Oct 19, 2023 | Recording Reviews
The opera Interludes are atmospheric and somewhat edgy (appropriately) if a little contained, especially ‘Sunday Morning’ and ‘Storm’, neither of which ignite enough. The sound is good (September 2022 at Blackheath Halls) and in just balance...
Oct 13, 2023 | Outstanding [category w.e.f. January 2021], Recording Reviews
Captured in excellent sound, April & May 2021, in the twelve Études d’exécution transcendante Francesco Piemontesi offers amazing playing – embracing vivid characterisation and the sensitive etching of music that takes a pianist to Olympian virtuoso...
Oct 2, 2023 | Outstanding [category w.e.f. January 2021], Recording Reviews
This bumper Boult release finds Sir Adrian (1889-1983) during his ‘Indian summer’ period of concerts and recordings conducting some of his trademark composers and compositions with either the BBC Symphony Orchestra or the London Philharmonic – live...
Oct 1, 2023 | Recording Reviews
If I may quote Robert Louis Stevenson: “… to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive…”. I do so because this fourth instalment of Semyon Bychkov’s Czech Philharmonic Mahler cycle for Pentatone is excellent – atmospheric,...
Sep 29, 2023 | Outstanding [category w.e.f. January 2021], Recording Reviews
These composers are well-coupled united by the chameleon conducting of Gennadi Rozhdestvensky (1931-2018), first in the five orchestral movements from Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet (a Dramatic Symphony), given on April the First, 1981, in the Royal Albert Hall, not...
Sep 28, 2023 | Outstanding [category w.e.f. January 2021], Recording Reviews
Nocturnes and Barcarolles, a baker’s dozen of each genre courtesy of Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) – lyrical, elusive, transporting, emotional, tender – the Nocturnes have their Chopinesque moments without betraying the Frenchman’s identity,...
