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Alphabetical Listing

Recommendations

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]
[last 5 days] [Recommended recordings]


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RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Thomas ADÈS (b. 1971) Tevot, Violin Concerto, Three Studies from Couperin, Powder Her Face Berlin PO/Sir Simon Rattle, Anthony Marwood, CO Europe/Thomas Adès rec. 2007/9 EMI CLASSICS 4578132 [66:43] [LW]

An important disc of remarkable contemporary music … see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Motets Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki rec. 2009 BIS BISSACD1841 [75:28]  [MC]

Suzuki provides immaculate performances of the Bach Motets ... see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) St Matthew Passion Thomas Quasthoff (bass) Thomanerchor Leipzig; Tölzer Knabenchor Gewandhaus O/Riccardo Chailly rec. 2009 DECCA 478 2194 [80:31 + 79:39] [DC]

Blows away a few cobwebs - very high quality.... see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH York BOWEN (1884-1961) Piano Works - Vol. 4 Partita, Suite Mignonne, Third Suite, Three Sketches, Sonatina, Three Novelettes, Polonaise, A Whim Joop Celis (pno), rec. 2009 CHANDOS CHAN10593 [79:35] [JF]

A fantastic CD ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Herbert HOWELLS (1892-1983) St John's Magnificat and other choral works Ch St John’s College, Cambridge/Andrew Nethsingha rec. 2009 CHANDOS CHAN10587 [75:33] [JF]

There are at least four excellent reasons why this CD should be at the top of the list for all Herbert Howells enthusiasts ... see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Giovanni LEGRENZI (1626-1690) Messa a 4 Voci e Doi Violini, Vesperae Solemnes de Confessore Oficina Musicum/Riccardo Favero rec. 2008 DYNAMIC CDS653 [35:45 + 67:30] [MS]

Superbly persuasive … so complete and sheerly lovely that one cannot wait for more … see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 2 Yvonne Kenny (soprano); Jard van Nes (mezzo); London PO & Ch/Klaus Tennstedt rec. live, 1989 LPO LIVE LPO 0044 [25:02 + 67:48] [JQ]

A most exciting release. Tennstedt working in a white-hot interpretative crucible. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 2 Anne Schwanewilms, Lioba Braun, Bayerische SCh, Bamberg SO, Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie/ Jonathan Nott rec. 2008 TUDOR 7158 [32:53 + 51:24] [DM]

Not to be missed ... see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 4 Miah Persson (soprano) Budapest Festival O/Iván Fischer rec. 2008 CHANNEL CLASSICS CCS SA 26109 [57:00] [LW]

Fischer’s Mahler Fourth is tops … see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jules MASSENET (1842-1912) Manon Tamara Rojo, Carlos Acosta, José Martín, Christopher Saunders, Laura Morera, Royal Ballet, Orch. of Royal Ballet/Martin Yates, Filmed 2008 DECCA 074 3346 [117:00 (ballet) + 45:00 (bonus)] [I&GL]

A truly spellbinding production with superb dancing from Rojo and Acosta ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Aribert REIMANN (b.1936) Lear (1978) Soloists Chor der Oper Frankfurt, Frankfurter Museumsorchester/Sebastian Weigle rec. 2008, Notes and plot summary in English and German. Libretto in German only. OEHMS CLASSICS OC 921 [71:31 + 79:08] [GPu]

A striking recording of a modern operatic masterpiece … See Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano Concertos 1-3, Concert Fantasia Stephen Hough (piano) Minnesota O/Osmo Vänskä rec. live, 2009 HYPERION CDA67711/2 [65:39 + 75:31] [IL]

A triumph ... see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Götterdämmerung Jennifer Wilson, Lance Ryan, Franz-Josef Kapellmann, O de la Comunitat Valenciana/Zubin Mehta rec. live, 2008 UNITEL CLASSICA 701108 [287:00] [ST]

A Ring on DVD to live with and to return to again and again. ... see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Kurt WEILL (1900-1950) Kleine Dreigroschenmusik Ernst TOCH (1887-1964) Egon und Emilie Erwin SCHULHOFF (1894-1942) H.M.S. Royal Oak Capella Amsterdam; Ebony Band/Werner Herbers rec. 1998-2006 CHANNEL CLASSICS CCS25109 [69:24] [DC]

Astounding, remarkable, wunderbahr! … see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Between Life and Death: Songs and arias Christoph Prégardien (tenor) Michael Gees (piano) rec. 2008 CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72324 [41:50 + 44:47] [DM]

It’s quality and not quantity that counts here … see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Diminuito Rolf Lislevand (lutes, vihuela de mano); Linn Andrea Fuglseth, Anna Maria Friman (voice) rec. 2007/8 ECM NEW SERIES 2088 [58:11] [DC]

Transcendent music making - and great fun as well ... see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Visions of Beyond Late works by Liszt, Brahms, Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin, Schubert and Schumann Edward Rosser (piano) rec. 2007 CONNOISSEUR SOCIETY CD4260 [63:49] [BR]

Not a recital but a great narrative in music … see Full Review 

 

BARGAINS OF THE MONTH

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Howard BLAKE (b.1938) The Passion of Mary, Four Songs of the Nativity London Voices, Royal PO/Howard Blake rec. 2009 NAXOS 8.572453 [76:25] [BB]

Far too good to miss … see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849) Kissin Plays Chopin Evgeny Kissin (piano) rec. 1993-2004 BMG-RCA 88697 625302 [5 CDs: 317:31] [DC]

Powerful and sometimes wayward, but not to be avoided ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1868) Lucrezia Borgia Montserrat Caballé, Alfredo Krauss, RCA Italiana Opera Ch & O/Jonel Perlea rec. 1966 SONY OPERA HOUSE 88697575942 [60.53 + 73.22]  [RJF]

The preferred choice among CD recordings of this dramatic work from Donizetti’s pre-Lucia period ... see Full Review 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Franz Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) The Complete String Quartets Kodaly Qt rec. 1989-2000 NAXOS 8.502400 [25CDs: 25:42:24] [SA]

The Kodaly Quartet plays with a shared intelligence that makes for thrilling listening - nothing could persuade me to live without it … see Full Review 

HISTORICAL BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Richard STRAUSS (1864 – 1949) Der Rosenkavalier Lotte Lehmann (soprano) Richard Mayr (bass) Elisabeth Schumann (soprano) Vienna State Opera Ch, Vienna PO/Robert Heger rec. 1933 PRISTINE AUDIO PACO036 [59:46 + 38:40] [GF]

No one who loves this music can afford to be without this recording ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Dona Nobis Pacem, Sancta Civitas Matthew Brook (baritone); Christina Pier (soprano); Andrew Staples (tenor) The Bach Ch, Bournemouth SO/David Hill rec. 2009 NAXOS 8.572424 [64:39] [JQ]

Two English choral works of great stature in fine new recordings ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH English Viola Sonatas by Jacob, Ireland, Arnold, Delius and Berkeley Martin Outram (viola); Julian Rolton (piano) rec. 2009 NAXOS 8.572208 [72:04] [BBr]

A fabulous disk … see Full Review 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Moviebrass Leonard BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) West Side Story Suite Samuel BARBER (1910-1981) Adagio for Strings John WILLIAMS (b. 1932), Jerry GOLDSMITH (1929-2004), James HORNER (b. 1953) and David ARNOLD (b. 1962) Space Brass John WILLIAMS Indiana Jones: Main Title Theme (arr. Marco Pierobon) [4:27] Danny ELFMAN (b. 1953) The Simpsons Theme (arr. Marco Pierobon) [1:38] Franco MICALIZZI (b. 1939) and Yuji OHNO (b. 1941) Lupin III: Main Title Theme (arr. Marco Pierobon) [3:17] Gomalan Brass Quintet rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.572244 [59:03] [RB]

Whoop it up with the Gomalan. ... 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]
[last 5 days] [Recommended recordings]


 



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