Best and Worst of the Year 2025
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’ […]
classical music
Letter from Florida: Manfred Honeck conducts Mahler’s 4th with New World Symphony in Miami
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 […]
Arthur Catterall: Mozart, Brahms & Franck
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); […]
Rare Raff: Die Eifersüchtigen (The Jealous Ones)
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 […]
Is Hindoyan fizzling out already in Liverpool?
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 […]
Wilson breezes through Walton’s 1st Symphony. (Plus a wonderful Cello Concerto)
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 […]
Vilde Frang returns – in Elgar
We have met violinist Vilde Frang on evil occasions, most memorably in her coupling of Beethoven and Stravinsky, in Berg at the Barbican, and in Bartók in Berlin. We have also considered Albert Sammons’ recording […]
The under-appreciated genius of Bruno Maderna
Hearing Boulez’ Rituel: In Memoriam Brumo Maderna the other day as part of LSO Futures; reminded me that Maderna (1920-73) remains an under-appreciated genius. Here’s the promo video for the present disc: The Serenata No. […]
Eleven artists were honoured as this year’s winners of the Aga Khan Music Awards which were held in London for the first time
Qalali Folk Band at Aga Khan Music Awards 2025 (Photo: Joao Peixoto) Eleven artists were honoured at the weekend as this year’s winners of the Aga Khan Music Awards in a ceremony in the Southbank […]
Pitting the cello, as lone climber, against the heavens-touching vastness of mountains, Belfast-based composer Anselm McDonnell’s new cello concerto premieres in Dublin
Anselm McDonnell Belfast-based composer Anselm McDonnell appeared on these pages earlier this year with my review of his third album, Politics of the Imagination, featuring music where political commentary and sheer playfulness combine with a […]
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.jpg?w=160&resize=160,160&ssl=1 "200 singers, 25 nationalities: Edinburgh Royal Choral Union joins forces with the Brussels Choral Society for Poulenc & Bruckner in Edinburgh")
