This new Hänssler disc presents both early and late works by César Franck, in the hands of French-born pianst Ingmar Lazar. Lazar is something of a prodigy, giving his first recital at teh Salle Gavreau at the age of six. He is a multiple prizewinner, including of the Tabor Foundation

Verdi La forza del destino (1869 Milan version). Cast; Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Sir Mark Elder. Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 19.09.2023. Production: Original director – Christof Loy Associate director – Georg Zlabinger Designer – Christian Schmidt Lighting designer – Olaf Winter Choreographer – Otto Pichler

In early September, I attended the Dresden Philharmonic’s season opener (see this post for my review). After the concert, the conductor Kahchun Wong was kind enough to share his thoughts on all things Dresden, Mancunian and beyond ... Classical Explorer: Congratulations on both your appointments at Dresden (Principal Guest Conductor

Mozart, Bartók, Beethoven Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano); Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra / András Keller (conductor). G-Live, Guildford, Surrey, 13.09.2023 Mozart    Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K 440 (1788) Bartök    Piano Concerto No. 3 in E, Sz 119 (1945) Beethoven  Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 55, ‘Eroica’ (1804)

Varèse, Haddad, Ravel, Bach/Benjamin, Schoenberg Anna Prohaska (soprano); Ensemble Modern / Sir George Benjamin. Wigmore Hall, 12.09.2023. Varèse         Octandre (1923) Saed Haddad     Mirage, Mémoire, Mystère (2011/12) Ravel      Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé (1913) Bach/Benjamin    Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1030 (by 1742, rev. 1745-9):          Canon in

It's the Gramophone Awards shortlist time again, and again Classical Explorer has covered a goodly amount of them. Here's pone I hope wins: Schoenberg on BIS: Arnold Schoenberg’s second string quartet – included on a previous release by the Gringolts Quartet – is often used as a reference point when the

Prangcharoen, Elgar, R. Strauss Gautier Capuçon (cello); Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra / Kahchun Wong (conductor). Kulturpalast, Dresden, 02.09.2023 Narong Prangcharoen (born 1973) Reflection of Shadow (2023, World                   Premiere) Elgar               Cello Concerto in E minor (1919) R. Strauss             Also sprach Zarathustra (1896) The last time I was in Dresden’s Kulturpalast

Not one but two significant releases of the same core repertoire work: Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony. They are well-timed, as Tchaikovsky's Fifth is still in many people's minds, surely, after Ryan Bancroft's stellar performance at this year’s Proms with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Uzbek conductor Aziz Shokhakimov ahs

For their second recital for Chandos (we covered the first on Classical Explorer), the Orsino Ensemble turns to the rich tradition of Bohemian wind music. Previously, it was French Music for Wind; here, the programme offers works by Reicha, Haas, Janáček, and Martinů. Many collectors will know of the rich

Music for a royal banquet!. Mid-1770s Versailles was immune to the revolutionary ideas already brewing in Paris. A succession of weddings was arranged to ensure the continuity of the throne, post-Louis XV: the Duke of Berry (1770), the Count of Provence (1771) and, germane to our purposes today, the Count