the modern music world lost an inspirational and ever-inventive figure – this album of her vocal pieces makes for a poignant tribute. 

Read the Gramophone review


Ysaye

Ysaÿe Six Solo Violin Sonatas 

Hilary Hahn vn 

DG 

An artist of intense virtuosity meets repertoire which pushes the violin to its communicative limits: Hilary Hahn’s album of Ysaÿe sonatas is an extraordinary achievement. 

Read the Gramophone review


Bruckner Symphony No 7

Bruckner Symphony No 7 

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra / Lahav Shani 

Warner Classics 

From his vision of this magisterial symphony to the orchestral sound world he draws from the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Lahav Shani’s Bruckner 7 is an impressive release indeed. 

Read the Gramophone review


Rachmaninov Symphonies Nos 2 & 3

Rachmaninov Symphonies Nos 2 & 3 

The Philadelphia Orchestra / Yannick Nézet-Séguin 

DG 

The links between Rachmaninov’s music and the Philadelphia Orchestra were clear in the cycle’s riveting first set from 2021; the spirit of excellence is just as alive here. 

Read the Gramophone review


Sancan ‘A Musical Tribute’

Sancan ‘A Musical Tribute’ 

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet pf BBC Philharmonic / Yan Pascal Tortelier

Chandos 

This little-heard music is given sparkling advocacy by one of the composer’s pupils, the brilliant Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, superbly partnered by the BBC Philharmonic.

Read the Gramophone review


Vaughan Williams Job: A Masque for Dancing

Vaughan Williams Job: A Masque for Dancing

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Andrew Manze 

Onyx 

The textural detail from Andrew Manze and the RLPO in this Vaughan Williams album is compelling and beautiful. 

Read the Gramophone review


Reich Music for 18 Musicians

Reich Music for 18 Musicians 

Synergy Vocals; Colin Currie Group 

Colin Currie Records 

The extraordinary control that Steve Reich’s fascinating work requires is matched by exquisite musicality from Colin Currie and colleagues – the result is a sublime and reflective recording.  

Read the Gramophone review


Ligeti Complete Études

Ligeti Complete Études

Han Chen pf 

Naxos 

The superb pianist Han Chen draws on an equal affinity with Romantic and contemporary repertoire to bring us a survey of Ligeti’s Études which, writes reviewer Jed Distler, stands among the best.

Read the Gramophone review


Schubert Piano Sonatas Nos 4 & 20 Schoenberg Drei Klavierstücke

Schubert Piano Sonatas Nos 4 & 20 Schoenberg Drei Klavierstücke 

Can Çakmur pf 

BIS 

A masterly and moving pair of Schubert sonatas from Can Çakmur, with an attractive attention to colour; in between comes equally inspiring Schoenberg. 

Read the Gramophone review


Vinders Masses

Vinders Masses 

The Choir of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge / David Skinner 

Inventa 

This rare advocacy of 16th-century Jheronimus Vinders’s music from the Choir of Sidney Sussex College under David Skinner is fascinating and enjoyable.

Read the Gramophone review


Ravel L’heure espagnole. Boléro

Ravel L’heure espagnole. Boléro 

Sols; Les Siècles / François-Xavier Roth 

Harmonia Mundi 

Everything that François-Xavier Roth and his superb Les Siècles musicians turn their hands to seems to emerge as riveting and revelatory, and this Ravel recording is no exception. 

Read the Gramophone review


Handel Serse

Handel Serse 

Sols; The English Concert / Harry Bicket 

Linn 

Highly engaging from the famous first aria onwards, this account of Serse – with a superb set of soloists led by Emily D’Angelo in the title role, all perfectly shaped by Harry Bicket – is a triumph. 

Read the review


Bacewicz Concertos for One and Two Pianos

Bacewicz Concertos for One and Two Pianos 

Peter Jablonski, Elisabeth Brauss pfs Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Nicholas Collon

Ondine 

An excellent collection of Bacewicz’s works, from committed advocates of her music. 

Read the review


Beethoven Piano Concertos   Garrick Ohlsson

Beethoven Piano Concertos 

Garrick Ohlsson pf Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra / Sir Donald Runnicles

Reference Recordings 

We explored the background to these Beethoven concertos in May – the rapport between its artists is wonderful to hear. 

Read the review


Britten. Bruch Violin Concertos   Kerson Leong

Britten. Bruch Violin Concertos 

Kerson Leong vn Philharmonia Orchestra / Patrick Hahn

Alpha 

Excellent Bruch is coupled with a truly impressive account of Britten’s Concerto, Kerson Leong exploring its paths and power with sheer panache.

Read the review


Franck. Martin Piano Quintets   Martin Klett

Franck. Martin Piano Quintets 

Martin Klett pf Armida Quartet

AVI-Music 

There’s a strong sense of composed control from the Armida Quartet and Martin Klett here, two different works receiving fascinating and thoughtful interpretations. 

Read the review


‘Piers Lane goes to Town Again’

‘Piers Lane goes to Town Again’ 

Piers Lane pf

Hyperion 

This return visit to a fascinating area of repertoire by a pianist, Piers Lane, who clearly loves and excels in it, gets an enthusiastic recommendation from our reviewer Jeremy Nicholas. 

Read the review


Bruckner Motets   St Albans Cathedral Choir

Bruckner Motets 

St Albans Cathedral Choir / Andrew Lucas 

First Hand 

Bruckner’s Motets require a choir on top form – combining tonal beauty and sheer stamina, as reviewer Malcolm Riley puts it – and a conductor of impeccable insight, both of which they receive here.

Read the review


Chesnokov All-Night Vigil   St John’s Voices

Chesnokov All-Night Vigil 

St John’s Voices / Graham Walker 

Naxos 

This survey of music by the prolific Russian choral composer Pavel Chesnokov – the first full album of his music by an English choir – is rich in spiritual drama and gloriously recorded. 

Read the review


Sørensen St Matthew Passion   The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir

Sørensen St Matthew Passion 

The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir / Grete Pedersen 

BIS 

Bent Sørensen’s work is a powerfully crafted portrayal of the Passion’s relationship between suffering and love, exquisitely performed by the superb Norwegian Soloists’ Choir.

Read the review


‘Drop not, mine eyes’

‘Drop not, mine eyes’ 

Alexander Chance counterten Toby Carr lute

Linn 

The countertenor Alexander Chance recently joined the Gramophone Podcast to discuss this album – in his voice, these centuries old songs speak afresh to modern audiences. 

Read the review


Barockrequiem

Ein Deutsches Barockrequiem

Vox Luminis / Lionel Meunier 

Ricercar 

The new project from Vox Luminis (Recording of the Year winners in 2012) takes the texts used by Johannes Brahms in A German Requiem as the inspiration for a new Baroque journey.

Read the Gramophone review


Bruch. Price Violin Concertos

Bruch. Price Violin Concertos 

Randall Goosby vn Philadelphia Orchestra / Yannick Nézet‑Séguin

Decca Classics

Randall Goosby follows his 2021 debut ‘Roots’ with this impressive advocacy for Florence Price’s two violin concertos, alongside the more familiar one by Bruch.

Read the Gramophone review


Mahler Symphony No 5

Mahler Symphony No 5 

Montreal Symphony Orchestra / Rafael Payare 

Pentatone 

Rafael Payare and his Montreal Symphony players offer a reading of Mahler’s Fifth of intensity and rich orchestral exploration, a real marker in their ongoing partnership.

Read the Gramophone review


Schreker Orchestral Works

Schreker Orchestral Works

Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra / Christoph Eschenbach 

DG 

A ‘meticulously prepared and wonderfully idiomatic’ survey of Schreker works spanning the composer’s career, thoroughly recommended by critic Christian Hoskins.

Read the Gramophone review


Grime. Newland. Turnage ‘Bracing Change 2’

Grime. Newland. Turnage ‘Bracing Change 2’ 

Bozzini, Heath & Piatti Quartets 

NMC 

The NMC label offers us another superb insight into contemporary quartet-writing – three composers, three ensembles, and three compelling performances. 

Read the Gramophone review


‘Im Freien’

‘Im Freien’ 

Zlata Chochieva pf 

Naïve 

Zlata Chochieva beautifully inhabits these composer’s very different sound worlds – including superb interpretations of Schumann’s Waldszenen and Ravel’s Miroirs – with pianism of elegance, insight and virtuosity.

Read the Gramophone review


Byrd Songs of Sundrie Natures

Byrd 1589 – Songs of Sundrie Natures 

Alamire; Fretwork / David Skinner 

Inventa 

Byrd’s complete Songs of Sundrie Natures of 1589 in hugely impressive performances by Alamire and David Skinner, joined by Fretwork – a superb Byrd anniversary release.

Read the Gramophone review


Obrecht Missa Maria zart

Obrecht Missa Maria zart 

Cappella Pratensis / Stratton Bull 

Challenge Classics 

We delved into the story behind this recording – and indeed the work itself, a Renaissance masterpiece of remarkable length – last month; the result is just as wonderful as we hoped. 

Read the Gramophone review


Schubert ‘Elysium’

Schubert ‘Elysium’ 

Carolyn Sampson sop Joseph Middleton pf

BIS 

Soprano Carolyn Sampson, pianist Joseph Middleton, Schubert songs: this album may be self-recommending on those facts alone, and to hear it is indeed to experience exquisite music-making. 

Read the Gramophone review


Stanford Requiem

Stanford Requiem 

Sols; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Martyn Brabbins

Hyperion 

In this outstanding performance of a rarely heard choral work by Stanford, Martyn Brabbins guides the musicians with sensitivity and affection in a beautifully judged account. 

Read the Gramophone review


Gesualdo Madrigals, Books 5 & 6   Les Arts Florissants / Paul Agnew

Gesualdo Madrigals, Books 5 & 6 

Les Arts Florissants / Paul Agnew 

Harmonia Mundi 

The gripping acoustic intimacy that defined this series from its Award‑winning start is again here in another compelling Gesualdo recording from Les Arts Florissansts.

Read the Gramophone review


Bruckner Symphony No 4, ‘Romantic’   Cologne Gürzenich Orchestra / François‑Xavier Roth

Bruckner Symphony No 4, ‘Romantic’ 

Cologne Gürzenich Orchestra / François‑Xavier Roth 

Myrios 

‘The best-realised, and best-recorded, account of the original version of the Fourth we have yet had’, writes a hugely impressed Richard Osborne. 

Read the Gramophone review


Nordheim The Tempest – Suite from the Ballet

Nordheim The Tempest – Suite from the Ballet 

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Gardner 

LAWO 

The suite from Arne Nordheim’s ballet The Tempest is beautifully performed by Edward Gardner and his Bergen PO.

Read the Gramophone review


Stravinsky The Firebird. The Rite of Spring

Stravinsky The Firebird. The Rite of Spring 

Orchestre de Paris / Klaus Mäkelä 

Decca 

Named last issue as one of our artists shaping music-making for tomorrow, Klaus Mäkelä follows his superb Sibelius set with a riveting Stravinsky double-bill.

Read the Gramophone review

Klaus Mäkelä discusses this new recording on the Gramophone Podcast – listen here:

 


Saint‑Saëns Violin Sonatas

Saint‑Saëns Violin Sonatas, etc 

Cecilia Zilliacus vn Christian Ihle Hadland pf Stephen Fitzpatrick hp

BIS 

Wonderfully vivid, alive and completely committed – but most importantly beautiful – Saint-Saëns performances from violinist Cecilia Zilliacus and colleagues. 

Read the Gramophone review


‘The Handel Project’

‘The Handel Project’ 

Seong-Jin Cho pf

DG 

Seong-Jin Cho’s immersion in the sound world of the Baroque in preparation for this project leads him to Handel – and then Brahms – performances that feel as deeply thought-out as they do instinctive.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Gradus ad Parnassum’

‘Gradus ad Parnassum’ 

Jean Rondeau hpd

Erato 

A fascinating and wonderfully recorded harpsichord album from Jean Rondeau in which his complete conviction about his approach to this wide range of music brings enjoyment and admiration alike. 

Read the Gramophone review


JS Bach ‘Trinitatis’ – Cantatas

JS Bach ‘Trinitatis’ – Cantatas 

Damien Guillon counterten Le Banquet Céleste

Alpha 

Deeply engaging and moving performances of three Bach cantatas result in ‘an exceptional and original release’, as Jonathan Freeman‑Attwood puts it.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Magnificat 3’

‘Magnificat 3’ 

The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge / Andrew Nethsingha 

Signum 

This ongoing series has not only been a beautifully prepared and sung tribute to the Anglican canticle tradition, but also to Andrew Nethsingha’s brilliant leadership of music st St John’s.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Contra-Tenor’

‘Contra-Tenor’ 

Michael Spyres ten Il Pomo d’Oro / Francesco Corti

Erato 

Michael Spyres’s now famous range coupled with his superb sense of drama and glorious technique singles him out – once again – as one of the finest opera singers before us today. 

Read the Gramophone review


Mozart String Quintets Nos 3 & 4

Ébène Quartet with Antoine Tamestit va (Erato)

This is extraordinary playing from Quatuor Ébène, joined by viola player Antoine Tamestit, and offered in showcase sound. Vividness, transparency and virtuosity are all here in abundance.

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Kapustin Piano Concerto No 5, etc

Frank Dupree pf Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra / Dominik Beykirch (Capriccio)

Frank Dupree’s mission to promote the jazz-infused music of Nikolai Kapustin continues with this glorious album.

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Stravinsky Violin Concerto, etc

Isabelle Faust vn Les Siècles / François‑Xavier Roth (Harmonia Mundi)

Isabelle Faust, who always leaves us hearing even familiar works as if freshly discovered, joins forces with a conductor whose mission could be defined in exactly the same way.

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Busch Chamber Works

Dimitri Vecchi fl Sarastro Quartet (CPO)

An enticing insight into the mind of a great interpreter, as Peter Quantrill puts it, one that rewards repeated listening, not least in these first-class performances by the Sarastro Quartet.

Read the Gramophone review


JS Bach ‘Clavichord’

András Schiff clav (ECM New Series)

The case is made both academically, but even more significantly musically, for the use of clavichord in this repertoire. The modern replica instrument sounds splendid, and András Schiff’s playing is revelatory.

Read the Gramophone review


Brahms. C & R Schumann Piano Works

Benjamin Grosvenor pf (Decca)

Benjamin Grosvenor, who has long consolidated his place as one our age’s finest pianists, explores this music’s inwardness in particular with colour and elegance.

Read the Gramophone review


Chopin Piano Sonatas Nos 2 & 3

Rafał Blechacz pf (DG)

It was in Chopin that Rafał Blechacz first made his name, and nearly two decades on his continued immersion in this music is our gain; his interpretative decisions are completely convincing.

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Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet, etc

Yevgeny & Bella Sudbin pf (BIS)

Yevgeny Sudbin’s performances – and his arrangements too – are full of spirit, colour and delight; his ability to recreate and relish orchestral textures make for a truly splendid album.

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‘Sola’ Music for Viola by Women Composers

Rosalind Ventris va (Delphian)

A journey through solo viola repertoire by women composers, performed with a commitment and depth of expression by Rosalind Ventris that’s absolutely compelling from first note to last.

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‘Traces’

Sansara / Tom Herring (Platoon)

A powerful programme of thought-provoking works, both timely and timeless, the impeccable performances by Sansara drawing us in and holding us throughout the deeply reflective journey.

Read the Gramophone review


Puccini Turandot 

Sols; Chorus and Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome / Antonio Pappano Warner Classics 

The great anticipation about this project has been happily fulfilled – superb soloists and inspired conducting by a brilliant Puccinian, Antonio Pappano, makes this an operatic success story.

Read the Gramophone review


Bartók Dance Suite. The Wooden Prince 

WDR Symphony Orchestra / Cristian Măcelaru Linn 

Christian Măcelaru and his WDR Symphony players capture Bartók’s sound world and the narrative’s journey splendidly: a terrific album indeed.

Read the Gramophone review


Nielsen Symphonies Nos 2 & 6 

Danish National Symphony Orchestra / Fabio Luisi DG 

Last month’s review of this series’s earlier instalments was a rave, and with this release of Symphonies Nos 2 and 6 Luisi brings to a close a thrilling new benchmark cycle.  

Read the Gramophone review


‘Music for Strings’ 

Sinfonia of London / John Wilson Chandos 

Praise for John Wilson’s Sinfonia of London will be nothing new to readers: the strength and beauty of the strings and Wilson’s instinct for ensemble makes for another triumph.

Read the Gramophone review


JS Bach ‘The Well-Tempered Consort, Vol 3’ 

Phantasm Linn 

A wonderful and stylishly played release from Phantasm, the third and final instalment of their enlightening albums featuring Bach arrangements for viol consort.

Read the Gramophone review


Henselt Complete Études 

Daniel Grimwood pf Edition Peters 

As Jeremy Nicholas outlines in his review, Henselt’s place in piano’s history is not reflected in recordings, something Daniel Grimwood sets out to challenge here: instant classic status, is JN’s verdict.

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Rachmaninov Études‑tableaux 

Nikolai Lugansky pf Harmonia Mundi 

Nikolai Lugansky’s Rachmaninov recordings span his career, and his innate feeling for the composer superbly realised in the complete Études-tableaux, a truly impressive contribution to the catalogue.

Read the Gramophone review


Byrd ‘The Golden Renaissance’ 

Stile Antico Decca 

Stile Antico begin the Byrd anniversary year in typically impressive style – an album which well captures their impeccable but characterful collegiality, and their glorious sense of sonic space. 

Read the Gramophone review


‘Schubert Revisited’ 

Matthias Goerne bar Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen DG 

Schubert songs in orchestral form, and when sung exquisitely by Matthias Goerne they lose none of their emotional intimacy. 

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‘Voyage intime’ 

Sandrine Piau sop David Kadouch pf Alpha 

A philosophical, emotional and geographic journey told through a superb selection of songs; Sandrine Piau is a profoundly poetic guide, David Kadouch her perfect travelling companion.

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‘Toutes les nuits’ 

Dulces Exuviae Ricercar 

This is a beautiful album, programmed with great care, deeply atmospheric, and performed with a moving and sensitive emotional depth by baritone Romain Bockler and lutenist Bor Zuljan.

Read the Gramophone review


Elgar Viola (Cello) Concerto Bloch Suite 

Timothy Ridout va BBC Symphony Orchestra / Martyn Brabbins Harmonia Mundi 

Both works here draw out superb and intuitive performances from viola player Timothy Ridout and orchestral colleagues.

Read the Gramophone review


Kalabis. Krása. Martinů Harpsichord Concertos 

Mahan Esfahani hpd Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra / Alexander Liebreich Hyperion 

Another triumph from the ever-exploratory and brilliantly virtuosic Mahan Esfahani. 

Read the Gramophone review


Nielsen Symphonies Nos 4 & 5 

Danish National Symphony Orchestra / Fabio Luisi DG 

This is truly thrilling Nielsen playing – equally so in Nos 1 and 3, also reviewed this issue – from a conductor, Fabio Luisi, and ensemble who clearly adore this music.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Les nuits de Paris’ 

Les Siècles / François‑Xavier Roth Bru Zane 

Settle down for a delightful journey of discovery through lesser-known French dance music, from the ever-impeccable musical forces of François‑Xavier Roth and his period-instrument Les Siècles.

Read the Gramophone review


Bartók. Brahms. Janáček Violin Sonatas 

Patricia Kopatchinskaja vn Fazıl Say pf Alpha 

Here is music-making every bit as striking and individual and as we’d expect from such probing artists as Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Fazıl Say. 

Read the Gramophone review


Marais Pièces de viole 

Jean-Guihen Queyras vc Alexandre Tharaud pf Harmonia Mundi 

Marais on cello and modern piano might be unexpected, but in the hands of Jean-Guihen Queyras and Alexandre Tharaud the experience proves to be compellingly beautiful. 

Read the Gramophone review


Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos 30‑32

Anne Queffélec pf Mirare 

Drawing on decades of wisdom, Anne Queffélec offers us an album of Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas rich in imaginative personality and spiritual depth, and reflecting a clear joy in this timeless music. 

Read the Gramophone review


Schumann Piano Works 

Fabrizio Chiovetta pf Aparté 

‘Strikingly original and yet perfectly idiomatic’, writes Patrick Rucker in praise of this splendid recital of well-known Schumann works by Fabrizio Chiovetta, lyricism and virtuosity in equal balance. 

Read the Gramophone review


Poulenc La voix humaine 

Véronique Gens sop Orchestre National de Lille / Alexandre Bloch Alpha 

This is a really extraordinary performance of Poulenc’s devastating solo opera, Véronique Gens bringing both musical and dramatic perfection to the role.

Read the Gramophone review


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

 


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