SERGEI PROKOFIEV / ALEXEY SHOR
Prokofiev & Shor: Piano Concertos Behzod Abduraimov, Vasily Petrenko, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ Alpha Classics / CD - due 28/Mar/2025 ] Many people have been waiting for Behzod Abduraimov's performance of Prokofiev's second piano concerto - that powerful work which caused a scandal when it was first performed near St Petersburg in 1913 because it was considered too futuristic. |
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence Symphony No.6 'Pathetique' Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Domingo Hindoyan (conductor) [ ONYX / CD - due 25/Apr/2025 ] 'Italy, Florence - nothing gives me the slightest pleasure so far' Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother. 'I cannot live outside Russia' In the depth of depression, the composer completed his 10th opera, The Queen of Spades, and commenced work on his... |
OLIVER DAVIS
Davis: Life Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Julian Kershaw (conductor) [ Signum / CD - due 9/May/2025 ] The latest installment from composer Oliver Davis, an album inspired by his work Life Cycle for violin and strings, with all the works that followed playing on the theme of life. Featuring works for violin, piano, strings, harp and orchestra, Davis... |
BIZET / MASSENET / ROSSINI / BELLINI
Aigul Akhmetshina - Aigul Aigul Akhmetshina (mezzo), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniele Rustioni; with Freddie De Tommaso (tenor), Elisabeth Boudreault (soprano), Kezia Bien [ Decca / CD - released 16/Aug/2024 ] "She has a superb voice, no question, warm and even in tone, admirably agile, with a full, effortless top, and a tangy lower register...It all adds up to a fine recital, and a most auspicious debut." Gramophone September 2024 Editor's Choice |
OLIVER DAVIS
Davis: Blue Beth & Flo (Pianos / Piano Four Hands), Grace Davidson and Julia Doyle (sopranos), Joshua Davidson (treble), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ Signum / CD - released 6/Oct/2023 ] This is Oliver Davis' first album dedicated to the piano, and specifically two pianists, Dutch piano duo Beth & Flo. The album features this dynamic duo playing four hands piano and also on two pianos with full orchestra. The song cycle 'Siren Songs'... |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Rondo, WoO 6 Boris Giltburg (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Nov/2019 ] "Here's a very promising start to what I assume will be a new Beethoven piano concerto cycle...Fine playing, fine conducting, fine engineering-in short, a really fine release generally." ClassicsToday |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos 3 & 4 Boris Giltburg (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Feb/2023 ] For 19th-century audiences Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 was the most loved of all his piano concertos, a work in which the balancing of high drama, tenderness, lyricism and humour is most pronounced and in which a coda resolves inner tensions... |
DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH
Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 / etc Boris Giltburg (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko [ Naxos / CD - released 17/Dec/2016 ] "Much of the credit for this belongs to Vasily Petrenko as well, who continues his series of top-notch Shostakovich recordings for Naxos." 10 / 10 ClassicsToday Jan 2017 |
ALEXANDER BORODIN
Essential Borodin (Includes Symphonies 1-3 & In the Steppes of Central Asia) Borodin Quartet / Nicolai Ghiaurov / London Symphony Orchestra / Suisse Romande Orchestra / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / etc [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 2/Jun/2004 ] "Ashkenazy's (1st) many delights come richly, thanks not only to the quality of the RPO playing but also to the warm (1992) digital recording." (Penguin Guide) |
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto / Valse sentimentale / Valse-Scherzo / etc Christian Li (violin) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko, with Nicola Eimer (piano) [ Decca / CD - released 28/Feb/2025 ] "Whatever he touches, this young violinist emerges as an extraordinary wunderkind." BBC Music Magazine. |
DANNY ELFMAN
Danny Elfman: Percussion Concerto / Wunderkammer Colin Currie (percussion) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta [ Sony Classical / CD - released 17/May/2024 ] " After 115-plus movies Elfman can't help but make pictures of sound and the fabulous engineering here certainly makes them pop." Gramophone |
CLARA SCHUMANN
Romance: The Piano Music of Clara Schumann Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Holly Mathieson [ Decca / CD - released 19/Jul/2019 ] "it is the performances of the two song transcriptions that show what a gifted musician Kanneh-Mason is." Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice August 2019 |
MOZART / DOHNANYI / DEBUSSY / SCHUMANN
Isata Kanneh-Mason - Childhood Tales Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Domingo Hindoyan [ Decca / CD - released 13/Aug/2023 ] "It makes for a delightful programme that will appeal to those of riper years as much as it will to children...It is so good to see someone of Isata Kanneh-Mason's generation championing this once-popular work [Dohnányi's Variations]." Gramophone |
SZYMANOWSKI / RAVEL / YSAYE / LUTOSLAWSKI
Janusz Wawrowski - Phoenix Janusz Wawrowski (violin), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Grzegorz Nowak [ Warner Classics / CD - released 12/Mar/2021 ] Janusz Wawrowski's new album, Phoenix, could be subtitled 'Hidden Concerto'. It pairs violin concertos by Tchaikovsky and the 20th century Polish composer Ludomir Różycki. |
KARL JENKINS
Jenkins: Stravaganza Jess Gillam (soprano saxophone), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Jenkins [ Decca / CD - released 8/Nov/2024 ] "The catchy opening movement, Perambulation, has a dotted motif reminiscent of Mancini's theme for The Pink Panther, with the soprano saxophone melodies matched by fairground-frenzied accompaniment." BBC Music |
GIOACCHINO ROSSINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE - Rossini: Heros and Heroines Marilyn Horne (mezzo soprano) / L'Orchestre de la Suisse romande / Royal Philharmonic Orchetra / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden [ Decca Opera Gala / CD - released 20/Jun/1998 ] 'Marilyn Horne's generously filled recital disc brings us one of the most cherishable among all Rossini aria records ever issued. The voice is in glorious condition, rich and firm throughout its spectacular range, and is consistently used with... |
SCHUMANN / SAINT-SAENS / GLIERE
Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra Markus Maskuniitty (horn), Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor) [ Ondine / CD - released 2/Aug/2019 ] "The playing of Maskuniitty and his three colleagues is simply superb, with exemplary balance between them and the thrilling arpeggio swoops in the last movement" BBC Music Award Finalist - Concerto 2020 |
FERDINAND HEROLD / CHARLES LECOCQ
Herold: La Fille Mal Gardee / Lecocq: Mam'zelle Angot (Complete Ballets) Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, John Lanchbery / National Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Bonynge [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 2 CD - released 20/May/2007 ] "Here, with sound of spectacular Decca digital fidelity, Lanchbery conducts a highly seductive account of the complete ballet with an orchestra long familiar with playing it in the theatre." (Rosette Penguin Stereo Guide) |
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2 / Symphony No 9 Peter Jablonski (piano) Cristina Ortiz (piano) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy [ Decca Virtuoso / CD - released 14/Jul/2014 ] "this kind of plain-spoken Shostakovich could make a good benchmark library choice" (Gramophone on the symphony) |
ANTONIN DVORAK
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Dvorak: Symphony No 3 in E flat, Op.10 / Scherzo Capriccioso / Carnival Overture Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Libor Pesek [ Virgin Classics / 2 CD - released 1/Oct/2005 ] Recording: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, October 1988. |