Chamber - Classical Explorer

Haydn

More sheer joy: the Chiaroscuro Quartet completes Haydn's Op. 76

This disc glows with life!

Piano

French Duets

A decidedly Gallic pleasure garden of delights

Baroque

Settecento: Baroque Instrumental Music of the Italian States

A fascinating, intelligently programmed disc; well worth the investment

Chamber

Free concert! LUNA: Orchestra of the Swan

Do take advantage of this terrific opportunity to experience a full, phenomenally inventive hour-long film of the Orchestra of The Swan in action

Chamber

Weinberg String Quartets

When one sees "Volume One" on a cover and it's of a series as vital as this one, there is much cause for celebration

Chamber

Wind, Sand & Stars: The Orchestra of the Swan Digital Concert

A wonderful hour of music and storytelling

Chamber

Entente Musicale

Whatever is happening elsewhere, Anglo-French relations are just fine on this disc, with Delius, Cyril Scott, Ireland and Bax rubbing shoulders perfectly affably with Debussy and Ravel. Music from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, then, a time when King Edward VII did much to foster an entente

Beethoven

Beethoven Violin Sonatas from Onyx

This is an ongoing series of consistent excellence: modern performances is state-of-the-art sound. In a year that could have held so much more Beethoven, not least live, it is good to see the ten violin sonatas, now complete, from two fresh, invigroated performers in performances of depth and vision. The

Cello

Songs of Comfort & Hope: Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott

A warm glow and a warm hug for these uncertain times

Chamber

Italian Postcards: Quartetto di Cremona at 20

Celebrating twenty years (and their 14th recording - and their first on Avie), the Quartetto di Cremona registers four reactions to Italy by non-Italians in a programme that is wide-ranging and stimulating. It's a lovely idea, not least because it reminds us that Hugo Wolf didn't only write songs. A

Baroque

Cafe Zimmermann with Damien Guillon: Lamento

The appeal of this ravishing disc is twofold: one, the astonishing countertenor Damien Guillon, who we have perviously met in the Classical Explorer post on Masaaki Suzuki's incredibly powerful Bach St Matthew Passion and St John Passion; and two, the exploration of music by a number of fascinating composers, including

Classical

Hoffmeister's Magic Flute

In times such as these, we sometimes need something to take our minds off the World's travails. Step forward the flute music of Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754-1812)

Hindemith

A Tale of Two Hindemiths ...

Music for violin and piano, and for piano solo, from this still under-rated composer

Baroque

The stunning world of Salvatore Lanzetti

Unforgettable Baroque music delivered with consummate artistry

Chamber

Some more Stanford String Quartets ... plus a Joachim Romance

More sublime Stanford from the Dante String Quartet

Chamber

The Sheer Joy of the Chiaroscuro Quartet's Haydn

A reminder of the magnificence of Haydn Quartets here: music of joy and solace in unquiet times. The Chiaroscuro Quartet is an international group, comprising Alina Ibragimatova (Russia) and Pablo Hernán Benedi (Spain) on violins, Emilie Hörnlund (Sweden) on viola and Claire Thirion (France) on cello. The state-of-the-art SACD sound

Chamber

Charles Villiers Stanford's String Quartets

Superb performances of music that deserves far wider currency

Chamber

Brahms Cello Sonatas in fresh new performances

Two young artists deliver Brahms of freshness and enthusiasm

Chamber

Death and the Maiden: The Fitzwilliam Quartet and Schubert

Superbly fresh, period-informed performances of two well-loved Schubert masterpieces