Jan. 12, 2021
Our editors found a diversity of music in the past month's new releases, even among the many holiday music albums. Those range from 17th century Christmas music from Mexico to new choral pieces by Errollyn Wallen, with favorites sung by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, and by Jonas Kaufmann. There were also some final releases celebrating Beethoven's 250th birthday in December, including Midori performing his Violin Concerto and Sir Simon Rattle conducting the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives. Albums like the one from the gamba-lute duo of Carolyn Surrick and Ronn MacFarlane reflect on the continuing strange time we're experiencing during the pandemic. So much from which to choose!
Avi Avital - Art of the Mandolin
Daniel Barenboim - Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas; Diabelli Variations
Mary Bevan, Nicky Spence, Roderick Williams - Ralph Vaughan Williams: Folk Songs, Vol. 1
Ian Bostridge, Saskia Giorgini - Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin
Martyn Brabbins, BBC Symphony Orchestra - Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5
Lawrence Brownlee, Michael Spyres - Rossini: Amici e Rivali
The 5 Browns - The Little Tin Box
Gautier Capuçon - Emotions
Chee-Yun, Richard O'Neill, Albany Symphony, David Allan Miller - Christopher Theofanidis: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra; Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra
Dante Quartet, Endellion String Quartet, Benjamin Frith - Charles Villiers Stanford: String Quintets and Intermezzi
Dover Quartet - The Schumann Quartets
Elīna Garanča, Malcolm Martineau - Schumann, Brahms: Lieder
Matt Haimovitz, Choir of Trinity Wall Street, NOVUS NY, Julan Wachner - Luna Pearl Woolf: Fire and Flood
Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd - Ted Hearne/Saul Williams: Place
Jacob Heringman - Josquin des Prez: Inviolata
Peter Herresthal, Oslo Philharmonic, Clement Mao - Takacs - Kaija Saariaho: Graal Théâtre; Circle Map; Neiges; Vers toi qui es si loin
Steven Isserlis - Tavener: No Longer Mourn for Me
JACK Quartet, Steven Beck, Russell Lacy - Scott Lee: Through the Mangrove Tunnels
Mariss Jansons, Sinfoniorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks - Mariss Jansons: His Last Concert - Live at Carnegie Hall
Philippe Jaroussky - La Vanità del Mondo: Oratorios Arias
Neeme Järvi, Royal Scottish National Orchestra - Delibes: Ballet Suites - Coppélia, Sylvia, La Source
Jerusalem Quartet - Béla Bartók: String Quartets Nos. 1, 3 & 5
Vladimir Jurowski, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Vladimir Martynov: Utopia
The Kanneh-Masons, Michael Morpurgo, Olivia Colman - Carnival of the Animals
Jonas Kaufmann - It's Christmas
Choir of King's College, Cambridge; Daniel Hyde - Carols from King's (2020 Collection)
Choir of King's College, Cambridge; Stephen Cleobury - Errollyn Wallen: Peace on Earth
Jennifer Koh - Bach & Beyond, Part 3
Pavel Kolesnikov - Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations
Gidon Kremer, Giedre Dirvanauskaite, Georgijs Osokins - Piano Trios: Beethoven, Chopin
London Oratory Schola Cantorum, Charles Cole - Sacred Treasures of Christmas
London Oratory Schola Cantorum, Charles Cole - Sacred Treasures of Spain
Nikolai Lugansky - Beethoven: Late Piano Sonatas, Opp. 101, 109 & 111
Lysander Piano Trio - Thomas Wilson: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5
Midori, Lucerne Festival Strings, Daniel Dodds- Beethoven: Violin Concerto; 2 Romances
Riccardo Muti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13
Hervé Niquet, Le Concert Spirituel - Grétry: Richard Coeur de Lion
Alexei Ogrintchouk, Members of Concertgebouworkest - W.A. Mozart: Gran Partita
Les Ombres - Boccherini: Une nuit à Madrid
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - Schubert: 12 Great Piano Sonatas
Robert Plane, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins - Reawakened
Susan Platts, Nikki Chooi, JoAnn Falletta - Florent Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé; Musique sur l'eau; Oriane et la Prince d'Amour; Légende
Quartetto di Cremona - Italian Postcards: Wolf, Mozart, Borenstein, Tchaikovsky
Quatuor Arod - Schubert: Death and the Maiden; String Quartets Nos. 4 & 12, Quarettsatz
Simon Rattle, London Symphony Orchestra - Beethoven: Christ on the Mount of Olives
Schola Cantorum of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, Scott Price, Iestyn Evans - In Paradisum
José Serebrier, Alexandre Kantorow, Sharon Bezaly - José Serebrier: Symphonic B A C H Variations; Laments and Hallelujahs; Flute Concerto with Tango
Siglo de Oro, Patrick Allies - Christmas in Puebla
Mark Simpson - Mark Simpson: Geysir; W.A. Mozart: Gran Partita K.361
Callum Smart, Richard Uttley - Transatlantic
St. John's College Choir, Cambridge; Andrew Nethsingha - Advent Live, Vol. 2
Carolyn Surrick, Ronn McFarlane - Fermi's Paradox
Théotime Langlois de Swarte, Thomas Dunford - The Mad Lover
The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips - Josquin: Masses – Hercules Dux Ferrarie, D'ung aultre amer, Faysant regretz
David Temple, Crouch End Festival Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra - Britten: Saint Nicolas; A Ceremony of Carols
Daniil Trifonov - Silver Age
Choral Scholars of University College Dublin, Desmond Earley - Be All Merry
Paul Wee - Thalberg: L'Art du Chant
Frank Peter Zimmermann - Martinu: Violin Concertos 1 & 2; Bartók: Solo Sonata
Avi Avital - Art of the Mandolin
Daniel Barenboim - Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas; Diabelli Variations
Mary Bevan, Nicky Spence, Roderick Williams - Ralph Vaughan Williams: Folk Songs, Vol. 1
Ian Bostridge, Saskia Giorgini - Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin
Martyn Brabbins, BBC Symphony Orchestra - Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5
Lawrence Brownlee, Michael Spyres - Rossini: Amici e Rivali
The 5 Browns - The Little Tin Box
Gautier Capuçon - Emotions
Chee-Yun, Richard O'Neill, Albany Symphony, David Allan Miller - Christopher Theofanidis: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra; Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra
Dante Quartet, Endellion String Quartet, Benjamin Frith - Charles Villiers Stanford: String Quintets and Intermezzi
Dover Quartet - The Schumann Quartets
Elīna Garanča, Malcolm Martineau - Schumann, Brahms: Lieder
Matt Haimovitz, Choir of Trinity Wall Street, NOVUS NY, Julan Wachner - Luna Pearl Woolf: Fire and Flood
Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd - Ted Hearne/Saul Williams: Place
Jacob Heringman - Josquin des Prez: Inviolata
Peter Herresthal, Oslo Philharmonic, Clement Mao - Takacs - Kaija Saariaho: Graal Théâtre; Circle Map; Neiges; Vers toi qui es si loin
Steven Isserlis - Tavener: No Longer Mourn for Me
JACK Quartet, Steven Beck, Russell Lacy - Scott Lee: Through the Mangrove Tunnels
Mariss Jansons, Sinfoniorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks - Mariss Jansons: His Last Concert - Live at Carnegie Hall
Philippe Jaroussky - La Vanità del Mondo: Oratorios Arias
Neeme Järvi, Royal Scottish National Orchestra - Delibes: Ballet Suites - Coppélia, Sylvia, La Source
Jerusalem Quartet - Béla Bartók: String Quartets Nos. 1, 3 & 5
Vladimir Jurowski, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Vladimir Martynov: Utopia
The Kanneh-Masons, Michael Morpurgo, Olivia Colman - Carnival of the Animals
Jonas Kaufmann - It's Christmas
Choir of King's College, Cambridge; Daniel Hyde - Carols from King's (2020 Collection)
Choir of King's College, Cambridge; Stephen Cleobury - Errollyn Wallen: Peace on Earth
Jennifer Koh - Bach & Beyond, Part 3
Pavel Kolesnikov - Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations
Gidon Kremer, Giedre Dirvanauskaite, Georgijs Osokins - Piano Trios: Beethoven, Chopin
London Oratory Schola Cantorum, Charles Cole - Sacred Treasures of Christmas
London Oratory Schola Cantorum, Charles Cole - Sacred Treasures of Spain
Nikolai Lugansky - Beethoven: Late Piano Sonatas, Opp. 101, 109 & 111
Lysander Piano Trio - Thomas Wilson: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5
Midori, Lucerne Festival Strings, Daniel Dodds- Beethoven: Violin Concerto; 2 Romances
Riccardo Muti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13
Hervé Niquet, Le Concert Spirituel - Grétry: Richard Coeur de Lion
Alexei Ogrintchouk, Members of Concertgebouworkest - W.A. Mozart: Gran Partita
Les Ombres - Boccherini: Une nuit à Madrid
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - Schubert: 12 Great Piano Sonatas
Robert Plane, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins - Reawakened
Susan Platts, Nikki Chooi, JoAnn Falletta - Florent Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé; Musique sur l'eau; Oriane et la Prince d'Amour; Légende
Quartetto di Cremona - Italian Postcards: Wolf, Mozart, Borenstein, Tchaikovsky
Quatuor Arod - Schubert: Death and the Maiden; String Quartets Nos. 4 & 12, Quarettsatz
Simon Rattle, London Symphony Orchestra - Beethoven: Christ on the Mount of Olives
Schola Cantorum of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, Scott Price, Iestyn Evans - In Paradisum
José Serebrier, Alexandre Kantorow, Sharon Bezaly - José Serebrier: Symphonic B A C H Variations; Laments and Hallelujahs; Flute Concerto with Tango
Siglo de Oro, Patrick Allies - Christmas in Puebla
Mark Simpson - Mark Simpson: Geysir; W.A. Mozart: Gran Partita K.361
Callum Smart, Richard Uttley - Transatlantic
St. John's College Choir, Cambridge; Andrew Nethsingha - Advent Live, Vol. 2
Carolyn Surrick, Ronn McFarlane - Fermi's Paradox
Théotime Langlois de Swarte, Thomas Dunford - The Mad Lover
The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips - Josquin: Masses – Hercules Dux Ferrarie, D'ung aultre amer, Faysant regretz
David Temple, Crouch End Festival Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra - Britten: Saint Nicolas; A Ceremony of Carols
Daniil Trifonov - Silver Age
Choral Scholars of University College Dublin, Desmond Earley - Be All Merry
Paul Wee - Thalberg: L'Art du Chant
Frank Peter Zimmermann - Martinu: Violin Concertos 1 & 2; Bartók: Solo Sonata