Although Alicia de Larrocha was justly crowned in her own lifetime as the Queen of Spanish piano music, the larger-scale Romantic concertos were also within her repertoire during the first half of her long career until her finger-span could not accommodate the outsize hand-stretches required by Rachmaninov’s music in particular. To such works as Eloquence […]

Zubin Mehta’s LAPO recording of Strauss’ ‘Sinfonia Domestica’ has long been considered a benchmark and after a considerable absence from the catalogue reappears here, coupled with the later ‘Parergon’ for piano (left hand) and orchestra. Equally celebrated is Mehta’s reading of the ‘Alpine Symphony’ and the set concludes with one of Strauss’ earliest tone poems, […]

From some of the great Rachmaninoffian moments on Decca comes this compilation presenting the complete symphonic poem ‘The Isle of the Dead’ in a darkly dramatic reading by Ashkenazy (as conductor) and the Concertgebouw plus moments from the Piano Concertos and a selection of preludes with Ashkenazy this time as pianist.

The famous ‘Shine’ piano concerto – No. 3 – now appears at budget price in this very romantic performance from one of Decca’s star pianists, Alicia de Larrocha. The coupling is the no-less-difficult and wildly exciting Piano Concerto No. 1 from Peter Katin.

Sergei Rachmaninov began his Third Symphony in August 1935 at Senar, his Swiss villa, while riding a final wave of popular success. His ‘Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini’ had enjoyed a successful premiere the year before, and subsequent performances had gone far to mute criticism that the composer’s well of inspiration had dried up. […]

The great yearning melodies and the seductiveness of Korngold’s orchestration are hard to resist. The sheer sweep and thrill of his music became what is sometimes called the ‘Hollywood sound’, but in no way makes him a less serious composer as this collection of works, all conducted by André Previn on Deutsche Grammophon, reveals. His […]

The Piano Quartets are like heavenly twins, alike on the outside but very different in tone. The G minor, like all Mozart’s works in that key, is intense, introspective and even tragic in places. The E flat is extrovert, bracing, brilliant and straightforwardly pleasurable. The present performances feature what, at first glance, is a strange […]