Lebrecht’s Album of the Week

A much-misunderstood composer

The Cosmos of Paul Ben-Haim (CPO)

Album of the year?

György Kurtág: Játékok (Pentatone)

An influential Irishman

John Field: Complete Nocturnes (DG)

Pure pleasure

Maurice Ravel: Complete solo piano music (Chandos), Complete songs (Signum)

A penetrating performance

Shostakovich 15th symphony  (BR-Klassik)

Jenufa’s body

Zlatomir Fung: Fantasies (Signum)/Stephen Sondheim: Chamber music (Bridge)

You can’t improve on Schubert

Franz Schubert: Orchestral Songs, 9th symphony (Chandos)

Royally good

The King’s Singers: Such stuff as dreams are made on (Signum)

Exceptional performance by a cancelled conductor

Stravinsky: Le Rossignol (Erato)

When only Elgar will do

Edward Elgar: 2nd symphony (SOMM)