Gramophone Magazine

Gramophone enriches your classical music experience and connects you with great recordings. Packed with features across all classical music genres, our globally acclaimed writers will inform and entertain you with independent and intelligent editorial and more than 150 reviews in every issue. Our reputation is founded on our acclaimed critical analyses of the latest CD releases, in-depth features and interviews with classical stars, and our comprehensive coverage of recorded and live music. Please Note: This price excludes VAT which will be added when you checkout.

GRAMOPHONE SOUNDS OF AMERICA • A special eight-page section focusing on recent recordings from the US and Canada

Stepping back to celebrate – and to remember

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS

Gramophone Magazine

GRAMOPHONE Editor's choice • Martin Cullingford’s pick of the finest recordings from this month’s reviews

FOR THE RECORD • Star-studded Carnival of the Animals on Decca

Two labels offer education resources

ONE TO WATCH • Samuel Hasselhorn Baritone

GRAMOPHONE Online • The magazine is just the beginning. Visit gramophone.co.uk for …

GRAMOPHONE GUIDE TO … Masque • One could be forgiven for misunderstanding quite what this genre is, says Lindsay Kemp

ARTISTS & their INSTRUMENTS • Eivind Ringstad on his 1768 ‘Vieuxtemps’ GB Guadagnini viola

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra • Our monthly series telling the story behind an orchestra

FROM WHERE I SIT • Edward Seckerson reflects on Janácek’s consummate judgement as a composer for the stage

Recordings are a lifeline • Editor-in-Chief James Jolly presents the Awards 2020 – a year like no other

RECORDING OF THE YEAR Orchestral Award Winner 2020 • ‘By choosing Weinberg’s Kaddish Symphony for her DG debut, Gražinyte-Tyla makes an unignorable statement about his place in 20th-century music’

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT • ‘He has too ready a sense of humour to be a saint, yet he has borne bodily affliction with grace’

ARTIST OF THE YEAR • ‘As worldwide events unfolded, Levit’s vision came into its own: his response to the pandemic confirmed his position as an artist who transcends his art’

ORCHESTRA OF THE YEAR • ‘Their case history suggests past greatness isn’t insurance for a stable future but does provide a foundation for renewal when the stars are favourably aligned’

YOUNG ARTIST OF THE YEAR • ‘Her voice struck me immediately, a big sound for a young singer, but it was her ability to control it, floating phrases with lyrical ease, which really impressed’

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT • ‘He champions new music as assiduously as he supports the classics, and places his faith in his artists by committing to a series of recordings, not just one or two’

THE BEETHOVEN 250 AWARD • ‘Coupling the first and last concertos brings out their contrasts and continuities. The sound throughout is a model of balance between piano and orchestra’

LABEL OF THE YEAR • ‘Alpha’s is a lovely catalogue: mercurial in the variety of its music and performers, but always bearing the personality of the person behind the decisions’

CONCEPT ALBUM OF THE YEAR • ‘Chaconnes are spread throughout the album – a psychedelic tapestry woven from threads of improvisation, jazz, rap, Shakespeare, Purcell, overtone singing …’

CHAMBER • ‘The Bartók’s portamentos and rubatos should come with a certificate rating’

CHORAL • ‘Tempos feel slower – every dissonance, every pause and cadence, makes its mark’

CONCERTO • ‘Grosvenor embodies a strong underlying pulse while doing away with barlines’

CONTEMPORARY • ‘The fact that the orchestra and the soloists all make such impact speaks volumes’

EARLY MUSIC • ‘There’s...