Classical Highlights for July 2023

The term “period instruments” usually brings to mind the music of the Baroque era. However, more and more often we are seeing the term applied to instruments of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Les Siécles is a period instrument orchestra known for performing music from that latter period. It recently recorded Ravel’s irreverent, one-act opera L’Heure espagnole, a highlight of this month’s reviews. The Linos Piano Trio (pictured) also gave us a notable performance of Ravel. Other new releases you might want to hear are violinist Daniel Hope’s New Music for a New Century and piano concertos by Rautavaara and Martinu played by Dalia Stasevska.

Benjamin Appl, James Baillieu – Forbidden Fruit

Guy Barash, Nick Flynn, Frank London, Eyal Maoz, Kathleen Supové – Killdeer

Rachel Barton Pine, Anthony McGill, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony, Marin Alsop – Malek Jandali: Concertos

Joshua Bell, Tsung Yeh, Singapore Chinese Orchestra – Butterfly Lovers

Florian Boesch, Malcolm Martineau – Robert Schumann: Dichterliebe; Kerner Lieder

Ian Bostridge, Brad Mehldau – The Folly of Desire

Lawrence Brownlee, Kevin J. Miller – Rising

Renaud Capuçon, Kit Armstrong – Mozart: Sonatas for Piano & Violin

Castle of Our Skins, Samantha Ege – Homage: Chamber Music from the African Continent & Diaspora

Alpesh Chauhan, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra – Tchaikovsky: The Tempest; Francesca da Rimini; The Voyevoda; Overture and Polonaise from Cherevichki

Han Chen – Ligeti: Études; Capriccios

Chiaroscuro Quartet – Joseph Haydn: Op. 33/1-3

Chichester Cathedral Choir, Rose Consort of Viols, Charles Harrison – Thomas Weelkes: What Joy so True

Chineke! Orchestra – Florence Price

William Christie Les Arts Florissants – Handel: L’Allegro il Penseroso ed il moderato

Cuarteto Casals – Johann Sebastian Bach: The Art of Fugue

Emily D’angelo, Lucy Crowe, The English Concert, Harry Bicket – Handel: Serse

Emmanuel Despax – Après un Rêve: Belle Époque – Nights at the Piano

Albert Dohmen, Kurt Azesberger, Thomas Hampson, Dennis Russell Davies – Kurt Weill: Propheten; Whitman Songs

Tyler Duncan, Erika Switzer – A Left Coast

James Ehnes, Andrew Armstrong – Mythes: Szymanowski, Handel

Explore Ensemble – Perfect Offering

Luka Faulisi, Itamar Golan – Aria

Keri Fuge, Roderick Williams, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Mario Venzago – Bernard Herrmann: Suite from Wuthering Heights; Echoes for Strings

Saskia Giorgini – Liszt: Consolations

Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge; In Echo; Matthew Martin – Philips & Dering: Motets

Guarneri Trio Prague – Haydn: Piano Trios

Pablo Heras-Casado, Freiburger Barockorchester – Franz Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7 ‘Unfinished’

Daniel Hope, New Century Chamber Orchestra, Alexey Botvinov – Music for a New Century

Peter Jablonski, Elisabeth Brauß, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Collon – Grazyna Bacewicz: Piano Concerto; Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra; Overture; Music for Strings, Trumpets and Percussion

Ashley Jackson – Ennanga

Marek Janowski, Dresdner Philharmonie – Schubert: Symphonies Unfinished & Great

Keith Jarrett – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

Victor Julien-Laferrière – Dutilleux: Tout un monde lointain; Dusapin: Outscape

Isata Kanneh-Mason – Childhood Tales

Su Yeon Kim – Mozart: Recital

Choir of King’s College London, Joseph Fort – Kerensa Briggs: Requiem

Kungsbacka Piano Trio, Lawrence Power – Schumann: Piano Trios Vol. 2; Piano Quartet in C minor

Robert Levin, Academy of Ancient Music, Bojan Čičić, Laurence Cummings – Mozart: Piano Concertos K107s, K175, K336

Linos Piano Trio – Maurice Ravel: In Search of Lost Dance

London Choral Sinfonia, Michael Waldron – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Gergely Madaras, Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège – César Franck: Hulda

Andrew Manze, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra – Vaughan Williams: Job – A Masque for Dancing; Old King Cole; The Running Set

Marta Mari, Mickael Spadaccini, Orchestra del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Giuseppe Grazioli – Licinio Refice: Cecilia

Zubin Mehta, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks – Tschaikowsky: Symphonie Nr. 5; Liszt: Mazeppa

Choir of Merton College, Oxford; Benjamin Nicholas; Britten Sinfonia – Orchestral Anthems: Dyson, Howells, Elgar, Finzi

Madeleine Mitchell – Violin Conversations

Reginald Mobley, Baptiste Trotignon – Because

Fumika Mohri, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Halász – Saint-Georges: Violin Concertos, Opp. 2 & 7

National Brass Ensemble, Eun Sun Kim – Deified

New College Choir, Oxford; Robert Quinney – New College: Commissions & Premieres

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Philadelphia Orchestra – Rachmaninoff: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3; Isle of the Dead

Onyx Brass – The Sun Is Free to Flow with the Sea

Emmanuel Pahud, Eric Le Sage – Romances

Robyn Allegra Parton, Simon Lepper – Burnished Gold

François-Xavier Roth, Les Siècles – Maurice Ravel: L’Heure espagnole; Bolero

Christophe Rousset, Les Talens Lyriques – Surprising Royer: Pancrace Royer Orchestral Suites

St. Albans Cathedral Choir, Andrew Lucas, Dewi Rees – Bruckner: Motets

Pablo Sáinz Villegas – The Blue Album

Vannina Santoni, Mikko Franck – Debussy: C’est l’extase; La mer

Signum Quartett – Schubert: Lebensmuth

Chouchane Siranossian, Andrea Marcon – Duello d’archi a Venezia

The Sixteen, Harry Christophers – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Vol. 9

Arturo Stàlteri – Dodecagon

Dalia Stasevska Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Olli Mustonen – Rautavaara, Martinu: Piano Concertos No. 3

Alexa Still, Evan Hines, Carmen Twillie Ambar – Wish: Music of Valerie Coleman

Jean-Philippe Sylvestre, Elvira Misbakhova, London Symphony Orchestra, Airat Ichmouratov – Airat Ichmouratov: Piano Concerto; Viola Concerto No. 1

Camille Thomas – The Chopin Project: Trilogy

Elgan Llyr Thomas, Iain Burnside, Craig Ogden – Unveiled

Sæunn Þorsteinsdóttir – Marrow: The 6 Suites for Solo Cello by J.S. Bach

Trio Gaspard – Berlin Stories: Mendelssohn, Juon, Skalkottas

Various Artists – Ailís Ní Ríain: The Last Time I Died

Various Artists – Matthew Heap: Dillinger – An American Oratorio

Verona Quartet – Shatter

Gottfried von der Goltz, Freiburger Barockorchester – Mozart’s Mannheim

Vox Clamantis, Jaan-Eik Tulve – Music by Henrik Ødegaard

Peter Whelan, Irish Baroque Orchestra – Mr Charles the Hungarian: Handel’s Rival in Dublin

Wild Up – Julius Eastman, Vol. 3: If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?

John Wilson, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra – Eric Coates: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3

Tianwa Yang, Nicholas Rimmer – George Antheil: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4

Esther Yoo, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko – Barber, Bruch

Zahia Ziouani, Divertimento – Bacchanale: Saint-Saëns et la Méditerranée