Editor's Choices include cover-star Sean Shibe's album of solo guitar works by Harrison Birtwistle, Thomas Adès and James Dillon on Pentatone, the conclusion of Jonathan Biss's Beethoven/5 project on Orchid Classics and Anne-Sophie Mutter's East Meets West on Alpha (featuring new works by Aftab Darvishi, Unsuk Chin, Jörg Widmann and Adès), which she discussed with Presto's James Longstaffe last month.
Recording of the Month
Charles Silver: La Belle au bois dormant
Thomas Dolié (Le Roi), Guylaine Girard (Aurore/La Reine), Kate Aldrich (La Fée Urgèle/Dame Gudule), Adrien Fournaison, Julien Dran (Le Prince/Le Chevalier errant), Matthieu Lécroart (Barnabé); Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir, György Vashegyi
'There are some pretty Wagnerian heroics in the orchestra as the prince defeats fire-breathing monsters blocking his path to the princess, the Hungarian National Philharmonic and György Vashegyi in fine fettle...This recording heralds a notable reawakening.'
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
Editor's Choices
Beethoven/5 Vol. 5
Jonathan Biss (piano), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Malin Broman
'[Shaw] has an assured control of expectation, and even when the music dissolves into something surprising, it seems, in retrospect, as if we have been expecting it all along. Overall, a memorable conclusion to a noteworthy series.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
Sibelius: Violin Concerto & Lemminkäinen Suite
Ava Bahari (violin), Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Santtu-Matias Rouvali
'There is a very real sense here of musicians in their element - not least, of course, Bahari whose Swedish compatriots rise to the collaboration. Excellent.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
East Meets West
Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin), Nancy Zhou (violin), Pablo Ferrández (cello), London Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Adès
'However we rate Mutter's proxy contributions to the new violin literature as a commissioner - and however classy her playing here - it's the sense of a beautifully conceived album that impresses most.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 192 kHz, 24 bit)
Steve Reich: The Sextets
Colin Currie Group
'The Colin Currie Group draw on the best of previous recordings, matching Ensemble Signal's attractive combination of energy, power, brilliance and precision in the first and last movements, while the slow second movement is imbued with an almost romantic lyricism.'
Available formats: SACD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Vesper
Sean Shibe (guitar)
'You find yourself marvelling at what Shibe can do with two hands and six strings in the space of one bar - the micro-achievement of his articulation, colouring and mastering of that fragile resonance; the macroachievement, the depths he plumbs, on his instrument, with these miniature stories.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 192 kHz, 24 bit)
Rachmaninoff: Transcriptions
Marek Kozák (piano)
'You just know this is going to be good, one of those where you can just sit back and listen with unalloyed pleasure to music, artist and instrument...Certainly the best solo piano album to come my way so far this year.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 192 kHz, 24 bit)
Benevoli: Missae Angelus Domini & Dum complerentur
I Fagiolini, Robert Hollingworth
'This third and final instalment of Benevoli's 'Colossal Baroque' multichoir Masses is quite superb...I reckon this is probably I Fagiolini at their sonorous, splendid best. A fitting end to this fantastic project.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Edmund Rubbra: Crucifuxus Pro Nobis
Benjamin Hulett (tenor), Choir of Merton College Oxford, Benjamin Nicholas
'Aficionados will rightly rejoice at the appearance of this long-overdue premiere recording of the raptly mystical and luminously textured Cantata di camera...All told, this is a peach of an album.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Seth Parker Woods: From Ordinary Things
Seth Parker Woods (cello), Conor Hanick (piano), Julia Bullock (soprano), Andrew Rosenblum (piano)
'Woods is best known for his advocacy of new and neglected music, so it's a treat to hear him in the familiar territory of the Rachmaninov Sonata. He's joined here by his longtime touring partner Andrew Rosenblum, who maintains a velvety tone no matter how busy the texture.'
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Reissue/Archive Issue of the Month
The Romantic Piano Concerto: 1991 - 2007 Edition
Stephen Hough, Piers Lane, Nikolai Demidenko, Martin Roscoe, Howard Shelley, Peter Donohoe, Marc-André Hamelin and Steven Osborne et al
'Is this handsomely produced box-set worth acquiring? As a work of art alone, yes! If you have not encountered these works before, do not hesitate. Dip in anywhere and you will be rewarded.'
Available format: 50 CDs
