The best classical recordings of 2025: Ken Walton picks his highlights
Scotsman critic Ken Walton names his top five classical albums of the year
Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem (Chandos) It is likely down to the humanist leanings of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem that it remains so immediately and universally touching – its honest, optimistic warmth and beauty hit you immediately in this hugely moving recording by conductor Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra. The crimson lustre of the opening lower strings and expressive perfection of the chorus set a captivating tone for what is to follow: the affirmative drama of Denn alles Fleisch; the imploring solo baritone of Brian Mulligan in Herr, lehre doch mich, the fresh vibrant pastures of Wie lieblich sind, the idyllic Johanna Wallroth (soprano) in Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit, the revealing finality of Selig sind die Toten. Thrillingly radiant, uplifting and fully at ease with itself.
JS Bach: The Complete Violin Concertos, Vol 1 & 2 (ANALEKTA) It’s little surprise that this two-volume survey of Bach’s complete concerto works involving violin is so good. With violinist James Ehnes in the hot seat you get absolute perfection. The technique is effortlessly spot-on, the musicality issued with melting clarity and stylish nuance, Ehnes’s generous charisma gleaning a matching response from the musicians of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra. The two popular solo concertos – E major and A minor – are so joyous they would brighten up the darkest of days, but there’s a blissful surprise with Ehnes’ inclusion of the obscurer D minor and G minor concertos, better known in their later versions for solo harpsichord. The famous Double Concerto finds concertmaster Yosuke Kawasaki and Ehnes duelling with scintillating finesse, as do fellow contributors in other multi-instrumental showpieces.
Ligeti: Violin, Piano and Romanesc Concertos (Harmonia Mundi) When future generations look back on the 20th century, György Ligeti’s music will stand out as a monument to vision and originality. Here are two works that bolster such a claim: the 1988 Piano Concerto and the 1993 Violin Concerto. Where the Violin Concerto arises from a sea of warped tonality to reveal a mesmerising contest of blistering fire and haunting beauty, the Piano Concerto wastes no time in establishing a compulsive, mechanised momentum. Violinist Isabelle Faust and pianist Jean-Frédéric Neuburger respectively know exactly what they want to say, doing so with insight, clarity and rhythmic precision.
Helen Grime: Chamber Music (Delphian) In its sixth composer portrait for Delphian, the Hebrides Ensemble turns to Scots composer Helen Grime. The spotlight is on her chamber music, a panoply of works bearing an intimacy that is both engaging and thrilling. The opening work – Seven Pierrot Miniatures, commissioned in 2010 by Hebrides – is a masterclass in compositional clarity and concision, exploding with ruthless precision and scintillating freshness. Here, and beyond, the morphing Hebrides apply their characteristic virtuosity impeccably.
Walton: Cello Concerto | Symphony No 1 | Scapino (Chandos) John Wilson knows his strengths, and as an interpreter of English music he has swiftly built a formidable reputation. His focus is currently on William Walton, and in this latest album – one that feeds through the pugnacious rigour of the early First Symphony to the aching lustre of the later Cello Concerto – he hints at a narrative that is a progressive reflection of the man himself. Wilson’s Sinfonia of London are in terrific form, ripping into the Symphony with blistering grit and delivering a rip-roaring Finale.
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