Listening to Ivan Fischer’s account of Das Lied von der Erde so soon after nominating Jurowski’s Berlin/Pentatone recording for ‘Record of the Month’ (September) only serves to underline how pointedly Jurowski and his Berlin Radio engineers made…

The small and perfectly formed have come into their own during the pandemic with new and existing chamber arrangements making virtue out of necessity and ensembles like Yuri Zhislin’s terrific 19-strong Camerata Tchaikovsky fashioning more of less…

A brand new Cello Concerto – one piece, three composers, ‘three continents’. As Jan Vogler, the commissioner, puts it: ‘I’m a German, I live in America, and I’m married to a Chinese woman. My life is enriched…

The evolution of American music is chronicled right here in this quartet of symphonies. And when heard – as I did here – in a single sitting – it’s as if Ives is transitioning from the Old…

In a recent and far-reaching exchange with the conductor John Wilson (for an audio podcast to be found on You Tube) the names George Szell and Sir John Barbirolli (celebrated in the July edition) dominated our conversation…

I might have predicted that this of all the Mahler symphonies would chime with Osmo Vänskä’s very particularly gifts as a conductor. The brilliance and clarity of this performance (and recording – BIS technical prowess much in…

This is a performance of such distinction that regardless of one’s personal view of the piece – that is, exactly how objective or subjective you want or need your Mahler to be and whether you favour an…

It’s always interesting getting feedback on reviews published within these pages whether there is agreement or a difference of opinion – these things are so subjective. It’s been a while, though, since a review of mine prompted…