Since you are interested in Brahms: The Final Piano Pieces, here is a list of other items that you may find interesting.
HANDEL / BACH / TORELLI / HUMMEL / MARCELLO / etc
Magic Trumpet Alison Balsom (trumpet), with Alina Ibragimova (violin) / The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock (director, harpsichord and organ) [ Warner Classics / CD - released 16/Oct/2020 ] "I realised from early on that it wasn't just a trumpet, it was a voice that could seemingly do anything … It can have such fabulous colours, be so versatile, and make such a beautiful sound. I will vigorously defend it for the rest of my life."... |
FRANZ SCHUBERT
Schubert: Sonatas & Impromptus András Schiff (piano) [ ECM New Series / 2 CD - released 12/Apr/2019 ] "Schiff is a true master of the instrument and knows how to connect its resources to his individual, yet never mannered, Schubertian vision" Gramophone Editor's Choice June 2019 |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Piano Concertos András Schiff (piano), Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment [ ECM New Series / 2 CD - released 4/Jun/2021 ] "What he and the OAE offer is not so much to do with authenticity as with freshness and 'detoxification." Recording of the Month Gramophone July 2021 |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Variations Angela Hewitt (piano) [ Hyperion / CD - released 2/Oct/2020 ] "No qualifications are required for Angela Hewitt's new Beethoven album..Hewitt's touch is remarkably nimble and poetic" The Times |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: The Violin Sonatas Bella Hristova (violin), Michael Houstoun (piano) [ Rattle Records / 4 CD - released 26/Apr/2019 ] The complete Beethoven violin sonatas, 33 wonderful pieces of music, performed by two of the greatest Beethoven interpreters working today. Over 4 hours of beautifully produced, expertly performed Beethoven in a handsome 4-CD hard-cover... |
PUCCINI / BOITO / MASCAGNI / MASSENET / LEONCAVALLO / GIORDANO / VERDI
Ermonela Jaho: Anima Rara Ermonela Jaho (soprano), Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, Andrea Battistoni [ Opera Rara / CD - released 25/Sep/2020 ] GRAMOPHONE Award Nomination 2021 - Voice & Ensemble International Classical Music Awards 2021 Winner - Vocal Music |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Complete Violin Concertos Isabelle Faust (violin) / Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini [ Harmonia Mundi / 2 CD - released 20/Nov/2016 ] "her sound growing out of the corporate entity to glitter, coax, snarl and soar as required…[a] thought-provoking and eminently enjoyable cycle" Gramophone Award WINNER 2017 - RECORDING OF THE YEAR |
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 |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart Momentum - 1785 Leif Ove Andsnes (piano), Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Matthew Truscott (violin), Joel Hunter (viola), Frank-Michael Guthmann (cello) [ Sony Classical / 2 CD - released 28/May/2021 ] 'Socially distanced they may have been but the camaraderie that was so evident in their groundbreaking Beethoven cycle with Leif Ove Andsnes is, if anything, even more apparent here.' Gramophone Recording of the Month June 2021 |
FRANZ LISZT / SIGISMOND THALBERG
Liszt & Thalberg: Opera transcriptions & fantasies Marc-André Hamelin (piano) [ Hyperion / CD - released 28/Aug/2020 ] "The execution is so incredibly neat and well ordered, and yet sounds completely spontaneous, like an inspired improvisation…This is a master pianist at the height of his powers" GRAMOPHONE Award Nomination 2021 - Piano |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Diabelli Variations Michael Houstoun (piano) [ Rattle Records / CD - released 18/Aug/2017 ] Following the monumental set of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas, Michael Houstoun and Rattle proudly release a superb account of the Diabelli Variations, thirty-three variations on a waltz by Anton Duabelli composed by Ludwig van Beethoven... |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Complete Intermezzi Michael Houstoun (piano) [ Rattle Records / CD - released 21/Oct/2022 ] The Brahms Intermezzi are among the finest works ever written for solo piano, and it is our very great pleasure to release this wonderful album to mark the occasion of Michael's 70th birthday. |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas (14 CDs plus Book) Michael Houstoun (piano) [ Rattle / 14 CD Box Set - released 15/Oct/2014 ] NZ LISTENER BEST CLASSICAL Recordings 2014 |
SATIE / RAVEL / DEBUSSY / FAURE / POULENC
Michael Houstoun - Trois Michael Houstoun (piano) [ Rattle Records / CD - released 27/Oct/2017 ] Michael Houstoun's second release on Rattle in 2017, following the exceptional tour de force of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, is a selection of personal favourites from the repertoire of French piano music. Trois is an album of absolutely... |
CHRISTOPHER BLAKE
Blake: Symphony - Voices The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Bramwell Tovey [ Atoll Records New Zealand / CD - released 11/Jun/2019 ] A dramatic symphonic journey through T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land", recorded live. |
BEETHOVEN
Live Orchestra Wellington [ Concordance Records / CD - released 22/Feb/2019 ] In 2017, as part of their partnership with Radio New Zealand Concert, Orchestra Wellington, New Zealand's longest running and most well-attended regional orchestra, made live recordings of Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 and 'Symphony... |
JOSEF HAYDN
Haydn: Piano Sonatas [Nos 32, 40, 49, 50] Paul Lewis (piano) [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 15/Apr/2018 ] "Paul Lewis has finally turned his attention to Haydn. Hurray for that, for it's a superb fit; it's also clear that he has absorbed the experience of working with Alfred Brendel as a young man, and the results are nothing if not personal." Gramophone |
JOSEPH HAYDN
Haydn: Piano Sonatas Nos.20, 34, 51 & 52 Paul Lewis (piano) [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 10/Sep/2021 ] In 2018, Paul Lewis embarked on an exploration of one of the richest bodies of work of the Classical era: the keyboard sonatas of Haydn. For his second volume, the British pianist tackles some of the most remarkable pieces in this vast oeuvre: the... |
EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Violin concerto / Violin Sonata Renaud Capuçon (violin), Stephen Hough (piano) London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle [ Erato / CD - released 5/Mar/2021 ] GRAMOPHONE Award Nomination 2021 - Concerto |
MAURICE RAVEL / MANUEL DE FALLA / ERIK SATIE / FRANCIS POULENC
Camino Sean Shibe (guitar) [ Pentatone / CD - released 20/Aug/2021 ] "Vivid, beguiling and intensely intimate" BBC Music Recording of the Month Oct 2021 |
GILLIAN WHITEHEAD
Shadows Crossing Water Stamic Quartet, JindÅ™ich Pazdera (violin) Vilém Veverka (oboe) Patricia Goodson (piano) [ Rattle Records / CD - released 23/Mar/2018 ] This project began with a concert of my music in Prague in 2012, curated by American-born Prague-based pianist Patricia Goodson and featuring some of Prague's most respected musicians, including the Stamic Quartet, oboist Vilém Veverka, and Patricia... |
J. S. BACH
Six Evolutions - Bach: Cello Suites (2017 recording) Yo Yo Ma (cello) [ Sony Classical / 2 CD - released 5/Sep/2018 ] "I don't think he has ever made a greater recording and his personal booklet notes help provide a conceptual setting for his playing." Gramophone Editor's Choice Awards Issue 2018 |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Concerti Grossi: Op. 6 (1-6) The Akademie für Alte Musik, Bernhard Forck [ Pentatone / CD - released 19/Jul/2019 ] The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin kickstarts their Handel trilogy with this recording of the first six concerti grossi op. 6. Originally designed as attractive interludes to English oratorio performances, Handel's concerti grossi soon gained fame as... |
AARON COPLAND / LEONARD BERNSTEIN / GEORGE GERSHWIN / CHARLES IVES / etc
Alison Balsom - Quiet City Alison Balsom (trumpet) / Britten Sinfonia, Scott Stroman [ Warner Classics / CD - released 26/Aug/2022 ] "As an entity it creates a varied album in every kind of mood. It will delight anyone, not only the trumpet expert, who admires Balsom's eclecticism and musical brilliance...Balsom's virtuosity is spellbinding throughout." Guardian |
SCHUMANN / SCHUBERT / STRAUSS / GRIEG / etc
Love Songs Angela Hewitt (piano) [ Hyperion / CD - released 2/Jul/2021 ] "...The real treats are Hewitt's own arrangements...In all, this beautifully recorded recital is a gift to all song-loving pianists who wrestle with the instrument's stubbornly percussive nature." BBC Music Five Stars - Instrumental Choice Sept 2021 |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Volodos plays Brahms Arcadi Volodos (piano) [ Sony Classical / CD - released 20/May/2017 ] "Comparisons become irrelevant in interpretations of such mesmerising honesty. An award-winner if ever I heard one." Gramophone Award WINNER 2018 - Instrumental |
J. S. BACH
Bach: Goldberg Variations Beatrice Rana (piano) [ Warner Classics / CD - released 1/Mar/2017 ] "Her detailing is one of the aspects that makes this performance so compelling, be it the bringing out of a new line in the repeat, subtle changes in phrasing, a touch of pedal - examples are to be found in every single variation." Gramophone |
Bob Dylan
Rough And Rowdy Ways [ Columbia / 2 CD - released 19/Jun/2020 ] Rough And Rowdy Ways, the first album of original songs from Bob Dylan in eight years. The album follows the recent release of two other songs from the forthcoming Rough And Rowdy Ways: The album's lead-off track, "I Contain Multitudes," and the... |
J. S. BACH
Glenn Gould: A State of Wonder - The Complete Goldberg Variations 1955 & 1981 Glenn Gould (piano) [ Sony Classical / 2 CD Box Set - released 7/Aug/2020 ] 50 GREATEST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME (No 4) - BBC MUSIC |
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
On DSCH [Preludes & Fugues for piano] Igor Levit (piano) [ Sony / 3 CD - released 10/Sep/2021 ] 'So what makes this special? To start with, he never goes into a studio without a clear vision in mind, and this album of Shostakovich and Stevenson is no exception.' Gramophone Award Finalist 2022 - Piano |
Leonard Cohen
Thanks For The Dance [ Columbia / CD - released 22/Nov/2019 ] In a posthumous new album, Leonard Cohen has robbed death of the last word. 'Thanks for the Dance' is not a commemorative collection of B sides and outtakes, but an unexpected harvest of new songs, exciting and vital, a continuation of the... |
BELLINI / PUCCINI / BIZET / CATALANI / VERDI / CILEA / GLUCK / etc
The New Sound of Maria Callas [3 CD set] Maria Callas (soprano) with various orchestras & conductors [ Warner Classics Maria Callas Remastered / 3 CD - released 1/Nov/2016 ] Maria Callas - Unforgettable arias sung by the most iconic diva of all time - remastered for the first time in high-definition sound from the original tapes, for an unprecedented sound quality that shines new light on the voice of Maria Callas. Allan... |
W. A. MOZART
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mozart: Piano Quartets Nos 1 & 2 Michael Barenboim (violin) Yulia Deyneka (viola), Kian Soltani (cello) Daniel Barenboim (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon / CD - released 22/Dec/2018 ] One of the many delights of these performances is that they recognise the intimate and non-portentous nature of the works" BBC Music Five Stars Chamber Choice November 2018 |
Nadia Reid
Out Of My Province [ Slow Time Records / CD - released 6/Mar/2020 ] Out of My Province showcases Nadia's sharpest songwriting to date, atmospheric arrangements replete with strings and Rhodes, and of course that immense voice, alternately soothing and riveting. |
FRANZ SCHUBERT
Schubert: Piano Sonatas Paul Lewis (piano) [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 28/Oct/2022 ] Paul Lewis completes his exploration of Schubert's sonatas, begun almost twenty years ago, with three early masterpieces. The Sonatas D537 and D568 display the daring and freshness of their youthful creator, while with D664, dazzling in its artless... |
DONIZETTI / GOUNOD / VERDI / ROSSINI / MEYERBEER / MASSENET / GODARD
Pene Pati Pene Pati (tenor) / Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Emmanuel Villaume [ Warner Classics / Warner / CD - released 25/Mar/2022 ] "A generosity of spirit not always to be taken for granted with tenors is in constant evidence on Pene Pati's debut album…His voice certainly has the colour for both the French and Italian repertoire presented here" BBC Music Choice of the Month May |
BACH / LISZT / CHOPIN / BUSONI
Vida breve Stephen Hough (piano) [ Hyperion / CD - released 26/Feb/2021 ] Piano Sonatas by Chopin (No 2) and Hough (No 4) are the twin peaks of a typically stimulating recital which-as always from Stephen Hough-spans centuries and styles with assurance. How often do Liszt's 'Funérailles' and Gounod's 'Ave Maria' share the... |
JOHN TAVENER
Tavener: No longer mourn for me & other works for cello Steven Isserlis (cello) / Philharmonia Orchestra, Trinity Boys Choir, Omer Meir Wellber [ Hyperion / CD - released 30/Oct/2020 ] BBC Music Award WINNER - Premier Award 2021 Gramophone Editor's Choice November 2020 |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Late Quartets Opus 95, 127, 130-133, 135 Takacs Quartet [ Decca Records / 3 CD Box Set - released 12/Dec/2004 ] "Excellent recordings too: sonorous, and with well-judged sense of four-voices-in-one. It doesn't feel all risky to say that this is probably the finest modern set of these great quartets." (BBC) |
MOZART / GALUPPI / HAYDN / CIMAROSA / C.P.E. BACH
Mozart & Contemporaries Vikingur Olafsson (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon / CD - released 3/Sep/2021 ] "there is much to admire here thanks to Ólafsson's superb pianism, most notably in Haydn's Sonata No. 47, Mozart's little Cmajor Sonata and his dagio in Bminor; his Kleine Gigue goes like the wind." - BBC Music Magazine |