Aulis
SALLINEN (b. 1935) Concerto for Clarinet and Viola
see EÖTVÖS
Erkki
SALMENHAARA (1941-2002) Violin Sonata, Cello Sonatas,
Trois Scènes de Nuit 
Jouni Somero (piano) Raymond Cox (violin) Laura Bucht (cello) rec. 2009
FINNCONCERT
FCRCD 9727 [66:34] [Byz]
Takes
us back to the heady days of late-Romanticism. Captivating stuff.
Johann
Christian SCHIEFERDECKER (1679-1732) Musicalische
Concerte
Elbipolis Barockorchester Hamburg rec. 2011
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72531 [72:36] 
[DC]
World
première recordings and superb entertainment – who could ask for more?
Daniel
SCHNYDER (b.1961) Around the World
ad hoc qnt, Stefan Schulz (bass trombone) Daniel Schnyder (soprano saxophone)
Tomoko Sawano, Raphael Häger (piano) Berlin RSO/Michael Sanderling,
Michael Helmrath rec. 2010
BIS CD-1774 [73:13] [Byz]
A
mixed bag in more ways than one.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Symphony 4 Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Das Lied von der Erde
Carolyn Watkinson (mezzo) John Mitchinson (tenor) BBC PO/Kurt Sanderling
rec. 1988
ICA
CLASSICS 
ICAD
5042 [95:29] [JQ]
A
thoroughly musical maestro directing deeply considered performances
that are the fruit of a lifetime’s experience.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Concerto, Konzertstück,
Schön Hedwig, Zwei Balladen
Daniel Levy (piano) Philharmonia O/Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau rec. 1998
EDELWEISS
EDEM 3374 [64:10] [IL]
Unusual
and imaginative … imposing interpretative flair.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto
Martha
Argerich (piano) Gidon Kremer (violin) Chamber O of Europe/Nikolaus
Harnoncourt rec. 1992-1994
WARNER CLASSICS APEX 2564-67716-1 [62:35] 
[RB]
Admirably
musical qualities to be found in this inexpensive disc.
Joseph
SCHWANTNER (b.1943) Concerto, for percussion and orchestra,
Morning's Embrace, Chasing Light
Christopher Lamb (percussion) Nashville SO/Giancarlo Guerrero rec. 2010-2011
NAXOS
AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559678 [68:00] 
[Byz]
Schwantner
- something of a latter-day Aaron Copland.
Howard
SHORE (b. 1946) Hugo
rec. 2011
HOWE HWR-1007 [67:44] [IL]
A
dream of a score for a film of enchantments.
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Romances - Song Cycles for Bass and Piano Four Romances on poems
by Pushkin Op.46 (1936-37) [14:00] Six Romances on verses by British
poets Op.62 (1942) [16:58] Four monologues on verses by Pushkin Op.91
(1952) [14:49] Five romances on texts from 'Krokodil'
Op.121 (1965) [11:36] Four verses by Captain Lebyadkin Op.146 (1975)
[13:59]
Peter Gluboky (bass); Natalia Rassudova (piano) rec. 1994
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9222 [71:29] [NB]
Shostakovich:
master of the elusive and allusive.
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Festive Overture
see Nobel
Prize Concert 2009
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Pohjola’s Daughter, Symphony
5 Witold LUTOSLAWSKI (1913-1994) Concerto
for Orchestra
London PO/Jukka-Pekka Saraste rec.
LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA LPO-0057 [70:27] 
[WH]
Two
very different twentieth-century masterpieces, with one brilliant performance
and one disappointment.
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphonies 1-7
Utah SO/Maurice Abravanel rec. 1977
MUSICAL CONCEPTS MC 132 [3 CDs: 222:22] [RB]
A
very good analogue set rather masterfully recorded but undermined by
a Seventh where the reins at first hang loose.
Bedřich
SMETANA (1824-1884) Operas, music for orchestra, chamber
and piano music rec. 1933-1997
MEMBRAN 223513 [10 CDs: 667:00] [RB]
The
only collection of its type in the catalogue. Dip in and you are unlikely
to be disappointed. An adventurer’s bargain.
Oscar
STRAUS (1870-1954) Die Lustigen Nibelungen
Martin Gantner (baritone) Hein Heidbüchel (tenor) Lisa Griffith (soprano)
WDR Rundfunk O & Ch Köln/Siegfried Köhler rec. 1995
CAPRICCIO C5088 [65:00] [JS]
Pure
delight from beginning to end.
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Oboe Concerto (1945) [24:15] *Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche, op.28
(1895) [15:01] *Der Rosenkavalier - 'First' Waltz Sequence
(1944) [11:32] *Der Rosenkavalier - Second Waltz Sequence (1911) [8:17]
Witold LUTOSLAWSKI (1913-1994)
Concerto, for oboe, harp and chamber orchestra (1979-80) [19:26]
Heinz Holliger (oboe); Ursula Holliger (harp) Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra/Michael
Gielen; *Thomas Schippers rec. 11 April 1983. *1976. No venues given.
DDD. *ADD.
ALTO ALC 1134 [78:56] [Byz]
Thrilling
and compelling.
Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Le Sacre du Printemps Francis POULENC
(1899-1963) Les Biches
BBC Ntl Ch & O Wales/Thierry Fischer rec. 2009
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD205 [67:48][JQ]
Two
very different Diaghilev ballets in excellent performances.
Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
The Firebird, Scherzo fantastique
WDR SO Cologne/Jukka-Pekka Saraste rec. 2010
PROFIL EDITION PH11041 [56:53] [MC]
Highly
impressive performances that rank with the finest accounts around.
Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Mass see BACH
Carlo
STURLA (18th
Century) Passio di Venerdì Santo
Il Concento Ecclesiastico/Luca Franco Ferrari rec. 3-5 September 2006,
church of the convent Santa Caterina, Genoa, Italy. DDD
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94184 [51:56] [JV]
An
interesting unknown Passion which fully deserves being made available
on disc.
Joby
TALBOT (b.1971)
Alice in Wonderland
Lauren Cuthbertson, Sergei Polunin Royal Opera O, Covent Garden/Barry
Wordsworth rec. 2011
OPUS ARTE OA1056 D
[120:00 + 30:00] [RJW]
A
stimulating production.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Giuseppe TARTINI
(1692 - 1770) Violin concerto, Violin sonata see
Italia
Sir
John TAVENER (b. 1944) Choral Ikons
The Choir/James Whitbourn rec. 2000
OPUS ARTE OACD9007D [58:34]
[JQ]
There
are quite a number of collections of Tavener’s choral music in the CD
catalogue but this is as good as any.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony 2
Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Night on the Bare Mountain,
Pictures at an Exhibition
Bournemouth SO/Kiril Karabits rec. 2011
ONYX 4074 [81:55] [GD]
All
round an enjoyable recording, with fine playing and interesting interpretive
ideas.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano Concerto 1
Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907) Piano Concerto
Simon Tedeschi (piano) Queensland O/Richard Bonynge rec. 2005
ABC CLASSICS 476 8071 [66:49] [SV]
Despite
some flaws, should please newcomers and veterans alike.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Violin Concerto
Béla BARTÓK (1881-1945)
Violin Concerto 2
Valeriy Sokolov (violin) Tonhalle O Zurich/David Zinman rec. 2010
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6420170 [73:59] [JW]
One’s
response must be somewhat muted.
Anna
THORVALDSDOTTIR (b.1977)
Rhízōma, Hrím, Hidden, Dreaming,
Streaming Arhythmia
John DeHart (piano interior) CAPUT Ensemble, Iceland SO/Daniel Bjarnason
INNOVA
810 [59:19] [Byz]
Subtle,
rich, atmospheric, meditative - almost transcendental - music of uncommon
beauty.
Federico
MORENO TORROBA (1891-1982) Sonatina (1953)
see Stefanizzi
Erkki-Sven
TÜÜR (b.1959) Awakening; The Wanderer’s Evening
Song; Insula Deserta
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Sinfonietta Riga/Daniel Reuss rec.
2011
ONDINE ODE 1183-2 [64:33]
[DC]
Compelling
and magical.
Giovanni
VALENTINI (1582/3-1649) Musiche Concertate 1619
La Capella
Ducale, Musica Fiata/Roland Wilson rec. 2009
CPO 777 533-2 [58:38]
[Byz]
Musica
Fiata and La Capella Ducale can safely be said to live and breathe this
kind of repertoire.
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Fantasy see MATHIAS
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Jérusalem
Ivan Momirov, Verónica Villarroel, Federica Bragaglia, Alain Fondary,
Teatro Carlo Felice/Michael Plasson rec. 2010
ARTHAUS MUSIK 107 329 [166:00]
[RF]
Some
reservations but do not hesitate adding this rarely performed opera
to your Verdi collection.
Heitor
VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959) Five Preludes (1940)
Choros No 1 (1920) see Stefanizzi
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741)
Cello Concertos, Cello Sonata in G minor Leonardo
LEO (1694-1744) Cello Concerto Giovanni
Benedetto PLATTI (1697-1763) Cello Concerto
Sol Gabetta (cello) Cappella Gabetta/Andres Gabetta rec. 2011
SONY CLASSICAL 88697932302 [71:13]
[JW]
Things
may well hinge on reactions to Gabetta’s expansive rubati.
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) Farnace
Max Emanuel Cencic (counter-tenor) Ann Hallenberg (mezzo) Daniel Behle
(tenor) I Barocchisti/Diego Fasolis rec. 2010
VIRGIN CLASSICS 0709142 [3 CDs: 191:35] [DBi]
Another
excellent addition to the growing Vivaldi operatic canon.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Antonio VIVALDI (1678
- 1741) Violin concertos, Nulla in mundo pax sincera see
Italia
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883)
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Excerpts Schorr - Marherr-Wagner
– Hutt – Schützendorff
Berlin State Opera Orchestra and Chorus/LeoBlech rec. 1928
PRISTINE AUDIO PACO 065 [79:50] [RMo]
Schorr’s
clear, bright, strong bass-baritone at its zenith.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Die Walküre
Frank van Aken, Terje Stensvold, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Susan Bullock;
Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester/Sebastian Weigle rec.
2010
OEHMS CLASSICS OC 936 [4 CDs: 237:46] [GD]
A
very fine Walküre.
William
Vincent WALLACE (1812-1865) Maritana
Majella Cullagh (soprano) Lynda Lee (mezzo) Paul Charles Clarke (tenor)
RTÉ Philharmonic Ch, RTÉ Concert O/Proinnsías Ó Duinn rec. 11995
NAXOS 8.660308-09 [64:19 + 44:55] [CH]
If
a string of excellent musical numbers guarantees an excellent opera,
then this is an excellent opera.
Mieczyslaw
WEINBERG (Moishei
VAINBERG) (1919-1996) Complete Violin Sonatas - Volume
1 Violin Sonata No.1 Op.12 (1943) [21:59] Sonata No.1 for violin
solo Op.82 (1964) [24:41] Violin Sonata No. 4 Op.39 (1947) [13:44] Sonatina
for violin and piano Op.46 (1949) [14:45]
Yuri Kalnits (violin) Michael Csányi-Wills (piano) rec. 2008
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0007 [78:08] [JW]
An
extremely good start to the projected series.
Judith
WEIR (b.
1954) Choral music
Choir Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge/Geoffrey Webber rec. 2010
DELPHIAN
DCD34095 [59.26] [RH]
Purity and austerity which feels rather Calvinist yet is always approachable.
Matthew
WHITTALL (b.1975)
Leaves of Grass
Risto-Matti Marin (piano) rec. 2011
Risto-Matti Marin (piano) rec. 2011
ALBA ABCD 333 
[63:13] [Byz]
Whittall's
Leaves of Grass is a stunning work.
Hugh WOOD (b.1932) Paraphrase
on Bird of Paradise Op. 26 see The
Thurston Connection
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