Norman Lebrecht

Norman Lebrecht is a British commentator on music and cultural affairs, a novelist, and the author of the classical music blog Slipped Disc. He was a columnist for The Daily Telegraph from 1994 to 2002, and assistant editor of the London Evening Standard from 2002 to 2009. He tweets at @NLebrecht

Relive the moments when music changed forever

Elgar: Symphonies (Halle/Oehms)

Walter Kaufmann: 3rd piano concerto, 3rd symphony &c. (CPO)

No conductor from China or Japan ever commanded world orchestras before Seiji Ozawa, and none has since matched his impact

Stravinsky, Petrushka; Debussy, Jeux and Prelude (Decca)

This Beethoven gift set is not for Christmas. It is for life