Editor's Choices include 'technically polished' interpretations of Alberto Ginastera's three string quartets from the Miró Quartet on Pentatone, 'utterly unpretentious' Bach from Greek pianist Alexandra Papastefanou on First Hand, and a 'richly varied and alluring' debut from Colombian soprano Julieth Lozano Rolong on SOMM.
Recording of the Month
King of Kings
BBC Philharmonic, Sir Andrew Davis, Martyn Brabbins
'If you love your Bach and your romantic orchestra, this album, stunningly executed by the BBC PO under Brabbins's sure hand, will always be a captivating encounter.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Editor's Choices
Bacewicz: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2
Peter Donohoe (piano), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo
'For anyone wondering why Bacewicz is now considered among the more notable composers of her era this Chandos release, replete with its provocative notes from Katarzyna Naliwajek, is the preferred option.'
Available formats: SACD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Ginastera: String Quartets
Miró Quartet, Kiera Duffy (soprano)
'The Miró give the most technically polished accounts yet of these extraordinary works, and the foursome's scrupulousness in no way inhibits the sheer gusto with which they dig into them.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
JS Bach: The English Suites
Alexandra Papastefanou (piano)
'Alexandra Papastefanou's Bach is utterly unpretentious in its naturalness, communicative warmth, cultivated energy and unselfregarding musicality.'
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Johann Jakob Froberger: Suites For Harpsichord, Vol. 4
Gilbert Rowland (harpsichord)
'An entire, complex and sympathetic personality is on show, whose assimilation of different musical influences is constantly evident. Rowland is a fluent guide, discreet though not entirely self-effacing.'
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Schubert + Beethoven
Can Çakmur (piano)
'One admires most Çakmur's inerrant kinaesthesia, vibrant, breathtaking, yet somehow always tempered by love for the beauty revealed in his art. Wholeheartedly recommended.'
Available format: SACD
Bach's Horns
Solomon's Knot
'Anneke Scott and Anna Drysdale's natural horns resound splendidly with visceral disruption, high-wire flamboyance or regal dignity (and sometimes all those elements at once).'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Alma: Ibero-American Songs
Julieth Lozano Rolong (soprano), João Araújo (piano)
'This recital of Ibero-American songs is Rolong's recording debut, and with her warm tone, velvety legato and ability to characterise a song vividly and with imagination, it amply demonstrates the young Colombian soprano's appeal.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Musik der Hansestädte Vol. 3 - Musik aus dem alten Magdeburg
Europäisches Hanse-Ensemble, Manfred Cordes
'The quality and polish of what they achieve absolutely stands comparison with Cordes's 'grown-up' ensemble (if I may put it like that)...The earworm that is Heintz's Nu bitten wir owes much to these young musicians' artistry.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Video
Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
Tomasz Konieczny (Wotan/Der Wanderer), Camilla Nylund (Brünnhilde), Klaus Florian Vogt (Siegfried), Daniela Köhler (Sieglinde), Eric Cutler (Siegmund), Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke (Mime), Christopher Purves (Alberich); Philharmonia Zürich, Gianandrea Noseda, Andreas Homoki
'This Ring production indeed lends itself to the kind of open-ended interpretations that are the purpose of mythology. For that reason, this Ring DVD may be more durable than most.'
Available format: 4 Blu-rays
Reissue/Archive Issue of the Month
Beethoven: Sonatas Nos. 18, 27, 28 & 31 - The Lost Tapes
Sviatoslav Richter (piano)
'Overall, in the face of such imaginative music-making, one forgets the less than optimal sound of the instruments. It's wonderful to hear Richter again.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 192 kHz, 24 bit)
