The Best Classical Music Albums of 2022

Monday, December 12, 2022

Our guide to the most outstanding new classical music albums of 2022. Featuring sensational new versions of Bach's St Matthew Passion, Beethoven's symphonies, Vivaldi's violin concertos and much more

This is our guide to the best classical music albums reviewed in Gramophone magazine in 2022. 

Each album is linked to the original Gramophone review in Gramophone's Reviews Database. The best way to explore new classical recordings is to subscribe to Gramophone magazine. Find out more at: magsubscriptions.com

See also:

The best Beethoven recordings of 2022

The best JS Bach recordings of 2022

The best solo piano recordings of 2022

Beethoven Symphony No 3, ‘Eroica’ (transcr Liszt) Mozart Piano Concerto No 20, K466 (transcr Alkan)

Paul Wee pf 

BIS 

Pianist Paul Wee proves himself a master of these treacherously demanding transcriptions, sweeping aside the technical challenges to present these great works with consummate musicianship.

Read the Gramophone review


Brahms Symphony No 1 Dvořák Symphony No 6 

Bamberg Symphony Orchestra / Jakub Hrůša 

Tudor 

A superb chance to hear Covent Garden’s next Music Director in Brahms and Dvořák, with a particularly fine recording of the latter’s Symphony No 6. 

Read the Gramophone review


Mahler Symphony No 9 

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle 

BR-Klassik 

Sir Simon Rattle brings to Mahler’s Ninth the sense of occasion, unique in the hearing and fresh in the discovery, that all great performances of this music should convey. 

Read the Gramophone review


Beethoven. Franck. Schumann Violin Sonatas 

Renaud Capuçon vn Martha Argerich pf 

DG 

A record of a poignant occasion for two of today’s finest artists, captured together in an evening of wonderful music-making.

Read the Gramophone review


Shostakovich. Walton String Quartets 

Albion Quartet 

Signum 

I was instantly stuck by the sheer vividness – both the compellingly committed playing and the immediacy of sound – of this superb chamber album from the Albion Quartet. 

Read the Gramophone review


‘A Golden Cello Decade’

Steven Isserlis vc Connie Shih pf 

Hyperion 

Any programme by cellist Steven Isserlis is always chosen, prepared and ultimately performed with devotion; joined here by pianist Connie Shih, this is another wonderful album.

Read the Gramophone review


Chaminade ‘Piano Music, Vol 2’ 

Mark Viner pf 

Piano Classics 

Wonderful music, performed with charm, affection and, when required, fabulous virtuosity, by pianist Mark Viner; a superb follow up to his equally impressive first volume of Chaminade.

Read the Gramophone review


Montgeroult Études 

Clare Hammond pf 

BIS 

The splendid music of this fascinating French composer, in many ways ahead of its time, deserves to be far better known – and receives gloriously eloquent advocacy from pianist Clare Hammond. 

Read the Gramophone review


Cristo Missa Salve regina. Motets 

Cupertinos / Luís Toscana 

Hyperion 

Gramophone Early Music Award-winners in 2019, Luís Toscano’s Cupertinos offer us a beautiful recording of Marian works by Renaissance Portuguese composer Pedro de Cristo. 

Read the Gramophone review


‘Roma travestita’ 

Bruno de Sá counterten Il Pomo d’Oro / Francesco Corti 

Erato 

Sopranist Bruno de Sá demonstrates his brilliance of voice in a programme of 18th-century music written for castrato, with marvellous support from Il Pomo d’Oro. 

Read the Gramophone review


Byrd Psalmes, Songs and Sonnets 

The Sixteen / Harry Christophers (Coro)

As we look ahead to Byrd’s 400th anniversary next year, here’s a wonderful recording of his last full publication, a mixture of styles from psalms to madrigals, gloriously performed by The Sixteen. 

Read the Gramophone review


Bruckner Symphony No 4 

London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle (LSO Live)

‘A beautifully articulated, free-flowing performance’ is how Richard Osborne describes this fascinating and perceptive account of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony. 

Read the Gramophone review


Schubert Symphonies Nos 8 & 9 

Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall (Alia Vox)

Jordi Savall and Le Concert des Nations follow their excellent Beethoven cycle with a period pairing of two Schubert symphonies, both receiving performances of persuasive power.

Read the Gramophone review


‘The Playhouse Sessions’ 

Barokksolistene / Bjarte Eike (Rubicon)

Bjarte Eike and his Barokksolistene approach this music and its cultural context with open hearts and minds. Catch Bjarte Eike discussing the album on a recent Gramophone podcast too.

Read the Gramophone review


Debussy ‘Early and Late Piano Pieces’ 

Steven Osborne pf (Hyperion)

Each new album from pianist Steven Osborne offers beautifully prepared interpretations with something distinctive to say about the repertoire – and this latest Debussy recital is no exception. 

Read the Gramophone review


Szymanowski Piano Works 

Krystian Zimerman pf (DG)

It is always a privilege to hear Krystian Zimerman on record, and this programme of Szymanowski’s music – recorded either side of a 15-year interval – is predictably stunning. 

Read the Gramophone review


Steelant Two Requiems 

CantoLX; B’Rock Orchestra / Frank Agsteribbe (Pentatone)

Two Requiems from the 17th-century composer Philippe van Steelant show the breadth of his style and, in this excellent recording, make a strong case for his music. 

Read the Gramophone review


‘The Psalms’ 

The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge / Andrew Nethsingha (Signum)

‘Psalm-singing informs everything else we do,’ says Andrew Nethsinga; this beautifully sung recording from St John’s takes us into that powerful and poetic heart of choral life. 

Read the Gramophone review


Donizetti. Rossini ‘French Bel Canto Arias’ 

Lisette Oropesa sop Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra / Corrado Rovaris (Pentatone) 

Here is a superb album of bel canto arias either written or revised for Paris performances from a star soprano.

Read the Gramophone review


Handel Amadigi di Gaula 

Sols; Early Opera Company / Christian Curnyn (Chandos)

A lesser-known Handel opera, Amadigi di Gaula, given excellent advocacy by some superb soloists, Christian Curnyn and players, and our new Label of the Year.

Read the Gramophone review


Meyerbeer Robert le diable

Sols; Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine / Marc Minkowski

Bru Zane

Initially a musical and theatrical sensation, but now rarely heard – surely something that this brilliantly performed recording, conducted by Marc Minkowski, will do much to address.

Read the review in our Reviews Database


‘Hollywood Soundstage’

Sinfonia of London / John Wilson

Chandos

A sumptuous sound world from a conductor and his ensemble who, album after album, impress and delight, making us relish the details of scores and the very art of recording afresh.

Read the review in our Reviews Database


‘Recuerdos’

Augustin Hadelich vn WDR Symphony Orchestra / Cristian Măcelaru

Warner Classics

Augustin Hadelich offers us a programme – Britten and Prokofiev concertos, plus takes on Carmen and Tárrega – that’s beautifully thought-through and gloriously played.

Read the review in our Reviews Database


Mendelssohn ‘Complete String Quartets, Vol 1’

Van Kuijk Quartet

Alpha

The Paris-based Van Kuijk Quartet follow their impressive Mozart surveys with an equally compelling start to a Mendelssohn string quartet cycle, one that looks to be well worth following.

Read the review in our Reviews Database


JS Bach Six Solo Violin (Cello) Suites

Giuliano Carmignola vn

Arcana

Such is their beauty, the Bach cello suites have often been borrowed by others to sublime effect; this wonderful set by violinist Giuliano Carmignola reveals all their spirituality.

Read the review in our Reviews Database


Saint-Saëns Piano Transcriptions

Cyprien Katsaris pf

Piano21

A chance to celebrate the music of Saint-Saëns – as well as, as Jeremy Nicholas rightly suggests in his review, the contribution made to musical life by this recording’s pianist, Cyprien Katsaris.

Read the review in our Reviews Database


‘Laus Deo’

John Robinson org

Regent

A superbly recorded recital marking the 50th anniversary of the organ of Blackburn Cathedral from its Director of Music John Robinson, repertoire and – crucially of course – player both revealing it in all its sonic splendour.

Read the review in our Reviews Database


Lusitano Motets

The Marian Consort / Rory McCleery

Linn

Vicente Lusitano – a rare, and probably the first, example of a mixed-race Renaissance composer – is given hugely impressive and inspiring advocacy here, his music revealed for its variety and beauty.

Read the review in our Reviews Database


Tippett The Midsummer Marriage

Sols; London Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Gardner

LPO

Tippett’s opera is brought vividly to life by Edward Gardner, the LPO and a superb cast featuring many young British singers.

Read the review in our Reviews Database


‘Insieme’

Jonas Kaufmann ten Ludovic Tézier bar Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia / Sir Antonio Pappano

Sony Classical

A hugely enjoyable new tenor-baritone double-act album to add to your collection.

Read the review in our Reviews Database


‘Arias’

Jonathan Tetelman ten Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra / Karel Mark Chichon

DG

‘The most exciting tenor discovery to come my way since the appearance of Jonas Kaufmann,’ writes critic Mark Pullinger. What more can I add to that except to encourage you to discover him too!

Read the Gramophone review


JS Bach ‘Harpsichord Concertos, Vol 3’

Il Pomo d’Oro / Francesco Corti hpd

Pentatone

A fascinating series continues with Francesco Corti joined by colleagues – including on a second harpsichord – for Volume 3. Scintillating playing, and excellently recorded.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Secret Love Letters’

Lisa Batiashvili vn Philadelphia Orchestra / Yannick Nézet-Séguin

DG

Szymanowski’s First Violin Concerto receives a beautifully coloured performance here – just part of a compelling album from the superb Lisa Batiashvili.

Read the Gramophone review


Del Cinque Sonatas for Two and Three Cellos

Ludovico Minasi, Cristina Vidoni, Teodoro Baù vcs et al

Arcana

Ermenegildo Del Cinque proved a joyous discovery for our esteemed critic – and for me too – thanks to this excellent advocacy.

Read the Gramophone review


F & F Mendelssohn Chamber Works

Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective

Chandos

Another superb album from the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, with a real rarity, and steeped throughout in a highly engaging collaborative spirit.

Read the Gramophone review


Prokofiev. A & N Tcherepnin Piano Works

Alexander Gadjiev pf

AVI-Music

Alexander Gadjiev – the second-placed pianist at last year’s Chopin Competition – further enhances his reputation with an adventurous and brilliantly played Russian programme.

Read the Gramophone review


Senfl Choral Works

Singer Pur; Ensemble Leones

Oehms

Singer Pur offer us a vivid and characterful programme of works by Ludwig Senfl, drawing on the Swiss Renaissance composer’s sacred and secular music for a highly engaging album. 

Read the Gramophone review


Wolf Italienisches Liederbuch

Carolyn Sampson sop Allan Clayton ten Joseph Middleton pf

BIS

Carolyn Sampson and Allan Clayton’s ability to embody and communicate characters is well matched here in Wolf by the equally poetic pianist Joseph Middleton.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Lieder’

Matthias Goerne bar Daniil Trifonov pf

DG

More superb lieder from another singer of intelligence and insight, baritone Matthias Goerne, his partner here in Schumann, Brahms, Berg and others the renowned virtuoso Daniil Trifonov.

Read the Gramophone review


Lampe The Dragon of Wantley

Sols; The Brook Street Band / John Andrews

Resonus

A delightful piece of 18th-century comic opera heritage, The Dragon of Wantley couldn’t ask for a better introduction to modern audiences than John Andrews’s lively performance.

Read the Gramophone review


Mahler Symphony No 4   Sabine Devieilhe sop Les Siècles / François-Xavier Roth

Mahler Symphony No 4

Sabine Devieilhe sop Les Siècles / François-Xavier Roth (Harmonia Mundi)

Last month’s cover artist discussed the rationale behind his period-performance of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, and the results are as revelatory as we might have hoped. A wonderful recording.

Read the full review


Schubert Symphonies Nos 8 & 9   Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra / Herbert Blomstedt

Schubert Symphonies Nos 8 & 9

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra / Herbert Blomstedt (DG)

Herbert Blomstedt, now 94, draws on a lifetime of Schubertian wisdom, experience and affection in what David Threasher calls ‘a rather special recording’.

Read the full review


‘Jurowski Conducts Stravinsky, Vol 1’

‘Jurowski Conducts Stravinsky, Vol 1’

London Philharmonic Orchestra / Vladimir Jurowski (LPO)

Magnificent interpretations of The Firebird and The Rite of Spring, just two parts of a generous opening to a three-album series.

Read the full review


‘A Cembalo certato a Violino solo’

‘A Cembalo certato a Violino solo’

Johannes Pramsohler vn Philippe Grisvard hpd (Audax)

This intelligently programmed set places Bach’s six sonatas for violin and harpsichord in the context of his time with first recordings of many works from the era.

Read the full review


‘Corazón’

‘Corazón’

John-Henry Crawford vc Victor Santiago Asuncion pf (Orchid)

John-Henry Crawford’s love affair with Latin American music was sparked by winning First Prize in Mexico’s 2019 Carlos Prieto Competition, and this delightful release is the result.

Read the full review


Haydn Piano Sonatas, Vol 11

Haydn Piano Sonatas, Vol 11

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet pf (Chandos)

A brilliant series ends on a note worthy of all the previous volumes – Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s desire to share his affection for Haydn’s music with us is infectious. A superb survey.

Read the full review


D Scarlatti Keyboard Sonatas

D Scarlatti Keyboard Sonatas

Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy pf (Piano Classics)

‘A deeply fulfilling and beautifully engineered Scarlatti programme,’ writes Jed Distler of this album from Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy. Do listen to it.

Read the full review


Blackford Mirror of Perfection

Blackford Mirror of Perfection

Britten Sinfonia / David Hill (Lyrita)

Two works by Richard Blackford – one a second recording, and wonderfully done at that, the second a response to Covid – earn admiration from our critic Guy Rickards.

Read the full review


Massenet ‘Songs with Orchestra’

Massenet ‘Songs with Orchestra’

Sols; Paris Chamber Orchestra / Hervé Niquet (Bru Zane)

A stylishly performed recital of 25 of Massenet’s songs, only four previously recorded, by a vocal line-up and conductor truly alive to the composer’s sound world.

Read the full review


Massenet ‘Songs with Orchestra’

Mouton Missa Faulte d’argent

The Brabant Ensemble / Stephen Rice (Hyperion)

There’s a vivid sense of excitement in the Brabant Ensemble’s approach to Mouton’s music, the late-medieval works full of variety, character and individuality.

Read the full review


Fauré Complete Songs

Cyrille Dubois ten Tristan Raës pf (Aparté)

An ambitious project – all of Fauré’s 103 songs recorded by the same singer – but one realised with real beauty and style by tenor Cyrille Dubois and pianist Tristan Raës. A superb achievement.

Read the review


Beethoven Symphony No 6 Stucky Silent Spring   Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Beethoven Symphony No 6 Stucky Silent Spring

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra / Manfred Honeck (Reference Recordings)

Manfred Honeck and his Pittsburgh players offer a fascinating Pastoral and thought-provoking pairing, in first-class sound.

Read the review


Liszt Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2. Piano Sonata   Alexander Ullman

Liszt Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2. Piano Sonata

Alexander Ullman pf BBC Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Litton (Rubicon)

Alexander Ullman’s strong desire to present Liszt’s music as the extraordinary art it is, is evident throughout this wonderful album.

Read the review

Listen: Alexander Ullman on the Gramophone Podcast


Beethoven Two Cello Sonatas, Op 102. Bagatelles   Roel Dieltiens

Beethoven Two Cello Sonatas, Op 102. Bagatelles

Roel Dieltiens vc Andreas Staier fp (Harmonia Mundi)

A glorious recording that reminds us of the many different styles and sound worlds period performance can delight us with, from two really excellent interpreters.

Read the review


Holmboe String Quartets, Vol 2   Nightingale Quartet

Holmboe String Quartets, Vol 2

Nightingale Quartet (Dacapo)

The brilliant Nightingale Quartet continue their exploration and advocacy of Holmboe’s music with this beautifully performed programme, including his final thoughts on the medium.

Read the review


Hahn ‘Poèmes & Valses’

Pavel Kolesnikov pf (Hyperion)

A poetic survey of Hahn miniatures from pianist Pavel Kolesnikov which, writes Michelle Assay, brings us ‘closer to the core of these pieces than any other available recording’.

Read the review


‘This is America’

Johnny Gandelsman vn (In a Circle)

Twenty four new works by American and US‑based composers – 21 of them commissioned for the project – rich in diversity but united by interpretative beauty and belief from violinist Johnny Gandelsman.

Read the review


Ravel ‘Cantates pour le Prix de Rome’

Sols; Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire / Pascal Rophé (BIS)

The judges may not have crowned these early Ravel works with the Prix de Rome, but now, thanks to these superb soloists and performances, we can make up own minds!

Read the review


‘A Meditation’   The Sixteen / Harry Christophers

‘A Meditation’

The Sixteen / Harry Christophers (Coro)

A programme of music old and new built around the Meditations of John Henry Newman, and performed with customary power and precision by the ever-impressive Harry Christophers and The Sixteen.

Read the review


‘Oh, ma belle brunette’

Reinoud Van Mechelen ten A Nocte Temporis (Alpha)

Baroque pastoral charm from Reinoud Van Mechelen, whose tenor voice offers listeners both grace and intimacy as we escape into a wonderful world of song.

Read the review


Ravel Piano Concertos. Songs

Cédric Tiberghien pf Stéphane Degout bar Les Siècles / François-Xavier Roth

Harmonia Mundi

An album that wonderfully reveals Ravel’s originality; richly coloured pianism, performed on a beautiful sounding 1892 Pleyel, is echoed in Les Siècles’s period playing and Stéphane Degout’s songs.

Read the Gramophone review


Sibelius Symphony No 7

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Nicholas Collon

Ondine

A Sibelius programme prepared with deep thought, a powerful reading of the final symphony sitting perfectly with the two accompanying suites.

Read the Gramophone review


Coleridge-Taylor Chamber Works

Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective

Chandos

Three works written by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor aged 18, hardly heard until recent years, but given splendid advocacy by the ever exploratory Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Alter Ego’

David Orlowsky cl David Bergmüller lute

Warner Classics

An unexpected – and unexpectedly beguiling – album that blends the voices of the clarinet and lute together with extraordinary success, in a manner as mysterious as it is riveting.

Read the Gramophone review


Bolcom The Complete Rags

Marc-André Hamelin pf

Hyperion

A completely triumphant – and entirely authoritative – survey of William Bolcom’s rags, performances filled to the brim with all the character these glorious pieces require.

Read the Gramophone review


Messiaen Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus

Bertrand Chamayou pf

Erato

A deeply spiritual journey through a deeply spiritual work, a highly personal project by our recent Recording of the Year-winning pianist, and one you can read more about in the July issue.

Read the Gramophone review


Champion Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena

Cappella Pratensis / Stratton Bull

Challenge Classics

A fascinating exploration of performance practice and the role of improvisation in early music, but most important of all, the resulting recording is strikingly splendid.

Read the Gramophone review


Josquin ‘Tant vous aime …’

Doulce Mémoire / Denis Raisin Dadre

Ricercar

The atmosphere and sound world created by Doulce Mémoire’s gloriously presented performances of Josquin songs instantly transports us to an era far from our own.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Battle Cry – She Speaks’

Helen Charlston mez Toby Carr theorbo

Delphian

Helen Charlston has crafted a superb programme of music old and new which perfectly plays to her strengths, greatly enhanced by the rapport shared with theorbo player Toby Carr.

Read the Gramophone review

Podcast: Helen Charlston on her first solo album, 'Battle Cry: She Speaks'


‘Phrases’

Héloïse Werner sop

Delphian

One of the most imaginative talents among today’s young generation of singers and composers, Héloïse Werner’s debut solo album explores language via vocal virtuosity, humour and heartfelt music-making.

Read the Gramophone review

See also: Watch an exclusive video from Héloïse Werner's new album


Handel La Resurrezione 

Sols; The English Concert / Harry Bicket 

Linn 

Handel’s operatic Easter oratorio gets a beautifully elegant reading from Harry Bicket, who leads an excellent English Concert and a superb all-British set of soloists in this truly wonderful recording. 

Read the Gramophone review

Read more: Handel's message for the modern world


Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 3 

Kristian Bezuidenhout fp Freiburg Baroque Orchestra / Pablo Heras-Casado 

Harmonia Mundi 

Kristian Bezuidenhout completes his super set of the Beethoven concertos with this joyously spirited pairing of Nos 1 and 3.

Read the Gramophone review


Saint-Saëns Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2 

Alexandre Kantorow pf Tapiola Sinfonietta / Jean-Jacques Kantorow 

BIS 

Another concerto set completion, and one that reveals exactly why Alexandre Kantorow graces this issue’s cover. 

Read the Gramophone review

Read more: Inside Brahms’s Piano Sonata No 2 with Alexandre Kantorow


Weill Symphony No 2. Shostakovich Symphony No 5 

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra / Lahav Shani 

Warner Classics 

A fabulous opportunity to hear Kurt Weill’s Second Symphony from young conductor Lahav Shani, partnered with a dramatic reading of Shostakovich Symphony No 5.

Read the Gramophone review

Read more: Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony – a deep dive into the best recordings


Schnittke. Shostakovich. Silvestrov ‘Outcast’ 

Matangi Quartet 

Matangi 

‘A genuinely remarkable disc,’ writes Ivan Moody of the Matangi Quartet’s recording, their playing revealing a powerful and vivid sense of focus in a well-chosen programme. 

Read the Gramophone review


Beethoven. Brahms. Mozart ‘Variations’ 

Simon Trpčeski pf 

Linn 

Three masters of variation form – Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart – are explored, and very clearly enjoyed, by pianist Simon Trpčeski on this delightful album.

Read the Gramophone review


Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No 1. Moments musicaux 

Steven Osborne pf 

Hyperion 

Where today would one turn ‘for more idiomatic, more intelligent, or more beautiful Rachmaninov-playing’ asks Patrick Rucker after hearing Steven Osborne’s new release? 

Read the Gramophone review

Read more: Top 10 Sergei Rachmaninov recordings


‘An Old Belief’ 

The Sixteen / Harry Christophers 

Coro 

A hugely varied programme musically and powerfully united thematically, this album shows the impeccable approach to interpretation Harry Christophers and The Sixteen bring to everything they perform. 

Read the Gramophone review

Read more: The Sixteen at 40 – ‘the basic principle of just loving what we were doing has never left us; it’s been the whole nature of the group’


‘A Room of Mirrors’ 

Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, Zachary Wilder tens Ensemble I Gemelli 

Gemelli Factory 

From the opening number, Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, fellow tenor Zachary Wilder, and Ensemble I Gemelli have us gripped with irresistible music-making.

Read the Gramophone review


‘Rivales’ 

Véronique Gens, Sandrine Piau sops Le Concert de la Loge / Julien Chauvin 

Alpha 

Two of today’s finest sopranos, Véronique Gens and Sandrine Piau, reveal their complete mastery of bringing this sort of repertoire to compelling theatrical life. 

Read the Gramophone review


Beethoven ‘Diabelli’ Variations 

Mitsuko Uchida pf 

Decca 

This revelatory recording of the Diabelli Variations – Mitsuko Uchida’s first solo album for almost a decade – stands out as a dazzling addition to this work’s rich interpretative history. A superb release. 

Read the review


‘Mozart Momentum 1786’ 

Mahler Chamber Orchestra / Leif Ove Andsnes pf

Sony Classical 

Volume two of ‘Mozart Momentum’ is every bit as brilliant as the first; focusing on works from 1786, it’s as rich in collaborative spirit as in pianistic refinement.

Read the review


JS Bach ‘The Complete Works for Keyboard, Vol 6’

Benjamin Alard clav/hpd 

Harmonia Mundi 

Book one of The Well-Tempered Clavier is brought to us by Benjamin Alard on a remarkable sounding (and looking) harpsichord. A superb performance. 

Read the review


JS Bach Goldberg Variations

Klára Würtz pf 

Piano Classics 

Klára Würtz’s Goldbergs explores Bach’s extraordinary and revered set of variations with selfless commitment and personality, bringing delicacy, drama and architectural splendour to this great music.

Read the review


Handel ‘Winged Hands’

Francesco Corti hpd 

Arcana 

Our second harpsichord album of the month, and this time it’s Handel, and Francesco Corti, a player who can draw glorious interpretative colour from both his instrument and his chosen repertoire. 

Read the review


Schubert Piano Sonatas Nos 13 & 18 

Stephen Hough pf 

Hyperion 

Really lovely playing from Stephen Hough, who offers us the most beautifully shaped sound, and a vision of Schubert’s music that feels as exploratory as it does rich in understanding of those wonderful works. 

Read the review


R Clarke ‘Sempiternam’

State Choir Latvija / Māris Sirmais 

Métier 

This, the second release by the Métier label devoted to the music of Rhona Clarke, perfectly pairs the composer’s choral music with the superb State Choir Latvija’s richly resonant sound.

Read the review


Jóhannsson Drone Mass 

Theatre of Voices; American Contemporary Music Ensemble / Paul Hillier 

DG 

The compelling sound world of the late Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson is powerfully captured in this epic work.  

Read the review

Listen to Paul Hillier discuss Drone Mass on the Gramophone Podcast:


Nesbit Sacred Choral Music

The Choir of King’s College London / Joseph Fort 

Delphian 

Edward Nesbit’s music entrances with a distinctive voice that pairs a mysterious melodic beauty, superbly sung by Ruby Hughes, with a beautifully crafted texture.

Read the review


Vaughan Williams On Wenlock Edge and Other Songs 

Nicky Spence ten Julius Drake pf Timothy Ridout va Piatti Quartet

Hyperion 

Nicky Spence and colleagues deliver this set of Vaughan Williams songs with the passion and conviction of true storytellers.

Read the review


JS Bach St Matthew Passion 

Sols; Pygmalion / Raphaël Pichon

Harmonia Mundi 

This recording of Bach’s St Matthew Passion has extraordinary impact – rich in remarkable singing which conveys an intense humanity, and a superb sense of pace and drama, all beautifully recorded. 

Read the review


Abrahamsen Schnee 

Lapland Chamber Orchestra / John Storgårds 

Dacapo 

The sound world of Abrahamsen’s Schnee – ‘snow’ – is beguiling in its balance of mysterious fragility and strength, and masterfully performed and recorded here. 

Read the review


Gershwin. Rachmaninov Rhapsodies 

Martin James Bartlett pf London Philharmonic Orchestra / Joshua Weilerstein 

Warner Classics 

Martin James Bartlett makes a superb statement with playing of joy and virtuosity.

Read the review

Listen to Martin James Bartlett discuss 'Rhapsody' on the Gramophone Podcast:


Nielsen. Sibelius Violin Concertos 

Johan Dalene vn Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra / John Storgårds 

BIS 

The violinist Johan Dalene further impresses with performances of two great concertos that sit among the very finest. 

Read the review


Vivaldi L’estro armonico JS Bach Concertos after L’estro armonico 

Concerto Italiano / Rinaldo Alessandrini 

Naïve 

‘I can’t remember when I last enjoyed a Vivaldi album as much as this,’ writes Charlotte Gardner: discover it for yourself! 

Read the review


Sibelius Complete Symphonies 

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra / Klaus Mäkelä 

Decca 

This is an extraordinary debut from a remarkable young conductor; Klaus Mäkelä offering us an absolutely compelling journey through Sibelius’s symphonies. 

Read the review

Klaus Mäkelä interview – ‘You don’t have to play for the hall; you just have to seduce the microphones’: Still in his twenties, the Oslo Philharmonic’s Chief Conductor Klaus Mäkelä is remarkably clear-sighted about what he wants to achieve and how – even after lockdown required a different approach to recording his debut album of the Sibelius symphonies, writes Andrew Mellor.


Mendelssohn String Quintets 

Doric Quartet with Timothy Ridout va 

Chandos 

The Doric Quartet regularly impress, their collegiate sense of shared vision evident in drama and delicacy alike; this Chandos set of Mendelssohn quintets is as fine as we’d hope and expect.

Read the review


Bruhns ‘Cantatas & Organ Works, Vol 1’ 

Yale Institute of Sacred Music / Masaaki Suzuki 

BIS 

Masaaki Suzuki – always a brilliant guide for us in the major musical figures – here introduces us to the lesser-known Nicolaus Bruhns, and it’s an invitation well worth accepting.

Read the review


Rachmaninov ‘Dissonance’ 

Asmik Grigorian sop Lukas Geniušas pf 

Alpha 

From the opening bars of each song, Asmik Grigorian brings passion, personality and drama to these Rachmaninov gems, matched at every step by Lukas Geniušas’s superb pianism. 

Read the review


Handel ‘Dualità’ 

Emőke Baráth sop Artaserse / Philippe Jaroussky 

Erato 

A fabulous soprano of our own age pays tribute to two stars of Handel’s day, and in so doing offers a wonderful programme of arias, spell-binding in its theatricality and virtuosity. 

Read the review


Leclair. Locatelli. Vivaldi Violin Concertos 

Théotime Langlois de Swarte vn Les Ombres 

Harmonia Mundi 

A name already familiar in this space from a re-creation of a Proust recital (read the review), Théotime Langlois de Swarte’s glorious new album is Baroque music-making at its most beautiful and joyful.

Read the review


Dohnányi Concertos 

Sols; Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz / Modestas Pitrėnas 

Capriccio 

A superbly performed selection of Dohnányi works from players entirely immersed in his musical voice, led by a conductor who inspires them all the way. 

Read the review


Ravel Orchestral Works 

Sinfonia of London / John Wilson 

Chandos 

John Wilson brings his extraordinary ability to find the colour and soul in an orchestral score to bear on Ravel: together with his hand-picked soloists he offers us ravishing riches indeed.

Read the review


Moeran Chamber Works 

Fidelio Trio 

Resonus 

That Moeran’s music means so much to the players of the Fidelio Trio is clear from the very beginning of this delightful album, the lyrical lines delivered with evident affection, as well as musical excellence. 

Read the review


‘Horn & Piano’ 

Teunis van der Zwart hn Alexander Melnikov fp 

Harmonia Mundi 

What a feast of sounds! Teunis van der Zwart’s natural horn and Alexander Melnikov’s fortepiano offer us a captivating and wholly glorious tribute to the 18th-century virtuoso Giovanni Punto.

Read the review


Bacewicz Piano Works 

Peter Jablonski pf 

Ondine 

Following up his superb Stanchinsky album last year, Peter Jablonski turns his attention to Bacewicz, offering equally fine advocacy to a composer whose music is coming to be much more widely recognised.  

Read the review


‘B-A-C-H’ 

Simon Johnson org 

Chandos 

An extraordinary instrument – that of St Paul’s Cathedral, London – in repertoire perfectly chosen to show off its sonic splendour, all performed by an artist of formidable skill and musicality.  

Read the review


JS Bach St John Passion 

Sols; Monteverdi Choir; English Baroque Soloists / John Eliot Gardiner 

DG 

‘An immersive Passion which takes no prisoners’, says Jonathan Freeman‑Attwood of this performance, from one of the foremast Bach conductors of our age. 

Read the review


‘Eden’ 

Joyce DiDonato mez Il Pomo d’Oro / Maxim Emelyanychev 

Erato 

An album to focus us on our relationship to nature, delivered with passion by Joyce DiDonato and her colleagues – a powerful example of how music can relate so well to our wider world.   

Read the review

Joyce DiDonato’s bold new musical mission – ‘I’m not really interested in superficiality right now, there’s plenty of that’: DiDonato’s new project asks us to reconnect with the natural world, finds Martin Cullingford – and what better way to do that than simply to stop and listen?


‘Russian Roots’ 

Katharina Konradi sop Trio Gaspard 

Chandos 

Kyrgyzstan soprano Katharina Konradi and Trio Gaspard offer us a diverse range of Russian-related works spanning centuries – from Beethoven to Auerbach, via Weinberg – all brilliantly performed. 

Read the review


Beethoven ‘Révolution, Vol 2’ Symphonies Nos 6-9

Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall

Alia Vox 

This is a thrilling, physical, probingly musical and invigoratingly alive-feeling period performance set of Beethoven symphonies, and a triumphant second half of conductor Jordi Savall’s full cycle.

Read the review


Respighi. Schoenberg. R Strauss ‘Métamorphoses nocturnes’ 

Appassionato / Mathieu Herzog 

Naïve 

Extraordinary string sound here from the former Ébène Quartet member’s ensemble.

Read the review


Brahms Clarinet Sonatas 

Michael Collins cl Stephen Hough pf 

BIS 

The third recording of the Brahms’s Clarinet sonatas from Michael Collins – see the January issue for his reasons for returning to the works – and a very beautifully performed one too.

Read the review


Weinberg ‘Light in Darkness’ 

Linus Roth vn et al 

Evil Penguin 

Linus Roth’s invaluable contribution to the Weinberg discography is here added to with another fine album, encompassing most of the works involving violin he’d not previously recorded.   

Read the review


CPE Bach Sonatas & Rondos

Marc-André Hamelin pf 

Hyperion 

Music of the ‘maverick of the Bach dynasty’, as reviewer Michelle Assay puts it, brought splendidly to life by a master pianist in both the reflective and the rhythmically joyous pieces alike. 

Read the review


Liszt ‘Vol 1: Death and Transfiguration’ 

Kenneth Hamilton pf 

Prima Facie 

Kenneth Hamilton offers a richly rewarding and brilliantly played Liszt survey, clearly deeply thought-through, and furthermore recorded on a fabulous sounding piano. 

Read the review


‘Maria & Maddalena’ 

Francesca Aspromonte sop I Barocchisti / Diego Fasolis 

Pentatone 

Music exploring the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, communicated with compelling engagement, in a superb Baroque recital.

Read the review


‘Song’ 

The Hermes Experiment 

Delphian 

An entrancing album of songs, at times disarmingly moving, the group’s unique line-up (harp, clarinet, soprano, double bass) lending them all, despite their diversity, an intimate shared sound world. 

Read the review


Rameau Acante et Céphise 

Les Ambassadeurs – La Grande Écurie / Alexis Kossenko 

Erato 

An ‘enthralling triumph’ writes reviewer David Vickers, owing as much to perfect principal casting as to the impeccable instrumental playing throughout.

Read the review


‘Mirrors’ 

Jeanine De Bique sop Concerto Köln / Luca Quintavalle 

Berlin Classics 

A glorious showcase for Jeanine De Bique, whose rich and characterful voice displays jaw-dropping precision in passages of thrilling virtuosity, and poignant grace in the slower numbers. 

Read the review

Listen to Jeanine De Bique discuss 'Mirrors' on the Gramophone Podcast:


Grieg Songs 

Lise Davidsen sop Leif Ove Andsnes pf 

Decca 

This magazine’s admiration for the young soprano Lise Davidsen has led to a number of accolades already – and this album, on which Leif Ove Andsnes proves a perfect partner, deserves another.

Read the review in Gramophone's Reviews Database


Messiaen Orchestral Works 

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Kent Nagano 

BR-Klassik 

This superb collection of large-scale works by Messiaen, including Poèmes pour Mi and a remarkable La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus‑Christ, is brilliantly recorded. 

Read the review in Gramophone's Reviews Database


Arensky. Shostakovich Piano Trios 

Trio Con Brio Copenhagen 

Orchid 

Two trios from Shostakovich – including his extraorindary Second – and one from Arensky, played with compelling conviction by Trio Con Brio Copenhagen.

Read the review in Gramophone's Reviews Database


Bartók String Quartets, Vol 2 

Ragazze Quartet 

Channel Classics 

Incredibly vivid Bartók-playing from the Ragazze Quartet, full of gripping physicality (superbly captured) which always seems to probe the music’s extremes in a way which feels utterly enticing.  

Read the review in Gramophone's Reviews Database


Saint-Saëns ‘Chamber Music with Winds’ 

Soloists of the Orchestre de Paris 

Indésens 

A truly delightful contribution to Saint-Saëns anniversary events – a survey of his chamber music for wind instrument, from the players of the Orchestre de Paris.

Read the review in Gramophone's Reviews Database


‘Sol & Pat’ 

Patricia Kopatchinskaja vn Sol Gabetta vc 

Alpha 

Two brilliantly individual soloists bring their personalities to a partnership (and to incredibly diverse repertoire!) and an album that delights from beginning to end.

Read the review in Gramophone's Reviews Database


‘Time Traveler’s Suite’ 

Inon Barnatan pf 

Pentatone 

A fascinating and thought-provoking piece of programming – spanning the Baroque to the 21st century – that works wonderfully, thanks of course to Inon Barnatan’s hugely impressive pianism. 

Read the review in Gramophone's Reviews Database


Monteverdi ‘Daylight – Stories of Songs, Dances and Loves’ 

Concerto Italiano / Rinaldo Alessandrini 

Naïve 

A sequel to Concerto Italiano’s 2017 album of nocturnal-themed madrigals again spans Monteverdi’s life to build an inspired recital.

Read the review in Gramophone's Reviews Database


‘Unreleased’ 

Cecilia Bartoli mez Basel Chamber Orchestra / Muhai Tang 

Decca 

These ‘Unreleased’ Cecilia Bartoli tracks date from back in 2013 – but, full as they are of the mezzo’s famed dramatic presence and jaw-dropping virtuosity, they are well worth the wait!

Read the review in Gramophone's Reviews Database


Handel ‘Handel’s Unsung Heroes’ 

Sols; La Nuova Musica / David Bates 

Pentatone 

A splendid line-up of Handel soloists – including Iestyn Davies and Lucy Crowe – joins players on equally stunning form for another triumph masterminded by conductor David Bates. 

Read the review in Gramophone's Reviews Database


Welcome to Gramophone ...

We have been writing about classical music for our dedicated and knowledgeable readers since 1923 and we would love you to join them.

Subscribing to Gramophone is easy, you can choose how you want to enjoy each new issue (our beautifully produced printed magazine or the digital edition, or both) and also whether you would like access to our complete digital archive (stretching back to our very first issue in April 1923) and unparalleled Reviews Database, covering 50,000 albums and written by leading experts in their field.

To find the perfect subscription for you, simply visit: gramophone.co.uk/subscribe

Gramophone Print

  • Print Edition

From £6.67 / month

Subscribe

Gramophone Digital Club

  • Digital Edition
  • Digital Archive
  • Reviews Database
  • Full website access

From £8.75 / month

Subscribe

                              

If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.