The Best Classical Music Albums of 2024 (So Far)
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
All of these outstanding classical albums were Editor's Choices in Gramophone magazine and are highly recommended. If you are searching for an inspirational new recording, look no further
In every issue of Gramophone, Editor Martin Cullingford chooses 10 new releases as his Editor's Choice selection. Below, you will find all of the albums selected as Editor's Choice in 2024 – so far.
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
Chopin Études
Yunchan Lim pf (Decca)
This album of Chopin Études from our cover artist, pianist Yunchan Lim, is a compelling triumph – a truly momentous studio debut from an extraordinary talent.
Andres The Blind Banister
Timo Andres pf Metropolis Ensemble / Andrew Cyr (Nonesuch)
Nonesuch here offers us a beautifully recorded introduction to Timo Andres’s pianistic voice – both as the composer and performer.
Bartók The Wooden Prince
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra / Thomas Dausgaard (Onyx)
Conductor Thomas Dausgaard delves into the dark heart of Bartók’s ballet The Wooden Prince – just one part of a rewarding album devoted to the composer’s music.
Mendelssohn Symphonies
Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra / Paavo Järvi (Alpha)
A superb Mendelssohn symphony cycle from conductor Paavo Järvi to set against the finest of recent times – rich in tonal weight but wonderfully light in spirit too.
Chausson Concert Lekeu Violin Sonata
Gabriel Le Magadure vn Frank Braley pf Quatuor Agate (Appassionato)
Another success from the Appassionato label – violinist Gabriel Le Magadure, pianist Frank Braley and their quartet colleagues embody the music’s drama.
‘Treasures’
Trio Lirico (Audite)
Performances of works by Dohnányi, Ysaÿe and Kodály plus the first recording of Peter Eötvös’s 2020 Trio, a fine tribute to the composer who died in March, are a powerful demonstration of this superb trio’s talent.
Rachmaninov Works for Two Pianos
Sergei Babayan, Daniil Trifonov pfs (DG)
Truly stylish virtuosity from Sergei Babayan and Daniil Trifonov – vivid, theatrical and highly musical, from a piano partnership well worth hearing.
Wagner ‘Famous Opera Scenes’
Nikolai Lugansky pf (Harmonia Mundi)
Such is pianist Nikolai Lugansky’s story-telling poetry throughout this album devoted to Wagner transcriptions that we seem to step straight into the sound world of the operas themselves.
Ysaÿe Solo Violin Sonatas
Sergey Khachatryan vn (Naïve)
A stunning set of Ysaÿe’s solo sonatas from violinist Sergey Khachatryan, whose virtuosity and distinctive voice shine throughout this most fiendish of repertoire.
Elgar The Dream of Gerontius
Sols; Gabrieli Consort & Players / Paul McCreesh (Signum)
A deeply moving journey through Elgar’s religious epic, from a conductor whose admiration of this music is evident in every bar, and a superb soloist in Nicky Spence.
Mahler Symphony No 6
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle (BR-Klassik)
Decades spent with this music bear fruit in a powerfully expressive performance; the second Recording of the Month in a row from a truly wonderful conductor.
Bruckner Symphony No 8
Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra / Stanisław Skrowaczewski (Dabringhaus und Grimm)
Following our recent Icons, Skrowaczewski has been the subject of several letters of tribute, which makes this Bruckner 8 from the close of his life all the more timely.
Stravinsky Petrushka Debussy Jeux. Prélude à L’après-midi d’un faune
Orchestre de Paris / Klaus Mäkelä (Decca)
Klaus Mäkelä once again justifies the plaudits so early in his career with a revelatory Petrushka, rich in thrilling characterisation, caught in luxurious sound.
Smetana Má vlast
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Semyon Bychkov (Pentatone)
A performance of this Czech masterpiece rooted in a relationship between Semyon Bychkov at his finest and players steeped in the musical and cultural world in which the work was written.
Rachmaninov Orchestral Works
Kirill Gerstein pf Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Kirill Petrenko (Berliner Philharmoniker)
Kirill Petrenko’s selection of Rachmaninov works is striking both for the vividness of its detail and for its compelling rhythmic drive.
Beethoven Piano Trio No 7, ‘Archduke’. Symphony No 4
Leonidas Kavakos vn Yo‑Yo Ma vc Emanuel Ax pf (Sony Classical)
Three star soloists clearly enjoying a project as fascinating as it is rewarding: this time it’s Beethoven’s Fourth transcribed.
Beydts Mélodies & Songs
Cyrille Dubois ten Tristan Raës pf (Aparté)
What a wonderful discovery: the major song cycles from a 20th-century composer whose music has lyrical beauty, but is rarely recorded. If anything can change that, this can.
Pergolesi Stabat mater Vivaldi Nisi Dominus
PRJCT Amsterdam / Maarten Engeltjes counterten (Pentatone)
‘A vital and heartfelt recording … from one of the newest and slickest ensembles,’ says Edward Breen of this moving release.
‘Paysage’
Véronique Gens sop Munich Radio Orchestra / Hervé Niquet (Alpha)
A rich feast of late-Romantic French orchestral song from our Artist of the Year, Véronique Gens; her skills of story-telling and of shaping atmosphere are compelling from the start.
Wagner Parsifal
Vienna State Opera / Philippe Jordan (Sony Classical)
Last month’s cover artist Jonas Kaufmann’s insight into Parsifal is born of immense reflection; his fellow soloists and conductor Philippe Jordan are equally superb in their contributions too.
Janáček Katya Kabanova
Sols; London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle
LSO Live
Sir Simon Rattle’s extraordinary feel for Janáček’s music, the LSO’s beautiful playing and wonderful soloists make for a superb second release in this series of his operas.
Britten Violin Concerto. Double Concerto
Baiba Skride vn ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra / Marin Alsop
Orfeo
A fascinating pairing of two Britten works, magnificently performed by Baiba Skride.
Auerbach. Dvořák. Weinberg Piano Trios
Trio Zimbalist
Curtis Studio/Platoon
A new release from the in-house label of the famed Curtis Institute, and a debut from an accomplished new piano trio, brings a hugely impressive exploration of three works in the form.
‘Haydn All‑Stars’
Trio Ernest
Aparté
Another debut from another trio, this time matching four brilliantly played Haydn works with century-spanning pieces inspired by the composer and his music from Brahms and Belgian composer Jacqueline Fontyn.
LeFanu ‘The Path Above the Dunes’
Gemini
Métier
A fascinating, hugely engaging recording of works by Nicola LeFanu spanning almost half a century, from a contemporary ensemble celebrating 50 years of advocacy of modern music.
Hamelin Piano Works
Marc-André Hamelin pf
Hyperion
Marc-André Hamelin continues to astonish, album by album, in music by others – here is a further and hugely revealing insight into the pianist’s own compositional voice, brought to life with his ever-present virtuoso brilliance.
Handel Theodora
Sols; Arcangelo / Jonathan Cohen
Alpha
Jonathan Cohen and his superb Arcangelo ensemble, plus a perfectly picked selection of soloists, offer a performance rich in detail and humanity of this late Handel oratorio, a work now recognised as a masterpiece.
Lassus ‘The Alchemist, Vol 1’
Magnificat / Philip Cave
Linn
The launch of a scholarly survey of Lassus’s Magnificat settings conducted by Philip Cave, here pairing the composer’s music with the Italian madrigals these works drew on, gloriously sung throughout.
Vaughan Williams ‘Retrospect’
London Choral Sinfonia / Michael Waldron
Orchid
A fascinating journey through lesser-known music by Vaughan Williams, rich in discovery, whether vocal or orchestral, all assembled with care and performed with conviction and eloquence.
‘A Gardener’s World’
Alessandro Fisher ten Anna Tilbrook pf
Rubicon
A previous One to Watch, the tenor Alessandro Fisher offers a beautiful recital of floral-themed songs spanning styles and centuries, the pianist Anna Tilbrook a perfect partner.
🎧 Podcast: Alessandro Fisher on 'A Gardener's World'
‘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.
Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No 1 and sonatas by Franck and Poulenc
Bruno Philippe vc Tanguy de Williencourt pf Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra / Christoph Eschenbach
Harmonia Mundi
Bruno Philippe, one of his generation’s most compelling cellists, returns with familiar musical partners to offer us an album of real intelligence, lyricism and elegance.
CPE Bach Six Hamburg Symphonies
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century / Alexander Janiczek vn
Glossa
A reminder of how imaginative CPE Bach’s music can be – a spirit that conductor Alexander Janiczek and his musicians pick up and run with!
Beethoven Violin Concerto. ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata
Double Sens / Nemanja Radulović vn
Warner Classics
Nemanja Radulovic´ brings real character to his reading of the Beethoven Violin Concerto and has nothing to fear from a catalogue packed with famed accounts.
Bruckner Symphony No 5
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra / Markus Poschner
Capriccio
As one of our interviewees in this month’s special Bruckner feature, it’s wonderful to be able to welcome Markus Poschner’s superb new recording of Symphony No 5.
Jarrell Orchestral Works
Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire / Pascal Rophé
BIS
Michael Jarrell’s fascinating sound world is well caught in this wonderfully performed recording, soloists, conductor Pascal Rophé and BIS alike offering excellent advocacy.
Beethoven Violin Sonatas Nos 3, 7 & 8
Antje Weithaas vn Dénes Várjon pf
AVI-Music
Antje Weithaas and Dénes Várjon are back with a second volume of Beethoven sonatas, and it’s one that finds them exploring his music with genuine insight, bringing rich rewards.
‘A Celebration’
Thomas Trotter org
Regent
There’s so much to celebrate here – a well-chosen programme of delights, Birmingham Town Hall’s superb instrument, and most of all a soloist in Thomas Trotter of virtuosic brilliance.
Pepusch Chandos Anthems
The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen / Robert Rawson
Accent
A contemporary of Handel, who also had links to Cannons, the Duke of Chandos’s estate, is presented with passion and joy.
Weelkes ‘Gentleman Extraordinary’
Resurgam / Mark Duley
Resonus
The 400th anniversary of Thomas Weelkes’s death last year may not have got the same attention as that of Byrd’s, but this album offers a suitably fine tribute to his varied and imaginative music.
‘Operette’
Diana Damrau sop Munich Radio Orchestra / Ernst Theis
Erato
‘I wonder if I’ve already found my record of the year?’ writes Richard Bratby. Bold words indeed for a January review, and what better encouragement to listen to it?
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