News

Bonus post: Dani Howard signs to Birdsong Publishing

Composer Dani Howard and Birdsong Music Publishing (set up by HarrisonParrot) are excited to announce her signing a worldwide exclusive deal today; in doing so she joins such names as Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Freya Waley-Cohen. Dani Howard’s reputation as a composer particularly in orchestral music has been growing fast

The sublime Chopin of Rafał Blechacz

Rafał Blechacz won the prestigious Chopin Competition in 2005; listening to these recordings, he sits at the top of the tree of young pianists presenting Chopin got he public toady. Although in his repertoire for years and years, he has chosen now as the time to release his readings of

Stravinsky

Klaus Mäkelä conducts Stravinsky

This is a compelling disc, brilliantly realised

Repost: Scriabin's Ecstasy and Fire

This is a great programme of music by one of the most elusive composers to have ever lived. Alexander Scriabun (1872-1915) was a trail-blazer in his music, his heady chromaticism reaching out in the later piano sonsatas towards a very personal brand of post-tonalism. He is famous too for his

Penderecki: Complete Quartets on Chandos

I find these Silesian Quartet performances impeccably aligned with the music

Violin

Kopatchinskaja & Say triumph in Janáček, Brahms & Bartók

A stunning, highly individual disc. Unforgettable

Choral

Magnificat 3: Nethsingha and St John's, Cambridge return

Another triumph for Nethdingha and St John’s

Schubert

Padmore and Uchida perform Schubert’s “Schwanengesang”

This is a glorious disc: Padmore and Uchida deliver a stunning Schwanengesamg

News Item: Pianist Filippo Gorini receives 2023 Franco Buitoni Award

The Borletti Buitoni Trust has chosen young Italian pianist Filippo Gorini as the recipient of its biennial Franco Buitoni Award (£25,000) in recognition of his Sonata for 7 Cites project which will be launched in 2025. The Award will be officially presented by Ilaria Borletti Buitoni at a special

Richard Strauss

Zubin Mehta conducts Richard Strauss' Sinfonia domestica

Mehta's Munich performance of Sinfonia domestica has completely changed how I think and feel about this piece

Silvestrov

Silent Song: Music by Konstantin Silvestrov

Silvestrov’s whisperings to our soul make a deep impresison - especially in performances such as these

17th Century

Venus and Dido: Two British Operas

The relationship between Blow’s Venus and Adonis and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas is well-documented, particularly as regards their final choruses (with Purcell modelling his finale on Blow’s), but to hear the two together is rare. And, it turn out, a delight. Blow's Venus and Adonis was written

18th century

Meeting Francesco Giovannini

Tactus continues its valuable work with a release giaranteed to elevate the listener

Puccini's Turandot from Rome

One of Classical Ecplorer’s earliest posts was Pappano and Kaufmann in Verdi’s Otello. They return here for Puccini’s Turandot, with Sondra Radvanovky in the title role (see her Donizetti Three Queens here, and this documentary, Fuoco Sacro). The cast is spectacular for this Turandot: Ermonela Jaho (also

Haydn

Celibidache returns: Haydn & Tchaikovsky

Another example of the work of this remarkable conductor - the Tchaikovsky should be on everyone’s shelves

Steve Reich

Steve Reich: The String Quartets

"I never expected to write a string quartet" - Steve Reich

Brahms

Simply Superlative Brahms from Alexandre Kantorow on BIS

Alexandre Kantorow is absolutely the real deal

News Item: Daniel Harding announced Pappano's successor in Rome

Daniel Harding takes over from Pappano in Rome

Walton

Walton: Complete Façades from JoAnn Falletta

There is a huge amount of delight to be gleaned via this disc - a glimpse into another era

Schubert

Eine Winterreise: a staging by Christof Loy

The whole experience is entrancing - and certainly rewards repeated viewing

Brahms

Brahms and Clara Schumann: Anne-Sophie Mutter and Pablo Ferrández on Sony

Anne-Sophie Mutter and Pablo Ferrández in stunning form in Brahms

Stravinsky

Sir Andrew Davis conducts Stravinsky

A splendid disc. The BBC Philharmonic is on terrific form under Sir Andrew Davis

Monteverdi

A Tale of Two (More) Ritornos: Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria

Gardiner’s Ulisse is forthright and on its own terms convincing, and Dantone has his moments, but Fuget’s Versailles performance remains the clear leader

Meeting Marschner

Heinrich August Marschner (1795-1861) is probably best known for writing an opera about a vampire (Der Vampyr, 1827, after a book by Pollidori). That opera was successful enough in its recording heyday to attract Siegmund Nimsgern (as Lord Rithven) in an Italian radio performance conducted by Günter Neuhold; Capriccio also

Dvorák's most popular opera, Rusalka, at Covent Garden

Dvořák Rusalka (sung in Czech with English surtitles; Bärenreiter Edition, ed. Robert Simon/Jonas Hájek). Cast; Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Semyon Bychkov. Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 21.02.2023 Production: Director – Ann Yee and Natalie Abrahami Created by Natale Abrahami and Ann Yee