Martin Cullingford’s pick of the inest recordings from this month’s reviews
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VIVALDI Twelve Concertos, ‘L’estro armonico’, Op 3 Brecon Baroque / Rachel Podger vn Channel Classics B b Í CCSSA36515
LINDSAY KEMP’S REVIEW IS ON PAGE 46
For all the stardom bestowed on many of today’s violinist, few are as continually inspiring as Rachel Podger, both to hear but clearly – given the magnificent sense of rapport that’s so evident in all her releases, not least this one – to work with too.
JS BACH Goldberg Variations Britten Sinfonia / Thomas Gould Harmonia Mundi F Í HMU80 7633 Sitkovetsky’s Goldberg transcription really illuminates the inventiveness in Bach’s music, not least when played as superbly as it is here.
REVIEW ON PAGE 48
BEETHOVEN ‘The Complete String Quartets, Vol 1’ Elias Quartet Wigmore Hall Live B b WHLIVE0073
The former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists have a boldness of playing that grips you from the beginning. It bodes extraordinarily well for the cycle.
REVIEW ON PAGE 71
‘AND THE BRIDGE IS LOVE’ English Chamber Orchestra / Julian Lloyd Webber Naxos B 8 573250
Julian Lloyd Webber, here as (primarily) conductor, offers an impressive disc of English music that demonstrates a richly rewarding affinity for the repertoire.
REVIEW ON PAGE 62
STANFORD Chamber Works Gould Piano Trio with David Adams va Naxos B 8 573388 It’s more than three years since the previous Stanford volume from this superb group: they clearly love this music, and it’s a joyous listen to place alongside its equally fine predecessors.
REVIEW ON PAGE 73
BEETHOVEN Complete Works for Cello and Piano Matt Haimovitz vc Christopher O’Riley fp Pentatone F Í
PTC5186 475 Haimovitz and O’Riley impress in both the lyrical moments and those in which completely committed drive is required.
REVIEW ON PAGE 69
DOHNÁNYI ‘The Complete Solo Piano Music, Vol 3’ Martin Roscoe pf Hyperion F CDA38033 The ever-impressive
Martin Roscoe continues his Dohnányi survey with this disc of the composer’s complete solo piano works, often beguiling music and all brilliantly played.
REVIEW ON PAGE 86
LISZT ‘The Complete Songs, Vol 3’ Gerald Finley bar Julius Drake pf Hyperion F CDA67956
Gerald Finley’s approach gives these songs a captivatingly personal dimension, their originality feeling newly discovered in these impressive performances.
REVIEW ON PAGE 98
VALLS Choral Works La Grande Chapelle / Albert Recasens Lauda F LAU014 The controversy surrounding this Mass in 1702 may feel far away, but the performance of this composer’s spirited Iberian polyphony is as vivid as one could wish for.
REVIEW ON PAGE 103
‘A PAINTED TALE’ Nicholas Phan ten Michael Leopold lute Ann Marie Morgan va da gamba Avie F AV2325
As shown by this programme of Dowland, Purcell and others, Nicholas Phan is a wonderfully communicative tenor: a fine follow-up to his two Britten recitals.
REVIEW ON PAGE 107
DVD FRANCK ‘Father of the Organ Symphony’ Fugue State Films F d FSFDVD009 From the biographical to the technical, a remarkably comprehensive exploration of Franck the organist and his music.
REVIEW ON PAGE 86
REISSUE/ARCHIVE BRUCKNER Symphony No 7 MOZART Symphony No 38 BPO / Carl Schuricht Testament mono M b SBT2 1498
‘Utterly unmissable’ writes Rob Cowan of this Bruckner 7/Mozart Prague pairing.
REVIEW ON PAGE 119
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Listen to many of the Editor’s Choice recordings online at qobuz.com gramophone.co.uk
GRAMOPHONE APRIL 2015 7
