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
Bring on the big beasts
Music needs heavyweight champions to stand up for truth and excellence
Gustav Mahler: 4th symphony (Pentatone)
A new recording of Mahler’s smallest symphony is “indispensable” to connoisseurs of his music
British piano concertos (Lyrita); British music for strings #3 (CPO)
A prawn cocktail of exceptionally competent music to enjoy on Easter Sunday
Rachmaninov: Piano Sonata No 1 / Moments Musicaux
A new release of Rachmaninov’s first piano sonata deserves more than five stars
Music’s moral conscience
The violinist Gidon Kremer stands brilliantly apart from the rest of the music world