Bach: Mass in B Minor – Peter Whelan, Irish Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin The unusual, the rare and the undeservedly neglected often feature strongly in my own personal interests. 2025 featured […]
After a rather ho-hum start to the year, there ended up being many, many wonderful new releases – many fully deserving a “Best of the Year” accolade. And even though there were lots of fair-to-middlin’ […]
Mahler: Symphony No. 4 – Manfred Honeck, New World Symphony – New World Center, Miami Johann Strauss: Overture to Die Fledermaus, Haydn: Symphony No. 93 in D major; Mahler: Symphony No. 4; Lauren Snouffer, New World […]
Preston-born Arthur Catterall was leader of the Hallé Orchestra (under Hamilton Hate) and later the BBC Symphony Orchesra (user Boult). He is of the same generation as Marie Hall (who also appears in this series); […]
Only his week, we had the World premiere recording of Humpedinck’s Das Mirakel; today, it is Raff’s late opera, Die Eifersüchigen (The Jealous Ones, WoO 54, 1881/2) that receives its premiere incarnation on disc. In […]
What was Onyx thinking, releasing this right on the heels of JoAnn Falletta’s electrifying Naxos recording of this same theme and repertoire? It would be difficult for any recording to measure up with that still […]
This is a fascinating idea: the same piece, twice, once with piano and once with orchestra. Surely Richard Strauss’ famous orchestrational ability is what makes this piece so special? Those autumn hues as he prepares […]
George Parris & the Carice Singers (Photo: Lidia Crisafulli) Conductor George Parris and the Carice Singers have been exploring Arvo Pärt‘s music alongside that of other Estonian composers, most recently (13 November) at St Giles […]
Berlioz, Ortiz Pacho Florez (trumpets); Philharmonia Orchestra / Rafael Payare. Royal Festival Hall, London, 27.11.2025 Berlioz Le carnaval romain Overture (1843) Ortiz Trumpet Concerto, ‘Altar de Bronce’ (2022), London premiere Berlioz Symphonie fantastique (1830) Rafael Payare is an exciting conductor who […]
If you think you know what Wilson is going to sound like in Walton’s 1st Symphony, you’re probably right. Though I was hoping against hope that he would surprise us and come up with something […]
