Classical Editor: Rob Barnett             Music Webmaster Len Mullenger: Len@musicweb-international.com


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ALPHABETICAL LISTING

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 9 Great (1825-8) [45.47] WAGNER Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1868) [9.03] MENDELSSOHN Hebrides Overture (1830) [8.51] BBCSO/Boult rec Studio 1, Abbey Rd, London 17 Dec 1934; 6 Apr 1933; 20 Oct 1933 Mono BEULAH 3PD12 [63.41] [RB]

Boult and HIS orchestra at their high summer. At the time Philadelphia and Berlin must have looked on in insecure wonder.

SCHUBERT Schwanengesang/4 LiederDietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)/ Gerald Moore (piano) Recorded 1951/52/55/58 EMI Great recordings of the Century CDM5 67558 2 0  [65.06] [CF]

It is indeed a great recording of the last century.

Erwin SCHULHOFF (1894 - 1942) Five Pieces for String Quartet Antonín DVORÁK String Quartet No.14, op. 105 György KURTÁG 12 Microludes op. 13 Hagen Quartett Deutsche Grammophon 469 066-2 [56:49] [SF]
Erwin SCHULHOFF String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2, Five Pieces for String Quartet ,Sextet Schönberg Quartett Koch Schwann 3-1233-2 [69:39] [SF]
Erwin SCHULHOFF String Quartets Nos. 0, 1 & 2 Five Pieces for String Quartet Kocian Quartet
Supraphon 11 2166-2 131 [80:02] [SF]

If you want just one example of Schulhoff's chamber music the Koch/Schönberg disc is the one to go for. But don't feel that the Kocian's slightly less dramatic view of the music should prevent you investigating the Supraphon disc. If you want a version of Dvorák's op.105, the Hagens are the quartet of choice and the fine Schulhoff coupling is an undoubted bonus.

SCHUMANN Fantasie in C, op.17 Sonata no.2 in g, op.22 Etudes symphoniques, op.13 Marc-André Hamelin (pianoforte) Hyperion CDA67166 [75' 43"] [CH]

If you forget about comparisons and just sit back and listen, there is pleasure and some excitement to be had here. But the great thing about having a century of recorded legacy is that you can make comparisons, and the central Schumann works have an extraordinarily rich discography.

SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony No. 10 (1953) Symphony No. 11 (1957) No. 10: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig/Franz Konwitschny (rec June 1954, Leipzig Kongreßhalle) No. 11: Staatskapelle Dresden/Franz Konwitschny (rec May 1959, Dresden Lukaskirche) Documents series. BERLIN CLASSICS 0090422BC 2CDs (CD1 50.42; CD2 64.11) [RB]

Well worth hearing. Konwitschny's epic and individual interpretation of the Eleventh is the strongest link.

THE SONGS OF ROBERT SCHUMANN - 5 Robert SCHUMANN Belsatzar, op.57, Die Minnesänger, op.33/2*, Die feindlichen Brüder, op.49/2, Die Lotosblume, op.25/7, Die Lotosblume, op.33/3*, Lehn deine Wang' an meine Wang', op.142/2, Dein Angesicht, op.127/2, Es leuchtet meine Liebe, op.127/3, Mein Wagen rollet langsam, op.142/4 Clara SCHUMANN Sie liebten sich beide, Ihr Bildnis, Lorelei, Volkslied Robert SCHUMANN Tragödie, op.64/3**, Der arme Peter,op.53, Dichterliebe,op.48 Christopher Maltman (baritone), Graham Johnson (pianoforte) with Leigh Woolf**. Items marked * performed by Polyphony/Stephen Layton Hyperion CDJ33105 [77' 25"] [CH]

.....never let it be forgotten that, for the price of a CD, you are getting a book (no mere booklet) as well, and one of the most authoritative ever written on the subject at that. I for one will never prepare to accompany any of these songs without referring to what Johnson has to say about it.

SCHUMANN (1810-1856) String Quartet no 1 in A minor, opus 41 no. 1, String Quartet no. 3 in A major, opus 41 no. 3 St Lawrence String Quartet Rec 23, 24 & 30 November, & 1 December 1998, New York EMI CLASSICS CDC5 56797 2 [59.05] [TB]

These quartets are masterpieces of the first order, which reveal Schumann at the height of his powers, and they deserve a wider currency....This repertoire is not widely recorded, and there is surely no better combination of performance and sound available today than this CD from the St Lawrence Quartet.

SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Piano Sonatas Nos. 3, 10, Opp 23/70, and E flat minor (1889), Poème-Nocturne Op 61, Vers la flamme Op 72. Bernd Glemser (piano) rec. 5-7th December, 1997, Radio Concert Hall, Lugano, Switzerland NAXOS 8.555368 [65.15] [SJ]

The 1889 sonata makes this disc a mandatory acquisition for Scriabin completists, and worth hearing for the other works: a fine introduction.

SHCHEDRIN (b.1932) Cello Concerto Sotto Voce Concerto (1994) Seagull Suite (1984) Marko Ylönen (cello) Helsinki PO/Olli Mustonen rec May 1999 Jan 2000, Helsinki ONDINE ODE 955-2 [59.43] [RB]

Powerfully atmospheric music which is here on its own unequivocal terms doing little to court the listener's attention

SIBELIUS En Saga, Spring Song, Valse triste, Scene with Cranes, Canzonetta, Valse romantique, The Bard, Tapiola Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi recorded 1992, 1994, 1995 in Gothenburg, Konserthuset. DG 457 654-2  [71.21] [JP]

New issues of tapes, 5, 6 and 8 years old, of short pieces by Sibelius, magnificently performed by Neeme Järvi.

SIBELIUS (1865-1957) En Saga (1892, 1901) Lemminkainen Legends (1893-95) Swedish RSO/Mikko Franck rec Stockholm, December 1999 ONDINE ODE 953-2 [73.45] [RB]

A very good disc. Most revealing of the Legends and presenting with the confident and controversial breadth of a late Bernstein or Boult.

SOUSA (1854-1932) Music for Wind Band Volume 1 The Royal Artillery Band - Keith Brion rec. 5-6. 8. 99, Henry Wood Hall, London Naxos 8.559058 [53.51] [SJ]

A must at this price for all band enthusiasts; and even sceptics.

STEVENSON (1928-)  Passacaglia on DSCH Mark Gasser (piano) rec. 7.12.1998, live in Birmingham No Number - own label available direct from Mr Gasser [78.57] [JF]

A triple review of this recording, an article by Mark Gasser on Passacaglia on DSCH and a live concert review of Mark Gasser's recent live performance.

Viktor SUSLIN Capriccio über die Abreise for 2 violins; 3 Choruses on Poems of Daniil Kharms for women's choir and girl narrator.  Sofia GUBAIDULINA Meditation on 'Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit' for harpsichord and string quintet; Silenzio for accordion, violin and cello; Ein Engel. . . for alto and double bass; Dancer on a Tightrope for violin and piano.   'Astraea' improvisation group: Free improvisation. BIS-CD-810 [78'24]  [PGW]

- - - very much a 'family & friends' type of affair, this richly rewarding and unique CD has prompted me to put Gidon Kremer's Lockenhaus Festival into my diary - - a classy, loving production, with fullest documentation by Albert Seitlinger & the composers themselves.

John TAVENER The World (string quartet and soprano) Diódia (string quartet)  Many Years (soprano and string quartet)  Akhmatova Songs (soprano and string quartet) The Vanbrugh Quartet
Patricia Rozario, soprano Hyperion CDA67217 [DDD 62:32] [CT]

The music has been captured with excellent clarity and balance by the Hyperion engineers. A first class release, which Tavener fans should not be without.

Henri VIEUXTEMPS Violin Concerto No. 4 Heifetz/LPO/Barbirolli - rec 14 Mar 1935 Henri VIEUXTEMPS Violin Concerto No. 5 Heifetz/LSO/Sargent - rec 8 Nov 1947 Camille SAINT-SAENS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Heifetz/LPO/Barbirolli - rec 18 Mar 1935 Camille SAINT-SAENS Havanaise Heifetz/LSO/Barbirolli - rec 9 Apr 1937 Pablo SARASATE Ziegeunerweisen Heifetz/LSO/Barbirolli - rec 9 Apr 1937 Franz WAXMAN Carmen Fantasy Heifetz/RCA Victor Orch/Donald Voorhees NAXOS Historical 8.110943 [76.53] [RB]

While the Vieuxtemps pieces are pretty thin musically the others go down a treat. Prize tracks - Havanaise and the outrageous Waxman.

WALTON Violin Concerto  ELGAR Violin Concerto Jascha Heifetz (violin) LSO/Malcolm Sargent (Elgar) rec 6 June 1949 Cincinnati SO/Eugene Goossens (Walton) rec 18 Feb 1941 NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.110939 Great Violinists [69.00] [RB]

Attractive bargain versions of well known mono recordings of two strong British violin concertos.


[Part 1 New]  [Part 2 A-B] [Part 3 C-L]
[Part 4 M-R]  [Part 5 S-Y] [Part 6 Misc]


Classical Editor: Rob Barnett,  Reviewers: Rob Barnett, Ian Lace, Len Mullenger, and:  Richard Adams, Colin Anderson, Arthur Baker, Grace Barber, Terry Barfoot,  Peter Bates, Marc Bridle, Arthur Butterworth, Colin Clarke, Paul Conway, Gary Dalkin, Andy Daly, Tony Duggan, Harry Downey,  Christopher Fifield, Lewis Foreman, Simon Foster, Christopher Howell, Simon Jenner, Stephen Lloyd, John Phillips, Ailís Ní Ríain, Humphrey Smith, Philip Scowcroft, Colin Scott-Sutherland, Andrew Seivewright, Christopher Thomas, Richard Whitehouse, Peter Grahame Woolf, David Wright. A complete list of contributors can be seen here


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