Editor's Choice: February 2024 | The best new classical recordings
Monday, January 29, 2024
Featuring outstanding new releases from Behzod Abduraimov, Avi Avital, Sol Gabetta, Elena Urioste, Piotr Anderszewski, Cyrille Dubois, Les Talens Lyriques and more
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 February 2024 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
‘Shadows of my Ancestors’
Behzod Abduraimov pf
Alpha
The drama in Romeo and Juliet is brilliantly articulated, Gaspard is both vivid and beautiful, Saidaminova’s work a fascinating find: all together a superb album from a brilliant pianist.
Beethoven. Schulhoff Piano Concertos
Herbert Schuch pf WDR Symphony Orchestra / Tung‑Chieh Chuang
AVI-Music
Engaging Beethoven from Herbert Schuch, coupled with Schulhoff’s lesser-heard Concerto, both wonderfully performed.
Avi Avital ‘Concertos’
Avi Avital mandolin Il Giardino Armonico / Giovanni Antonini
DG
A joyful journey through concertos by Vivaldi, Hummel, Bach and others courtesy of Avi Avital and his captivating virtuosity as a soloist on the mandolin.
‘Handel for Trumpet’
Jonathan and Tom Freeman-Attwood tpts Anna Szałucka pf
Linn
Jonathan Freeman-Attwood concludes his series of trumpet transcriptions with a rewarding album of Handel reimaginings, including four concertos recast as sonatas.
🎧 Jonathan Freeman-Attwood on the Gramophone Podcast
Mendelssohn Cello Sonatas
Sol Gabetta vc Bertrand Chamayou pf
Sony Classical
Mendelssohn music for cello and piano presented with style and charm by Sol Gabetta and Bertrand Chamayou, accompanied by 20th-century pieces that follow in his footsteps.
‘A Lionel Tertis Celebration’
Timothy Ridout va James Baillieu, Frank Dupree pf
Harmonia Mundi
A lovingly curated tribute to one of the past’s finest viola players, Lionel Tertis, from one of today’s, Timothy Ridout: a generously filled album of glorious music.
🎧 Timothy Ridout on the Gramophone Podcast
‘Le temps retrouvé’
Elena Urioste vn Tom Poster pf
Chandos
Elena Urioste and Tom Poster – founders of the riveting Kaleidoscope Collective – continue their mission of introducing the unfamiliar in unfailingly superb performances.
Bartók. Janáček. Szymanowski Piano Works
Piotr Anderszewski pf
Warner Classics
Piotr Anderszewski brings a level of detail and overall vision to these works, collectively spanning a huge variety of musical colours, that is astonishing and highly compelling.
Schubert Winterreise
Cyrille Dubois ten Anne Le Bozec pf
NoMadMusic
Cyrille Dubois – winner of a Gramophone Award for his remarkable complete survey of Fauré songs – brings the same intimacy, humanity and beauty to Schubert’s tragic cycle.
Bertin Fausto
Sols; Les Talens Lyriques / Christophe Rousset
Bru Zane
Louise Bertin’s 19th‑century take on the famed story of Faust remained largely forgotten until recent revivals: the ever-impressive Christophe Rousset brings his acclaimed conviction to a terrific discovery.
DVD/blu-ray
Monteverdi L’incoronazione di Poppea
Sols; Cappella Mediterranea / Leonardo García Alarcón
Château de Versailles Spectacles
Filmed at Versailles, Monteverdi’s last operatic masterpiece is here performed with real drama, insight and musical excellence.
Reissue/archive
Herman Krebbers Edition
Herman Krebbers vn
Decca Eloquence
Post-war Dutch violinist Herman Krebbers is a worthy recipient of this Decca Eloquence celebration, featuring a full range of repertoire, and the pick of our featured box-sets this month.
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