ANTONIO VIVALDI
Vivaldi: Opera Arias Roberta Invernizzi (soprano) / La Risonanza, Fabio Bonizzoni [ Glossa / CD - released 1/Jun/2012 ] "Invernizzi, perhaps the most exciting Italian Baroque soprano today, chooses three of the most flamboyant ['storm' arias] and dazzles with her coruscating yet perfectly controlled coloratura" Gramophone Award Nomination 2012 |
ANTONIN DVORAK
Dvorak: Stabat Mater Ilse Eerens, Michaela Selinger, Maximilian Schmitt & Florian Boesch / Collegium Vocale Gent - Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Philippe Herreweghe [ PHI / CD - released 22/Apr/2013 ] GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE AWARD NOMINATION 2014 |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: Les Troyens (complete opera recorded in 2012) Royal Opera House, Bryan Hymel, Anna Caterina Antonacci, Eva-Maria Westbroek / Antonio Pappano (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / 2 DVD - released 1/Nov/2013 ] GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE AWARD NOMINATION 2014 |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Les Troyens (complete opera recorded in 2012) BLU-RAY Royal Opera House, Bryan Hymel, Anna Caterina Antonacci, Eva-Maria Westbroek / Antonio Pappano (cond) [ Opus Arte Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Nov/2013 ] GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE AWARD NOMINATION 2014 |
GEORGE BENJAMIN
Written on Skin (complete opera recorded in 2013) Royal Opera House / Christopher Purves, Barbara Hannigan, Bejun Mehta, Victoria Simmonds / George Benjamin (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 20/Aug/2014 ] GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE AWARD WINNER 2014 - Contemporary |
GEORGE BENJAMIN
Benjamin: Lessons in Love and Violence (complete opera recorded in 2018) BLU-RAY Royal Opera House / Stéphane Degout, Barbara Hannigan, Gyula Orendt, Peter Hoare / George (cond) [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Jul/2019 ] "At just 90 minutes, this is an opera of impressive concentration with not a word or note wasted." Gramophone |
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF
Rachmaninoff: Vespers (All-Night Vigil, Op. 37) Ory Brown mezzo (soprano) & David Vanderwal (tenor) / Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, Fifth Avenue, New York (choir); John Scott [ Resonus Classics / CD - released 1/Jul/2016 ] "It is a magnificent rendition, showing just how this masterpiece has been convincingly absorbed into the wider choral tradition, and I recommend it very highly indeed.' - Gramophone Award Nomination 2017 - Choral |
GRAZYNA BACEWICZ
Bacewitz: String Quartets Silesian Quartet [ Chandos / 2 CD - released 15/Jul/2016 ] "These seven works, composed between 1938 and 1965, add up to a compelling portrait of a powerfully original creative spirit...the whole group seem to understand this life-affirming music from the inside." Gramophone Award WINNER 2017 - Chamber |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 MusicAeterna, Teodor Currentzis [ Sony Classical / CD - released 12/Jun/2020 ] "In this most celebrated of symphonies the players sound at times as though they might explode with excitement." BBC Music Orchestral recording of the Month July 2020 |
LOTTA WENNÄKOSKI
Wennäkoski: Sigla / Sedecim / Flounce Sivan Magen (harp) / Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Collon [ Ondine / CD - released 10/Feb/2023 ] "This is music that knows exactly where it is going and is happy to bring its audience along with it." Gramophone Award WINNER 2023 - Contemporary |
PALESTRINA
Palestrina: Vol. 3 The Sixteen, Harry Christophers [ Coro / CD - released 28/Jan/2013 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD FINALIST 2013: Early Music |
RICHARD STRAUSS
Strauss, (R.): Four Last Songs and other Lieder Soile Isokoski (soprano) / Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin / Marek Janowski, conductor [ Ondine 20th Anniversary / CD - released 10/Jun/2004 ] "Strauss singing doesn't come much better than this. I suspect that the composer him∆self‚ with his love of the soprano voice‚ would have been enthralled by Isokoski's glorious singing." (Gramophone Editor's Choice April 2002) |
EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Symphony No. 1 in A flat major, Op. 55 Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim [ Decca / CD - released 15/May/2016 ] "Barenboim's long association with, and love for, Elgar has effectively made it part of his musical DNA..That is the really startling achievement here and it manifests itself in playing that is as exciting as it is nuanced." Gramophone Disc of May 16 |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Songs Stephan Genz (baritone) Roger Vignoles (piano) [ Hyperion / CD - released 19/Sep/2003 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD WINNER 1999 PREIS DER DEUTSCHEN SCHALLPLATTENKRITIK |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: The Final Piano Pieces Stephen Hough (piano) [ Hyperion / CD - released 31/Jan/2020 ] "'One of the finest accounts of Brahms's late piano works on record, one that stands head and shoulders above most contenders in an ever-growing catalogue." Gramophone Awards 2020 Short List - Instrumental |
CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS
Saint-Saens: Piano Concertos Nos 1-5 / Africa Fantasie for piano and orchestra Stephen Hough (piano) / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo [ Hyperion Romantic Piano Concertos Vol 27 / 2 CD - released 16/Sep/2001 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1851-1900) -- "This seems to me a spiffing set and pleasurable discoveries and rediscoveries await." (Gramophone) |
J. S. BACH
Bach: The Cello Suites Steven Isserlis (cello) [ Hyperion / 2 CD - released 26/May/2007 ] 'Isserlis asserts the music's dance roots, whether through his thrusting accents or by sweeping through with a winning lilt … Just listen to Isserlis, Bach and your heart, and the music that never dies' (The Times) |
MUSSORGSKY
Pictures at an Exhibition (piano version) [with piano pieces by Prokofiev] Steven Osborne (piano) [ Hyperion / CD - released 1/Feb/2013 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD WINNER 2013: Instrumental |
WILLIAM BYRD / ORLANDO GIBBONS / THOMAS MORLEY / etc
The Phoenix Rising Stile Antico [ Harmonia Mundi SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 29/Jul/2013 ] GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE AWARD NOMINATION 2014 |
HUMMEL
Hummel: Mass, Op 111 in D / Mass Op 77 in B flat major Susan Gritton (soprano) / Collegium Musicum 90 / Richard Hickox [ Chandos / CD - released 1/Nov/2002 ] 2003 Gramophone Magazine Award Finalist - Recording of the month - Gramophone (Dec 2002) |