July 2009
Murray Perahia
When he injured his finger in 1990, the great pianist sought solace in Bach. We meet him as he prepares at last to return to the Romantic repertoire
A Grand Day out: Shopping for Steinways
Pianist Olli Mustonen heads to Hamburg to help choose dozens of Steinways for the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
Keyboard Catastrophes
The Two Moors disaster got us thinking: what's the worst to happen to a piano?
Thomas Tallis
Andrew Stewart on the most original English choral composer of the 16th century
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On Sale Date:
11/06/2009
Issue Number:
207 
On the Cover Disc
Haydn: Symphonies Nos 22, 26, 67 & 80
Written when Haydn was in the employment of the Esterházy family, these four Symphonies show off the composer’s many sides, from the chorale-flavoured Nos 22 and 26 to the sprightly 67 and 80, inspired by opera buffa. On this exclusive studio recording, Nicholas Kraemer conducts the BBC Philharmonic.
This issue's BBC Music choices
DISC OF THE MONTH
Shostakovich: The Nose Mariinsky Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus/Valery Gergiev ‘Shostakovich was never so obviously the youthful genius as in this brilliant operatic jape’
CHAMBER
Schubert: Trout Quintet Martin Helmchen (piano) et al 'The most satisfactory account of the Trout Quintet I have ever heard'
CHORAL & SONG
Handel: Samson
NDR Chor, Festspiel Orchester Göttingen/Nicholas McGegan
'A match for any of the few complete Samsons currently available'
DVD
Galuppi: L’Olimpiade
Venice Baroque Orchestra/Andrea Marcon
'An astonishingly accomplished cast in magnificent music'
INSTRUMENTAL
Sonatas and Etudes Yuja Wang (piano) 'She's young, but make no mistake: Yuja Wang is one hell of a pianist'
JAZZ
Gary Burton's Quartet Live Burton, Metheny, Swallow, Sanchez 'This bouncy, tumbling serpentine set sounds fresh-minted'
ORCHESTRAL
Fauré: Soloists & orchestra
Orchestre de Bretagne/Moshe Atzmon
'Fauré's blend of languor and virtuosity is well displayed here'
OPERA
Wagner: Lohengrin
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln/Semyon Bychkov
'Semyon Bychkov's Lohengrin is keenly dramatic yet detailed'
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This month's BBC Music choices
DISC OF THE MONTH
Wagner: Parsifal
Mariinsky Orchestra & Chorus/Valery Gergiev
'Gergiev's reading evokes a rapt quality and an authentic spirituality'
CHAMBER
Ireland: Violin Sonatas Nos 1 & 2; Cello Sonata
Lucy Gould (violin), Alice Neary (cello), Benjamin Frith (piano)
'Ireland's passionate Violin Sonatas are here given splendid advocacy'
CHORAL & SONG
Heggie: Songs
Jake Heggie et al
'Jake Heggie's own fluent piano playing supports world-class singers'
DVD
Brahms • Chopin • Scriabin: Piano works
Vassily Primakov (piano); dir. David Starobin
'Reveals Primakov as a serious artist with fabulous pianistic skills'
INSTRUMENTAL
Louis Couperin: Keyboard suites
Christophe Rousset (harpsichord)
'Rousset plays Louis Couperin with energy and dramatic flair'
JAZZ
Larkin's Jazz
Including Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller
'This four-disc set compiled by Philip Larkin authorities is a gem'
ORCHESTRAL
Bartók: Piano Concertos
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano); BBC Philharmonic/Gianandrea Noseda
'Exciting and dynamic accounts of Bartók's Piano Concertos'
OPERA
R Strauss: Scenes from Elektra, Die Frau ohne Schatten & Salome
Atlanta SO/Donald Runnicles
'Christine Brewer sails through these testing Strauss soprano roles'
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