Recording of the month

Rachmaninov The Bells. Symphonic Dances 

Sols; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Mariss Jansons 

BR-Klassik 

When the author of a Collection article elevates a new recording above his longstanding benchmark version – as reviewer Geoffrey Norris does here – you know it’s something very special indeed.

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Mahler Symphony No 1 

Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra / Adám Fischer 

AVI-Music 

There’s a palpable excitement from critic Edward Seckerson about this developing Mahler series, and justifiably so, the performances underpinned by an evident rapport between Fischer and his orchestra. 

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Vaughan Williams Symphonies Nos 5 & 6 

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Andrew Manze 

Onyx 

Andrew Manze discussed his deep and longstanding affection for Vaughan Williams’s music in last month’s issue; that insight bears rich fruit here. 

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Marais Pièces de viole 

La Rêveuse 

Mirare 

This is a truly delightful recording of early 18th-century French viol music, in which beauty of line and collegiality between players make for many exquisite moments, both delicate and joyfully lively.

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Mozart Violin Sonatas, Vol 5 

Alina Ibragimova vn Cédric Tiberghien pf 

Hyperion 

A superb series, destined to become a benchmark in the repertoire, here closes with a disc that keeps up the exploratory approach and impeccable playing right to the very end.  

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‘Home’ 

Kian Soltani vc Aaron Pilsan pf 

DG 

Kian Soltani is very much a young cellist to watch – this album of well-chosen music, from Schubert and Schumann to Iranian composer Reza Vali, clearly draws deeply on his own artistic personality. 

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Beethoven Diabelli Variations 

Martin Helmchen pf 

Alpha 

The second Diabelli release from the same label in less than a year – but with a performance as virtuoso and imaginative as this from Martin Helmchen, it’s more than justified!

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Messiaen Catalogue d’oiseaux 

Pierre-Laurent Aimard pf 

Pentatone 

A fascinating work, the demands it makes on performer and listener both great but rewarding, is brilliantly explored by a pianist, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, with a deep knowledge of the music of Messiaen.

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‘Four Pieces, Four Pianos’ 

Alexander Melnikov pf 

Harmonia Mundi 

Alexander Melnikov talked readers through his choice of piano for the Liszt piece in February; for Chopin, Schubert and Stravinsky he hand-picked three others. The results are hugely enjoyable.  

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‘Venezia Millenaria’ 

Hespèrion XXI; Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall 

Alia Vox 

Another compelling and ear-opening historical journey by Jordi Savall, this time a portrait of that most beguiling of cities, Venice, wonderfully portrayed in diverse music from across a millennium.  

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Audio Editor Andrew Everard writes: 'A remarkably diverse range of musical styles in this survey of 1000 years of Venetian history in music – and it sounds intriguing, enthralling and consistently fascinating with the extra impact, ambience and detail of the 88.2kHz/24bit Qobuz download'

DVD/blu-ray

‘Les funérailes royales de Louis XIV’ 

Sols; Pygmalion / Raphaël Pichon

Harmonia Mundi 

A commemorative re-creation of the funeral service for the Sun King, filmed in (appropriately enough) Versailles: ‘fantastic music-making in action’, writes our reviewer David Vickers.   

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Reissue/archive

Liszt ‘RIAS Recordings, Vol 2’ 

Jorge Bolet pf 

Münchner Philharmoniker 

The second volume of this Jorge Bolet series, his virtuosity revealed in an all-Liszt programme. 

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