Gramophone Editor’s Choice: July 2021

Friday, June 11, 2021

Editor Martin Cullingford introduces outstanding new recordings of Brahms’s Piano Concertos, Bach’s Orchestral Suites, Mozart’s Serenades, Duruflé’s Organ Works and more


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Recording of the Month

Brahms Piano Concertos

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / András Schiff pf

ECM New Series

These beautiful period-instrument performances, directed by András Schiff from a restored 1859 Blüthner, bring a compelling freshness to Brahms’s much-loved piano concertos.

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


JS Bach Orchestral Suites

Concerto Copenhagen / Lars Ulrik Mortensen

CPO

Prepare to dance, reviewer Mark Seow suggests of Concerto Copenhagen and Lars Ulrik Mortensen’s album of Bach suites – a brilliant example of this wonderful group at its best.

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


Schreker Der Geburtstag der Infantin Zemlinsky Die Seejungfrau

RLPO / Vasily Petrenko

Onyx

Vasily Petrenko and his superb Merseyside musicians reveal their rich rapport once again in two orchestral works of lush late Romanticism.

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


Barber. Beach. Price ‘American Quintets’

Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective

Chandos

A splendid debut from the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective of a fascinating programme, including the premiere recording of Florence Price’s Quintet.

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


Mozart Serenades Nos 10 & 11

Sols of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin

Harmonia Mundi

Another new recording of the Gran Partita, and like all the best takes on this masterpiece it absolutely delights; period-performance Mozart at its most engaging.

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


Duruflé Complete Organ Works

Thomas Trotter org

King’s College

A riveting journey through Duruflé’s complete organ music from the ever-brilliant Thomas Trotter, who draws the most beautiful colours from the recently restored King’s College, Cambridge organ.

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


Vladigerov Piano Works

Nadejda Vlaeva pf

Hyperion

The richly Romantic sound-world of 20th-century Bulgarian composer Pancho Vladigerov is brought to entrancing life by Nadejda Vlaeva on this splendid new addition to Hyperion’s catalogue.

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


‘Melancholy Grace’

Jean Rondeau hpd

Erato

This is an entrancing offering from harpsichordist Jean Rondeau, one of at times almost otherworldly intensity as he takes us on a Europe-wide exploration of music of the most reflective nature. 

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


‘Tiranno’

Kate Lindsey mez Arcangelo / Jonathan Cohen

Alpha

Power, its corruption and corrosiveness, is the subject of this exquisite album from mezzo Kate Lindsey, joined by the brilliantly attentive artistry of Jonathan Cohen and Arcangelo.

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


Handel Rodelinda

Sols; The English Concert / Harry Bicket

Linn

A superb soloist line-up and perfect shaping of the drama by the conductor Harry Bicket makes for a new top recommendation of Handel’s Rodelinda for reviewer Richard Wigmore.

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


DVD/blu-ray

Handel Ariodante

Sols incl Cecilia Bartoli; Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco / Gianluca Capuano

C Major Entertainment

The music-making couldn’t be more highly praised by Richard Lawrence in this ‘compulsively watchable’ Salzburg staging.

Read the review in Gramophone’s Reviews Database


Reissue/archive

Coates. Coward. Elgar. Purcell Orchestral Works

Coates, Corbett, Sargent

Decca Eloquence

A wonderfully attractive double album of British works from Eloquence, full of music and music-making that’s both affectionate and engaging. An excellent addition to the label’s superb catalogue.


All of these albums and many more are reviewed in the July 2021 issue of Gramophone. Subscribe today

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