RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770 - 1827) Symphonies 5 &
6 
Basel
CO/Giovanni Antonini rec 2008-09
SONY MUSIC 88697648162 [69:33]
[MG]
Cambreling
is good but Antonini has a special rhythmic exultation.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 1 Carl
NIELSEN (1865-1931) Symphony 3 Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Symphony 9 Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Symphony 5
Danish National Symphony Orchestra/Thomas Dausgaard rec. 2009
UNITEL CLASSICA/C MAJOR 710508 
[2 DVDs: 213:52] [DMc]
This
is special music-making.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Complete String Trios Hans
GÁL (1890-1987) Serenade in D Op.41 [25:37]*; Trio in
F sharp minor Op.104*[25:09] Hans KRÁSA
(1899-1944) Tanec (Dance) [5:53]; Passacaglia and fuga [9:44]
Ensemble
Epomeo (Caroline Chin (violin), David Yang (viola), Kenneth Woods (cello))
rec.13-15 December 2011, Millfield School Concert Hall, Somerset, England
*world premičre recordings
AVIE RECORDS AV2259 [67:08] [SA]
In
every way this is a fantastic disc that listeners will want to hear
again and again.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Christopher
GIBBONS (1615-1676) Motets, Anthems, Fantasias and Voluntaries
Philippa
Hyde (soprano) Jacqueline Connell (mezzo) Ch & Academy of Ancient
Music/Richard Egarr (organ) rec. 2010
HARMONIA MUNDI HMU807551 
[62:27] [BW]
The
music of a major discovery in near-ideal performances.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gabriel
JACKSON (b. 1962) Requiem; In all his works;
I am the voice of the wind John TAVENER
(b. 1944) Song for Athene Francis POTT
(b. 1957) When David heard
Vasari Singers/Jeremy Backhouse rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.573049 [70:06] [JQ]
Should
be investigated by all those who are interested in contemporary choral
music.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wojciech KILAR
(b.
1932) Choral Musik
The Katowice City Singers’ Ensemble Camerata Silesia; AUKSO Chamber
Orchestra of Tychy (6)/Anna Szostak rec. 2011 Liner notes but no texts
enclosed
DUX 0856 [55:40] [GF]
This
may radically change your opinions – even your lives!
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Orlande de LASSUS
(1532-1594) Missa ad imitationem Vinum Bonum
Ex Cathedra; His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts/Jeffrey Skidmore rec.
1995, DDD
ALTO ALC1177 [68:37] [MS]
Sublime
music by Lassus superbly performed.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH György LIGETI
(1923-2006)
Le Grand Macabre
Chris Merritt, Inés Moraleda, Ana Puche, Gran Teatre del Liceu
SO & Ch/Michael Boder rec. 2011
ARTHAUS MUSIK 108 058 
[122:00 + 42:00] [LW]
An
important addition to the Ligeti discography and a first on video.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Elijah
Rosemary Joshua (soprano) Sarah Connolly (mezzo) Gabrieli Cons; Wroclaw
Philh Ch; Gabrieli Young Singers Scheme; Gabrieli Players/Paul McCreesh
rec. 2011-2012
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD300 [68:30 + 67:28] [JQ]
A
marvellous recording of Elijah.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Carl NIELSEN
(1865-1931)
Symphonies 2 & 3
Erin Morley (soprano), Joshua Hopkins (baritone) New York Philharmonic/Alan
Gilbert rec.2011/ 2012
DACAPO 6.220623
[72:23] [JL]
Performances
and the sound of a lifetime.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Seppo POHJOLA
(b.
1965) Symphonies 1 & 2
Finnish RSO/Sakari Oramo rec. 2010/11
ALBA ABCD339
[60:49] [DM]
Cracking
pieces, superbly played; a demonstration disc too.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Einojuhani
RAUTAVAARA (b.
1928) Cello Concerto 2, Percussion Concerto, Modificata
Truls Mørk (cello) Colin Currie (percussion) Helsinki PO/John
Storgårds rec. 2011
ONDINE ODE 1178-2 [62:16] [DM]
Bravo,
bravo and thrice bravo; my disc of the year.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) L’occasione fa il
ladro
Elizaveta Martirosyan, Fanie Antonelou, Gianpiero Ruggeri, Mauro Utzeri,
Württemberg PO/Antonino Fogliani rec. 2005
NAXOS 8.660314-15 [45:22 + 42:11] [JS]
An
idiomatic and joyous performance of this strangely neglected work.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921)
Piano Concerto 2 Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Piano Concerto George GERSHWIN (1898-1937)
Rhapsody in Blue
Benjamin Grosvenor (piano) Royal Liverpool PO/James Judd rec. 2012
DECCA 478 3527 [65:45] [JQ]
A
thoroughly entertaining disc. Enjoy!
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) String Quartet Voces Intimae
Leos JANÁČEK (1854-1928)
String Quartet 1 Erwin SCHULHOFF (1894-1942)
String Quartet 1
Henschel Qt rec. 2008
NEOS CLASSICS 11006 [65:23]
[MC]
Dark
and melancholy is explored through compelling playing of real distinction.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
The Rite of Spring (1913) [34:14] Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphony No. 5 in E flat major,
Op. 82 (1915/1916/1919) [34:10]
London Symphony Orchestra/Leonard Bernstein rec. 1966, Bonus: Leonard
Bernstein in conversation with Humphrey Burton [12:39]
ICA CLASSICS ICAD 5082
[85:54] [DM]
Truly
great performances; Bernstein at his magnetic best.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Josef SUK
(1874-1935)
A Summer’s Tale, Prague
BBC SO/Jiří Bĕlohlávek rec. 2012
CHANDOS CHSA 5109
[79:32] [NB]
Powerful
burnished beauty … simply glorious.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH 1612
Italian Vespers Music by Gabrieli, Monteverdi &
Viadana
I Fagiolini/Robert Hollingworth rec. 2010
DECCA 478 3506 [78.40] [GH]
All
in all, a refined and significant disc.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Amoretti
Arias by Mozart, Gluck & Gretry
Christiane
Karg (soprano) Arcangelo/Jonathan Cohen rec. 2012
BERLIN CLASSICS 0300389BC [72:52] [GF]
Don’t
miss this!
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Amour,
viens animer ma voix! - French bass cantatas by Dornel,
Campra, Clérambault & Courbois
Hugo Oliveira (baritone) Ludovice Ensemble/Fernando Miguel Jaloto rec.
2010
RAMÉE RAM 1107 [76:46] [JV]
Fully
idiomatic and strongly expressive performances.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ladies
Sing Baroque
Natalie Stutzmann, Sandrine Piau, Magdalena Kozena, Patricia Petibon,
Karina Gauvin, Marie-Nicole Lemieux
NAÏVE V5294 [57:48 + 58:24] [GF]
Spine-chilling
and heart-rending listening experiences that may change your lives.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Love and Longing
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Biblical Songs Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Shéhérazade Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Rückert-Lieder
Magdalena Kožená (mezzo) Berliner PO/Sir Simon Rattle rec.
2012
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 479 0065 [64:11] [MC]
Kožená
and Rattle in awesome form.
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