MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger




Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

Alphabetical Listing

PART 5
S-Z

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]


Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Symphony 3 see POULENC

Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Symphony 3 see Byways of Beecham

Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660 - 1725) La Colpa, Il Pentimento, La Grazia Alessandro STRADELLA (1644 - 1682) Lamentatione per il Mercordi Santo, Crocifissione e Morte di N.S. Giesů Cristo Vocal Ens & O La Stagione/Michael Schneider rec. 1991 CAPRICCIO C5126 [49:07 + 65:23] [JV]

An interesting oratorio in a good, albeit too restrained performance.

Boguslaw SCHAEFFER (b. 1929) Assemblage rec. 1994-2011 DUX 0881/82 [70:57 + 68:54] [DC]

New access to significant and influential achievements.

Alfred SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) Twelve Penitential Psalms; Voices of Nature SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart/Marcus Greed rec. 2011 HÄNSSLER CLASSIC SACD93.281 [54:44] [DC]

Scarily communicative – a gloriously performed choral masterpiece.

Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Gurrelieder, Verklärte Nacht London SO & Leopold Stokowski and his Symphony Orchestra rec. 1952/61 GUILD GHCD 2388/89 [60:14 + 75:18] [RMo]

Special historical interest for Stokowski enthusiasts.

Franz SCHREKER (1878-1934) Der Holdestein, Meereswogen Robert FUCHS (1847-1927) Gesänge für Frauenchor Orpheus Vokalensemble/Michael Alber, Konrad Elser (piano) rec. 2011 CARUS 83.399 [61:31] [NB]

Bloodless and irredeemably twee.

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Symphonies 4, 8 & 9 Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Symphony 29 Concertgebouw O, Philharmonia O/Otto Klemperer rec. 1956-60 ANDROMEDA ANDRCD 9106 [54:47 + 74:04] [JS]

Real drive and energy.

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Fantasie, Rondo brillant, Grand Duo Carolin Widmann (violin) Alexander Lonquich (piano) rec. 2010 ECM 2223 (4764546) [53.21] [KM]

A good recording of some minor works by Schubert. 

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Winterreise Florian Boesch (baritone) Malcolm Martineau (piano) rec. 2001 ONYX 4077 [76:43] [JQ]

An impressive traversal of Schubert’s winter journey.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano Trios, Arpeggione Sonata Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio rec. 2010 BRIDGE 9376A/B [64:15 + 74:07] [JS]

Likely to give real and lasting musical pleasure.

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Schwanengesang, Der Winterabend Christopher Maltman (baritone) Graham Johnson (piano) rec. 2010 WIGMORE HALL LIVE WHLIVE0049 [63:26] [JQ]

There are many excellent CD versions of Schwanengesang in the catalogue but this one joins the ranks of the very best. 

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Märchenbilder Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Lachrymae Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Viola Sonata Krzysztof Chorzelski (viola) Katya Apekisheva (piano) rec. 2010 CHAMPS HILL RECORDS CHRCD029 [61:07] [JW]

Three very different works played by an extremely sensitive team and very well recorded.

Heinrich SCHÜTZ (1585-1672) Musikalische Exequien Dorothee Mields, Anja Zügner (sopranos) Alexander Schneider (counter-tenor) Matthias Müller (violin) Ludger Rémy (organ) Dresdner Kammerchor/Hans-Christoph Rademann rec. 2011 CARUS 83.238 [68:24] [ST]

Thoughtful, moving and evocative … very beautifully sung.

Déodat de SÉVERAC (1872-1921) Piano Music Vol. 2 Jordi Masó (piano) rec. 2011 NAXOS 8.572428 [60.42] [GH]

Masó brings out the nuances of this music.

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 10 (1924-1925) [32:03] Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 14 To October (1927) [20:02] Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 20 The First of May (1929) [27:51] Netherlands Radio Choir Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Mark Wigglesworth rec. 2006 (1), 2010 (2-3), Sung texts (Cyrillic and English) included BIS-SACD-1603 [81:13][JQ]

Gripping performances, reported in superb sound.

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) CD 1 Orango - Prologue (1932) Unfinished satirical opera; piano score orchestrated by Gerard McBurney CD 2 Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op. 43 (1936) Los Angeles Master Chorale/Grant Gershon Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra/Esa-Pekka Salonen rec. live, 2011, Sung text included DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 479 0249 [32:00 + 64:32] [DM]

Worth it for Orango alone; look elsewhere for the symphony.

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Viola Sonata see SCHUMANN

Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) Clarinet Sonata see British Clarinet Sonatas

Alessandro STRADELLA (1644 - 1682) Lamentatione per il Mercordi Santo, Crocifissione e Morte di N.S. Giesů Cristo see SCARLATTI


RECORDING OF THE MONTH

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche see MAHLER

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Don Quixote, Op 35 (1897) [41:24]* Tod und Verklärung, Op 24 (1889) [24:05] *Miloš Jahoda (cello); *Jiri Hurnik (violin); *Pavel Perina (viola) Prague Symphony Orchestra/Jiri Kout rec. 2009 FOK 0004-2 031 [65:35] [SV]

Much to enjoy in Kout's forthright way with Strauss.

Richard STRAUSS (1865-1949) Tod und Verklärung see Guido Cantelli

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Symphonia Domestica see Carl Schuricht

Arthur SULLIVAN (1842-1900) The Mikado Kanen Breen, Mitchell Butel, Opera Australia O & Ch, O Victoria/Brian Castles-Onion rec. 2011 OPERA AUSTRALIA OPOZ56014 [146:00] [RJW]

Overall, superbly done.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Maria SZYMANOWSKA (1789-1831) Ballads and Romances Elizabeth Zapolska (mezzo), Bart van Oort (piano – Broadwood, 1825) rec. 2011 List of songs at end of review Texts and translations included ACTE PREALABLE AP0260 [71:54] [SA]

This is a disc of rare quality

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Violin Concerto, Sérénade Mélancolique, Valse-Scherzo, Souvenir d’un lieu cher James Ehnes (violin) Sydney SO/Vladimir Ashkenazy rec. 2010 ONYX 4076 [69:43] [ST]

An altogether outstanding disc.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Eugene Onegin Bo Skovhus, Krassimira Stoyanova, Andrej Dunaev, Royal Concertgebouw O/Mariss Jansons OPUS ARTE OA1067D [151:00 + 30:00 extras] [JS]

A version which anyone who loves this most personal of operas needs to see and hear.

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Manfred Symphony see Temirkanov

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano Concerto 1 see Günter Wand

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Alexander TCHEREPNIN (1899-1977) Complete Piano Music - Vol. 1 Giorgio Koukl (piano) rec. 2011 GRAND PIANO GP608 [62:38] [SA]

This is one of those discs that makes me want to shout with delight... A wonderful disc altogether! 

Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) Overture-Suites, Concertos, Divertimento Collegium Musicum 90/Simon Standage rec. 2011 CHANDOS CHACONNE CHAN0787 [79:18] [DC]

Very enjoyable indeed. 

Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) Fantasias Andrea Coen (harpsichord) rec. 2011 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94228 [3 CDs: 168:52] [Byz]

Telemann sounding special.

Eduard TUBIN (1905-1982) Works for violin and piano Vol. 1 Sigrid Kuulmann (violin) Marko Martin (piano) rec. 2005 ESTONIAN RECORD PRODUCTIONS ERP 3009 [65:43] [SA]

A disc to savour and to marvel at.

Joaquín TURINA (1882-1949) Piano music Vol. 8 Jordi Masó (piano) rec. 2011 NAXOS 8.572682 [62:27] [PCG]

Unjustly neglected music which deserves attention.

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Luisa Miller Montserrat Caballé, Richard Tucker, Metropolitan Opera O/Thomas Schippers rec. 1968 SONY CLASSICAL 88691 90994 2 [66.54 + 62.54] [RJF]

Despite theatre cuts by the conductor there is much to please adherents of live performances in this performance of this transitional work.

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) La Traviata Natalie Dessay, Charles Castronovo, Ludovic Tezier, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Ch, London SO/Louis Langrée rec. 2011 VIRGIN CLASSICS 7307989 [139:00] [RJF]

Even at its lower price, poor presentation and the quality of the recorded opposition mean this is for Dessay fans only.

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Joanna d'Arc Nikolay Dorozhkin, Anna Lichorowicz, Wrocław Opera Ch & O/Ewa Michnik rec. 2011 DUX 0846/7 [63:16 + 41:09] [GF]

Good early Verdi. 

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Rigoletto Alan Opie (baritone) David Corcoran (tenor) David Parkin (bass) Emma Matthews (soprano) Opera Australia Ch/O/Giovanni Reggioli rec. 2010 OPERA AUSTRALIA OPOZ56009DVD [2:11:00] [JS]

Adequate rather than inspired.

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Complete ballet music from the operas Bournemouth SO/José Serebrier rec. 2011 NAXOS 8.572818-19 [54:09 + 61:13] [JS]

The performances and recording are affectionate and lively.

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Rigoletto Ferruccio Tagliavini, Giuseppe Taddei, Lina Pagliughi, Cetra Chorus, SO di Torino della RAI/Angelo Questa rec. 1954 WARNER MUSIC 2564 66211-6 [52.47 + 59.40] [RMo]

If you had only one Rigoletto there is no reason why this should not be it.

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Falstaff Fernando Corena, Anna Maria Rovere, Glyndebourne Opera Ch, Royal PO/Carlo Maria Giulini rec. 1955 ICA ICAC5061 [58:15 + 67:04] [JS]

A wonderfully relaxed and good humoured performance in which nearly everything seemed to have gone right.

Henry VIEUXTEMPS (1820-1881) Violin Concerto No.1 in E major Op.10 (1840) [40:41] Violin Concerto No.2 in F sharp minor Op.19 (1836) [21:34] Greeting to America Op.56 (1843-44) [12:50] Chloë Hanslip (violin) Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2011, HYPERION CDA67878 [75:07] [JW]

A wealth of neatly sculpted phrasing … wistfulness warmed with tremulousness … uplifting and confident, even martial, and certainly virtuosic.

Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Götterdämmerung Kirsten Flagstad, Set Svańholm, Norwegian Opera Ch & O; Oslo PO/Řivin Fjeldstad rec. 1956 NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.112066-69 [4 CDs: 260:12] [RMo]

Not the fulfilment of a Wagnerian’s dream but it has sterling qualities.

Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Die Walküre Stig Fogh Andersen, Egils Silins, Susan Bullock, Susan Bickley, The Hallé/Sir Mark Elder rec. 2011 HALLÉ CDHLD7531 [5 CDs: 247:57]  [GD]

Consistently high musical standards …excellent sound quality too. 

Silvius Leopold WEISS (1687-1750) Lute Sonatas - Vol. 11 Robert Barto (lute) rec. 2010 NAXOS 8.572680 [65:43] [BR]

This series is as addictive as ever, and for newcomers to some of the finest baroque-era lute music, Volume 11 would be a good introduction.

Hugo WOLF (1860 – 1903) The Complete Songs Vol 2 - Mörike Lieder part 2 Sophie Daneman (soprano) Anna Grevelius (mezzo) James Gilchrist (tenor) Stephan Loges (baritone) Sholto Kynoch (piano) rec. 2010 STONE RECORDS 5060192780093 [76:30] [GF]

Good production values and singing that is a bit uneven but on the whole fully acceptable.

Eugene ZÁDOR (1894-1977) Aria and Allegro; Five contrasts; A Children’s Symphony; Hungarian Capriccio; Csárdás Rhapsody Budapest SO MÁV/Mariusz Smolij rec. 2010 NAXOS 8.572548 [66:49] [PCG]

Zádor, despite his limitations, does not deserve the total neglect that appears to have been his lot since his death.


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]


 

 

 



EXPLORE MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Making a Donation to MusicWeb

Writing CD reviews for MWI

About MWI
Who we are, where we have come from and how we do it.

Site Map

How to find a review

How to find articles on MusicWeb
Listed in date order

Review Indexes
   By Label
      Select a label and all reviews are listed in Catalogue order
   By Masterwork
            Links from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to the review indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Themed Review pages

Jazz reviews

 

Discographies
   Composer
      Composer surveys
   National
      Unique to MusicWeb -
a comprehensive listing of all LP and CD recordings of given works
.
Prepared by Michael Herman

The Collector’s Guide to Gramophone Company Record Labels 1898 - 1925
Howard Friedman

Book Reviews

Complete Books
We have a number of out of print complete books on-line

Interviews
With Composers, Conductors, Singers, Instumentalists and others
Includes those on the Seen and Heard site

Nostalgia

Nostalgia CD reviews

Records Of The Year
Each reviewer is given the opportunity to select the best of the releases

Monthly Best Buys
Recordings of the Month and Bargains of the Month

Comment
Arthur Butterworth Writes

An occasional column

Phil Scowcroft's Garlands
British Light Music articles

Classical blogs
A listing of Classical Music Blogs external to MusicWeb International

Reviewers Logs
What they have been listening to for pleasure

Announcements

 

Community
Bulletin Board

Give your opinions or seek answers

Reviewers
Past and present

Helpers invited!

Resources
How Did I Miss That?

Currently suspended but there are a lot there with sound clips


Composer Resources

British Composers

British Light Music Composers

Other composers

Film Music (Archive)
Film Music on the Web (Closed in December 2006)

Programme Notes
For concert organizers

External sites
British Music Society
The BBC Proms
Orchestra Sites
Recording Companies & Retailers
Online Music
Agents & Marketing
Publishers
Other links
Newsgroups
Web News sites etc

PotPourri
A pot-pourri of articles

MW Listening Room
MW Office

Advice to Windows Vista users  
Questionnaire    
Site History  
What they say about us
What we say about us!
Where to get help on the Internet
CD orders By Special Request
Graphics archive
Currency Converter
Dictionary
Magazines
Newsfeed  
Web Ring
Translation Service

Rules for potential reviewers :-)
Do Not Go Here!
April Fools




Error processing SSI file