Our Choices The BBC Music Magazine team’s current favourites

Charlotte Smith Editor

Summer festival season can sometimes seem like an embarrassment of riches, but attending a Glyndebourne production and standout BBC Prom over a single weekend was nothing short of sensational. First up was Donizetti’s Don Pasquale showcasing soprano Erin Morley’s brilliant tone and commanding stage presence. The next day was Marin Alsop and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra in Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with Benjamin Grosvenor – whose delicate Ravel Jeux d’eau encore was utterly magical.

Jeremy Pound Deputy editor

Part of my stay in Boulder (see p.66) involved watching Peter Oundjian guide four talented students through Debussy’s String Quartet, an experience that prompted me to return to a recording I’ve not listened to in a while. Coupled with quartets by Ravel and Fauré, the Debussy is the work with which the Ébène Quartet made their mark back in 2009, winning our Newcomer Award. Delicate and dramatic, it’s also supremely elegant.

Michael Beek Reviews editor

I was delighted to stumble across a recent gala concert stream to celebrate the re-opening of the Sydney Opera House on Youtube. The hall has undergone a massive internal renovation to improve the facilities and acoustic. The Sydney

Symphony Orchestra, which just turned 90, gave a rousing performance of Mahler’s Second under chief conductor Simone Young.

Rebecca Franks Freelance contributor Sometimes an instrument needs a champion to bring it into the light, and Carolina Eyck (left) is doing sterling work with the theremin. Watching her play is like witnessing a magic trick, as the sound is conjured from the interaction of the hands with invisible electromagnetic forces. It was fascinating to hear Eyck playing Kalevi Aho’s Eight Seasons at the BBC Proms this summer.

Alice Pearson Cover CD editor

Some muzak playing in a shop reminded me of Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances and I simply had to reacquaint myself with this work. I love the blend of the old Russian style and his perspective from the US: the addition of the alto saxophone, rare in Russian music of that time, is masterful.