Hallé/Wong review – a thrilling and radiant Mahler 2 sees the orchestra at the height of its powers

Bridgewater Hall, ManchesterNew principal conductor Kahchun Wong held the balance between restraint and muscle and, with soloists Sarah Connolly and Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, made this ‘Resurrection’ unforgettable

Rufus Wainwright: Dream Requiem album review – a sense of special occasion, all concerned believe in it

Hollywood royalty in the shape of Meryl Streep, and the soaring soprano of Anna Prohaska lend authenticity to Wainwright’s expressive eulogy to human loss

Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra/Dudamel review – epic Mahler is exhilarating but overwhelming

Gustavo Dudamel drove the massed ranks of the Venezuelan orchestra with ferocious energy, but it was all too much too soon

Debussy: String Quartet & Sonatas album review – the Nash bring warmth and understanding

The Ensemble mark their 60th anniversary with an outstanding recording of Debussy’s late sonatas

Jenůfa review – this opera is in Hrůša’s DNA, his account is not to be missed

The Royal Opera’s incoming music director conducts a performance of rare intensity and authority, with Corrine Winters and Karita Mattila compelling in the two central roles

The Fourth Choir review – James Joyce’s The Dead is brought vividly to life

The exceptionally polished LGBTQ+ chamber choir teamed with Niamh Cusack for a beautifully paced production of Joyce’s short story

Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra at 50: is it time for brickbats or bouquets?

As the feted musicians arrive in London for sold-out concerts, we look at El Sistema, the education system that spawned the world-conquering orchestra, and why some are calling for its boycott

The Indian Queen review – musical wit, fratricide and crested adders as the Sixteen play Purcell

Rollicking orchestral hornpipes and vigorous trumpet tunes accompany a sterling vocal cast for Purcell’s final – and unfinished – semi-opera

Leif Ove Andsnes review – an insightful champion returns Tveitt to the Wigmore stage

Geirr Tviett’s Ether Sonata – one of the Norwegian composer’s few surviving works – is a rich and characterful piece, part of a recital that also included Grieg and Chopin

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/Appl Messiah review – Benjamin Appl makes solid, if sparse conducting debut

The baritone received a warm welcome for his first outing with the baton, with his four soloists adding pizzazz and tension to a reading that at times lacked dynamism

At home with Simon Rattle: ‘There are still things I feel are beyond me’

The world-famous conductor, 70 this week, on family life in Berlin, why music keeps you young and the bleak outlook for the arts in Britain

Scarlatti: Daniele album review – unearthed oratorio takes listener into the lion’s den

Armonico Consort continues to rehabilitate the reputation of overlooked Scarlatti family member Francesco in this uneven but dramatic choral piece

Tippett: Piano Concerto; Symphony No 2 album review – the energy of the music is irrepressible

Edward Gardner conducts first-rate performances of two rarely recorded works, bringing Tippett’s musical language into sharp focus

‘He jolted us out of our comfort zone’: Antonio Pappano, Martyn Brabbins and more on Pierre Boulez

Ahead of his centenary celebrations, composers, conductors and performers explain why the French iconoclast’s music is simply spellbinding

National Youth Orchestra Illuminate review – Jaime Martín coaxes characterful performances

The young players delivered atmospheric Ravel, edge-of-seat Nielsen and powerful Thorvaldsdottir with full force