The conductor John Wilson adorns the cover of the current (February) issue of Gramophone and his superb new Chandos album with his Sinfonia of London absolutely demands attention, so I’m kicking off this week’s playlist with España - a cracking performance at which Sir Thomas Beecham would, I feel sure, be nodding his appreciation. Also, in the same issue is a piece (by Yours Truly) with the wonderful American mezzo Kate Lindsey - her new album explores themes of betrayal and loss through the music of Alessandro Scarlatti, Handel and Haydn. The centre, though, is the Haydn - his powerful scena Arianna a Naxos which Lindsey sings magnificently and is partnered superbly by Jonathan Cohen’s Arcangelo.

One of my recent Podcast guests was the composer and conductor José Serebrier whose music takes centre stage on an impressive new BIS album that features both his piano concerto, the Symphonic B-A-C-H Variations, and his Flute Concerto. He told me about how both works came in to being in the Podcast, and the results – especially as they feature two outstanding musicians, Alexandre Kanatorow and Sharon Bezaly – are well worth sampling.

A trio of fine singers appear this week - the Czech tenor Petr Nekaronec who sings a programme of French arias with delicious style and a lovely tone, the soprano Mary Bevan (another recent podcast guest) signing Schubert and Wolf, and the American tenor Nicholas Phan who offers an enticing programme of music by the Boulanger sisters.

New music comes courtesy of Oliver Leith, whose Honey Siren is played terrifically by 12 Ensemble, and Nico Muhly whose No Uncertain Terms of 2017 is dedicated to Steve Reich and offers a fascinating and highly appealing glimpse of how one composer responds to another.

Plenty more besides, including an enticing quartet of tasters of forthcoming releases … James Jolly

Listen on Apple Music

Chabrier España

Sinfonia of London / John Wilson (Chandos)

Haydn (orch Neukomm) Arianna a Naxos

Kate Lindsey; Arcangelo / Jonathan Cohen (Alpha)

Leith Honey Siren

12 Ensemble (Sancho Panza/PIAS)

Serebrier Symphonic B-A-C-H Variations

Alexandre Kantorow; RTE National Symphony Orchestra / José Serebrier (BIS)

Berlioz Les Troyens – 'O blonde Céres'

Petr Nekoranec; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Christopher Franklin (Supraphon)

Mussorgsky Khovanshchina – Entr'acte to Act 4 scene 2, 'Prince's Galitsin's Journey into Exile'

NHK Symphony Orchestra / Paavo Järvi (RCA Red Seal)

JS Bach Concerto for two harpsichords in C minor, BWV1062

Olivier Fortin; Emmanuel Frankenberg; Ensemble Masques (Alpha)

Fauré Lydia

Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang (Avie)

Fauré Sicilienne

Michael Collins; Michael McHale (Chandos)

N Boulanger Soir d'hiver

Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang (Avie)

Bartók (arr Campbell) Romanian Folk Dances Nos 4-6

Nicola Benedetti; Benedetti Foundation Orchestra (Decca)

Schubert Vedi, quanto adoro ingrato, D510

Mary Bevan; Joseph Middleton (Signum)

Schumann Träumerei

Michael Collins; Michael McHale (Chandos)

Gounod Faust – 'Salut! Demeure chaste et pure!' 

Petr Nekoranec; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Christopher Franklin (Supraphon)

Lüdig Overture-Fantasy No 2

Estonian National Symphony Orchestra / Neeme Järvi (Chandos)

Muhly No Uncertain Terms

Omega Ensemble / Gordon Hamilton (ABC Classics)

Wolf Goethe-Lieder- No 50, 'Ganymede'

Mary Bevan; Joseph Middleton (Signum)

Chopin Prelude in E minor, Op 28 No 4

Eric Lu (Warner Classics) PRE-RELEASE TRACK

Beethoven Piano Trio No 5 in D, Op 70 No 1, 'Ghost' – Presto

Renaud Capuçon; Gautier Capuçon; Frank Braley (Erato) PRE-RELEASE TRACK

Chopin Piano Concerto No 1 – Romance. Larghetto. 

Benjamin Grosvenor; Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Elim Chang (Decca) PRE-RELEASE TRACK

Schoenberg Notturno for Strings and Harp

Daniel Hope; Zurich Chamber Orchestra (DG) PRE-RELEASE TRACK