Classical Highlights for March 2025


Just a few of the notable releases we reviewed this previous month appeared to have a theme: lesser-known music. The whole nocturnes of John Discipline, newly recorded by Alice Sara Ott (pictured), appear to solely seem on albums as soon as a decade or so. One other work not often heard in its entirety is the ballet Pulcinella by Stravinsky, not too long ago recorded by Gustavo Gimeno and the Toronto Symphony. Then there are just a few fresh-sounding, very approachable works by mid-Twentieth century French composer Fernande Decruck. Different new releases embody new music by Shawn E Okpebholo, Wynton Marsalis, and Toivo Tulev, and favorites by Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, and far more.

March Classical Reviews
March Classical Critiques


Apollo’s Hearth / Jeannette Sorrell – Le Tre Soprano: The Three Women of Ferrra
Benjamin Appl- Traces of Life: Schubert & Kurtág
Matthew Aubin, Jackson Symphony Orchestra – Fernande Decruck: Concertante Works, Vol. 2
Jordan Bak, London Mozart Gamers, Howard Griffiths- Ignaz Pleyel: Symphonies 18 & 21; Viola Concerto
Gabrielle Barkidjija, Bryan Murray, Shavon Lloyd- Daron Hagen: Everybody, In every single place; An Irish Airman Foresees His Demise; The Bixby Letter
Jader Bignamini, Detroit Symphony Orchestra – Wynton Marsalis: Blues Symphony
Ian Bostridge, Saskia Giorgini- Twilight: Schumann Songs
Renaud Capuçon – Richard Strauss
Renaud Capuçon, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Daniel Harding – Sibelius, Barber: Violin Concertos
Cécile Chaminade – Cécile Chaminade and Her Contemporaries play Chaminade
Claire Chase, Cory Smythe, Katinka Kleijn, Seth Parker Woods – Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Ubique
Seong-Jin Cho, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons – Ravel: The Piano Concertos
Les Cris de Paris, Geoffroy Jourdain – Strana armonia d’amore
María Dueñas- Paganini: 24 Caprices; Berlioz, Cervelló, Kreisler, Ortiz, Saint-Saëns, Sarasate, Wieniawski
Vincent Dumestre, Le Poème Harmonique- Monteverdi Testamento: Vespro della Madonna 1643
Lidia Fridman, Omar Montanari, Felix Krieger- Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari: Il Segreto di Susanna
Véronique Gens, Reinoud Van Mechelen, Hervé Niquet – Iphigenie en Tauride: Desmarest, Campra
Rhiannon Giddens, Paul Sánchez, Karen Slack – Shawn E Okpebholo: Songs in Flight
Boris Giltburg- Rachmaninov: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2; The Isle of the Useless
Gustavo Gimeno, Toronto Symphony Orchestra – Stravinsky: Pulcinella; Le Baiser de la Fée
Nathan Granner, Melody Moore, Dennis Doubin – Gordon Getty: Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Bernard Haitink, Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks- Dvorák: Symphony No. 7
Samuel Hasselhorn, Ammiel Bushakevitz- Franz Schubert: Licht und Schatten
Theo Hoffman, Steven Blier, Kunal Lahiry- Schubert/Beatles
Stephen Hough, The Hallé, Mark Elder- Stephen Hough: Piano Concerto “The World of Yesterday”; Sonatina Nostalgica; Partita
Gaétan Jarry, Ensemble Marguerite Louise- Charpentier: Missa Assumpta est Maria
Paavo Järvi, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich- Carl Orff: Carmina Burana
Jerusalem Quartet- Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 2, 7 & 10
Victor Julien-Laferrière, Orchestre Consuelo – Tchaikovski: Suites 1 & 2
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, Karim Sulayman – Reynaldo Hahn: Piano Quintet; Songs; Piano Quartet
Ernst Kovacic, Michael Gielen, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra- Béla Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin Op. 19; Violin Concerto No. 2
Kate Liu- Beethoven: Op. 110; Brahms: Sonata No. 3

Magdalena Consort, Fretwork, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, Silas Wollston- In Chains of Gold: The English Pre-Restoration Verse Anthem, Vol. 3
Andrea Marcon, La Cetra Basel – Vivaldi: Arsilda
Johannes Moser, Xuefei Yang – Songs of Pleasure and Sorrow
Thriller Sonata – AEQUORA
Nevermind- Bach: Goldberg Variations
Alice Sara Ott – John Discipline: Full Nocturnes
Parlando, Ian Niederhoffer – Censored Anthems
Alain Planès – Satie

Simon Rattle, Chor & Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks – Joseph Haydn: Die Schöpfung
Christine Rice, John Findon, Nicholas Collon- Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius
Fatma Mentioned- Lieder
Vannina Santoni, Julien Dran, Jean-Marie Zeitouni – Jules Massenet: Grisélidis
Vannina Santoni- Par amour
Gerd Schaller, Philharmonie Festiva- Bruckner 3, Model 1877
Benjamin Schmid, Salzburg Wind Philharmonie, Hansjörg Angerer – Friedrich Gulda, Kurt Weill: Konzerte für Violine und Blasorchester
Abel Selaocoe – Hymns of Bantu
La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler- Vivaldi: Opus 8 Vol. 1 – The 4 Seasons & different concertos
Oleg Shebeta-Dragan, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Anna Skryleva – Oleg Shebeta-Dragan
Nicky Spence, Julius Drake, Piatti Quartet – Fauré: La bonne chanson & different songs
Karl-Heinz Steffens, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra- Christian Sinding: The Symphonies
Adam Tendler- Inheritances
Lana Trotovsek, Maria Canyigueral- Prokofiev Milestones, Vol. 2
TSOY Samson Tsoy- Inmost Coronary heart
Roman Válek, Czech Ensemble Baroque- Tuma: Vesperae
Jac van Steen, Ulster Orchestra- Falla: The Three Cornered Hat; Nights within the Gardens of Spain; Seven Spanish People Songs
Varied Artists- Bruckner: From the Archives, Vol. 6
Varied Artists- Lei Liang: Dui
Varied Artists – Reiko Füting: distantViolinSound
Varied Artists – Toivo Tulev: Daybreak, Virtually Daybreak
Orion Weiss- Arc III: Brahms, Schubert, Debussy, Dohnányi, Ligeti, Talma
Sonya Yoncheva, Olga Zado – George
Michael Zaugg, Axios Males’s Ensemble, Professional Coro Canada- Benedict Sheehan: Ukrainian Battle Requiem

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