This full-throttle mahler 5 sets a fine new benchmark

Symphony No. 5; Swanwhite Suite etc Christian Tetzlaff (violin); Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Nicholas Collon Ondine ODE 1468-2 77:16 mins One of the features of Finland’s impressive music educati

Paavo Järvi (conductor) Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich Alpha 1004 With literally hundreds of recordings of the ‘Italian’ Symphony available, it might seem an impossible task to select a credible shortlist

Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1; Erkki-Sven Tüür: Violin Concerto No. 2 Hans Christian Aavik (violin); Odense Symphony Orchestra/Gemma New Orchid Classics ORC100380 51:39 mins It was an audacious move to

Marc-André Hamelin (piano) City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/ Mark Elder Hyperion CDA67143 The practical requirements of Busoni’s Piano Concerto – a chorus and enormous orchestra – on top of the f

Complete Suites and Other Music for Keyboard Cristian Sandrin (piano) SOMM Recordings SOMMCD0702 61:09 mins In the first complete recording of Purcell’s eight keyboard suites on the modern piano, Roma

Works by Brahms, Schubert, Wolf et al Benjamin Appl (baritone), James Baillieu (piano) Alpha Classics ALPHA1131 79 mins Many listeners for whom the German lied is forever associated with Dietrich Fisc