Mahler Symphony No 1

Adrian Leaper | Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra

This is a DDD recording offered at super-budget price, but even those who swear by that magic moniker should pause...

Reviewed in issue 11/1997

Schumann Song Cycles

If I wanted to recommend a version of these two cycles to a young, impecunious person just coming to Lieder,...

Reviewed by Alan Blyth in issue: 6/1994

Zemlinsky Lyric Symphony

Hans Graf | Houston Symphony Orchestra | Roman Trekel | Twyla Robinson

Recordings of Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony don’t always take the obvious step of adding the movements from Berg’s Lyric Suite, one...

Reviewed by Arnold Whittall in issue: 9/2009

Wilhelm Backhaus plays Brahms

Wilhelm Backhaus

During his long career Backhaus was always regarded as a solid, reliable pianist, but he lacked the interpretative insight possessed...

Reviewed in issue 3/1990

STRAUSS Josephslegende Op 63

Neeme Järvi | Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Strauss’s Josephslegende is a bit of a slog. An hour-long ballet, written for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and premiered in Paris...

Reviewed by Geoffrey Norris in issue: 08/2013

Mahler Symphony No 2, 'Resurrection'

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Berlin Radio Chorus | Kate Royal | Magdalena Kozená | Simon Rattle

The first movement was something of a sticking-point in Rattle’s CBSO recording of the piece and it’s still after all...

Reviewed by Edward Seckerson in issue: 3/2011

BARTÓK Piano Concertos (Pierre-Laurent Aimard)

Esa-Pekka Salonen | Pierre-Laurent Aimard | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra

In Pentatone’s accompanying notes Pierre-Laurent Aimard explains that he has ‘spent a lot of time with Hungarians and their country....

Reviewed by David Gutman in issue: 11/2023

Mozart Concert Arias - Te Kanawa

György Fischer | Kiri Te Kanawa | Rainer Küchl | Vienna Chamber Orchestra

Here we have something of a conundrum. In the digital re-mastering of an analogue recording, I feel that the Decca...

Reviewed by Alan Blyth in issue: 7/1984

WOLF Complete Songs Vol 3

Geraldine McGreevy | Mark Stone | Sholto Kynoch

The challenge with any Hugo Wolf collection is to be the vehicle of the songs, rather than the victim of...

Reviewed by David Patrick Stearns in issue: 09/2012

Mozart Piano Concertos Nos 20 & 27

This is Kissin’s first recording of K595 and his first as pianist/conductor. His view of Mozart is distinctly different from...

Reviewed by Jeremy Nicholas in issue: 9/2010