Taken from Anda’s much-vaunted complete recordings of these concertos, Nos. 24 & 25 are here presented in performances that have held their sway for limpidness, clarity and unforced beauty.

From some of the great Rachmaninoffian moments on Decca comes this compilation presenting the complete symphonic poem ‘The Isle of the Dead’ in a darkly dramatic reading by Ashkenazy (as conductor) and the Concertgebouw plus moments from the Piano Concertos and a selection of preludes with Ashkenazy this time as pianist.

Released by popular demand, this collection brings together 21 favourite hymns and sacred songs sung by that most beloved of tenors, Kenneth McKellar.

All your plum puddings at once… lustily sung and heartily played, this CD of traditional carols old and new includes all the Christmas ‘standards’ as well as the delectable offerings of John Rutter.

Three delightfully breezy concertos by Vivaldi are the centrepiece of this collection which begins with the familiar A major concerto of Giulani and ends with the beguiling 17-minute sonata by Paganini.

The 1961 recording of Rigoletto is the first of two in which Joan Sutherland sang the role of Gilda. Although the later cast – conducted by Richard Bonynge – was starrier with Pavarotti taking the role of the Duke, this earlier version is still favoured by Sutherland aficionados. ‘Sutherland is extraordinary’ wrote an Amazon customer. […]

This supreme recording of ‘La traviata’ with its principals in top form and Maazel delivering energy and beauty to the score, here offers some of the most memorable moments from the opera.

Delectable morsels for the recorder in sprightly, piquant performances from the world’s foremost exponent of the recorder, Michala Petri.

The two Debussy sonatas date from late in the composer’s life and are wistful pieces though not without humour. The Ravel Violin Sonata is sleek, elegant and has a delightful jazzy movement while the Trio is a masterpiece, a tour de force of writing for these three instruments and a hugely enjoyable work. This early […]

There can be few figures in musical history able to claim the twin distinction of playing a piano recital with Brahms in attendance and winning an Oscar. Robert Stolz (1880-1975) is one and he studied conducting and piano. In 1899, he met Johann Strauss; this gave rise to what was to become an astonishing output […]

Most notable on this CD is the incredible performance of the First Violin Concerto – arguably the best on record – by the young Dutch violinist, Jaap van Zweden.

Two Russian violin concertos together on a single disc. The performances are staggering, to say the least… just try the finale of the Tchaikovsky to get an idea (which, incidentally, is released complete for the first time on CD). The brooding, expansive Shostakovich makes an ideal foil to the highwire Tchaikovsky, its meditative Passacaglia worth […]