The Best of
British Vol. 1 Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Flourish
for Wind Band Percy
GRAINGER (1882-1961) Lincolnshire
Posy Alun HODDINOTT
(b.1929) Welsh Airs and Dances
Gustav HOLST
(1874-1934) (arr. John Boyd) Japanese
Suite Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) (arr. M. Retford)
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 Pomp
and Circumstance March No. 1 Percy
GRAINGER (1882-1961) (edited by R.
Mark Rogers) The Gum Suckers’ March
Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra/Douglas Bostock
Recorded at Sun Azalea, Suitama, October 21
and 22, 2003 DDD
KOSEI PUBLISHING COMPANY KOCD-8011 [57:46]
[CT]
Fine
playing from the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra
in the first of a series of discs celebrating
British music. ... see Full
Review
BEYOND
THE DREAM Piet
SWERTS (b. 1960) Droombeelden
(1986) Paul GILSON
(1865 – 1942) Rhapsody Alla marcia
(1890) Wilfried WESTERLINCK
(b. 1945) Landschappen II (1991) Arthur
MEULEMANS (1884 – 1966) Adagio
in C (1939)
Frits CELIS (b.
1929) Fantasia Op.45b (1993) Raymond
SCHROEYENS (b. 1933)
Al di la del Sonno (1997)
Czech Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Brno/Edmond
Saveniers
Recorded: G-Studio, Brno, August 2003
PHAEDRA 92038 [65:37] [HC]
One
of the loveliest discs that I have heard recently
and one I warmly and unreservedly recommend.
... see Full
Review
Jonathan
Biss, piano: Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Fantasy
in G minor, Op. 77 (1809) Piano Sonata No.
23 in F minor "Appassionata",
Op. 57 (1804) Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Davidsbündlertänze,
Op. 6 (1837, rev. 1850) 
Jonathan Biss, piano Recorded Potton Hall,
Suffolk, March/April 2003
EMI CLASSICS DEBUT 7243 5 85894 2 9 [65:58]
Much
to enjoy in this new disc, and I give it a
mild recommendation ... see Full
Review
Björling Collection
Volume 4: Opera Arias and Duets - 1945-1951
Georges Charles GOUNOD
(1818-1893)
Romeo et Juliette, ‘Ah! Leve-toi,
soleil’ Jules MASSENET
(1842-1912) Manon, ‘Je suis
seul!…Ah! fuyez, douce image Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1868) L’Elisir
d’amore, ‘Una furtiva lagrima’…’Quanto
e bella’ Francesco
CILEA (1866-1950) L’arlesiana,
‘E la solita storia’ ‘Come due tizzi accesi’
Giacomo PUCCINI
(1858-1924) Manon Lescaut,
‘Donna’ non vidi mai’ Pietro
MASCAGNI (1863-1945) Cavalleria
rusticana, ‘Ch’ella mi creda libera’;
‘Mamma! Quell vino e generoso’ Benjamin
GODARD (1949-1895) Jocelyn,
‘Berceuse’ Georges
BIZET (1838-1870) Carmen,
‘La fleur que tu m’avais jetée’ Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901)
Don Carlo, ‘Io I’ho perduta…Qual
pallor…Dio, che nell’alma infondere’ (with
Robert Merrill, baritone) Otello, ‘O
monstruoso colpa…Si, pel ciel marmoreo giuro’
(with Robert Merrill, baritone) La forza
del destino, ‘Solenne in quest’ora’
(with Robert Merrill, baritone) Aida,
‘Se quell guerrier io fossi!…Celeste Aida’
Georges BIZET
(1838-1870) Les Pecheurs de perles,
‘Au fond du temple saint’ (with Robert
Merrill, baritone) Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858-1924)
La Boheme, ‘In un coupe?..O
Mimi, tu piu non torni’ (with Robert Merrill,
baritone); ‘Che gelida manina’ Amilcare
PONCHIELLI (1834-1886) La
Gioconda, ‘Cielo e mar!’
Jussi Björling (tenor) Royal Opera
Orchestra, Stockholm Concert Association Orchestra
and Swedish Radio Orchestra/Nils Grevillius.
RCA Victor Orchestra/Renato Cellini Various
recording venues Restoration Producer Stefan
Lindström
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.110788 [73.37] [RJF]
Fine
legato, excellent diction, elegant phrasing
and that glowing golden tone that was Jussi
Björling’s hallmark ... see Full
Review
British
Light Music Discoveries - Vol. 6
Henry WALFORD DAVIES
(1869-1941) March
past of the Royal Air Force (1919) Gareth
GLYN (b.1951) Legend of the Lake
– Suite for small orchestra (1984 rev. 2002)
Hamilton HARTY
(1879-1941) Londonderry Air (1924)* John
FIELD (1782-1837) Rondo in A flat
(edited Philip Lane)+ Iain
HAMILTON (1922-2000) Overture 1912
(1958) David FANSHAWE
(b.1942) Tarka the Otter – extended theme
(1978)++ Serenata; Mother and Child (2002)++
Christopher SLASKI
(b.1974) Frank Lloyd Wright Suite (2002)**
Robert Gibbs (violin)* Alan MacLean (piano)+
London Symphony Orchestra/Neil Thomson** Royal
Ballet Sinfonia/Gavin Sutherland City of Prague
Philharmonic Orchestra/ Gavin Sutherland++
Recorded London and Prague, 2002-03
ASV WHITE LINE CD WHL 2149 [71.08] [JW]
Plenty
of good nuggets here – but what a weird piece
of programming. ... see Full
Review
Bulgarian
Soul - Kasarova - Kyurkchiyski Dilmano,
Dilbero; Kalimanku, Denku ;Day mi, Bozhe,
krila lebedovi (Give me, oh God, the wings
of a swan) Zablyalo mi e agantse (A little
lamb was bleating) Polegnala e Tudora * (Fair
Tudora is dozing) Rofinka bolna lezhi (Rufinka
lies ill) Melodiya Slantse ogreyalo (The sun
is shining) Se ma yad, mamo (I'm so angry,
mother) Malkata tsvetarka ¹ (The flowergirl)
Vokaliza Mama Rada dumashe (Mama was telling
Rada) Proshetna se Momchilitsa (Momchil's
young wife) Ya kazhi mi, oblache le byalo
(Tell me, little white cloud) (All traditional
songs, arranged Kyurkchiyski, except * (Variations
on a traditional song, composed by Kyurkchiyski)
and ¹ (words by Smirnenski, music by Kyurkchiyski).)
Vesselina Kasarova, mezzo-soprano Ermila
Schweizer-Sekulinova, piano
Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria (Vania Moneva,
chorus master) "Sofia Soloists" Chamber Orchestra
Tzanko Dimitrov Delibozov, conductor Recorded
at the Bulgaria Concert Hall, Sofia, July
5th-9th 2002.
BMG-RCA Red Seal 74321936582 [59.43]
[NH]
Pure Bulgarian a
capella meets classical - the latter undoubtedly
gains, the former may seem diluted to "purists"
or aficionados ... see Full
Review
Carlo
BUTI, tenor
(1902-1963) - Bella ragazza - The
Golden Voice of Italian Song see review for
details
Carlo Buti (tenor) All tracks recorded
in Milan, 1934-1945. Various orchestras and
conductors
NAXOS Nostalgia 8.120596 [63.22]
[RJF]
Buti
- an accomplished tuneful singing entertainer
... this CD presents him and his style with
accomplishment. ... see Full
Review
Chants Juifs pour violoncello et piano
Traditional,
arr. Jean-Francois ZYGEL
(b. 1960) Kol Nidre [5:27]; Prier
[3:55]; Elegie [5:41] Jean-Francois
ZYGEL Nigun [3:59]; Psalmodie [4:00];
Shema [3:12] Traditional,
arr. Sonia WIEDER-ATHERTON
Question [2:37]; Conversation [2:55]; Chanson
[2:15]; Kaddish [5:08]; Incertitude [2:50];
Danse [2:12], Chant Hassidique [3:56] Ernest
BLOCH (1880-1959) Nigun [6:05];
Priere [4:11]; Supplication [2:14]; Jewish
Song [2:15]; Méditation Hébraïque
[5:52]
Sonia Wieder-Atherton, cello Daria Hovora,
piano Rec. Abbaye de Roumont, January 1989;
Theatre de Poissy, September 1996 DDD
BMG FRANCE 74321 425332 [69:41] [PG]
A
rare treat - music with which most listeners
will not be familiar. ... see Full
Review
Christmas
at Weissenau Louis-Claude
DAQUIN (1694-1772)
Noël
10 [05:51] Noël 2 [06:15] Noël 8
(Noël étranger) [03:38] Noël
9 (Noël sur les flûtes) [08:01]
Guillaume LASCEUX
(1740-1831) Simphonie concertante
[07:00] Jean-Jacques
BEAUVARLET-CHARPENTIER (1734-1794)
Quartetto [07:37] Guillaume
LASCEUX Choeur en Simphonie [07:20]
Claude-Bénigne
BALBASTRE (1727-1799) Concert de
flûte et de voix humaine [03:21] Trio
[04:29] Ariete lante [04:50] Nicolas
SEJAN (1745-1819) Noël suisse
[09:15]
Ewald Kooiman, organ [Johann Nepomuk
Holzhey, 1785-87] Recorded August 25, 1994
in the Abbey of the White Canons, Weissenau,
Germany ADD
CORONATA COR 1222 [62:39] [JV]
A
programme of organ music by French composers
from the early 18th to the early 19th century,
which is given the best possible interpretation
on a beautiful historical organ … see Full
Review
Mirijam Contzen
Johann Sebastian BACH
(16.85-1750) Partita
No. 3 in E Major BWV 1006: Preludio [3.22],
Loure [3.46], Gavotte en Rondeau
[2.53], Menuet 1 – Menuet II – Menuet I
[3.57], Bourée [1.23]. Gigue
[1.46] Tibor VARGA
(1921-2003)
Le Serpent [6.41] Béla
BARTÓK (1881-1945) Sonata
for solo violin Sz 117: Tempo die Ciaccona
[9.14], Fuga [4.07], Melodia [6.36],
Presto [5] Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Élegie
[5.26] Eugène
YSAŸE (1858-1931) Sonate Op.
27 No. 4: Allemande. Lento maestoso
[6.16], Sarabande. Quasi lento [3.30],
Finale. Presto ma non troppo [3.05]
Mirijam
Contzen (violin) Recorded Reitstadel Neumarkt,
12-14 January 2004
BMG ARTE NOVA CLASSICS 82876 57741
2 [67.53] [EM]
Not
a disc I would personally recommend, but of
its kind (publicity-machine compilation disc),
it is probably one of the better. ... see
Full Review
Régine
Crespin chante L’Opéra français
see review for details
Orchestra Symphonique (a) Orchestre de
la Suisse Romande (b) Jesus Etchéverry
(conductor) (a) Alain Lombard (conductor)
(b) Recorded: 1961 Vega (a); 1971 Decca (b)
ACCORD 476 072 -2 [76.14] [RH]
One
of France’s finest dramatic sopranos in a
recital of French arias, a welcome opportunity
to hear her in her native repertoire. ...
see Full Review
Emily Dickinson
in Song see review
for titles
Virginia Dupuy (mezzo soprano) Shields-Collins
Bray (piano) * Tara Emerson (piano) # William
Jordan (piano) + Recorded in Caruth Auditorium,
Southern Methodist University, undated
GASPARO GSCD 360 [62.24] [JW]
Thrives
on the contrasts that Dickinson’s poetry provokes
and the evocations of time and place cleaving
to the mainstream-lyric ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH
English
Choral Music Sir
Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924):
Magnificat
in G, op. 81* [4’13"] Nunc Dimittis in
G, Op. 81 [4’18"] Justorum Animae from
Three Latin Motets [3’24"] Sir
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934): Ave verum
corpus, Op. 2, No 1 [2’39"] Give unto
the Lord (Psalm XXIX), Op. 74 [7’50"]
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
(1872-1958): The Call* [2’05"] Herbert
HOWELLS (1892-1983): Magnificat,
St. Paul’s [6’33"] Nunc Dimittis, St.
Paul’s [4’59"] Paean for organ ** [6’03"]
Take him, earth, for cherishing [7’44"]
Peter HURFORD
(b. 1930): Litany to the Holy Spirit*
[2’56"] Gerald
FINZI (1901-1956): Welcome Sweet
and Sacred Feast, Op. 27, No. 3 [7’31"]
Edmund RUBBRA
(1901-1986): Tenebrae Motets – Third Nocturne,
Op. 72: I Eram quasi agnus innocens [2’50"];
II Una hora non potuistis [2’02"]; III
Seniores populi [2’22"] Magnificat in
A flat [4’18"] Gerald
FINZI: God is gone up, Op. 27,
No. 2 [4’24"] Sir
William WALTON (1902-1983): Set
me as a seal upon thine heart [3’34"]
Soloists: Oliver Lepage-Dean (treble) and
Edward Lyon (tenor) Coronation Te Deum (arr.
Simon Preston & Mark Blatchly) [9’50"]
Gloria from Missa Brevis [3’24"]
Soloists: Oliver Lepage-Dean (treble) and
Geoffrey Silver (tenor) Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976): A Hymn to
the Virgin [3’06"] Soloists: William
Goldring (treble); Christopher de la Hoyde
(alto); Simon Wall (tenor); Reuben Thomas
(bass) Jubilate Deo [2’38"] Hymn to St.
Cecilia, Op. 27 [10’20"] Soloists: Benedict
Giles, Ben Harrison (trebles); Richard Moore
(alto); Jonathan Bungard (tenor); Reuben Thomas
(bass) Lennox BERKELEY
(1903-1989): The Lord is my Shepherd,
Op.91, No. 1 [4’21"] Soloist: Benjamin
Durrant (treble) Crux Fidelis, Op. 43, No.
2 [6’53"] Soloist: Alan Clayton (tenor)
Look up, Sweet Babe, Op. 43, No.2 [4’34"]
Soloist: James Geidt (treble) Kenneth
LEIGHTON (1929-1988): Magnificat
and Nunc Dimittis, Collegium Magdalenae
Oxoniese {8’16"] An Easter Sequence
– Sortie [4’11"] Soloist: Crispian Steele-Perkins
(trumpet) Sir John
TAVENER (b. 1944) The Lamb [3’47"]
The Lord’s Prayer [3’30"] Song for Athene
[5’43"]
*Oliver Lepage-Dean (treble) **Iain Farrington
(organ) The Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge/Christopher
Robinson Recorded in the chapel of St. John’s
College, Cambridge on: 13 - 16 March, 1999
(Howells); 13 - 15 July, 1999 (Britten); 24
– 26 March, 2000 (Rubbra); 11 – 13 July, 2000
(Tavener); 17 – 19 March, 2001 (Finzi); 10
– 12 July, 2001 (Walton); 9 – 11 July, 2002
(Leighton); 12-13 July, 2002 (Stanford); 20
– 22 March, 2003 (Berkeley); 8 – 10 July,
2003 (Elgar); * February 2002. DDD
NAXOS 8.557557-58 [2 CDs: 149’51"]
[JQ]
I
recommend this excellent and enjoyable collection
with great enthusiasm. ... see
Full Review
An
English Choral Tradition Gerald
FINZI (1901-1956) God is gone up
[4’55"] Herbert HOWELLS
(1892-1983) Like as the hart [7’02"];
Magnificat (St. Paul’s) [6’49"] Herbert
SUMSION (1899-1995) In Exile [8’22"]
Donald HUNT
(b. 1930) God be gracious [5’42"] Gustav
HOLST (1874-1934) Nunc Dimittis
[4’04"] Ralph VAUGHAN
WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Lord Thou
has been our refuge [8’05"]; Mass in G minor
[ 24’23"]
Worcester Cathedral Choir/Donald Hunt Adrian
Partington (organ) Rec. Worcester Cathedral,
April 1990. DDD
GRIFFIN GCCD 4043 [70’24"] [JQ]
A
very welcome reissue. Celebrates the choral
tradition of the Three Choirs counties of
Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire
... see Full
Review
English String Classics Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Fantasia
on a Theme of Thomas Tallis Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1934) Simple Symphony
George BUTTERWORTH
(1885-1916) The Banks of Green Willow
Edward ELGAR
(1858-1934) Serenade in E minor for Strings
Gustav HOLST
(1874-1934) St. Paul’s Suite
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Christopher
Warren-Green Recorded in Watford Colosseum,
20th and 21st March,
2002
WARNER APEX 2564 61437 [67:12] [GPJ]
This
disc was a delightful surprise. ... a brilliant
bargain. ... see Full
Review
Fellowship
of Brass -
Barrow Shipyard Band SOUSA
El Capitan Howard
SHORE arr. A
DUNCAN Fellowship of the Ring TRAD
arr. DURRANT
La Virgen de la Macarena arr. DUNCAN
Cartoon Classics; HENDLER
arr. GELDARD
Hot Toddy
Arr. CORRIE
The Golden Ear - Sa Miguel CHABRIER
arr. G.LANGFORD Espana
Peter KNEALE
Blue John JAMES
arr. GELDARD
Trumpet Blues and Cantabile arr. DURRANT
Guantanamera; Quincy
JONES arr. DUNCAN
Soul Bossa Nova; John
HALTON Blue Ice LECUONA
arr. FREEH Malaguena
John WILLIAMS arr.
SYKES Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Barrow Shipyard Band/John Durrant; Kevin Donaldson
Rec. Buccleuch Hall, Lindal-in-Furness, Cumbria
(no date given) With sponsorship from Cedar
Finance
AMADEUS AMS CD 063 [56.42] [GH]
Both
technically and musically these are fine performances
and the whole thing is complemented by a bright
but utterly natural recording ... see Full
Review
GREAT
AMERICAN LIGHT ORCHESTRAS The
Golden Age of Light Music Fiddle
Faddle (Leroy Anderson) The
Bad and the Beautiful – theme from
film (David Raksin) Brazilian
Sleigh Bells (Percy Faith) Anna
(Roman, Giordano, Godfrey) No Strings
Attached (Richard Hayman) Rain
(Eugene Ford) Holiday in Rio
(Terig Tucci) Sophisticated Lady
(Duke Ellington, arr. Gould) Marguerite
Waltz (Meredith Willson) Blue
Violins (Ray Martin) No other
Love (Richard Rodgers) Three
o'clock in the Morning (Robledo, Terriiss)
La Mer (Charles Trenet) If
You are but a Dream (Jaffe, Fulton, Bronx
– adapted from 'Romance' by Rubinstein) Satan
and the Polar Bear (David Rose) Carriage
Trade (Richard Hayman)Tradewinds
(David Carroll) Manhattan Serenade
(Louis Alter) The Cavalier's Ball
(Nicolas Acquaviva) Tropicana
(Bernie Wayne) Smoke gets in your Eyes
(Jerome Kern) Andalucia (Ernesto
Lecuona, arr. Gould) Dance of the Violins
(Jeanjean) Tic-Tac-Toe (Lou
Singer) Toyland Waltz – from
"Babes in Toyland" (Victor Herbert) Manhattan
Masquerade (Louis Alter) Recorded
in the USA
GUILD: GLCD5105 [78.04] [RW]
Hotel
music from the 1940s and 50s ...see Full
Review
GREAT BRITISH
LIGHT ORCHESTRAS The
Golden Age of Light Music Honey
Child (Joyce Cochrane arr. Farnon)
Gypsy Fiddler (Raphael) Carnavalito
(Linda, Zaidiver) Romantic Interlude
(Clive Richardson) Magic Circles
(Ray Martin) Oh Dear What Can The Matter
Be (Trad., arr Cordell) Television
March (Eric Coates) April in
Portugal (Ferrao) Cactus Polka
(Trad., arr. E. H. Plumb, G. Waiter) Kashmiri
Song - from 'Four Indian Love Lyrics'
(Amy Woodforde-Finden) Rainbow Run
(Edy Mers) Prelude To A Memory
(Frank Chacksfield) Goodwood Galop
(Robert Farnon) The Roundabout (Edward
White) Spring Morning (George
Melachrino) Songs My Mother Taught Me
(Dvorak, arr. Yorke) Sand In My Shoes
(Victor Schertzinger) Canadian Capers
(Chandler, White, Cohen - arr. Morley) Rhapsody
In Rhythm (Henry Croudson) The
Jolly Brothers (Robert Volistedt)
From Here To Eternity (Karger
Wells) Parade Of The Clowns
(David Rose) One Summer Day
(Reginald King) Ragamuffin (Joe
Rixner) Valencia (José
Padilla) Oklahoma Selection
(Rodgers, Hammerstein II- arr. Torch) I cain't
say No, Oh what a Beautiful Mornin', People
will say we're in Love, Surrey with the Fringe
on Top, Out of my Dreams, Oklahoma! Recorded
in London, England 1946-55
GUILD: GLCD5104 [78.04] [RW]
Remember
Music While you Work? ...see Full
Review
Famous Historic
Conductors From Germany, Volume
1. Walter Damrosch (1862-1950), Leopold Reichwein
(1878-1945) and Herbert Sandberg (1902-1966)
see
review for details
VMS 116 [76.06] [JW]
Though
a miscellaneous collection of no great depth,
it does reasonable justice to a trio of conductors
unjustly forgotten. ... see Full
Review
Christian Lindberg
plays Classical Trombone Concertos Michael
HAYDN (1737-1806) Concerto in D
major for Alto Trombone (1764) [16:41] Georg
Christoph WAGENSEIL (1715-1777) Concerto
in E flat major for Alto Trombone [8:03] Johann
Georg ALBRECHTSBERGER (1736-1809) Concerto
in B flat major for Alto Trombone [14:09]
Leopold MOZART
Concerto in D major for Alto Trombone
(1755) [11:30] Christian
LINDBERG (b. 1958) Dreams of Arkandia
[5:17] Mats LARSSON
GOTHE (b. 1965) Prelude and Dance
[5:09]
Christian Lindberg, alto trombone Austrian
Chamber Orchestra/Richard TognettiRecorded
December 2002 at Sydney Conservatorium, Australia
DDD
BIS-CD-1248 [62:28] [PG]
Delightful.
Any lover of rarely recorded works will doubtlessly
enjoy this album. ... It cannot be more highly
recommended ... see Full
Review
Felicity Lott (soprano)
(b.1947) - Voices of our
time - Night and Day. ‘Love Songs Round
the Clock’ From
the Théâtre Musical de Paris
– Châtelet Recorded 2002. Accompanied
by Graham Johnson (piano) 
TDK
DVVTFL[91min] [RJF]
I
cannot bring to mind another female singer
to match her. Lovers of fine singing should
not miss it. ... see Full
Review
Gregorian Chant
Kunigunde:
Nova Historia
Schola Bamberg/Werner Pees Recorded 10-11
November 2003, Studio Cavalli-Records, Bamberg
CHRISTOPHORUS CHR 77269 [61.22] [RH]
A
lovely disc of 13th century German
plainchant devoted to Saint Kunigonde in fine,
idiomatic performances from a German ensemble.
... 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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