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Alphabetical Listing

Recommendations

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]


RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Goldberg Variations BWV988 (c.1741) (arr. Dmitry Sitkovetsky) [47:22] 15 Sinfonias BWV787-801 (c.1720) (arr. Dmitry Sitkovetsky) [26:30] Dmitry Sitkovetsky (violin); Yuri Zhislin (viola); Luigi Piovano (cello) rec. 2010, DDD NIMBUS NI6199 [73:52] [OL]

Glorious. Gripping. Irresistible.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Benjamin BRITTEN (1913 - 1976) A Ceremony of Carols, op. 28 (1942) 1 [24:13] Saint Nicholas, op. 42 (1948) [49:15] Trinity College Cambridge Choir/Stephen Layton, rec.2007, 2012. DDD. Booklet includes sung texts. HYPERION CDA67946 [73:30]

Trinity is outstanding

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) War Requiem Erin Wall (soprano) Mark Padmore (tenor); Hanno Müller-Brachmann (bass-baritone) City of Birmingham SO & Ch/Andris Nelsons rec. 2012 ARTHAUS MUSIK 101659 [97:00] [JQ]

A distinguished addition to the War Requiem discography. As a performance deeply moving and a major achievement. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 7, The Triumphant Return (documentary) Berlin PO/Sergiu Celibidache rec. 1992 EUROARTS 2011404 [90:00 + 54:00] [DM]

A uniquely satisfying Seventh; a must for all Brucknerians. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Philipp DULICHIUS (1562-1631) Sacred Motets Weser-Renaissance/Manfred Cordes rec. 2008 CPO 777 352-2 [64:46] [JV]

Immaculate and often exciting performances. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) String Quartet 12 Bedřich SMETANA (1824-1884) String Quartet 1 Josef SUK (1874-1935) Meditation on the Old Czech Hymn Saint Wenceslas Sacconi Qt rec. 2010 SACCONI RECORDS SACC104 [66:25] [DJB]

It really doesn’t get much better than this. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Elisenda FÁBREGAS (b. 1955) Voices of the Rainforest Kate WARING (b. 1953) Alapana Libby LARSEN (b. 1950) Slow Structures Chen YI (b. 1953) Night Thoughts Meininger Trio rec. 2010 HÄNSSLER PROFIL PH11039 [56:39] [DM]

Utterly absorbing; this music will give lasting pleasure. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Orlando GIBBONS (1583 - 1625) Hymns and Songs John SHEPPARD (1515 - 1585) Missa Cantate, Spiritus Sanctus Thomas TALLIS (1505 - 1585) Missa puer natus est nobis Robert WHITE (1538 - 1574) Lamentations of Jeremiah The Clerkes of Oxenford/David Wulstan rec. 1975/77 PHAIA MUSIC PHU005.7 [3 CDs: 175.43] [RH]

Astonishing …. Amazing. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Acis and Galatea Jeni Bern (soprano) Benjamin Hulett (tenor) Christ Church Cathedral Choir; Oxford Philomusica/Stephen Darlington rec. 2012 English text included NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6201 [75:36] [JS]

Supplements rather than replaces the original but a delightful work in its own right. One of the most enjoyable recordings I have heard for a long time.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gary HIGGINSON (b. 1952) Songs of Innocence and of Experience Charlotte de Rothschild (soprano) Danielle Perrett (harp) Chapel Ch of Selwyn College, Cambridge; Ely Cathedral Girls' Ch/Sarah MacDonald rec. 2011 REGENT REGCD381 [76:49] [DJ]

A magnificent introduction to an unjustly overlooked contemporary composer. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 8 Los Angeles Philharmonic, Simón Bolivar SO of Venezuela/Gustavo Dudamel rec. 2012 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 073 4890 [90:00 + 18:00] [DM]

Taut, superbly controlled Mahler, performed with great conviction and presented in top-notch sound and pictures. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Claudio MONTEVERDI (1567-1643) L’Incoronazione di Poppea Philippe Jaroussky, Danielle de Niese, Anna Bonitatibus, Les Arts Florissants/William Christie, Pier Luigi Pizzi (director) rec. 2010 VIRGIN CLASSICS 0709519 [2 DVDs: 180:00] [BW]

A life-enhancing experience which dramatically changed my view of this opera.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Anthony RITCHIE (b.1960) A Bugle Will Do, Symphony 3, French Overture, Revelations New Zealand SO/Tecwyn Evans rec. 2010 ATOLL ACD741 [62:54] [NB]

A hugely enjoyable and rewarding disc of a composer well worth exploring further. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868) Il Carnevale - Works for chorus and ensemble Südfunk-Chor/Rupert Huber, Eric Ericson, Helmut Wolf rec. 1979-92 CARUS 83.324 [65:42] [JS]

There have been other discs of Rossini’s shorter vocal works but none that I have heard has given as much pleasure as this one. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Romantique Arias by Donizetti, Gounod & Berlioz Elina Garanča (mezzo) Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna/Yves Abel rec. 2012 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 479 0071 [60:42] [GF]

Without doubt a candidate for my Recording of the Year.   

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Agostino STEFFANI (1654 – 1728) Mission Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo) Philippe Jaroussky (counter-tenor) Coro della Radiotelevisione svizzera, I Barocchisti/Diego Fasolis DECCA 478 4732 [80:28] [GF]

As perfect as anything can be!

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Josephs-Legende - ballet pantomime op.63 (1914) [61:05] Orchester der Bayerischen Staatsoper München/Robert Heger rec. 1952, ACANTA 233593 [61:05] [RMay]

A great performance, expertly directed and very well played. Heger is an experienced and convincing Strauss interpreter who has the full measure of the score.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Gerald Finley (bass-baritone) Marco Jentzsch (tenor) Anna Gabler (soprano) Johannes Martin Kränzle (baritone) Glyndebourne Ch, London PO/Vladimir Jurowski rec. 2011 OPUS ARTE OA1085D [280:00] [ST]

This DVD is so good that it will always be so much more than a consolation prize. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH British Clarinet Concertos Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) Clarinet Concerto Gerald FINZI (1901-1956) Clarinet Concerto Malcolm ARNOLD (1921-2006) Clarinet Concerto 2 BBC SO/Michael Collins (clarinet) rec. 2012 CHANDOS CHAN10739 [65:45] [NB]

Collins’ finest recording to date and one of the finest concerto discs of the year. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Romantique Arias by Donizetti, Gounod & Berlioz Elina Garanča (mezzo) Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna/Yves Abel rec. 2012 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 479 0071 [60:42] [GF]

Without doubt a candidate for my Recording of the Year.   

RECORDING OF THE MONTH The Word Unspoken Works by Byrd & De Monte Gallicantus/Gabriel Crouch (baritone) rec. 2008-2011 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD295 [69:17] [MG]

The sheer beauty of Gallicantus’s singing is totally captivating. 

 

 


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]


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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