Rachmaninov Symphony No 1. Symphonic Dances

Sinfonia of London / John Wilson (Chandos)

This is the third instalment of the Sinfonia of London's survey of Rachmaninov's symphonies with conductor John Wilson for Chandos. Volume 1, featuring the Third Symphony and The Isle of the Dead and was shortlisted for a Gramophone Award in 2023, with Marina Frolova-Walker noting a 'beautiful transparency to the textures, the individual strands handled with agility.'

Volume Three couples the early First Symphony (1895) with the late Symphonic Dances (1940), and in his review David Gutman feels that while 'not always super-refined or conventionally polite, such music-making warrants the strongest recommendation.'

Brahms Lieder

Christian Gerhaher bar Gerold Huber pf (Sony Classical)

This album is an Editor's Choice in the June issue of Gramophone, with reviewer Hugo Shirley noting that 'Huber’s playing is wonderfully limpid and natural throughout; as usual, the two artists are seamlessly united in their interpretations.' The central work on this new album is Lieder und Gesänge, Op 32, and it was recorded live at the Reitstadel in Neumarkt. 

As a compelling partnership, Gerhaher and Huber have won Gramophone Awards for 'Abendbilder: Lieder von Franz Schubert' (7/06), 'Nachtviolen: Schubert Lieder' (A/14), and 'Schumann: Frage' (2/19).

Lament & Liberation

Choir of St John's College, Cambridge / Christopher Gray (Signum)

Editor Martin Cullingford spoke to Christopher Gray about the genesis of this album, his first with the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge – you can read the interview on our website and in the June issue. 'Lament & Liberation' is a recording of contemporary music, featuring works by Martin Baker, James MacMillan, Joanna Marsh, Helena Paish, Roxanna Panufnik and Dobrinka Tabakova.

In his interview, Martin asked Christopher Gray what he felt was the role of a director of music of a collegiate choir. in the 21st century. Gray said, ‘It’s many things. Looking first at the music, I think you need to understand and know your group, and the repertoire that’s out there and which composers it will be nourishing for that group to work with. Who will provide meaningful, substantial works that will excite and engage them? If it excites and engages the choir, it’s going to excite and engage the listener too. That might be Palestrina one day, then James MacMillan the next, Stanford the next, and Purcell after that. It’s a kaleidoscopic range of styles. And, you know, inevitably, some of those capture a certain cohort a little bit more than others (and maybe me, as well), but it will always be eclectic.’

Influences

Mariam Batsashvili pf (Warner Classics)

Speaking to Gramophone's Jed Distler about Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata, Mariam Batsashvili says, ‘The music is constantly moving, and asking for one’s attention. There is not one moment of boredom, and the wide contrasts in mood are very relatable to real life. And whether one is playing the Appassionata or listening to it, the piece triggers emotions that one cannot always express in words or actions, or it conjures up feelings within a person which are often repressed.’ 

Batsashvili's recording of the Appassionata is included on 'Influences' for Warner Classics, alongside Mozart's Piano Sonata No 18, K576, Haydn's Keyboard Sonata in D, HobXVI:37 and Liszt's Après une lecture du Dante, S161 No 7, La campanella, S141 No 3, and Liebesträume, S541 – Nos 1 and 3.

Ravel Piano Concertos

Yeol Eum Son pf Residentie Orkest The Hague / Anja Bihlmaier (Naïve)

With the next Cliburn International Piano Competition due to get underway on May 21 (Jed Distler will be writing a daily blog following all of the performances at this year's competition on our website) it seems an appropriate time for the 2009 Cliburn silver medalist Yeol Eum Son to release a new recording of Ravel's piano concertos along with several works by Bach arranged for piano left hand by Paul Wittgenstein.