Reviews

18 June Welser-Möst's white-hot Bruckner

Watch one of the greatest performances of Bruckner's Fourth

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 Album cover

Fan review Ólafur Arnalds

Live at the RNCM

Olafur Arnalds

Norman Lebrecht 17 Jun

Album of the Week

Chopin/ Dutilleux: Preludes album cover. Lady standing in rain

14 June Debussy La Mer

Five-star performance, played on early 20th-century instruments

Debussy La Mer

13 June Carpentersville: stories in song

Mezzo-soprano Lucy Schaufer's musical trip down memory lane

Lucy Schaufer album cover

12 May Liberace

Behind the Candelabra

Behind the Candelabra

11 June Stravinsky

Five stars for Steven Osborne

Steven Osborne: Stravinsky Piano Works

Norman Lebrecht 10 Jun

Album of the Week

Conrad Tao album cover

The Big Listen Beethoven

String Quartets

Belcea Quartet: Beethoven Complete String Quartets vol. 2 album cover

7 June Magical MacMillan

Five-star Tenebrae Responsories is like a burst of fresh air

James MacMillan Westminster Cathedral Choir, London Brass/Martin Baker cover art

Paul Morley Griffes

Visionary piano music

Garrick Ohlsson Piano Music - Griffes pack shot

6 June James Ehnes

Britten and Shostakovich

Britten and Shostakovich

5 June Wagner songs

Nina Stemme: Wesendonck Lieder

Wagner Wesendonck Nina Stemme

4 June Vaughan Williams

Symphonies 5 and 8

Vaughan Williams’s Fifth and Eighth symphonies

Norman Lebrecht 3 June

Album of the Week

Fairy Tales cover art

The Big Listen

Cecilia Bartoli sings Norma

Bellini Norma Cecilia Bertoli cover image

31 May Beautiful death

Purcell, Tomkins and Morley

English Royal Funeral Music cover image

30 May Steve Reich

Music for percussion

Steve Reich

Paul Morley Mozart

Mozart's genius laid bare

Angela Hewitt album cover

29 May Rare Romberg

Violin and cello concertos

Romberg Concertos album cover

Books Britten biographies

Two rival biographies

Benjamin Britten A Life For Music book cover

Norman Lebrecht 27 May

Album of the Week

Kurt Weill Zaubernacht pack shot

24 May York Bowen

Violin and piano music

York Bowen cover art

23 May Britten movie

Peace and Conflict

Alex Lawther and Tony Britten on set

22 May Sibelius

Five stars for the Hallé

Sibelius Symphony 2 Halle Orchestra cover image

Review ENO Undressed

Winner of our competition

Winner of our competition

21 May Shostakovich 10

Jansons and the Concertgebouw

Shostakovich 10, Mariss Jansons, Concertgebouw cover art

Norman Lebrecht 20 May

Albums of the Week

Albums of the Week

17 May Sir Colin Davis

Weber's opera Der Freischütz

London Symphony Orchestra/Colin Davis

Review Beethoven 9 app

Nothing else like it on the market

DG Touch Press Beethoven 9 iPad App

Paul Morley Organ music

Olivier Latry at Notre-Dame

Olivier Latry album

15 May Bob Chilcott

British choral composer

Bob Chilcott album cover

14 May Cello sonatas

Leonard Elschenbroich

Leonard Elschenbroich recital cover image

Norman Lebrecht 13 May

Discover the music of Nebra

Jospeh Nebra: Desde el silencio cover image

Paul Morley Review

Tokyo Quartet's final album

Tokyo String Quartet

10 May Berlioz

Song cycle 'Les nuits d'été'

Berlioz: Les nuits d'ete, La mort de Cleopatre

9 May Viktoria Mullova

Bach violin concertos

Viktoria Mullova album cover

8 May Piotr Beczala

The Polish tenor sings Verdi

Piotr Beczala (tenor)

7 May Britten songs

Tenor Ian Bostridge

Ian Bostridge EMI Classics

Norman Lebrecht 6 May

Petrenko conducts Shostakovich

Petrenko Shostakovich 7

3 May Guy Johnston

Moeran's Cello Concerto

Moeran Cello Concertos

Book Stravinsky memoir

By his confidant, Robert Craft

Robert Craft on Stravinsky

2 May Art Nouveau

Soprano Teodora Gheorghiu

Teodora Gheorghiu album cover

1 May Rossini

Antonio Pappano conducts

Rossini Petite Messe pack shot

30 April Haydn

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and statue of Haydn

Norman Lebrecht 29 April

Album of the Week

Valentin Silvestrov

26 April Dixit Dominus

Handel and Vivaldi

Handel and Vivaldi album cover

25 April Haydn Concertos

Pianist Marc-André Hamelin

Marc-André Hamelin

24 April Poème d'un jour

Rising star sings Spanish songs

Ailyn Pérez portrait

23 April Jennifer Pike

Brahms Violin Sonatas

Jennifer Pike

Norman Lebrecht 22 April

Album of the Week

Martha Argerich album cover

Album Enchanted Forest

Soprano Anna Prohaska

Anna Prohaska

Album Handel

Giove in Argo

album cover for Handel Giove in Argo Il Complesso Barocco/Alan Curtis

App Guide to the Ring

We review the iPad Wagner app

Wagner The Ring App

Review Complete Bach

153 CDs' worth on one USB

Bach Complete Edition USB

Album Beethoven 4 & 7

Joshua Bell directs from the violin

Joshua Bell conducts Beethoven 4 & 7 cover image

Norman Lebrecht 15 April

DVD of the week

Nelson Freire (piano) Zurich Tonhalle/Lionel Bringuier DVD cover image

Album Żeleński & Zarzycki

Polish piano concertos

Zelenski and Zarzycki piano concertos cover image

Album Steven Isserlis

Five stars for the cellist

In the shadow of war cover image

Album Julia Lezhneva

Young Russian soprano

Julia Lezhneva

Film A Late Quartet

A moving, music-themed movie

A Late Quartet

Norman Lebrecht 8 April

Album of the Week

Bartok: Concerto for orchestra - Kossuth cover art

Albums Winterreise

Comparing two new versions

Winterreise

DVD Poulenc opera

La voix humaine

La voix humaine cover artwork

Norman Lebrecht 2 April

Album of the Week

In the South cover image

Album Rite of Spring

Simon Rattle and the Berlin Phil

Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic on EMI's Stravinsky Rite of Spring

Album Yundi

Beethoven piano sonatas

Yundi plays Beethoven cover image

The Big Review

John Eliot Gardiner at 70

The John Eliot Gardiner Collection cover image

Album I was glad

Five-star Stanford and Parry

I was glad: music of Stanford and Parry album cover

DVD Holst's Planets

The Philharmonia

Holst - The Planets DVD cover art

Album Wagner

Tenor Klaus Florian Vogt

Klaus Florian Vogt cover art

Norman Lebrecht 25 Mar

Jewish polyphony in Italy

Salomone Rossi: Jewish polyphony at the Gonzaga Court cover art

Album Berlioz

Grande Messe des morts

Berlioz Requiem cover image

Album Alice's Adventures

Joby Talbot's ballet score

Alice in Wonderland cover art

Album Bach Concertos

Five-star performances

Bach Violin Concertos cover art

Album Imogen Cooper

Brahms and Schumann

Imogen Cooper sitting on a leather chair

Norman Lebrecht 18 Mar

High-octane Vivaldi concertos

Giuliano Carmignola album cover

Film To the Wonder

Terrence Malick's latest movie

Ben Affleck and Amy Adams To The Wonder

Album Gloria Cheng

Messiaen and Saariaho

Messiaen The Edge of Light cover image

Album Janina Fialkowska

Canadian pianist performs Mozart

Janina Fialkowska Mozart concertos 13 and 14 cover image

Album Erlkönig

Matthias Goerne

Matthias Goerne cover image

Norman Lebrecht 11 Mar

Five stars for album of the week

Valentina Lisitsa on her album cover

The Big Listen Bach

St John Passion

Bach St John's Passion, Hyperion pack shot

Fan Review Steve Reich

Concert in Brighton

Live shot of Where Bluebirds Fly

Film Colourful prequel

Oz the Great and Powerful

Green castle and yellow brick road from Oz the Great and Powerful

Album Written on Skin

Benjamin's first major opera

George Benjamin Written on Skin cover art

Norman Lebrecht 4 March

Album of the week

Mediterraneo album cover

Album Tine

Five stars for the trumpeter

Tine Thing Helseth album cover

Norman Lebrecht 28 Feb

Album of the week

Van Cliburn album cover

Album Brahms Sonatas

Five stars for Jonathan Plowright

album cover Jonathan Plowright

Album Russian Songs

Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Dmitri Hvorostovsky album cover

Album Maxim Vengerov

Live at Wigmore Hall

Wigmore Hall Live - Vengerov: Bach and Beethoven pack shot

Norman Lebrecht 25 Feb

Album of the Week

Satie album cover

Album Venetian arias

Max Emanuel Cencic

Max Emanuel Cencic

Review Jazz at St Luke's

Curated by Mark-Anthony Turnage

LSO Jazz at St Lukes performance

Norman Lebrecht 18 Feb

Album of the Week

The Coral Sea

Album Love Abide

Roxanna Panufnik

sun shinning through the buildings image from album cover

Album Mussorgsky

Pictures at an Exhibition

Album cover of Russian buildings

Album Jonas Kaufmann

The star tenor sings Wagner

Kaufmann Wagner album cover

Fan review La traviata

Verdi at English National Opera

English National Opera's production of Verdi's La traviata

Film Surrealist thriller

Berberian Sound Studio

Berberian Sound Studio

Norman Lebrecht 11 Feb

Album of the Week

Album cover Die Walküre

Film Bafta winner Amour

Love, loss and Schubert

Love, loss and Schubert

Album Mahler 9

Gustavo Dudamel

Dudamel painting standing with arms crossed from album cover

Album Britten opera

Rape of Lucretia

Rape of Lucretia

App Berlin Philharmonic

Digital concert hall

iPad and iPhone with Berlin Phil App

The Big Review

Beethoven Violin Sonatas

Leonidas Kavakos album cover

Album Dutilleux

Correspondances

Correspondances

App Glass REWORK_

Five-star Glass for your iPad

Five-star Glass for your iPad

Norman Lebrecht 4 Feb

Album of the Week

Light bulbs illuminating from album cover

Album Stravinsky

A five-star Rite of Spring

A five-star Rite of Spring

Album Clarinet Concertos

Star player Michael Collins

Star player Michael Collins

Album Beethoven

Joanathan Biss

Joanathan Biss

Fan review Drama Queens

Joyce DiDonato at the Barbican

Joyce DiDonato Drama Queens pack shot

Norman Lebrecht 28 Jan

Album of the Week

Album of the Week

Album Annelies

Diary of Anne Frank

Diary of Anne Frank

Album Around Britten

Matthew Barley's five-star album

Matthew Barley Around Britten album cover

Norman Lebrecht 2 Jan

Album of the Week

Mauricio Kagel album cover

Album Lisa Batiashvili

Brahms Violin Concerto

Brahms Violin Concerto

Norman Lebrecht 21 Jan

Album of the Week

Album of the Week

Norman Lebrecht 14 Jan

Read his first five-star review

Alisa Weilerstein

Album Ingolf Wunder '300'

The pianist's favourites

The pianist's favourites

Album Britten cello music

Played by Alban Gerhardt

Played by Alban Gerhardt

Book Play it Again

Alan Rusbridger's epic year

Play It Again

Album Niu Niu

Liszt transcriptions

Niu Niu - Liszt album packshot

Album Nicky Spence

Shakespeare Songs

As You Like it album cover

Norman Lebrecht 7 Jan

Album of the Week

My Dancing Day album cover

Album Gabriel Jackson

A ship with unfurled sails

Illustration of ships in the moonlight

Album Giulio Cesare

Sparkling new Handel recording

Handel Giulio Cesare

Film The Hobbit

An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit

Album Fauré and Bach

Requiem and Partita

LSO Faure Requiem

Film Quartet

Dustin Hoffman directs

Screenshot from Quartet

Norman Lebrecht 17 Dec

The Killing

Norman Lebrecht Album of the Week - The Killing

Album Bruckner 7

BBC Scottish and Runnicles

Bruckner Symphony No.7 packshot

Album Chen Reiss

The Nightingale and the Rose

Chen Reiss Nightingale

Album Brahms Quintets

Tokyo String Quartet

Brahms Quintets packshot

Norman Lebrecht

Album of the Year 2012

Album of the Year 2012

Album Pictures

New release from Alice Sara Ott

Alice Sara Ott, Pictures

Album Shostakovich 7

Gergiev and the Mariinsky

Gergiev and the Mariinsky

App The Orchestra

The iPad app from Touch Press

The Philharmonia, Touch Press The Orchestra App

Album Handel bass arias

Charismatic Christopher Purves

Handel's finest arias for base voice, Christopher Purves, Arcangelo, Jonathan Cohen, Hyperion Records

Album Villazón's Verdi

The star tenor's opera album

Rolando Villazón (tenor), Orchestra Teatro Regino Torino/Gianandrea Noseda - Verdi

Norman Lebrecht 3 Dec

Album of the Week

Album of the Week

The Big Listen Wagner

Solti's legendary 'Ring'

Cover artwork for The Ring Boxset

Album Nikolai Lugansky

Rachmaninov sonatas

Rachmaninov sonatas

App My First Orchestra

Naxos's new music app for kids

Naxos's new music app for kids

Album Joyce DiDonato

Drama Queens

Drama Queens

Album Beethoven journey

Leif Ove Andsnes

Leif Ove Andsnes

Album Cecilia Bartoli

New recording: 'Mission'

Close up of Cecilia Bartoli's new album Mission

Album Miklós Rózsa

Sweeping orchestral works

Sweeping orchestral works

Album Lang Lang

Superstar pianist's Chopin

Superstar pianist's Chopin

Album Sound the Trumpet

Alison Balsom's virtuoso album

Close up of Alison Bolsom

Album Wanderer

Andreas Scholl sings lieder

cover artwork for Wanderer: Lieder by Brahms, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert

Album Schubert Quintet

The Takács Quartet make magic

Cover artwork for album. People climbing up mountain

Album Debussy

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

Cover artwork for Debussy Complete Piano Music

Album Alexandre Tharaud

A return to Swinging Paris

cover image of Alexandre Tharaud swing dancing on his CD album

Norman Lebrecht 19 Nov

Album of the Week

Album of the Week

Film Liberal Arts

Classical campus romance

Josh Radnor and Elizabeth Olsen in Liberal Arts

Norman Lebrecht 26 Nov

Album of the Week

Istanbul Symphony - Fazil Say

Norman Lebrecht 12 Nov

Album of the Week

Album of the Week

Album Ben Grosvenor

Gershwin and Ravel

Grovenor album cover standing in front of a piano

Norman Lebrecht 5 Nov

Album of the Week

Drawing of lady from 18th Century with man playing Guitar. 18th Century Portugese Love Songs

Norman Lebrecht 29 Oct

Album of the Week

Max Richter, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons cover artwork