François-Xavier Roth and his period ensemble Les Siècles serve up freshness of playing and conviction of interpretation; Manfred Honeck is a conductor who can draw compelling, electrifying accounts of the standard canon as if on cue; the verdict’s mixed on the music of Lithuanian-born composer Mikalojus Čiurlionis.
Ondine
Classical CD Reviews: James MacMillan’s Viola Concerto, Magnus Lindberg’s “Accused,” and Richard Rodney Bennett Orchestral Works
James MacMillan’s Viola Concert is a magnificent addition to the repertoire; the debut recording of Magnus Lindberg’s song cycle Accused leaves a bit to be desired; a fetching, brilliant gathering of orchestral music by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett.
Classical CD Reviews: Christian Tetzlaff plays Beethoven & Sibelius, Rachel Barton Pine takes on Dvorak & Khachaturian, and Wagner’s “Siegfried “
Christian Tetzlaff’s brilliant account of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto makes for a great album; Rachel Barton Pine’s versions of Dvorák and Khachaturian violin concertos are songful; orchestrally, Mark Elder and the Hallé Orchestra’s Sigfried is unfailingly colorful and fresh.
Classical CD Reviews: Music for Horn and Orchestra, Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto, and the Vienna Philharmonic’s 2019 New Year’s Concert
Markus Maskuniitty’s solo debut recording is stunning, Howard Shelley and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra play Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto with zest, and this is one of the strongestNew Year’s Concerts of the decade from the Vienna Philharmonic.
Classical CD Reviews: Gerstein plays Busoni, Josefowicz plays Zimmermann, and Vähälä plays Szymanowski
Pianist Kirill Gerstein’s take on Busoni is exhilarating; the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra serves the forceful music of composer Bernd Alois Zimmermann, and violinist Elina Vähälä does right by Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto.
Classical CD Reviews: Bavouzet plays Mozart, Lintu conducts Lutoslawski, and Morlot’s Berlioz Requiem
Pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet delivers some fine Mozart; conductor Hannu Lintu brings rhythmic energy and textural transparency to the music of Witold Lutoslawski; Ludovic Morlot and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra don’t do right by Berlioz.
Classical CD Reviews: Schumann’s Choral Music and Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang
Conductor Aapo Häkkinen explores Robert Schumann’s writing for chorus;Andrew Manze caps off his three-volume Mendelssohn symphony survey with a glorious performance of the oddball Symphony no. 2.
Classical CD Reviews: Lars Vogt plays Beethoven, James Ehnes plays Walton, Denis Kozhukhin plays Ravel & Gershwin, Francesca Dego plays Paganini & Wolf-Ferrari
Superb discs from pianist Lars Vogt, violinist Francesca Dego, pianist Denis Kozhukhin, and violinist James Ehnes on the viola.