Ferdinand Ries: Piano Trio and Sextets (Hyperion)
Ludwig van Beethoven’s former secretary and pupil was no forgettable curiosity
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphonies 7 & 9 (Hallé)
VW will never catch on beyond Anglophiles — ask not the reason why
Erwin Schulhoff: Violin sonatas (Orfeo/FHR)
Virtuosity amidst violence
Hans Winterberg: orchestral works (Capriccio)
The lost sounds of a German Jewish composer
Reynaldo Hahn: Poèmes & Valses (Hyperion)
This unfamiliar collection is the most enjoyable piano album of the year so far
Henryk Mikolai Gorecki: Piano pieces (Accord)
A furious, unfiltered revelation of the experimental heart of a familiar composer
Pärt, Poulenc, Stravinsky (BR Klassik)
This is a brilliant concert of three sacred works
Allan Pettersson: Barefoot songs (BIS)
Sweden scorned the composer who could have been its greatest
Sibelius: 7 symphonies and Tapiola (Decca)
A fresh, ambitious and daring approach to the familiar Finn
Can Putin’s conductor redeem himself?
Gergiev’s road to redemption