This section is where we file the reviews of only the truly exceptional and definitive recordings that
we consider to be the highest in artistic quality, musical value or technical achievement.
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
A New Angle
Leo van Doeselaar (Organ)
Erwin Wiersinga (Organ)
MDG 9062137-6
760623213767
Released : September 2019
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
The Cello Suites
Petrit Çeku (Guitar)
Hybrid SACD 2-Disc Set
Eudora EUD-SACD-1602
8436551170176
Released : May 2016
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Organ Works
Martinikerk Organ, Groningen
Masaaki Suzuki (Organ)
BIS SACD2111
7318599921112
Released : October 2015
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Leipzig Chorales
BWV 651-668
Toccata, Adagio & Fugue
Lorenzo Ghielmi (Organ)
Passacaille 954
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Concertos Italiens
Alexandre Tharaud joue Bach
Alexandre Tharaud (piano)
Harmonia Mundi 901871
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Missae Breves BWV 234 & 235
Ensemble Pygmalion
Raphael Pichon (conductor)
Alpha 130
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Missae Breves BWV 233 & 236
Ensemble Pygmalion
Raphael Pichon (Conductor)
Alpha 170
3760014191701
Released : October 2010
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Trio Sonatas BWV 525-530
Sonates à 2 Claviers & Pédalier
Benjamin Alard (Organ)
Alpha 152
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Concertos for Solo Harpsichord
Elizabeth Farr (Harpsichord)
Naxos 2 - Disc Set
8.572006/07
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Motets
Masaaki Suzuki (Conductor)
Bach Collegium Japan
Hybrid SACD / BIS SACD1841
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Concertos avec
plusieurs instruments - V5
Café Zimmermann
Alpha 168
3760014191688
Released : February 2011
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Orgelbüchlein
Pierre Bardon (Organ)
2-Disc Set
Syrius 141436
3491421414366
Released : August 2011
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HENK BADINGS
Symphonies 3, 10, 14
David Porcelijn (Conductor)
Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra
CPO 777522
Released : July 2010
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GRANVILLE BANTOCK
Omar Khayyam
Vernon Handley (Conductor)
BBC Symphony Orch & Chorus
Super Audio Hybrid CD
Chandos CHSA5051
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LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Piano Trio in C minor
Piano Trio in D major (Ghost)
Andreas Staier (pianoforte)
Daniel Sepec (violin)
Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello)
Harmonia Mundi 901955
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LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Complete Piano Concertos
Paul Lewis (Piano)
Jiri Belohlavek (Conductor)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Harmonia Mundi 902053/55
Released : July 2010
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LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Diabelli Variations
Paul Lewis (Piano)
Harmonia Mundi 902071
3149020207123
Released : May 2011
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BEETHOVEN / SCHUBERT
String Quartet No. 16
String Quartet No. 15
New Orford String Quartet
Bridge 9363
090404936326
Released : July 2011
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LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Cello Sonatas
Alessandro Andriani (Cello)
Mario Sollazzo (Fortepiano)
NovAntiqua Records NA38
4061707315565
Released : May 2020
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JOHANNES BRAHMS
String Quartet Op. 51, No. 1
String Quartet Op. 51, No. 2
New Orford String Quartet
Bridge 9464
090404946424
Released : October 2015
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DAVID BRIGGS
Mass for Notre-Dame
David Briggs (Organ)
Stephen Layton (Conductor)
Trinity College Choir Cambridge
Hyperion CDA67808
034571178080
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FRIEDRICH CERHA
Spiegel - Momente
Sylvain Cambreling (Conductor)
SWR-Sinfonieorchester
Kairos 0013002KAI
Released : September 2010
2011 ICMA Award Winner
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FREDERIC CHOPIN
24 Preludes Op.28
Alexandre Tharaud (piano)
Harmonia Mundi 901982
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FREDERIC CHOPIN
Nocturnes & Scherzos
Sonata in B flat minor
Louis Lortie (Piano)
Chandos 10588
095115158821
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CARSON COOMAN
Litany - Music for Organ
Erik Simmons (Organ)
Divine Art DDA25116
809730511622
Released : March 2014
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CLAUDE DEBUSSY
Images
Préludes II
Marc-André Hamelin (Piano)
Hyperion CDA67920
034571179209
Released : November 2014
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LEOPOLD GODOWSKY
The Complete Studies
on Chopin's Etudes
Marc-Andre Hamelin
Hyperion CDA67411/2
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MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN
12 Études
Theme and Variations
Marc-André Hamelin (Piano)
Hyperion CDA67789
Released : September 2010
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GUSTAV HOLST
The Planets
Hansjörg Albrecht (Organ)
Hybrid SACD
Oehms Classics OC683
4260034866836
Released : January 2012
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HERBERT HOWELLS
Requiem
Choir of Trinity College
Stephen Layton (Conductor)
Hyperion CDA67914
034571179148
Released : April 2012
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MATTHIAS KRONSTEINER
Modified - Music for Bassoon
Matthias Kronsteiner (Bassoon)
Composers Concordance Records
COMCON005
9006238003753
Released : August 2011
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RUED LANGGAARD
Messis
In Tenebras Exteriores
Flemming Dreisig (Organ)
2-Disc Hybrid SACD
Dacapo 6.220528/29
747313152865
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FRANZ LISZT
Sonata in B minor
Mephisto Waltz
Félix Ardanaz (Piano)
Orpheus OR3906-1828
8436039061828
Released : June 2014
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GUSTAV MAHLER
Symphony No. 9
Mark Gorenstein (Conductor)
State Symphony
Orchestra of Russia
MDG 6481719
Released : October 2011
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GUSTAV MAHLER
Symphony No. 9
Herbert Von Karajan
Berlin Philharmonic
Deutsche Grammophon
4390242
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GUSTAV MAHLER
Symphony No. 4
Ivan Fischer (Conductor)
Budapest Festival Orchestra
Channel Classics SACD
CCSSA26109
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GUSTAV MAHLER
Symphony No. 4
Markus Stenz (Conductor)
Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne
Hybrid SACD
Oehms Classics OC649
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GUSTAV MAHLER
The Mahler Project
Symphonies (Complete)
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas (Conductor)
Hybrid SACD 17-Disc Set
SFS Media SFS60039
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GUSTAV MAHLER
Orchestral Songs
Katarina Karnéus (Mezzo)
Susanna Mälkki (Conductor)
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
BIS SACD1600
Released : June 2011
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GUSTAV MAHLER
Symphony No. 1
Markus Stenz (Conductor)
Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne
Oehms Classics OC646
4260034866461
Released : August 2012
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OLIVIER MESSIAEN
Turangalîla-Symphonie
Juanjo Mena (Conductor)
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Hyperion CDA67816
034571178165
Released : August 2012
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CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI
Vespro della Beata Vergine
Sigiswald Kuijken (Conductor)
La Petite Bande
Challenge Classics
SACD 72311
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EUGENIUSZ MORAWSKI
Symphonic Poems
Monika Wolinska (Conductor)
Sinfonia Varsovia
CD Accord ACD176-2
5902176501761
Released : May 2012
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CARL NIELSEN
Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3
Alan Gilbert (Conductor)
New York Philharmonic
Dacapo 6.220623
747313162369
Released : September 2012
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CARL NIELSEN
Symphonies 1 & 4
New York Philharmonic
Alan Gilbert (Conductor)
Dacapo 6.220624
747313162468
Released : September 2014
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SERGEI PROKOFIEV
The 7 Symphonies
Dimitri Kitayenko (conductor)
Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne
Phoenix Edition 5CD Set 135
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SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Études-tableaux
Opp. 33 & 39
Steven Osborne (Piano)
Hyperion CDA68188
034571281889
Released : July 2018
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EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA
Cantus Arcticus
Piano Conc. No. 1/Symph No. 3
Hannu Lintu (Conductor)
Laura Mikkola (Piano)
Royal Scottish Ntl Orchestra
Naxos 8.554147
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OTTORINO RESPIGHI
Roman Trilogy
Josep Caballé-Domenech (Conductor)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Onyx 4083
880040408321
Released : June 2011
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WOLFGANG RIHM
Astralis and Other Choral Works
RIAS Chamber Choir
Hans-Christoph Rademann (Director)
Harmonia Mundi 902129
3149020212929
Released : March 2012
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CARL RUGGLES
Complete Music of ...
Buffalo Philharmonic
Michael Tilson Thomas (Conductor)
Other Minds OM1020/21-2
684390102027
Released : April 2012
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WILLIAM RUSSO
3 Pieces for Blues Band & Orch
Corky Siegel (blues harmonica)
The Siegel-Schwall Band
Seiji Ozawa (conductor)
San Francisco Symphony Orch
Deutsche Grammophon 463665
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CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS
Symphony No. 3 "Organ"
Kansas City Symphony
Michael Stern (Conductor)
Jan Kraybill (Organ)
Reference Recordings RR-136
Released : June 2015
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POUL SCHIERBECK
Symphony No. 1
Ilya Stupel
Artur Rubinstein Philharmonic
Orchestra
Danacord DACOCD417
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op. 43
Daniel Raiskin (Conductor)
Rheinische Philharmonie State Orchestra
Mainz Philharmonic Orchestra
Avi-music 8553235
Released : November 2011
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No. 5
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Manfred Honeck (Conductor)
Reference Recordings FR-724SACD
030911272425
Released : August 2017
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No. 7
Leonard Bernstein
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Deutsche Grammophon 4777587
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No. 8
Evgeni Mravinsky (conductor)
Leningrad Philharmonic Orch
Alto 1150
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IGOR STRAVINSKY
The Rite of Spring
IHOR SHAMO
Hutsulian Watercolours
Serhiy Salov (Piano)
Analekta AN29932
774204993221
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IGOR STRAVINSKY
The Rite of Spring
Petrushka (1911 edition)
Andrew Litton (Conductor)
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
BIS SACD1474
Released : March 2011
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PETERIS VASKS
String Quartet No. 4
Kronos Quartet
Nonesuch 79695
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WILLIAM WALTON
Symphonies 1 and 2
Martyn Brabbins (Conductor)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Hyperion CDA67794
034571177946
Released : July 2011
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MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG
Concertos
Claes Gunnarsson (cello)
Urban Claesson (clarinet)
Thord Svedlund (conductor)
Gothenburg Symphony Orch
Chandos SACD CHSA5064
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MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG
Piano Quintet Op. 18
Clarinet Sonata Op. 28
Jewish Songs Op. 17
ARC Ensemble
Richard Margison (tenor)
RCA 87769
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FRENCH FLAVOURS
Various Organ Works
Paul Carr (Organ)
St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham
Regent REGCD384
802561038429
Released : June 2012
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HEAVEN FULL OF STARS
Various Composers
Vasari Singers
Jeremy Backhouse (Director)
Naxos 8.574179
747313417971
Released : October 2020
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