Donald Venezia, our friend the classical CD reviewer, has sent along this list of suggestions for Holiday gift giving. It’s taken from BBC Music Magazine and represents the best-reviewed CDs of the past few months.

There’s music here from just about every period, style and national music tradition. You can order these titles through our friends at ArkivMusic – http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/main.jsp.

Bach Harpsichord Concerti BWV 1057/1058/1052/1055, Halls, Retrospect Ensemble Linn CKD 410
    *Recording of the Month

Beethoven Piano Concertos 1 and 3, Andsnes, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, SONY 88725420582

James MacMillan Deep but Dazzling Darkness/Meditation on Iona/Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, MacMillan, Netherlands Radio Chamber Phil, Challenge Classics CC72540

Montsalvatge Partita 1958/Cinco canciones negras/Sinfonia de requiem/more, Mena, BBC Phil, Chandos CHAN 10735

Mozart Piano Concerti 9 and 21, Uchida, Cleveland Orchestra, Decca 478 3539

Prokofiev Symphonies 5 and 6, Oramo, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ondine ODE 1181-2 (Symphony 6 being outstanding)

Weinberg Symphony No 20/Cello Concerto, Gunnarsson, Svedlund, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Chandos CHSA 5107

Homage to Glenn Gould: Works by Silvestrov/Pelecis/Raskatov/Wustin/Vine/more, Kremer, Kremerata Baltica, Nonesuch 528982

Shostakovich Violin Concerto 1/Cello Concerto 1, Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Mravinsky, Regis RRC1385

Shostakovich Symphonies 1 and 5, Haitink, London Phil (1), Concertgebouw (5), Decca 478 4214

Simone Kermes: Dramma, arias by Handel/Porpora/Majo/Works by Leo/Hasse/Pergolesi,

Kermes, Longo, La Magnifica Comunita, Sony Classics 88691963952

Mozart La finta giardiniera Karthauser/Ovenden/Penda/Chappuis/others, Jacobs, Freiburger Barockorchester, Harmonia Mundi HMC 902126.28

Mozart Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail Schaefer/Petitbon/Bostridge/others, Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Erato 2564 65988-4

Richafort Missa pro defunctis/Des Prez Requiem aeternam/Miserere mei/more, Cinquecento, Hyperion CDA 67959

Bach Cantatas BWV 195/192/157/120a, Blazikova, Guillon, Suzuki, Bach Collegium, BIS 1961

Handel Song for St. Cecilia’s Day/Look Down, Harmonious Saint/Concerto Grosso Op 6, No 7, Bevan, Lyon, Neville-Towle, Ludus Baroque, Delphian DCD34110

Conductus: Music and Poetry from 13th Century France, Potter, O’Gorman, Covey-Crump, Hyperion CDA 67949

Haec Dies Works by Vaughan Williams, Holst, Tallis, Byrd, Britten, Webber, Choir of Gonville & Calus College, Cambridge, Delphian 34104

Most Grand to Die Music of Butterworth/Gurney/Vaughan Williams, Rutherford, Asti, BIS 1610

Lieux Retrouves Music of Liszt/Faure/janacek/Ades/Kurtag/Mara, Isserlis, Ades, Hyperion CDA 67948

Goebbels Stifters Dinge, Goebbels, Machnik, Grunberg, ECM 2216 476 4193
Rameau Symphonies a deux clavecins, Hantai, Sempe, Mirare 164

Haydn String Quartet in D, Op 76/5/Fortner String Quartet No 4/Ravel String Quartet, Melos Quartet, Hanssler CD 93.716

Brasileiro Music of Villa–Lobos/Fernandez/Mignone/Oswald/Levy/Neto/Guarnieri/Santoro, Freire, Decca 478 3533

Bach Well Tempered Clavier Books 1 and 2, Schiff, ECM 476 4827

Beethoven Piano Sonatas Vol 2 (Sonatas 15-25/28), Guy, Zig Zag ZZT 304

Debussy Children’s Corner/Suite bergamasque/Danse/Deux arabesques/Pour le piano/more, Hewitt, Hyperion CDA 67898

Prokofiev The War Sonatas (Piano Sonatas No 6/No 7/No 8), Giltburg, Orchid Classics ORC 100023

Rachmaninov Etudes tableaux Op 33/Etudes tableaux Op 39, Ashkenazy, Australian Eloquence 480 3606

Kabalevsky Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra, Korstik, Francis, NDR Radiophilharmonie, CPO 777 658-2

Sibelius Choral Works, Groop, Hynninen, Murto, Dominante Choir, BIS SACD 1889