Superbudget £5.99 or less 
Budget £6-7.99 
Medium £8-10.99 
Full
price £11+ 
Download
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No 9 
Philharmonia O/Esa-Pekka Salonen rec. 2009
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD188 [77:43]
[JQ]
An
interesting perspective on this deeply moving symphony: but other interpreters
offer much more.
Gian
Francesco MALIPIERO (1883 - 1973) The Symphonies –
Vol. 5
Moscow SO/Antonio de Almeida rec. 1993
NAXOS 8.570882 [71:23]
[MS]
A
revealing and pleasing conclusion to the Naxos reissue of the Marco
Polo Malipiero symphonies set.
Francesco
MANCINI (1672 - 1737) Twelve Recorder Sonatas
Ens
Tripla Concordia, rec. 1992-2009
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94058 [44:25 + 53:14]
[JV]
Infectious
performances of well-written and entertaining music.
Frank
MARTIN (1890 – 1974) Pavane couleur du temps see
Farewell
Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Music for Cello & Piano
Karine
Georgian (cello) Ian Munro (piano) rec. 1998
ALTO ALC 1057 [73:39]
[RB]
Gripping
recordings of Martinů’s complete works for cello and piano.
Bohuslav
MARTINU (1890-1959)
Viola Sonata 1 see Remembrances
from Home
William
MATHIAS (1934-1992) Shakespeare Songs see
Full fathom five
Felix
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Elias
Claudia Barainsky, Franziska Gottwald, Rainer Trost, Thomas E Bauer,
Chorus Musicus Köln, Das Neue O/Christoph Spering rec. 2009
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 602 1656-2 [61:47 +
61:14]
[JS]
Another
fine new recording of Elias, again one which takes the composer’s
intentions seriously and above all freshly.
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Elias
MDR SO & Radio Ch/Jun Märkl rec. 2008/9
NAXOS 8.572228-29 [66:45 + 65:53]
[GD]
Perfectly
serviceable with no frills. A budget price Elijah in every sense.
Nikolai
MIASKOVSKY
(1881-1950)
Cello Sonata 2 see Russian
Music
Ludwig
MINKUS (1826-1917) Ballet music
Elizabethan Trust Melbourne O, Sydney SO/John Lanchbery, London
Festival Ballet O/Terence Kern, Copenhagen PO/Ole Schmidt, rec. 1972-83
EMI
CLASSICS 6486402 [72:26 + 72:18]
[RMay]
This
well-filled set offers plenty of attractive music that deserves to be
rather better known.
Ludwig
MINKUS (1827-1890) Don Quixote (highlights)
see DELIBES
Stanisław
MONIUSZKO (1819-1872) Paria
Leszek Skrla, Janusz Lewandowski, Katarzyba Holysz, Tomasz Kuk, Castle
Opera Ch & O/Warcislaw Kunc rec. 2008
DUX 0686/87 [54:30 + 67:39]
[JW]
For
specialised collectors of Moniuszko’s oeuvre.
Claudio
MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
Vespro della Beata Vergine
Apollo’s Singers, Apollo’s Fire/Jeannette Sorrell rec. 1998
AVIE
AV2206 [41:52 + 48:14]
[MG]
An
eclectic Vespers in which there’s never a dull moment.
Leopold
MOZART (1719-1787) Trumpet Concerto see Trumpet
Concertos
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Violin Concertos 3 & 5, Sinfonia Concertante
Richard Tognetti (violin & leader) Christopher Moore (viola) Australian
CO rec. 2009
BIS-SACD-1754 [79:52] 
[DC]
Mozart
brought to life …extremely communicative.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Symphony 40, Lucia
Silla, Ballet Music from Idomeneo
Amanda Forsythe (soprano) Apollo’s Fire/Jeanette Sorrell rec. 2003/08
AVIE
AV2159 [61:05] [BBr]
Very
stylish performances.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Complete Horn Concertos and Fragments
Barry Tuckwell (horn, dir.) Philharmonia O rec. 1990
ALTO ALC1107 [71:20]
[RB]
Alluring
virtues. Big-band Mozart, directed and played with evident intelligence
and joie-de-vivre.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Piano
Concertos 18 & 22
Northern Sinfonia/Imogen Cooper (piano/director) rec. 2009
AVIE AV2200 [66:22]
[BW]
Not
quite the equal of its two excellent predecessors by these artists,
but very enjoyable.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Horn Quintet see
La
Grande Fanfare
Georg
MUFFAT (1653-1704) Apparatus musico-organisticus
Tobias Lindner (organ, harpsichord) rec. 2004
ORGANUM MUSIKPRODUKTION OGM292016 [54:19 + 46:12]
[DC]
A
genuine lode of superb music making, stunning organ sounds and state
of the art interpretation.
Adrian
MUNSEY (b
1947) Songs
Elin Manahan Thomas (soprano) Honor Blackman (actress) Jane Alexander,
Will Martin (vocalists) Blake, Crouch End Festival Ch, Saint Joseph’s
Youth Ch, Treorchy Male Ch, Muscle Shoals Horns and Rhythm Section,
City of Prague PO/Gareth Williams rec. 2008-10
MUSIC INFINITY INS147 [48:10]
[BBr]
This
is a delight and is most welcome.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Songs and Dances of
Death see Come
Away, Death
Johann
Baptist Georg NERUDA (1707-1780) Trumpet Concerto
see Trumpet Concertos
Otto
NICOLAI (1810-1849) Orchestral Works - Vol. 2
Johannes Pieper (clar.) Evangelische Kantorei Siegen, Phil. Südwestfalen
Landesorchester NRW/David Stern, rec. 2003
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG6011268-2 [48.15]
[CF]
The
performers enter into the spirit and style of the music which is worthy
of committing to a disc, which has clean, spacious sound.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Vitezlav
NOVÁK (1870-1949) Piano Music
Radoslav Kvapil (piano) rec. 2010
ALTO ALC 1113 [76:18]
[RB]
Miraculously
sure-footed and full of insight. Kvapil is a virtuoso of dexterity,
mood and narrative.
Jacques
OFFENBACH (1819 – 1880) Gaïté Parisienne, Overtures
Cincinnati
Pops O/Erich Kunzel rec. 1978-83
ALTO ALC 1073 [76.08]
[RH]
For
a bit of fun at budget price you can’t go wrong.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Hans
OTTE (1926-2007) Das Buch der Klänge
Ralph van Raat (piano) rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572444 [67:24]
[DC]
An
open door into magical worlds.
Niccolò
PAGANINI (1782-1840) Violin Concerto 1 Pyotr
Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Sérénade mélancolique, Valse-Scherzo
Midori
(violin) London SO/Leonard Slatkin rec. 1897
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802028 [51:15]
[AM]
Bright,
impressive recordings made in the early years of a now famous violinist’s
career.
Giovanni
Battista PERGOLESI
(1710-1736)
Missa Romana, Stabat Mater, Salve Regina Alessandro
SCARLATTI (1660-1750) Messa per il Santo Natale,
Stabat Mater Leonardo LEO (1694-1744)
Salve Regina
Concerto Italiano/Rinaldo Alessandrini, Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi
rec. 1993-2008
NAïVE OP30507 [3 CDs: 3:17:36]
[GH]
Well
worth investing in.
Astor
PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992) Tango Suite see Siempre
Nuevo
Ildebrando
PIZZETTI
(1880-1868)
Piano Trio, Violin Sonata, Tre Canti
Leila Rásonyi (violin) László Fenyö (cello)
Alpaslan Ertungealp (piano) rec. 1994
NAXOS 8.570875 [72:52]
[BBr]
A
valuable addition to the ever-growing recorded repertoire of chamber
music.
Alexander
PRIOR (b.1992) Velesslavitsa
Michael Province, Simone Porter (violins) Nathan Chan (cello) Zhang
Xiao Ming (piano) Northern Sinfonia/Alexander Prior rec. 2009
TOCCATA CLASICS TOCC 0109 [46:35]
[BBr]
I
find nothing in the music worthy of praise.
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Piano Concertos 1, 2 & 4
Alexander Gavrylyuk (pno) Sydney SO/Vladimir Ashkenazy, rec.
EXTON EXCL 00044 [72.22]
[DB]
Decent
performances of three concertos. Exton's disappointing recording pushes
the disc out of serious consideration.
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Piano Concertos 3 & 5
Alexander Gavrylyuk (pno)
Sydney SO/Vladimir Ashkenazy, rec. 2009
EXTON EXCL00047 [53.56]
[DB]
Good
performances of both concertos with decent but unremarkable sound. The
best reason for purchase is Gavrylyuk whose star is on the rise.
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Lieutenant Kijé Suite, The
Love for Three Oranges Suite, The Ugly Duckling
Andrei Laptev (baritone); Jacqueline Porter (soprano) Sydney SO/Vladimir
Ashkenazy rec. 2009
EXTON
EXCL 00049 [48:13]
[DB]
Low
key performances not rescued by a very well sung Ugly Duckling. The
second class SACD recording cannot withstand some ancient competition.
Sergey
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Symphonies 1 & 5
Philharmonia O/Rudolf Barshai rec. 1989
ALTO ALC 1086 [58:00]
[RB]
Prokofiev
on a grand scale.
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858
- 1924) La bohème
Alfie Boe (tenor) Melody Moore (soprano) English Ntl Opera Ch &
O/Miguel Harth-Bedoya rec. 2009
NVC ARTS/WARNER 50-51865-9489-2-6 
[120:00]
[GF]
A
sense of being there at the Coliseum. A set that is worth owning.
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858
- 1934) La Rondine
Rosanna Carteri (soprano) Giuseppe Gismondo (tenor) Ch & O Teatro
di San Carlo, Naples/Michele Lauro rec. 1958
HARDY VIDEO HCD4026
[107:00]
[IL]
For
admirers of La Rondine this historic production is a must, even though
it’s in monochrome and mono sound. Carteri enchants.
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Symphonies 1-3, Isle of the Dead, Symphonic Dances
Moscow State SO/Pavel Kogan rec. 1990
ALTO ALC1030-32 [67:16 + 68:05 + 77:12]
[RB]
A
refreshing hyper-powered alternative with caution thrown to the wind.
Sergei
RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) Cello Sonata see Russian
Music
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Preludes, Moments Musicaux
see In the
mists
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Trio élégiaque see
TCHAIKOVSKY
Joseph
Joachim RAFF (1822-1882)
Symphonies
1-11, Suites, Overtures
Bamberger Symphoniker/Hans Stadlmair rec. 1999–2002
TUDOR CD 1600 [9 CDs]
Raff
does not shake the foundations but he has so much more than a talent
to amuse. Truly imaginative romantic era pictorial symphonies.
Max
REGER (1873-1916) Complete Works for Cello and Piano
Alexandre
Kniazev (cello) Édouard Oganessian (piano) rec. 1997-2009
SAPHIR PRODUCTIONS LVC001103 [3 CDs: 74:01 + 76:01 + 69:00]
[GD]
This
is a highly commendable set, thanks mainly to the sheer quality of the
cello playing.
Aribert
REIMANN (b. 1936) Song Cycles after Schubert, Schumann,
Brahms & Mendelssohn
Juliane Banse (soprano) Cherubini Quartet rec. 1997
TUDOR 7063 [51:21]
[CC]
A
vitally important issue, and one which adds much to our appreciation
of the magnificent songs while in the process encouraging us to re-examine
them.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ottorino RESPIGHI
(1879-1936) Fontane
di Roma, Pini di Roma, Feste Romane
São Paolo SO/John Neschling rec. 2008
BIS-SACD-1720
[63:41]
[DC]
Bravo!
Josef
Gabriel RHEINBERGER (1839-1901)
Musica Sacra
X
Lydia Teuscher (soprano) Christine Müller (mezzo) Annette Markert
(alto) Götz Payer (piano) Kay Johannsen (organ) rec. 2009
CARUS 83.431 [75.33]
[GH]
One
comes out of the experience enriched and moved.
Ferdinand
RIES (1784 - 1838) Piano Sonatas Vol. 4
Susan Kagan (piano) rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.572299 [58:45]
[Byz]
Sparkling
and memorable.
Nikolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Scheherazade Johann
STRAUSS Jr (1825-1899) Waltzes & Polkas
Samuel Thaviu (violin) Pittsburgh SO/William Steinberg rec. 1953/5
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC 248 [75:39]
[BR]
If
the coupling suits you, have no fear about these marvelously restored
recordings.
Joaquín
RODRIGO (1901
– 1999) Joaquín Rodrigo Edition - Vol. 3: Complete Vocal Music
rec. 2000-2
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9172 [6 CDs: 369:46]
[BBr]
This
set is for the curious.
Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) La gazzetta
Judith Gauthier (soprano) Marco Cristarella Orestano (buffo baritone)
San Pietro Majella Conservatory Ch, Naples Czech Chamber Soloists, Brno/Christopher
Franklin rec. live, 2007
NAXOS OPERA CLASSICS 8.660277-78 [69.48 + 59.53]
[RJF]
A
bubbly effusion of Rossini’s music, some new, some re-cycled, all enjoyable.
Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) Petite Messe Solennelle
Basel Madrigal Choir/Fritz Näf rec. 1993
ALTO ALC1121 [79:00]
[RH]
Some
moments of fine choral singing rather let down by the solo singing.
Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) Guillaume Tell
Montserrat Caballé, Nicolai Gedda, Ambrosian Ch, Royal PO/Lamberto Gardelli,
rec. 1982
EMI CLASSICS 6407632 [5 CDs: 237:48 + bonus disc]
[JS]
This
is a welcome and indeed essential reissue.
Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) Stabat Mater
Anna Netrebko, Joyce DiDonato, Lawrence Brownlee, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo,
Ch & O Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Antonio Pappano rec.
2010
EMI CLASSICS 6405292 [52:27]
[RJF]
I
strongly suggest this is a case of try before you buy.
Gioachino ROSSINI (1792–1868)
La Cenerentola Overture
see TCHAIKOVSKY
Albert
ROUSSEL (1869-1937) Suite, Symphonies 3 & 4
O de l’Association des Concerts Lamoureux/Charles Munch rec. 1965
HIGH
DEFINITION TAPE TRANSFERS HDCD206 [61:23]
[BR]
A
great introduction to Roussel. But you’ll soon want every Roussel
CD there is!
Francis
ROUTH (b. 1927) The Well Tempered Pianist
Charles
Matthews (piano) rec. 2009/10
REDCLIFFE RECORDINGS RR021 [61:39]
[RB]
Routh
is a masterfully modern yet accessible composer whose voice stands in
the lineage from Debussy, Scott, Shostakovich and Nancarrow.
Miklós
RÓZSA (1907-1995) Viola Concerto Béla
BARTÓK (1881-1945) Viola Concerto Tibor
SERLY (1901-1978) Rhapsody for viola & orch.
Lawrence Power (viola) Bergen PO/Andrew Litton, rec. 2009
HYPERION CDA67687 [62:58]
[JW]
Power
and Litton make a most sympathetic pairing, and can be proud of this
disc in all respects.
Anton
RUBINSTEIN (1829-1894) Piano Music (1852-1894)/(1871-1890)
Joseph
Banowetz (pno) rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.570942 [75:21]
NAXOS 8.570941 [73:44]
[JW]
Banowetz
has made something of a study of the executant-composer Anton Rubinstein
and is ideally placed to take on these works and present them knowledgeably
and with discriminating musicianship.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH John RUTTER
(b.1945) The Original Carols from Clare
Clare College Singers & O/John Rutter rec. 1966/8
EMI CLASSICS 9469472 [43:48 + 44:26]
[BBr]
These
disks are a joy.
John
RUTTER (b. 1945) Magnificat, Brother Heinrich’s
Christmas
Carmen Fuggiss (soprano) Arndt Schmöle (speaker) Knabenchor Hannover,
Nürnberger Symphoniker/Jörg Breiding rec. 2006
RONDEAU ROP7004 [61:36]
[BBr]
This
performance of the Magnificat is splendid.
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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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7 Misc M-Z]
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