2025 Gramophone Awards announced

From Premier Classical: The winners of the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2025 were revealed tonight [15 October 2025] at a glittering ceremony at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in central London.Long regarded as the classical recording world’s ultimate accolade, the Awards – presented with Presto Music – celebrate exceptional

Dvorak

Dvořák's Symphony No. 7: Gardner, Bychkov, Sawallisch (plus Schumann 2!)

There's a lot of Dvořák around in my pile of discs suddenly ...

Glass

Glass' Piano Etudes on Somm: Giusto Di Lallo's extraordinary readings

This is a most rewarding album. Giusto Di Lallo is a fine pianist and I look forward to hearing more for himi

Live Performance

Can we live by texture alone? The BBCSO at the Barbican

Three fine works; search out the John LutherAdams!

Podcasts Featured

Our Common Nature: Yo-Yo Ma returns

A vital new podcast series led by Yo-Yo Ma

Piano

Volver: Vittorio Forte explores South American piano music

A truly colourful journey though the piano music of South America

Live Performance

Unforgettable Abrahamsen & Mahler from the London Philharmonic

Jennifer France stuns in Hans Abrahamsen's magical soundscape

Paris Opera Play: the streaming service of the Opéra national de Paris

L'OPÉRA EN STREAMING Paris, 23th September 2025 Discover the shows of the 25/26 season on POP - Paris Opera Play! Operas and ballets, live or recorded: this season, seven performances (including six new productions) and a symphonic concert will be filmed and broadcast exclusively on the Paris

Messiaen Visions de l'Amen: Michel Béroff & Marie-Josèphe Jude

This is a timely release on the La Scala label, given the release of Michel Béroff's compete Erato recordings over 41 discs on Warner; this Visions de l'Amen La Scala disc was made available on September 26, 2025 in the UK. Here we have.a performance

Italian Baroque

Benedetto Marcello, Six Cantatas

Definitely, definitely with hearing, therefor, and I Solisti Ambosini has set down.a fine document.

Historical

Elgar in America #2

An interesting supplement to the core Elgar discography

Stravinsky from Toronto

Part of Stravnisky's Neo-Classicism was his work with the music of older composers, and we see two instances of that thee: chikovsky for L raise de la fée and 18th-Centuy Naples for Pulcinella. It is worth doing the Stravinsky himself had in association with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra,

Schubert

Dame Myra Hess in Schubert & Brahms

The performances here, from another era, are spellbinding

21st Century

Abstractions: Meeting composer Anna Clyne

Unhesitatingly recommended; this is vital, alive music of the first order

Beethoven

Beethoven for 3, #4

there is so much to enjoy here. Chamber music lovers will snatch this up

Carlo Tessarini Premiere recording: Sei Sonate, Op. 14, & Il Piacier delle dame.

Eriko Oi is a phenomenal player who works in full resonance with Tung-Han Hu. A lovely disc

Debussy

Charles Munch in Debussy & Stravinsky

It's the 150th anniversary of Pierre Monteux!

Florence Price: Violin Concertos & more ...

This is a fabulous addition to the Florence Price discography. In his video, Fanny Clamagiraud introduces th poject along with some footage often recording sessions: The First Violin Concerto as a first movement here is, as the excellent booklet notes vey Douglas Shadle of Vanderbilt University point out, as long

Of Muggles and Muses: Campra’s Le Carnaval de Venise and the Intersection of Circus and Opera

First performed on January 20, 1699, André Campra's comic opera/ballet Le Carnaval de Venise to a libretto by Jean-François Regnard finally arrives at its UK premiere in late Summer 2025 at the Vache Baroque Summer Festival. It is sung in French, Italian and English, a heady mix

Handel's Alexander’s Feast at the Proms

Alexander's Feast, HWV 75 (1742 version)  Librettist: John Dryden  Performers:  Hilary Cronin (soprano) - Hugh Cutting (counter-tenor) - Stuart Jackson (tenor)  Conductor – Peter Whelan; Irish Baroque Chorus & Orchestra  Royal Albert Hall, London, 30 August 2025  Performances of Handel’s Alexander’s Feast don’t come along too

Proms

A Proms kerfuffle: The Melbourne SO triumphs over adversity

PROMS 2025: Sutherland, Dvořäk Tchaikovsky. Khatia Buniatishvili (piano); Melbourne Symphony Orchestra / Jaime Martín (conductor).  Margaret Sutherland Haunted Hills   Dvořäk Symphony No. 6 in D, Op. 60   Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23     “This programme has been edited since it was first broadcast”. Not half: there

Chamber

Choctaw Places: Chamber Music of Charles Shadle

Shadle is an expressive writer with a voice all of his own

The Watchman #5: Live, Love, Die

Editorial Tolerance is possibly our Salvation "Marks & Spencer’s has apologised to a mother for causing her teenage daughter “distress” after she was asked if she needed help by a transgender employee in its bra section”, writes the Daily Telegraph and both the fact that M&S

Live Performance

Gstaad Festival (3): Norma with Yoncheva and Pop

Bellini’s Norma is one of the great operas ...

Live Performance

Gstaad 2025 (2): Violinist Georgii Moroz and pianist Marco Scilironi

There is no doubting the talent on display here, both from violinist and pianist. Moroz is far from a polished gem, though