Featured Today 
CD Spotlight. Gloomy and Worthless? - Sergei Rachmaninov's First Symphony impresses Gerald Fenech. 'Ashkenazy and his Philharmonia forces exude a quite brilliant performance full of explosive intensity and exuberance, and yet when warranted, their sensitive attention to detail is consistently refreshing.'
Anniversaries: Georg Solti; Derek Bell; Egon Wellesz; Malcolm Arnold; Francisco Kraus Trujillo; Lera Auerbach
Today's concerts: Nika Shirocorad, piano; London, UK; Volante Strings fundraiser for Suckley Church; Worcestershire, UK; Puccini: Madama Butterfly; Copenhagen, DK
Festivals, competitions and masterclasses: Little Missenden Festival (13-22 October); Buckinghamshire, UK
Recent Articles
Ensemble. Vocally Splendid - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Florence, where the audience is enthralled by the first performance there of Puccini's 'La Rondine'
Ensemble. Pure Gold - Maria Nockin loved Bellini's 'Norma' in HD from New York Metropolitan Opera
CD Spotlight. Very Satisfying - Chamber music by Gerard Schurmann impresses Geoff Pearce. 'This fine performance is taut, accurate and driven.'
Ensemble. A Voices Opera - Gaetano Donizetti's 'Pia de' Tolomei' in Pisa, but on its way to Charleston, South Carolina, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Loony Plot - Mike Wheeler listens to Sinfonia Viva's performances of Wagner, Milhaud, Martinu and Copland
Classical music news - Vincent La Selva (1929-2017); Coriún Aharonián (1940-2017); more ...
Ensemble. Too Many Notes? - Mike Wheeler listens to Dohnányi, Mozart and Brahms from the Rogeri Ensemble
Classical music news - Set Your Heart on Books; more ...
Ensemble. Devil-may-care Frolics - Sinfonia Viva at Derby Folk Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Reformation Cantatas - Commemorating a historic anniversary, reviewed by Gerald Fenech. 'Superb performances, coupled with some excellent sound and scholarly annotations complete a disc brimming with historical appeal.'
Ensemble. A Surreal Atmosphere - Daniel Auber's 'Fra Diavolo' is back in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
CD Spotlight. Elliptical Orbits - String quartets by British composers, heard by the late Howard Smith. '... the Kreutzer Quartet brings a faultless degree of unanimity and understanding to this selection of late twentieth century string music.'
Ensemble. Weak Videos - Szymanowski's 'Król Roger', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
CD Spotlight. Utmost Care - Gioacchino Rossini's 'Bianca e Falliero', heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Antonino Fogliani and his forces respond with zealous enthusiasm, and the ensemble pieces in particular are dispatched with marvelous excitement, soliciting in the listener a strong sense of involvement.'
Classical music news - Klaus Huber (1924-2017); more ...
Ensemble. Infinite Disappearances - An opera about the Italian theoretical physicist Ettore Majorana, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
CD Spotlight. Bags of Fun - Music for flute and piano, heard by the late Howard Smith. '... eminently commendable.'
Ensemble. A Cruel 'Traviata' - Giuseppe Pennisi returns to the 2017 Verdi Festival
Classical music news - Dmitry Smolsky (1937-2017); Christ Recrucified - October 2017 Newsletter (PDF, 772kb); more ...
Ensemble. Grand Tableaux - 'Jérusalem' at the 2017 Verdi Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
CD Spotlight. Hypnotic Beauty - Giuseppe Verdi's 'Don Carlo', heard by Gerald Fenech. '... a performance full of dramatic passion and unbridled commitment that keeps the tension at fever-pitch throughout.'
Classical music news - Zuzana Ruzickova (1927-2017); Caesar Giovannini (1925-2017); more ...
CD Spotlight. Rewarding Music - Handel's 'Silla', enjoyed by Gerald Fenech. 'Fabio Biondi keeps things moving briskly, and his team responds with committed enthusiasm and minute precision to the demands of the score.'
Classical music news - Winter Legends; Tsisana Tatishvili (1937-2017); more ...
CD Spotlight. Emotional Space - Piano miniatures by Tomasz Betka, heard by Keith Bramich. '... romantic, jazzy, simple, dreamy, dramatic, passionate, euphoric, sad and even Satiesque, by turns.'
CD Spotlight. Inner Brilliance - Music by Jean-Philippe Rameau, recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Rousset and his team give absolutely flawless performances, brimming with zestful enthusiasm and razor-sharp precision, and in such able hands how can Rameau's star not be one of the brightest in the baroque firmament?'
CD Spotlight. Truly Magical - Ravel at his very best, recommended by Geoff Pearce. 'The orchestral sound is sumptuous and detailed, and the solo vocalists are all first class.'
CD Spotlight. Heavenly Beauty - Choral music by Johann Simon Mayr excites Gerald Fenech. 'This world premiere recording is in every way exemplary ...'
CD Spotlight. Captivating Rhythms - Music for cello and piano, recommended by the late Howard Smith. 'Inspired programming, stellar performances and excellent recorded sound ...'
Ensemble. Concerts in Bucharest - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Russian orchestral music at the George Enescu Festival
Classical music news - Cosima Soulez-Larivière; more ...
