Gerald Fenech
Gerald Fenech has been a classical music enthusiast ever since hearing the Classics For Pleasure LP recording of Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks with the Virtuosi of England. In July 1995 he was at the First Night of the Proms in London when Mahler’s Eighth Symphony was played under the baton of Andrew Davis. The experience set him writing a review which was sent to The Sunday Times of Malta and he was then commissioned to write a bi-weekly page of CD reviews which continued until 2004 and featured hundreds of CDs from a myriad of labels.
In 1997, Gerald began a career in radio broadcasting which lasted until 2002 where he presented hundreds of programmes dealing with music for the state cultural radio in Malta - now sadly defunct. He also contributed many articles to other local and international publications, and wrote for several websites including Musicweb, Classical Net and Music & Vision Magazine, which he joined in 1999. For many years he was also the music critic for The Times of Malta as well as The Malta Independent. He also published reviews of selected Testament recordings in International Classical Record Collector.
Although currently a full time journalist, he still finds time to keep abreast with what’s happening in the world of classical music, not least through his regular writings for Classical Music Daily. He specializes in orchestral repertoire with a historical tinge, and some of his favourite artists are Istvan Kertesz, Otto Klemperer, Sir Thomas Beecham and Herbert von Karajan.
He is also a tireless advocate for British music - particularly the works of Parry, Stanford, Vaughan Williams, Elgar and Bax, and has a lifelong dedication to the work of the great Danish composer Carl Nielsen, on which he has written extensively, particularly on the seminal Symphony No. 4, The Inextinguishable.
A dedicated sound enthusiast, he has a huge CD collection and is also the proud owner of a sizeable LP collection and an SME 3012/Garrard 401 combination which occasionally gives great pleasure when used to play his favourite Decca FFSS LPs.
Articles by Gerald Fenech
Gerald Fenech strongly recommends music by Vaughan Williams, played by Frederick Grinke
Gerald Fenech listens to Campra's 'Messe de Requiem'
Gerald Fenech listens to a new recording by Roberto Alagna, celebrating the singer's sixtieth birthday
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Francesco Cilea
Gerald Fenech listens to Raphaël Pichon's striking new version of Mozart's Requiem
Gerald Fenech listens to Emőke Baráth, Philipe Estèphe and Le Concert Spirituel conducted by Hervé Niquet
Gerald Fenech finds Volume 4 of John Wilson's Eric Coates orchestral series charming, and looks forward to the next instalment
Gerald Fenech finds Yannick Nézet-Séguin's Brahms symphonies unmissable
Gerald Fenech recommends lusciously presented and recorded music by the French composer Marin Marais
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Karl Jenkins
Gerald Fenech heartily recommends Isata Kanneh-Mason's new Mendelssohn album
Gerald Fenech recommends music by Mozart played by the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice
Gerald Fenech strongly recommends a new restored version of an early recording of Ralph Vaughan Williams' opera 'Hugh the Drover'
Gerald Fenech finds much to enjoy and discover on this recent Verdi album from Freddie De Tommaso, Riccardo Chailly and colleagues at Teatro alla Scala, Milan
Gerald Fenech strongly recommends Antonio Pappano's complete symphonic, concertante and sacred music recordings with the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Gerald Fenech is impressed by Sibelius symphonies recorded in Montreal
Gerald Fenech listens to organ concertos by Arne
Gerald Fenech listens to Mozart from the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and Tarmo Peltokoski
Gerald Fenech listens to Italian madrigals by Vecchi
Gerald Fenech warmly recommends film music by John Williams, played by the Saito Kinen Orchestra
Gerald Fenech delves into more volumes of Danacord's 'Thomas Jensen Legacy' series
Gerald Fenech listens to two more volumes in Danacord's 'Thomas Jensen Legacy' series
Gerald Fenech listens to three works by Carl Nielsen
Gerald Fenech finds a new recording of Delius' Hassan absolutely riveting
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Enescu
Gerald Fenech listens to Sibylle Mahni play Mozart's horn concertos
Gerald Fenech recommends music by Martucci
Gerald Fenech wholeheartedly recommends orchestral music by Béla Bartók
Gerald Fenech listens to oboe concertos by eighteenth century German composer Ludwig August Lebrun
Gerald Fenech warmly recommends Karl Jenkins' 'The Armed Man'
Gerald Fenech warmly recommends harpsichord music by Pierre-Claude Foucquet
Gerald Fenech urges you to invest in this cycle of Haydn symphonies from Johannes Klumpp and the Heidelberger Sinfoniker
Gerald Fenech recommends music by Handel and Vivaldi from Daniel Sæther and Ensemble C4
Gerald Fenech warmly recommends music by Manuel de Falla and Igor Stravinsky
Gerald Fenech recommends Catalani's 'La falce'
Gerald Fenech praises Krijn Koetsveld and Le Nuove Musiche for their new Monteverdi recording
Gerald Fenech strongly recommends music by Eugène Ysaÿe on the Avie Records label
Gerald Fenech recommends Francesca Dego's new recording of violin concertos by Brahms and Busoni
Gerald Fenech marvels at Alpesh Chauhan's new Tchaikovsky recording with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for Chandos
Gerald Fenech listens to eighteenth century composer Boismortier's 'Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse'
Gerald Fenech is delighted by Bojan Čičić and Steven Devine's recording of Handel's violin sonatas
Gerald Fenech recommends Warner Classics' forty-two disc set of recordings by Paavo Berglund
Gerald Fenech ardently recommends Skrowaczewski's 2016 recording of Bruckner's Eighth Symphony
Gerald Fenech joyously recommends keyboard music from Handel's home in London
Gerald Fenech emphatically recommends orchestral music by Tchaikovsky
Gerald Fenech welcomes a new disc of sacred choral music by William Byrd
Gerald Fenech strongly recommends choral music by Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn
Gerald Fenech recommends two albums from Signum Classics, marking this year's Puccini anniversary
Gerald Fenech recommends dance music played by Daniel Hope and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Gerald Fenech is impressed by Édouard Lalo's orchestral music
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by Stravinsky
Robert Levin plays Mozart concertos, recommended unreservedly
Gerald Fenech recommends a recording of the 1741 version of Handel's 'Messiah'
Gerald Fenech is inspired by Eberhard Klotz's organ transcription of Bruckner's Symphony No 8
Gerald Fenech heartily recommends Tugan Sokhiev conducting brass arrangements of well-known overtures
Gerald Fenech urges you not to miss Haitink's recordings of Bruckner's Te Deum and Eighth Symphony
Gerald Fenech is impressed by Ivan Repušić's recording of Verdi's 'I lombardi alla prima crociata'
Gerald Fenech reviews Margarita Höhenrieder's recording of the Chopin piano concertos
Gerald Fenech recommends Frieder Bernius' recording of 'L'Olimpiade' by Hasse
Gerald Fenech recommends the soundtrack album of 'Maestro', the new film about Leonard Bernstein
Gerald Fenech ardently recommends extracts from operas in the Italian verismo tradition
Gerald Fenech strongly recommends eighteenth century music for harp, played by Xavier de Maistre
Gerald Fenech unreservedly recommends a new recording of Aled Jones, duetting with his younger self
Ravel's complete ballet 'Daphnis et Chloé'
Seven orchestral works by Camille Saint-Saëns
Gerald Fenech finds Andris Nelsons' recordings of Bruckner's symphonies simply outstanding
Gerald Fenech listens to an unusual combination of works by Antonín Dvořák
Gerald Fenech unreservedly recommends recordings of eighteenth century 'sturm und drang' music
Gerald Fenech is exhilarated by the Philadelphia Orchestra's recording of symphonies by Florence Price and William Dawson
Gerald Fenech listens to tenor Jonathan Tetelman singing Puccini
Gerald Fenech finds the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra and conductor John Axelrod's new recording of contrasting versions of Robert Schumann's Symphony No 4 in D minor preciously invaluable
Gerald Fenech finds the latest in Chandos Records' series of film music mouth-watering
Gerald Fenech listens to a unique recording of Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'Oklahoma!'
Gerald Fenech unreservedly recommends Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's recordings of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos 26 and 27
Gerald Fenech finds William Vann's new recording of music by Parry revelatory
Gerald Fenech is impressed by the music of Handel and his London colleagues
Italian concertos
Martin Owen plays Strauss, Schumann and Weber
Gerald Fenech listens to more recordings by the Danish conductor Thomas Jensen
Music by Kjetil Bjerkestrand and Philip Glass
Gerald Fenech welcomes Rachmaninov orchestral music from the Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin on Deutsche Grammophon
Gerald Fenech unreservedly recommends Helmuth Rilling's recordings of the J S Bach secular cantatas
Gerald Fenech gives the thumbs up to Danacord's Thomas Jensen Legacy Volume 15
Orchestral music from Finland
Gerald Fenech is impressed by the first recording of Vaughan Williams' 'Songs of Travel' in a 1954 recital which also includes songs by Davidson, Head, Ireland, Keel, Stanford and Warlock
Gerald Fenech explores the composer's seventh opera, 'L'Incontro Improvviso'
Gerald Fenech listens to a reissue of cello concertos by Haydn and Monn
Gerald Fenech is impressed by Martyn Brabbins' recording of Stanford's Requiem
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral anthems by several English composers
Well-known and less well-known French choral music
Music by Pasquale Anfossi
Music by Bernard Herrmann
Adolphe Adam's ballet 'Orfa'
Gerald Fenech reviews two discs of music by American composer Florence Price
Previously unreleased recordings by Jessye Norman
Italian baroque music
Gerald Fenech is impressed by another volume in John Wilson's cycle of music by Eric Coates
Gerald Fenech listens to Berlioz
Operatic arias played on trumpet
Gerald Fenech listens to Isata Kanneh-Mason
Gerald Fenech is impressed by recordings of five Mozart operas
Gerald Fenech listens to recordings by the Danish conductor Emil Reesen
Gerald Fenech listens to Volume 27 of Hänssler Classic's Haydn symphonies series
Nielsen symphonies
Gerald Fenech strongly recommends recordings of Mozart Piano Concertos Nos 24 and 25
Gerald Fenech is impressed by Stephen Hough's interpretations of piano music by Catalan composer Federico Mompou
Gerald Fenech recommends this Hyperion recording of Czech harpsichord concertos
Recordings of Clara and Robert Schumann's piano concertos impress Gerald Fenech
Joseph Bologne's opera 'L'Amant Anonyme'
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by German composer Paul Lincke
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by British composer Philip Lane
Gerald Fenech is impressed with orchestral music by Carlos Gomes
Schubert songs with orchestral accompaniments
Franz Schubert's Mass in A flat, recorded in Stuttgart
Gerald Fenech welcomes Hyperion's new recording of Carl Reinecke's piano concertos
Recordings of Renée Fleming at New York Metropolitan Opera impress Gerald Fenech
Riccardo Chailly conducts Verdi choruses
Music by Francesco Veracini
Orchestral music inspired by the Kalevala
Gerald Fenech admires Solti's Decca Ring Project
Gerald Fenech listens to some unusual Verdi
Gerald Fenech recommends a Naxos recording of orchestral music by Florence Beatrice Price
Gerald Fenech finds much to discover in symphonies by Cláudio Santoro
Music by Berlioz
Dances and Ballet Music by Camille Saint-Saëns impress Gerald Fenech
Gerald Fenech is impressed by choral music of Herbert Howells and Ian Venables
Gerald Fenech is moved by Johann Michael Haydn's vocal and choral music
Gerald Fenech is impressed by this Mahler symphony cycle from Mariss Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Steven Osborne plays Debussy piano music
Gerald Fenech listens to Poulenc, on Bramwell Tovey's last recording
Gerald Fenech listens to early recordings by Danish conductor John Frandsen
Gerald Fenech is impressed by Warner Classics' thirty CD Vaughan Williams New Collector's Edition
Gerald Fenech listens to Rossini's 'Messa di Gloria'
Gerald Fenech listens to Daniel Barenboim conducting Schumann's symphonies
Gerald Fenech listens to a new and unusual album of music by Ralph Vaughan Williams, released today on the composer's 150th birthday
Gerald Fenech listens to Handel's 'Theodora'
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Allan Pettersson
Gerald Fenech listens to the complete Warner recordings of Frank Peter Zimmermann
Lisa Batiashvili plays Chausson, Debussy, Franck and Szymanowski
Gerald Fenech listens to Johann Simon Mayr's opera 'Alfredo il Grande'
Cherubini, Méhul and Beethoven
Handel's 'Amadigi di Gaula'
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor from Chineke! Orchestra
Gerald Fenech listens to Mozart from Francesca Dego, Roger Norrington and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Piano concertos by Johann Wilhelm Wilms
Orchestral music by Ludvig Norman
Gerald Fenech listens to film music played by John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London
Gerald Fenech listens to Dvořák's last three symphonies
Gerald Fenech listens to Patrick Dheur playing piano music by César Franck
Albion Records releases a disc of unusual music for the Vaughan Williams anniversary, and Gerald Fenech finds it unmissable
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Charles Koechlin
Gerald Fenech listens to cantatas by Telemann
Gerald Fenech is impressed by music of nineteenth century Polish composers Henryk Wieniawski, Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński and Karol Kurpiński
Gerald Fenech listens to César Franck orchestral music, recorded in Ukraine
Choral music by Franz Joseph Haydn
Gerald Fenech listens to Rossini's 'La Scala di Seta'
Gerald Fenech listens to 'Klezmer Fiddler on the Roof'
Unknown Haydn symphonies
Operatic fantasies by Sigismond Thalberg
Gerald Fenech listens to Andris Nelsons conducting two orchestras in music by Richard Strauss
Gerald Fenech listens to a series of works by Maurice Ravel which all failed to win the Prix de Rome
Gerald Fenech listens to two albums of British music
Gerald Fenech listens to a compilation mass from Antonio Vivaldi's music
Gerald Fenech listens to Albert Roussel's operetta 'Le Testament de la Tante Caroline'
Gerald Fenech listens to rare music by Franz von Suppé
Gerald Fenech listens to Schneider flute concertos
String quartets by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by American composer William Grant Still
Gerald Fenech is impressed by Johann David Heinichen's Passion Oratorios
Gerald Fenech strongly recommends Meyerbeer's 'L'Étoile du Nord' on Naxos
Gerald Fenech's discovery of the year is possibly Danish composer Horneman's opera 'Aladdin'
Gerald Fenech listens to several recent recordings of British music
Gerald Fenech enjoys a disc exploring the influence of Italy on Austrian and German composers
Gerald Fenech unreservedly recommends the compilation opera 'Caio Fabbricio'
John Eliot Gardiner's nine CD Purcell set
Boris Giltburg plays two very different Beethoven piano concertos
Gerald Fenech listens to Giordano's 'Siberia'
Gerald Fenech listens to Schubert overtures
Gerald Fenech listens to Korngold's 'Die tote Stadt'
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by Ravel
Gerald Fenech listens to Elgar's 'The Dream of Gerontius' from Carnegie Hall
Symphonies by Brazilian composer Claudio Santoro
The final disc in Naxos' series of John Philip Sousa wind band music
Gerald Fenech listens to Bruckner's Symphony No 3, transposed for organ
Gerald Fenech admires Tatjana Ruhland's playing of August Eberhard Müller flute concertos
Gerald Fenech listens to the last instalment of Andris Nelsons' Bruckner cycle for Deutsche Gramophon
British music by Ethel Smyth, Susan Spain-Dunk, Constance Warren and Ruth Gipps
Violin concertos by Vivaldi, Locatelli and Leclair senior
Symphonies by Johann Baptist Vaňhal
Gerald Fenech listens to suites of incidental music by Arthur Sullivan
Gerald Fenech listens to Anton Bruckner's Symphony No 0, 'Die Nullte'
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Gerald Fenech listens to J S Bach, Buxtehude and Schütz, performed by Iestyn Davies and colleagues
Music from Leonard Slatkin and his family
Gerald Fenech begs you to buy Warner Classics' box set of recordings by Romanian violinist Johanna Martzy
Gerald Fenech listens to four volumes of Danacord's series of recordings by Danish conductor Thomas Jensen
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Hanns Eisler
Concertos by Kalevi Aho
Max Bruch's complete works for violin and orchestra
Gerald Fenech listens to Adolphe Adam's ballet 'La jolie fille de Gand'
Little-known music by George Enescu
Gerald Fenech listens to Wagner's 'Götterdämmerung' from 'The Ring on the Rhine'
Gerald Fenech listens to Eric Coates' 'Springtime Suite' and other orchestral works
Music from Scotland
Fantasies by Sousa
Gerald Fenech listens to Thomas Jensen conducting music by Jean Sibelius
Twentieth century harpsichord concertos by Falla, Poulenc and Bacarisse
Gerald Fenech listens to Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante and Violin Concerto No 5
Schubert's symphonies
Gerald Fenech listens to Arthur Sullivan's 'Victoria and Merrie England'
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Petros Petridis
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Auber
Lowell Liebermann's ballet 'Frankenstein'
Masses by Johann Simon Mayr
Gerald Fenech listens to clarinet concertos by German composer Franz Anton Dimler
Gerald Fenech listens to Würzburg's Imperial Hall Mozart concerts
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Leroy Anderson
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Eric Coates
Mozart from Salzburg
Orchestral suites by Pierné
Two Beethoven concertos
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Florence Price
Virtuosic eighteenth century Italian violin concertos
Gerald Fenech reviews a new recording of Franz Ignaz Beck's opera 'L'isle déserte'
Gerald Fenech listens to Telemann Violin Concertos
Handel's 'Aci, Galatea e Polifemo'
Gerald Fenech listens to Arvo Pärt's St John Passion
Gerald Fenech recommends Fabrice Bollon's recording of César Franck's opera 'Hulda'
Gerald Fenech listens to soprano Júlia Várady's recordings for Orfeo International
Gerald Fenech listens to Marc-Antoine Charpentier's 'Le Malade Imaginaire'
Gerald Fenech listens to more orchestral music by Paul Wranitzky
Hänssler Classic's C P E Bach edition
Gerald Fenech listens to two stage works by an enigmatic English composer
A new recording of Rossini's 'Petite messe solennelle'
Boccherini quintets
Complete operas and fragments by Modest Musorgsky
Light music by Ronald Binge
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Gerald Fenech listens to Johann Strauss II's 1895 operetta 'Waldmeister'
Gerald Fenech finds these rare Norwegian Opera Overtures well worth exploring
Gerald Fenech listens to an overture and symphonies by Andreas Romberg
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson
Newly discovered Finnish violin music
Roger Norrington's interpretations of Bruckner symphonies
Mendelssohn's String Symphonies
Orchestral music by Franz Lachner
Bellini's 'I Puritani'
Furtwängler's First Symphony
Krebs' harpsichord music
Paul Abrahám's operetta 'Ball at the Savoy'
Gerald Fenech listens to Beethoven orchestral music
Music by Viennese composer Marianna Martines
Ketèlbey piano works
A selection of popular orchestral music
Haydn's baryton trios
Symphonic and chamber music by Christopher Gunning
Band music by John Philip Sousa
Orchestral music by Czech composer Paul Wranitzky
Hungarian music played by the Offenburg String Trio
Music by Richard Addinsell
Gerald Fenech listens to Diaghilev's commissions
Monteverdi organ works
Romantic music for piano and orchestra by Jerzy Gablenz and Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Juan Bautista Cansino's Stabat Mater
'Mademoiselle de Belle-Isle' by Spyridon Samaras
Music by Henry Purcell and John Taverner
Bruckner's first symphony transcribed for organ
Gerald Fenech listens to Mahler's Seventh Symphony on a recording from a brand new label
Music by Alexander von Zemlinsky and Franz Schreker
Erwin Schulhoff's only opera, 'Flammen'
Johann Strauss II's only opera, 'Ritter Pásmán'
Gerald Fenech listens to arias by Johann Joseph Fux
Music by English composer Cipriani Potter
Gerald Fenech listens to piano music by German-born Danish composer Friedrich Kuhlau
Music by Walter Braunfels
Beethoven's 'Eroica' Symphony on period instruments
Adolphe Adam's ballet 'La filleule des fées'
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Johann Rosenmüller
James Willshire plays piano music by Cecil Coles and Gustav Holst
Music by Paul Wranitzky
Gerald Fenech listens to music by French baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier
Two versions of Alessandro Stradella's serenata 'La Circe'
Franz Schreker's opera 'Der ferne Klang'
Haydn symphonies
Georg Anton Benda's melodrama 'Medea'
The opera 'Dardanus'
Gerald Fenech listens to Easter cantatas by Baroque German composer Christoph Graupner
Gerald Fenech listens to French piano duets
Symphonies by eighteenth century British composer John Abraham Fisher
Gerald Fenech recommends a new recording of Pietro Mascagni's 'Iris'
Gerald Fenech listens to music by two neglected Italian Baroque composers - Alessandro Stradella and Giovanni Lorenzo Gregori
Music by Ottorino Respighi
Keyboard concertos by Franz Joseph Haydn
Flute music for Louis XIV's Court
Allan Pettersson's Symphony No 12
Gerald Fenech is impressed by Ilya Gringolts' performances of three violin concertos by Pietro Locatelli
Music by Rued Langgaard for violin and piano
Saint-Saëns wind music
Forgotten recordings from George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra
Works for clarinet and orchestra by Nielsen, Copland and MacMillan
Hans Rosbaud conducts Gustav Mahler symphonies
The complete symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos
Gerald Fenech is moved by organ transcriptions of symphonic music by Anton Bruckner
Gerald Fenech is impressed by John Rutter's sacred music, arranged by Luc Vertommen for brass band
SOMM Recordings' second volume of film music
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Catalan composer Joan Manén
Gerald Fenech listens to works by Gottlieb Muffat and George Frideric Handel
Matthew Washington Kennedy's 'familiar favorites'
A box set of Beethoven's keyboard compositions played by Cyprien Katsaris and enjoyed
Seventeenth and eighteenth century Italian festive music
Telemann Christmas Cantatas
Music by Nicola Matteis, John Banister, Gottfried Finger, Matthew Locke and Johann Schop
Peter Breiner's 'Slovak Dances, Naughty and Sad'
Gerald Fenech listens to 'Kullervo' by Jean Sibelius
Carols from the SWR Vokal Ensemble
Music by Kalevi Aho
Gerald Fenech listens to Beethoven and Gossec symphonies
Music inspired by Ariosto's poem 'Orlando Furioso'
Peter Hill and Benjamin Frith play piano four hand music by the genius from Bonn
Gerald Fenech listens to Piano Concertos 3, 4 and 5 by the enigmatic Camille Saint-Saëns
Gerald Fenech explores a harmonia mundi disc depicting folly in various forms
Gerald Fenech enjoys orchestral operatic music by Auber, recorded in the Czech Republic
Gerald Fenech is impressed by Igor Kuljerić's Croatian Glagolitic Requiem
Gerald Fenech listens to piano music by the twentieth century English composer Herbert Howells
Gerald Fenech listens to music for guitar and orchestra played by Junhong Kuang, Darrell Ang and the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice
Music for guitar by Hans Haug and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
Gerald Fenech listens to music for soprano and clarinet by Lori Laitman, Kalmen Opperman and Diana Rosenblum
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by Brazilian composer Alberto Nepomuceno
Gerald Fenech listens to film music played by Iain Sutherland and the Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra
Gerald Fenech listens to twentieth century British piano music played by Nathan Williamson
Music for piano and orchestra by José Antônio de Almeida Prado
Carl Nielsen's incidental music for the play 'The Mother'
Gerald Fenech explores the music of American composer Aaron Jay Kernis
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by American composers William Dawson and Ulysses Kay
Violin Concertos by the late Myroslav Skoryk
Gerald Fenech listens to symphonies by the twentieth century Norwegian composer Eivind Groven
Gerald Fenech listens to tone poems by César Franck performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and conductor Jean-Luc Tingaud
Pietari Inkinen conducts Dvořák's Symphony No 6
Gerald Fenech is impressed with this new recording of Korngold's 'Violanta'
Haydn Cello Concertos
Hans Rosbaud conducts Beethoven, and Gerald Fenech is impressed
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by Rodion Shchedrin and Ottorino Respighi
Reformation music
Liszt, Schubert and Brahms piano works
Gerald Fenech listens to music by Norwegian composer David Monrad Johansen
Prokofiev's Symphonies Nos 3 and 6 played by the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie
Gerald Fenech listens to the second Naxos disc of Charles-Marie Widor's organ symphonies
Gerald Fenech finds pure joy in Etsuko Hirose's recent Moszkowski piano works disc
Gerald Fenech listens to Musorgsky and Ravel, conducted by François-Xavier Roth
Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Kashchei the Immortal'
Gerald Fenech listens to Leonard Bernstein's first two symphonies
Gustav Holst's 'The Cloud Messenger'
Gerald Fenech enjoys music by Giovanni Battista Vitali
Gerald Fenech explores the music of Marc'Antonio Ingegneri
Gerald Fenech is impressed with a new recording of Beethoven's Mass in C
Gerald Fenech listens to 'Hypermnestre' by French baroque composer Charles-Hubert Gervais
Music by Prokofiev for the cello
Beethoven's 'King Stephen' and other rare works
Music for cello by J S Bach and Mike Block
Gerald Fenech admires volume 4 of Malcolm Martineau's 'Decades - A Century of Song'
Music for harp by Boris Tishchenko
Rachel Mahon plays Canadian organ music
Music for organ and orchestra by Saint-Saëns and Poulenc
Gerald Fenech listens to miniatures by William Mathias
Gerald Fenech is inspired by Josef Suk's 'Asrael' Symphony
Michael Gielen conducts Beethoven's 'Missa Solemnis'
Gerald Fenech listens to music written for Louis XIII
Music by José Serebrier
Secret Catholic music by William Byrd
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by Nikos Skalkottas
Idil Biret plays César Franck
Gerald Fenech listens to Mahler 6 from the Essener Philharmoniker
Gerald Fenech listens to works by French composer Louise Farrenc
Choral music by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by Max von Schillings
Gerald Fenech listens to choral music by Kenneth Leighton
Mendelssohn concertos from the Stankov Ensemble and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Piano music by Ireland and Tchaikovsky
Gerald Fenech listens to the first disc in the new Naxos cycle of Widor organ symphonies
Piano transcriptions by Kirchner, Reger and Brahms
Gerald Fenech listens to flute music by Mieczysław Weinberg
Gerald Fenech listens to Mendelssohn's String Symphonies
Gerald Fenech listens to film music by Gerard Schurmann
Gerald Fenech recommends this recording of the 1876 version of Dvořák's Stabat Mater
Roger Norrington's interpretation of Mahler's Fourth Symphony
Kent Nagano's recording of the 1869 version of Mussorgsky's 'Boris Godunov'
Sibelius' 'Kullervo'
Gerald Fenech listens to Weber's 'Euryanthe'
Gerald Fenech listens to Advent carols from King's College London
Gerald Fenech listens to scaled-down Busoni, Debussy and Mahler. 'All four works retain a certain freshness in their new garb, and despite the sound world created being slightly less opulent than their orchestral originals, they still acquire a more fully-fleshed structure than some keyboard reductions.'
Leila Schayegh plays Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons'. '... she succeeds brilliantly with some magical playing full of "joie de vivre" and silhouetted tone painting.'
Spanish Christmas music from Stile Antico. 'Flawless performances by Stile Antico, added to some impressive sonics and eye-catching presentation ...'
Franco Faccio's opera 'Amleto'. 'A must for all opera lovers, particularly those interested in nineteenth century Italian repertoire.'
A Munich recording of the early opera 'Sigismondo'. 'Keri Lynn Wilson paces the work with an uncanny tempo that strikes an ideal balance between the psychological and musical aspects of the opera, and her conducting is consistently sensitive to the nuanced phrasing and textures of the score.'
Dvořák's 'Saint Ludmila'. 'A piece for the ages, passionately performed and recorded.'
Gerald Fenech discovers Friedrich Schneider's oratorio 'The Last Judgement'. 'Gregor Meyer keeps the drama moving briskly, and his forces respond brilliantly to the kaleidoscopic sequence of emotions coursing through the three sections.'
Gerald Fenech commends the reissue of Roger Norrington's recording of Elgar's Symphony No 1 with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. '... Norrington conveys the sweep of the score spontaneously in one breath and takes his players on a headlong ride to the finish which is simply spinetingling.'
Rachmaninov's Vespers. 'Although the choir is not Russian, performances are as passionately devotional as one can expect, particularly the soprano and bass sections, who capture the wide range of dynamics with astounding clarity and vision.'
Rossini's 'Eduardo e Cristina'. '... sensitively dramatic singing, invigorating playing and some glowing conducting from Gianluigi Gelmetti ...'
Michael Hofstetter's recording of Weber's 'Oberon'. 'Recommended ... if only for the magical sound world created by Hofstetter.'
Music by Kurt Weill. 'Recorded seventeen years ago, this reissue retains its freshness remarkably well, and the performance of both works is delivered with great elegance and elan.'
Johann Strauss Junior's 'Eine Nacht in Venedig', arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and. 'Marius Burkert and his fine team of soloists and chorus exude a performance that has subtlety and charm, and the vivid freshness of Korngold's arrangement is brought out with a wistful elan ...'
Gerald Fenech listens to music by contemporaries of the Strauss family. 'John Georgiadis deserves immense credit not only for his painstaking research and wonderful arrangements, but also for his vibrant and energetic conducting that breathes new life into an era that once celebrated life with an unparalleled exuberance.'
Musorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Liadov orchestral music from Dmitry Kitajenko and the Gurzenich Orchestra, Cologne. 'Kitajenko draws some gorgeous playing from his Cologne forces, and dynamic and tempo markings are observed with fidelity. Also, orchestral textures are both warm and revealing of inner detail.'
American recordings of Elgar. '... considering today's technological excellence, this issue is strictly for collectors with a nostalgia for the past.'
Gerald Fenech listens to songs by Louise Reichardt. 'Amy Pfrimmer's singing is supremely warm and refreshing, and the innocent beauty of these songs is brought out in bright, luminous textures.'
Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. '... performances are passionately committed, resonating continuously the collective emotion that is mystical and festive, painful and joyous, surprising and disturbing.'
Havergal Brian's Symphonies Nos 7 and 16. 'Alexander Walker and his Russian forces give passionately committed performances, highly idiomatic and bursting with excitement.'
Chamber music by Nigel Osborne. '... beguiling and vivid performances ...'
Piano trios from the Delphi Trio by Beethoven, Brahms and Bolcom. 'An invigorating mixture of past and present, brilliantly executed and sumptuously recorded, which is truly worth investigating.'
Piazzolla's 'María de Buenos Aires'. 'Bouncy yet thought-provoking stuff.'
Kathleen Ferrier sings the Bach Magnificat. 'A masterstroke by SOMM Recordings and an invaluable addition to the Ferrier discography that will grace any music collection.'
Choral music by Rautavaara, Wennäkoski and Livorski. 'For those who love contemporary choral singing, this disc should prove a real revelation ...'
John Kitchen plays British Light Music by Arthur Sullivan and Michael Thomson. 'A gem of a disc full of wit, warmth and colour ...'
French songs by various composers. 'Ducks, peacocks, pigs, butterflies, dromedaries, carp, cicadas and owls are just some of the creatures in the menagerie assembled for this recording.'
Violin Concertos by Giovanni Giornovich. 'Bojan Čičić has this repertoire in his blood, and this shows in performances of exhilarating beauty.'
Gerald Fenech listens to Janáček's 'The Cunning Little Vixen'. 'This performance from Frankfurt has everything going for it ...'
Gabriel Jackson's Passion. 'Emotionally charged performances, superb sound quality and highly informative annotations complete a revelatory disc that is wholly in tune with the present Lenten season.'
Gerald Fenech listens to pianist Myron Romanul. 'Romanul's playing brims with an expressive power that generates its own excitement and self-belief ...'
Gerald Fenech finds music for trombone and piano worthy of serious investigation. 'Performances are wonderfully attractive, with a certain exquisite timbre and beautifully shaped nuances permeating each piece.'
Gerald Fenech is impressed by Lucille Boulanger and friends. 'The talented foursome heard here rise brilliantly to the hurdles presented and performances are consistently full of charm and warmth, wrapped up in an aura of unmitigated sensitivity.'
Iberian concertos and sonatas. '... finely and eloquently played by an ensemble that is passionately committed to creating a sound world that never ages.'
Songs by Robin Holloway. 'Performances are full of expressive variety and sensitivity, complementing the composer's thoughts with undiluted commitment.'
Orchestral music by Witold Lutoslawski. 'This is meaty music through and through and, admittedly, for some this may be off-putting.'
Music by Toivo Tulev. 'The highlight of this recording is undoubtedly the 2013 Magnificat in which Tulev courageously departs from the text's traditional solemn setting and creates a sound world of immense originality by means of stratospherically high string writing and wild percussion solos.'
Four composers' humoresques impress Gerald Fenech. 'The approach of the young yet precocious Russian pianist Daria Rabotkina reveals an acquaintance full of affection and warmth ...'
Extraordinary violin sonatas. 'Auerbach and Pierce give scintillating performances throughout ...'
Orchestral music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. 'Rohde and his forces dish out some truly magisterial interpretations full of spirited playing and athletic grace ...'
Harpsichord music by Louis Couperin. 'Christophe Rousset ... gives radiant performances full of charm and grace ...'
Debussy songs. 'Two joyful hours from four of the most passionate advocates for Debussy you can find at present.'
Harpsichord music by François Couperin. '... Bertrand Cuiller gives magical renditions of a number of Ordres, displaying with vigorous energy all the colour of sounds, alliterations, double meanings and parodies that these works encapsulate ...'
Music played on the 'Aulos'. '... this unique and exciting project is now at its consummation ...'
Handel Cantatas. '... music of the utmost beauty, full of emotional outpourings that cover the whole spectrum of the human condition ...'
Prokofiev's ballet 'Romeo and Juliet'. '... this interpretation has passion and drama aplenty, and climaxes are handled with meticulous control.'
Violin duets by Louis Spohr. '... charming yet exhilarating performances full of subtle touches of colour and textural variety ...'
Piano music by Lowell Liebermann. '... superbly performed and sumptuously annotated and recorded.'
Hieronymus Praetorius and colleagues. 'Sigla de Oro give some absolutely brilliant performances ...'
Choral music by Richard Rodney Bennett. 'Paul Spicer and his choristers give eloquent performances, full of precise details and expressive energy, and in their hands Bennett's imaginative prowess is brought to life with intense clarity.'
Music by Elgar for chorus and orchestra. 'Highly enjoyable Elgar superbly recorded and performed.'
Kabalevsky and Weinberg Concertos. 'Innovative stuff worthy of some serious investigation.'
Orchestral music by Zoltán Kodály. '... memorably performed and recorded ...'
Orchestral music by Camille Saint-Saëns. '... an exotic musical picture postcard full of perfumed sensuality and brazen march themes ...'
Meyerbeer's opera 'Margherita d'Anjou'. 'Fabio Luisi marshalls his forces with aplomb, and his commitment to the work keeps the music moving along with verve and enthusiasm ...'
Choral music by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari. 'Friedrich Haider and his team give sympathetic performances full of committed endeavour and unbridled enthusiasm ...'
Prokofiev's 'Ivan the Terrible'. '... a blockbuster of an issue which should delight both film score collectors and Prokofiev admirers in equal measure.'
Early music by Richard Strauss. '... full of sunny and exuberant musical tone painting which gives a huge uplift in spirits ...'
Choral music from Queens College New York. '... beautifully performed, sumptuously recorded ...'
Piano music by Stravinsky. 'Peter Donohoe has always been an ardent admirer of the composer, and these interpretations reveal this sincere attachment.'
Nicola Porpora's 'L'Amato Nome'. 'Stile Galante deliver performances that are sensitive, intelligent and beautifully controlled with the singing in particular being stylish and elegant yet consistently expressive and linguistically meticulous.'
Gustav Mahler's Symphony No 9. '... Harding's handling of the inner angst of the music is faultlessly revealing.'
Music by Christoph Graupner. 'Exquisitely beautiful music, superbly performed, sumptuously recorded and splendidly packaged.'
Songs by Nikolai Medtner impress Gerald Fenech. 'This fine set includes 54 songs, so there are riches aplenty for one to savour and enjoy.'
Reinhard Keiser's Markus-Passion. 'Christian Brembeck and his team deliver a performance brimming with vibrant imagery and committed, stylish singing while adhering to Keiser's wishes by moving from verse to verse with effortless purpose.'
The Lassus St Matthew Passion, lauded. 'Bo Holten and Musica Ficta give unerring performances, and their immaculate communication of the text added to the purity of the singing certainly contribute immensely to the enjoyment of this rarely heard work.'
Piano music by Harold Truscott. '... it is truly remarkable that he became a practicing musician let alone a composer of some of the most dramatic English piano music of the last century.'
Piano music by William Hurlstone. 'Kenji Fujimura extracts every ounce of fantasy and imagination from this wistful yet intriguing repertoire, and his sensitivity and lightheartedness make the music yield all its youthful zest and fresh-faced poetry.'
Jonathan Keates' study of Handel's 'Messiah'
Brahms' Requiem in English astounds Gerald Fenech. '... this four-hand arrangement has a captivating, translucent sound-world that transports the listener into the realms of contemplative existence; an exercise in meditative tranquility.'
Music by Axel Borup-Jørgensen. 'This is music that needs to be listened to several times before one can start to comprehend the composer's inner thoughts ...'
James Hamilton-Paterson's 'Sinfonia Eroica'
Piazzolla and Ferrer's 'María de Buenos Aires'. '... the tunes Piazzolla conjured up, a mix of classical forms and Argentine traditions, are consistently vibrant, emotional and at moments compellingly dramatic.'
Late Schubert and Brahms piano works. 'Celebrated Mexican virtuoso Jorge Federico Osorio's performances combine a clarity of texture with an articulate sense of rhythmic brilliance, giving these pieces a freshness and spontaneity that are wholly arresting.'
Leonardo Vinci's 'Didone Abbandonata'. 'Superbly performed and recorded, this set is a must for all opera lovers who are genuinely interested in discovering a work that has been hidden for too long despite its extreme beauty.'
British music for cello and piano. 'An important addition to the genre's discography in excellent performances, sound and annotations ...'
Passacaglia Baroque Ensemble. 'Passacaglia delivers performances replete with polished precision and rhythmic verve while never neglecting to keep the music's breezy textures centre-stage.'
French horn music for Christmas. 'All praise to the consummate artistry and unstinted support of all those involved, as without them this magical project could not have come to fruition.'
Merton College Oxford's new Christmas CD. 'The singing is not only exquisite but has that sense of magic and glory that instills in one's spirit a genuine feeling of hope for a true fraternal love among all men.'
String quartets by Ullmann, Shostakovich and Laks impress Gerald Fenech. '... in this miraculous music you can also experience passion, hope, gratitude and the unlimited resilience of the human spirit.'
Three of Haydn's 'Sun' Quartets. 'The renowned Chiaroscuro Quartet gives superlative renditions of these masterpieces, and with tempos, blend and balance superbly judged, refinement and subtlety are consistently to the fore.'
Music by Duruflé and Respighi. '... passionate and wholly committed performance ...'
Boris Giltburg plays Rachmaninov. '... the soloist is consistently hands on on these challenging scores and his sense of timing and innate feeling for shaping grand tunes are effectively relayed.'
A Chandos orchestral compilation. '... the programme is as explosive as one can hope for.'
Sergei Rachmaninov's First Symphony. 'Ashkenazy and his Philharmonia forces exude a quite brilliant performance full of explosive intensity and exuberance, and yet when warranted, their sensitive attention to detail is consistently refreshing.'
Commemorating a historic anniversary. 'Superb performances, coupled with some excellent sound and scholarly annotations complete a disc brimming with historical appeal.'
Gioacchino Rossini's 'Bianca e Falliero'. 'Antonino Fogliani and his forces respond with zealous enthusiasm, and the ensemble pieces in particular are dispatched with marvelous excitement, soliciting in the listener a strong sense of involvement.'
Giuseppe Verdi's 'Don Carlo'. '... a performance full of dramatic passion and unbridled commitment that keeps the tension at fever-pitch throughout.'
Handel's 'Silla'. 'Fabio Biondi keeps things moving briskly, and his team responds with committed enthusiasm and minute precision to the demands of the score.'
Music by Jean-Philippe Rameau. 'Rousset and his team give absolutely flawless performances, brimming with zestful enthusiasm and razor-sharp precision, and in such able hands how can Rameau's star not be one of the brightest in the baroque firmament?'
Choral music by Johann Simon Mayr. 'This world premiere recording is in every way exemplary ...'
Music for military band and chorus. '... some great off-the-beaten track items that deserve to be heard more often.'
Music by Rameau, Philidor, Blavet, Guignon and Duphly. '... an intensity and sweetness of tone that is consistently engaging.'
Donizetti's 'Rosmonda d'Inghilterra'. '... Sebastiano Rolli keeps things ticking over nicely, thus never diminishing the boiling undercurrents that continually simmer in the protagonists' spirits.'
Rossini's 'Sigismondo'. '... an excellent live recording of a rare bel canto gem that deserves serious scrutiny by all those interested in Italian melodrama.'
Very early music from Scandinavia. '... a highly innovative undertaking which may not be everybody's cup of tea, but for those who have a flair for adventure this programme will definitely enthrall.'
Music for ancient giant horns. '... for those who wallow in the joys of past cultural mysteries and their unraveling, this issue is a must.'
Historic Bruckner. '... Furtwängler transforms the music into a cosmic glow that lightens the very depths of one's spirit.'
Telemann concertos impress Gerald Fenech. '... in the Berliners' hands Telemann's music sounds even more trailblazing than maybe the composer intended.'
Orchestral music by Aaron Copland. 'Splendidly rousing playing from the Detroiters mercurially led by Leonard Slatkin, whose dedication to Copland's creations has a sense of purpose that is unerring throughout.'
Music for Palaeolithic bone flutes. '... the oldest evidence of musical creation anywhere in the world.'
Orchestral music by George Antheil. 'Karl-Heinz Steffens and his German troops are passionate advocates of Antheil's cause, and performances are full of engaging expressiveness and technical finesse.'
Chamber sonatas by Giovanni Stefano Carbonelli. 'Performances abound in real vitality, rhythmic verve and dramatic engagement, and Carbonelli's genius is allowed to shine in all its exuberance.'
Villa-Lobos symphonies. 'The São Paulo players respond with joyous enthusiasm to the rhythmic vitality and ingenious orchestration of these scores ...'
French music for brass and piano. 'Careful attention to the music's slightest details means the interpretive aspect is consistently special and charismatic.'
Piano music by Nikolai Peyko. 'Performances are highly virtuosic and wholly committed, and both pianists know exactly how to convey the overriding shape with discernment and piquancy.'
New music for choir and ancient instruments. '... this musical melting pot has some unexpected tastes, and surprising delights abound from beginning to end.'
Edward Gardner conducts Elgar. 'Edward Gardner gives revelatory accounts of both works, always keeping in check the emotional element, but when the occasion warrants, he lets the music sweep us off our feet.'
Antonín Dvorák's 'The Spectre's Bride'. 'Meister and his Vienna forces capture the eerie atmosphere of the story with chilling effect, and his consistent attention to detail allows the soloists free reign to bring out all the expressiveness of the characters.'
Antonín Dvorák's Mass in D and Te Deum. 'Performances are first rate, and Antoni Wit and his forces respond with eloquence and characteristically immaculate singing ...'
Music by members of the Strauss family delights Gerald Fenech. 'A thoroughly stimulating issue, dashingly performed by Estonian forces conducted by the veteran Neeme Järvi ...'
Béla Bartók's six string quartets
Tchaikovsky for violin and orchestra. 'The young and celebrated Korean virtuoso Moonkyung Lee is fast making a name for herself on both sides of the Atlantic, and these performances confirm all the wonderful reviews that are being written about her.'
'La Finta Giardiniera' from Opéra de Lille. '... a humdinger of a version, passionately sung and acted and superbly conducted by Emmanuelle Haim.'
Dvorák serenades. 'Performances by the Czech Nonet ... and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields conducted by Neville Marriner ... are exemplary, and all the colourful harmonies and exuberant rhythms are brought out with a virtuosity that is quite unmatchable.'
Hindemith's complete string quartets. '... each rendition is an endless source of pleasure, where precision and attention to detail are the consistent hallmarks of some breathtaking music-making.'
Music for brass and organ. 'Barbara Bruns and the Thompson Brass Ensemble give dazzling performances full of compelling virtuosity and brilliantly executed musical stunts that never fail to surprise ...'
Piano music by Heinz Tiessen. 'Matthew Rubinstein is a red-hot advocate of Tiessen's works, and his interpretations brim with a passionate dedication that lays bare the inner gestures of this music.'
Philip Higham plays J S Bach's cello suites. 'The soloist's wise and daring approach also leads him to combine elements of period and modern style both in his playing and in his choice of instruments ...'
Choral and orchestral music by Bronius Kutavicius. '... a dramatic portrayal of the interaction of human activity and natural forces.'
Arvo Pärt's 'Canon of Repentance'. '... Daniel Reuss and Cappella Amsterdam more than do justice to the distilled purity and sublime beauty of this work.'
'Symphonia Domestica' and 'Metamorphosen',. '... full of charismatic flair and detailed, luscious sound that give these challenging pieces a glow of brilliance.'
Anton Bruckner's Second Symphony. '... Bolton's interpretation is wonderfully paced, and his careful attention to detail allows all of the composer's thick orchestration to reveal its many touches of genius that give the score its grandeur and natural beauty.'
Tango choral works by Martín Palmeri. '... sacred and profane are skillfully enmeshed with wonderfully successful results.'
Handel's 'Messiah'. 'A new experience of a work we have heard so many times.'
Tchaikovsky's music for violin and orchestra. 'The American violinist Jennifer Koh interprets these testing pieces with dazzling virtuosity and passionate exuberance, and the Violin Concerto in particular is one of the most exciting renditions I have heard in recent times.'
A Richard Strauss first recording. 'JoAnn Falletta and her Buffalo team regale the listener with admirably detailed performances full of watchful sensitivity to the many magical melodies that are encrusted in this score.'
Music by Halvorsen, Nielsen and Svendsen. 'Henning Kraggerud's technical brilliance lends a balanced fluidity to all three works, and each is allowed to betray all the enterprising orchestral colours hidden within each score.'
The pastiche 'Catone'. 'Carlo Ipata and his masterful band of singers and instrumentalists give a most persuasive and fascinating performance capturing all the nuances of the score with impressive conviction and verbal dexterity.'
Orchestral music by Enrique Soro. 'The composer's melodic instinct, mastery of orchestration and sense of form are evident throughout ...'
Madrigals from Monteverdi's Venice period. 'Paul Agnew and his famous choristers give highly exciting performances, with every poetic nuance exploited to maximum musical effect.'
Gergiev conducts Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker'. '... he delivers the big moments with overwhelming power.'
Art songs by Franz Liszt. 'Benjamin Brecher's sensitive performances are full of dramatic nuances and range of colour ...'
Choral music by Pierre de Manchicourt. 'David Shuler and his choristers deliver performances of outstanding clarity and precision ...'
Piano quintets by Granados and Turina. '... an almost instinctive sense of interplay between the players ...'
Works by Schoenberg and Portera. 'Performances are satisfyingly macabre in Schoenberg's work, while Portera's piece is given a well-rounded and detailed interpretation.'
Piano music by Guy Ropartz. '... Stephanie McCallum simply floats her way through this music with subtlety and panache that fit Ropartz's harmonic language to perfection ...'
Orchestral music by Alexander Glazunov. '... disciplined, philosophical and electric interpretations ...'
Prokofiev's Symphonies Nos 4 and 7. 'Andrew Litton and his Bergen ensemble deliver some forceful performances full of exciting vigour ...'
Karl Jenkins' Cantata Memoria. '... a deeply moving experience ...'
Harp music from Xavier de Maistre. 'Performances are lusciously executed, and both soloist and orchestra are in perfect harmony ...'
Butterworth, Gurney and Warlock. '... the programme embraces all that is best of English song-writing in the initial phases of the twentieth century ...'
Erik Chisholm's opera 'Simoon'. '... Chisholm rises to the occasion with some spectacular music ...'
Baroque music from Dominique Labelle and Musica Pacifica. 'A beautiful issue that is as heartwarming as it is stimulating.'
The Christmas Story by Heinrich Schütz. '... lusciously presented ...'
Vocal duets by Schumann, Mendelssohn and Cornelius. 'The two soloists exude immaculate performances full of smooth, silky singing, where every nuance behind each word and note is brought to light ...'
Austro-Hungarian music for cello. '... as infectious as it is fastidious to every little detail and nuance of the music.'
James MacMillan sets the passion and burial of Christ. '... both singers and instrumentalists are on impeccable form, making for an insightful and focused experience.'
Music by Niccola Monti. '... distinctive and brilliant, rich in operatic and chromatic devices with an orchestration that is harmonically well-balanced and full of melodic touches of the utmost beauty.'
Stravinsky choral music. '... Stravinsky's blend of the mystic and mundane never ceases to astound.'
Music by Rautavaara. '... the singers' phrasing, harmonic direction and melodic sense all indicate how much this music is in their blood.'
Music for Advent from choir and saxophone. '... beautifully shaped in both the renaissance and contemporary repertoire ...'
Piano music by Leonid Sabaneyev. '... a triumph for Jonathan Powell ... compelling dedication and zest ...'
Caroline Howald's Ensemble Isabella d'Este. 'Performances are overflowing with impassioned commitment ...'
Music from Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. '... as absorbing as it is enticing.'
Florian Boesch sings Schubert. '... brimming with compelling moments of great yet gentle intimacy ...'
Thomas Coates' band music. '... highly polished performances full of fun and joy ...'
Masaaki Suzuki conducts Stravinsky. '... immaculately performed ...'
Trio Karénine plays Robert Schumann piano trios. '... commanding authority, rewarding depth and devil-may-care exuberance ...'
Orchestral music by Kevin Puts. '... compelling throughout ...'
Orchestral music by Jón Nordal. '... austere yet mystic beauty.'
Marin Alsop conducts Prokofiev's Symphony No 6. 'The São Paolo Symphony Orchestra plays with a consummate passion for the music.'
Sacred music in seventeenth century Rome. '... performances of celestial beauty ...'
Osmo Vänskä's Sibelius Symphonies 3, 6 and 7. 'The Seventh is a superb exercise in momentum and continuity ...'
Symphonies 2 and 9. '... much to enjoy in the second symphony ...'
Purcell opera suites conducted by Neville Marriner. '... full-blown Purcellian splendour ...'
Lutoslawski and Brahms orchestral music. 'Peruvian conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya marshalls his Fort Worth forces with effortless control.'
J S Bach Violin Concertos. 'Manze and Podger give free reign to Bach's poetic inspiration ...'
Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale. '... a splendid complete version ...'
Sacred music by Jonathan Harvey. '... beautifully executed and recorded ...'
Sacred music by Gaetano Veneziano. '... this music took me completely by surprise ...'
William Christie's Les Arts Florissants. '... each piece comes to life with inimitable charm and grace.'
Organ music played by John Kitchen. '... a curiously varied programme ...'
Orchestral music by Enrique Granados. '... superbly played by the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra ...'
Symphonies by Per Nørgård impress Gerald Fenech. '... superlative performances ...'
Messiaen organ music. 'An excellent introduction to Messiaen's unique sound-world ...'
Music inspired by St Francis of Assisi. 'A heart-melting issue ...'
Ancient Scottish Highland music. 'Although not for the faint hearted, the rewards are great ...'
Mozart violin concerti. '... Kraggerud is most ably supported by the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra ...'
Orchestral music by Granados. '... well crafted and very tuneful.'
American and British art songs. '... a cause for constant enjoyment.'
Piano music by Ronald Stevenson. 'Christopher Guild delivers impressively clear and assured performances ...'
Jean-François Paillard conducts J S Bach. '... this rendition consistently delights ...'
Music by Luigi Gazzotti. '... meltingly tender renditions ...'
Music from the lost palace of Westminster. '... gracefulness and musical conviction ...'
Benjamin Nicholas plays Elgar for organ. '... thought-provoking insights ...'
Orchestral music by Faradzh Karaev. 'Performances are committed throughout ...'
A recording dedicated to David Trendell. '... intelligence and deep musicality ...'
Balfe's 'Satanella'. '... a work made in Heaven, sparkling, joyous and overtly uplifting.'
Music by Antonio Lotti. '... excitement, poignancy and luscious harmonic sounds ...'
René Jacobs' Haydn Symphonies. '... great zest and alacrity.'
Todd Fickley plays J S Bach. '... amazing virtuosity ...'
Suites, canons and songs by Pachelbel. '... generously filled and sumptuously recorded.'
Sophie Rosa and Benjamin Powell. 'A wonderfully attractive recital ...'
Handel's Water Music. 'The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin plays with an undisguised love for the music ...'
Felix Weingartner's 'Die Dorfschule'. '... great attention to detail ...'
The Choir of Merton College, Oxford. '... beautifully moulded lines ...'
Robert King's 'Israel in Egypt'. '... the version to have ...'
Bernardo Pasquini's Passion Oratorio. '... a moving interpretation, full of ardent singing and impassioned energy ...'
Chopin piano music. '... a lovely and singing tone ...'
The Rochdale Town Hall organ. '... played with absorbing panache by Byram-Wigfield ...'
J S Bach's French Suites. '... exceptional readings full of profound emotional content, yet scholarly and alive.'
Weinberg orchestral music. '... deserving of serious consideration.'
Organ music by J S Bach and Pachelbel. '... Barbara Harbach gives a towering performance ...'
Songs with orchestra by Michael Csányi-Wills. 'A stimulating initiation ...'
Jules Massenet art songs. 'Shudong Braamse has the perfect voice for this repertoire ...'
Orchestral music by Ottorino Respighi. '... passionately performed and sumptuously recorded ...'
Choral music by Ferenc Farkas. '... performances have a solemn dignity ...'
Chamber music by Joaquín Turina. '... wonderfully characterized and atmospheric readings ...'
Piano music by Niklas Sivelöv. '... marvelous technique and improvisational skills.'
Viola d'Amore concertos by Vivaldi. 'Rachel Barton Pine gives committed performances full of virtuosic brilliance ...'
Jewish cabaret music. '... those who decide to take the plunge will be rewarded with riches aplenty.'
Schubert Lieder. '... full of sensibility, ardour and vocal nuance ...'
Piano music by Edward Loder. 'Ian Hobson is a brilliant advocate of this sadly neglected repertoire ...'
Jazz piano etudes by Milan Dvorák. '... Milan Franek gives wonderfully lighthearted interpretations ...'
Paul Hillier conducts Arvo Pärt. '... performances of the most wondrous beauty.'
Renaissance Christmas choral music. '... performed with breathtaking freshness, balance and gracefulness ...'
Music by Fernando Lopes-Graça. 'Performances are wholly committed ...'
Gregory Rose's 'Danse Macabre'. '... intense realism.'
Overtures by Maurice Greene. 'Performances are unfussy but persuasive ...'
Music from the Baldwin Partbooks. 'The Marian Consort's delivery is clean, unembellished and wholly uplifting ...'
String music by Nigel Clarke. '... post-modern music through and through ...'
Music by Matvey Nikolaevsky. '... immensely enjoyable stuff ...'
Bartók piano music. 'American pianist Terry Eder despatches this difficult repertoire with great rhythmic vitality and expressive exuberance ...'
Sonatas by Francesco Barsanti. '... performances are consistently versatile, accurate and poetic.'
Songs by Berlioz, Chausson and Duparc. '... Soile Isokoski interprets this unique repertoire with eloquence and mastery ...'
Music by Max Bruch for violin and orchestra. '... Weithaas is a brilliant exponent ...'
Music for cello and orchestra. 'Jamie Walton exudes warm and committed performances ...'
Robert Anderson's 'Opera Nights and Nightmares'
Gerald Fenech returns to Festival Maribor in Slovenia
Early music for mezzo and viols. 'Performances are quintessentially flawless ...'
Vocal and choral music by Jaime León. 'Performances are unerringly fresh and balanced ...'
David McGuinness and friends. 'A beguiling issue in superb sound and catchy presentation.'
Music by Mykola Lysenko. '... superb craftsmanship ...'
Busoni piano music. '... gripping music making ...'
Music by Leif Solberg. 'Unbridled and vibrantly committed performances ...'
Boccherini chamber music. '... exquisite stuff from beginning to end ...'
Piano music by Carl Loewe. 'In Linda Nicholson, Loewe has a wonderfully refreshing advocate.'
Chamber music by Robert Kahn. '... zealous advocates of Kahn's cause ...'
Vocal music by Olivier Messiaen. '... imaginative conducting ...'
Choral and vocal music by Penderecki. '... the momentum of Penderecki's creations is marvelously executed.'
Symphonies by Andrei Golovin. 'Sound and presentation are top notch.'
Gaetano Donizetti's 'La Favorite'. '... lovingly produced and passionately executed ...'
Choral music from Brazil. '... a strong touch of lyricism and a reverential approach ...'
Valentina Lisitsa plays Philip Glass. 'A must for all Glass enthusiasts ...'
Symphonies by Salomon Jadassohn. 'An enterprising issue in excellent sound ...'
The Usher Hall organ. 'John Kitchen oozes out every sound possible from this monster of an organ ...'
Works by Chopin written in 1846. 'A positive artistic experience ...'
John McCabe plays Nielsen. '... an exciting and forceful advocate ...'
Symphonies by Hoffmann and Witt. 'A winner in every department and an excellent introduction ...'
Agostino Steffani's 'Niobe, Regina di Tebe'. '... intense renditions full of dramatic power and feeling.'
Sokolov at Salzburg. '... Sokolov's playing is mesmerizing throughout ...'
Organ music by William Faulkes. 'Duncan Ferguson's renditions are as enthralling as they are warmly expressive ...'
Early recordings by Nelson Freire impress Gerald Fenech. 'An ideal set for ... all who admire this truly great soloist.'
Music by Étienne Moulinié. 'The members of Ensemble Correspondances have these pieces under their skin ...'
Antonio Vivaldi flute concerti. 'Steger is a likeable exponent ...'
Choral music by Herbert Howells. '... glorious choral textures ...'
Orchestral works by the young Bartók. '... performances are consistently exciting ...'
Arias by Handel, Bononcini and Ariosti. 'Lawrence Zazzo has a bright and clear timbre ...'
Music inspired by the Virgin Mary. '... overflowing with a translucent beauty ...'
Gerald Fenech visits Slovenia's Festival Maribor
Passiontide music. 'An edifying programme in excellent sound and presentation ...'
The Dobson organ at Merton College
Harp music from early baroque Naples. 'Margret Köll's performances have an ethereal aura ...'
Sibelius tone poems. 'A magically enthralling foray into Finnish mythology.'
Cyprien Katsaris arranges Beethoven's 'Emperor' Concerto. '... unparalleled success ...'
Music by Marin Marais. 'Another triumph for Savall's seemingly inexhaustible musical genius.'
Purcell sonatas. '... irrepressibly elegant and restrained.'
Richard Strauss' 'Salome'. '... fine and emotionally sapping ...'
Orchestral music by Knecht and Philidor. 'Performances are consistently breezy and light-hearted ...'
Schubert symphonies. '... performances of unwavering focus ...'
Buxtehude from Magdalen College, Oxford. '... consistently refreshing and spontaneous ...'
Wagner's Götterdämmerung from La Scala Milan. 'The singing is at a constantly high level throughout ...'
Mary Costanza plays Bach. '... wholly impressive and full of lively ideas ...'
J S Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. '... up there with the best.'
Tchaikovsky, known and unknown. '... a wondrous sense of joy ...'
René Jacobs' St Matthew Passion. '... a power that almost sweeps you off your feet.'
Mark Padmore sings British vocal music. '... beautifully sung, recorded and presented ...'
Jacobean choral music. '... distinctive character and colour ...'
The Repast Baroque Ensemble. '... delectable performances ...'
Unknown music by Benjamin Britten
Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony. 'A strong competitor for the disc of the year ...'
Mahler arranged by Schoenberg. 'An unusual interpretation of "Das Lied" in excellent sound and presentation ...'
Orchestral music by Prokofiev. 'The São Paulo Symphony respond with great sensitivity ...'
Mendelssohn and Schumann violin concertos. '... Barton Pine's heartfelt response to both slow movements is full of tonal beauty ...'
Personal memories of Liverpool's Playhouse Theatre
Gerald Fenech enjoys his visit to Festival Maribor in Slovenia
Janáček's Cunning Little Vixen
A Joan Sutherland portrait. '... a fitting tribute to the singing legend from Australia ...'
Spanish early music in the new world. 'All thirty tracks have a charm of their own ...'
Jean Richafort's Requiem. '... worthy of the most scrupulous investigation.'
Choral works by Samuel Sebastian Wesley. 'Soloists and choral singing are of the utmost quality ...'
Pergolesi's 'L'Olimpiade'. '... sound and visuals are top-drawer stuff.'
Music from eighteenth century Mexico. 'A peach of a disc ...'
Couperin's Lamentations. 'Robert King and his superb forces give absorbingly committed performances ...'
Orchestral music by Joachim Raff. '... very well portrayed by Järvi ... and the Suisse Romande Orchestra ...'
Hymn tunes played by William Neil. '... spectacular and life enhancing ...'
Sacred music by Antonio Maria Bononcini. '... an issue that oozes beauty ...'
Magdalena Kozená's Carmen. '... sheer and utter brilliance in every department.'
Music for Advent. '... one of the discs of the year as far as choral music is concerned ...'
Carl Orff's 'Gisei'. 'An exciting discovery ...'
Rossini's 'Le Comte Ory'. 'Joyce DiDonato, as Ory's promiscuous young page Isolier, is absolutely irrepressible ...'
Christine Brewer and Roger Vignoles. '... a gamut of emotions which are superbly handled ...'
A recital by Alice Coote and Graham Johnson. '... interpreted with great zest and passion ...'
Karl Jenkins' 'The Peacemakers'. '... some rather inspired music.'
Simon Rattle's new Bruckner 9. '... polished and vigorous performances ...'
Michala Petri plays English recorder concertos. '... nimble fingering and miraculous breath control ...'
Choral music by Bob Chilcott. '... the singing has a transcendent quality ...'
Lukaszewski's 'Via Crucis'. '... palpable nobility ...'
Music by Vittorio Giannini. '... dispatched with a technical brilliance ...'
Verdi's 'Macbeth' from Covent Garden. '... almost unbearable intensity and shimmering sonority.'
Symphonies by Howard Hanson. 'The recordings are excellent on all counts ...'
Music for flute and organ. '... mastery, panache and a sense of balance that is almost uncanny.'
New dance to Tchaikovsky. 'Sound and visuals are first-rate.'
German Baroque from the Hanoverian Ensemble. '... another treasure trove of wonderful music ...'
A recital on Exeter Cathedral's organ. '... Millington on fine form ...'
The Vienna Boys Choir in the Far East. '... a refreshingly different portrait of this hugely versatile group ...'
Rimsky-Korsakov orchestral suites. '... the music is dear to the heart of these players ...'
Arrangements of Dvorák songs. 'The intense rapport between both artists can immediately be felt ...'
Spirituals, hymns and folk music. '... I have nothing but praise for the whole enterprise.'
Minkus' 'Don Quijote' from the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. '... gorgeous sound and visuals.'
Ravel songs. '... utter conviction ...'
CD Spotlight. Spiritual Outpourings. Alexander Romanovsky plays Rachmaninov. '... passion and elegance.'
Gerald Fenech visits Slovenia for Festival Maribor
An organ recital by SooHwang Choi. '... expressive beauty.'
Petrenko conducts Shostakovich. '... very much on the ball ...'
Baroque music in Poland. '... very fine interpretations ...'
Eniko Magyar plays English viola music. '... beautifully executed and superbly recorded ...'
Ruthanne Schempf plays American piano music. '... her performances are fresh and immediate ...'
Orchestral music by Richard Strauss. '... highly recommended ...'
Vaughan Williams' piano concerto. 'Highly recommended ...'
Friedrich Klose's 'Ilsebill'. '... a risky yet rewarding adventure ...'
A documentary on Puccini's 'Madame Butterfly'. '... riveting stuff ...'
Vocal music by Jacobus Vaet. '... a gorgeous disc on all counts ...'
Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia'. 'Dimitra Theodossiou's Lucrezia rivals that of many of her illustrious predecessors ...'
Harpsichord music by Israeli composers. '... admirably played ...'
String Quartets by Szymanowski and Rózycki
Orchestral music by Debussy
Music by Guillaume Dufay
String chamber music by Imogen Holst
Violin concertos by Nikolay Roslavets impress Gerald Fenech
Music by Julius Röntgen
Solo sonatas by Benedetto Marcello
John Bell Young's survey of the Beethoven symphonies
Marin Alsop conducts Dvorák
Gerald Fenech enjoyed the revival of a forgotten Haydn opera
Rare Schubert
Outstanding Slav Passion
Rare Sibelius
Old-fashioned Mozart - another Karajan review from Gerald Fenech
Gerald Fenech reviews Richard Osborne's HERBERT VON KARAJAN: A Life in Music
Gerald Fenech reviews Karajan's recording of Balakirev and Roussel symphonies
Gerald Fenech reviews Thomas Kalb's Vanhal symphonies
Gerald Fenech reviews Symposium Records' CD transfer of 1940s Toscanini recordings
Articles about Gerald Fenech
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