Recording of the Month

Monteverdi Vespri solenni per la Festa di San Marco

Concerto Italiano / Rinaldo Alessandrini

(Naïve)

‛Their most essential Monteverdian work in donkey’s years' Review

Beethoven 'Beethoven Journey, Vol 3'

Mahler CO / Leif Ove Andsnes

(Sony)

‘Having used up my stash of superlatives, all I can say is: go buy' Review

Dvořák Symphony No 8

Pittsburgh SO / Manfred Honeck

(Reference Recordings)

‘Honeck’s interpretation is rich in imagination and the playing of the Pittsburgh Symphony scales the heights' Review

Mozart String Quartets Nos 14, 16 & 19

Casals Quartet

(Harmonia Mundi)

‘Cuarteto Casals shatter a glass ceiling of historic inhibitions and camouflage nothing' Review

Vivaldi Cello Sonatas

Marco Ceccato vc Accademia Ottoboni

(Zig-Zag Territoires)

‘A fine player with a genuine affinity for Vivaldi. His readings are elegant and much the most poetic I have heard' Review

Leighton 'Organ Works, Vol 1'

Stephen Farr org 

(Resonus)

‘We experience with wonderful clarity Leighton’s clever manipulation of these familiar, comforting tunes' Review

Scharwenka. Tchaikovsky Piano Sonatas

Joseph Moog pf 

(Onyx)

‘One of the modern era’s best recordings of this work' Review

Byrd. Philips 'Adoramus te'

Clare Wilkinson mez Rose Consort of Viols

(Deux-Elles)

‘Clare Wilkinson turns in perhaps the finest performances I can remember from her in this repertory' Review

Schubert 'Nachtviolen'

Christian Gerhaher bar Gerold Huber pf

(Sony)

‘Gerhaher catches the anguish and desolation without ever compromising beauty of tone and breadth of line' Review

Schoenberg Moses und Aron

Soloists; SWR SO / Sylvain Cambreling

(Hänssler Classic)

‘Extraordinarily intense austerity' Review