Sergei Lyapunov has always been a shadowy figure, his derivative yet distinctive voice drowned by his more celebrated compatriots and even by his contemporaries Taneyev, Liadov and Arensky. Yet hearing the First Symphony in a performance of this calibre you're reminded of the way Lyapunov's melodic appeal is complemented by brilliant craftsmanship.

This is the third volume in Chandos’ ongoing series of Shostakovich film music, which has been receiving a great deal of attention on disc. All of this music has appeared in competing versions, some of them just as good as this, but none actually superior in any meaningful way. The playing is uniformly committed and atmospheric (great ghost music in Hamlet), and the frequent military bits come off excitingly without becoming obnoxiously strident.

The main item in this second volume of Shostakovich film music on Chandos is the popular Suite from The Gadfly, whose “Romance” became an instant hit as the theme from the British TV series Reilly: Ace of Spies (it was well known in Russia long before). This newcomer is certainly exciting and full of contrast and color, with a very dreamy “Romance” and a much brasher treatment of such extravert segments as the “Folk Festival” than we hear on Chailly’s suavely polished Decca recording (to cite the most noteworthy among the competition). The result is arguably more “Russian” in feel, though I wouldn’t give up the playing of the Concertgebouw for any amount of money.

This extremely well played and vividly recorded disc offers an excellent overview of Shostakovich’s work as a film composer. More importantly, it relates his output in this much-maligned genre to his work in more “serious” music more clearly than does any other similarly focused collection. As such, it should be heard whole, for the total impression then becomes very much more than the sum of its parts, revealing how a great composer manages to write music that serves its admittedly utilitarian purpose while also remaining (mostly) true to himself.

Vassily Sinaisky is on home territory here, and brings plenty of fizz to the old war-horse [Capriccio Espagnol]. Overtures to the Maid of Pskov and the Tsar’s Bride are here with the Fairy Tale Legend, The Sinfonitetta on Russian Themes and a short skirmish with Finiculi-Finicula. Rimsky always writes (or borrows) a good tune, and is a colourful orchestrator, and, with the first-class Chandos sound, the music gives much greater pleasure than might be expected.

The Fourth Symphony has acquired a rather special status in the last few decades. It is Shostakovich’s first really mature symphony (a distinction which used to be conferred on the Fifth), and though Shostakovich had not quite finished it when he was viciously attacked in the pages of Pravda, the general consensus has been that it represented the composer’s genuine artistic aims, unsullied by the pressures of official interference.

This is a fabulous disc: succulently beautiful music in strong, compelling performances, recorded in deep and detailed sound… Only the warmest of recommendations will do.

The Enchanted Lake and Kikimora are wonderfully atmospheric, and the performances by Vassily Sinaisky and the BBC Philharmonic are pure magic The performances are matched by recording of equal richness and luminosity.

After rubbing your eyes and maybe even hitting your forehead with the palm of your hand a few times to convince yourself that, yes indeed, in fact a young pianist has chosen to make his concerto recording debut with the Tchaikovsky and Grieg concertos, go ahead and have a listen. Denis Kozhukhin, who took first prize at the 2010 Queen Elisabeth, here partners with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra under Vassily Sinaisky. Out of repertory that has been celebrated, picked over and just about played to death over the course of almost a century and a half, they create magic.

'There is plenty to delight ear here, in the delicate dances and variations of the Suite No. 3, in the dramatic vigour of the introduction to the opera Nal and Damayanti, and in the charming little Intermezzo.' (The Telegraph)

The choreographer, Yuri Grigorovich presents a new version of one of his most famous choreography for a breath taking experience in splendid sets designed by Ezio Frigerio and more than 400 new costumes designed by Franca Squarciapino. The american superstar dancer David Hallberg is Prince Désiré. Hallberg is the first main american soloist ever to be hired by the Bolshoi Ballet. Princess Aurora is danced by the principal Svetlana Zakharova, well known by Parisian audience thanks to her many performances at the Palais Garnier. She is also the soloist of the best seller “Pharaoh’s daughter ” DVD released by Bel Air Classiques in 2004. They are joined by a great cast : Maria Allash (Lilac Fairy) , Artem Ovcharenko (Bluebird) and Nina Kaptsova (Princess Florine).