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Alban Berg Quartet - Hommage
Alban Berg Quartet
EMI CLASSICS 3976292
[5 CDs: 80.00 + 67:39 + 76:10 + 77:30 + 74:19][JW]
A
compendious set celebrating the art of the Alan Berg Quartet ... see
Full Review
Simon
Barere and Boris Barere – Father and Son Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Piano
Concerto No.1 in E flat major [16:54] Simon Barere Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Symphonic Etudes Op.13 [18:37] Boris
Barere (piano) Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) The Nutcracker – selections; Boris Barere – reminiscences,
a DVD filmed in NYC in 2003 and 2005 with interviewer Mordecai Shehori.
CEMBAL
D’AMOUR CD 124 [60:31 + free DVD 50:00]
[JW]
A
unique insight into the mind and music of
the Bareres ... see Full
Review
Black Castles
Sir Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) (arr.
Dudley Bright) Severn Suite Arthur BUTTERWORTH (b. 1923) Triton Suite
Derek BOURGEOIS (b. 1941) William and Mary
Sir John TAVENER (b. 1944) Trisagion John PICKARD (b. 1963) Black Castles Mark-Anthony TURNAGE (b. 1960) Set To
brass partout/Hermann Bäumer rec. 2003
BIS CD1354 [TP]
A
valuable addition to a valuable series ...
see Full
Review
Nadia
BOULANGER
(1887-1979) Mademoiselle
- A film by Bruno Monsaingeon (made
1977) Bonus film: Mozart Prague Symphony
- ORTF Philharmonic Orchestra, Igor Markevitch.
rec. 1967. NTSC Languages: English, French
Subtitles: English Region: All Regions Aspect
Ratio: 1.33:1
IDÉALE
AUDIENCE DVD 5DM41 (2007) [75:00] [AOz]
Mme
Boulanger’s influence went far ... see Full
Review
British
Doubles Music by Percy
GRAINGER (1882-1961), Andrew DOWNES (b. 1950), Malcolm
ARNOLD (1921-2006) and Robert
RAMSKILL (b. 1950)
Peter Noke and Julian Hellaby (pianos) rec.
2006
MAESTRO SOUND AND VISION MSV0317CD [48:30][BBr]
A
bit of a mixed blessing ... see Full
Review
Capriccioso – Under
the Blue Skies
Alexander Rudin (cello) rec. Moscow 1984-2007
CELLO CLASSICS CC1020 [63:39][JW]
Rudin
plays with great eloquence and warmth ... see Full
Review
Concertos
and Fairytales Wolfgang
PLAGGE (b.1960), Egil HOVLAND (b.1924), Magne
AMDAHL (b.1942), Torstein
AAGAARD-NILSEN (b.1964) Trombone Concertos
P K Svensen (trombone);
Malmö Symfoniorkester/Terje Boye Hansen, Christoph König rec. 2005
2L 2L35 
[73:24][BBr]
Not
a disk for everybody, and certainly not for the faint-hearted ... see
Full Review
Contrasts
– Chamber Music for baritone saxophone by
Felix TREIBER (b.1960), Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741), Otmar MÁCHA
(b.1922), J. Ryan GARBER (b.1973),
Ernst PRAPPACHER (b.1927) and
Jan Dismas ZELENKA (1679-1745)
Linda Bangs (baritone saxophone) rec. 2007
ANTES EDITION BM-CD 31.9245 [66:05][JW]
No
genuinely outstanding music but for admirers of the sinuous, not-so-unwieldy
baritone there is fun to be had ... see Full
Review
Corelli
Machine Music by Iannis
XENAKIS (1922-2001), Olav
Anton THOMMESSEN (b.1966), Magne
HEGDAL (b.1944) and Ketil HVOSLEF
(b.1939) Norwegian
Chamber Orchestra/Terje Tønnesen rec. 2005
AURORA ACD5039 [54.53][GH]
An
interesting disc, well worth exploring though you may feel short-changed
at well under an hour of music ... see Full
Review
Natalie Dessay - Italian Opera Arias
from
La Traviata, I puritani, Maria Stuarda,* Rigoletto,* I Capuleti e I
Montecchi, Lucia di Lammermoor*º
Natalie Dessay (soprano) Sascha Reckert (glass harmonica), *Europäischer
Kammarchor; Concerto Köln/Evelino Pidò rec. 2007 Sung texts
and English, German and French translations enclosed
VIRGIN CLASSICS 395243 2 [73:25] [GF]
It
is hard to imagine better singing in this repertoire ... see Full
Review
Dignity and Impudence
Music by Lynnwood
Farnam (1885-1930), Christopher
Steel (1938-1991),
Alfred Hollins (1865-1942),
Percy Whitlock
(1903-1946) and Basil Harwood
(1859-1949)
William Saunders (organ) rec. 2007
REGENT REGCD270 [67:33][JF]
This
is a great CD that explores some little known repertoire ... see Full
Review
Divine
Hymns Works
by Henry PURCELL (1659-1695),
William CROFT (1678-1727)
John BLOW (1649-1708)
& Pelham HUMPHREY (1647-1674)
Paul Agnew (tenor) Konstantin
Wolff (bass) Thomas Michael Allen (counter-tenor) Hannah Morrison (soprano)
Claire Debono (soprano) Elizabeth Kenny (theorbo) Anne-Marie Lasla (viola
da gamba) Les Arts Florissants/William Christie rec. 2006
VIRGIN CLASSICS 3951442 [JW]
I
enjoyed this disc but in truth I was seldom really moved ...
see Full Review
The
English Flute Music by Edward
German (1862-1936),
Christopher Redgate (b. 1956), Michael
Head (1900-1976), Arnold
Cooke (1906-2005),
York Bowen (1894-1961), John
Tavener (b.
1944), Frederic Griffith (1867-1917) and Charles
Stainer (1874-1947)
Celia Redgate (flute);
Michael Dussek (piano) rec. 2007
DIVINE ART DDA25061 [73:04][JF]
A
fine selection of English flute music ... see Full
Review
Jan Kalsbeek Fecit
Includes
Jan Pieterszoon SWEELINCK (1562?-1621)
Fantasia Chromatica Louis COUPERIN
(1626?-1661) Prelude à l’imitation de Mr Froberger Dietrich
BUXTEHUDE (1637?-1707) Preludium Georg
BÖHM (1661-1733) Suite Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Toccata Jacques
DUPHLY (1715-1789) Pièces de clavecin Domenico
SCARLATTI (1685-1757) Sonates
Albert-Jan Roelofs (harpsichord) rec. 1995
CONTRAPUNCTUS MUSICUS VC2444 [73:27]
[DC]
A
fascinating potted overview of the development and heyday of harpsichord
manufacture and composition ... see Full
Review
The Russian Piano Tradition - Yakov
Flier
Fryderyk CHOPIN
(1810-1849)
Piano Sonata 2 Sergei RACHMANINOFF
(1873-1943) Preludes Dmitri
KABALEVSKY (1904-1987) Twenty-Four Preludes
Yakov Flier rec. Moscow 1952-c.1956
APR 5665 [74:50]
[JW]
Flier’s
Rachmaninoff is exciting, his Chopin wilful, his Kabalevsky tremendous
... see Full Review
French
Delights:
Sharon Bezaly: Pierre SANCAN
(b.1916)
Sonatine (1946) [8:53]; Charles-Marie WIDOR
(1844-1937) Suite for Flute and Piano, Op. 34 [16:39];
Albert ROUSSEL (1869-1937) Joueurs
de Flûte, Op. 27 [9:04]; Deux Poèmes de Ronsard, Op. 26
[8:15]; Darius MILHAUD (1892-1974)
Sonatine (1922) [8:01]; Benjamin GODARD
(1849-1895) Suite de trios Morceaux, Op 116 [10:19]
Sharon Bezaly (flute) Love Derwinger (piano); Barbara Hendricks (soprano)
rec. 2007 SACD BIS-SACD-1639
[62:29]
Consistently
brilliant .. surpassed my expectations ...
see Full
Review
The
Complete Leopold Godowsky - Volume 1: Columbia
and Brunswick Recordings 1913-1922 Leopold
Godowsky (piano) MARSTON
520462 [2 CDs] [JW]
Superbly
done, as ever ... see Full
Review
The
Complete Leopold Godowsky - vol. 3 Brunswick
Recordings 1925–1926
MARSTON 53008-2 [3 CDs: 79:38 + 74:02
+ 77:28]
The
most important of the three Godowsky volumes
issued by Marston ... see Full
Review
The Golden Age of Light Music -
Globetrotting
rec. 1935-56
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5141 [JS]
One
of the best in a valuable series ... see Full
Review
The Golden Age Of Light Music
– Animal Antics
Various composers and artists rec. 1931-1957;
For full track listing see review
GUILD GLCD5143 [78:29][BBr]
Another
winner in a most enjoyable series ... see Full
Review
The
Golden Age Of Light Music – The 1950s Volume 5: Sunny
Side Up
Various composers and artists rec. 1955-57; For full track listing see
review
GUILD GLCD5142 [78:28][BBr]
An
absolute must for all lovers of light music and anyone who enjoys a
good tune ... see Full Review
Grands Jeux Music
by Jehan ALAIN (1911-1940),
Guy MORANÇON (b.1927),
Jean-Dominique PASQUET (1951)
and Jean LANGLAIS (1907-1991)
Rupert Gough (organ)
rec. 2007 REGENT REGCD272
[78:18][CB]
Well
presented, well conceived, and clever enough
to hold my interest ... see Full
Review
Gypsy
Strings 
Adam Summerhayes, Emil Chakalov (violin);
London Concertante rec. 2005/ 2006,
CHANDOS CHAN 10453 [44:53] [GPu]
A
richly entertaining, virtuoso take on the
gypsy fiddle tradition, which encompasses
a fair emotional range and is united by the
evident musical joy of the performers … see
Full
Review
I heard a voice - The
Music of the Golden Age Music by Thomas
WEELKES (1576-1623), Orlando
GIBBONS (1583-1625) and Thomas
TOMKINS (1572-1656)
Fretwork; Choir of King’s College, Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury rec. 2007
EMI CLASSICS 3944302
[59:56][MM]
A
wonderful CD, recommended for any fan of early
English music ... see Full
Review
An
Italian Sojourn Dario
CASTELLO (fl.1621-1636) Sonata
ottava Alessandro STRADELLA (1644-1682) Sinfonia Biagio
MARINI (1678-1741) Sonata a due Pietro
Antonio LOCATELLI (1695-1764) Sonata de camera Arcangelo
CORELLI (1653-1713) Sonata Giuseppe
TARTINI (1692-1770) Sonata Pastorale Georg
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Sonata Francesco
VERACINI (1690-1750) Sonata Trio
Settecento rec. 2006 CEDILLE
CDR 90000 099 [JW]
Finely
chosen, well programmed, elegantly produced ... see Full
Review
Vanessa Latarche (piano) Music
by Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685-1750), Felix MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847) and Fryderyk CHOPIN
(1810-1849)
Vanessa Latarche (piano) rec. 2007
DUNELM RECORDS DRD0273 [45:48][JW]
Latarche
certainly nailed some intellectual colours to the mast in this recital
... see Full Review
La trompette retrouvée
Music by Jean-Philippe RAMEAU
(1683-1764), Reynaldo HAHN (1874-1947), Emanuel CHABRIER (1841-1894), Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
and Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Jonathan Freeman-Attwood (trumpet); Daniel-Ben
Pienaar (piano) rec. 2006
LINN CKD294
[64:46][SV]
Every
note precisely placed … clean articulation, carefully gauged dynamics
and a dazzling display of double- and triple-tonguing ... see Full
Review
Lusty
Songs & Country Dances of 17th Century England
The City Waites/Lucie Skeaping rec. 1992/1995.
DDD REGIS RRC 1275 [70:42]
[EM]
Engaging
songs, good performances ... see Full
Review
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