A
Baroque Festival George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Solomon: The arrival
of the Queen of Sheba; Harp Concerto op. 4 no. 6 Henry
PURCELL (1659-1695) ‘Three Parts upon a Ground’; A Suite
of Theatre Music Johann PACHELBEL (1653-1706)
Canon and Gigue Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Wir danken dir, Gott, BWV 29: Sinfonia; Ich steh’ mit einem
Fuss im Grabe, BWV 156: Sinfonia; Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde
jubilieret, BWV 31: Sonata; Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: Part 2
Sinfonia; Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106: Sonatina;
Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Jesus bleibet meine
Freude; Ich liebe den Hochsten von ganzem Gemute, BWV 174: Sinfonia
Taverner Consort,
Taverner Players/Andrew Parrott rec. 1987
VIRGIN CLASSICS 3913402 [60:22][JW]
A
well compiled selection that is finely nuanced, and finely played....
see Full Review
Baroque
Chamber Music Johann
Wilhelm HERTEL (1727-1789) Concerto à 5 in D major Francesco
MARINI (1672-1732) Sinfonia in D major PRENTZEL
(fl.c.1670) Sonata in C major Giuseppe
TORELLI (1658-1709) Sinfonia in D major Gottfried
FINGER (c.1660-1730) Sonata No.3 Johann
Christian BACH (1735-1782) Quintetto in G major Georg
Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) Concerto in D major
Leipziger Bach-Collegium/Ludwig Güttler rec. 1994
BERLIN CLASSICS 0013892 [59:25][GPu]
A
pleasant CD, with some interesting music represented, and worth acquiring
if the repertoire is of interest, but one which fails quite to convince
or satisfy ... see Full
Review
Ute Beckert
singt und spricht Theodor Fontane
Ute Beckert (soprano
and narration), Frank Wasser (piano)
ANTES EDITION BM319225 [62:19][GF]
To
say that this music off the beaten track is
an understatement, but readers interested
in German Lied from a wider perspective during
the latter half of the 19th century
will find a lot of interest. ... see Full
Review
Best
of Broadway - Original
1940–1955 Recordings excerpts from Oklahoma,
Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Show
Boat, Kismet, Porgy and Bess, Girl Crazy,
Call Me Madam, Annie Get Your Gun, High Button
Shoes, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Brigadoon,
On the Town, Wonderful Town, Kiss Me, Kate,
The Boy Friend, Where’s Charley? and
Guys and Dolls. Alfred
Drake, Ezio Pinza, Mary Martin, Gertrude Lawrence,
Yul Brynner, Todd Duncan, Ethel Merman, Carol
Channing, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, George
Gaynes and others. For full details at end
of review
NAXOS 8.120873-74 [76:44 + 79:32] [GF]
2½
hours’ of sheer nostalgia … the prospect of
hours of fascinating comparison ... see Full
Review
The
British Double Bass Gordon
JACOB (1895-1984) A Little Concerto Elizabeth
MACONCHY (1907-1994) Music for Double Bass and Piano Thomas
PITFIELD (1903-1999) Sonatina Lennox
BERKELEY (1903-1989) Introduction and Allegro David
ELLIS (b. 1933) Sonata for Unaccompanied Double Bass John
WALTON (b. 1947) A Deep Song Alan
BUSH (1900-1995) Meditation and Scherzo John
McCABE (b. 1939) Pueblo for Solo Double Bass Elisabeth
LUTYENS (1906-1983) The Tides of Time Alfred
REYNOLDS (1884-1969) Hornpipe
Leon Bosch (double bass); Sung-Suk Kang (piano); I Musicanti
MERIDIAN CDE84550 [79:13][RB]
Ideal and ingratiating - a generous recital of contrasts. I hope Bosch
goes on to uncover more treasures of interest far beyond the habituées
of this gentle giant of an instrument ... see Full
Review
Browns
in Blue
The 5 Browns RCA
RED SEAL 88697 113222 [JW]
Spruce
and elegant quintet produce an enjoyable album geared to the
younger market ... see Full
Review
By
Arrangement 1946-2006 Leyland
Band/Russell Gray rec. 2006 EGON
CDSFZ135 [TP]
If
the programme appeals, this is worth a listen ... see Full
Review
Maria
Callas
- The Complete Studio Recordings
EMI CLASSICS 3959182 [RF]
All
the studio recordings in one bargain price box enabling a new
generation to make their own judgement on her singing and vocal
characterisation ... see Full
Review
Maria Callas Opera
Highlights
Maria Callas (soprano) rec. 1953-64
EMI CLASSICS 3971042 [8 CDs: 60:03 + 61:11 + 59:49 + 53:36 + 55:33
+ 52:12 + 58:18 + 55:50][GF]
A
bargain for Callas-hunters content with extracts … They will find a
lot to admire on this bargain-priced set. ... see Full
Review
Christmas
Carols CD
1: Festive
Music from Europe and America CD
2: Nine centuries of seasonal music CD 3:
The Carol Album I: Seven centuries of Christmas music CD 4:
The Carol Album II: Seven centuries of Christmas music
The Taverner Consort, Choir and Players/Andrew Parrott rec. 1987-1995
VIRGIN CLASSICS 503680
2 [4 CDs: 63:04 + 63:10 + 62:44 + 61:37] [JV]
A
model of good taste, creative programming
and generally outstanding performances - a
good alternative to conventional Christmas
repertoire ... see Full
Review
Christmas
In The Holy Land – Ancient
Christian Liturgies rec.
1967 ARCHIV
4776653 [MM]
Liturgical
traditions and their authentic expression - a historic treasure … see Full
Review
Alfred
Cortot - Encores Franz
SCHUBERT (1798-1827) Litanei auf das Fest aller Seelen Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Impromptu No. 2; Etude No. 13; Waltz No.
7; Ballade No. 1; Berceuse Johannes BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Wiegenlied (Lullaby) Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Hungarian Rhapsodies Nos. 2 & 11 Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786-1826)
Aufforderung zum Tanze (Invitation to the Dance) George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Keyboard Suite No. 5 IV. Air
and Variations, "The Harmonious Blacksmith" Isaac
ALBÉNIZ (1860-1909) Chant d'Espagne Op. 232: III. Sous le
palmier Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)/Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Rigoletto: Paraphrase de
concert Alfred Cortot (piano)
rec. 1925-26 NAXOS 8.111261
[79:02][JW]
Naxos
has been restoring Cortot’s acoustic and electric recordings with commendable
assiduity. Memorable listening. ... see Full
Review
Divertimentos & Sinfoniettas by
Tippett, Rawsthorne, Britten, Berkeley & Arnold English
CO/Norman Del Mar
rec. March 1977/8 LYRITA SRCD257 [MG]
Food
for thought as well as fun in these mettlesome performances and
matchingly vivid recordings … see Full
Review
Face
to Face Stephen
PLEWS (b. 1961) The Future of an Illusion Geoffrey
KIMPTON (b. 1927) Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orchestra
Kevin MALONE (b. 1958) Eighteen
Minutes New
World Ensemble/Alan Cuckston, Kevin Malone rec. 2006
CAMPION CAMEO 2049 [62:55][HC]
This
is an unusual but highly rewarding release ... see Full
Review
French
and Italian 18th Century Flute Music Barthold
Kuijken rec. 1979/91 ACCENT
ACC30009 [CR]
If
you only ever buy one recording of baroque flute music, this should
be it. …see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Gabriel’s
Greeting - Medieval English Christmas
Music Sinfonye
rec. 1993 HYPERION
HELIOS CDH55151 [BW]
Another
excellent Helios reissue – a Christmas recording with a difference
which won’t break the bank, so it should also inspire you to purchase
Sinfonye’s other CDs ... see Full
Review
The
Golden Age of Light Music: Light
Music While You Work
- Volume
2 rec. 1940-1946
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5137 [JS]
Taken
a few tracks at a time it has an appeal all its own for the curious
and the nostalgic ... see Full Review
The
Golden Age of Light Music -
Light Music for All Seasons GUILD
LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5138 [JF]
Much
of this disc I find largely uninteresting and uninspiring. It is
what I call ‘Aunty Irene’ music ... see Full
Review
The
Golden Age of Light Music:
Musical Kaleidoscope - Volume 1
rec. 1933-56
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5139 [MC]
Lovers
of Light Music will be in their element – an eclectic and generous
collection ... see Full
Review
The
Invitation: Saxophone Quartets of the 20th
Century Philip GLASS (b. 1937)
Concerto for saxophone quartet Frank REINSHAGEN
(b. 1961) The Invitation Barbara
THOMPSON (b. 1944) Saxophone Quartet No. 2 ‘From darkness
into light’ in six movements Zdenek LUKÁŠ
(b. 1928) Rondo per 4 sassofoni Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Fugue No. 20 in A minor à 4 voci
BWV 865, The Well-tempered Clavier Vol. I
Tetraphonics Saxophone Quartet rec. 2005
CYBELE RECORDS 261.001 
[67:41][DM]
Adventurous
listeners and sax fiends will surely welcome this stimulating disc;
even the more timorous should find plenty to enjoy as well ... see Full
Review
Louis Kentner (piano) William
WALTON (1902-1983) Façade (1922) – Valse Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Csárdás macabre; Venezia e Napoli
– 1. Gondoliera III. Tarantella; En Rêve (Nocturne);
Dante Sonata Mili BALAKIREV
(1837-1910) Sonata in B minor Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Bolero
Louis Kentner (piano) rec. 1938-51
NAXOS 8.111223 [76:59][JW]
Superb
performances, fascinating release, very poor transfers ... see Full
Review
Lyrita
Classics rec. 1970s-1990s LYRITA
SRCD336 [RB]
19th
century ebullience to a sombre spiritual exaltation - has its
intrinsic satisfactions ... see Full
Review
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[Recommended recordings]
Over a period of three
years from December 2003, I have spent a lot
of time in the company of Harry Partch –
not literally, of course, as he died in 1974,
but working my way though an article and some
eight reviews that can all be found on MusicWeb.
Then, at the MusicWeb annual lunch (January
2007), the name of John Cage caught my ear.
For reasons that my subconscious was not prepared
to divulge, my curiosity was tickled. Partch
and Cage have on occasion been paired off,
as a sort of American "Debussy and Ravel"
– was there any real connection between
them?
This may come as a
bit of an anticlimax but, other than them
both being American originals with "far-out"
ideas, I can’t really think of one. In
fact, they are more on the lines of diametric
opposites: with my tongue ever-so-slightly
in my cheek, I could say that Partch was a
seminal genius who got branded as a crackpot,
and Cage was a crackpot who got branded as
a seminal genius.
John Cage (1912-92)
was nothing if not controversial. With his
rise to prominence, an obliging World split
into two opposing camps. His supporters saw
him as a prime mover in the fields of experimental
and electronic music, with abiding interests
in "chance music", new ways of using
traditional instruments, and practical application
of his Zen Buddhist beliefs.
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