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Friday July 28th

DAILY CD REVIEWS



Hoffnung At Large
New
double CD lasting 2 hours of Gerard Hoffnung from the BBC.
Full details here

£14 postage included world-wide

Hoffnung Music Festivals 1956,58,61
2CDs:£17 postage included World-Wide [mono/stereo]
This is a must for all Hoffnung enthusiasts.
Purchase here    see review








Available for the FIRST TIME
- a DVD of 7 animated Hoffnung cartoons as shown on the BBC in the 1960s in FULL COLOUR plus animated Gilbert and Sullivan Ruddigore. £14.99 Details
NOTE: Region 0 but PAL only

Hoffnung - A Last Encore
On 2 CDs lasting 1 hour 45min, this contains all the recordings of Hoffnung preserved in the BBC archives. They include the famous and hilariously funny Bricklayer story from the Oxford Union. [mono]
£14 postage included world-wide Purchase

See a new Hoffnung Cartoon every day




NEW and RECENT ARTICLES

A full revision and update of the Naxos American Classics themed release page

The Solo Violin Music of Ivan Khandoshkin by Anastasia Khitruk

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) A conspectus of his life and a review of the audio and video recordings of his works - Robert Farr

An Appreciation of the Hyperion Complete Schubert Song Edition By John Quinn and Patrick Waller

Joyce Hatto (1928 -2006) Obituary

A composer’s own most memorable performances - Arthur Butterworth

Benjamin Britten Discography - update. Parts one and two of this update have now been completed by David Barker

Three new themed release review pages - Schubert Lieder on Naxos, Bach Collegium Japan on BIS and John Eliot Gardiner's Bach Cantata Pilgrimage

MusicWeb is now selling from the Acte Préalable, Leonarda, Talent and Tactus Labels

BOOK REVIEWS

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



MUSICWEB SHOP
August September  October November December January   March April May June July

MusicWeb can now offer you:
[Acte Préalable catalogue £ 13.50 post-free World-wide] {soon}
[Arcodiva catalogue £10.50 Post-free World-wide]
[Ashgate Music Books]
[Avie recordings post-free World-wide]
[British Music Society CDs post free World-wide]
[CDACCORD catalogue from £10.50 Post-free World-wide]
[Concert Artist catalogue £12.50 Post-free World-wide]
[Gasparo catalogue from £10 Post-free World-wide]
[[Hortus Catalogue£14.99 Post free World-wide]
[Hyperion £13.99 & £6.99 post free World-wide]
[Leonarda Recordings
£13.99 post-free]
[MSR recordings £10 post-free world-wide]
[REDCLIFFE Recordings £11 post free World-wide]
[Tactus Recordings £11.50 post-free]
[Talent Recordings from £12.00 post-free]
[Tocatta Classics £12.50 post free]

 

CD WALLETS Get rid of those bulky plastic cases and store CDs and booklets in thin plastic wallets. "orange-peel" translucent 70 micron PVC, 70 mm x 70mm with tuck-in flap £5 £3 per 100 wallets plus P&P New improved non-slippery wallets

CONCERT ARTIST MOZART The Complete Piano Sonatas, Fantasy in C minor, K.475 Joyce Hatto plus a free sampler disc. 5 discs for the price of 3 : £37.50 post-free World-wide
Reviews: Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 Volume 4 Volume 5

New from Avie here
Calliope: Volume the First - Emma Curtis ((contralto), The Frolick
MOZART Symphony No. 40 K550 Symphony No. 41 JUPITER K551 Manchester Camerata Douglas Boyd -Budget price
MACMILLAN AND HIS BRITISH CONTEMPORARIES RECORDING OF THE MONTH

New from British Music Society: Arnold Cooke Three String Sonatas Premiere recordings

New from Arcodiva
Smetana String Quartets 1&2 Wihan Quartet UP0086-2 review RECORDING OF THE MONTH

New from CDAccord
ACD158-2 Beethoven String Quartets Op. 130, Op.131 Shanghai Quartet
ACD156-2 Beethoven Piano Concertos 3&4 Rudolf Buchbinder
ACD140-2 Lukasz Kuropaczewski (guitar) - Portrait
ACD139-2 Aires Latinos Tomasz Kaszubowski - guitar Pawel Nawara - guitar


Anthony Collins Sibelius Cycle
It is difficult to find this set at the moment so we have made arrangements that you can purchase it through MusicWeb - see review

TESTIMONY - The Story of Shostakovich Directed by Tony Palmer. Region 0 PAL only
£17.99 post-free within UK, £19.50 post-free outside the UK

 



LATEST CD REVIEWS (last two days)
Offering over 15,000 CD reviews but there is more to MusicWeb than just CD reviews - see site map

We offer 210 reviews for July which may be founf in the following pages

[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]

 

Click for MUSICWEB RECORDINGS OF THE YEAR


RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Béla BARTÓK (1881-1945) Piano Sonata, Sz80a (1926). Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs, Sz74/Op. 20b (1920). Suite, Sz62/Op. 14c (1916). Out of Doors, Sz81d (1926). Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, Sz110e (1937) Murray Perahia, eGeorg Solti (pianos); eDavid Corkhill and eEvelyn Glennie (percussion) rec. CBS 30th Studio, New York City, 3 December 1973a, 8 Augustb, 19 Novemberc 1980, 29 March 1976d, Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Suffolk 7, 9 July 1987e. ADD/DDD SONY CLASSICAL GREAT PERFORMANCES 82876 78750 2 [73’42] [CC]

It is difficult to imagine a better introduction to the piano music of Bartók than this splendid disc. Perahia has a clear vision of what he wants to say and how he says it ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony No. 9 in D minor, op.125 Choral (1824) [72:51] Gabriela Beňačková (soprano), Marjana Lipovšek (contralto), Gösta Winbergh (tenor), Hermann Prey (baritone) Vienna State Opera Chorus Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Claudio Abbado rec. live, May 1986, Musikverein, Grosser Saal, Vienna DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 5005 [72:51][CH]

One of the great Ninths on record ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH York BOWEN (1884-1961) Violin Concerto in E minor, Op 33 (1913) [37.42] Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat, Op 11 (1903) [26.07] Lorraine McAslan (violin) Michael Dussek (piano) BBC Concert Orchestra/Vernon Handley rec. 5-6 December 2005, The Colosseum, Town Hall, Watford, England. DDD DUTTON EPOCH CDLX 7169 [64.09][RB]

Such lavish extravagance of melody and sentiment. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony No.7 in E major (1883) [62:34] Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor, Op.37 (1800) [38:35] Alfred Brendel (piano) Lucerne Festival Orchestra/ Claudio Abbado rec. live, Concert Hall of the Culture and Convention Centre Lucerne, 10-12 August 2005 Picture: PAL 16:9 Anamorphic Sound: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1 Region: 0 (Worldwide) EUROARTS DVD 2054649 [106:00] [DC]

Isn’t that what we’re all after – that feeling of renewal and joyous discovery? It is here, in spades. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH George CRUMB (b. 1929) Songs, Drones, and Refrains of Death (1962-68) [29:04]: Refrain One [1:25]; I The Guitar / Death Drone I [4:20]; Refrain Two [0:52]; II Casida of the Dark Doves [4:15]; Refrain Three [1:06]; Death-Drone II [1:49]; III Song of the Rider, 1860 [1:56]; Cadenza Apassionata for two drummers [1:32]; Refrain Four [1:05]; IV Casida of the Boy Wounded by the Water [2:09]; Death Drone III [8:36] Quest (1994) [25:41] Refrain I [1:08]; I Dark Paths [5:07]; II Fugitive Sounds [2:09]; Refrain 2 [0:42]; III Forgotten Sounds [4:22]; IV Fugitive Sounds [1:06]; Refrain 3 [1:04]; V Nocturnal [10:04] Nicholas Isherwood (baritone); Alexander Swete (guitar/amplified guitar); Franzisco Obieta (double bass/amplified double bass); Carmen Erb (percussion); Peter Degenhardt (piano/harpsichord); Hugo Read (soprano saxophone); Silke Aichorn (harp). Ensemble New Art/Fuat Kent rec. Radiostudio Zurich, 12-15 June 2004 NAXOS 8.559290 [54:45] [JWi]

A mesmerising and beautiful effect, with a glistening resonance of sound. Not entirely straightforward to grasp but grows on the listener with repetition. Quite fascinating. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Paul DUKAS (1865-1935) Piano Sonata in E flat minor (1900) [45:13] Abel DECAUX (1869-1943) Clairs de lune (1900-1907) [19:40]. Marc-André Hamelin (piano). rec. Henry Wood Hall, London, 26-27 August 2004 (Dukas), 15 December 2005 (Decaux). DDD HYPERION CDA67513 [64:59] [CC]

This has to be one of my ‘Records of the Year 2006’. Simply stunning. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Nicolas FLAGELLO (1928-1994) Piano Concerto No. 1 (1950) [28:48] Dante's Farewell (1962) (orch. Anthony Sbordini) [13:43] Concerto Sinfonico for saxophone quartet and orchestra (1985) [22:53] Tatjana Rankovich (piano) Susan Gonzalez (soprano) National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine/John McLaughlin Williams New Hudson Saxophone Quartet Rutgers Symphony Orchestra/Kynan Johns rec. Large Concert Studio, National Radio Company of Ukraine (Kiev), 22-26 June 2005; Mason Gross Performing Arts Center, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA, 6 November 2004. DDD NAXOS 8.559296 [65:28] [RB]

You will know by now whether this is for you. It merits a wholehearted endorsement. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Macmillan and his British Contemporaries: Twentieth Century Masters Volume 2 Julian ANDERSON (b.1967) O Sing Unto The Lord (1999)[6:59] James MACMILLAN (b.1959) Christus Vincit (1994) [6:33] Jonathan DOVE (b.1959) Ecce Beatam Lucem (1997) [5:58] Ryan WIGGLESWORTH (b.1979) Libera Nos (2003)[3:42] James MACMILLAN: On The Annunciation of The Blessed Virgin (1997) [6:49] Jonathan DOVE: Into Thy Hands (1996) [[5:31] Judith WEIR (b.1954) Love Bade Me Welcome (1994) [4:31] Robin HOLLOWAY (b.1943) Since I Believe [4:39] Francis GRIER (b.1955) A Prayer of St. Augustine [4:08] Tarik O'REGAN (b.1978) Surrexit Christus (2002) [2:54] Peter WISHART (1921-1984) Jesu, Dulcis Memoria (1968) [5:19] John JOUBERT (b.1927) Whitsun Carol, Op.115b (1987) [2:29] Gabriel JACKSON (b.1962) Salve Regina (2000) [4:51] The Choir of New College Oxford/Edward Higginbottom Robert Patterson; Nicholas Wearne (organ) rec. Douai Abbey, Berkshire, England 13-15 July 2004. DDD AVIE AV 2085 [64:08] [JQ]

This is one of the finest choral discs to have come my way for some time. I rejoice to find clear evidence that so much high quality music is being written for liturgical use by composers of today. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Francis POTT (b. 1957) Meditations and Remembrances The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin/Judy Martin, ^ Tristan Russcher. *Tristan Russcher (organ) rec. Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, 21-23 October 2005. DDD SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD080 [70:52] [JQ]

I hope this recording will win a still wider audience for Francis Pott. This is likely to be one of my Recordings of 2006 and I recommend it with the greatest possible enthusiasm. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) The Complete Symphonies CD 1 [50:25] Symphony No.1 in D, Op.25 "Classical Symphony" (1917) [13:54] Symphony No.4 in C, Op.47/112 [36:32] (Revised 1947 version) CD 2 [66:20] Symphony No.2 in D minor, Op.40 (1924) [34:33] Symphony No.3 in C minor, Op.44 (1928) [31:48] CD 3 [64:28] Symphony No.4 in C, Op.47/112 [22:51] (Original 1930 version) Symphony No.5 in B flat, Op.100 (1945) [41:38] CD 4 [72:12] Symphony No.6 in E flat, Op.111 (1947) [40:23] Symphony No.7, Op.131 (1952) [31:49] London Symphony Orchestra/Valery Gergiev rec. live, Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre London: 1 May 2004 (Symphonies 2, 3), 1-2 May (Symphony No.1), 2 May (Symphony No.4 original version), 2, 6 May (Symphony No.5), 6 May (Symphony No.4 revised version), 5, 8 May (Symphonies 6, 7) PHILIPS 475 7655 [4CDs: 50:25 + 66:20 + 64:28 + 72:12] [DC]

A set with which you will be able to live for a long time, and from which new things will always emerge from each hearing. What else did you expect? ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Winterreise D.911 (1827) Christine Schäfer (soprano) Eric Schneider (piano) rec. Teldex Studio, Berlin, November 2003 ONYX 4010 [68:32] [PCW]

A Winterreise for all seasons … see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Luonnotar and Orchestral Songs Soile Isokoski (soprano) Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/Leif Segerstam rec. Finlandia Hall, Helsinki, October 2005. DDD ONDINE ODE 1080-5 SACD [61:37] [AOz][RB]

An essential recording – the finest performances of Sibelius’s vocal work, demonstrating how important song was in the composer’s development [AOz]
This is a glorious disc that will delight lovers of Scandinavian song as well as Sibelians everywhere. ... see Full Review [RB]

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Helen Callus (viola) Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Suite for viola and orchestra (Group I only) (1934) [7:53] Herbert HOWELLS (1892-1983) Elegy for viola, string quartet and string orchestra (1917) [10:37] William WALTON (1902-1983) Viola Concerto in A minor (1928-29, rev 1962) [27:31] York BOWEN (1884-1961) Viola Concerto in C minor, Op.25 (1907) [31:51] (cadenza by Helen Callus) Helen Callus (viola) solo string quartet (principals of the NZSO): Vesaa-Matti Leppanen (violin); David Gilling (violin); Vyvyan Yendoll  (viola); David Chickering (cello) New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Marc Taddei rec. Michael Fowler Center Auditorium, Wellington, New Zealand, 9-11 February 2005. DDD ASV CD DCA 1181 [78:24] [JF]

As a compilation of essential English music for viola and orchestra this CD is a vital release. Feel absolutely no hesitation in rushing out and buying it as soon as the shops are open! ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Russian Romantic Songs Alexander DUBUQUE (1812-1897) Do not chide me, dearest mother [3:00], The two farewells [3:30], Serenade [1:27], When my eyes fall on you [1:52], Adieu [1:50]; Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Amid the din of the ball [2:13]; Mikhail GLINKA (1804-1857) Will I forget [2:25]; Alexander VARLAMOV (1801-1848)O never speak of it, my love [2:25], Reminder [4:38]; A. IVANOV-KRAMSKOY (1912-1993) (guitar solos) A sad mood (3:52), Nocturne [2:29], Waltz [2:48], A gust of wind [2:51]; N. SHIRIAYEV: To hold you close, to love and cover you with tears [3:11];V.N. PASKHALOV (1841-1885) Do not ask of me [2:14]; P.P. BULAKHOV (1822-1885) A dainty mouth pursed in anger [1:32]; Ivan RYBASOV (1846-1877) None but you [2:28]; A. SPIRO: Likeness [1:23]; E. YURYEV: In vain we love and fret [3:38] 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. ... see Full Review

 


BARGAINS OF THE MONTH

 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano Sonatas – Complete Recording Disc 1 [74:09] Sonata in A flat major, D.557 (1817) Sonata in E minor, D.566 (1817) Sonata in B major, D.575 (1817) Sonata in A major, D.664 (1819) Disc 2 [72:49] Sonata in A minor, D.845 (1825) Sonata in D major, D.850 (1825) Disc 3 [78:29] Sonata in A minor, D.537 (1817) Sonata in E flat major, D.568 (1817) Sonata In C major D.840 ‘Reliquie’ (1828) Disc 4 [74:22] Sonata in F minor, D.625 (1818) Sonata in A minor, D.784 (1823) Sonata in C minor, D.958 (1828) Disc 5 [76:56] Sonata in E major, D.157 (1815) Sonata in C major, D.279 (1815) Sonata in G major, D.894 (1826) Disc 6 [78:06] Sonata in A major, D.959 (1828) Sonata in B flat major, D.960 (1828) Michael Endres (piano) rec. WDR Funkhaus, Saal 2. Köln. December 1993-January 1995 CAPRICCIO 49 456 [74:09 + 72:49 + 78:29 + 74:22 + 76:56 + 78:06] [DC]

Top drawer Schubert. Get a copy while you can. Performances that eschew artificiality, histrionics, eccentricity or misplaced reverence. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony) Staatskapelle Weimar/Antoni Wit rec. Weimarhalle, Weimar, Germany, 4-6 July 2005 NAXOS 8.557811 [54:14] [GPJ]

A major contender, then, and you can cram the one hundred and forty or so players that this work requires into your hi-fi for just Ł4.99 – a miracle! ... 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]




 
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