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Top 10 for Dec

Great works are gifts that keep on giving - Sheku Kanneh-Mason: Elgar with LSO, Rattle / The New York Times

New accounts of standard works, even those covered by dozens of classic recordings, can still enliven classical music. The standard repertory in classical music is often standard for good reason: Great works are gifts that keep on giving with repeated hearings. But what about repeated recordings? Some recent recordings of standard fare that merit attention and add to our understanding of the classics is Sheku Kanneh-Mason's new Elgar recording with the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Simon Rattle.

Mr. Kanneh-Mason, a fast-rising cellist who recently made an auspicious New York debut at Weill Recital Hall, joins the veteran Mr. Rattle in a youthful yet searching and intensely expressive account of Elgar's challenging concerto, due for release later this month. The performance brings impressive urgency and sweep to the episodic final movement. Mr. Kanneh-Mason fills out the album with shorter works, including a couple of novelties. But his main statement comes through an undaunted performance of a staple that remains a summit for aspiring cellists.