From a bumper crop of April-reviewed releases that made for Outstanding listening…
Hyperion scores a hat-trick with Stephen Hough’s Schubert, http://www.colinscolumn.com/stephen-hough-records-schubert-piano-sonatas-in-a-d664-in-g-d894-for-hyperion/, Piano Trios by Bargiel that proved ripe for discovery, http://www.colinscolumn.com/leonore-piano-trio-record-music-by-woldemar-bargiel-for-hyperion/, and Steven Osborne’s revelatory Rachmaninov, http://www.colinscolumn.com/released-today-april-29-steven-osborne-records-rachmaninov-incl-sonata-1-for-hyperion/.
Turning to the violin, there’s Johan Dalene’s versions of the Concertos by Nielsen and Sibelius, http://www.colinscolumn.com/johan-dalene-records-the-violin-concertos-by-nielsen-and-sibelius-for-bis-with-the-royal-stockholm-philharmonic-john-storgards/, and mention of Sibelius cues Vaughan Williams’s Fifth Symphony (dedicated to the Finn), in an altogether special performance conducted by Sir Adrian Boult unearthed from the Proms, http://www.colinscolumn.com/ica-classics-issues-sir-adrian-boult-conducting-vaughan-williamss-fifth-sixth-symphonies-from-bbc-proms-in-1972-1975/.
The Fourth suggests that Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic’s Mahler Symphony Cycle for Pentatone should be worth pursuing, http://www.colinscolumn.com/column-post-4000-released-today-april-8-semyon-bychkov-the-czech-philharmonic-with-chen-reiss-record-mahlers-fourth-symphony-for-pentatone/, but – playing Fantasy Desert Island Discs – if I had choose just one release from April’s menu it would be [pictured] Susanna Mälkki’s stunning Bartók disc from Helsinki, http://www.colinscolumn.com/susanna-malkki-helsinki-philharmonic-record-bartok-mspc-concerto-for-orchestra-for-bis/, which I suggest is mandatory for anyone who cares about this music no matter how many CDs/LPs/downloads of these scores you already have.