Reviews by Andrew Mellor
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Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 (New York Philharmonic; conductor: Alan Gilbert) Carl Nielsen
Rich and hugely enjoyable performances. -
Tchaikovsky and Nielsen: Violin Concertos (Danish National Symphony Orchestra / Eivind Gullberg Jensen) Vilde Frang
Frang’s vigour, irreverence and imagination make her a vital and refreshing force. -
WTC 9/11 / Mallet Quartet / Dance Patterns Steve Reich
WTC 9/11 simply doesn’t have the structural cohesion or magnitude of Different Trains. -
Bruckner / Sibelius / Nielsen (feat. orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra) Gustavo Dudamel
Dudamel’s ‘souvenir’ from his GSO tenure is a rewarding triple-disc set. -
Symphonie No.3 avec “Orgue”; Concerto pour Piano No.4 (feat. organ: Daniel Roth; piano: Jean-François Heisser; Les Siècles/François-Xavier Roth) Camille Saint-Saëns
Worth cherishing for its fine Organ Symphony. -
Symphonies 4 & 5 (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; conductor: Pietari Inkinen) Jean Sibelius
Huge of impact, the NZSO musters tension and foreboding. -
Orchestral Works (feat. conductor: Edward Gardner; BBC Symphony Orchestra) Witold Lutosławski
Big-boned themes marinate in complex orchestral textures. -
In Folk Style TrondheimSolistene
An ensemble with a unique and delicious accent. -
Before the Icons / A Tapestry of Life Einojuhani Rautavaara
Finland’s pre-eminent living composer is still creating music of scintillating beauty. -
Nixon in China John Adams
You hear the machinery of Adams’s writing: bright, alert, lucid. -
Symphonies Nos. 1-7; Kullervo (feat. conductor: Sir Colin Davis; feat. orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra) Jean Sibelius
Consistently confident and exuding an unshakeable stamp of authority. -
Symphonies 5 & 9 (feat. conductor: Vasily Petrenko; feat. orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic) Dmitri Shostakovich
Delivers a focussed and individual performance that doesn’t tow the same old line. -
Die Schone Mullerin (James Gilchrist & Anna Tilbrook) Franz Schubert
Gilchrist’s performance encapsulates the naive introspection of Schubert's doomed miller. -
La Boheme Giacomo Puccini
A fine overall ensemble performance supported by detailed and accomplished choral and... -
Second Service & Consort Anthems William Byrd
...one of 2007's most interesting [releases]... -
Outside In Russell Watson
This is uncomfortable stuff, and you don’t need to know much about singing to feel it. -
The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere Andrea Bocelli
Some engaging, even captivating techniques. -
Piano Duos Nicolay Rimsky-Korsakov
A worthy performance of an accomplished work. -
Ralph Vaughan-Williams On Wenlock Edge James Gilchrist
James Gilchrist and The Fitzwilliam String Quartet charm...