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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  Franco ALFANO (1875-1954) Violin Sonata; Piano Quintet; Nenia And Scherzino Mary Ann Mumm, Elmira Darvarova (violin) Scott Dunn (piano) Craig Mumm (viola) Samuel Magill (cello) rec. 2011 NAXOS 8.572753 [66:16] [RB]

This is late-romantic music that sings with it face looking into radiance.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Goldberg Variations (arr. Sitkovetsky) Leopold String Trio rec. 2010 HYPERION CDA67826 [74:45] [DC]

Captivating, mesmerising, and life-enhancing.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Grande Messe des Morts Robert Murray (tenor) Chetham’s School Brass Ens, Gabrieli Players & Consort, Wrocław PO & Ch/Paul McCreesh rec. 2010 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD280 [48:25 + 40:17] [JQ]

At last we have a recording that, in every respect, does full justice to the Grande Messe des Morts. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH York BOWEN (1884-1961) Rhapsody Alan BUSH (1900-1995) Concert Suite Havergal BRIAN (1876-1972) Cello Concerto Raphael Wallfisch (cello) BBC Concert O/Martin Yates rec. 2010 DUTTON EPOCH CDLX 7263 [2CDs: 82:25] [RB]

A fine anthology of rare English cello treasures.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Die Schöne Magelone Dominik Wörner (bass-baritone) Masato Suzuki (piano) rec. 2010 ARS PRODUKTION ARS38497 [53:59] [JS]

A performance very much worth hearing.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ross EDWARDS (b. 1943) Violin concerto Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Violin Concerto Adele Anthony (violin) Adelaide SO/Arvo Volmer rec. 2009 CANARY CLASSICS CC09 [57:20] [NB]

A very rewarding disc.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Vasily KALINNIKOV (1866-1901) Symphonies 1 & 2 Malaysian PO/Kees Bakels rec. 2000 BIS-CD-1155 [77:29] [DM]

A very special disc indeed.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-91) Piano Concertos 20 & 27 Mitsuko Uchida (piano and director) Cleveland O rec. 2010 DECCA 4782596 [65:46] [PBW]

An outstanding CD by one of the greatest Mozart players of our time, beautifully recorded.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Pehr Henrik NORDGREN (1944-2008) Concerto for Saxophone Quartet Arvo PÄRT (b. 1935) Fratres Áskell MÁSSON (b. 1953) Quatrain Kalevi AHO (b. 1949) In Memoriam Pehr Henrik Nordgren John Storgårds (violin) Raschčr Saxophone Qt, Lapland CO/John Storgårds rec. 2010 ALBA ABCD 322 [64:06] [DM]

Sheer, unalloyed pleasure.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ludomir ROZYCKI (1883-1953) Ballade, Piano Concerto 1 Krystyna Makowska-Lawrynowicz Polish Radio and TV SO in Cracow/Szymon Kawalla; Andrzej Straszynski rec. 1984-90 ACTE PREALABLE AP0217 [42:11] [RB]

I liked this music a great deal and hope that there will be much more Rozycki.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Heinrich SCHÜTZ (1585-1672) Musicalische Exequien, Motets Vox Luminis/Lionel Meunier rec. 1999/2010 RICERCAR RIC311 [55:07] [JV]

One of the best recordings of Schütz' Musicalische Exequien.  

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Lemminkäinen Suite Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907) Peer Gynt Suite 1 Philadelphia O/Eugene Ormandy rec. 1947-51 PRISTINE PASC 299 [56:52] [RB]

A  Lemminkainen Suite to remind us of Ormandy's Sibelian fire and of why he was rated so highly by the composer himself. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) Piano Trio 1, Legend, Jig, Hush Song, Piano Quartet 2 Gould Piano Trio with David Adams (viola) rec. 2009 NAXOS 8.572452 [79:48] [CH]

Major works, finely performed. Deserves to be a bestseller.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Max STEINER (1888-1971) The Classic Film Scores National PO/Charles Gerhardt rec. 1973 SONY/RCA RED SEAL 88697 812702 [53:12] [IL]

A fine tribute to one of the leading film music pioneers of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Capricho Latino Rachel Barton-Pine (violin) rec. 2009-11 CEDILLE RECORDS CDR 90000124 [79:38] [NB]

Even by Barton-Pine’s formidable standards this is of staggering quality.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH In the Beginning Works by Jackson, Weelkes, Palestrina, Whitacre, Holst, Gombert, Lukaszewski & Copland Natasha Tyrwhitt-Drake (organ) Ch Merton College, Oxford/Peter Philips, Benjamin Nicholas rec. 2011 DELPHIAN DCD34072 [69:14] [JQ]

A most auspicious debut on CD for the Merton College Choir. 

 

BARGAINS OF THE MONTH

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Reinhold GLIERE (1875-1956) Symphonies 1-3; Horn Concerto; The Zaporozhy Cossacks; The Red Poppy & The Bronze Horseman Suites; Concert Waltz; Heroic March; Overtures BBC Philharmonic/Sir Edward Downes, Vassily Sinaisky rec. 1991-96 CHANDOS CHAN10679(5)X [5 CDs: 348:43] [RB]

Done with Chandos style … elite results … voluptuously lyrical and vividly imagined … The price is irresistible.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Leoš JANÁČEK (1854-1928) Sinfonietta, Lachian Dances, Taras Bulba, The Cunning Little Vixen Suite, Jealousy, From The House of the Dead prelude, The Makropoulos Case suite Czech State Philharmonic, Brno/José Serebrier rec. 1995/6 REFERENCE RECORDINGS RR-2103 [65.08+59.40]

Tangy, spectacular and heartfelt … devastating value for money [RB] ... A fine introduction to Janáček’s orchestral music and at budget price [LW]

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Frederic MOMPOU (1893-1987) Piano Music - Volume 6 Jordi Masó (piano) rec. 2009 NAXOS 8.572142 [64:12] [DM]


Bargain of the Month - nothing else will do.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH David RAKSIN (1912-2004) Laura, Forever Amber & The Bad and the Beautiful Suites New PO/David Raksin rec. 1975 SONY RCA RED SEAL 88967 812682 [46:58] [IL]

Glorious film music. Not to be missed. 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH  Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681 - 1767) Tafelmusik Musica Antiqua Köln/Reinhard Goebel rec. 1988 ARCHIV 477 8714 [4 CDs: 253:25] [JV]

One of the best Telemann recordings of all time.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Martha Argerich - Solo and two-piano recordings rec. 1965-2009 EMI CLASSICS 0940442 [6 CDs: approx 420:00] [SA]

I cannot imagine any composer from Mozart to Guastavino taking issue with her over interpretations. This is a set any piano music lover will treasure forever and no one will want to be without it once they have it.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Elisabeth Schumann Silver Thread of Song rec. 1926 – 1949 EMI CLASSICS ICON 9184802 [6 CDs: 442:01] [GF]

Each track on this well-filled box has something to recommend it. A bargain not to be missed. Should never be out of the catalogues.

 

 


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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