Angela Hewitt's contribution to the great man's sestercentennial is predictably fine: Beethoven Variations, a programme of comparatively lesser-known works for solo piano, demonstrates all of this remarkable pianist's poise, wit and profound musical intelligence to perfection. October's Record of the Month is one of pure, civilized pleasure from start to finish. Much the same could be said of Johann Baptist Cramer Piano Concertos Nos 1, 3 & 6, a second Hyperion volume of works by a distinguished contemporary of Beethoven and the seventh in our Classical Piano Concerto series. Howard Shelley, directing the London Mozart Players from the keyboard, displays his usual immaculate pianism.

The radiant textures of Jaakko Mäntyjärvi's Choral Music exert a powerful and immediate appeal, the contemporary Finnish composer's musical language a distinctive fusion of ancient and modern. His extensive Evensong setting evolved with performances by Stephen Layton and Trinity College Choir Cambridge in mind and the results are outstanding, as only to be expected in recordings from this source. And with volume 10 of The Complete Songs of Johannes Brahms an important Hyperion series comes to an end. Mezzo-soprano Sophie Rennert joins Graham Johnson in a recital spanning four decades of Brahms's creative life, from his debut as a Lieder composer in 1853 to a selection of the German folksongs published in his final years.

For their own label The Hallé Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder have recorded Vaughan Williams Job & Songs of travel. This is a series which continues to win the highest praise, and this new release—featuring two of the mature composer's landmark pieces—deserves the widest audience. The eminent soloist is Neal Davies.

The London Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor François-Xavier Roth turn their attention to Debussy La mer & Ravel Rapsodie espagnole. Recorded live at the Barbican in 2018 and 2019, this luxurious new LSO Live album also includes Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune.

On Signum Classics this month we have the second album in a thrilling series from the Britten Sinfonia under the baton of Thomas Adès—Beethoven Symphonies 4-6 & Gerald Barry's Viola Concerto & The Conquest of Ireland—another startling pairing which in these hands just seems to make sense. The Calidore String Quartet has recorded works by Schumann, Shostakovich and Caroline Shaw. Entitled Babel, the album explores the power of music to enhance and even replace more 'normal' channels of human communication.

On their own label, The Choir of King's College Cambridge has recorded Bruckner Mass in E minor & motets. Accompanied by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in the glorious acoustic of their 'home' chapel, this final recording under the direction of Sir Stephen Cleobury comes highly recommended.

The festive season begins early on Signum Classics with a trio of choral albums to cheer the darkening evenings. Queen's College Choir Oxford has recorded A Ceremony of Carols, the programme enfolding Britten's perennial favourite with an inspiring sequence of works old and new; Be all merry is a further trademark confection from the multi-faceted University College Dublin Choral Scholars; while A winter's night introduces to the label Winchester College Chapel Choir in an ambitious programme of Christmas music for choir, brass quintet and organ.

Three turbulent symphonies (by J C Bach, Vanhal and, of course, Haydn) are interleaved with vocal flights of fancy (Gluck and Mysliveček) in a second volume of Sturm und Drang. This Signum Classics series from The Mozartists, director Ian Page and, here, mezzo Ida Ränzlöv continues to thrill.

A second Signum EP in their series The Library once again gives The King's Singers the opportunity to set down old favourites alongside new arrangements, here ranging from a Japanese lullaby to a new work by James MacMillan via, of course, The Beatles and Freddie Mercury …