Featured Today

 Classical music news - Paavo Berglund; Sounds in the cloud; Peter Hill; more ...

Anniversaries: Trevor Hold; Reynaldo Hahn; John Tavener; Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov

Today's concerts: Tchaikovsky: Mazeppa; Riga, LV; Misbourne Symphony Orchestra - Glinka, Shostakovich and Sibelius; Buckinghamshire, UK; Come and Sing Workshop and Concert - Howard Goodall's Requiem 'Eternal Light'; London, UK; Retorica at the Whitstable Music Society; Kent, UK; Batteries Duo - Under the Influence, Installment I; New York City, US; Quintet of the Americas Presents Freedom – Expanding Horizons Concert; New York, US

Recent Articles

CD Spotlight. Dramatic Breadth - Cyprien Katsaris plays Liszt, heard by Howard Smith. '... seismic and mercurial by turns ...'

Ensemble. Remarkable Performance - Eisler, Gershwin, Mozart, Poulenc, Schumann and Weill from Katie Bray and William Vann, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Great Success - Willian Christie's 'The Enchanted Island', reviewed by Gregory Moomjy

CD Spotlight. Revealing Bach - The Goldberg Variations and The Art of Fugue, heard by George Balcombe. '... musical richness and instrumental knowledge ...'

Classical music news - Rita Gorr; more ...

Ensemble. An Extraordinary Performance - 'The Enchanted Island' live in HD, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Superbly Interpreted - Jonathan Biss plays Beethoven and Janácek, heard by Bill Newman

CD Spotlight. A Distinctive Imprint - J S Bach keyboard concertos, heard by Howard Smith. '... stunning aeration ...'

Ensemble. Useful Spice - Giuseppe Pennisi discovers, via Bernstein's 'Candide', why we don't live in 'the best of all possible worlds'

Fun-and-games Time - Mike Wheeler listens to Venetian pianist Alessandro Taverna

Ask Alice - Classical Music agony aunt Alice McVeigh wrestles with 1984 and the mind police

Classical music news - Gustav Leonhardt; Sadao Bekku; Rosalind Runcie; more ...

DVD Spotlight. Dignity and Impudence - A recital on Exeter Cathedral's organ, enjoyed by Gerald Fenech. '... Millington on fine form ...'

Ensemble. The Turning Point - Giuseppe Pennisi was in eastern Sicily for the opening night of Teatro Massimo Bellini's 2012 season - a low cost but high quality 'Carmen'

CD Spotlight. Fabulously Exuberant - Michel D'Alberto plays Schubert, heard by Howard Smith. '... contagious buoyancy and affection.'

CD Spotlight. Comparing Lockets - Giuseppe Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra', heard by Robert Anderson. '... Boccanegra is sung by Tito Gobbi, notable in any context ...'

CD Spotlight. Volatile Inventiveness - Music by Steven Mackey, heard by Howard Smith. '... eighth blackbird manage its musical complexities without a trace of demurring.'

CD Spotlight. Highly Atmospheric - Roger Argente's Superbrass, heard by Paul Sarcich. '... one almost gets the smell of Renaissance Spain.'

Classical music news - Pittaluga competitions; more ...

Classical music news - Alexis Weissenberg; William Francis McBeth; Hikaru Hayashi; Helmut Müller-Brühl; more ...

Classical music news - Thomas Quasthoff; Israel Baker; more ...

Ensemble. Lilting Charm - Bill Newman listens to the Danish String Quartet

Ensemble. Brilliant in the Extreme - Mozart and Brahms from the Razumovsky Ensemble, enjoyed by Bill Newman

Classical music news - San Diego Opera; Teizo Matsumura; more ...

CD Spotlight. Dubious Tampering - Chamber arrangements of Mahler and Debussy, heard by Howard Smith. '... a highly skilled, finely rehearsed unit.'

CD Spotlight. Idiomatic Performances - Music for viols, heard by Robert Anderson. '... sensitively blended and tonally warm.'

Dramatic Excitement - Christian Blackshaw has begun his Mozart piano sonata Marathon in London, and Bill Newman was in the audience

Classical music news - John Gardner; David Bedford; more ...

CD Spotlight. Slavic Spirit - Janácek's Sinfonietta and Glagolitic Mass, heard by Paul Sarcich. '... Wit and his Polish forces come out of it all extremely well indeed.'

Classical music news - JazzVillage; more ...

CD Spotlight. Limitless Passion - Hélène Grimaud plays Rachmaninov, recommended by Howard Smith. '... glowing drive and triumphant resolve.'

CD Spotlight. An Admirable Introduction - English violin sonatas by Dunhill, Bantock and Stanford, heard by Robert Anderson. '... affectionate performances by Susanne Stanzeleit and Gusztáv Fenyò ...'

CD Spotlight. Stylish Playing - Some recommended commercial recordings, heard by Bill Newman. 'How dare they!'

CD Spotlight. Intuitive Skill - Orchestral music by Howard Hanson, recommended by Howard Smith. '... Schwarz ... is second to none.'

DVD Spotlight. A Striking Performance - Verdi's 'La forza del destino', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... the gypsy and her confederates do Verdi proud ...'

Ensemble. A Variety of Events - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on music for the Christmas and New Year period in Italy, for children and for those who love children

Ensemble. 2011 Specials - A roundup of London concerts enjoyed by Bill Newman, featuring recitals by Alice Sara Ott, the Emerson Quartet, Martin Fröst and Roland Pontinen, the Orchestra of the Polish EU Presidency, Kreeta-Julia Heikkilä and Roope Grondahl, and Martino Tirimo's Rosamunde Trio

DVD Spotlight. Highly Intriguing - The Vienna Boys Choir in the Far East, reviewed by Gerald Fenech. '... a refreshingly different portrait of this hugely versatile group ...'

Profile. Inner Meaning - Bill Newman talks to Kazan pianist Rustem Kudoyarov

CD Spotlight. Handsome Praise - Rachmaninov piano music, heard by Robert Anderson. 'The uncelebrated John Lill is totally in command throughout ...'

Successful and Fulfilling - On the rediscovery of the Italian symphonic tradition, by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Superb Music - Susanna Phillips sings Debussy, Messiaen and Fauré, heard by George Balcombe. '... Fauré knew how to make music live ...'