Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The Bach Cantata
Pilgrimage Volume 28: Cantatas for Ascension Day -
Soloists, The Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists/Sir
John Eliot Gardiner. rec. 2012 SOLI DEO GLORIA SDG
185 [77:08] [JQ] A very
welcome addition to the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage series.
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Piano Concerto; Violin
Concerto - Howard Shelley (piano) Tasmin Little (violin)
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/Edward Gardner rec. 2012 CHANDOS
CHAN 10764 [76:30] [MC] A
desirable Chandos release of two marvellous Britten concertos
that deserve to be far better known.
Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Cello Concerto; Sospiri;
Salut d’amour; La capricieuse Antonín
DVORÁK (1841-1904) Silent Woods Rondo
Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Adagio con variazioni
Sol Gabetta (cello) Danish NSO/Mario Venzago rec. 2009
RCA RED SEAL 88697658242 [65:54] [MC] Stunning
playing and sound... eminently satisfying.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Vagn
HOLMBOE (1909-1996) Chamber Music Vol 1:
Primavera; Gioco; Sonata per flauto solo;
Ballata; Quartetto Ensembl MidtVest
rec. 2010 DACAPO 8.226073 [72:20] [BB] In
felicity these works sit comfortably beside those by Martinu
and Poulenc.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Simeon
ten HOLT (1923-2012) Canto Ostinato; Natalon;
Aforisme II; Solo Devil’s Dances I-IV; Eadem Sed Aliter
- Jeroen van Veen (piano) rec. 2012 BRILLIANT CLASSICS
9434 [5 CDs: 78:15 + 46:59 + 67:43 + 50:10 + 77:12]
[DC] Fascinating and life-enhancing,
a real bargain.
Claude
LE JEUNE (c.1530-1600) Autant en emporte
le vent Eric Bellocq (lute) Jean-Marc Aymes (positive
organ) Malcolm Bothwell (viola da gamba) Ensemble Clément
Janequin/Dominique Visse rec. 2004 HARMONIA MUNDI /MUSIQUE
D’ABORD HMA1951863 [67.15] [GH] Memorable
and delightful performances … and the recording is ideal.
Modest
MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Pictures from
an Exhibition Serge PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Sarcasms; Visions fugitives Steven Osborne
(piano) rec. 2011 HYPERION CDA67896 [65:58] [LW]
A warm welcome for these remarkable
performances.
Manuel
María PONCE (1882–1948) Complete Piano
Works Vol. 1 - Álvaro Cendoya (piano) rec. 2012 GRAND
PIANO GP 638 [59:33] [Byz] This
augurs well for the rest of Grand Piano’s Ponce series.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) La Battaglia di Legnano
Enrico Giuseppe Iori, Andrew Richards, Dimitra Theodossiou,
Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi, Trieste/Boris Brott rec.
2012 C MAJOR BLU-RAY 722704 
[119:00+11:00] [RF] None of
the set, orchestra or chorus do justice to this opera.
I know from audio recordings that this work has so much
more vitality than is revealed here.
Experimental
Music Lab - Stanley Schumacher and the Music Now
Ensemble MUSICMACHER PRODUCTIONS MM006 [58:18]
[DC] Now who’s Bad?
British
Light Music: 
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