Schubert

Schubert Late String Quartets from the Fitzwilliam Quartet

Superbly immediate Schubert, fresh, full of contrasts and raw power

Italian Baroque

Vivaldi's Stabat Mater on Erato: performance and film

I like the format - instead of a full 80-minute compact disc, the focus is on one piece of short duration but which, such is its power, needs no sonic bedfellows

Festival

The Felicja Blumental International Music Festival 2022

An encounter between the contemporary and the timeless: 21 – 26 March 2022 / The Tel Aviv Museum of Art The Felicja Blumental International Music Festival celebrates 24 successful years in 2022 with a varied programme of events: acclaimed harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani (Iran/England) performs an eclectic recital alongside Myrna Herzog (viola

Concert Review

Concert Review: Insula Orchestra in Mendelssohn and Schumann

A remarkable evening

Choral

Bach Inspired: The Bach Choir's fabulous project

Released to tie in with The Bach Choir's Easter performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday April 16 (11 am), Bach Inspired is a "passion project" that takes six chorales from the St Matthew (sung in English, hence

Chamber

Moeran Chamber Music

Moeran's voice is brilliantly individual. It's a fair but though, that those readers who enjoy the English Pastoralist tradition will enjoy this!

Mozart Violin Sonatas from Francesca Dego and Francesca Leonardi

Francesca Dego's preview Mozart release on Chandos included just one Violin Sonata (K 304); the balance of the disc was taken up by two violin concertos [https://www.classicalexplorer.com/francesca-dego-plays-mozart/]. It is a treat to have "the Francescas" (Francesca Dego, violin, and Francesca Leonardi on

Opera

Zemlinsky's Der König Kandaules

A veritable feast of Zemlinsky!

20th Century

Korngold: Complete Incidental Music

A celebration of Korngold, then; a demonstration of the miraculous varity his music holds, brillianlty conceived as a programme and performed with real devotion. A fabulous disc

Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn The Three String Quintets on Chandos

I really cannot recommend the Doric/Ridout performances highly enough

Piano

Black Renaissance Woman

A fascinating exploration of the Black Chicago Renaissance

Choral

An Old Belief: The Sixteen and Harry Christophers

A superb, radiant disc, beautifully recorded and produced

Baroque

Leclair Violin Sonatas on Naxos

A simply lovely disc, beautifully performed

Piano

Andreas Haefliger plays Ravel, Bartók and Ammann

Stimulating programming from Haefliger for this trio of delights!

Baroque

Dresden Vespers: Johann David Heinichen

One of the delights of exploring the byways of repertoire is discoveries such as this. On the Belgian label Accent, Jaroslav Thiel along with the Ensemble Polyharmonique and the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra peresent a simply glorious selection of church works by Johann David Heinichen (1683-1729) that grouped together form the

Beethoven

Furtwängler conducts Beethoven 9 (Bayreuth)

If this is your first Beethoven Ninth Symmphony - what a way to start!

String Quartet

American Art Quartet plays Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven

Wonderful performances, beautifully remastered and presented, with highly informative booklet notes from Tully Potter

Sulllivan

Sullivan - Gilbert = Incidental Music

Sullivan's music is simply a delicious banquet of delight. This disc lavishes the music with love, and who could ask for more? A bargain

Sounds of Eden: Joyce DiDonato's powerful, beautiful project

From prison reform, the plight of refugees and the need for music education for all, Joyce DiDonato has dedicated herself to creating projects that challenge and galvanise the public. Step forward her latest initiative, EDEN. This album is at the centre of the project, which also includes a tour of

Verdi

Rigoletto from Florence, with Camarena & Salsi

One of Verdi's greatest works, Rigoletto can and should leave an undelbile mark on the listener

A Winter's Journey: Winterreise from Benjamin Appl and James Baillieu

This is a major new Winterreise, ofering  a complete rethink of the piece from baritone Benjamin Appl and pianist James Baillieu. Originally, this post was to ome in tandem with a review of Appl and Baillieu's Wigmore Hall recital (Friday, February 18, 2022). Metereological reasons prevented attendance at

An eBay miracle: Le Manuscrit de Madame Théobon

Listening to the release straight through offers real solace from the trials and travails of the modern world

Organ

B-A-C-H: Anatomy of a Motif

A remarkable set, both informative, and musically satisfying

Schumann

Schumann Symphonies revealed anew

There are no booklet notes per se to this release; instead, we have five-minute talks by Norrington hismelf. What we do have written down is the approach used here: non-vinrato, orchestral layout (antiphonal for both strings - with a row of dounle-basses at the back - and for brass), for

Filling out Bruce Liu's Chopin journey

Previously, we at Classical Explorer reported on Bruce Liu's debut Deutsche Grammofon [https://www.classicalexplorer.com/chopin-competition-winner-bruce-lius-debut-disc/] disc; here's a complementary disc from the Chopin Institute in Poland - If you refer to that post, you can hear  the Chopin E minor Concerto that closes this