Gramophone Editor’s Choice recordings – November 2014

The month's best recordings, as selected by Gramophone's Editor, Martin Cullingford

Recording of the Month

No 1

Chopin Preludes

Ingrid Fliter pf 

(Linn Records)

'Fliter seems to be able to achieve individuality seemingly effortlessly' Read review

No 2

Bach Violin Concertos 

Joshua Bell vn ASMF 

(Sony Classical) 

'A depth of sound of almost Henryk Szeryng-like dimensions' Read review

No 3

Beethoven Piano Sonatas 

Alessio Bax pf 

(Signum) 

'A reading of a formidable pace and impetus' Read review

No 4

Debussy Images. Préludes, Book 2 

Marc-André Hamelin pf 

(Hyperion)

'This is a disc to treasure' Read review

No 5

Bach Mass in B minor 

Soloists; Arcangelo / Jonathan Cohen 

(Hyperion)

'This reading deserves to be taken very seriously' Read review

No 6

Howells Stabat mater

The Bach Choir; Bournemouth SO / David Hill 

(Naxos) 

'True tours de force of balance and textural control' Read review

No 7

‘The Bells of Dawn’

Dmitri Hvorostovsky bar Masters of Choral Singing / Lev Kontorovich

(Ondine)

'Music close to Hvorostovsky’s heart' Read review

No 8

‘A Royal Trio’

Lawrence Zazzo counterten La Nuova Musica / David Bates 

(Harmonia Mundi)

'I enjoyed this snapshot of London’s operatic life almost without reservation' Read review

No 9

‘St Petersburg’

Cecilia Bartoli mez I Barocchisti / Diego Fasolis 

(Decca) 

'There is rich music here, and dramatic too' Read review

No 10

‘Stella di Napoli’

Joyce DiDonato mez Opéra de Lyon Orch / Riccardo Minasi 

(Erato) 

'Warm tone, perfect control, a deeply sympathetic portrayal' Read review

DVD/blu-ray

Mahler Symphony No 5 

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra / Riccardo Chailly 

(Accentus) 

'The sound quality is first-rate, always transparent but with a rich bass-line, the camerawork more often than not focusing on Chailly himself' Read review

Reissue/archive

Chopin Piano Works 

Murray Perahia pf 

(Sony Classical) 

'A self-recommending six-disc set, which includes the Gramophone Award-winning disc of the Etudes' Read review