Beethoven: Nine symphonies+ (Decca)
This Beethoven gift set is not for Christmas. It is for life
Whisperings of the cruel sea
Britten: Concertos (Orfeo)
How to win at Chopin
Giving marks to people playing Chopin is no different from deciding on medals in gymnastics
A talented pianist and a battered piano
Bezhod Abduraimov: Shadows of my ancestors (Alpha-Classics)
What became of Tchaikovsky?
Tchaikovsky: 5th symphony etc (ICA Classics)
Essential all-embracing warmth
Gidon Kremer: Songs of Fate (ECM)
The elusive Seiji Ozawa was Japan’s greatest peacemaker
Farewell not just to a conductor but to a generous man
The light and the insubstantial
Poulenc and others: Chamber music (Calliope/DG)
Soothing sounds in time of war
There are expectations going back to 1948 that musicians turn up to provide relief
Laid-back Bach
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Württemburg sonatas (ECM)