Classical: New releases

Schumann Lieder

Ian Bostridge, Julius Drake

(EMI)

These glittering accounts of Schumann's song cycles Liederkreis and Dichterliebe, from the rising young tenor star, Ian Bostridge, recently won the Gramophone Award for best solo vocal disc. Immaculately pitched and phrased, Bostridge has exactly the right plaintive tone to give these Romantic utterances the atmosphere they need. HHHHH

Britten Our Hunting Fathers

Britten Sinfonia, Bostridge, Harding

(EMI)

And Bostridge is again on great form on a nice new disc of music by the young Benjamin Britten (right). His reading of Our Hunting Fathers, to texts compiled by WH Auden, is dramatic and gripping. Coupled with folksong arrangements and the quirky Sinfonietta, this is another winning disc. HHHHH