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Roman
MACIEJEWSKI
(1910-1998)
Complete Piano Mazurkas Mazurka nos. 1-39 and 21bis [137:11]
Anna
Brozek (piano) rec.2009. DDD
SARTON RECORDS 003-4.2 [67:02 + 70:09]
[Byz]
Should
be acquired by all admirers of quality piano music.
James
MacMILLAN (b. 1959) Kiss on Wood, A Different World,
Fourteen Little Pictures, in angustiis…I & II
Gregory Harrington (violin) Simon Mulligan (piano) Caroline Stinson
(cello) rec. 2009
ESTILE RECORDS 391651 [63:56] [WH]
A
disc of contrasts, sweet and lilting, austere and challenging, all brilliantly
played.
James
MacMILLAN (b. 1959) Choral Music
Jonathan Vaughan (organ) Wells Cathedral Choir/Matthew Owens rec. 2010
HYPERION
CDA67867 [78:44] [MC]
Repeated
hearings were essential to fully
uncover
the many delights of this beautiful music.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 8
Soloists, London PO/Klaus Tennstedt rec. 1991
LPO 0052 [26:19 + 60:42]
[JQ]
This
extraordinary, visionary reading of the Eighth is an unforgettable experience.
Gustav
MAHLER
(1860-1911)
Symphony 4, Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Margaret Ritchie (soprano) Concertgebouw O/Eduard van Beinum rec. 1950/2
MAGDALEN
METCD 8004 [75:23]
[CH]
Van
Beinum’s Mahler 4 takes its place in the Concertgebouw orchestra’s history.
Mahler:
Autopsy of a Genius A film by Andy Sommer
EUROARTS 2058838 
[88:00]
[ST]
It’s
difficult to know who this film is aimed at, or what it’s trying to
do. Neither a biography of Mahler nor an analysis of his works.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Kindertotenlieder Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Wesendonck-Lieder Hugo
WOLF (1860-1903) 3 Mörike-Lieder
Waltraud Meier (mezzo) Orch de Paris/Daniel Barenboim rec. 1988
WARNER CLASSICS APEX 2564 675392 [56:12]
[MC]
A
fine collection that I will play again often but the competition in
Wesendonck-Lieder and Kindertotenlieder is extremely fierce.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911)
Das Lied von der Erde
Cornelia Kallisch (mezzo) Siegfried Jerusalem (tenor) SWR SO Baden-Baden
und Freiburg/Michael Gielen rec. 1992
HÄNSSLER CLASSICS CD 93.269 [63:31]
[WH]
A
marvellous reading overall, though not without the occasional passing
weakness, and with one curious and questionable characteristic.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 9 see Giulini
in America
Bruno
MANTOVANI (b.1974)
Concerto for two violas, Time Stretch (on Gesualdo), Finale
Tabea
Zimmermann, Antoine Tamestit (viola) Liège Royal Philharmonic/Pascal
Rophé rec. 2009
AEON AECD1102 [69:18]
[Byz]
Fine
performances and recordings of what is often demanding music.
William
MATHIAS (1934-1992)
Violin Sonatas
Sara Trickey (violin) Iwan Llewellyn-Jones (piano) rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572292 [53:05]
[JF]
Likely
to become definitive for many years to come.
Peter
MAXWELL DAVIES (b. 1934) Linguae Ignis, Vesalii
Icones, Fantasia on a Ground and Two Pavans
Vittorio Ceccanti (cello) Contempoartensemble/Mauro Ceccanti rec. 2004
NAXOS
8.572712 [60:41]
[MS]
Highly
idiomatic, pleasing, convincing and fresh performances of works central
to Maxwell Davies’ output
Felix
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Overture see
Romantic
Wind Serenades
Gian
Carlo MENOTTI (1911-2007) The Medium; The Telephone
Evelyn
Keller (soprano) Marie Powers (contralto) Frank Rogier (baritone) Marilyn
Cotlow (soprano) unnamed O/Emanuel Balaban rec. 1947
NAXOS 8.111370 [77:51] [GF]
The
playing and singing in both works is good and the sound is very good.
Giacomo
MEYERBEER (1791-1864) Les Huguenots
Joan Sutherland (soprano) Australian Opera Ch & O/Richard Bonynge
rec. 1990
OPERA AUSTRALIA OPOZ56007CD [3 CDs: 181:26] [JS]
An
exciting souvenir of an historic occasion.
Darius
MILHAUD (1892-1974) Piano Concerto 1 see
RAVEL
Ludwig
MINKUS (1826-1917) Don Quixote Dutch Nat Ballet,
Holland Symf/Kevin Rhodes rec. 2010
ARTHAUS MUSIK DVD
101 561 [122:00 + 30:00] [RMay]
Generally
excellent artistic standards and with an individual twist.
Meredith
MONK
(b. 1942) Songs
of Ascension
Meredith Monk, Vocal Ens; Todd Reynolds Qt; The M6; Montclair State
University Singers rec. 2009
ECM NEW SERIES 2154 [67:37] [DC]
Highly
commended.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Le Nozze di Figaro,
Bastien und Bastienne
Rita Streich, Walter Berry, Christa Ludwig, Ilse Holweg, Vienna SO/Karl
Böhm, John Pritchard rec. 1953/6
GUILD GHCD2373-5 [3 CDs: 208:05]
[WH]
Beautifully
sung in more than acceptable mono but not the most dynamic Figaro available.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Requiem
Jonty Ward, James Swash, Guy Cutting, Jonathan Howard, Choir of New
College Oxford, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Edward Higginbottom
rec. 2010
NOVUM NCR1383 [48:46]
[JQ]
A
reading of the Mozart Requiem that, for all its positive points, doesn’t
stand up to the scrutiny of repeated domestic listening.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Violin sonatas, Variations on the air Come un agnello
Nap de Klijn (violin) Alice Heksch (fortepiano and piano) rec. 1951-5
FORGOTTEN
RECORDS FR392/93 [58:58 + 61:16]
[JW]
These
performances are attractive and sensitive.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) String Quartet see
HAYDN
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Divertimento see BACH
Nico
MUHLY (b.1981)
Seeing is Believing, Motion, By All Means, Step Team
Thomas Gould (electric violin) Aurora O/Nicholas Collon rec. 2010
DECCA 478 2731 [73:21]
[DC]
Very
fine, but to what exactly are we connecting?
Modest
MUSSORGSKY
(1839-1881) Boris
Godunov
Orlin Anastassov (bass) Ch & O Teatro Regio, Torino/Gianandrea Noseda
rec. 2010
OPUS ARTE
OA1053D [147:00]
[RJF]
I
am sure the young Bulgarian bass Orlin Anastassov will grow into one
of the great interpreters of Boris. In the meantime his young man’s
interpretation in this production is worth seeing.
Modest
MUSSORGSKY (1839- 1881) Pictures at an Exhibition Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Piano Sonata 7, Piano Concerto 1
Sviatoslav Richter (piano) Prague SO/Karel Ančerl rec. 1954/1958
REGIS
RRC1373 [62:31]
[JW]
With
decent transfers and at super budget price, what’s not to like?
Modest
Petrovich MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Pictures at an Exhibition
see Giulini
in America
Zygmunt
NOSKOWSKI
(1846-1909) Chamber Works – vol. 3 Trois pičces pour violon et piano
Op.24 (c.1890) [12:59] Chansonnette d’Ukraine Op.26 No.2a (1890) [1:01]
Berceuse Op.11 (1880) [3:10] Violin Sonata in A minor (before 1875)
[39:47]
Jolanta Sosnowska (violin) Donát Deáky (piano) rec. 2009/ 2010
ACTE PRÉALABLE AP0248 [57:01]
[JW]
Keen,
warm performances and decent recording though I doubt Noskowski will
make much real headway in this selection.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gösta NYSTROEM
(1890-1966) Sinfonia breve, Sinfonia del mare
Malena Ernman (mezzo) Malmö SO/Christoph König rec. 2006/2007
BIS-CD-1682 [57:04]
[RB]
Neo-romantic
music-making with a dramatic spine.
Ole
OLSEN (1850-1927) Asgaardsreien, Trombone
concerto, Symphony 1
Christian Lindberg (trombone) Arctic PO/Rune A. Halvorsen rec. 2011
BIS
BIS-SACD-1968 
[62:56] [RB]
Olsen
fascinatingly brought to our ears. Much in common with Grieg perhaps
spliced with Saint-Saens and even Bizet.
Nigel
OSBORNE (b. 1948) The Birth of Naciketas see
KORDE
Following
On Francis
POULENC (1899-1963) Flute sonata, Oboe sonata,
Mélancolie Tim EWERS (b.1958) Flautando,
Rainy Days and Holidays, Following on
The Fibonnacci Sequence rec. 2009
GUILD GMCD7344 [73:27] [CR]
Magical
and spacious harmonies.
Camille
PLEYEL (1788-1855) Piano works
Masha Dimitrieva (piano) rec. 2010
GRAMOLA 98884 [59:30] [Byz]
Elegant,
witty, varied, virtuosic … demonstrating painstaking, intelligent pianism.
Sergei
PROKOFIEV
(1891-1953)
Visions Fugitives, Five Sarcasms, Piano Sonatas 3 & 7, Tales of
an Old Grandmother see Sofronitsky
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Symphony 1 see Giulini
in America
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858-1924) Madama Butterfly
Raffaella Angeletti, Massimiliano Pisapia; Fondazione Orch Regionale
delle Marche/Daniele Callegari rec. 2009
UNITEL CLASSICA 706208
[137:00]
[NB]
An
honourable and solid reading of a magnificent score but lacking the
last twist of the emotional knife of greatness.
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
The Three Symphonies
BBC NOW / Otaka rec. Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, Wales. 5-6 September 1992,
8-9 September 1991.
NIMBUS NI1786 [3 CDs: 74:05 + 65:31 + 63:55] [RB]
Stunning
and idiomatically Russian in the grandest of traditions. A rather underestimated
presence in the catalogue.
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Piano Concertos 1-4, Piano Sonata 2, Variations on a Theme of Corelli,
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
John Lill (piano) BBC Ntl O Wales/Tadaaki Otaka rec. 1993-6
NIMBUS RECORDS NI 1720 [3 CDs: 207:47]
[DC]
Not
perfect, but will still do very nicely thank you.
Sergei
RACHMANINOFF
(1873-1943) Piano Concerti 2 & 3
Shura Cherkassky (piano) Gothenburg SO/Sergiu Comissiona/Sten Frykberg
rec. 1968/1970
CEMBAL
D’AMOUR CD155 [76:44]
[JW]
Cherkassky
breathing new and quixotic life into these concertos.
Sergey
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Piano Sonata 7 Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Three Scenes from Petrushka
Shura Cherkassky (piano) Cologne RSO/Zdenek Mácal rec. 1951-1970
ICA CLASSICS ICAC 5020 [76:28]
[CH]
The
Rachmaninov Polka is the stuff of legends. But the rest?
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Preludes and Melodies
Alessio
Bax (piano) rec. 2010
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD264 [77:06] [DC]
Marvellous
in every regard.
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) The Complete Preludes
Peter
Katin (piano) rec. 1971
SOMMCD 0110 [79:10] [RB]
The
silences between notes are weighted to perfection; the rhetoric extremely
well judged.
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1843) Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini see
DOHNÁNYI
Jean-Philippe
RAMEAU (1683-1764) Les Surprises de l’amour
- transcriptions de Monsieur Hesse
Monique Zanetti (soprano) Stephen MacLeod (baritone) Jonathan Dunford
and Sylvia Abramowitz (basses de violes) Pierre Trocellier (clavecin)
rec. 2009
ALPHA 176 [66.43]
[GH]
Attractive
and charming music, well presented, superb performances but this is
a disc for specialists.
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Piano Concerto Darius
MILHAUD (1892-1974) Piano Concerto 1
Marguerite Long (piano) unnamed SO/Pedro de Freitas Branco, Société
des Concerts du Conservatoire O/Georges Tzipine rec. 1932-52
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC285 [72:56]
[JW]
A
well transferred and engaging disc.
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Complete Works for Piano Duet
Ingryd
Thorson, Julian Thurber (piano duo) rec. 1987
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94176 [45:00 + 43:36] [PK]
A
set worth having, especially for those interested in how Ravel, the
master orchestrator, moved among instrumentations.
Max
REGER (1873-1916) Fantasia see LISZT
Ottorino
RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Pines of Rome; Fountains
of Rome; Roman Festivals
Royal PO/Josep Caballé-Domenech rec. 2010
ONYX 4083 [62:49]
[DM]
Avoid.
Nikolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
(1844-1908) Shéhérazade Op.35 (1888) [46:37]
Alexander BORODIN (1833-1887) Polovtsian
Dances – Prince Igor (1869-1887) [12:07] Modest
MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) A Night on the Bare Mountain
(1867) [12:22]
Choeur de l’Opéra de Monte-Carlo Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo/Yakov
Kreizberg rec. 2010
OPMC CLASSICS OPMC 003 [61:06]
[NB]
Cherished
music receiving loving performances.
Nikolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Scheherazade, Tsar
Saltan
Samuel Magad (violin) Chicago SO/Daniel Barenboim rec. 1993
WARNER APEX 2564 67429-0 [67:09] [BR]
Buy
it and turn up the volume and you’ll have a good time. But this is only
the second-best budget Scheherazade of 2011.
George
ROCHBERG (1918-2005) Violin Sonata, Caprice Variations
Peter
Sheppard Skćrved (violin) Aaron Schorr (piano) rec. 2000/2004
METIER MSV 28521 [63:17 + 52:52] [Byz]
A
quality release.
Gioachino
ROSSINI
(1792-1868) Il
Viaggio a Reims - Comic Opera in One Act (1825) [164:00] Soloists
Symphony
Orchestra and Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu/Jesús López-Cobos
ARTHAUS
MUSIK 107
135 [164:00]
[JS]
There
is much to be said for this. It gives a fair representation of one of
Rossini’s most extraordinary concoctions.
Miklós
RÓZSA (1907-1995)
Variations
on a Hungarian Peasant Song for violin and orchestra, Op. 4 (1929)
[10:01 The Vintner's Daughter - Twelve Variations on a French
Folk Song, Op. 23a (1953) [16:36] Notturno Ungherese, Op. 28
(1964) [8:30] Cello Concerto, Op. 32 (1967-68) [30:01]
Paul Watkins (cello); Jennifer Pike (violin) BBC Philharmonic/Rumon
Gamba rec. 2009/ 2010
CHANDOS CHAN 10674 [65:40]
[RB]
High
hopes fulfilled.
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