John
CARBON (b.1951) Piano Music 
Steven Graff (piano) rec. 2011
ZIMBEL RECORDS ZR121 [79:22] [Byz]
Quality
music addressing universal themes … lingering modal timelessness.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alfredo CASELLA
(1883-1947)
Orchestral Works Vol. 2 Concerto for Orchestra, A notte alta,
Symphonic Fragments from ‘La donna serpente’
Martin
Roscoe (piano) BBC Philharmonic/Gianandrea Noseda rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN10712 [73:26] [IL]
The
adventurous listener will be very well rewarded by this very imaginative
and colourful music.
Ernest
CHAUSSON (1855-1899)
Concerto, Poème
Bruno Monteiro (violin) João Paolo Santos (piano); Lopes-Graça
Qt rec. 2010
CENTAUR CRC 3120 [54:14] [Byz]
Chausson's
marvellous score takes flight, like beautiful butterflies on a summer
zephyr.
Luigi
CHERUBINI (1760-1842) Symphony see
Guido
Cantelli
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Frédéric CHOPIN
(1801-1849) Piano Music Vol. 2
Louis Lortie (piano) rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN10714 [75:16] [DMcC]
Thoughtful,
engaging, and gorgeous.
Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Polonaises
Marcel Ciampi (piano) rec. 1952
FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR281/2 [45:15 + 39:11] [JW]
Vitality
and energy … communicative drive.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Francisco CILEA
(1866-1950)
Adriana Lecouvreur
Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann, Ch & O Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden/Mark Elder rec. 2010
DECCA 074 3459 
[2 DVDs: 150:00] [ST]
Two
and a half hours of unalloyed operatic pleasure.
René
CLAUSEN (b.1953) Life & Breath -
Choral Works
Kansas City Chorale/Charles Bruffy rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHSA5105 
[62:25] [NB]
At
the end of a long frustrating day this would be a disc to offer balm
and great beauty in equal measure.
Carson
COOMAN (b.1982)
Canzona
Erik Simmons (organ)
Artist self-production [49:06] [Byz]
In
short, this disc has to be one of the bargains of the year.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Claude DEBUSSY
(1862-1918)
Images, Jeux, Nocturnes, La Mer, Prélude
à l’après-midi d’une faune, Marche
écossaise sur un thème populaire, Printemps,
L’Enfant prodigue
Royal Scottish Ntl O/Stéphane Denève rec. 2011/12
CHANDOS CHSA 5102(2)
[78:04 + 68:22] [DC]
Sumptuous
sonic bathing: thrillingly superb.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Claude DEBUSSY
(1862-1918) Songs Vol. 2
Lorna Anderson (soprano), Lisa Milne (soprano), Malcolm Martineau (piano)
rec. 2011
HYPERION CDA67883 [66:47] [SA]
Thoroughly
enjoyable and rewarding in every way.
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, Rapsodie,
La mer Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
La valse, Boléro
New York PO/Kurt Masur rec. 1993/6
WARNER APEX 2564 677174 [75:54] [SV]
This
will please New Yorkers and fellow-travellers who collect Masur era
recordings.
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
String quartet, Deux Danses, Piano Trio, Reverie
Chris Laurence (double-bass) Sioned Williams (harp) Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
(piano) Brodsky Qt rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN10717 [65:29] [DC]
Superlative
quartet - excellent programme.
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Violin sonata see GRIEG
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) En blanc et noir see
MESSIAEN
Frederick
DELIUS (1862-1934) Orchestral music arranged for
two pianos – Vol. 1
Simon Callaghan, Hiroaki Takenouchi (pianos) rec. 2011
SOMM SOMMCD0112 [68:04] [NB]
Ultimately
a disc for the Delius aficionado.
Erno
DOHNÁNYI (1877-1960) String Quartets 1 & 3
Aviv
Quartet rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.572569 [57:29] [Byz]
Attractive
phrasing and a reasonable if not compelling case for these engagingly
conservative works.
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848) L’Elisir d’amore
Angela
Gheorghiu (soprano) Roberto Alagna (tenor) Ch & O Ntl Opera Lyon/Evelino
Pido rec. 1997
DECCA 4783416 [67.24 + 55.31] [RJF]
Even
at bargain price this loses out to the earlier Erato set with the same
tenor.
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848)
Messa da Requiem
Leyla Gencer (soprano) Mirna Pecile (mezzo) Armando Moretti (tenor)
Alessandro Cassis (bass) Ch & SO RAI Milan/Gianandrea Gavazzeni
rec. 1961
ARCHIPEL ARPCD0475 [69:19] [JS]
This
has been a disc from which I have obtained much pleasure.
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848) Lucrezia Borgia
Edita
Gruberova (soprano) Pavol Breslik (tenor) Franco Vassallo (bass) Alice
Coote (mezzo) Ch/O of Bavarian St Op/Bertrand de Billy rec. 2009
EUROARTS 
2072454 [133:00 + 54:00 (bonus)] [RJF]
Gruberova
left her assumption of Lucrezia much too late in her career.
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848) L’elisir d’amore
Bidu
Sayão (soprano) Bruno Landi (tenor) Metropolitan Opera Ch &
O /Ettore Panizza rec. 1942
PRISTINE AUDIO PACO 072 [68:40 + 51:42] [GF]
A
flawed performance saved by the tenor and the soprano.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jonathan DOVE
(b. 1959) The Passing of the Year
Convivium Singers/Neil Ferris, Christopher Cromar (piano) rec. 2011
NAXOS
8.572733 [69:23] [DMcC]
Gorgeous
and poignant, performed with wholehearted fervor.
Ludovico
EINAUDI (b. 1955) The Calm of Einaudi
Christine
Rayner (piano) rec. 2011
ATTUNED HEART RECORDS AHR001 [63.14] [MM-B]
Lifts
the spirits of those in need … an hour of serenity and peaceful harmony.
Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Cello Concerto, The Dream
of Gerontius
Jian Wang (cello) Sydney Philharmonia & TSO Ch, Sydney SO/Vladimir
Ashkenazy rec. 2008
ABC CLASSICS 476 4297 [63:39 + 58:53] [NB]
Ultimately
a rather disappointing set. Fitfully engaging.
Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Cello Concerto, Introduction
and Allegro, Military Marches, Pomp and Circumstance
Paul Watkins (cello) BBC Philh/Sir Andrew Davis rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN10709[74:44] [DC]
A
stunning and steamy hip-bath of refined Elgar-Elgar.
Manuel
de FALLA (1876-1946) El Sombrero de tres picos;
Noches en los jardines de España; Homenajes
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano) Raquel Lojendio (soprano) BBC Philharmonic/Juanjo
Mena rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN10694 [76.40] [RBe]
Outstanding
playing.
Julian
FONTANA (1810-1869)
Deux Romances, op.18 (1855) [8:05] Feuilles d'Album - Deux Mazureks,
op.15 [5:54] 12 Morceaux Caractéristiques en Forme d'Etudes,
op.9, nos.7-12 (Livre II) (1905) [14:51] Deuxième Grande Valse Brillante,
op.13 [5:10] Fantaisie Brillante sur les Motifs du 'Freyschütz',
op.6 (1843) [8:32]
Philippe Devaux (piano) rec. 2011. DDD
ACTE PREALABLE AP0259 [42:32] [Byz]
A
characteristic poetic expressiveness through irrepressible figuration,
Polish folk rhythms and lyrical harmony.
César
FRANCK (1822-1890) Piano Quintet, Violin Sonata
The Schubert Ens rec. 2003
CHAMPS HILL CHRCD 004 [65.19] [Byz]
For
all-round, no-nonsense quality there is no good reason not to favour
this disc.
Robert
FUCHS (1847-1927) Gesänge für Frauenchor see
SCHREKER
Andrea
GABRIELI (c.1533-1585) Missa Dominicalis
Pierpaolo
Turetta (organ) Ivan Florjanc (voice) rec. 2008
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802100 [63:27] [MS]
Major
recording and editing errors make it impossible to recommend this disc.
George
GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Piano Concerto,
Rhapsody 2, I Got Rhythm Variations
Orion Weiss (piano) Buffalo PO/JoAnn Falletta rec. 2010
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559705 [58:40] [DM]
A
decent concerto, but the fillers steal the show.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Carlo GESUALDO
(1566-1613)
Madrigals Book 4
Delitiæ Musicæ/Marco Longhini rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572137 [68:57] [MS]
Stylish,
convincing, profound and lovely performances. Buy it!
Umberto
GIORDANO (1867-1948)
Andrea Chénier
José Cura, Maria Guleghina, Ch & O Teatro Comunale di Bologna/Carlo
Rizzi rec. 2006
ARTHAUS MUSIK 107287
[123:00] [RMay]
José
Cura is the real thing and undeniably one of today’s most exciting
operatic tenors.
Giovanni
Francesco GIULIANI (c.1760-1818)
Harp Sonatas
Lisetta Rossi (harp) rec. 2010
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94305 [78:54] [Byz]
Played
with poise and style, light but sure of touch and with an ear for fine,
lyrical phrasing.
Mauro
GIULIANI (1781-1829) Scottish and Irish
Songs, Etudes, Rossiniana
Tullia Cartoni, Elena Càsoli, Massimo Scattoli (guitars) rec. 1990-2011
NEWTON
CLASSICS 8802101 [3 CDs: 172:20] [Byz]
Brief,
inventive, endlessly tuneful, unbeatable listening for a lazy sunny
weekend afternoon.
Eugene
GOOSSENS (1893-1962) Complete Music for Violin
and Piano
Robert Gibbs (violin) Gustáv Fenyö (piano) rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.572860 [71:34] [NB]
An
excellent collection - passionate interpretations - a winner.
Henryk
GÓRECKI (1933-2010) Little Requiem,
Concerto-Cantata, Harpsichord Concerto, Three Dances
Anna Górecka (piano) Carol Wincenc (flute)
Warsaw PO/Antoni Wit rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.572872 [69:33] [PCG]
After
the commercially successful Symphony of Sorrowful Songs what was Górecki
to do next?
Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907) String quartets arranged
for string orchestra Arne NORDHEIM
(1931-2010) Rendezvous
Oslo Camerata/Stephan Barratt-Due rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572441 [76:45] Edvard GRIEG
(1843-1907) From Holberg’s Time, Lyric Suite, Melodies
Malmö
SO/Bjarte Engeset rec. 2006/09
NAXOS 8.572403 [72:13 [RMo]
Music
that falls pleasantly in the ear.
Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907) Violin Sonatas 1 & 3
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Violin sonata
Joseph Fuchs (violin) Frank Sheridan, Artur Balsam (piano) rec. 1951/55
FORGOTTEN
RECORDS FR635 [54:29] [JW]
Collectors
who admire Fuchs will welcome the restoration of this material.
Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907) An Old Norwegian Folksong
see Byways
of Beecham
Johan
HALVORSEN (1864-1935)
Orchestral Works - Vol. 4 Rhapsodies norvégienne 1 &
2, Passacaglia, Norwegian Festival Overture, Norwegian Fairy Tale Pictures
Bergen
PO/Neeme Järvi rec. 2010/11
CHANDOS CHAN10710 [72:53] [JW]
Folk-based,
evocative compositions sporting brevity and wit.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH George
Frideric HANDEL (1685
- 1759) Concerti grossi
Concerto Copenhagen/Lars Ulrik Mortensen rec. 2009
CPO 777 488-2 [58:35] George
Frideric HANDEL Concerti
grossi
Les Musiciens du Louvre/Marc Minkowski rec. 1992
WARNER APEX 2564 68162-3 [56:15] [MG]
Minkowski
offers virtuosity and excitement, but Mortensen gives us state of the
art.
Georg
Friedrich HANDEL (1685-1759)
Theodora
Lorraine Hunt, Dawn Upshaw, David Daniels, Glyndebourne Ch, O Age of
Enlightenment/William Christie rec. 1996
GLYNDEBOURNE GFOCD 014-96 [3 CDs: 200:39] [RMo]
Consistently
inventive and arresting.
Georg
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Complete Cantatas
Vol. 4
Stefanie True & Klaartje van Veldhoven (sopranos) Contrasto Armonico/Marco
Vitale rec. 2010
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94257 [50:29] [JV]
The
performers have managed to display Handel's mastery in the depiction
of human emotions.
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Violin Sonatas
Riccardo Minasi (violin) Musica Antiqua Roma rec. 2009
DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI 88697 705312 [78:36] [JV]
Virtuosity
at the cost of expression and emotion.
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759)
Alceste
Lucy Crowe, Benjamin Hulett, Andrew Foster-Williams, Early Opera Company
Ch & O/Christian Curnyn rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHACONNE CHAN0788 [63:16] [RMo]
Not
quite a masterpiece but charming nonetheless.
Howard
HANSON (1896-1981) Symphonies 4 & 5, Elegy
in Memory of Serge Koussevitzky, Dies Natalis
Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1988-92
NAXOS 8.559703 [69:44] [WK]
Another
Naxos re-release of Gerard Schwarz’s persuasive Hanson series.
Johann
Wilhelm HÄSSLER (1747-1822) Harpsichord
Music
Michele Benuzzi (harpsichord) rec. 2011
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94293 [67:43] [JV]
An
excellent introduction to Hässler's music.
Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) The Seven Last
Words of Christ on the Cross
Petra Labitzke (soprano) Gabriele Wunderer (contralto) Daniel Sans (tenor)
Christof Fischesser (bass) Chamber Ch of Europe, Mannheim Kurpfälzisches
CO/Nicol Matt rec. 2002
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94290 [55.29] [PCG]
All
in all this is a very good performance.
Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Symphony 55
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies 7 & 8
Boston SO/William Steinberg rec.1962-1970
ICA CLASSICS ICAD5067
[86:00] [CH]
Useful
documentation of a conductor whose time with the orchestra was short.
Jake
HEGGIE (b.
1961) Dead Man Walking
Joyce DiDonato, Philip Cutlip, Frederica von Stade, Measha Brueggergosman,
Houston Grand Opera/Patrick Summers rec. 2011
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6024632 [77.27 + 64.25] [PCG]
One
of the great operatic success stories of this century.
Gustav
HOLST (1874-1934)
The Collector`s Edition rec. 1956-1993. ADD/DDD full contents and track
list at end of review
EMI CLASSICS 50999 4 40471 2 2 [6 CDs: 449:00] [RB]
This
set should sell like a house of fire and further fuel a revival in the
fortunes of Holst’s music.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Christian Frederik
Emil HORNEMAN (1840-1906) Gurre Suite, Suite from
‘The Contest with the Muses’, Ouverture Héroique, Suite from Kalanus
Danish
Ntl SO/Johannes Gustavsson rec. 2010-11
DACAPO 6.220564
[66:07] [DC]
A
wealth of discovery, and with performances to match.
Alan
HOVHANESS (1911-2000) Symphony 1; Armenian Rhapsodies
1-3; Concerto for soprano saxophone; Song of the sea
Kenneth Radnofsky (saxophone) John McDonald (piano) Boston Modern Orchestra
Project/Gil Rose rec. 2011
BMOP SOUND 1020 [67:39] [PCG]
A
superb performance of the Exile Symphony, three gloriously
contrasted Armenian Rhapsodies and a valuable glimpse into
Hovhaness’s earliest style.
Herbert
HOWELLS (1892-1983) Clarinet Sonata see
British Clarinet Sonatas
Engelbert
HUMPERDINCK (1854–1921) String Quartets; Piano
Quintet
Diogenes Qt, Andreas Kirpal (piano), Lydia Dubrovskaya (violin) rec.
2007
CPO 7775472 [79:24] [MC]
Agreeable
geniality: benign, attractive melodically with gloriously yearning themes.
Marcus
HUXLEY (b.
1949) A Song of the Light
Birmingham Cathedral Ch/Marcus Huxley (director) Timothy Hooper (organ)
rec. 2010
REGENT REGCD361 [68:42] [JQ]
Well-crafted
music but insufficiently distinctive for domestic listening.
Vincent
d’INDY (1851-1931) La Forêt Enchantée see
Byways of Beecham
John
IRELAND (1879-1962)
Fantasy-Sonata see British
Clarinet Sonatas
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Leos JANÁCEK
(1854-1928)
Taras Bulba, Lachian Dances, Moravian Dances
Warsaw PO/Antoni Wit rec. 2010-11
NAXOS 8.572695 [54:27] [BR]
This
is the best Taras Bulba I’ve heard, full of original gestures
and sumptuously played.
John
JENKINS (1592-1678) The Pleasing Slumber
Sophie
Gent (violin) Romina Lischka (bass viol, lyra viol) Francois Guerrier
(harpsichord, organ) Philippe Pierlot (lyra viol, bass viol) rec. 2008
FLORA
1809 [68.51] [RH]
A
lovely disc. Relax and listen to some finely intelligent music-making.
Karl
JENKINS (b.1944) The Peacemakers
Lucy Crowe, Chloë Hanslip, City Birmingham SCh, London SO/Karl Jenkins
rec. 2011
EMI CLASSICS 0843782 [72.42] [PCG]
The
many excellent elements do not cohere, and the climactic moments are
at once too easy and too overblown.
Friedrich
KALKBRENNER (1785-1849)
Piano Concerto No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 85 (1826) [32:58] Piano Concerto
No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 107 (1829) [24:11] Adagio ed Allegro di bravura,
Op. 102 (1830) [11:03]
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Howard Shelley (piano/conductor) rec. 2010,
HYPERION
CDA67843 [68:41] [DJ]
Another
superb reissue from Hyperion, excellently engineered
Fritz
KREISLER (1875-1962) Liebesfreud, Liebesleid
Béla
Bánfalvi (violin) Budapest Strings/Karoly Botvai rec. 1995
CAPRICCIO C5120 [64:16] [IL]
A
delight.
Fritz
KREISLER (1875-1962) String Quartet Efrem
ZIMBALIST (1890-1985) String Quartet Eugène
YSAŸE (1858-1931) Harmonies du soir
Fine Arts Quartet Philh O of Europe/Otis Klöber rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.572559 [71:36] [NB]
No
lost masterpieces here but a disc of real interest.
Fred
LERDAHL (b.1943)
String Quartets 1-3
Daedalus Qt rec. 2010/1
BRIDGE 9352 [67:53] [Byz]
Frankly
atonal, yet not mercilessly so, melody, if not necessarily hummable,
and the dissonance is neither relentless nor particularly harsh.
György
LIGETI (1923-2006)
Horn
Trio see BRAHMS
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