ALPHABETICAL LISTING

Mario LANZA Introducing… Mario Lanza (3 CD Box Set) Mario Lanza 1949-1950 [71:55]Mario Lanza Vol. 2: The Great Lanza (Original Recordings 1949-1951) [77:28] Mario Lanza vol. 3: The Christmas Album [61:22] NAXOS 8.103006 ADD [PG]

If one is looking for high quality over simple quantity this would not be the ideal. ... see Full Review

Marina Mescheriakova (sop) Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Francesca da Rimini, ‘Francesca’s Aria’ Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Eugene Onegin, ‘Tatiana’a Letter Scene’ Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Don Carlo, ‘Tu che le vanitá’. Luisa Miller, Tu puniscimi, O Signore’ Simon Boccanegra, ‘Come in quest’ora bruna’ Ernani, ‘Surta è la notte…Ernani involami’Vincenzo BELLINI (1801-1835) Norma, ‘Casta Diva’ Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1868) Maria Stuarda, ‘O nube ! che lieve per l’aria t’aggiri’ Gasparo SPONTINI (1774-1851) La Vestale, ‘O nume tutular’ Marina Mescheriakova (sop) Slovak Philharmonic Chorus Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Michael Halász Recorded in the Concert Hall of the Slovak Radio, Bratislava, from 9^th –14^th September 2002 NAXOS 8.557109 [56.16] [RJF]

The content is interesting but the singing is, is to me, a disappointment. ... see Full Review

Mottetti Giubilari dal XVI al XX secolo Giovanni Maria NANINO (1544-1607) Diffusa est Grazia [02:28] Domenica BARTOLUCCI (b. 1917) Oremus pro Pontifice [05:01] Felice ANERIO (1560-1630) Christus factus est [02:59] Girolamo CHITI (1715-1759) Assumpta est Maria [03:49] Tomás Luis DE VICTORIA (1548-1611) Ave Maria [02:58] O vos omnes [06:04] Giuseppe Ottavio PITONI (1657-?) Qual prodigio Maria [05:51] Valentino MISERACHS (b. 1943) Adoramus te Christe [03:54] Giovanni GIORGI (mid-17th c.-1726) Tollite portas [03:44] Giovanni Battista CASALI (1715-1792) Jubilate Deo [03:34] Giovanni Francesco ANERIO (1567-1630) Requiem aeternam [04:04] Augusto MORICONI (?-c1907) Alma Redemptoris Mater [02:53] Girolamo FRESCOBALDI (1583-1643) Toccata in quattro parti * [02:36] Bernardo PASQUINI (1637-1710) Ricercare * [08:45] Daniel Matrone, organ [*] Chappelle Musicale de la Trinité des Monts/Ildebrando Mura Rec. Oct-Nov 2000, Chiesa di San Giacomo, Tarquinia, Viterbo, Italy DDD TACTUS TC 910001 [58:43] [JV]

This disc with motets by Italian composers from the 16th to the 20th century is artistically and technically completely unacceptable ... see Full Review

The Famous Oistrakh Trio Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Trio No. 2 in E flat major D929 Fryderyk CHOPIN (1810-1849) Trio in G minor Op.8 David Oistrakh (violin) Sviatoslav Knushevitzky (cello) Lev Oborin (piano) No recording details PREISER RECORDS 90597 [68.28] [JW]

Admirers of Oistrakh and the now undersung greatness of his chamber colleagues, will welcome the return of these performances. ... see Full Review

Red Earth Colin BRIGHT (b.1949) Red Earth (1985) Peggy GLANVILLE-HICKS (1912-1990) Concertino da camera (1948) Neil CURRIE (b.1955) Ortigas Avenue (1986) David LUMSDAINE (b.1931) Bagatelles (1985) Ross EDWARDS (b.1943) Shadow D-Zone(1977) Vincent PLUSH (b.1950) On Shooting Stars (1981) Tall Poppies Ensemble Geoffrey Collins (flute/piccolo) Cathy McCorkill (clarinet) John Harding (violin) Esther van Stralen (viola) David Pereira (cello) Daryl Pratt (percussion) Roger Brooke (bassoon) Ian Munro (piano) David Stanhope (conductor) Recorded in Studio 200 ABC Sydney, July 1998 TALL POPPIES TP133 [67.46] [JW]

Political, geographical, playful, light-footed, this disc covers a lot of ground. ... see Full Review

San Francisco Opera Gems: Volume 2 Live recordings from the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco in Seasons 1936, 1938, and 1945 GUILD HISTORICAL IMMORTAL PERFORMANCES GHCD 2287-89 [3CDs: 66.38+59.27+73.21] [RJF]

The main interest is the extracts from La Juive and Rethberg’s contribution ... otherwise this is for specialist interest in particular singers from the past ... see Full Review

Serenades for Winds – I Solisti del Vento Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Serenade in D minor, op.44 (1878) Flor ALPAERTS (1876-1954) Evening Music (1915) Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Suite in Bb major op.4 (1883) I Solisti del Vento/Etieneene Siebens and Ivo Hadermann Recorded at Blauwe Saal, de Singel, Antwerp, Belgium, 28^th-30^th October, 2003 ETCETERA KTC 4001 [56:37] [GPJ]

Putting aside these various gripes, this is in essence a very fine issue, and the playing of this Belgian ensemble compares well with the competition ... see Full Review

Snapshots Louis ANDRIESSEN (b. 1939) Very Sharp Trumpet Sonata (2002)^a Charles WUORINEN (b. 1938) Fifty Fifty (2002)^b Alexander GOEHR (b. 1932) Only two notes for Olly (2002)^c Detlev GLANERT (b. 1960) Dancing Landscape (2002)^d Elliott CARTER (b. 1908) Au Quai (2002)^e Hans Werner HENZE (b. 1926) Olly on the Shore (2001)^f Augusta Read THOMAS (b. 1964) Light the First Light of Evening (2002)^c Robert ZUIDAM (b. 1964) I suppose a Fugue is out of the Question (2002)^g Colin MATTHEWS (b. 1946) Flourish with Fireflies (2002)^c Julian ANDERSON (b. 1967) Quasi una Passacaglia (2002)^h Mark-Anthony TURNAGE (b. 1960) Snapshots (2002)^c George BENJAMIN (b. 1960) Ollicantus (2002)^c Magnus LINDBERG (b. 1958) Bubo bubo (2002)^c Bruce Nockles (trumpet)^a; Rolf Hind (piano)^bdfg; Nicolas Hodges (piano)^bdh; Paul Silverthorne (viola)^e; John Orford (bassoon)^e; London Sinfonietta^c; George Benjamin^c Recorded: (live) Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, June 2002 LONDON SINFONIETTA LABEL SINF CD1-2004 [41:41] [HC]

Attractive and enjoyable. A splendid tribute to Knussen and the London Sinfonietta. I look forward to hearing more from this new label. ... see Full Review

Leopold Stokowski Antonio VIVALDI (1678 - 1741) Le Quattro Stagioni, RVv 269, 315, 293, 297. [45.50] Hugh Bean, solo violin; Desmond Bradley, Kenneth Moore, violins Raymond Clarke, cello; Charles Spinks, harpsichord New Philharmonia Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski Recorded in Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 11 June 1966. ADD George Frideric HANDEL (1685 - 1759) Messiah: (1744): Overture [3.27]; ‘Every valley shall be exalted [4.18]; ‘And the glory of the Lord [3.57]; Pastoral Symphony [4.51]; ‘Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened...; He shall feed his flock ... Come unto Him’ [8.50 ]; ‘Thy rebuke hath broken His heart ...; Behold and see if there be any sorrow’ [3.46]; ‘He was cut off out of the land of the living...; But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell’ [3.22]; ‘Why do the nations’ [5.46]; Hallelujah [4.51]; ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth’ [7.20]; ‘Since by man came death’ [2.19]; Amen [4.44] Sheila Armstrong, soprano; Norma Procter, contralto; Kenneth Bowen, tenor John Cameron, bass; Charles Spinks, harpsichord; Philip Ledger, organ London Symphony Chorus/John Alldis London Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski Recorded Kingsway Hall, London, UK, 20 September 1966. ADD Produced in association with the Leopold Stokowski Society Notes in English. Photos of the artists, texts, and translations of the Vivaldi sonnets. Previously released on Decca Phase 4 LPs CALA CACD0538 [45:50 + 58:05] [PSh]

A exceptional Four Seasons by any standard, but only a Stokowski fanatic could love this Messiah ... see Full Review

Richard TAUBER (tenor) 1892-1948 Great Singers Series Recordings 1921-1932 see review for details All arias given with orchestral accompaniment. Various Orchestras and conductors including Erich Korngold, Anton Paulik, Hermann Weigert, Ernst Hauke and Frieder Weissmann NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.110779 [79.21] [RJF]

A very fine representation of the operetta repertoire of a singer who entered the hearts and households of many Britons in the 1930s. I have no hesitation in recommending it. ... see Full Review

Twentieth Century Organ Music Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria [6'13] Voluntary on 'Tallis' Lamentation' [3'44] Prelude to 'They Walk Alone' [3'09] Village Organist's Piece [3'02] Michael TIPPETT (1905-1998) Preludio al Vespro di Monteverdi [3'39] John LAMBERT (1926-1995) Organ Mass [21'30]: Kyrie eleison [1'07]; Christe eleison [1'42]; Kyrie eleison [3'06]; Sanctus [2'07]; Osanna [1'29]; Agnus Dei I [2'48]; Agnus Dei II [4'00]; Agnus Dei III [5'10] Herbert HOWELLS (1892-1983) Master Tallis's Testament [6'57] Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Three Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes: Bryn Calfaria [4'06]; Rhosymedre [4'02]; Hyfrydol [2'54] Timothy Bond, organ Rec. St Wolfgang, Schneeberg, Germany, October 2003. DDD REGENT REGCD205 [58'50] [CB]

If you are interested in 20th century English organ music this is an essential purchase ... see Full Review

Vêl - 1991-2001 - Lithuanian Chamber Music Bronius KUTAVICIUS (b. 1932) Astuonios Stasio miniaturos for flute, violin and viola (2000) Onutê NARBUTAITE (b. 1956) Winterserenade: Paraphrase of Franz Schubert's lied 'Gute Nacht' from Winterreise for flute, violin and viola (1997) Mozartsommer for flute, violin, viola and piano (cembalo) (1991) Remigijus MERKELYS (b. 1964) FlaVio for flute, violin and viola (2001) Osvaldas BALAKAUSKAS (b. 1937) Rex Re for flute, violin, viola and piano (2000) Mindaugas URBAITIS (b. 1952) Der Fall Wagner for flute, violin and viola (1997) Carsten Hustedt (flute); Ingrida Armonaite (violin); Audrone Psibilskiene (viola); Ute Stoecklin (piano) rec. 28-30 June 2001, SWR, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden, Germany. DDD GUILD GMCD 7283 [67:12] [RB]

Not up to speed with the latest from the Lithuanian chamber scene? Here is a good place from which to launch your expedition. ... see Full Review

Virtuosic violin sonatas from the Court of Saxony at Dresden Johann Georg PISENDEL (1687-1755) Sonate in E [8.43] ANONYMOUS Sonate in Eb [12.23] Johann Georg PISENDEL (1687-1755) Sonate in D [11.35] Johann David HEINICHEN(1683-1729): Sonate in C [7] Wilhelm Friedemann BACH (1710-1784): Sonate in F for harpsichord [7.98] Johann Georg PISENDEL (1687-1755) Sonate in A for solo violin [10.38] Johann Adolf HASSE (1699-1783): Sonate no. 6 in B [10.28] Johann Georg PISENDEL (1687-1755)? ANONYMOUS Sonate in Eb major [10.33] Martina Graulich, (Baroque violin), Ute Petersilge (baroque cello), Thomas C. Boysen (theorbo, guitar), Stefano Demicheli (harpsichord) Recorded in Liederkranzhalle, Stuttgart, on 17^th – 20^th November 2003 CARUS 83.162 [78’31"] [EM]

Grace and refinement ... excellence of the playing ... sympathetic and idiomatic performances. Highly recommended. ... see Full Review

Voices of Nature Alfred SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) Concerto for Choir (1984-85) [40:12] Voices of Nature (1972) [4:05] Arvo PÄRT (b.1935) Dop la vittoria (Piccola Cantata) (1996/98) [9:06] Bogoróditse Djévo (1990) [0:57] I am the true vine (1996) [4:20] Swedish Radio Choir/Tõnu Kaljuste Rec.24-27 January 2000, Studio 2, Swedish Radio, Stockholm (Concerto for Choir); 14-16 March 2000, Högalidskyrkan, Stockholm, Sweden (other works) BIS-CD-1157 [60:01] [GPJ]

The cool, unassuming nature of the Pärt pieces balances extremely effectively the weightiness of the emotions in the Schnittke Concerto, making the disc much more enjoyable and ‘digestible’ than it might otherwise have been ... 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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