Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 in E major is among the most popular of his works, and there is no dearth of recordings of this masterpiece, with reissues and new releases appearing every few months. Kent Nagano and the Bavarian State Orchestra have approached it with an apparent lightness of feeling and textural transparency that are essential to the bright sound of the outer movements, and they deliver the music with accuracy and appealing expression.

Sony Classical's Great Performances Series has scored yet another winner with its coupling of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1 and the First Cello Concerto. Previously released individually, the close proximity in the recording dates of these two works (1959 and 1960) makes them a natural choice for a pairing. Continuing in the Philadelphia Orchestra tradition, the performance of the Symphony No. 1 follows the 1928 United States premiere of the work, given by the same orchestra and conducted by Ormandy's predecessor, Leopold Stokowski. Inherited from him is the notably lush sound of Philadelphia's lower strings, which capture the essence of Shostakovich's weighty harmonies.

Celebrated opera star Erwin Schrott dedicates his debut album on the label to the irresistible and passionate music of his Latin American origin. This highly personal album has great significance for Erwin and comes from the depth of his heart. He chose to collaborate with Astor Piazzolla’s former pianist Pablo Ziegler, who not only plays piano on the album, but also provides both authentic musical arrangements, as well as his own original compositions.

With a "bonus" eighth track of the Rondo alla Zingarese-Presto from Brahms' First Piano Quartet filling out this CD to a near maximal 75 minutes and 55 seconds, this disc is a steal. The Double Concerto by Brahms is an energetic and riveting yet enigmatic addition to the concerto repertoire. With a combination of solo instruments not widely used since the Baroque era due to their contrasting sounds, this work presents some unique challenges in finding the proper balance between orchestra, solo violin, and solo cello.

Truls Mørk, you have to admit, is a very cool name for a cellist. A native of Norway, Mørk is a cellist whose tone ranges from intimate pianissimos to immense fortissimos without ever losing its essential combination of passionate lyricism and cool lucidity, a cellist whose interpretations range from blissful joy to endless despair without every losing its fundamental balance of total dedication and cool objectivity, a cellist, in short, who lives up to his name.

In this group of a dozen songs spanning more than half a century, Nancy Harrow demonstrates her ability to absorb the essence of the most valuable popular music from any era. She concentrates on pieces that helped the Beatles become one of the best-known bands in the world and leavens the collection with standards by master songwriters who have enriched the lives of generations.

This is the Schumann's Bicentennial year. There are many symphonic cycles to celebrate that, but very seldom we can find a truly great one along the whole of the 4 symphonies. Haitink's is one of these. Those are brilliant, solid and thrilling performances that show the mastery of maestro Haitink. Concertgebouw orchestra plays heavenly and sound by Philips is, one more time, a matter of admiration. Among cycles in modern and digital sound, this is one of the best choices.

Le grand Janos Starker a enregistré les Suites de Bach à plusieurs reprises. Rien d'étonnant à cela puisqu'elles sont le bréviaire de tout violoncelliste. A chaque fois son engagement est total et sa réalisation à l'image de son art sobre, à la limite de l'ascétisme. Nul débordement romantique sous son archet, mais une lecture littérale avec beaucoup de respect voire de distance. Une option radicale qui peut étonner mais que nous trouvons tout à fait fascinante.

Les danses hongroises n°5 et 6 de Brahms (respectivement captées en 1967 et 1966) mettent d'entrée de jeu l'auditeur au parfum : c'est à une démonstration de dynamisme et de lyrisme que le grand chef américain nous convie. Ces danses de Brahms se hissent parmi les meilleures, et ne font poindre qu'un seul regret : qu'il n'y en ait que deux !
Les Préludes de Liszt (1963) nous rappellent alors quelles formidables affinités Bernstein trouvait dans l'univers lisztien (il faut connaitre absolument sa fantastique Faust-Symphonie ).

The Wiener Philharmoniker, conducted by James Levine, presents a delightful selection of highlights from Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte, K620” in this exquisite recording. The album encapsulates the essence of Mozart’s final opera, offering listeners a curated experience of its most memorable moments.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Fritz Reiner, delivers a transcendent rendition of Richard Strauss’s masterpieces, “Also sprach Zarathustra” and “Don Juan.” This recording captures the grandeur and profound depth of Strauss’s compositions, with the orchestra’s performance exuding both technical precision and emotive power.

Vladimir Horowitz’s interpretation of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas Op. 57 “Appassionata,” Op. 27, No. 2 “Moonlight,” and Op. 53 “Waldstein” is a testament to his unparalleled virtuosity and deep understanding of Beethoven’s work. The album, a collection of these iconic sonatas, showcases Horowitz’s technical brilliance and emotive playing.

Murray Perahia's account of the Grieg Concerto is utterly absorbing. The playing is brilliant, but the pianist's approach–more Chopinesque than Lisztian–keeps that brilliance at the service of larger expressive goals. The result is a performance aglow with understated intensity, one in which the prevalent feeling is often melancholy, at times even bleak. Sir Colin Davis draws a wonderfully refined accompaniment from the Bavarian orchestra in this live reading of the score. The recording, from Munich's Philharmonic Hall, is excellent and effectively captures the beautiful tone Perahia coaxes from his piano.

I have many versions of this great concerto. My first ever exposure to this work was a recording by Witold Malcuzynski that I have now acquired on CD. Since the 1960s I have collected recordings by many great pianists including Bronfman, Glemser, Ashkenazy, Janis, Gilels, Vasary, Horowitz, Lympany, Gieseking, Helfgott, de Larrocha, Rachmaninoff, Wild, Kapell, Bolet, Argerich, Malcuzynski - and just when I thought I'd heard all the Rach 3 had to say, along comes this sublime recording by the late great Lazar Berman. The playing is clear, romantic, musically intelligent, exciting and enjoyable and satisfying in every way.

French oboist Francois Leleux presents a stunning recording of works by Richard Strauss, including his oboe concerto, one of the finest written for the instrument, and two chamber works, which he performs with his own ensemble, the Paris Bastille Ensemble. Joining Leleux on the concerto recording is the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Daniel Harding, one of our greatest young conductors.