Superbudget £5.99 or less 
Budget £6-7.99 
Medium £8-10.99 
Full price £11+
Download
Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Pelleas
und Melisande; Erwartung 
Philharmonia Orchestra/Robert Craft rec. 1999-2000
NAXOS 8.557527 [68:59][BW] 
Not
likely to win converts for either work ... see Full
Review
Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Concerto
for Violin and Orchestra, A Survivor from Warsaw, Prelude
to Genesis, Dreimal Tausend Jahre, Psalm
130, De Profundis, Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte Rolf
Schulte (violin); David Wilson-Johnson (narrator); Jeremy Denk
(piano); The Fred Sherry Quartet; Simon Joly Chorale Philharmonia
O/Robert Craft
rec. 1999-2007 NAXOS 8.557528 [71:03]
[EMc]
A
fascinating collection of music by one of the 20th century greats
... see Full Review
Arnold SCHOENBERG (1974–1951)
Ode
to Napoleon see FORD
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) String Quintet;
Lieder Chilingirian
Quartet; Dame Janet Baker; Geoffrey Parsons (piano) rec. 1971-81
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2282822 [76:42][BW]
A
recommendable bargain but I very slightly prefer the Aeolians ... see
Full Review
William
SCHUMAN (1910-1992) A Song of Orpheus see
PERRY
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Songs
of Love and Loss Gedichte der Königin Maria
Stuart, Liederkreis, Frauenliebe und -leben, Sarah
Connolly (mezzo); Eugene Asti (piano)
rec. 2007 CHANDOS CHAN10492 [65:58]
[TB] 
Connolly’s
is a distinguished addition to the catalogue ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano
Quintet Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano
Quintet Leif Ove
Andsnes (piano); Artemis Quartet
rec. 2006 VIRGIN CLASSICS 3951432 [68:33]
[DJB]
I
was entranced, enraptured and enthralled – you have to have this
one
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Robert SCHUMANN
(1810-1856) Violin Concerto see BRAHMS
Reinhard Schwarz-Schilling (1904-1985) Introduction
and Fugue, Symphony in C, Sinfonia diatonica Staatskapelle
Weimar/José Serebrier
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570435 [65:40]
[WK]
Sincere
music filling a major gap in our knowledge of post-war German music
... see Full Review
Alexander
Nikolayevich
SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Vers la flamme, Five Preludes,
Sonata 5 see MUSSORGSKY
Bedřich
SMETANA (1824-1884) Má Vlast
Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra/Libor Pešek rec. 1989
VIRGIN CLASSICS 5221292 [76:29][JW] 
Only
a rather limited market for this 1989 Má Vlast
... see Full
Review
Bedřich
SMETANA (1824-1884) Piano Trio see DVOŘÁK
Hugo
STAEHLE (1826-1848) Symphony 1 see BURGMÜLLER
Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD
(1852-1924) Symphony
No. 1 in Bb major (1876) [48:36] Clarinet Concerto Op.80 (1903) [22:03]
Robert Plane (clarinet)
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones rec. 2007. DDD Sir
Charles Villiers Stanford: Symphonies - Volume 4
NAXOS 8.570356 [70:39]
[JF]
Stanford
the consummate craftsman, music that is subtle
and unpredictable ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard
STRAUSS (1864–1949)
Salome
Susan Bullock (soprano), John Graham-Hall
(tenor)
Philharmonia Orchestra/Charles Mackerras rec.
2007 Salome’s dance of the Seven Veils
(concert version)
CHANDOS CHAN 3157(2) [61:39 + 52:40]
[DH]
Richard
STRAUSS (1864–1949) Lieder Alban
BERG (1885–1935) Sieben frühe Lieder Michiyo
Iida (soprano), David Lutz (piano) rec. 2008 PREISER
RECORDS PR90755 [55:21] [GF]
There
are enough alternatives in the catalogues that are better buys
... see Full Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Don
Juan Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1857) Violin Concerto Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Rückert-Lieder František
Novotný (violin)
Karla Bytnarová (mezzo)
Brno PO/Martin Turnovský rec. live, 2007 ARCO
DIVA UP 0108-2 131 [61:56] [GP-J]
Overall
a firm ‘also-ran’, despite Novotný’s impressive and valuable Korngold
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Igor
STRAVINSKY
(1882-1971) The
Rite of Spring (1911-13, revised 1947)
[34:14] Apollon Musagète (1927-28,
revised 1947) [29:36]
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Jaap
van Zweden rec. 2006
EXTON OVCL 00330 [63:50] 
[DM]
A
very fine Rite indeed. One of my discs of
the year. ... see Full
Review
Karol
SZYMANOWSKI (1882-1937)
Stabat Mater; Veni Creator; Litania
do Marii Panny; Demeter; Penthesilea
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir/Antoni
Wit rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570724 [59:26][MS]
Superb
singing, faultless technique and interpretative
breadth ... see Full
Review
Piotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano
concerto 2Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Piano
concerto 1 Shura
Cherkassky (piano) RIAS SO/Ferenc Fricsay
rec. 1951/2 AUDITE 95.499 [53:53]
[RMAY]
If
the Tchaikovsky is your main point of interest you’ll enjoy this
very much. ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Manfred symphony, The
Voyevoda Royal
Liverpool PO/Vasily Petrenko
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570568 [68:51]
[RMAY]
Exciting
and illuminating ... see Full
Review
Simeon
TEN HOLT (b. 1923) Canto
Ostinato Kees
Wieringa (piano); Polo de Haas (piano)
rec. 2007 ET’CETERA KTC1367 [75.29]
[GH]
Highly
thought-provoking, but I may not play it again ... see Full
Review
Randall
THOMPSON (1899-1984) The
Peaceable Kingdom, Alleluia, The Last
Invocation, Mass of the Holy Spirit, Fare Well Schola
Cantorum of Oxford/James Burton
rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA 67679 [77.02]
[GH]
In
every way a fine CD ... see Full
Review
Virgil THOMSON (1896-1989)
Cello Concerto see PERRY
Sir
Michael Tippett (1905-1998) String
Quartets Vol. 1 Quartets 1, 2 & 4 Tippett
Quartet rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570496 [64:37] [JF]
Will
appeal strongly to all interested in Tippett’s chamber music ...
see Full Review
Ernst TOCH (1887–1964) Violin Sonata No. 2; Burlesken, for piano;
Three Impromptus, for cello; Piano
Quintet
Spectrum Concerts Berlin rec.
2007
NAXOS 8.559324 [68:57][BBr]
Excellent
disk, fine performances and crystal clear recording ... see Full
Review
Joaquín
TURINA (1882-1949) Rapsodia
Sinfónica; Danzas Fantásticas; Sinfonía Sevillana; La Procesión del
Rocio; La Oración del Torero
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mexico City Philharmonic/Enrique Bátiz
rec. 1983 REGIS RRC1299
[71:52][BW]
Colourful
performances, brightly recorded, of attractive
music ... see Full
Review
Edgard VARESE (1883-1965)
Orchestral Works 2 Includes Amériques, Ecuatorial,
Nocturnal, Ionisation
Elizabeth Watts (soprano); Maria Grichiwska (flute); Thomas Bloch (ondes
martenot); Men’s Voices of Camerata Silesia, Polish National RSO/Christopher
Lyndon-Gee (piano and conductor) rec. 2005
NAXOS 8.557882 [67:14] [CR]
Canti
Drammatici Peteris
VASKS (b.1946) Piano
Quartet Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano
Quartet 3 Ensemble
Raro rec. 2007 SOLO
MUSICA SM119 [70:12] [TB]
This
CD should bring long-term rewards ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) and Gustav
HOLST (1874-1934) Choral Folksong Arrangments
London Madrigal Singers/Christopher Bishop; Baccholian Singers of London
rec. 1969-74
EMI CLASSICS 2161552 [78:23][MSJ]
A
favourite LP appears on CD, expanded with extras ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI
(1813–1901)
La Traviata
Angela Gheorghiu, Ramón Vargas, Roberto Frontali, Teatro alla Scala
di Milano O & Ch/Lorin Maazel rec. 2007
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101343 
[134:00] [RMc]
A
towering performance by Gheorghiu ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901)
La
forza del destino (1869 revised version)
Maria Callas (soprano) – Leonora; Richard
Tucker (tenor) – Don Alvaro;
Orchestra of La Scala, Milan/Tullio Serafin rec. 1954
NAXOS GREAT OPERA RECORDINGS 8.111322-24 [3
CDs: 75:58 + 56:59 + 78:37]
[PB-W]
A
great Callas performance in a wonderful Verdi
opera
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901)
Macbeth
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Children’s
Chorus/James Levine rec. 2008
EMI CLASSICS 2063049
[155:36][ST]
With
stronger casting could well have been a top
contender ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Il
Trovatore Bruno
Preved, Gwyneth Jones,
Covent Garden Opera Ch & O/Carlo Maria Giulini
rec. live, 1964 ROYAL OPERA
HOUSE HERITAGE SERIES ROHS011 [66.39 + 60.29] [RJF]
Three
great Verdi voices are heard in one of the composer’s most vocally
demanding works ... see Full
Review
Antonio VIVALDI
(1678–1741) Sacred Music Vol. 3
Magnificat, Salve Regina, Nisi Dominus, Kyrie,
In fuore iustissimae irae,
Carla Huhtanen (soprano) Lynne McMurtry (mezzo) Eve Rachel McLeod (soprano)
Jennifer Enss Modolo (mezzo) Aradia Ensemble/Kevin Mallon rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570445 [73.51]
[RH]
Mallon’s
soloists are capable but they don’t quite thrill me ... see Full
Review
Georg
Christoph WAGENSEIL (1715–1777) Symphonies
Volume 2 Stuttgarter
Kammerorchester/Johannes Goritzki rec. 2004 CPO
7771122 [54:24] [BBr]
Sprightly
and well thought out music played with some brilliance
Carl Maria von WEBER (1786–1826)
Euryanthe
Siegfried Vogel, Nicolai Gedda, Jessye Norman, Tom Krause, Rundfunkchor
Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden/Marek Janowski rec. 1974
BERLIN CLASSICS 0184412BC [3 CDs: 64:53 + 45:20 + 63:59] [GF]
Wholeheartedly
welcomed ... see Full Review
Anton
WEBERN (1883 – 1945) Quartett see BERIO
Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786–1826) Abu Hassan see
CORNELIUS
Michael
WISE (c.1648-1687) Sacred
choral music Christopher
GIBBONS (1615-1676) Verses for organ The
Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge/Geoffrey Webber
rec. 2007 DELPHIAN
DCD34041 [70:15] [JV]
An
important release but the performances are disappointing ... see Full
Review
Ermanno
WOLF-FERRARI (1876–1948) La vedova scaltra
Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro La Fenice, Venice/Karl Martin rec.
2007 NAXOS 8.660225-26
[75:25 + 66:17][GF]
A
far from negligible reading of an attractive opera ... see Full
Review
Eugene
YSAYE
(1858-1931)
Six Sonatas for solo violin, Poème élégiaque, Rêve d’enfant,
Philippe Graffin (violin);
Pascal Devoyon (piano) rec. 1997
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55226 [78:30] [EM]
A
real love and comprehension shines through ... see Full
Review
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]
O
EXPLORE
MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL 
