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Pablo
de SARASATE (1844-1908)
Music for Violin and Orchestra - Vol. 1 Zigeunerweisen,
Airs Espagnols, Peteneras, Nocturne, Viva Sevilla!,
Fantasie sur la Dame Blanche 
Tianwa Yang (violin) avarra SO/Ernest Martínez Izquierdo rec.
2008
NAXOS 8.572191 [53:29] 
[CF]
A
tasty dish.
Pablo
SARASATE (1844-1908) Music for violin & orchestra
- Vol. 2
Tianwa Yang (violin) Navarra SO/Ernest Martínez Izquierdo, rec. 2008-9
NAXOS
8.572216 [58:19]
[BR]
All
young prodigies are madly virtuosic, but Tianwa Yang is also madly in
love with the music.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660
- 1725) La Santissima Trinita
Roberta Invernizzi, Veronique Gens, Vivica Genaux, Europa Galante/Fabio
Biondi rec. 2003
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6286472 [67.27] 
[RH]
One
of my discoveries of the year. Very fine singing and playing, combined
with a work which seems to have an abundance of variety, displaying
Scarlatti’s genius at its best.
Alessandro
SCARLATTI (1660 - 1725) Vespro della Beata Vergine
Roberto
Fernández de Larrinoa (violone) Menno van Delft (organ) Netherlands
Chamber Ch./Harry van der Kamp, rec. 2007
ATMA ACD2 2533 [59:46] 
[JV]
Fine
performances of seven beautiful sacred pieces by Alessandro Scarlatti,
largely written in the stile antico.
Alfred
SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) Concerto grosso 1, Symphony 9
Sharon Bezaly (flute) Christopher Cowie (oboe) Cape PO/Owain Arwel Hughes
rec. 2008
BIS-CD-1727 [61:24]
[CF]
There
is much highly attractive music here.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951)
Moses und Aron
Dale Duesing (baritone) Andreas Conrad (tenor) Chorwerk Ruhr, Bochum
SO/Michael Boder rec. live, 2009
EUROARTS 
2058178 [106:00]
[ST]
Altogether
outstanding: a thumping, exciting, visceral experience, but a challenge
too and something any serious music lover should rise to.
Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) String Quartet 1 see
SIBELIUS
Paul
SCHOENFIELD (b.1947) Six British Folk Songs; Peccadilloes;
Refractions
James Tocco (piano) Paul Schoenfield (piano) Yehuda Hanani (cello) Alexander
Fiterstein (clarinet) rec. 2008
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559380 [62:26]
[OL]
Energetic,
cerebral music with a mischievous grin.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Franz
SCHUBERT (1797–1828) Die Schöne Müllerin
Daniel
Behle (tenor) Sveinung Bjelland (piano) rec. 2009
CAPRICCIO 5044 [65:46]
[GF]
Should
win admirers around the world.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Franz SCHUBERT
(1797-1828)
Symphonies 1-9, Grand Duo, Rosamunde Overture
CO Europe/Claudio Abbado rec. 1986/7
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 8687 [5 CDs: 330:04]
[LW]
Abbado’s
winning set still provides hours of truly wonderful music-making and
at low cost.
Clara
Wieck SCHUMANN (1819-1896) Concerto Movement see
Robert
SCHUMANN
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Piano Concerto, Introduction and Allegro appassionato, Introduction
and Allegro concertante Clara Wieck SCHUMANN
(1819-1896) Concerto Movement
Oleg Marshev (piano) South Jutland SO/Vladimir Ziva rec. 2009
DANACORD DACOCD688 [73:41]
[RBe]
Beautifully
phrased and well executed.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Kinderszenen, Davidsbündlertänze, Piano Sonata
2 Angela
Hewitt (piano) rec. 2009
HYPERION CDA67780 [75:32]
[DC]
Fans
and newcomers alike will find much to enjoy here.
Robert
SCHUMANN
(1810-1856)
Carnaval see Solomon
Oliver
Iredale SEARLE (b.1977)
On a Summer Night see BRITTEN
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975) 24 Preludes, Piano Qnt
David Kadouch (piano) Quatuor Ardeo rec. 2008
TRANSART TR162 [64:5]
[BBr]
Exhilarating
performances.
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
24 Preludes and Fugues
Roger Woodward (piano) rec. 1975
CELESTIAL HARMONIES 14302-2
[NB]
A
pleasure to rediscover in all its grandeur one of the peaks of the 20th
Century piano repertoire in a performance of such power and insight.
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Festive Overture see RACHMANINOV
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphonies 1 & 3
New Zealand SO/Pietari Inkinen, rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572305 [70:04]
[BR]
A
dull Sibelius First and a superb Third make this a hard disc to review.
Jean
SIBELIUS
(1865-1957)
Symphonic Poems and Cantatas
Estonian Ntl SO/Paavo Järvi rec. 1996 - 2002
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6484032 [4 CDs: 281:15]
[RB]
An
apt and irresistible collection enhanced by bargain price.
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) String
Quartet Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951)
String Quartet 1
Tetzlaff Qt rec. 2009
C-AVI MUSIC 8553202 [75:31]
[MC]
Beautifully
played and recorded.
Lawrence
SIEGEL
Kaddish
Maria Jette (soprano) Krista J Palmquist (mezzo) Anders Eckman (tenor)
James Bohn (bass-baritone) VocalEssence Chorus and Chamber Singers/Philip
Brunelle rec. live, 2008
NAVONA RECORDS NV5834 [59.56]
[RH]
A
great deal of love and thought has gone into this disc.
Bedrich
SMETANA (1824 - 1884) String Quartet 1 see
MOZART
Ethel
SMYTH (1858 – 1944) Violin Sonata see British
Women Composers
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH John Philip SOUSA
(1854-1932)
Sousa’s Greatest Marches
Royal Artillery Band/Keith Brion rec. 1999-2002
NAXOS WIND BAND CLASSICS 8.572651-2 [53:43 + 54:59]
[DM]
Huzzahs
all round.
Louis
SPOHR (1784-1859) Violin Concerto 8 see
MOZART
Karlheinz
STOCKHAUSEN (1928-2007) Mantra, Work No.
32 Pestova/Meyer
Piano Duo, Jan Panis (electronics) rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572398 [67:33]
[LW]
Fans
of Stockhausen and the avant-garde should hear this.
Richard
STRAUSS Vier letzte Lieder, Der
Rosenkavalier
Yvonne Kenny (soprano) Queensland SO/Johannes Fritsch rec. 2008
ABC CLASSICS 476 3954
[GF]
Not
an unqualified success then, but Yvonne Kenny’s many admirers will find
a lot to savour.
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Rosenkavalier-Suite, Till Eulenspiegels
lustige Streiche, Vier Letzte Lieder
Anja Harteros (soprano) Bayerischen RSO/Mariss Jansons rec. 2006/9
BR KLASSIK ARCHIVE 900707 [63:33]
[JQ]
A
fine and well-chosen Strauss programme, which will give collectors a
great deal of pleasure.
Richard
STRAUSS
(1864-1949) Cello
Sonata Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Cello
Sonata 1 Ludwig THUILLE (1861-1907)
Cello Sonata
Jamie Walton (cello) Daniel Grimwood (piano) rec. 2009
JCL RECORDS JCL516 [78.54]
[RBe]
Displays
a considerable range of pyrotechnics, tone colour and textural variation.
Josef
SUK (1874-1935) Symphony, Ripening
New London Chamber Ch; BBC SO/Jirí Belohlávek rec. 2010
CHANDOS CHSA5081 
[78:33] [JW]
If
you value a cogent pair of readings – brisk but not brusque – then you
will find that this latest entrant fits the bill admirably.
David
SUTTON–ANDERSON (b.1956) Organ Works see
Contemporary British
Organ Music
Giles
SWAYNE (b.1946) The Joys of Travel see
Departures
Phyllis
TATE (1911 – 1987) Triptych see British
Women Composers
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893)
The Nutcracker 
Berliner Philharmoniker/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2009
EMI CLASSICS 6316212 [43:47 + 42:37]
[MC][RB]
Beautifully
played and recorded this sumptuously presented release will I’m sure
be a runaway Christmas success. [MC] Fortunate the child who discovers
the Nutcracker experience at Christmas through this set. [RB]
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The Nutcracker
Ricardo Cervera, Miyako Yoshida, Royal Ballet, Ch & O Royal Opera
House/Koen Kessels rec. live, 2009
OPUS ARTE OA1036 D [127:00
+ extras]
[JS]
A
fine performance of a justified favourite is given the presentation
it deserves.
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphonies 4-6
O dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Antonio Pappano, rec. 2006
EMI
CLASSICS 6318112 [71:24 + 65:03]
[BR]
They
are labelled as “great recordings” after just three years, but not without
reason.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Piano
Concerto 1 Franz LISZT
(1811-1886) Piano Concerto 1
Alice Sara Ott (piano) Münchner Philharmoniker/Thomas Hengelbrock rec.
2009
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 8779 [54:47]
[GD]
Nobody
else sounds quite like this.
Piotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Cherevichki
Olga Guryakova, Vsevolod Grivnov, Larissa Diadkova, Maxim Mikhailov,
Royal Opera House O/Alexander Polianichko rec. 2009
OPUS ARTE OA1037D [DVD:
155:00] [BW]
This
DVD is likely to become one of my regular Christmas visitors.
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 – 1893) Symphony 6 see
A Romantic Evening
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Nutcracker Suite see DVOŘÁK
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Nocturne, Pezzo Capriccioso, Andante cantabile see
DAVIDOFF
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 – 1893) Variations on a Rococo
Theme see DVORÁK
Ludwig
THUILLE (1861-1907) Cello Sonata see STRAUSS
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Fantasia on a Theme by
Thomas Tallis
Philharmonia O/Malcolm Sargent see
ELGAR
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872 - 1958) Songs of Travel see
Departures
Ian
VENABLES (b.1955) Songs
Andrew Kennedy (tenor) Iain Burnside (pno) Richard Hosford (clarinet)
rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572514 [66:04]
[BW]
All
lovers of English song should purchase this CD at their earliest opportunity.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Requiem, Quattro Pezzi Sacri
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Janet Baker, Christa Ludwig, Nicolai Gedda, Nicolai
Ghiaurov, Philharmonia Ch & O/Carlo Maria Giulini rec. 1962-64
EMI CLASSICS 6318212 [67:00 + 61:41]
[MS]
One
of the last century's greatest, most captivating, stimulating and thoroughly
enjoyable choral recordings from a team at the peak of their various
forms reissued. Don't miss it; though be prepared to live with some
acoustic imperfections.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901)
Messa da Requiem
Barbara Frittoli (soprano) Olga Borodina (mezzo) Mario Zeffiri (tenor)
Ildar Abdrazakov (bass) Chicago SO & Ch/Riccardo Muti rec. live,
2009
CSO RESOUND CSOR9011008
[48:31 + 41:13]
[JQ]
Despite
a few reservations, overall this is an impressive recording.
Giuseppe
VERDI
(1813–1901)
Duetti verdiani
Amarilli Nizza (soprano), Roberto Frontali (baritone) O del Teatro di
Silesia e Moravia “A. Dvorak”/Gianluca Martinenghi
DYNAMIC CDS661 [69:22]
[GF]
Readers
who fancy a collection of fine Verdi duets need look no further.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Don Carlo
Ferruccio Furlanetto, Rolando Villazón, Simon Keenlyside, Royal
Opera House Ch & O/Antonio Pappano rec. 2008
EMI CLASSICS 6316099 [2 DVDs: 126:00 + 85:00]
[RJF]
An
enjoyable, if not wholly memorable evening at Covent Garden, in Verdi’s
longest opera.
Antonio
VIVALDI (1675-1741) Concertos for Oboe & Strings
Alex
Klein (oboe) New Brandenburg Collegium/Anthony Newman rec. 1993
CEDILLE CDR 7003 [75:00]
[KS]
Stravinsky
got it wrong when he quipped that Vivaldi wrote the same concerto five
hundred times. These elegant and beautifully played show-pieces for
oboe will delight any listener.
Antonio
VIVALDI
(1678-1741)
Arie per tenore
Topi Lehtipuu (tenor) I Barocchisti/Diego Fasolis rec. 2010
NAĎVE OP 30504 [65:28]
[JV]
Vivaldi in overdrive: too fast and too loud.
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) Il cimento dell’armonia
e dell’inventione, L’estro armonico Concertos
Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi (violin) rec. 1997-2000
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6484082 [4CDs: 202:59]
Antonio VIVALDI The Four Seasons, La Stravaganza
John
Holloway (violin) Taverner Players/Andrew Parrott, La Stravaganza Köln/Andrew
Manze rec. 1983/91
DAL SEGNO DSPRCD058 [64:17] 
[BW]
Two
recommendable reissues that will appeal to different sets of purchasers.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1833)
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Theo Adam; Birgit Nilsson; Gustav Neidlinger; Wolfgang Windgassen; Bayreuth
Festival O & Ch/Karl Böhm rec. live, 1966/7
DECCA 478 2367 [14 CDs: 13:39:00]
[GD]
However
many interpretations of the Ring Cycle you have already heard, the Böhm
is definitely worth hearing.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Orchestral highlights from the operas,
Siegfried Idyll
Philharmonia O/Otto Klemperer rec. 1960/1
EMI CLASSICS 6318272 [79:16 + 78:55]
[JS]
Should
be on the shelves of any admirer of the composer.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Rienzi
Torsten Kerl, Camilla Nylund, Kate Aldrich, Ch & O Deutsche Oper
Berlin/Sebastian Lang-Lessing, rec. 2010
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101521 [155:00]
[ST]
If
you really want to explore Wagner’s first success then you shouldn’t
hesitate in acquiring this DVD.
Irčne
WIENIAWSKA (1879- 1932) Violin Sonata see
British Women Composers
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for alphabetical listings by composer:
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1 New] [Part
2 A-B] [Part 3 C-L]
[Part 4 M-R] [Part
5 S-Z]
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