Reviews

Recordings and books rated by expert critics

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Welcome

I love music’s capacity to tingle the spine, fill the tear ducts to overf low, or just make you smile from ear to ear. This month’s selection runs the whole gamut of emotions, but I’ve been particularly buoyed by the sheer joy in music-making on display in the likes of Abel Selaocoe’s Where Is Home (our Chamber Choice) and Sarah Willis’s effervescent second Mozart y Mambo album. I’m also a sucker for Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, which this month has renewed emotional appeal thanks to Ukrainian pianist Anna Fedorova.

Talking of spine-tingling, it was a delight to speak to pianist Robert Levin about his wonderful Mozart piano sonata collection, recorded on Wolfgang’s very own instrument (see Recording of the Month).

Michael Beek Reviews editor

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This month’s critics

John Allison, Nicholas Anderson, Terry Blain, Garry Booth, Kate Bolton-Porciatti, Geoff Brown, Michael Church, Christopher Cook, Martin Cotton, Christopher Dingle, Misha Donat, Jessica Duchen, Rebecca Franks, Andrew Green, George Hall, Malcolm Hayes, Julian Haylock, Claire Jackson, Daniel Jaffé, Stephen Johnson, Berta Joncus, Erik Levi, Natasha Loges, Jon Lusk, Andrew McGregor, David Nice, Roger Nichols, Bayan Northcott, Freya Parr, Ingrid Pearson, Steph Power, Anthony Pryer, Paul Riley, Jan Smaczny, Michael Tanner, Sarah Urwin Jones, Kate Wakeling, Helen Wallace, Alexandra Wilson

KEY TO STAR RATINGS

★★★★★ Outstanding

★★★★ Excellent

★★★ Good

★★ Disappointing

★ Poor