Record Review Podcast

Berta Joncus with a personal recommendation from the many recordings of Mozart’s opera Singspiel 'Die Entführung aus dem Serail', the work that prompted the infamous (and now contested) complaint that there were “too many notes”!

Stephen Johnson recommends a version from the available recordings of Shostakovich's powerful 10th Symphony

Andrew talks to conductor Vasily Petrenko about completing his cycle of Shostakovich's symphonies for record label Naxos, and his other recent recordings of Russian repertoire.

Ivan Hewett with a personal recommendation from recordings of Brahms's piano quartet in G minor, Op.25

David Owen Norris compares recordings of Holst's The Planets and makes a personal recommendation

In an interview originally broadcast in April 2014 Andrew talks to soprano Emma Kirkby and violinist Catherine Mackintosh about the recording they made of Handel's oratorio Messiah with conductor Christopher Hogwood back in 1980. This iconic recording changed the way we hear this staple of choral societies up and down the land; and the cast of musicians now reads like a Who's Who from the world of Historically Informed Performance Practice.

Anna Picard recommends a version from the available recordings of Handel's opera Orlando

Andrew talks to the conductor Kristjan Järvi about the reinvention of core repertoire, the juxtaposing influences in his formative years, and his new collaborative projects

Each week Andrew recommends recordings of music by a Proms composer whose music deserves to be heard more often. The music of this week's Proms Composer, Harrison Birtwistle, is as uncompromising as the man himself. 80 years old this year, he has written widely in many genres, and is an icon of contemporary music in the UK and

Andrew talks to American conductor Andrew Litton about recording Prokofiev and Wagner in Bergen, as well as a recent labour of love involving his hero, jazz pianist Oscar Peterson

Andrew talks to Simon Heighes about a box set of operas by Gluck from Decca. In his anniversary year, Gluck is being reassessed and we are finding out that he was more than just the instigator of operatic reforms and the composer of Orfeo ed Euridice and the 2 Iphegenia operas. His career was in fact multi-faceted and, coming between Handel and Mozart, his style is a tantalising mix of late Baroque and early Classical.

Andrew talks to soprano Jessye Norman about her new memoir, the extraordinary recording career, memories of finding herself working in a divided Berlin having grown up in the segregated American south, a bizarre encounter during a song recital, the joy of performing Tippett's A Child of our Time with its innovative use of spirituals and her deeply held conviction that the arts are an essential part of life which touch the depths of the human spirit.

Each week Andrew recommends recordings of music by a Proms composer. This week's Proms Composer, is the American John Adams who is strongly influenced by minimalism. Known equally for his orchestral works such as Short Ride in a Fast Machine, chamber music such as Shaker Loops, vocal music like The Wound-Dresser and his operas which include Nixon in China, The Death of Klinghoffer and Doctor Atomic.

Each week Andrew recommends recordings of music by a Proms composer whose music deserves to be heard more often. This week's Proms Composer, Zoltán Kodály, was a Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist. In the early 1900s he visited remote villages to notate the folk music of Hungary and the Hungarian-inhabited areas of Slovakia and Romania. Kodaly and his friend Bela Bartok recorded the songs on phonograph cylinders. His work is an attractive mixture of late-romantic, impressionistic and modernist musical styles inflected with folk idioms. His most famous pieces include the Háry János Overture, Dances of Marosszék, Dances of Galánta and Psalmus Hungaricus.

Andrew talks to Rob Cowan about the recently-released collection of RCA's 'Living Stereo' recordings, celebrating a golden age in the American label's history.

Each week Andrew recommends recordings of music by a Proms composer whose music deserves to be heard more often. The music of this week's Proms Composer, Jon Leifs, is infused with the rugged, primal beauty of his native Iceland.

Each week Andrew recommends recordings of music by a Proms composer whose music deserves to be heard more often. This week's Proms Composer, William Alwyn, was a flautist with the LSO and wrote no fewer than five symphonies along with operas, songs and chamber music but he’s perhaps best remembered as the composer of over 200 film scores.

Sir Neville Marriner reflects on half-a-century of recording history with the ensemble he founded in the late 50s, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

Caroline Gill joins Andrew live to discuss a 50-CD box set dedicated to L’Oiseau-Lyre’s founding commitment – the music of the Baroque. It contains a range of acclaimed, pioneering recordings that span a fascinating range of repertoire and performing styles.

Each week during the BBC Proms Andrew recommends recordings of music by a composer featured at the festival whose music deserves to be heard more often. Alfredo Casella was an Italian composer influenced by time spent in Paris in the 1910s. Along with a large compositional output, some of which boasts fantastically original scorings, he was a busy teacher, concert organiser and promoter of new music.

Each week Andrew recommends recordings of music by a Proms composer whose music deserves to be heard more often. This week's Proms Composer, Sally Beamish, is an individual voice who draws both on her Scottish heritage and her background as a distinguished chamber musician.

A session report from Istanbul. Andrew talks to the conductor and players from The Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra as they record Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. Their Austrian conductor, Sascha Goetzel, explains their vision of being a bridge between the people of Turkey and the European tradition in classical music.

Andrew talks to Kristian Bezuidenhout about his cycle of Mozart keyboard works and the joys (and challenges) of playing fortepianos.

Each week during the Proms Andrew recommends recordings of music by a Proms composer whose music deserves to be heard more often. This week's Proms Composer, E.J.Moeran, was heavily influenced by English folk song and wrote in a very lyrical, accessible style recognisably his own.

Martin Cotton with a personal recommendation from recordings of Wagner's intimate musical birthday gift for his wife, Cosima

Simon Heighes compares recordings of Gluck's great reform opera on both CD and DVD and makes a personal recommendation

William Mival compares recordings of Ravel's La Valse and makes a personal recommendation

Helen Wallace with a personal recommendation from recordings of Elgar's autumnal Cello Concerto

Nicholas Kenyon compares recordings on both harpsichord and piano of Rameau's volumes of harpsichord music and makes a personal recommendation

Richard Osborne considers the available recordings of Strauss's opera Der Rosenkavalier and recommends his favourite version

Kenneth Hamilton considers the available versions of Schumann's Kreisleriana and recommends his favourite recording.

Rob Cowan joins Andrew McGregor in the studio to make a recommendation from the available recordings of Beethoven's 2nd Symphony

Nicholas Baragwanath makes a recommendation from the available recordings of Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death

Sarah Lenton with a personal recommendation from the many DVD versions of Mozart's serious comedy, the opera The Marriage of Figaro

Chris De Souza recommends a version from the available recordings of Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto.

Misha Donat recommends a version from the available recordings of Haydn's Symphony No.101 "The Clock"

David Fanning recommends a version from the available recordings of Nielsen's 2nd Symphony.

Robert Philip with a personal recommendation from nearly 80 years of recordings of Schubert's first set of Impromptus for piano, D899

Caroline Gill with a personal recommendation from recordings of Vivaldi's intensely personal Stabat mater

Mark Lowther compares recordings, and the various versions, of Copland's 'Ballet for Martha' Appalachian Spring and makes a personal recommendation

Jeremy Summerly with a recommendation from the available recordings of Mozart's Coronation mass

David Vickers compares recordings of Handel's Op.6 concerti grossi and makes a personal recommendation

Edwards Seckerson with a personal recommendation from recordings of West Side Story, the musical which launched Stephen Sondheim's career and made Leonard Bernstein a household name

John Deathridge with a personal recommendation from the available recordings of Beethoven's 7th Symphony

Nicholas Kenyon with a personal recommendation from recordings of Haydn's Symphony no 44, the so-called 'Mourning' Symphony

This week, Anna Picard is our guide through the rich and varied collection of songs by Henry Purcell

Jonathan Swain recommends a recording from the available versions of Vaughan William's 9th Symphony

David Owen Norris compares recordings of this evergreen work and makes a personal recommendation

Stephen Walsh makes a personal recommendation from the available recordings of Debussy's 2 books of Images for piano

Tess Knighton with a personal recommendation from recordings of Monteverdi's opera L'incoronazione di Poppea