The Critic's Chair

We feature a new recording of Prokofiev's third and seventh symphonies. Robert Johnson talks to Hannah Sassman about this recording by the Bournemouth Symphony - conductor Kirill Karabits wins extra… Read more Audio

Peter Mechen reviews this recent recording on the Atoll label. It features orchestral music by New Zealand composer Leonie Holmes, and is played by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra under Marc… Read more Audio

Robert Johnson reviews a recent release of Prokofiev works for violin and piano. Alina Ibragimova and Steven Osborne play Prokofiev's two Violin Sonatas - written for David Oistrakh - and his Five… Read more Audio

Robert Johnson reviews a recent release of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, live from the Lucerne Festival 2013. It's the final recording of the late Claudio Abbado, who passed away in January of this year… Read more Audio

Nick Tipping introduces Hannah Sassman to a brand-new recording by the Melbourne-based jazz group The End. Night and Day takes the listener on a journey through a day, with each track describing a… Read more Audio

Indra Hughes introduces a brand-new release by organist Robert Costin, just in time for Organ Week 2014. This recording, on Stone Records, features JS Bach's six Trio Sonatas for Organ BWV 525-530… Read more Audio

Peter Mechen sits in our Critic's Chair, and talks to Hannah Sassman about a recent release on the Rattle label called Landscape Preludes. It features twelve compositions by New Zealand composers… Read more Audio

Nick Tipping talks to Hannah Sassman about a recent release on the Rattle label called Um... It's the latest album from Adelaide-based group yeahyeahabsolutelynoway, with two guitars and drums. Read more Audio

Nick Tipping talks to Hannah Sassman about a recent release on the Rattle label, The Cut. It's the debut album by local trumpet player Lex French - he recorded it in Montreal last year. Read more Audio

Robert Johnson reviews a recent release of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius and Symphony No 1. The conductor on the disc, Edo de Waart, is in New Zealand this week with the New Zealand Symphony… Read more Audio

Robert Johnson reviews a recent release of orchestral music by Swedish composer Lars-Erik Larssen. Popular in Sweden, Robert tells our producer Hannah Sassman why Larssen's music is worthy of exposure… Read more Audio

This week Erica Challis reviews Mendelssohn in Birmingham, a new release by the City of Birmingham Symphony. She then features the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra live at the BBC Proms, and Israeli… Read more Audio