An auspicious debut recording from the Amsterdam Piano Trio—pianist Andrey Gugnin, violinist Anna Lipkind-Mazor and cellist Dmitry Prokofiev—pairs two giants of the late nineteenth-century chamber repertoire: Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio of 1882 and Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht, the latter heard here in the arrangement for piano trio by Schoenberg specialist Henk Guittart. It is fascinating to listen as these vibrant performers draw a line of musical continuity between the great Russian Romantic and the pioneering Viennese modernist: we’ve made it our Record of the Month.

Our beloved Romantic Piano Concerto series has come to an end—235 works for piano and orchestra later, and with a sheaf of awards to its name. Now we’re collecting all 87 of the original volumes, plus a bonus handful of additional albums which fully round out this remarkable compendium, into two fifty-CD sets. The first box, The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto Edition – 1991-2007, presents the first 43 volumes from the original series, plus concertos by Rachmaninov, Scriabin and others which were recorded over the same period: an unbeatable treasure trove of pianistic marvels.

Exemplifying the finest traditions of the French Piano School, Pascal Rogé has returned once more to the studios of Decca Classics to record the complete Fauré Barcarolles, thirteen of this composer’s most beguiling works and crafted between 1882 and 1921. Rogé caps out these new recordings with the ever-popular suite Dolly, Elena Font providing the additional hands.

Signum Classics brings a new name to the fore with The Backyard of the Village & other orchestral works by Xiaogang Ye. Born in 1955, this versatile composer writes music of spacious appeal, subtle hints of Chinese musical tradition only widening a palette of fresh colour. The music is admirably served by Dane Lam at the helm of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Rodolfus Choir has turned to the music of a favourite contemporary British composer to record A tree is a song & other secular choral works by Cecilia McDowall. Here is a voice whose knowledge of the written word and resourcefulness when it comes to choosing just the right text to set is always apparent. The album comes to us from Signum Classics, and with such enthusiasm and musicianship as these young singers display, these first recordings are sure to win new friends. Ralph Allwood and Elinor Cooper share conducting duties.

Isata Kanneh-Mason has recorded Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 3 & works for solo piano, orchestral backing for the ebullient concerto coming from the Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Ryan Bancroft. Solo piano works make up the balance of this new album from Decca Classics: the mighty Toccata in D minor, Piano Sonata No 3, and a selection of the composer’s own ballet suite arrangements.

Idith Meshulam Korman has recorded The complete keyboard works of Marianne Martínez (or Marianna Martines—different spellings abound), the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey joining for the four concertos. This is music very much in the vein of Mozart (the two were close confidants) from a composer held in the highest contemporary regard. Also on Signum Classics, Richard Boothby presents a further instalment of Music to hear – Music for lyra viol by Alfonso Ferrabosco—a generous helping of galliards, corantos and the like, some with the additional viol of Sam Stadlen.

Finding light is a new album from conductor Irene Messoloras and her hand-picked choir Meridian. Their programme on Signum Classics focuses on those choral works—predominantly modern ones—which have that quality of meditative stillness which many today find so lacking in the world.

Paul Watkins and Alessio Bax—a pairing to be envied if ever there was one—have recorded the Beethoven Cello Sonatas, five seminal works which span much of their composer’s creative life. Watkins performs on a cello made by Montagnana and Goffriller circa 1730, and this new Signum Classics album comes with a detailed note on the sonatas from Misha Donat.