Joseph
McManners - In Dreams
Joseph
McManners (boy soprano), Jo Appleby (soprano), Mairead Carlin
(soprano) Metro Singers, London Oratory School Schola BBC Concert
Orchestra/David Charles Abell (in Portman), rec. Rudolfinum,
Prague. DDD
SONY/BMG
82876726092 [45:56] [WK]
One
hopes that Joseph McManners will go on to bigger things in the
musical world. Until then I heartily recommend the The Little
Prince - a wonderful experience. ... see Full
Review
Hommage
àMarcelle Meyer Domenico
SCARLATTI (1685-1757) Sonata L433 Kk446 [3.44]; Sonata
L401 Kk72 [2.06]; Sonata L23 Kk380 [2.58]; Sonata L449 Kk27 [6.54]
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Sonata No.8 K310 [12.50]; Adagio
K340 [5.56]; Sonata No.3 K281 [13.45]; Fantasie K396 [7.32]; Sonata
No.12 K332 [13.04] Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Piano Concerto No.5 in E flat major Op.73 Emperor
(1809) [35.51] * Emmanuel CHABRIER
(1841-1894) Pieces pittoresques: No.1 Paysage [4.58]; No.9 Menuet
pompeux [5.38] Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Pour les tierces (Etudes Book I No.2) [3.49] Goffredo
PETRASSI (1904-2003) Toccata (1933) [6.38] Francis
POULENC (1899-1963) Two Novelletes [3.11] Alfredo
CASELLA (1883-1947) Ricercare sul nome Bach Op.51 No.1
[3.11]; Ricercare sul nome Bach Op.51 No.2 [1.45]
Marcelle Meyer (piano) Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Volkmar
Andreae * rec. live 1950-56
TAHRA 579-580 [69.21 + 65.40][JW]
Uneven
in part this is still a most valuable contribution to the record of
Meyer's musicianship. ... see Full
Review
North
Star Huw WATKINS (b.1976)
Three Orations (2003) [12:05] Diana BURRELL
(b.1948) North Star (2002) [7:06] James
MACMILLAN (b.1959) Wedding Introit (1983) [3:00]* White
Note Paraphrase (1994) [2:10]* Gaudeamus in Loci Pace (1998)[6:07]*
Rhian SAMUEL (b.1944) Threnody with Fanfares (1999) [7:26] Ruth
BYRCHMORE (b.1966) Into the Silent Land (1996) [13:43]*
John HAWKINS (b.1949) Sortie
[4:44] Robin HOLLOWAY (1943)
Canzona and Toccata (2003) [15:01]
Deborah Callard (trumpet), William Whitehead (organ) Tracks marked*
are pieces for solo organ rec. Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, Berkshire,
no date given. Recording published 2006.
DEUX-ELLES DXL 1097 [71:00][GPu]
A
rewarding and stimulating collection of contemporary British music
for trumpet and organ ... see Full
Review
Nukonserter
Csaba DEÃÂK (b. 1932)
Concerto for flute and strings (2005) [25:26]; Johan
HAMMERTH (b. 1953) Strings and largo (2002) [10:59]; Ingvar
KARKOFF (b. 1958) Concerto for flute and strings (1989) [16:27];
Johan HAMMERTH Violin Concerto
No. 2 - Chamber Concerto (1994) [18:03] Martin
LARSON (b. 1967) Lucifer, probleme die Lügerin (2003) [4:48]
Kinga Práda (flute and
piccolo) (Deák, Karkoff, Larson), Nils-Erik Sparf (violin) (Hammerth
Chamber Concerto), Flute Choir from Musikskolan Lilla Akademien/Stellan
Sagvik (Larson), Stockholm String Ensemble/Sven Ã…berg rec. 11-12 November
2005, Studio 2 (Deák, Karkoff); 18-19 February 2006, Studio 3 (Hammerth:
Strings and Largo; Larson), Swedish Radio, Stockholm. live recording
24 September 2001 (Hammerth Chamber Concerto), Nybrokajen 11, Stockholm
NOSAG CD 123 [75:43][GF]
Recordings
of high quality. New concertos and stylistically very different. A clear
recommendation for anyone interested in Concertos Now ... see Full
Review
Das Partiturbuch
Ensemble Echo du Danube/Christian Zincke rec. Studios of Hessischer
Rundfunk, Frankfurt, November 2002
NAXOS 8.557679 [62.28][JW]
Played
with flair, imagination and no little virtuosity
Julian
Rachlin - Chamber
Music
CD1 Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) arr Dmitri
TZIGANOV Ten Preludes from 24 Preludes
for Piano, Op.34 (1933) [15:17] Ludwig
VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Violin
Sonata No.7 in C Minor, Op.30 No.2 (1803)
[26:00] CD2 Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Viola
Sonata, Op.147 (1975) [40:47]
Julian Rachlin (violin, viola), Itmar Golan
(piano) rec. Teldex Studio Berlin, 25-28 November
2004. DDD
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 61949-2 [41:17 +
40:47] [TP]
Buy
this disc, play it through and shake your head in sorrow that Warner
Classics will never record its like again. ... see Full
Review
Douglas Reed (organ) In
Memoriam William Albright Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Praeludium in C Major BWV 566a [11'18] Jean-Adam
GUILAIN (?) Suite du Second Ton [12'29] Johann
Gottfried WALTHER (1684-1748) Meinem Jesum laß ich nicht [10'17]
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) From
op. 122 chorale preludes [8'29]: Herzlich tut mich verlangen; Es ist ein
Ros' entsprungen; Herzlich tut mich erfreuen César
FRANCK (1822-1890) Priére
op. 20 [13'18] William ALBRIGHT (1944-1998)
1732: In Memoriam Johannes Albrecht (1984) [18'21]
Douglas Reed (organ) Robert Nicholls (narrator) rec. First Presbyterian
Church, Evansville, Indiana, USA, 21-23 August 1997. DDD
MULBERRY ST RECORDINGS [74'25][CB]
Despite
Reed's slightly safe playing, this is warmly recommended for the superb
organ, and the curiosity which is the Albright. ... see Full
Review
Arnold
Rosé – First Violin of Vienna
Pablo de SARASATE (1844-1908) Zigeunerweisen Op.20 (1878) [4.03] Spanish Dance
– Danzas españolas No.8 in C Op.26 No.2 (1882) [3.24] Pietro
NARDINI (1722-1793) Violin Sonata No.7 in B flat - Larghetto
[3.09] Violin Sonata No.7 in B flat - Rondo [2.55] Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano Concerto Op.11 (1830) – Romanza
[3.14] Nocturne Op.9 No.2 arranged Wilhelmj (1830-31) [3.07] Johan
SVENDSEN (1840-1911)Romance in G Op.26 (1886) [3.11]
David POPPER (1843-1913) Nocturne Op.22 arranged Arnold Rosé
[3.48] Heinrich ERNST (1814-1865)
Fantasia brillante on themes from Rossini's Otello Op.11 (1839) [3.48]
Luigi CHERUBINI (1760-1842)
String Quartet No.1 – Scherzo [3.21] Luigi
BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) Minuetto arranged for quartet [3.28]
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)Sonata in G BWV1001 – Adagio [3.49]
Orchestral Suite No.3 BWV1068 – Air [4.35]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) String Quartet Op.130 –
Alla danza tadesca [3.23] String Quartet Op.18 No.4 – Allegro [4.22]
Romance in F Op.50 (1798) [2.49] Ruins of Athens – Overture [4.22]+
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) String Quartet K465 – Minuetto [3.59] Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Violin Concerto in E Op.64 (1844)
– Andante [3.36] Karl GOLDMARK
(1830-1915) Violin Concerto in A op.28 (1877) – Allegro moderato
[4.00] Achille SIMONETTI
Madrigal [2.39] Henryk WIENIAWSKI
(1835-1880) Polonaise brillante No.1 in D Op.64 (1853) [2.51]
Arnold Rosé (violin) Unidentified pianists Rosé String Quartet Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra/Arnold Rosé + rec. 1909-36
ARBITER 148 [78.02] [JW]
Another
important release, enshrining a fine selection of discs some deriving
from the Rosé family's own archive. A cornerstone collection for
those interested in the violin on disc in the early twentieth century.
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Russian
Romantic Songs
Kaia Urb (soprano); Heiki Mätlik (guitar)
rec. 7-9 Oct 2001, Estonian Radio, Tallinn.
HARMONIA MUNDI HMU 907 386 [51:02] [ZT]
I
challenge anybody to produce a finer example than that provided on the
review disc. It would not surprise me to see this disc win awards for
excellence.
Salon Orchestra Favourites
IV
Annette Postel (vocals) Salonorchester Schwanen/Georg Huber rec.
Clara-Wieck-Auditorium, Sandhausen, April 2005
NAXOS 8.557768 [65.43][JW]
Your
enthusiasm for this disc will depend on a liking for a certain amount
of recreated kitsch. ... see Full
Review
Andrés
Segovia: The 1946 New York and the 1949 London
Recordings Johann Sebastian BACH (1685–1750)
Prelude in C minor, BWV 999; Cello Suite No. 3, BWV 1009: Courante;
Lute Suite No. 2, BWV 996: Sarabande; Bouree; Cello Suite No. 6, BWV
1012: Gavotte; Fugue in G minor, BWV 1000; Partita No. 4 for Solo Violin,
BWV 1004: Chaconne in D minor; Lute Suite No. 4 in E Major, BWV 1006a:
Gavotte Heitor VILLA-LOBOS (1887–1959) Etude No. 8 in C sharp
minor & No. 1 in E minor; Federico Moreno
TORROBA (1891–1982) Suite Castellana: No. 2 Arada; No. 1
Fandanguillo; Joaquin TURINA (1882–1949)
Fandanguillo; Mario CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO (1895–1968) Tarantella
in A minor Op. 87a; Manuel Maria PONCE (1886–1948)
Sonata Meridional: Campo (Allegretto); Copia (Andante); Fiesta (Allegro
con brio); Mario CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO Guitar
Concerto No. 1 in D major Op. 99 [18:59]: Allegro giusto; Andantino
alla romanza; Ritmico e cavalleresco
Andrés Segovia (guitar) New London Orchestra/Alec Sherman (Castelnuovo-Tedesco's
Guitar Concerto) rec. December 1946, New York (Bach); June – July 1949,
London
NAXOS 8.111088
[76:47][GF]
Segovia
at the height of his powers during this period. A worthy addition to
any respectable collection of guitar music ... see Full
Review
Sounds
Awesome
Alan RIDOUT (1934-1996)
Reredos (1956) [4:42]; Paean (1963) [1:58]; Prelude on :St Thomas
Honour We: (1988) [2:43]; Epithalamium (1967) [2:20]; The Seven Last
Words (1965) (i) Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do
[2:03]; ii) Woman, behold thy son ... Behold thy mother [3:45]; iii)
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [2:01]; iv) Verily I say
unto thee: Today shalt thou be with me in paradise [4:24]; v) I thirst
[2:23]; vi) It is finished [4:14]; vii) Father, into thy hands I commend
my spirit [4:47]) Humphrey CLUCAS
(b. 1941) Psalm Prelude (2004) [2:32]; Symphony for organ (2004)
(i) Allegro [10:44]; ii) Scherzo [4:26]; iii) Variations [7:46]) Peter
WISHART (1921-1984) Pastorale and Fughetta
(1961); Pastorale [2:44]; Fughetta [1:55] Humphrey
SEARLE (1915-1982) Cyprus Dances (1981) [4:41]
Robert Crowley (organ)
rec. Canterbury Cathedral, 26-27 October 2004. DDD
LAMMAS
LAMM 183D [70:17][CB]
Recommended
for fans of this repertoire. ... see Full
Review
Spectrum
4: 66 Miniatures for solo piano Julian
GRANT ...diamonds of a most praised
water... Alexandre LUNSQUI ...tornando-se... Victoria
BORISOVA-OLLAS A Midnight Bell Gerald
BARRY Agnes von Hohenstaufen Timothy
SALTER Ancient Footprints Jesus
TORRES Aurora Simon BAINBRIDGE Bells Sohrab
UDUMAN Berceuse PerMagnus
LINDBORG Bugo Resonances Colin
MATTHEWS Cascade Michael
Zev GORDON Crystal Clear Erkki-Sven
TUUR Dreamy Moment Roger
REDGATE ecart Eric MOE Echo's
Brief Lament Philip CASHIAN Edward Martin
BUTLER Evening Bells Eleanor
ALBERGA For Whom? Ananda
SUKARLAN Gentle Darkness Ramon
LAZKANO Gentle Sway Snorri
Sigfus BIRGISSON Helios Daniel
GIORGETTI Icicles Michael
BLAKE ikos'tina Hilda PAREDES Las
Estrellas Alun HODDINOTT Leapfrog Diana
BURRELL Libra (Constellation No 4) Detlev
GLANERT Lied im Meer Mindaugas URBAITIS Longing
for Time's Faraway, Vanishing Things Joao
Pedro OLIVEIRA Looking into the Mirror Howard
SKEMPTON Lull Pavel NOVAK Marian
Flowers Beat FURRER Melodie
- fallend Stephen MONTAGUE Midnight
Moon Adeline WONG Mind
the Gap David SAWER Moebius Karen
TANAKA Northern Lights Faidros
KAVALLARIS Nostalgia Philip
CASHIAN Orbit Joyce Bee
Tuan KOH Piano Peals Graham
FITKIN Piano Piece Surprisingly Early 03 Joseph
VELLA Playing 6, 5, 4, 3, 2... Raymond
YIU podskok Laurence CRANE Postlude David
GORTON Prelude after d'Anglebert Peteris
PLAKIDIS Quiet Walk in the Forest Param
VIR Ratri Janet DAVEY Recollection Andrew
TOOVEY Red Bird Alejandro
GUARELLO S n d Tazul Izan
TAJUDDIN Sebuah Pantum Gabriel
JACKSON September Chorale Yi
CHEN Singing in the Mountain Peter
MAXWELL DAVIES Snow Cloud, over Lochan John
WHITE Sonata 140 Jeremy
Dale ROBERTS Stone - Standing Stone Alejandro
VINAO Stumbling Star Poul
RUDERS Swinging Bells Lyell
CRESSWELL The Leith at Stockbridge Aulis
SALLINEN The Sigh of Barabbas Giorgos
KOUMENDAKIS The Silk Road John
MCLEOD The Temple by the Sea Elena
LANGER Utrecht Chimes Barry
CONYNGHAM Veils 1 "...veils of the morning..." Rodney
SHARMAN Voyageur Roderik
de MAN Wajang Giles SWAYNE Whistling
Tune Siaw Kin LEE Xi Yue
(Teasing the Moon)
Thalia
Myers (piano) rec. 2005, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh, Suffolk
USK
1227CDD [50:45 + 48:15] [DC]
An
exhibition very much worth the entry price,
and well worth exploring at length. ... see
Full Review
L'art
de Teresa Stich-Randall CD
1 George
Friedrich HANDEL (1685-1759) Ode
for Saint Cecilia (1739) [48.24] a Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Cantata
‘Jauchzet Gott in allen landen' (1731) [21.02]
b ; Laudamus te [4.36] c
and Domine Deus [6.14] cd
from Mass in B minor, BWV 232 CD 2 Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Exultate
Jubilate KV 165 (1773) [17.10] e
; Laudamus te from Mass in C minor,
KV 427 [4.10] e ; Messe solennelle
de coronne, KV 317 (1779) [27.58] e
; Vesperae solennelles du Confessore, KV 339 (1780)
[26.30] ef CD 3 George
Friedrich HANDEL (1685-1759) Cantata
‘In Praise of Harmony' (1708-9) [13.52] eFranz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Salve Regina,
D676 [12.22] eWolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) 7 lieder
[23.15] g Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) 9 lieder [28.40]
g CD 4 Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Cantata
‘Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis', BWV 21
(1714) [5.24] h Ludwig
Van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Fantasia
for piano, chorus and orchestra, op.80 [18.08]
i Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Per
pieta from Così fan tutte KV 588
[7.54] j Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Ah fors'e
lui, sempre libera from La Traviata [8.13]
k Gustave
CHARPENTIER (1860-1956) Depuis
le jour où je me suis donnée
from Louise [4.54] k Giaccomo
PUCCINI (1858-1924) Vissi d'arte
from Tosca [3.33] k Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Es gibt
ein Reich from Ariadne auf Naxos [5.21];
Vier Letzte Lieder [23.11] l
Teresa Stich-Randall (soprano) All recordings
stereo except where indicated. AAD.
ACCORD 476 8633 [4 CDs: 81.23 + 75.48
+ 77.29 + 76.40] [ED]
There
might be a few quibbles over what is or is
not included here, but it's the quality of
Stich-Randall's singing that really matters
and that is beyond reproach. ... see Full
Review
Leopold
Stokowski Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Swan Lake excerpts [57:00] Johan
STRAUß II (1825-1899) An der
schönen blauen Donau [6:49]; Geschichten
aus dem Wiener Wald [7:16] Ludwig
Van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Turkish March from
Die Ruinen von Athen [2:06] Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) (arr. Stokowski)
Rondo alla turca from piano sonata
K331 [2:47]
NBC Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski rec.
NBC 20-21 Oct, 10-11 Nov 1954, 13 Jan, 10
Feb 1955 (Tchaikovsky); 13 Jan 1955 (Donau);
9 Feb 1955 (Strauss, Beethoven, Mozart). ADD
mono
CALA CACD 0543 [75:49] [JW]
Plenty
of entertainment and incident here and the
usual ration of Stokowski idiosyncrasy. ...
see Full
Review
CD
Premieres: Leopold Stokowski and
the Philadelphia Orchestra see
review for details
Philadelphia Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski rec.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New
Jersey, USA, 1926-37 Notes in English, photos
of conductor, matrix numbers.
MUSIC AND ARTS PRODUCTIONS OF AMERICA CD1173
[58.42 + 75.54 + 73.27 + 74.52] [PSH]
Essential
for Stokowski fans, for the rest of us, maybe
not. ... see Full
Review
Hao
Jiang Tian: Operatic Arias Giuseppe
VERDI (1813–1901) Nabucco:
Tu sul labbro dei veggenti; Les vêpres siciliennes: Et
toi, Palerme; Jérusalem: Grâce mon Dieu!; Macbeth:
ome dal ciel precipita; Simon Boccanegra: Il lacerato
spirito; Don Carlo: Ella giammai m'amò Pyotr Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893) Eugene
Onegin: Lyubvi
vse vozrasty pokorny (Gremin's aria) Gioacchino ROSSINI (1792–1868) Il
barbiere di Siviglia:
La
calunnia Vincenzo BELLINI (1801–1835) La Sonnambula:
Vi ravviso, o luoghi
ameni Charles GOUNOD (1818–1835) Faust:
Vous qui faites l'endormie
(Sérénade) Jules MASSENET (1842–1912) Le Cid: Il a fait noblement
ce que
l'honneur conseille Amilcare PONCHIELLI (1834–1886) La
Gioconda: Ombre di mia prosapia
Hao
Jiang Tian (bass) Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Alexander Rahbari rec. Concert
Hall, Slovak Radio, Bratislava, 28 June-2 July 2004. DDD
NAXOS
8.557442 [59:37] [RJF]
A
singer and collection well worth hearing.
... see Full
Review
Rediscovered
Master - Madeleine de Valmalète
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Fantasia
in D minor, K.397* [4.57] Sonata in D, K.
576 * [14.01] Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Le Tombeau de
Couperin [19.57] Jeux d'eau [4.53] ALABIEFF
L' Alouette arranged
Franz LISZT (1811-1886) [3.40]
Modest MUSSORGSKY
(1839-1881) Gopak [1.23] Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) March (Love
of Three Oranges) [1.28] Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1874-1944) Barcarolle,
op. 10/3 [4.08] Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Hungarian Rhapsody
no. 11 [5.17] Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Feux d' artifice
(Preludes Bk. II) [3.36] Manuel
de FALLA (1876-1946) Ritual Fire
Dance [3.06] Gabriel
FAURE (1845-1924) Nocturne in E
flat, op. 36* [6.14] Impromptu in F minor,
op. 31* [3.25]
Madeleine de Valmalète (piano)
recorded 1928-1992; *previously unpublished
ARBITER 144 [77.01] [JW]
An
unjustly overlooked musician and rare recordings
… altogether a distinguished release. ...
see Full
Review
Gillian Weir on Stage
Gillian Weir (organ) rec. Royal Festival Hall, London, 3-4 June 2005.
DDD
PRIORY PRCD 866
[79:58][CB]
The
sheer brilliance of Gillian Weir, above all,
makes this an essential purchase.
Women at
the Piano An anthology of Historic Performances
Volume 1 (1926-1952)
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111120 [77.28] [JW]
A
glimpse at some under-sung performances –
mixed in with the leavening of internationally
accepted great players – diverting listening.
... see Full
Review
The Ziegfeld
Follies
Ziegfeld Follies of 1927
ASV LIVING ERA CDAJA 5619 [76:18] [RW]
Living
Era have brought together a whole library
of lost songs and music of the early 20th
Century ... see Full
Review
BOOK
REVIEW
The Virtuoso
Conductors:
The Central European
Tradition from Wagner to Karajan Raymond Holden
Yale University Press, 2005 IBSN: 0-300-09326-8
[GD]
Too
restricted, too selective, too standardised
to meet the complex, critical themes and questions
the subject demands. ... see Full
Review
Detailed listing (last two days)]
[Part
1 New] [Part
2 A-B] [Part
3 C-L]
[Part
4 M-R] [Part
5 S-Z]
[Part
6 Misc A-L][Part
7 Misc M-Z]