1600
Masterpieces of 17th-century Italian Instrumental Music 
Concerto Italiano/Rinaldo Alessandrini (harpsichord, organ) rec. 2011
NAÏVE
OP30531 [66:44] [GM][BW]
A
superb release in every way.
An
Englishman in Italy -
British Piano Music Inspired by Italy
Christopher Howell (piano) *Ermanno de Stefani (piano II) rec. 2011/12
SHEVA
COLLECTION SH056 [76:43 + 70:04] [JS][Byz]
An
interesting and previously unexplored corner of British music. [JS]
A sympathetic case is made for music that went down with the demise
of amateur piano playing [Byz].
Apocryphal
Bach Masses Vol. 2
Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam; Alsfelder Vokalensemble, Hannoversche Hofkapelle/Wolfgang
Helbich rec. 2009
CPO 777 561-2 [58:17] [JV]
Fascinating
repertoire, outstanding performances.
Boris
Berezovsky (piano) The Teldec Recordings
rec. 1991-2006
TELDEC 2564 66468-4 [10 CDs: 579:28] [DC]
Not
to be missed.
Both
Sides, Now
Håkan
Hardenberger (trumpet) Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Kenneth Sillito
rec. 2011
BIS BIS-SACD-1814 
[50:21] [DC]
Rewarding
in subtle and genteel ways.
British
Clarinet Sonatas - Vol. 1 Works by Ireland, Stanford, Bliss,
Bax & Howells
Michael Collins (clarinet) Michael McHale (piano) rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN 10704 [72:54] [MC]
I
loved every minute of this disc. Leaves the heart beating fast.
Byways
of Beecham Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869)
Le Corsaire Edvard GRIEG
(1843-1907) An Old Norwegian Folksong
Vincent D’INDY (1851-1931) La Forêt Enchantée
Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Symphony 3
Denis Vaughan (organ) Royal PO & BBC SO/Sir Thomas Beecham rec.
1951-55
SOMM-BEECHAM 32 [76:11] [JQ]
Some
more buried Beecham treasure – and it’s pure gold!
The
Great Clarinettist Louis Cahuzac The Complete Danish studio
recordings
rec. 1947-52
DANACORD DACOCD 722-723 [65:11 + 65:39] [JW]
There
are gems here and long hidden rarities.
Guido
Cantelli's 29th appearance with the NBC SO Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Christmas Oratorio Sinfonia Luigi CHERUBINI
(1760-1842) Symphony Richard STRAUSS
(1865-1949) Tod und Verklärung
NBC SO/Guido Cantelli rec. 1952
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC319 [58:22] [JW]
Cantelli
has about him a sense of the provisional or contingent.
Carmen
- Spanish flamenco
Antonio Gades & Carlos Saura rec. 2011
TEATRO REAL 
TR97004BD 112:00] [RJF]
It
might not be Bizet’s Carmen but it certainly conveys the drama, individuality
and vivacity of Flamenco.
Choral
arrangements of songs by Richard Strauss, Mahler &
Wagner
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Peter Dijkstra rec. 2009-2011
BR-KLASSIK 900503 [67:36] [MC]
Sheer
delight. Glowing and highly successful.
Crosscurrents
Music for chamber orchestra by American composers
Elizabeth Farnum (soprano) Gilbert Dejean (bassoon) Megan Levin (harp)
Rita Porfiris (viola) North/South CO/Max Lifchitz rec. 2010
NORTH SOUTH CONSONANCE NSR1055 [71:51] [Byz]
Worth
a place on any music-lover's shelf.
Crossing
The Channel: Music from medieval France and England
Ensemble
Providencia rec. 2011
TACET 201 [61.12] [PCG]
The singing is extremely good and the recording excellent.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Dancing on
Ivory Romantic transcriptions for piano
Jue Wang (piano) rec. 2011
MSR CLASSICS MS1404 [55:10] [BR]
An
adventurous program which exposes a strong young pianist truly coming
into his own.
Dedicated
to Trio ZilliacusPerssonRaitinen
rec. 2010
PHONO SUECIA PSCD 189 [75:48] [GF]
The
target group for contemporary chamber music is narrow but inquisitive
readers shouldn’t miss this opportunity to get updated.
Expressions
American works for chamber orchestra
Münir Nurettin Beken (Turkish ud) Ann Ellsworth (French horn) North/South
CO/Max Lifchitz rec. 2010
NORTH SOUTH CONSONANCE N/S R 1054 [64:15] [Byz]
The
five works here are all first recordings.
Fantasies
for Bassoon Works by Schubert,
Rachmaninov, Schreck & Schumann
Karen
Geoghegan (bassoon) Philip Edward Fisher (piano) rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN 10703 [66:45] [DM]
Gorgeous,
a balm for the heart and soul.
Emanuel
Feuermann (cello) Unexpected Discoveries
rec. 1921-41
WEST HILL RADIO ARCHIVES WHRA-6042 [4 CDs: 197:00] [JW]
I
can’t imagine how any true admirer of the cellist can overlook this
box.
The
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
Vol. 1
Pieter-Jan
Belder (harpsichord) rec. 2010
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94303 [73.14 + 72.23] [GH]
A
propitious start.
France
1789 – Révolte en musique d’un sans-culotte &
d’un royaliste (Chansons of the French Revolution)
Arnaud Marzorati (baritone); Jean-François Novelli (tenor); Les Lunaisiens
rec. 2010
ALPHA 810 [61:23] [ST]
A
good historical resource though few people will want to hear it more
than a couple of times.
French
Impressions Violin sonatas by Saint-Saëns, Ravel &
Franck
Joshua Bell (violin) Jeremy Denk (piano) rec. 2010
SONY CLASSICAL 88697 891882 [67:19] [RBe]
All
three performances are uniformly admirable.
Lesley
Garrett (soprano) A North Country Lass
Crouch End Festival Ch, City of Prague PO/Paul Bateman rec. 2012
MUSIC INFINITY INS500 [64.20] [MM-B]
I
am sure that Lesley Garrett’s many fans will be delighted with the album
and rightfully so!
Glorious
Majesty -
Music for English Kings and Queens – Diamond Jubilee Edition
Various artists Full Track-List at end of review
EMI CLASSICS 3272852 [3 CDs: 72:12 + 76:44 + 78:28] [MG]
A
good spread of familiar and less familiar royal music.
I
Saw Eternity
Contemporary Canadian choral music
Elora Festival Singers/Noel Edison rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.572812 [73.58] [DMcC]
Passion
and refinement in equal measure.
Italian
and Neapolitan Songs Works by Tosti, Respighi & De
Curtis
Yoram Chaiter (bass) Irena Zelickson-Litchen (piano)
ROMEO RECORDS 7285 [76:59] [GF]
Committed
singing of songs that are melodious and agreeable.
Carlos
Kleiber - Traces
to Nowhere A film by Eric Schulz
ARTHAUS
108041 [72:00] [KM]
For
fans of Carlos Kleiber. Others will likely not find much of interest
in this sketchy documentary.
Lute
Music of the Netherlands
Anthony Bailes (lute)
CARPE DIEM CD-16289 [60:16] [JV]
A
delightful disc.
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]
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