Jonathan Blumhofer
There have been lots of recordings of Philip Glass to hit the market recently. One of the highlights is Víkingur Ólafsson’s Piano Works.
This invigorating, sometimes unpredictable, Beethoven-heavy program certainly offered its share of athleticism and energy.
Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra serve up some curious and, from time to time, rather languorous Elgar.
“We thought, why don’t we hark back to earlier occasions which were equal parts socializing and entertainment?”
In the Piano Concerto, Ferruccio Busoni seemed to want to have the final word in the tradition of the Romantic concerto.
This was a stirring, thought-provoking, and, ultimately, moving reading of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony.
It was a treat to experience Philip Glass’s orchestral music live and in-person.
Front and center was Andris Nelsons, who, interpretively, seemed more than happy to try on a bunch of different hats.
Pianist Denis Kozhukhin does right by Brahms and an all-Saint-Saens disc that, at its best, is a winner.

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