Recent Classical Highlights

The history and culture of classical music can make the form seem antiquated and far-removed from today, but two key recordings from the past month remind us that it really is not that distant. First is Christiane Karg singing to the accompaniment of piano rolls recorded by Mahler for the Welte-Mignon company. Second is Christoph Koncz performing Mozart’s violin concertos on one of the composer’s own instruments, loaned to him by the Salzburg Mozarteum museum. We are also seeing more releases, such as Simone Dinnerstein’s A Character of Quiet, recorded in private locations as people continue to shelter from COVID-19.

Sergei Babayan – Rachmaninoff: Préludes; Études-Tableaux; Moments musicaux
Jan Bartos, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jakub Hrusa – Víteslav Novák: Piano Concerto; Toman and the Wood Nymph
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Swedish Chamber Orchestra – Beethoven: The Piano Concertos; Quintet for Piano and Winds
Black Dyke Band – John Rutter: Anthems, Hymns and Gloria for Brass Band
Joseph Calleja, Mantovani – The Magic of Mantovani
Riccardo Chailly, Filarmonica della Scala – Respighi
Choir of Clare College, Cambridge; Graham Ross – Britten: A Ceremony of Carols
Teodor Currentzis, New Siberian Singers, MusicAeterna – Mozart: Requiem
Diana Damrau – Tudor Queens
Eleanor Dennis, Catherine Carby, John Andrews – Malcolm Arnold: The Dancing Master Op.34
Sabine Devieilhe, Alexandre Tharaud – Chanson d’Amour
Simone Dinnerstein – A Character of Quiet
Ensemble Correspondances, Sébastien Daucé – Charpentier: Messe à quatre chœurs; Carnets de voyage d’Italie
Laurence Equilbey, Insula Orchestra – Magic Mozart
Thibaut Garcia – Aranjuez
Brandon Patrick George – Flute Sonatas & Solo Works: Bach, Boulez, Aho, Prokofiev
Jess Gillam – Time
Nathan Gunn, Jennifer Zetlan, Lidiya Yankovskaya – Ellen West
Marc-André Hamelin – Liszt, Thalberg: Opera Transcriptions & Fantasies
Angela Hewitt – Beethoven: Variations
JACK Quartet – John Luther Adams: Lines Made by Walking
René Jacobs, B’Rock Orchestra – Schubert: Symphonies 2 & 3
Ermonela Jaho – Anima Rara
Paavo Järvi, Frankfurt Radio Symphony – Franz Schimdt: Complete Symphonies
Vladimir Jurowski, London Philharmonic Orchestra – Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 in G Minor “The Year 1905”
Christiane Karg, Malcolm Martineau – Erinnerung: Mahler Lieder
Jonas Kaufmann, Helmut Deutsch – Selige Stunde: Romantic Songs
Christoph Koncz, Les Musiciens du Louvre – Mozart’s Violin: The Complete Violin Concertos
Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini – What’s Next Vivaldi?
Igor Levit – Encounter
London Choral Sinfonia, Michael Waldron – The Music of Richard Pantcheff, Vol. 1: Choral Music
Daniel Lozakovich, Münchner Philharmoniker, Valery Gergiev – Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Concerto
Mary Lynch, Harrison Linsey, David Sabee – Christopher Tyler Nickel: Concertos for Oboe
Luigi Piovano, Antonio Pappano – Two Sonatas and Two Romances: Brahms, Martucci
Giulio Prandi, Coro e Orchestra Ghislieri – Niccolò Jommelli: Requiem
Pygmalion, Raphaël Pichon – Johann Sebastian Bach: Motets
Simon Rattle, London Symphony Orchestra – Janácek: The Cunning Little Vixen; Sinfonietta
Sophie Rennert – The Songs of Brahms, Vol. 10
La Rêveuse – London circa 1720: Corelli’s Legacy
Christophe Rousset – Armand-Louis Couperin: Pièces de Clavecin
Howard Shelley – The Classical Piano Concerto, Vol. 7: Johann Baptist Cramer
Alexander Soddy, Tamara Stefanovich, Thomas Bloch, Nationaltheaterorcher Mannheim – Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie
Robin Ticciati, Louise Alder, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra – Strauss: Tod und Verklärung; Don Juan; Sechs Lieder, Op. 68
Trinity College Choir, Cambridge; Stephen Layton – Mäntyjärvi: Choral Music
Osmo Vänskä, Minnesota Orchestra – Sibelius: Kullervo
Various Artists – Nicola LeFanu: The Crimson Bird and other orchestral works
Jörg Widmann, András Schiff – Johannes Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas
Nicola Woodward – Charles Koechlin: Les Chants de Nectaire – D’après La Révolte des Anges d’Anatole France