Bach: Mass in B minor
Pygmalion, Rafaël Pichon, conductor
Brian McCreath
There’s a perennial debate when it comes to recordings of, well, anything, but especially of core works of classical music. Why revisit pieces that have been recorded countless times in the past? This new recording of one of Bach’s cornerstone works will, I believe, answer that question. Pichon and his French choral and instrumental ensemble have released a performance of this essential piece of music that adds immeasurably to the catalog of other available recordings. You won’t find radical interpretive takes, though many of Pichon’s choices are so fresh that they’ll delight your ear if you happen to know the piece and/or other recordings (and if you don’t, this is a fabulous entry point to Bach’s Mass!). This work is so substantial — in every way — that it’s hard to believe there are, for me, no weaknesses. All of it, through and through, rewards listening over and over again.
Song of the Birds
Avi Avital with Between Worlds
Katie Ladrigan
Mandolin superstar Avi Avital has long been a champion of bringing a folk instrument into the concert hall, and now takes the concert hall into a whole new world of folk music. What started as a concert series with his hand-picked ensemble Between Worlds soon became a multi-album project exploring the crossroads between classical and folk music, from three regions around the Mediterranean: Southern Italy, Iberia, and the Black Sea. From the excellence of Avi and his ensemble on their own, to the incredible master guest artists from each region, the album is a true journey into the idea of world music, and what it truly means to be a world musician in our modern age.
The whole album is excellent, but my favorite piece is the last one, which happens to be the title track, Song of the Birds. It's a new arrangement by David Bruce of the traditional Catalan Christmas carol, El cant dels ocells, featuring a whole flock of bird calls at the end, all played or created by Avi and the Between Worlds ensemble. They use the piece to end concerts on tour as well; have a listen with closed eyes, imagining yourself in a vast audience, holding their collective breath, as birds and nature win over the busyness and distractions of present day.
Biber: Complete Violin Sonatas — 1681
Bojan Čičić, The Illyria Consort
Kendall Todd
What is it about this recording that first grabbed me? If I’m being completely honest, it was probably the whimsical beaver illustration on the album cover (chosen, I assume, solely for its pronunciation proximity to “Biber”). But inside is a jewel box of crystalline and utterly charming performances that I can’t help returning to again and again. For Croatian violinist Bojan Čičić, Biber’s music is deeply personal; after discovering a recording of Biber sonatas from Andrew Manze and Romanesca in the 1990s, Čičić decided to embark on a career in early music, and with this recording he returns to his point of origin. The sonatas themselves are athletic and virtuosic, an absolute joy to listen to, and Čičić plays them with glorious clarity. It’s the kind of music, and the kind of recording, that makes you think, “Now this is what the violin was meant to do.”
Daniil Trifonov: Tchaikovsky
Daniil Trifonov
Greg Ferrisi
'Tis the Season for lots of Nutcracker, but it's refreshing to hear some of Tchaikovsky's lesser-known works on this album, especially at the hands of Daniil Trifonov.
There's life in the music as Trifonov plays through forgotten student work, a children's album and a fantastic Sleeping Beauty suite. If the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy isn't doing it for ya, try this collection.
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2
Chris Thile
Jamie Kmak
I adore Nickel Creek and have seen Punch Brothers a few times now, so I'm thoroughly convinced anything Chris Thile touches turns to gold. I knew he recorded classical pieces now and then (and played with Yo-Yo Ma a few times), but he's released so much great stuff over the years I can't keep track, and feel like I'm still catching up. I didn't know he had a new album coming out, nor did I know about the first. My reaction to seeing this Vol. 2 release in November was "Wait, there's a Vol. 1??" Lucky me, more to listen to!
Cerrone: Don’t Look Down
Conor Hanick, Sandbox Percussion, Elspeth Davis
William Peacock
I have been following composer Christopher Cerrone’s career since I first heard his piano work The Arching Path via a ScoreFollower video on YouTube several years ago, which singlehandedly expanded my perception of the expressive capabilities of the piano. Cerrone blew my mind once more with Don’t Look Down, not only expanding my perception of the expressive capabilities of the piano again with various extended techniques combined with traditional playing to create a compelling and intricate sound world, but of the expressive capabilities of the percussion section and the various found objects which round it out, including a highly expressive bike pump among other things. This album is a feast for the ears, recalling aspects of pop and ambient music while standing staunchly on its own two feet as a polished gem in the musical lineage of contemporary classical percussion chamber works.
The Golden Renaissance: Palestrina
Stile Antico
Kathy Wittman
I discovered this newest recording from Stile Antico when prepping to film their concert at Boston Early Music Festival in November. I'm pretty sure the first time I heard this group, I understood what a "choir of angels" sounds like. The way they breathe and blend together is magic every time, and hearing them singing works by the master of their namesake style... It's no wonder that it keeps putting me in a trance.
2025 has offered us a true banquet of new classical recordings to enjoy, and this list is only a small sampling of this year's riches. Hear selected tracks from each of these recordings in this YouTube playlist, and check out our monthly roundup of favorite tunes, classical and otherwise, in our Instant Replay!
Check out last year's roundup of excellent classical recordings:
