In every issue of Gramophone, Editor Martin Cullingford chooses 12 albums (10 new releases, plus one DVD/blu-ray and one archive recommendation) as his Editor's Choice. Below, you will find the albums selected as Editor's Choice in the July 2023 issue, beginning with the Recording of the Month. 

We've included links to the album reviews in Gramophone's Reviews Database, a digital archive of all of our reviews from 1983 to today. To find out more about subscribing to Gramophone and the Reviews Database, please visit: magsubscriptions.com

Recording of the month

Handel Serse 

Sols; The English Concert / Harry Bicket 

Linn 

Highly engaging from the famous first aria onwards, this account of Serse – with a superb set of soloists led by Emily D’Angelo in the title role, all perfectly shaped by Harry Bicket – is a triumph. 

Read the review

Bacewicz Concertos for One and Two Pianos 

Peter Jablonski, Elisabeth Brauss pfs Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Nicholas Collon

Ondine 

An excellent collection of Bacewicz’s works, from committed advocates of her music. 

Read the review

Beethoven Piano Concertos 

Garrick Ohlsson pf Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra / Sir Donald Runnicles

Reference Recordings 

We explored the background to these Beethoven concertos in May – the rapport between its artists is wonderful to hear. 

Read the review

Britten. Bruch Violin Concertos 

Kerson Leong vn Philharmonia Orchestra / Patrick Hahn

Alpha 

Excellent Bruch is coupled with a truly impressive account of Britten’s Concerto, Kerson Leong exploring its paths and power with sheer panache.

Read the review

Franck. Martin Piano Quintets 

Martin Klett pf Armida Quartet

AVI-Music 

There’s a strong sense of composed control from the Armida Quartet and Martin Klett here, two different works receiving fascinating and thoughtful interpretations. 

Read the review

‘Piers Lane goes to Town Again’ 

Piers Lane pf

Hyperion 

This return visit to a fascinating area of repertoire by a pianist, Piers Lane, who clearly loves and excels in it, gets an enthusiastic recommendation from our reviewer Jeremy Nicholas. 

Read the review

Bruckner Motets 

St Albans Cathedral Choir / Andrew Lucas 

First Hand 

Bruckner’s Motets require a choir on top form – combining tonal beauty and sheer stamina, as reviewer Malcolm Riley puts it – and a conductor of impeccable insight, both of which they receive here.

Read the review

Chesnokov All-Night Vigil 

St John’s Voices / Graham Walker 

Naxos 

This survey of music by the prolific Russian choral composer Pavel Chesnokov – the first full album of his music by an English choir – is rich in spiritual drama and gloriously recorded. 

Read the review

Sørensen St Matthew Passion 

The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir / Grete Pedersen 

BIS 

Bent Sørensen’s work is a powerfully crafted portrayal of the Passion’s relationship between suffering and love, exquisitely performed by the superb Norwegian Soloists’ Choir.

Read the review

‘Drop not, mine eyes’ 

Alexander Chance counterten Toby Carr lute

Linn 

The countertenor Alexander Chance recently joined the Gramophone Podcast to discuss this album – in his voice, these centuries old songs speak afresh to modern audiences. 

Read the review

DVD/blu-ray

Puccini Tosca 

Sols; Dutch National Opera / Lorenzo Viotti 

Naxos 

A Tosca that, Neil Fisher reveals, doesn’t shy from the tyrannical brutality of the story and the regime it is set in, preserving the well-known work’s ability to shock.

Read the review

Reissue/archive

Schubert Symphony No 9 Debussy Nocturnes 

Hallé Orchestra / John Barbirolli 

Barbirolli Society 

Very fine Schubert and Debussy from Barbirolli and the Hallé and a revealing insight into the distinction between the conductor’s work in the studio and in the concert hall.