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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]

 

Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Samson et Dalila (1877) Charles Alves da Cruz, Klara Uleman, Opera Spanga/David Levi OPERA SPANGA FFDOC29 [100:00] [GF]

Possibly the most cruel and cynical opera production made – deeply fascinating ... see Full Review

Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660-1725) Stabat Mater see PERGOLESI

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Franz SCHMIDT (1874-1939) Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln Wiener Singverein; Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich/Kristjan Järvi rec. 2005 CHANDOS CHSA5061(2) [64:04 + 48:55][RB]

Stunning as a work, as a performance and as a recording. For all practical purposes the leading version of Schmidt's masterpiece ... see Full Review

Florent SCHMITT (1870-1958) Etude pour le Palais hanté see DEBUSSY

Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Violin Concerto Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Violin Concerto Hilary Hahn (violin) Swedish RSO/Esa-Pekka Salonen rec. 2007 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 7346 [63:00] [EMc]

An excellent disc, particularly for the revelatory recording of the Schoenberg ... see Full Review

Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Phantasy for Violin with Piano accompaniment, Op.47 (1949) see American Fantasies

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Rondo see BRUCH

Gunther Schuller (b.1925) Recitative and Rondo (1954) see American Fantasies

Cyril SCOTT (1879-1970) Cello Concerto; Symphony No. 1 Paul Watkins (cello); BBC Philharmonic/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2007 CHANDOS CHAN10452 [58:04][RB]

Wonderfully light of heart ...fully mature and intriguing ... see Full Review

Humphrey SEARLE (1915-1982) Aubade for Horn and Strings Op.28 see Hoddinott

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony 11  Beethoven O Bonn/Roman Kofman rec. 2006 MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG93712096 [64:28] [DM]

Kofman may have a fine band and a wonderful recording but in this symphony that simply isn’t enough ... see Full Review

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) String Quartets Nos. 5, 7 & 9 Mandelring Quartett rec. 2007 AUDITE 92528 [67:54][JFL]

The Mandelring’s carefully considered, always unpredictable ways are a treasure ... see Full Review

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) The Seven Symphonies etc. Danish National Symphony Orchestra/Leif Segerstam rec. 1990-92 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 8867 [4 CDs: 74:55 + 70:24 + 69:32 + 70:24]

A handy set at an even handier price but Segerstam’s drum beats at a very measured pace … see Full Review

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphonies 1-5, Rakastava, Tapiola, Swan of Tuonela, Finlandia Royal Stockholm PO/Vladimir Ashkenazy rec. 2006/7 EXTON OVCL-00279, OVCL-00282 & OVCL-00292 [65:44 + 72:19 + 71:20] [RB]

Mixed results - not an outright winner ... see Full Review

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Hallé Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli rec. 1962-8 TESTAMENT SBT1418 [77:03][DRD] 

Classic versions … humane and heartfelt ... see Full Review


Jean SIBELIUS
(1865-1957)
Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Herbert von Karajan rec. 1976 EMI CLASSICS 5090272 [70:50][CH]

A controversial Fourth and a below-par Fifth ... see Full Review

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Nightride and Sunrise, Luonnotar, Lemminkäinen Suite, Jungfrun i tornet, Pelléas et Mélisande, Valse triste Solveig Kringelborn (soprano) Estonian National Male Choir; Royal Stockholm PO, Estonian Ntl SO/Paavo Järvi rec. 1996-2002 VIRGIN CLASSICS 5220552 [73:32 + 67:38] [RB]

Imaginative, well rendered readings ... go for it ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) En Saga, Tapiola, Finlandia, Valse Triste, Violin Concerto, Four Lemminkainen Legends Jan Damen (violin), Concertgebouw O, London PO/Eduard van Beinum, Danish RO/Thomas Jensen rec. 1952-57 DECCA ELOQUENCE 442 9487 [50:28 + 75:38] [RB]

A box of delights and discoveries for Sibelians ... see Full Review

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Violin Concerto see SCHOENBERG

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Complete Piano Music CD Annette Servadei (piano) rec. 1992-4 ALTO ALC 5001 [5 CDs: 69:31 + 70:13 + 71:21 + 66:28 + 73:41][RB] 

Rewarding music-making but unassuming and not earth-shatteringly original or intense ... see Full Review

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Don Juan, Tod und Verklärung, Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils, Der Rosenkavalier Suite New York Philharmonic/Lorin Maazel rec. 2005 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4776435 [73:24] [SV]

The applause suggests that New York enjoyed this considerably more than I did ... see Full Review

Richard STRAUSS (1864–1949) Arabella Wiener Staatsopernchor; Wiener Philharmoniker/Sir Georg Solti rec. 1977 DECCA 0743255 2DVDs [189:00][RM]

A film production to revisit many times ... see Full Review

Isotaro SUGATA (1907-1952) Orchestral works Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra/Kazuhiko Komatsu rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570319 [55.28][GH] 

A pleasurable and fascinating hour’s worth of orchestral music. Well worth exploring ... see Full Review

Karol SZYMANOWSKI (1882-1937) Symphonies 2 & 3 Warsaw National PO & Ch/Antoni Wit rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570721 [60:48] [DM]

Another triumph for Maestro Wit and his busy Warsaw band ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Toru TAKEMITSU (1930-1996) To the Edge of Dream see RODRIGO


Sergei Taneyev (1856-1915) Symphonies 1 & 3 Novosibirsk Academic SO/Thomas Sanderling rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570336 [75:50] [WK]

Considerable performances of works by a composer finally receiving his due in the West ... see Full Review

Deems TAYLOR (1885-1966) Ramuntcho – Introduction and Ballet Music, Act III (1942) [8:12] see Stokowski

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphonies 4-6, Romeo and Juliet, Francesca da Rimini, 1812 Overture Philadelphia O/Riccardo Muti rec. 1981-91 EMI CLASSICS 5094352 [3 CDs: 63:58 + 72:37 + 63:23] [MC]

These are splendid Tchaikovsky performances ... see Full Review

Pyotr Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893) Complete Songs - Volume 5 Ljuba Kazarnovskaya (soprano), Ljuba Orfenova (piano) rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570438 [72:56] [GF]

A treasure trove of rarely heard songs but the singing gives little pleasure ... see Full Review

Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) Zerschmettert die Götzen – Cantatas Accademia Daniel/Shalev Ad-El rec. 2006 CPO 7772492 [71:49][JV]

Telemann's astonishing creativity and freshness - soloists and ensemble give captivating performances ... see Full Review

Boris TISCHENKO
(b. 1939)
Symphony No. 1; The Blockade Chronicle Symphony Leningrad PO/Edward Serov; Andrey Chistiakov rec. 1970-85 NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9942 [78:14][RB] 

Red-blooded performances of two uncompromising yet accessible and grown-up symphonies ... see Full Review

Boris TISCHENKO (b. 1939) Symphony No. 6 USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra/Gennady Rozhdestvensky rec. 1989 NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9947 [78:14][RB]

A concert performance of extraordinary burning intensity  ... see Full Review

Will TODD (b. 1970) Mass in Blue etc. Bethany Halliday (soprano); Will Todd (piano); Vasari Singers/Jeremy Backhouse rec. 2006 SIGNUM SIGCD083 [64.19][JQ]

Will Todd’s music receives the strongest possible advocacy on this CD ... see Full Review

Chinary UNG (b. 1942) Inner Voices see HARRISON

Fartein VALEN (1887-1952) Pastorale; Sonetto di Michelangelo; Cantico di Ringraziament; Symphony No. 1; Violin Concerto Elise Bĺtnes (violin); Stavanger Symphony Orchestra/Christian Eggen rec. 2005-6 BIS CD1522 [58:06][RB] 

Norwegian lyricism meets dissonance in delicate yet durable scores ... see Full Review

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Un giorno di regno Wiener Symphoniker, Wiener Staatsopernchor/Piero Bellugi rec. 1974 GALA GL100793 [79:25 + 78:52][GPu]

An engaged, feisty performance of a minor Verdi work well worth getting to know … see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) La Traviata Renée Fleming, Rolando Villazón, Los Angeles Opera O & Ch/James Conlon rec. live, 2006 DECCA 0743215 [141:00] [RJF]

With the benefit of the latest picture technology, this performance goes to the top of the list for those preferring a traditional production ... see Full Review

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Un ballo in Maschera Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, New York/Giuseppe Patane rec. 1980 DECCA 0743227 [2DVDs: 145:00 + 25:00 (interviews)][RJF]

The best justification for buying this issue is to see and hear Pavarotti nearer to his vocal peak in a role which his strong lyric voice and clear diction is ideally suited ... see Full Review

William WALTON (1902-1983) Violin Concerto Bjarne BRUSTAD (1895-1978) Violin Concerto 4 Camilla Wicks (violin) Oslo PO/Juri Simonov, Herbert Blomstedt rec. 1968-85 SIMAX PSC1185 [59:50] [JW]

Another diverting release, one that will strongly appeal to Wicks’ many admirers ... see Full Review

Judith WEIR (b. 1954) The Welcome Arrival of Rain, Natural History, Moon and Star, Forest, Heroic Strokes of the Bow Ailish Tynan (soprano); BBC Singers; BBC SO/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2007 NMC D137 [75:52] [HC]

Honest, sincere, quite beautiful, strongly communicative and utterly accessible ... see Full Review

Charles WOOD (1866-1926) St. Mark Passion Edward BAIRSTOW (1874-1946) Organ Voluntary The Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge/Daniel Hyde rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.570561 [61:46] [MC]

Lovers of sacred choral music will be delighted with this quite superbly sung and recorded version of Charles Wood’s St. Mark Passion on Naxos ... see Full Review

Kósçak (Kōsaku) YAMADA (1886-1965) Nagauta Symphony ‘Tsurukame’; Sinfonia ‘Inno Meiji’; Choreographic Symphony ‘Maria Magdalena’ Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra/Takuo Yuasa rec. 2005 NAXOS JAPANESE CLASSICS 8.557971 [51:31][DW] 

A fascinating snapshot of the work of this important ‘early’ Japanese composer just don’t expect any earth-shattering discoveries … see Full Review

Jan Dismas ZELENKA (1679-1745) Sacred Music Fiori Musicali Choir and Orchestra, Members of His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts/Penelope Rapson rec. 2007 METRONOME METCD1082 [66:16][JV]

A fairly good impression of Zelenka's style of composing, but the performances are largely disappointing ... see Full Review

 


[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]



This conflict and wildness, even terror, is powerfully communicated as Fredman stalks the


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