Classical Reviews
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La damnation de Faust from John Nelson
22nd Nov 2019
Starring Michael Spyres and Joyce DiDonato, this live recording of Berlioz's légende dramatique from Strasbourg is a worthy successor to the American conductor's hugely acclaimed Les Troyens from 2017.
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La Serenissima's The Godfather
15th Nov 2019
La Serenissima explore the network of friendships and collaborations that helped bring together German and Italian styles during the Baroque, with concertos by Telemann, Pisendel, Brescianello and others.
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Bliss from Sarah Connolly, Sir Andrew Davis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra
8th Nov 2019
Davis continues his advocacy for the English composer with three relatively late works - the dramatic scena The Enchantress (written for Kathleen Ferrier), the Meditations on a Theme by John Blow, and the 1963 cantata Mary of Magdala.
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Shostakovich from the Pavel Haas Quartet
1st Nov 2019
The serial award-winners surpass even their own high standards with searing accounts of the Second, Seventh and Eighth String Quartets on Supraphon.
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Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 2, 7 and 8
Pavel Haas Quartet
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Purcell's King Arthur from Gabrieli and Paul McCreesh
25th Oct 2019
Paul McCreesh and Gabrieli give a sparkling performance of Purcell's patriotic extravaganza, from a new edition prepared by Christopher Suckling.
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Chamber music by Mieczysław Weinberg
18th Oct 2019
Gidon Kremer and friends perform three pieces of chamber music by the Polish-born Soviet composer, including an outstanding account of the Piano Trio.
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Jonas Kaufmann in Vienna
11th Oct 2019
The German tenor sings the praises of the Austrian capital in a sumptuously-performed collection of operetta favourites and popular songs with a sting in its tail.
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Handel's Brockes-Passion from Richard Egarr and the Academy of Ancient Music
4th Oct 2019
Using a new performing edition by oboist Leo Duarte, the Academy of Ancient Music and some exceptional young soloists make a compelling case for Handel's visceral 'Passion-Oratorio' on the 300th anniversary of its premiere.
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Ethel Smyth's Mass in D from Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra
27th Sep 2019
Sakari Oramo conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a magnificent performance of Dame Ethel Smyth's Mass in D and overture to The Wreckers.
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Schumann from John Eliot Gardiner and the LSO
20th Sep 2019
The London Symphony Orchestra and Sir John Eliot Gardiner begin their Schumann cycle with exhilarating, agile performances of the Second and Fourth symphonies.
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Soirée from Magdalena Kožená and friends
13th Sep 2019
The Czech mezzo is joined by her husband and assorted colleagues for a programme of songs for voice and chamber ensemble by Ravel, Brahms, Stravinsky, Chausson, Strauss, Dvořák and Janáček.
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Works by Richard Strauss from Riccardo Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra
6th Sep 2019
Riccardo Chailly conducts the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in thrillingly-detailed and impassioned performances of four orchestral works by Richard Strauss.
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John Wilson conducts Korngold's Symphony in F sharp
30th Aug 2019
John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London show their impressive credentials when it comes to the music of Korngold, with a thrillingly-performed account of the Symphony in F sharp.
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Winterreise from Ian Bostridge and Thomas Adès
23rd Aug 2019
Fifteen years on from his first audio recording of the work, the British tenor retraces Schubert’s 'Winter Journey' with a new companion in an unsettling, unsentimentalised interpretation that’s underpinned by years of scholarship on both sides.
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Stanford Ceremonial Works from Howard Shelley and the Ulster Orchestra
16th Aug 2019
Pomp and circumstance aplenty in A Song of Agincourt and the 'Solemn March and Heroic Epilogue' Verdun, and ethereal magic from the ladies of Codetta chamber choir in Fairy Day.
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Cecilia Bartoli sparkles as Rossini's 'Italiana in Algeri'
9th Aug 2019
The Roman mezzo makes her role-debut as the feisty feminist Isabella in Rossini's culture-clash comedy, filmed last year at the Salzburg Festival and directed by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier.
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Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri (DVD)
Cecilia Bartoli (Isabella), Edgardo Rocha (Lindoro), Ildar Abdrazakov (Mustafà), Alessandro Corbelli (Taddeo), Rebeca Olvera (Elvira), Rosa Bove (Zulma), José Coca Loza (Haly) Ensemble Matheus, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Moshe Leiser & Patrice Caurier
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Mahan Esfahani plays Bach Toccatas
2nd Aug 2019
David enjoys Mahan Esfahani's exhilarating recording of Bach's seven keyboard toccatas, BWV910-916.
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JS Bach: The Toccatas
Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord)
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Handel's Concerti Grossi Op. 6 from the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
26th Jul 2019
David enjoys sparkling accounts of Handel's sunny, Italianate concerti grossi Op. 6 from Bernhard Forck and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.
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Beethoven Symphonies from Ádám Fischer and the Danish Chamber Orchestra
19th Jul 2019
Ádám Fischer conducts the Danish Chamber Orchestra in frequently thrilling, occasionally controversial, but always fascinating performances of Beethoven's symphonies.
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Karel Kovařovic's complete string quartets from the Stamic Quartet
12th Jul 2019
The Prague-based quartet give the world premiere recordings of three works by the Czech composer and conductor, best known for his work as music director of the National Theatre Prague.
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Karel Kovařovic: The Complete String Quartets
Stamic Quartet
