It is not uncommon for classical recordings to contain one or two or maybe three large, multi-movement works by one or maybe two composers. This month our reviewers found some programs with a more varied character that impressed them. Including a virtuoso guitar recital by Krzysztof Meisinger; an album of arias that blur the lines between tenor and baritone voices, played by Michael Spyres; popular and appealing pieces by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet (picture above); and finally the album Nostalgia by Magdalena Kožená and Yefim Bronfman, which contains two complete sets of songs – one by Bartók and one by Mussorgsky – followed by several songs by Brahms. That wasn't all we heard, so be sure to check out the full list.
Academy for Early Music Berlin, Isabelle Faust, Antoine Tamestit – J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerts
Marin Alsop, London Symphony Orchestra, Anne Sofie von Otter, Sir Thomas Allen – Bernstein: Candide
ARC Ensemble – chamber music by Dmitri Klebanov
Arcangelo – Buxtehude: Trio sonatas op.2
Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Chiara Skerath, Pierre Dumoussaud – Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande
Mary Bevan, Nicky Spence, Roderick Williams, William Vann – Ralph Vaughan Williams: Folk Songs, Vol. 3
Ian Bostridge, Saskia Giorgini – Respighi Songs
Rudolf Buchbinder – Buchbinder: Beethoven piano concerts
Karen Cargill, Simon Lepper – Fleur de mon âme
Peter Cigleris, Gareth Hulse, Duncan HoneyBourne, Tippett Quartet – Dedication: The Clarinet Chamber Music of Ruth Gipps
Collectif9 – No time for chamber music
Lucas Debargue, Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica – Zal: The music of Miłosz Magin
Jeremy Denk, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra – Mozart: Piano Concertos
Ehnes Quartet – Beethoven: String Quartet No. 12 Op. 127; String Quartet No. 14 Op. 131
Thierry Escaich, Orchester Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Jean-Jacques Kantorow – Saint-Saëns: Symphonies No. 3 & # 39; Organ & # 39; & # 39; Urbs Roma & # 39;
Fretwork, Helen Charlston – An Elizabethan Christmas: Byrd, Gibbons, Holborne, Peerson, Weelkes
Michael Halász, Pavla Honsová, Libor Jezek, Yury Revich, Czech Chamber Philharmonic – Saint-Georges: Symphonies Concertantes; Symphony in G major
Christopher Herrick – Northern Lights: Organ of Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway
Daniel Hope, Zurich Chamber Orchestra – Hope
Stephen Hough – Schumann: Arabesque; Kreisleriana; fantasy
Janine Jansen – 12 Stradivarius
Tedd Joselson, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Arthur Fagen – Tedd Joselson & # 39; s Companionship of Concertos: Grieg: Piano Concerto; Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2
Jonas Kaufmann, Helmut Deutsch – Liszt: Joyful and Sorrowful
The King & # 39; s Singers – Christmas carols with The King & # 39; s Singers
Magdalena Kozená, Yefim Bronfman – nostalgia
Jakob Kullberg, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Francis – Remembering: Nørgård & Saariaho Cello Concertos
Igor Levit – On DSCH
Paul Lewis – Joseph Haydn: Piano Sonatas Nos. 20, 34, 51 & 52
Andrew Litton, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra – Prokofiev: The Symphonies: Scythian Suite; Suites from Romeo & Juliet, Lieutenant Kijé, The Love of Three Oranges
Susanna Mälkki, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra – Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for strings, percussion & celesta
Antonello Manacorda, Kammerakademie Potsdam – Mozart: Symphonies No. 39-40
Albrecht Mayer, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Andris Poga – Peteris Vasks: oboe concerto; Vestijums; Lauda
Krzysztof Meisinger – Elogio de la Guitarra
Nathalia Milstein – Visions Fugitives: Prokofjew, Liszt, Bartók, Chopin, Arzoumanov
Yannick Nézet-Séguin / Philadelphia Orchestra – Florence Prize: Symphonies No. 1 & 3
Ian Page, The Mozartists – Jommelli: Il Vologeso
Christoph Poppen, West German Radio Choir Cologne, Cologne Chamber Orchestra – Mozart: Mass No. 16 & # 39; Coronation Mass & # 39 ;; Missa longa
François-Xavier Roth, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Tabea Zimmermann, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne – Richard Strauss: Don Quijote; Till Eulenspiegel
Anthony Roth Costanzo, Zachary James, Metropolitan Opera, Karen Kamensek – Philip Glass: Akhenaten
Dario Salvi, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus – Penderecki: Complete Quartets
Julia Sitkovetsky, Christopher Glynn – Where corals lie: A journey through songs by Sir Edward Elgar
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers – Carol of the Bells
Solem Quartet – The Four Quarters
Michael Spyres – BariTenor
Alexandre Tharaud – Rameau
Jean-Yves Thibaudet – Carte Blanche
Robin Ticciati, German Symphony Orchestra Berlin – Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2
Elena Urioste, Tom Poster – The Jukebox Album
Nate Wooley, yarn / wire – Annea Lockwood: Becoming Air; In the vanishing point
Sophie Yates – Bach: Full English Suites
William Youn – Schubert: Piano Sonatas II
