BRUEGEL: Music of
his time 
NAXOS ART AND MUSIC 8.558147 [76’15"]
[JPo]
I
derived a great deal of pleasure from this
disc. It may possibly be better to buy the
individual CDs, but for anyone wanting to
explore this period of great change in musical
form this cross-section gives a good insight.
... see Full Review
Pablo
CASALS – Encores and Transcriptions ●
3 Complete Acoustic Recordings ● 1 ELGAR
Salut
d’amour Op.12* HANDEL
Largo from Xerxes * RUBINSTEIN
Melody in F Op.3 * TARTINI
Adagio from Concerto in D minor
* BRUCH Kol
Nidrei Op. 47 * POPPER
Spanish Serenade Op.11 † SAINT-SAËNS
† The Swan CAMPAGNOLI
† Romance FAURÉ
(arr. Casals) Après un
rêve † SCHUMANN
Träumerei Op.15 * POPPER
Mazurka in G minor Op.11 † LISZT
Liebestraum * J.S.
BACH Air from Orchestral Suite
No 3 BWV1068 * Cello Suite No 3 BWV1009 (Prelude;
Sarabande; Bourrée; Gigue)
Pablo Casals (cello), * with orchestra and
unknown conductor † with Charles A. Baker
(piano) Rec. 1915-1916, venue not given ADD
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.110985 [63:14] [PCW]
It
is good to hear Casals in his prime and in
transfers which are almost miraculously vivid
… if you are interested in the cello, this
is a must ... see Full
Review
DEGAS
– Music of His Time
- see review for musical examples -Author:
Hugh Griffith Slovak Radio Symphony/Andrew
Mogrelia; Laurent Martin, Pierre-Alain Volondat,
Patrick De Hooge, François-Joël
Thiollier – Piano; CSR Symphony (Bratislava)/Ondrej
Lenard; Slovak Philharmonic/Anthony Bramall;
BRT Philharmonic (Brussels)/Alexander Rahbari
Rec. various - unspecified
NAXOS ART AND MUSIC 8.558144 [76.19] [PW]
First
rate throughout ... presentation excellent.
Given Naxos’ budget pricing this is an admirable
concept. First-rate stuff. Maximum marks for
taking the compilation format onto a serious
level. ... see Full Review
Zara Alexandrovna
DOLUKHANOVA (mezzo)
- born 1918 Lieder,
Songs, Arias and Duets Sung in Russian,
French, German, English, Latin, Spanish and
Aramaic Recorded 1948-1954. No recording venues
given but mainly derived from radio broadcasts.
Various orchestral and piano accompanists.
GUILD HISTORICAL THE RUSSIAN LEGACY SERIES
GHCD 2281-84 [4CDs: 73.22 + 76.14 +
77.10 + 73.34] [RJF]
Despite
some idiosyncrasies of style in the Mozart
and the predominance of the Russian language
this diverse collection should appeal to all
lovers of singing. ... see Full
Review
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jacqueline
DU PRE (1945-1987)
- In
Portrait (DVD) The Christopher Nupen Films
Including full performances of: Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Cello Concerto
in E minor op.85 Jacqueline du Pré,
cello New Philharmonia Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim
Ludwig Van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Piano Trio no.5 in D, op.70
no.1 (The Ghost)
Daniel Barenboim, piano, Pinchas Zukerman,
violin, Jacqueline du Pré, ‘cello Produced
in this format 2004 DVD Producer, Ferenc van
Damme DVD Executive Producers, Hans Petri,
Christopher Nupen Allegro Films – The Christopher
Nupen Films
BBC
OPUS ARTE OA CN0902 D [2:35 approx] [JQ]
This
is a priceless document, as well as deeply
satisfying viewing ... see Full
Review
English
Choral Music
see review for details - Choir of St.John’s
College Cambridge/Christopher Robinson
NAXOS 8.557557-58 [2:29:51] [GPJ]
A
beautiful and valuable issue, splendidly performed
and recorded. ... see Full
Review
Ensemble
Contrechamps Brian
FERNEYHOUGH (b. 1943) Carceri
d’Invenzione I (1982)a Hans
Ulrich LEHMANN (b. 1931) Book of
Songs (1998/9)b De-qing
WEN (b. 1958) Piping and Drumming
(2000)c Xavier
DAYER (b. 1972) J’étais
l’heure qui doit me rendre pur... (1997)d
Elliott CARTER
(b. 1908) Asko Concerto (1999/2000)e
Ensemble Contrechamps Johannes Schmidt
(baritone)b; Alberto Guerra (bassoon)d;
Nieuw Ensemblea; Ensemble Contrechamps;
Jurjen Hempela, Olivier Cuendetc,
Laurent Gayd, Heinz Holligere
Recorded: Radio Suisse Romande-Espace 2 and
Schweizer Radio DRS2, Geneva, March 1999 (Ferneyhough);
Tonhall Zürich, November 1999 (Lehmann);
Geneva, April 2000 (Wen); Geneva, March 1998
(Dayer) and Luzern, August 2001 (Carter) MGB
CTS-M 82 [62:58] [HC]
A
fine release brilliantly demonstrating the
ensemble’s excellent playing and perfectly
illustrating its wide-ranging contemporary
repertoire ... see
Full Review
Faire is the Heaven.
Hymns and Anthems Gordon
SLATER (1896-1979) arr. Paul
HALLEY (b. 1952) Jesu, the very
thought of Thee [4’45"] Healey
WILLAN (1880-1968) Gloria Deo per
immense saecula [7’46"] Sydney
CAMPBELL (1909-1974) Sing we merrily
unto God our strength [2’19] Healey
WILLAN I beheld her [2’15];
Fair in face [2’19"]; Rise
up my love [2’01"] Herbert
HOWELLS (1892-1983) Te Deum [8’22"]
Samuel S. WESLEY
(1810-1876)
O Thou who camest from above [2’36"]
Imant RAMINSH
(b. 1943) Ave verum corpus [5’23"]
John IRELAND
(1879-1962) My song is love unknown (descant
Paul Halley) [3’15"] Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Ave
verum corpus [3’13"] Bryan
KELLY (b. 1934) Magnificat [3’32"]
W. H. MONK
(1823-1904) Abide with me (descant Stephen
Crisp) [3’09"] Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Verleih
uns Frieden [4’43"] William
H. HARRIS (1883-1973) Faire is
the heaven [5’16"] Rev.
C. C. SCHOLEFIELD (1839-1904) The
day Thou gavest (descant Paul Halley) [2’28"]
Choir of St. John’s Church, Elora/Noel Edison
Paul Halley (organ) Recorded at St. John’s
Church, Elora, Ontario, Canada 2 – 6 February,
2002 DDD
NAXOS 8.557037 [63’21"] [JQ]
Strongly
recommended to all collectors interested in
church music. Please, Naxos, let’s have more
recordings from this excellent team. ... see
Full Review
Forunderligt
Svend
S SCHULZ (1913-1998) Denmark
Revisited - Four Choral Songs in the Danish
Lyric style: Wild Flowers; Nightingale;
Last Song. Jørgen
JERSILD (1913-2004) Three Romantic
Choral Songs; My Favourite Valley;
Night Rain; Tedious Winter Ib
NØRHOLM (b.1931) Americana
Op. 89: Not Meagre; Snowfall in
the afternoon; Song of the Demented
Priest; Last Invocation; Charles
Webster Carl
NIELSEN (1865-1931) arr. John
HØYBE Nine Songs: Wildest
Time; Often I'm Glad; Tonight;
Must the Flower Wither; She has
forgotten me; Lower your head Oh flower;
How sweetly in the summer evening;
Sunset; The Moon is slowly rising.
Academic Choir of Aarhus/Uffe Most rec.
12-13 Sept, 3-4 Oct 2003, Lystrup Church,
Danish Radio. DDD
DANACORD DACOCD 621 [61.32] [RB]
The
fresh air and lightly cooling delight of Danish
song. ... see Full
Review
French Spectacular
Paul DUKAS (1865-1935)
L’apprenti
sorcier (1897) [11’30]. Georges
BIZET (1838-1875) Carmen (1875):
Suite No. 1 - Les Toréadors [2’07];
Prélude [1’19]; Aragonaise
[2’21]; Intermezzo [2’55]; Suite No.
2 - Habanera [2’07]; Danse bohémienne
[4’31]. L’Arlésienne (1872):
Suite No. 1 - Prélude [7’33];
Adagietto [3’26]; Suite No. 2 - Intermezzo
[4’57]; Menuet [4’27]; Farandole
[3’28]. Jacques OFFENBACH
(1819-1880)/Manuel
ROSENTHAL (1904-2003) Gaîté
parisienne (1938) [17’25].
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France/Yutaka
Sado. Rec. Salle Olivier Messiaen, Paris,
27-30 May 1997. DDD
WARNER ELATUS 2564 61357-2 [67’32] [CC]
If
you’re looking for something of this ilk (nothing
here to strain the intellect or the emotions),
this will fit the bill nicely. ... see Full
Review
GREAT BRITISH
LIGHT ORCHESTRAS The Golden Age of Light
Music
Recorded in London, England 1946-55
GUILD GLCD5104 [78.04] [JW]
Guild
is proving happily fecund in their Light Music
series ... offers plenty of entertainment
and enjoyment ... see Full
Review
Andreas
Haefliger: perspectives I Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano
Sonata in A minor, D537 (1817) [20’54]. Thomas
ADÈS (b. 1971) Darknesse
Visible (1992) [6’59]. Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano
Sonata No. 17 in B flat, D570 (1789) [16’26].
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor,
Op. 111 (1822) [26’03].
Andreas Haefliger (piano). Rec. Reitstadel-Neumarkt/Oberpfalz,
Germany, 17-19 October 2003. DDD
AVIE AV0041 [70’52] [CC]
Within
the context of this disc this Op. 111 … works
as a thought-provoking climax to a fascinating
71 minutes’ worth of listening. Markus Heilan’s
recording is true, vivid and spacious. Recommended.
... see Full
Review
Heaven to Earth
Samuel
BARBER (1910-1981)
Agnus Dei [8’26"] Maurice
DURUFLÉ (1902-1986) from
Requiem; Requiem æternam [3’23"];
Kyrie [4’08"] Charles
IVES (1874-1954) Psalm 90 [11’10"]
Leonard BERNSTEIN
(1918-1990) from Chichester Psalms;
Psalm 23* [5’34"] Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Credo [3’34"];
Pater noster [1’45"] Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) from
Five Mystical Songs**: Love bade me
welcome [5’37"]; The Call [2’05"]
Giuseppe VERDI
(1813-1901) from Quattro pezzi sacri:
Ave Maria [5’49"] Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Friede auf
Erden [10’11"] *François Suhr
(treble) **Charles Robert Stephens (baritone)
The Westminster Choir/Joseph Flummerfelt Nancianne
Parella (organ) Recorded at Princeton University
Chapel, Princeton, New Jersey in June 2002,
June 2003 and February 2004 DSD Hybrid Multichannel
SACD 
AVIE 0046 [62’07"] [JQ]
This
is a fine choral CD which will give much pleasure
if the eclectic but thoughtful programme appeals.
Recommended ... see Full
Review
"Invitation
to the Seraglio - Period
Dances, Marches, and Occasional Pieces"
W.P.R
COPE
(fl. 1800) The Turkish Ambassador’s Grand
March (1794) [2.00] Sultan
ABDÜLAZIZ (1830- 1876) La
Gondole barcarolle (1861) [4.31] Invitation
à la valse (1861) [2.35] Callisto
GUATELLI (1819 - 1900) Aziziye
March (1861) [3.59] Osmaniye March (1861)
[3.37] Marche de l’exposition Ottomane (1863)
[3.30] Herman Louis
KOENIG (fl. 1850) The City of the
Sultan Polka (1855) [2.41] SAIDE
[wife of Ömer Pasha] (1834 - ) Silistre
[Cinq Marches militaires pour piano (1854)
#5] [1.35] Tchitaté [ibid
#3] [1.25] William
SMALLWOOD (1831 - 1897) The Turkish
War March* (1881) [3.55] Charles
Louis Napoleon D’ALBERT (1809 -
1886) The Sultan’s Polka (1850) [2.38] Constantinople
Quadrille (1855) [5.48] The War Galop (1855)
[4.35] Modest MUSORGSKY
(1839 - 1881) Near the Southern Shore of the
Crimea (1880) [4.25] Giuseppe
DONIZETTI (1788 - 1846) Medidiye
March (1839) [3.01] Gran marcia militare imperiale
(1840) [3.22] Luigi
ARDITI (1822 - 1903) Inno turco
(1867) [7.04] Henry
William GOODBAN (1816 - ?) The
Omar Pacha Waltzes (1853) [6.13] Gioacchino
ROSSINI (1792 - 1868) Marcia militare
(Pas-redoublé) (1852) [3.55] Rifat
BEY (1820 - 1888) Prière
pour S.M. le Sultain Mourad (1876) [2.45]
Emre ARACI
( 1968 - ) The Turkish Ambassador’s Grand
March, Op 5 (1998) [3.58]
Emre Araci, the London Academy of Ottoman
Court Music, Cihat Askin, violin. Arrangements
by Emre Araci. Notes in English, Français,
Deutsch, Turkish. Colour photographs of rulers.
Recorded at The Warehouse, London, UK, 21
January 2000.
WARNER 2564 61472-2 [77.38]
[PSh]
A
concert of truly delightful dance music from
150 years ago, a refreshing wind from the
past, a tonic for noise-deadened nerves ...
see Full
Review
Jigs, Airs and Reels
Franz
REIZENSTEIN (1911 – 1968) Partita
Op.13 (1939, arr. 1953) John
JEFFREYS (b. 1927) Prelude and
Jig for John Turner (2000, rev. 2001) Malcolm
ARNOLD (b. 1921) Fantasy Op.140
(1991) William Lewarne
HARRIS (b. 1929) Quintet (2002)
Robin WALKER
(b. 1953) Dances from The Bells of
Blue Island (2001, rev. 2003) Edward
GREGSON (b. 1945) Romance (1964,
rev. 2003) Philip
COWLIN (b. 1920) Concertino (2003)
Ernest TOMLINSON
(b. 1924) Chadkirk Idyll (2002, rev. 2003)
John VEALE
(b. 1922) Triptych (2003)
John Turner (recorder); Camerata Ensemble
Recorded: Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, Manchester
University, September 2003
CAMPION CAMEO 2034 [76:59] [DW]
I
recommend this disc but I have to repeat the
reservation that some of the music is not
particularly good ... see Full
Review
Lang Lang
Live at Carnegie Hall CD1:
Robert SCHUMANN
(1810-1856)
Abegg-Variationen, Op. 1 (1829-30)
[8’18] Joseph HAYDN
(1732-1809) Piano Sonata No. 60 in C,
HobXVI:50 (c1794/5) [15’11] Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Fantasia
in C, D760, ‘Wanderer’ (1822) [22’51]
TAN DUN (born
1957) Eight Memories in Watercolor,
Op. 1 (1978-9) [14’59] Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Nocturne
in D flat, Op. 27 No. 2 [6’41] CD2:
Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Réminiscences de Don Juan de
Mozart, S418 (1841) [16’14]. Liebestraum,
S541 No. 3 (c1850) [5’46]. Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Kinderszenen,
Op. 15 (1838) - Träumerei [4’11].
TRADITIONAL,
after Huang Hai Hwai, Chen Rao Xing and Shen
Li Qun, arr. Lang Lang and Lang Guo-ren Horses
[2’52]
Lang Lang (piano); Lang Guo-ren (erhu) Rec.
live at Carnegie Hall, New York, on November
7th, 2003
DG 474 820-2 [68’24 + 29’12] [CC]
Memorable
moments, then, and a useful memento of what
was obviously quite an occasion ... see Full
Review
The Last Night of
the Proms 2003 Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Aristophanic
Suite: The Wasps - Overture (1909) [9'03"]
Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921) Introduction et Rondo capriccioso,
Op.28 (1863) for violin and orchestra [9'54"]
Gabriel FAURÉ
(1845-1924) Pavane, Op.50 (1887) - Choral
version [6'04"] Jules
MASSENET (1842-1912) Thaïs:
Méditation, for violin and orchestra
[5'42"] Alexander
BORODIN (1833-1887) Prince Igor:
Polovtsian Dances, for ladies voices, chorus
and orchestra [11'27"] George
GRIGORIOU (1927-1999) Valurile
Dundrii (1974) - Muzica, for Soprano and orchestra
[2'56"] Alfredo CATALANI
(1854-1893) La Wally (1892) - Ebben?...ne
andrò lontana for soprano and orchestra
[3'33"] Sir Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934)
Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 in D Major
[6'42"] Sir Henry
WOOD (1869-1944) and Percy
GRAINGER (1882-1961) for chorus
and orchestra (arr. John Wilson & Stephen
Jackson) Fantasia on British Sea Songs [18'54"]
Sir Charles Hubert
PARRY (1848-1918), orch. Sir
Edward ELGAR for chorus, organ
and orchestra Jerusalem [2'43"] Angela Gheorghiu
(soprano) Leila Josefowicz (violin) BBC Singers;
BBC Symphony Chorus (Chorus master: Stephen
jackson) BBC Symphony Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin
Recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall at
the BBC Proms on 13 September 2003
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 61552-2 [77'02"]
[JPo]
Fine
if you want the hype and fireworks; I can
happily live without them. ... see Full
Review
Detailed listing (last two
days)]
[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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