Instrument: Speaker

A thrilling performance of Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time by members of the London Sinfonietta follows two rarely heard chamber works by Krzysztof Penderecki.

The Brodsky Quartet deliver deeply moving performances of all 15 Shostakovich string quartets, with added value and insight from writers Elizabeth Wilson and Marina Frolova-Walker. 

Marking the beginning of a new artistic direction, the Komische Oper's new production of Nono's Intolleranza 1960 proves a success, with director Marco Štorman's deep rethinking of the theatre stage.

Romeo Castellucci's intense production of Bartók's opera reaps its rewards in the performance under Teodor Currentzis, but Carl Orff's opera-oratorio De temporum fine comoedia feels little more than a drab filler. 

Kirill Petrenko launches the Berlin Philharmonic's “Golden Twenties” series with Kurt Weill's First Symphony and Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex.

Chineke! Orchestra returns to the Royal Festival Hall with a programme that explores the legacy of black composers, as well as marking Beethoven's 250th anniversary. 

Two rarely performed works are showcased by the Staatskapelle under Daniel Barenboim.