Rossini: Songs - Soloists, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Malcolm Martineau (piano)

Only the stoniest-hearted could fail to be delighted by Rossini’s provocatively labelled Péchés de vieillesse

Peter Maxwell Davies: Taverner - BBC Symphony Orchestra, Fretwork, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, London Voices, New London Chamber Choir, cond Oliver Knussen

The score that seemed so challenging, dissonant and problematic is realised here with much smoothness and vigour

Schubert: Moments musicaux, D780; Allegretto in C minor, D915; Impromptus, D899 David Fray (piano)

These are wonderful performances by David Fray, a player with a beautiful touch and the finest control of chording

Mascagni: L’amico Fritz - Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu, Chorus & Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper, Berlin, cond Alberto Veronesi

It is unfortunate that they sound superannuated beside Pavarotti and Freni on the classic EMI set - made in 1968

Schumann: Liederkreis, Op 39; Maria-Stuart-Lieder, Op 135 et al Bernarda Fink (mezzo), Anthony Spiri (piano)

Fink is at her most artless in these lovely songs, her limpid mezzo exploiting all the colours at her disposal

Various: Songs That Won the War

This selection of vintage songs harks back to a slightly less knowing era where Bing Crosby and Vera Lynn set the tone

Mulatu Astatke: New York-Addis-London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975

One album destined to find its way onto the end-of-year Top 10s is Mulatu Astatke's encounter with the Heliocentrics

Robbie Williams: Reality Killed the Video Star

Mocked by some for his bizzare X Factor antics, hailed by others as back to his best, Robbie returns as neurotic as ever

Duck Baker: The Ducks Palace

Best known in jazz circles, Duck Baker is an adept improviser, and collaborates here with players that test his limits

Adrian Crowley: Season of the Sparks

Crowley follows Long Distance Swimmer with a release that is even more low-key and haunting than that wonderful album

Various: Introducing Townes Van Zandt via the Great Unknown

The country singer Townes Van Zandt’s muse deserted him in the 1970s, leading to decades of drinking and depression

Brett Anderson: Slow Attack

I couldn’t have been more wrong. Brett Anderson’s last solo LP was so dire, I concluded he should give up soft sounds

Biffy Clyro: Only Revolutions

Biffy Clyro have steadily built a following and developed a highly listenable variant on the Foo Fighters sound

Shirley Bassey: The Performance

Following her imperious domination of the Electric Proms, the dame delivers her first full studio album in 20 years

Shirley Bassey: The Performance

Following her imperious domination of the Electric Proms, the dame delivers her first full studio album in 20 years

Rod Stewart: Soulbook

Soulbook is apparently the album Stewart has waited a "lifetime" to record - he should still be waiting it's so poor

JLS: JLS

They may have made Beat Again a hit, but it’s hard to imagine any of these Nokia R&B jingles following suit

Takacs Quartet: Schumann

The verve of the Takacs Quartet is irresistible, especially when the players are partnered by Marc-Andre Hamelin

Martha Wainwright: Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, à Paris

Hearing these songs by Edith Piaf rendered so empathetically in a contemporary theatre setting is revelatory

Jamie Cullum: The Pursuit

On his best album yet Callum finally sorts out a neat way of mixing his jazz licks with modern pop