RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Trio Sonatas London Baroque Ingrid Seifert, violin; Richard Gwilt, violin / viola; Charles Medlam, violoncello; Terence Charlston, harpsichord / organ. Rec: October - November 2001, St. Martin’s, East Woodhay, Hampshire, England. BIS CD-1345 [74.38] [KM]

New worlds of feeling in music that is certainly familiar … see Full Review

Hilary Hahn: Ludwig Van BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto - Leonard BERNSTEIN Serenade for violin, strings, harp and percussion. Hilary Hahn (violin) Baltimore SO/David Zinman - Rec. DDD SONY CLASSICS SK60584 [74 36] [DW]

This is the best Beethoven Violin Concerto recording. Of that I cannot be gainsaid. … see Full Review

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony No 4 in E flat major "Romantic" (Haas edition)* [68’40"] Symphony No 5 in B flat major (Nowak edition)** [77’16"] Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink Recorded in the Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Vienna in *February 1985 and ** December 1988 PHILIPS DUO 470 537-2 [145’ 56"] [JQ]

A peerless Fifth with a superb Fourth … surely irresistible. … see Full Review

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony No. 8 in C minor (Nowak Edition) (1887) Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Ricardo Chailly - Recorded 10^th-12^th May 1999, Grote Zaal, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam DECCA 466 653-2 [79:04] [GPJ]

A highly impressive reading, with gloriously confident and stylish orchestral playing. … see Full Review

Chiara Margarita COZZOLANI (1602 - c. 1677) Messa Paschale, Magnificat Ruth Escher and Catherine Webster, soprano Margaret Bragle and Suzanne Elder Wallace, alto Jennifer Ellis and Andrea Fullington, soprano Linda Liebschutz and Deborah Rentz-Moore, alto Hugh Davies, celebrant John Dornenburg, violone David Tayler, theorbo Hanneke van Proosdij, organ Warren Stewart, conductor Rec: April 1995, April 1998, March-May 1999, August 2000, June 2001, various locations. MUSICA OMNIA MO0209 [69.38] [KM]

Confirms the beauty and emotionality of this unknown composer … see Full Review

Antal DORÁTI (1906-1988) Sette Pezzi per orchestra (1961) [29.10] Night Music for flute and small orchestra (1968) [22.36] American Serenade for string orchestra (c.1941) [13.09] Sharon Bezaly (flute) Aalborg SO/Moshe Atzmon rec: Dec 1999, May 2000, Aalborghallen, Aalborg, Sweden BIS BIS-CD-1099 [66.12] [RB]

Two harmonically astringent potently imaginative works coupled with a bright and light-on-the-toes serenade. ... see Full Review

Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1957) Lieder Dietrich Henschel (baritone) with Helmut Deutsch (piano) Recorded November 2001, Teldec Studio, Berlin HARMONIA MUNDI HMC 901780 [75:45] [IL]

Sensitively colouring according to mood and atmosphere … striking beauty … see Full Review

Love Letters Martin Scott KOSINS (b.1947) Love Letters, A dialogue for flute and piano; Winter Moods, for unaccompanied flute, Francois BORNE (1840-1920), Fantasie Brilliante (on themes from Bizet’s Carmen, Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918) La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin, Theobold BOEHM (1794-1881), Variations Brillantes sur un Air Allemand, Grigoras DINICU (1889-1949), Hora Staccato. David Shostac, flute Anita Swearengin, piano Recorded 1984 and 2001. [ADD and DDD] CRYSTAL RECORDS CD314 [48:55] [KS]

My rule is to listen to a disc twice before writing about it. I have now listened to this program six times in two weeks. … see Full Review

Tarantella – Music for double-bass and piano Giovanni BOTTESINI (1821-1889) Fantasie on ‘La Sonnambula’ [8:59] Gioacchino ROSSINI (1792-1868) Une Larme pour Basse [3:01] Fritz KREISLER (1875-1972) Liebeslied Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924) Après un Rêve [3:29] Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Pièce en Forme de Habañera [3:23] Giovanni BOTTESINI Rêverie [3:41] Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941) Spring Song [2:25] Giovanni BOTTESINI Romanza Patetica 7:31] Serge KOUSSEVITSKY (1874-1951) Valse Miniature [2:50] Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Vocalise [6:25] Reinhold GLIÈRE (1875-1956) Präludium op.32, no.1 [3:26] Scherzo op.32, no.2 [4:44] Intermezzo op.9, no.1 [3:18] Tarantella op.9, no.2 [4:42] Duncan McTier, double bass, Kathron Sturrock, piano Recorded on 7^th and 8^th March 1989 at University of Surrey Music Dept. BLACK BOX BBM 1004 [61:30]
Capriccio – Music for double-bass and piano Giovanni BOTTESINI (1821-1889) Capriccio di Bravura [9:05] Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924) Elegy in A minor op.24 [7:41] Ludwig Van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Variations on ‘Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen’ op.66 [11:27] Felix MENDELSSOH-BARTHOLDY Lied ohne Worte op.109 [5:01] Camille SAINT-SAENS (1835-1921) ‘Mon coeur s’ouvre’ [3:52] HANDEL (1685-1759) ‘Ombra mai fu’ [3:35] Zoltán KODÁLY (1882-1967) Epigrams [9:16] Giovanni BOTTESINI Elegy in D [5:59] Gaspar CASSADÓ Requiebros [5:55] Duncan McTier, double bass, Kathron Sturrock, piano Recorded on 4^th – 6^th April 1996 at Conway Hall, London. BLACK BOX BBM 1005 [61:51]

If you’re not sure about the bass as a soloist, you must listen to this. If you do love the bass – well then, you probably already have done! … see Full Review
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BARGAIN OF THE MONTH

 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Rusalka, op. 114 Milada Šubrtová (Rusalka, soprano), Ivo Žídek (Prince, tenor), Eduard Haken (Watersprite, bass), Maie Ovčačíková (Ježibaba, contralto), Alena Míková (Foreign Princess, mezzo-soprano), Jiří Joran (Gamekeeper, baritone), Ivana Mixová (Turnspit, soprano), Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra/Zdeněk Chalabala Recorded from 15.11 to 2.12.1961 at the Domovina Studio, Prague SUPRAPHON SU 0013-2 612 [2 CDs: 76’54"+71’57"] [CH]

A wonderful bargain. This is a recording which instilled in me a love of the opera which has so far not died; it will surely do the same for many new listeners. … see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Wind Serenades Divertimento in B flat major, K.196f [c.1775] Divertimento in E flat major, K.252 [1775-7] Divertimento in F major, K.253 [1775-7] Serenade in C minor, K.338 [1782] Oslo Philharmonic Wind Soloists Recorded at Lommedalen Church, Baerun, Norway, June 19-20, 1997 NAXOS 8.555943 [58.27] [TH]

Playing that can happily live with the world’s best in terms of intonation, tonal blend and individuality of timbre and phrasing. … see Full Review

Vaughan Williams Symphonies Symphony No.1 'Sea Symphony'. Symphony No.2 'London Symphony'. Symphony No.8 in D minor. Symphony No.3 'Pastoral Symphony'. Symphony No.4 in F minor. Symphony No.5. Symphony No.6. Symphony No.9. Job - A Masque for Dancing. English Folksong Suite. Flos Campi. Oboe Concerto in A minor. Fantasia on Greensleeves. Serenade to Music (choral version). Partita for Double String Orchestra. Fantasis on a Theme of Thomas Tallis. Five Variants od Dives and Lazarus. Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Vernon Handley
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Carl Maria Von WEBER (1786-1826) Symphony No. 1 (1812) [24.51] Symphony No. 2 (1813) [18.16] Piano Concerto No. 1 (1810) [20.26] Piano Concerto No. 2 (1812) [23.04] Konzertstück (1821) [17.04] Euryanthe Overture (1823) [8.34] Abu Hassan Overture (1811) [3.32] Preziosa Overture (1820) [8.13] Beherrscher der Geister Overture (1804?) [5.39] Oberon Overture (1826) [8.48] Jubel-Ouvertüre (1818) [7.46] Der Freischütz Overture (1821) [10.04] Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/Neville Marriner (symphonies) rec. Abbey Road Studios, London, 1982, DDD Peter Rösel (piano) Staatskapelle Dresden/Herbert Blomstedt (piano concertos) Lukaskirche, resden, Germany, 1984, DDD Staatskapelle Dresden/Gustav Kuhn Lukaskirche, Dresden, Germany, 1985, DDD BRILLIANT CLASSICS 99935 [43.43+60.59+53.22] [RB]

A pretty decent representation of this accomplished early romantic composer. Excellent performances. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Kurt WEILL (1900-1950) Songs, Abridgements and Extracts Die Dreigroschenoper (1928) Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (1930) Rudolf NELSON (1878-1960) Das Nachtgespenst Peter Friedrich HOLLAENDER (1896-1976) Guck doch nicht immer nach dem Tangogeiger hin, Jonny Wilhelm GROSZ (1894-1939) Vom Seemann Kuttel Daddeldu Lotte Lenya, TELDEC TELEFUNKEN LEGACY 927 42663 2 [78.09] [JW]

A momentous collection and an indispensable one for the shelves. … see Full Review

GIELEN EDITION: 75^TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony no.8 in F op.93 Recorded 21 and 22 January 2000, Konzerthaus, Freiburg Piano Concerto no.3 in C minor op.37 Stefan Litwin (piano) Recorded 20 April 1994, Hans-Rosbaud Studio, Baden-Baden Grosse Fuge in B flat op.133 (arr. Gielen) Recorded September and October 1993, Hans-Rosbaud Studio, Baden-Baden HÄNSSLER FASZINATION MUZIK 93.056 [74’30"] Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Symphony no.9 in C D944, ‘Great’ Recorded live, 27 April 1996, Royal Festival Hall, London Johann STRAUSS the younger (1825-1899) Voices of Spring, waltz op.410 Recorded 4 September 1998, Konzerthaus, Freiburg HÄNSSLER FASZINATION MUZIK 93.057 [59’07"] Anton BRUCKNER (1894-1896) Symphony no.6 in A Recorded 29 March, 2001, Konzerthaus, Freiburg Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) orch Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Prelude and Fugue in E flat BWV552, ‘St Anne’ Recorded 22 August 1996, Konzerthaus, Freiburg HÄNSSLER FASZINATION MUZIK 93.058 [71’33"] Alexander SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Symphony no.3 op.43, ‘Le divin Poéme’ Recorded 22 and 23 May 1975, Hans Rosbaud Studio, Baden-Baden Ferruccio BUSONI (1866-1924) Berceuse Elégiaque op.42 Recorded 3 February 1995, Hans Rosbaud Studio, Baden-Baden Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Une Barque sur l’océan Recorded 9 January 1997, Konzerthaus, Freiburg Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Scherzo à la Russe Recorded 17 April 1998, Konzerthaus, Freiburg HÄNSSLER FASZINATION MUZIK 93.059 [65’39"] Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Die Gluckliche Hand op.18 John Brocheler (baritone) Rundfunkchor Berlin Alban BERG (1885-1935) Der Wein Melanie Diener (soprano) Anton WEBERN (1883-1945) Five pieces for Orchestra op.10 Cantata no.1 op.29 Christiane Oelze (soprano) Anton Webern-Choir, Freiburg Eduard STEUERMANN (1892-1964) Variations for orchestra Michael GIELEN (born 1927) Pflicht und Neigung HÄNSSLER FASZINATION MUZIK 93.060 [78’08"] SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden und Freiburg/Michael Gielen Recorded 1990-2001 in Freiburg and Baden-Baden HÄNSSLER FASZINATION MUZIK - FIVE DISCS 93.080[PQ]

A joy to listen to from beginning to end … see Full Review

Organ Masters Before BACH 1. BUXTEHUDE Prelude and fugue in D minor, BuxWV 140 - 2. PACHELBEL Chorale prelude O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig - 3. Vincent LÜBECK Prelude and fugue in E major - 4. Samuel SCHEIDT Chorale variation Jesus Christus, unser Heiland - 5. Nicolaus BRUHNS Prelude and fugue in E minor - 6. BUXTEHUDE Chaconne in C minor, BuxWV 159 - 7. Jan Pieterzoon SWEELINCK Fantasia cromatica - 8. Franz TUNDER Chorale prelude Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott - 9 BÖHM P relude and fugue in C major 10. PACHELBEL Chaconne in F minor - 11. BUXTEHUDE Passacaglia in D minor, BuxWV 161 - Helmut Walcha, organ Arp-Schnitger Organ, Cappel Rec: no recording date - originally released in 1978. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON DG 469 764-2 [71.51] [M]

A fine selection of baroque organ music … a must-have recording. … see Full Review

 

 

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[Detailed listing (last two days)]
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