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Camille
SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921)
Cello Concerto No 1 in A minor, Op. 33 (1872) [19:37] Gabriel
FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Élégie for cello and orchestra (1880/1895) [6:45] Aprčs un
ręve arr. Pablo Casals (1878) [3:05] Edouard
LALO (1823-1892) Cello Concerto in D minor (1876) [27:20]
Jesús
Morales ('cello) Philharmonia Bulgarica/Jaime Morales rec. 2005
CENTAUR CRC 2837 [56:49] 
[SV]
A
potential Rostropovich in the making.
Giuseppe
SAMMARTINI
(1695-1750)
Concertos & sonatas for recorder Giovanni
Battista SAMMARTINI (1700-1775) Harpsichord sonata
Collegium Pro Musica/Stefano Bagliano (recorder) rec. 2008
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94157 [71:34]
[Byz]
A
bountifully filled disc of splendid music in first-rate performances
… memorable melodies and imaginative harmonies.
Pablo
de SARASATE (1844-1908) Concert Fantasy on Carmen
see BRAHMS
Henri
SAUGUET (1901–1989) Cirque, Le Voyante, Le Chemin
des Forains Francis POULENC (1899–1963)
Cocardes Georges AURIC (1899–1983)
Huit Počmes de Jean Cocteau Darius
MILHAUD (1892–1974) Six Chansons de Théâtre
Celini
Ricci (soprano) Daniel Lockert (piano) rec. 2009/2010.
DORIAN SONO LUMINUS DSL 92125 [74.53]
[RH]
Admirable
programme, intelligently put together and including some lesser-known
works but Ricci’s performance is simply unsatisfactory.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) String Quartet 14 Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Quintet
Sviatoslav Richter (piano) Borodin Qt rec. 1994/1995
WARNER APEX 2564 67429-8 [74:12]
[GA]
Buy
this for the Schumann Piano Quintet, which is very successful.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Masses
Luba Orgonasova (soprano) Birgit Remmert (alto) Deon van der Walt (tenor)
Anton Scharinger (bass) Wolfgang Holzmair (baritone) Arnold Schoenberg
Ch, CO Europe/Nikolaus Harnoncourt rec. 1995
WARNER APEX 2564 67430-2 [50:05 + 53:31] [RMo]
The
later Mass is a gem.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797–1828) Piano Sonatas 4 & 13; Wandererfantasie
Eldar
Nebolsin (piano) rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572459 [62:15]
[GM+BW]
Well
worth considering, especially at the price.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) “Arpeggione”
sonata see BRAHMS
Clara
SCHUMANN (1819-1896) Concerto Movement see
Robert
SCHUMANN
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Kinderszenen, Fantasie in C
Mindru Katz (piano) rec. 1974
CEMBAL D’AMOUR CD 157 [56:42]
[JW]
There
is more Katz to come from this source, and one awaits it impatiently.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) String Quartets 1-3 Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) String Quartets 1-3
Melos Qt rec. 1986/7
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802051 [3 CDs: 177:54] [MC]
There
are far better alternatives in the catalogue.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Concerto; Introduction and
Allegro Appassionato; Introduction and Allegro Concertante Clara
SCHUMANN (1819-1896) Concerto Movement
Oleg Marshev (piano) South Jutland SO/Vladimir Ziva. rec. 2009
DANACORD DACOCD688 [73:41]
[CC]
The
couplings to the concerto on this disc are what actually what makes
the disc interesting, and musically worthwhile.
Robert
SCHUMANN
(1810-1856)
Phantasiestucke, Drei Romanzen, Märchenbilder, Adagio und Allegro
Jeajoon RYU (b.1970) Sonata for
violin and piano
Eungsoo Kim (violin); Moon-Young Chae (piano) rec. Vienna, 2010
TELOS TLS127 [66:33]
[RBe]
A
very good recital with both players showing a real rapport and a shared
understanding.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Carnaval Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Piano Pieces
Sergei Rachmaninov (piano) rec. 1929/40
ST-LAURENT STUDIO YSL 78-019 [50:44]
[JW]
St-Laurent
have effortlessly outstripped RCA.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Quintet see
SCHUBERT
Dimitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Piano Concerto No. 1 and 2, Piano Quintet
Martin Helmchen (piano), Paul Beniston (trumpet), Pieter Schoeman (violin),
Vesselin Gellev (violin), Alexander Zemtsov (viola), Kristina Blaumane
(cello) London Philharmonic Orchestra/Vladimir Jurowski rec. 2008, 2009,
2010
LPO-0053 [75.49]
[RBe]
Warm
and intense.
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975) Cello
Concerto 2, Cello Sonata 1
Sol Gabetta (cello) Mihaela Ursuleasa (piano) Munich PO/Marc Albrecht
rec. 2008
RCA-BMG RED SEAL 88697359612 [66:01] [MC]
I
know of no more dramatic and beautifully played account of the Concerto
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Complete Works for Cello
Raphael Wallfisch (cello) John York (piano) BBC SO/Martyn Brabbins rec.
2005
NIMBUS NI 5764/5 [61:07 + 67:12]
[LW]
Wallfisch
excels in Shostakovich’s complete cello works. Something of a bargain.
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Five pieces for children arr. Levon Atovmian A child’s
exercise book Op.69 see Russian
Piano Miniatures for Children
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Violin Concerto Nicolò PAGANINI
(1782-1840) Violin Concerto 2
Yulian Sitkovetsky (violin) Czech PO/Nicolai Anosov, Mark Pavermann
rec. 1953/5
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC 290 [58:34]
[JW]
The
fervour is unceasing and the music is charted with feverish intensity.
Sir
Arthur SOMERVELL (1863-1937) Maud Sir
William STERNDALE BENNETT (1815-1875) Songs Herbert
HOWELLS (1892-1983) Five Early Songs; Three Rondeaux Alfred
TENNYSON (1809-1892) Maud (The Monodrama)
Stephen Roberts (baritone) Terence Allbright (piano) Gabriel Woolf (reader)
PRELUDE
RECORDS CDPR2552 [77.10 + 60.59]
[EM]
This
failed to impress.
Johann
STAMITZ (1717-1757)
Flute Concertos
Robert Aitken (flute) St Christopher CO/Donatas Katkus rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570150 [69:15]
[CR]
Enjoyable
phrasing and a pure, sweet, uncomplicated tone quality balanced with
a good sense of energy and exuberant display.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Wilhelm STENHAMMAR
(1871 - 1927) Symphonies, piano concertos & other orchestral
works
Peter Mattei (baritone) Ulf Wallin (violin) Love Derwinger, Cristina
Ortiz (piano) Gothenburg SO/Neeme Järvi; Malmö SO/Paavo Järvi
rec. 1982-92
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94238 [3 CDs: 230:38] [RB]
The
accustomed romantic idiom inflamed with Swedish folk voices - a sensational
bargain.
Sir
William STERNDALE BENNETT (1815-1875) Songs see
SOMERVELL
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Eine Alpensinfonie, Der Tanz der
sieben Schleier
City of Birmingham SO/Andris Nelsons rec. 2010
ORFEO C 833 111 A [62:28] [NB]
I
have to say that I have never heard as exciting or as passionate a performance.
Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Le Baiser de la Fée, Perséphone, Pulcinella,
Symphony in Three Movements
Hong Kong PO/David Atherton, London PO/Kent Nagano, Northern Sinf, CBSO/Sir
Simon Rattle rec. 1978-94
EMI CLASSICS 9498442 [75:54 +76:52]
[DM]
Worth
buying for the Atherton and, to a lesser extent, the Nagano.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Josef SUK (1874-1935)
Asrael Symphony
Czech PO/Sir Charles Mackerras rec. 2007
SUPRAPHON SU 4043-2 [60:01] [RB]
The
best modern version.
Giuseppe
TARTINI (1692-1770) The Devil’s Trill sonata
see Virtuoso
Piotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano Concerto 1 Concert
Fantasy
Peter Katin (piano) London SO/Edric Cundell, London PO/Sir Adrian Boult
rec.1958/59
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC 276 [61:07]
[CH]
Brilliant,
technically commanding but also poetic playing from Katin and a particularly
strong orchestral performance from Boult in the Fantasy.
Piotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano concertos 1 &
2 Emil
Gilels (piano) Milano della RAI SO/Fernando Previtali, Leningrad PO/Kirill
Kondrashin rec. 1959
ISTITUTO DISCOGRAFICO ITALIANO IDIS6606 [64:39] [RMay]
Even
artistic giants can sometimes have feet of clay.
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Romeo and Juliet, Marche Slave see RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Complete works for cello and orchestra
Alexander Rudin (cello) Ens Instrumental Musica Viva/Gennady Rozhdestvensky,
Alexander Rudin rec. 1997
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94188 [66:14]
[GA]
A
very well-played collection of Tchaikovsky’s cello output rounded
off with an elegant performance of the Serenade for Strings.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
A
children’s album see Russian
Piano Miniatures for Children
Nikolai
TCHEREPNIN
(1873-1945) Piano Music Three Pieces, op.24 [14:38]
14 Sketches on Pictures from the Russian Alphabet, op.38 (1908) [32:49]
6 Musical Illustrations to Pushkin's 'The Tale of the Fisherman and
the Fish', op.41 [18:08]
David Witten (piano)
rec. 2009. DDD
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0117 [65:45]
[Byz]
Tcherepnin's
piano music - evocative, melodic, harmonically imaginative and immensely
varied.
Georg
Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) The Recorder Collection
Dan
Laurin, Clas Pehrsson (recorders) Drottningholm Baroque Ens rec. 1974-2008
BIS
BISCD1488-90 [6 CDs: 411:28] [DC]
A
terrific survey of Telemann’s recorder works - a bargain must-have.
Georg
Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) Ich hoffete aufs Licht
- Funeral Music for Emperor Karl VII
La Stagione Frankfurt/Michael Schneider rec. 2010
CPO 777 6032 [62:53]
[MS]
A
far better than merely competent performance.
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
(1872-1958) Songs of Travel see British
Romantics
Giuseppe
VERDI
(1813-1901) Inno
delle nazioni (Hymn of the Nations) Libera me,
Domine;Quattro pezzi sacri (Four Sacred Pieces)
Barbara Frittoli (soprano), Francesco Meli (tenor) Ch & O Teatro
Regio, Torino/Gianandrea Noseda rec. 2010
CHANDOS CHAN 10659 [70:35]
[MC]
A
most compelling disc.
Pauline
VIARDOT-GARClA (1821-1910) Sonatine, Morceaux
see FARRENC
Tomás
Luis de VICTORIA
(1548-1611) Missa Trahe me post te
Westminster Cathedral Ch/James O'Donnell, Iain Simcock (organ) rec.
1994
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55376 [67:30] [GD]
A
highly thought of disc then, especially at this budget price.
Hector
VILLA-LOBOS (1887 - 1959) Villa Lobos conducts Villa
Lobos
Felicia Blumental (piano) Victoria de los Angeles (soprano) Choeurs
de Radio France; Chorale des Jeunesses Musicales de France; L'Orch Nat
de la Radiodiffusion Francaise/Heitor Villa-Lobos rec. 1954-58
EMI CLASSICS 50999 0 28202 2 4 [6 CDs: 78:02 + 70:28 + 70:13 + 64:00
+ 72:31 + 70:48]
[RB]
An
opportunity in well refurbished mono analogue sound to get to grips
with the composer’s own vision of this music.
Antonio
VIVALDI
(1678-1741)
Sacred Music
John Alldis Ch, English CO, Concertgebouw CO/Vittorio Negri rec. 1976-90
NEWTON
CLASSICS 8802045 [7 CDs: 457:05]
[GD]
Negri
was considered a Vivaldi authority back in the 1970s and it is easy
to hear why.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Night of Love
Waltraud Meier (soprano) Siegfried Jerusalem (tenor) Berliner PO/Daniel
Barenboim rec. 1989-94
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 67605-9 [78:41] [GF]
Meier
and Jerusalem are up there among the Wagner classics.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883)
Der
Ring des Nibelungen
Radio Italiana Ch & SO/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. 1953
PRISTINE AUDIO PACO57-060 [13 CDs: ca 15 hrs]
[RMo]
This
remastered set is indispensable to Wagnerites everywhere.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Preludes and orchestral excerpts from
operas
Suisse Romande O/Ernest Ansermet rec. 1963
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0567 [50:50]
[SV]
A
French sound, bright and clear, rather than a deep, weighty Germanic
one.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883)
Der Fliegende Holländer
Juha Uusitalo (bass-baritone) Catherine Nagelstad (soprano) Nederlandse
Opera Ch, Netherlands PO/Hartmut Haenchen, Martin Kušej (director)
rec. live, 2010
OPUS ARTE OA1049D 
[167:00]
[ST]
I
enjoyed this film very much, mainly for the singing rather than the
staging.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
James
King (tenor) Pilar Lorengar (soprano) Theo Adam (bass-baritone) Metropolitan
Op Ch/Orch/Thomas Schippers rec. 1972
SONY CLASSICAL 88697 853042
[ST]
Something
very special, and the budget price undoubtedly helps.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Siegfried WAGNER (1869-1930) Violin Concerto see
PFITZNER
Henry
WALFORD DAVIES
(1869-1941)
Violin sonata see BLISS
William
WALTON (1902
- 1983) Violin concerto Samuel BARBER
(1910 - 1981) Violin concerto, Adagio for Strings
Thomas Bowes (violin) Malmö Opera O/Joseph Swensen rec. h 2010
SIGNUM
SIGCD238 [66:02]
[NB]
A
disc of so many virtues but not the winner either.
William
WALTON (1902-1983)
Troilus and Cressida, Partita
Richard Lewis (tenor) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano) Philharmonia O/Sir
William Walton rec. 1955/9
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC 286 [69:37]
[RB]
This
will please but cannot stand comparison with the EMI re-mastering.
Thomas
WEELKES
(c.1576-1623)
Ninth Service, Evening Service and Anthems
Stephen
Carter* +, Richard Roberts* (altos); Andrew Carwood* (tenor);
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford/Stephen Darlington rec. 1988.
DDD. Texts included.
NIMBUS NI5125 [50:42]
[JW]
Fruitful,
grand and invigorating.
Mieczyslaw
WEINBERG (1919-1996)
The Passenger
Soloists Vienna SO/Teodor Currentzis rec. 2010
NEOS 51005 
[190:00] [DBi]
An
almost unknown, almost great opera in a stunning production.
Jörg
WIDMANN
(b. 1973) Messe;
Fünf Bruchstücke; Elegie
Jörg Widmann (clarinet) Heinz Holliger (piano) Deutsche Radio Philharmonie
Saarbrücken/Christoph Poppen rec. 2008/9
ECM NEW SERIES 2110 4763309 [67:57]
[HC]
This
superb release is the best introduction possible to Widmann’s hugely
personal sound-world.
Henryk
WIENIAWSKI (1835-1880) Légende; Variations on an Original
Theme see Virtuoso
John
R. WILLIAMSON (b.1929) Lads of love and sorrow
Mark
Rowlinson (baritone) David Jones (piano) rec. 2006
DIVINE ART DIVERSIONS DDV24163 [66:30]
[JQ]
Songs
by an English composer that are worth hearing.
Ian
WILSON (b.1964) Man-o'-War; An Angel Serves
a Small Breakfast; Winter Finding; Licht/ung
Rebecca Hirsch (violin) RTÉ National SO/Gerhard Markson, David Porcelijn
rec. 2006/7
RTÉ LYRIC FM CD126 [60:51]
[Byz]
Wilson's
music is wonderfully played here.
Isidora
ŽEBELJAN
(b.1967)
The Horses of St Mark, Rukoveti, The Minstrel's Dance,
Selište, Escenas Picaras
Aile Asszonyi (soprano) Žebeljan Ens, Janáček PO/David
Porcelijn rec. 2007
CPO 777 670-2 [66:41]
[Byz]
CPO
must be congratulated for once again having rendered the music-lover
a grand service by finding and then recording, in unwelcoming times,
another original voice.
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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]
[Part 6 Misc A-L] [Part
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