Classical Highlights for July 2025

Classical Highlights for July 2025


The key to a good recording is something that really engages the listener without the visual aspect of seeing a performance live or on film. This month there were many albums that stood out as something worth hearing, with music ranging from the medieval age to the 2020s.

Among the stage works that still come off as exciting in a strictly aural version are Bartók’s opera Bluebeard’s Castle conducted by Karina Canellakis and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe ballet conducted by Aziz Shokhakimov. Le Miroir de Musique (pictured) demonstrates the versatility of Binchois’ writing, while Barbara Hannigan and colleagues merge medieval chants with electronics. Sven Helbig has composed a powerful requiem addressing the optimism it takes to outlast the effects of war. And those are just some of the choices.

July Classical Reviews

Roberto Abbado, Münchner Rundfunkorchester – Brahms: Ungarische Tanze

Giovanni Antonini, Kammerorchester Basel – Haydn 2032, No. 17: Per il Luigi

Attacca Quartet – Ravel: String Quartet

Joseph Bastian – Amy Beach

Mariam Batsashvili – Influences

Ingar Bergby, Norwegian Radio Orchestra – Karsten Brustad: Ylg, hof, Udjat! – Concerts for soloists and orchestra

Arthur Bliss – Bliss: The Composer Conducts

Gábor Bretz, Rinat Shaham, Karina Canellakis, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra – Bartók: Duke Bluebeard’s Castle

Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra, Skip Sempé – Dowland: Lachrimae

Helen Charlston, Sounds Baroque – If the Fates Allow: Music by Purcell and His Contemporaries

Nicholas Collon, Christian Tetzlaff, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra – Sibelius: Symphony No. 5; Two Serenades; Two Serious Melodies; Swanwhite

Neal Davies, Ellie Laugharne, Derek Clark – Gilbert & Sullivan: Utopia, Limited, or The Flowers of Progress; Sullivan: King Arthur

Jarred Dunn, Anna Górecka – Górecki’s World of the Piano

Tobias Feldmann, WDR Sinfonieorchester, Reinhard Goebel – Mozart’s Journey to Paris

Nicholas Finch, Noulou Chamber Players – Cellostatus

Edward Gardner, Nicky Spence, London Philharmonic Orchestra – Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem; Winter Words; The Prince of the Pagodas

Edward Gardner, London Philharmonic Orchestra- Dvorák: Symphony No. 7; Schumann: Symphony No. 2

Edward Gardner, Malin Byström, Katarina Dalayman – Strauss: Salome

Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru – Church of Kidane Mehret

Tuija Hakkila – Kaija Saariaho: Touches – Complete Works for Piano and Harpsichord

Barbara Hannigan, Katia & Marielle Labèque, David Chalmin – Electric Fields

Anita Hartig, Kang Wang, Ivan Repušić- Puccini: Le Villi

Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Martin Helmchen – From Eastern Europe

Pablo Heras-Casado, Max Urlacher, Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir, Freiburger Barockorchester – Mendelssohn: Ein Sommernachtstraum

Angela Hewitt – Mozart: Piano Sonatas K457, K533, K545, K570 & K576

David Hill, Durham Cathedral Choir, Daniel Cook – Herbert Howells: Psalms and Psalm Preludes

Mayumi Hirasaki, Akademie für Alte Musik, Georg Kallweit – Corelli: Concerti grossi, Op. 6, 1-6

Neeme Järvi, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra – Wilhelm Furtwängler: Symphony No. 2

Jakob Bloch Jespersen, Sharon Prushansky- Franz Schubert: Winterreise

Pavel Kolesnikov, Samson Tsoy – Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps; Ravel: Ma mère l’Oye

Magdalena Kozená, Mitsuko Uchida – L’extase: Debussy & Messiaen

Denis Kozhukhin – Somnia

London Oratory Schola Cantorum, Charles Cole – Sacred Treasures of Rome

Magnificat – Orlandus Lassus: The Alchemist, Vol. 2

Roberta Mameli – The Ghosts of Hamlet: Lost Arias from Italian Baroque Operas

Adrian Mantu, Dermot Dunne – Cello, Accordion, Ireland

Sebastian Manz, Theo Plath, Felix Klieser – Beethoven & Kreutzer: Septets

Philip Mead, Zubin Kanga, Heather Roche, Carla Rees – Simon Emmerson: Sound Around – Both near and far at once

Anne Akiko Meyers, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel – Philip Glass: Violin Concerto

Le Miroir de Musique, Baptiste Romain – Gilles Binchois: Loyal Souvenir – Sacred Works, Chansons…

Neave Trio – La Mer: French Piano Trios

New College Choir, Oxford; Robert Quinney – William Mundy: Vox patris caelestis

Kazushi Ono, Brussels Philharmonic – Scriabin: Symphony No. 3 (“Le Divin Poème”)

Steven Osborne – Schubert: Moments Musicaux D780; Piano Sonata in A major D959

Daniel Ottensamer, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Stephan Koncz – Brahms/Koncz: Sonatas for Clarinet and Orchestra

La Palatine, Marie Théoleyre, Guillaume Haldenwang – Dolce concento: Les Italiens à Paris sous Louis XIV

René Pape, Dresdner Kreuzchor, Staatskapelle Dresden, Martin Lehmann – Sven Helbig: Requiem A

Fülöp Ránki – Liszt: Legends, Prayers, Poems, Waltzes

Dario Salvi, Janácek Philharmonic Ostrava – Auber: Overtures, Vol. 8

Alon Sariel, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens – Vienna Mandolin Stories

Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations – Symphonies oubliées: Schumann – Symphonie g-Moll “Zwickauer”; Bruckner – Symphonie d-Moll “Nullte”

Gernot Schmalfuss, Evergreen Symphony Orchestra – Franz Lachner: Symphony No. 4; Andante for Brass Ensemble

La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler – Crossing Borders

Aziz Shokhakimov, Choeur Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg – Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé

Nikolay Shugaev, Tyumen Philharmonic Orchestra, Yuri Medianik – Weinberg: Complete Music for Cello & Orchestra

Yevgeny Sudbin – Scriabin: Vers la flamme

Masaaki Suzuki, Miku Yasukawa, Jochen Kupfer – Johannes Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem

Carlo Tenan, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra – Bartók, Enescu, Kodály, Martinu

Ryo Terakado, Fabio Bonizzoni – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Sonatas for violin and harpsichord

Theatro, Brian Kay – Play, Music! Songs from Shakespeare’s Plays

Various Artists – Arvo Pärt: Silentium

Various Artists – Shostakovich Discoveries: World Premiere Recordings & Rarities

Carlo Vistoli, Hugh Cutting, William Christie, Les Arts Florissants – Nei giardini d’amore: Baroque arias for 2 alti

Kitty Whately, Edwige Herchenroder – Horizons: French Mélodies

John Wilson, Sinfonia of London – Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1; Symphonic Dances

Yale Schola Cantorum, David Hill – Judith Weir: In the Land of Uz; Amy Beach: The Canticle of the Sun



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