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George
Alexander MacFARREN
(1813-1887)
Robin Hood 
Victorian Opera Ch & O/Ronald Corp rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.660306-07 [78:36 + 79:57] 
[IL]
Much
to enjoy in this revival.
Elizabeth
MACONCHY (1907-1994)
Orchestral Music The Land, Concertino for piano and
chamber orchestra, Music for Woodwind and Brass, Symphony for Double
String Orchestra
Clelia Iruzun (piano) BBC Scottish SO/Odaline de la Martinez rec. 2009
LORELT
LNT 133 [64:05] 
[RB]
The
Maconchy orchestral collection of choice.
MC
MAGUIRE Nothing Left To Destroy
Benjamin Bowman (violin) Douglas Stewart (flute)
INNOVA 813 [62:14] [DC]
Fascinating
sonic canvases.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER
(1860-1911)
Symphony 1
Pittsburgh SO/Manfred Honeck rec. 2008
EXTON EXCL-00026 
[57:59]
[MC]
Manfred
Honeck is on course to be a great Mahlerian.
Gustav
MAHLER
(1860-1911) Symphonies
Nos. 1-9, 10 (Adagio)
Utah SO/Maurice Abravanel rec. 1963-1974
MUSICAL CONCEPTS MC 182 [10 CDs: c. 634:00] [DM]
Compelling
and marvellous in parts … I’m pleased I’ve heard these pioneering performances
at last.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 9
WDR SO Köln/Jukka-Pekka Saraste rec. 2009
PROFIL EDITION PH10035 [79:49] 
[JQ]
A
decent performance of Mahler’s Ninth but several rival versions offer
more.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Das Lied von der Erde
Jane Henschel (mezzo) Gregory Kunde (tenor) Houston SO/Hans Graf rec.
2009
NAXOS 8.572498 [62:46]
[RM]
Suffers
from being a perfect illustration of how the best is the enemy of the
good – or at least, the satisfactory.
Gian
Francesco MALIPIERO (1882-1973) Impressioni dal vero
(I, II & III) Pause del silenzio (I & II)
Orch Sinf di Roma/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2009-2010
NAXOS 8.572409 [79:53]
[NB]
A
compellingly rewarding introduction to this strikingly individual composer’s
works.
Benedetto
MARCELLO (1686-1739) Sonatas III, V, VII, IX & X
Andrea
Bacchetti (piano) rec. 2010
RCA/SONY MUSIC 88697814662 [55:26]
Fine
and rare.
Czeslaw
MAREK (1891-1985)
Piano Works
Marie-Catherine Girod (piano) rec. 1998
GUILD GMCD 7364/5 [74:37 + 74:40]
[Byz]
Sustained
sparkle and insight, a poetic pianism to match Marek.
Carlo
MARTELLI (b.1935) Symphony see JOUBERT
Bohuslav
MARTINU (1890-1959) Cello Concerto 1
Paul HINDEMITH (1895-1963)
Cello Concerto Arthur HONEGGER (1892-1955)
Cello Concerto
Johannes Moser (cello) Deutsche Radio Phil/Christoph Poppen rec. 2010
HäNSSLER
CLASSIC CD 93.276 [63:15]
[MC]
Plenty
of worth to discover here.
Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890-1959)
Flute Sonatas, Madrigal Sonata, Trio
Agata Igras-Sawicka (flute) Bartłomiel Nizioł (violin) Marcin
Zdunik (cello) Mariusz Rutkowski (piano) rec. 2010
DUX 0768 [62:16]
[SA]
Will
give boundless enjoyment to any lover of Martinů’s music
and I would urge any who are unsure to try it too - they will also find
musical gems here.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Sextet see
JANÁČEK
Giuseppe
MARTUCCI (1856-1909)
Complete Orchestral Music - vol. 3 Piano Concerto 1, La canzone
dei ricordi
Gesualdo Coggi (piano) Silvia Pasini (mezzo) Roma SO/Francesco La Vecchia
rec. 2007/8
NAXOS 8.570931 [67:53]
[SV]
This
issue can be recommended as it stands - I just wish the singing was
better.
Felix
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Sonatas Op. 65/1-6
Jan
Lehtola (organ) rec. 2009
ALBA ABCD
324 [65:34]
[DM]
Quite
simply, a recital to relish.
Robin
MILFORD (1903-1959) Suite for oboe and string orchestra see
British Composers
Premiere Collections - Volume 2
Robin
MILFORD (1903-1959) Fantasia for String Quartet see
Pipings and Blowings
Michel
Pignolet de MONTÉCLAIR (1667-1737) Cantates à voix
seule
Emma Kirkby (soprano) London Baroque rec. 2010
BIS CD-1865 [70:11] 
[JV]
Nobody
who likes French baroque music should miss this disc.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Symphonies 38 & 39
Royal Concertgebouw O/Nikolaus Harnoncourt rec. 1981/1984
WARNER APEX 2564 67302-4 [68:28]
[LR]
This
disc is for diehard Harnoncourt fans only.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Horn Concertos 1-4
Alessio
Allegrini (horn) Orchestra Mozart/Claudio Abbado rec. 2005-7
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 8083 [53:20]
[MG]
Glorious
horn playing with alert, sensitive orchestral backing.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Don Giovanni
Nicolai Ghiaurov (bass) Alfredo Kraus (tenor) Gundula Janowitz (soprano)
Sena Jurinac (soprano) RAI SO & Ch Rome/Carlo Maria Giulini rec.
1970
OPERA D’ORO GRAND TIER OPD 7080 [3 CDs: 166:53] [RMo]
The
Karajan account emerges as the clear winner.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Complete Piano Sonatas
Maria João Pires (piano) rec. 1974
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94271 [5 CDs: 324:34]
[RMo]
This
super-bargain set represents a compelling buy.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Sinfonia Concertante see Konoye
Modest
MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Piano music (Russian Piano Music
Vol 8)
Anthony Goldstone (piano) rec. 2011
DIVINE ART DDA25100 [78:15] [NB]
For
a single disc survey I find it hard to believe the disc under consideration
here will be easily beaten.
Modest
MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) A Night on the Bare Mountain see
Konoye
Conlon
NANCARROW (1912-1997) Prelude and Blues, Three Canons for
Ursula, Studies see CAGE
Carl
NIELSEN (1865-1931) Violin Concerto see
SIBELIUS
Pavel
Zemek NOVÁK (b.1957) Preludes and Fugues
William Howard (piano) rec. 2009
CHAMPS HILL RECORDS CHRCD 016 [76:16]
[Byz]
May
or may not be one of the finest contemporary works for piano but for
sheer scale of invention at least it must go on the shortlist.
Carl
ORFF (1895-1982)/Claudio
MONTEVERDI (1567–1643) Orpheus, Klage der Ariadne
Orpheus Ch München, Münchner RSO/Ulf Schirmer rec. 2010
CPO 777 656-2
[72:31] [NB]
Music
that is both memorable and moving.
Niccolò
PAGANINI
(1782-1840) 24 Caprices Op.1 for solo violin
Alberto Bologni (violin) rec. 2010,
SHEVA COLLECTION SH044 [75:04]
[DC]
Puts
the competition into perspective.
Hubert
PARRY
(1848-1918)
Symphony no.1 in G (1882) [45:22] From Death to Life (1914) [18:34]
English
Symphony Orchestra/William Boughton rec.1991. DDD
NIMBUS NI 5296 [70:33]
[Byz]
A
colourful, vital, optimistic, dramatic and poignant symphony and a dark
and operatically intense tone poem.
Robert
PARSONS (c.1535-1572) Sacred Music
The Cardinall’s Musick/Andrew Carwood rec. 2010
HYPERION CDA67874 [70:07]
[JQ]
A
marvellous recital of music by Robert Parsons. Something of an ear-opener
Krzysztof
PENDERECKI (b.1933)
String Trio, String Quartets 1-3, Clarinet quartet
Arkadiusz Adamski (clarinet) DAFÔ Qt rec. 2010
DUX 0770 [62:20]
[Byz]
A
bit of the Polish master to suit all tastes, from avant-garde astringency
to the more recognisably traditional works from the 1980s.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH William PERRY
(b. 1930) Music for Great Films of the Silent Era
RTÉ Ntl SO/Paul Phillips rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.572567 [78:41] [IL]
A
glorious, joyous, tuneful celebration of the days of Silent Cinema.
Cole
PORTER (1891-1964) Anything Goes
Kim Criswell, Cris Groenendaal, Frederica von Stade, Jack Gilford, Bruce
Hubbard, Ambrosian Ch, London SO/John McGlinn rec. 1988
EMI AMERICAN CLASSICS 9489442 [74:22] [DM]
Really,
so much fun shouldn’t come this cheap.
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Piano sonatas 2 & 7, Visions
Fugitives (Russian Piano Music Vol 7)
Sergei Dukachev (piano) rec. 2000-5
DIVINE ART DDA25096 [61:42] [AM]
A
good selection of Prokofiev’s remarkable piano music, but scrappy performances
and poor production make this uncompetitive.
Serge
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Cantata for the 20th Anniversary
of the October Revolution Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975) The Sun Shines over our Motherland
RSFSR Russian Chorus, Boys Ch of Moscow Ch School, Moscow PO/Kirill
Kondrashin rec. 1965
HIGH DEFINITION TAPE TRANSFER HDCD229 [43:30]
[RB]
By
no means subtle but it is not irredeemable and may yet surprise you
if you let it.
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858
- 1924) Arias & songs
Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano) Roger Vignoles (piano) l’Opera National
de Lyon O/Kent Nagano rec. 1996
WARNER APEX 2564 673914 [63.24]
[RH]
If
Te Kanawa appeals do try this.
Roger
QUILTER
(1877-1953)
The Complete Piano Music 
David Owen Norris (piano) rec. 2004 complete track-list at end of reviews
EM RECORDS EMR CD002 [47:00]
[JF]
David
Owen Norris is a great advocate for this music and presents it with
enthusiasm and sympathy.
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Preludes; Elegie; Variations
on a Theme of Corelli
Vassily Primakov (Piano) rec. 2011
BRIDGE 9348 [77.07]
[RBe]
A
very good recital although there may be scope for Primakov to let himself
go more in the composer’s more extrovert virtuoso passage-work.
Sergey
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Songs see
GLINKA
Phillip
RAMEY
(b.1939) Piano Music - Volume Three: 1960-2010
Stephen Gosling (piano) rec. 2010. DDD
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0114 [78:19]
[Byz]
Commends
itself at the very least to all students and admirers of 20th century
piano music.
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Daphnis et Chloé
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Prélude à l’après-midi d’un
faune
Rundfunkchor Berlin, Monte-Carlo PO/Yakov Kreizberg rec. 2010
OPMC CLASSICS 002 [67:57] [BR]
A
very good album, very French; if only we could ask the late Kreizberg
for more.
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) La Valse, Daphnis et Chloé Suite
2 Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924) Pavane
George GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Songs
Dianne
Reeves (vocals) Berlin PO/Simon Rattle rec. 2003
EUROARTS 
2053648 [91:00] [IL]
Glorious
Ravel but does Gershwin have to be so buttoned up?
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Valses nobles et sentimentales, Alborada
del gracioso, Pavane pour une infante défunte
see Ives
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Mother Goose, La Valse see
DEBUSSY
Einojuhani
RAUTAVAARA (b. 1928) Lost Landscapes; Summer
Thoughts; April Lines; Notturno e Danza; Variétude;
Dithyrambos; Pelimannit
Pekka Kuusisto (violin) Paavali Jumppanen (piano) rec. 2010
ONDINE ODE 1177-2 [70:31]
[RB]
Fresh,
lucid and singing with joy and a faint overlay of sorrow
Ottorino
RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Concerto Gregoriano see
CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO
Nikolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Le Coq d’Or
Albert
Schagidullin, Ilya Levinsky, Mariinsky Theatre Ch, Paris O/Kent Nagano
rec. 2002
ARTHAUS MUSIK
107 387 [108:00] [RMay]
With
its appealing score and striking visuals there is, in truth, a great
deal to enjoy on this DVD.
Nicolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Capriccio espagnol,
Overtures
Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 2010/11
NAXOS 8.572788 [66:45]
[JZ]
Exemplary
performances of these overtures and other popular pieces ... admirable.
Jan
Jacub RYBA (1765-1815)
Czech Christmas Mass, Song of Praise for the Festival of the Birth
of Christ Jan Václav Antonín STAMITZ
(1717-1757) Sinfonia pastorale Václav
PICHL (1741-1805)
Sinfonia pastorlis
Anna Hlavenková (soprano); Sylva Čmugrová (alto); Jan Ondrejka
(tenor); Roman Janál (bass); Pavel Černý (organ/harpsichord); Czech
Boy’s Choir Boni Pueri/Pavel Horák; Czech Chamber PO Pardubice/Marek
Štryncl rec. 2011. DDD
ARCODIVA UP 0142-2131 [72.12]
[GH]
Charming.
It’s all quite seasonal in its happy disposition.
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]
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