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Alphabetical Listing

PART 5
S-Z

[Click here for the most recent reviews (last five days)]
Click for alphabetical listings by composer:
[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]
[Recommended recordings]

 

Manuel SAUMELL (1817-1870) 8 Contradanzas (arr. Leo Brouwer) see BROUWER

Jan SandStrÖm (b. 1954) Från Mörker till Ljus (From Darkness to Light) for reader, baritone and chamber orchestra Peter Mattei (baritone); Sven Wollter (reader) Norrbotten CO/Petter Sundkvist rec. 2002 SWEDISH SOCIETY SCD1136 [WK]

A fine premiere recording of a major work on the fundamentals of good and evil ... see Full Review

Franz Schreker and Pupils Franz SCHREKER (1878-1934) Intermezzo Op. 8 for strings;(1902) [6.37]; Scherzo Op. 8 for strings (1902) [6.34] Julius BŰRGER (1897-1995) Two Songs for baritone and orchestra (1919): Legend [12.43]; Silence of the night [10.45] Ernst KŘENEK (1900-1991) Symphony No. 1 Op. 7 (1921) [35:36] Dietrich Henschel (baritone) Luzerner Sinfonieorchester/John Axelrod rec. KKL Luzern, Konzertsaal, 4-5 July 2006. DDD NIMBUS NI 5808 [71:48] [GH]

Unfocused and the Křenek is disappointing. Only the two songs by Bűrger are of real interest ... see Full Review

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) String Quartet “Death and the Maiden” Arr. Mahler Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) String Quartet “American” Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Charles Rosekrans rec. 2002 TELARC CD80610 [69:35][DC]

Nice enough, but no real musical revelations to be had. ... see Full Review

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) The String Quartets Quatuor Sine Nomine rec. 1989-1994 CASCAVELLE VEL 3115 [5 CDs: 65:37 + 63:35 + 76:17 + 74:37 + 74:37][DC]

Not without its competitors, but a bracing new view on Schubert nonetheless ... see Full Review

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Reflections on Schubert Michael Coonrod (piano) rec. 2006 WORLD RECORDS [2CDs 74:52+77:31][BW]

Good performances, well recorded, but not viable in such a competitive market ... see Full Review

Schubert and his Circle Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano Sonata in C major, D840, "Reliquie" (1825) completed by Brian Newbould [43:50] Thirteen Variations on an Theme of Anselm Hüttenbrenner, D576 (1817) [14:50] Anselm HÜTTENBRENNER (1794-1868) Piano Sonata in E major, Op.16 (1826) [18:26] Franz SCHUBERT Deutscher in C sharp minor, D643 [0:56] Josef HÜTTENBRENNER (1796-1882) Tanz der Furien [1:12] Todd Crow (piano)
rec. 30-31 May 2006, Martel Recital Hall, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0065 [79:16] [DC]

A must for all Schubert fans. ... see Full Review

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Sonata D784, Thirteen Variations on a Theme by Hüttenbrenner Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Fantasiestücke Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Images Book 2: Cloches à travers les feuilles Sviatoslav Richter rec. live 1969-79 BBC LEGENDS BBCL4222-2 [CH]

Some supreme playing and one performance appears for the first time ... see Full Review 

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Symphonies 1 & 4 Deutsche Radio Philharmonie/Stanislaw Skrowaczewski rec. 2007 OEHMS CLASSICS OC707 [WK]

Idiosyncratic but gripping performances of two Schumann favorites ... see Full Review

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Symphony 2 Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Variations on a Theme of Haydn Munich PO/Sergiu Celibidache rec. 1980/94 EMI CLASSICS 5568492 [CH]

Those wishing to investigate the Celibidache phenomenon will find much here to reward and fascinate ... see Full Review

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Symphony no. 3, Symphony no. 4 Munich PO/Sergiu Celibidache rec.1986/88 EMI CLASSICS 56525 [74:17] [CH]

The "Rhenish", in particular, gets an unusual yet stimulating interpretation. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano concerto (documentary & performance) Martha Argerich, Gewandhaus O Leipzig/Riccardo Chailly rec. live 2006 EUROARTS 2056068 [MM-B]

A great recording of an equally great performance ... see Full Review

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Quintet see BRAHMS

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Fantasiestücke see SCHUBERT

Heinrich SCHÜTZ (1585-1672) The Christmas Story  Giovanni GABRIELI (1557-1612) Christmas Motets John Mark Ainsley, Michael George, Ruth Holton, The King’s Consort/Robert King rec. 1989 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55310 [EM]

Glorious music, excellent performances ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Alexander SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Complete Solo Piano Works Maria Lettberg rec. 2004-2007 CAPRICCIO 49586 [DC]

Very high quality indeed, in every regard ... see Full Review

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony No. 4 in C minor Beethoven Orchestra Bonn/Roman Kofman rec. 2006. DDD Complete Symphonies - Vol. 8 MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 937 1208-6 [65:08] [BBr]

I’m sorry. I want much more from this music than Kofman and his players give me. ... see Full Review

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Piano Trio 2 see RACHMANINOFF


RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Humoresques see GRIEG


Johann SOBECK (1831-1914) Wind Quintets opp. 9, 11 & 14 Albert Schweitzer Quintett rec. 2005 CPO 777 203-2 [60:40][DC]

Repertoire which is full of fun and which deserves recognition. ... see Full Review

Padre Antonio SOLER (1729-1783) Sonatas Nos. 60, 66, 68, 75, 76 etc. Gilbert Rowland (harpsichord) rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570292 [77:51][GPu]

A top-quality conclusion to a series which has given some brilliant and idiosyncratic music … see Full Review

Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) Symphony no. 2 in D minor – "Elegiac" ; Symphony no. 5 in D major – "L’Allegro ed il Penseroso" Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570289 [74:33] [CH]

Lloyd-Jones’s performance of the Fifth Symphony has revealed it to me as a perfectly achieved work of art. ... see Full Review

Halsey STEVENS (1908-1989) Symphonic Dances (1958) [19:04] Sonata for Solo Cello (1958) [23:18] Symphony #1 (1945) [14:54] London Philharmonic Orchestra/George Barati (Symphonic Dances); Gabor Rejto (cello); Japan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra/Akeo Watanabe (Symphony #1) Notes in English CRI 892 [53:21] [OP]

The time for a renaissance of the work of this unjustifiably neglected composer is long overdue ... see Full Review

James STEVENS (b.1923) Miniature Overture - In a Nutshell; Symphony No. 1; A Coronation Overture - Lion and Unicorn; Symphony No. 2; Musique Concrète BBC Northern Orchestra/Stanford Robinson; BBC Scottish Orchestra/Ian Whyte rec. 1953-6 PRISTINE AUDIO XR PASC100 [67:45][RB]

Psychologically complex music productively adrift in tonality's shadowlands ... see Full Review

Bernardo STORACE (fl.1664) Passagagli con partite pastorali see CARESANA

Alessandro STRADELLA (1639-1682) Amanti, olà, olà!, Accademia d'Amore a 5 voci; Chi resiste al Dio bendato Alessandro Stradella Consort/Estevan Velardi rec. 2000-5 CHANDOS CHAN0728 [73:43][JV]

Two interesting secular works by Alessandro Stradella – recommended although the performances leave something to be desired … see Full Review

Johann STRAUSS II (1825-1899) Jabuka (with dance arrangements) European Johann Strauss O/Christian Pollack rec. 2005/7 NAXOS 8.660216-17 [ST]

Buy it for the dance arrangements: you’ll be whistling them long past New Year ... see Full Review

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Ein Heldenleben; Metamorphosen Staatskapelle Dresden/Fabio Luisi rec. 2007 SONY BMG 88697084712 [72:30][MS]

Committed exciting, compelling and colourful accounts of two Strauss orchestral works. ... see Full Review

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Salome’s Dance; Suite from Der Rosenkavalier; Burleske for piano and orchestra; Festival Prelude for organ and orchestra Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra/Jesús López-Cobos rec. 1994 TELARC CD80371 [65:21][IL]

An enjoyable collection ... see Full Review

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Alpine Symphony, Four Last Songs Anja Harteros, Staatskapelle Dresden/Fabio Luisi rec. 2007 SONY BMG 88697 141972 [MS]

Another real winner from Dresden in opulent and luscious Strauss ... see Full Review

Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) The Rite of Spring, Symphony in Three Movements Bamberg SO/Jonathan Nott rec. 2005/6 TUDOR 7145 [TB]

Nott has the measure of the score and the tempi always feel appropriate ... see Full Review

Piet SWERTS (b. 1960) Symphony No. 2 “Morgenrot Vlaams Radio Orkest/Bjarte Engeset rec. 2000 PHAEDRA 92052 [72:21][HC]

A work of great expressive strength into which Swerts put much of his inner self, deeply sincere ... see Full Review

Eric TANGUY (b. 1968) Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Anne Gastinel (cello); Orchestre National de France/Alain Altinoglu rec. 2006-7 NAIVE V5078 [57:41][RB]

Two eruptive concertos from the last two decades ... see Full Review

Alexandre TANSMAN (1897-1986) Chamber Music with Clarinet: Musique for clarinet and string quartet; Musique à Six for clarinet, string quartet, and piano; Trois Pieces; Triptyque Jean-Marc Fessard (clarinet; bass clarinet); Quatuor Elysée rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570235 [54:44][JW]

A feather in the cap for Tansman admirers ... see Full Review

Giuseppe TARTINI (1692-1770) The Devil’s Trill and other violin sonatas The Locatelli Trio rec. 1990-1 HYPERION DYAD CDD22061 [73:19 + 67:23][MS]

Enigmatic twists and turns, wryly inviting. sympathetic, attentive playing on this generous reissue ... see Full Review

John TAVENER (b. 1944) The Protecting Veil; Thrinos Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Suite for solo cello No. 3 Steven Isserlis (cello); London Symphony Orchestra/Gennadi Rozhdestvensky rec. 1991 VIRGIN CLASSICS 5034302 [74:04][DC]

15 years on, and still one of the mighty handful. ... see Full Review

Piotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony No. 5 Munich Philharmonic Orchestra/Sergiu Celibidache rec. 1991 EMI CLASSICS CDC 5565222 [58:26][CH]

A truly shattering experience. My perceptions of this symphony can never be the same again. ... see Full Review

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Romeo and Juliet, Symphony 6 Cincinnati SO/Paavo Järvi rec. 2007 TELARC SACD60681 [MG]

Performances of tension, honed shape and sheeny, emotive lyricism … see Full Review

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The Seasons Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Piano Concerto in C sharp minor Victor Merzhanov (piano); USSR State Symphony Orchestra/Israel Gusman rec. 1986-1998 VISTA VERA VVCD00027 [60:16][JW]

A strange kind of disc geared strongly to admirers of the pianist ... see Full Review

Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) Wind Concertos Volume 1 La Stagione Frankfurt, Camerata Köln/Michael Schneider rec. 2005/6 CPO 7770322 [KS]

Refined elegance … well balanced playing by musicians who are obviously enjoying themselves ... see Full Review

Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) Cantatas Annette Markert (alto); Il Parnaso Musicale rec. 1990 CHRISTOPHORUS CHE 0125-2 [49:23][MS]

Telemann’s facility with evocation and technical dexterity in response to deep yet familiar emotions performed well and idiomatically ... see Full Review

Thomas D. A. TELLEFSEN Complete Piano Works - Vols 1-4 Malgorzata Jaworska (piano).rec. 1999-2007 ACTE PRÉALABLE AP0049, AP0062, AP0064, AP0154 [JW]

The music of an executant-composer now almost completely forgotten. ... see Full Review

Kurt THOMAS (1904-1973) Passionsmusik, Psalm 137 Norddeutscher Figuralchor/Jörg Straube rec. 2004 THOROFON BELLA MUSICA CTH2493 [GPu]

A welcome chance to hear two choral works very influential in their day, but now largely forgotten; they benefit from exemplary performances in an apt acoustic … see Full Review

Virgil THOMSON (1896-1989) The Plow That Broke the Plains, The River Post-Classical Ensemble/Angel Gil-Ordóñez rec. 2005 NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559291  [DM]

If you just want the music – this disc is as authoritative as it gets ... see Full Review

Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)  Oboe & tuba concertos, The Lark Ascending Frederick DELIUS (1862-1934) On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Summer Night on the River William WALTON (1902-1983) Two Pieces from Henry V Neil Black, Arnold Jacobs, Pinchas Zukerman, Chicago SO, English CO/Daniel Barenboim rec. 1973-77 DG ELOQUENCE 442 8333 [JW]

Some pleasures but also some longeurs ... see Full Review

Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Dona Nobis Pacem see BARBER

Giuseppe VERDI (1813–1901) Luisa Miller Luciano Pavarotti, Gilda Cruz Romo, RAI di Torino SO/Peter Maag rec. live 1974 ARTS ARCHIVES 430882 [GF]

No one with an interest in good Verdi singing and conducting should miss this live set in superlative stereo ... see Full Review

Giuseppe VERDI (1813–1901) Nabucco (highlights) Matteo Manuguerra, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Renata Scotto, Philharmonia O/Riccardo Muti rec. 1977/8 CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 3933742 [GF]

There are some good things here but too much is hard-driven and unsubtle ... see Full Review

Louis VIERNE (1870-1937) Organ Symphonies 1-6 Kees Geluk, Eric Quist, Bert den Hertog rec. 2004/5 D.E. VERSLUIS DEV-VI1010 [DC]

There are better versions, but still an interesting and useful set ... see Full Review

Antonio VIVALDI (1678–1741) Opera arias & sinfonias Emma Kirkby (soprano) Brandenburg Consort/Roy Goodman rec. 1994 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55279 [RH]

Kirkby’s light vocal timbre works extremely well … most enjoyable ... a vivid, lively and well structured programme … see Full Review

Wladimir VOGEL (1896–1984) Thyl Claes Part 1 Marie-Thérèse Letorney (soprano) Choeur des XVI, Svizzera Italiana O/Luca Pfaff rec. live 1996 CPO 999 960-2 [HC]

Not to be missed ... see Full Review

William WALTON (1902-1983) Two Pieces from Henry V see VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Peter WARLOCK (1894-1930) An Old Song for small orchestra see BUTTERWORTH

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Graham WHETTAM (1927-2007) String Quartets Nos. 1 & 4; Oboe Quartet No. 2 Jenny-Lee Keetley (oboe); Carducci Quartet rec. 2007 CARDUCCI CLASSICS CSQ5847 [63:55][RB]

A gripping voice in the annals of British music - mysteriously ignored ... see Full Review

John Ramsden WILLIAMSON (b. 1929) Music for woodwind Miriam Hughes (flute) Sarah Ableman (clarinet) Rosemary Richardson (bassoon) David Jones (piano) DUNELM DRD0271 [DC]

Solid craftsmanship, but consistent to a fault ... see Full Review

Ian WILSON (b. 1964) String Quartets Nos. 4-6 ; Lyric Suite The Callino Quartet rec. 2005 RIVERRUN RVRCD77 [60:08][HC]

A fine introduction to Ian Wilson’s personal and strongly expressive sound-world. ... see Full Review

Ermanno WOLF-FERRARI (1876-1948) Idillio-Concerto for oboe, strings and two horns Op.15 (1932) [18:53] Concertino for cor anglais, strings and two horns Op.34 (1947) [24:38] Suite Concertino for bassoon, strings and two horns Op.16 (1933) [19:48] Piet van Bockstal (oboe and cor anglais) Luc Loubry (bassoon) Westsächisches Symphonie Orchester (West Saxony Symphony Orchestra)/Hans Rotman No recording details TALENT SACD DOM 2929 90 [63:30] [JW]

A work that comes gift-wrapped "delicious". ... see Full Review

Charles WUORINEN (b. 1938) Tashi, Percussion Quartet, Fortune Contemporary Music Group, New Jersey Percussion Ens. rec. 1993/6 NAXOS 8.559321 [GPu]

Music of high intelligence but also of fair accessibility, clearly structured, engaging mind and emotions alike … see Full Review


[Click here for the most recent reviews (last five days)]
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[Part 4 M-R] [Part 5 S-Z]
[Part 6 Misc A-L] [Part 7 Misc M-Z]
[Recommended recordings]


 



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