classical cds

This is, in many ways, a fascinating disc. The interest here lies in the couplings: a carefully-judged mix of the super-familiar with the rare. The Concerto, No. 1, has been covered here on Classical Explorer […]

This disc continues Naxos’ sterling Wranitzky series: perhaps the most relevant to this new volume so far was Volume Four, which contained the complete “ballet-pantomime” Das Waldmädchen”; here, the first 52 minutes of this latest […]

For the 2024/25 season, Sir Antonio Pappano ceded his position at the orchestra of Santa Cecilia in Rome to Daniel Harding; Pappano remains Conductor Emeritus. This is the finest modern Sheherazade: I remember being umbilically […]

Timed to coincide with a trip to Dresden for Walküre with Nagano, here is yet more evidence of the gold that lies in that beautiful cty. The Dresden Philharmonic under Janowski provide a stunning set […]

Rothko Chapel SANSARA; Manchester Collective. Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, 05.05.2024 Pärt Solfeggio (1963)  Scelsi Latin Prayers: Ave Maria (1972)  Isobel Waller-Bridge No, 9 (2024, World Premiere)  Katherine Balch songs and inteludes (2024, World Permiere)  […]

The recent Göttedämmung at the Royal Festival Hall was due to feature Brindley Sherratt as Hagen. It was not to be (although there was a luxury stand-in); in compensation, we have this remarkable disc for […]

We met Huw Watkins (seen by some as the leading Welsh composer of his generation) at Milton Court recently, for the World Premiere of his Horn Concerto. That was not Classical Explorer’s first reportage of […]

We met violinist Fenella Humphreys before in a disc of works for violin and piano by Sibelius (in which she was joined by the ever-excellent pianist Joseph Tong). Here she is, toute seule, offering a […]

Monteverdi I Fagiolini / Robert Hollingworth (director / organ). Wigmore Hall, 1 pm, 29.04.2024 O primavera, gioventù dell’anno, SV 68 (publ. 1592)  ‘Rimanti in pace’ a dolente e bella, SV 74 (publ. 1592)  Lamento della […]

Wagner Götterdämmerung (semi-staged). Soloists; London Philharmonic Choir; London Voices; London Philharmonic Orchestra / Vladimir Jurowski, KBE. Royal Festival Hall, 27.04.2024 Production:  Director – P. J. Harris  Video Designer – Pierre Martin Oriol  Lighting Designer – […]