The Critic's Chair

This week Cynthia Morahan reviews four recent recordings. The Puertas Quartet have a new release on the Atoll label, and pianist Hélène Grimaud has recorded the two Brahms concerti. You'll also hear… Read more Audio

Dianne James explores three recent recordings this week. The Bartolozzi Trio have released their fourth volume of Haydn Piano Trios, and harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani has grouped together CPE Bach's… Read more Audio

Robert Johnson reviews works by composers from four countries this week. The Helsinki Philharmonic performs music by Finnish composer Leevi Madetoja, and accomplished soloists Isabelle Faust… Read more Audio

Erica Challis sits in The Critic's Chair with four recent recordings of symphonies. The Swedish Chamber Orchestra play Schubert, and the Bamberg Symphony present a very fine recording of Mahler's… Read more Audio

Roger Wilson highlights four finalists from this year's BBC Music Magazine Awards, from the vocal, choral and operatic categories. He delights in the Hyperion release Handel's Finest Arias for Base… Read more Audio

Robert Johnson takes us on a jaunt through the Hungarian countryside in this programme, with the Dante Quartet’s new recording of the Kodály String Quartets. He also features cellist Steven Isserlis… Read more Audio

Kenneth Young reviews four recent orchestral releases on The Critic's Chair. Vasily Petrenko conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in Shostakovich's large-scale fourth symphony, and Delius in… Read more Audio

Peter Mechen presents a tribute to one of the great conductors of our time Claudio Abbado, who passed away in January of this year. We get an overview of Abbado's key recordings from throughout his… Read more Audio

Robert Johnson reviews violinst Anne-Sophie Mutter’s new Dvorák disc, and New Zealand musicians Donald Maurice and Richard Mapp playing music of national identity, including Douglas Lilburn… Read more Audio

Dianne James looks at a recent release of the complete Brahms Symphonies, performed by the Gewandhaus Orchestra under Riccardo Chailly. Dianne was recently in Leipzig, and went to two concerts of… Read more Audio

In the second part of our Settling the Score special, David Morriss shares his favourite commercial recordings of the top five works this year as voted by you, our listeners. He gives us a sneak peek… Read more Audio

In a Settling the Score Live special, Robert Johnson - Music Librarian for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra - discusses his favourite commercial recordings of the top orchestral works in this… Read more Audio