BOOK
REVIEWS
Love
Me Tender –
The Stories behind the world’s best-loved
songs by
Max Cryer. Frances Lincoln Limited. ISBN 978-0-7112-2911-2.
[IL]
An
intriguing little book that would make an
ideal Christmas stocking filler. ... see Full
Review
LATEST
CD REVIEWS
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FRIDAY November 14th
Ernő (Ernst
von) DOHNÁNYI (1877-1960) Violin
Concertos 1 & 2 
Michael
Ludwig (violin) Royal Scottish Ntl O/JoAnn Falletta rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570833 [71:24] [DW] 
This
rare recording makes this issue an important and welcome one … see Full
Review
Jan
Ladislav DUSSEK (1760–1812) Piano
Sonatas Markus
Becker (piano) rec. 2007 CPO
777 323-2 [69:31] [BBr] 
Music
well worth investigating ... see Full
Review
Georges
Charles GOUNOD (1818-1893) Faust Alfredo
Kraus, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Renata Scotto NHK SO & Opera Ch/Paul
Ethuin rec. live 1973 VAI
4417 
[187:00
+ 37:00] [RJF] 
Worth
watching for the three principals, despite the technical limitations
... see Full Review
Adrian
MUNSEY (b.
1947) Requiem, Theme from Images of
Nature, The Right Words, Faraway Place, The Distance Between,
Broadwell, Beautiful Earth, The Sky Inside, I Would Lay Down
My Life for You, Voice of an Angel, I’ve Been Praying, Faraway
Place City of
Prague PO/Paul Bateman, John Bell and Nic Raine; English Sinfonia/Geoffrey
Alexander; Janice Graham (violin), English Studio Orchestra/Geoffrey
Alexander; Elin Manahan Thomas, Keedie, Treorchy Male Choir,
London Studio Players/Paul Bateman rec. 2005-8 MUSIC
INFINITY INS109 [47:00] [BBr]
Very
approachable and most enjoyable ... see Full
Review
Edgard
VARESE (1883-1965) Orchestral
Works 2 Includes Amériques, Ecuatorial, Nocturnal, Ionisation Elizabeth
Watts (soprano); Maria Grichiwska (flute); Thomas Bloch (ondes
martenot); Men’s Voices of Camerata Silesia, Polish National
RSO/Christopher Lyndon-Gee (piano and conductor) rec. 2005 NAXOS
8.557882 [67:14] [CR]
This
is unmissable ... see Full Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813–1901) La
Traviata Angela
Gheorghiu, Ramón Vargas, Roberto Frontali, Teatro alla Scala
di Milano O & Ch/Lorin Maazel rec. 2007 ARTHAUS
MUSIK 101343 [134:00]
[RMc]
A
towering performance by Gheorghiu ... see Full
Review
Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786–1826) Euryanthe Siegfried
Vogel, Nicolai Gedda, Jessye Norman, Tom Krause, Rundfunkchor
Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden/Marek Janowski rec. 1974 BERLIN
CLASSICS 0184412BC [3 CDs: 64:53 + 45:20 + 63:59] [GF]
Wholeheartedly
welcomed ... see Full Review
Constant
Lambert conducts ballet music Peter
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893) The Sleeping Princess Giacomo
MEYERBEER (1791–1864) Les Patineurs William
BOYCE (1710–1779) The Prospect before us Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792–1868) William Tell Sadler’s
Wells O/Constant Lambert rec. 1939 SOMM
SOMMCD080 [70:50] [BBr]
An
unhurried quality about all the performances ... see Full
Review
The
Light Wraps You New
Music for Oboe Rodney ROGERS (b. 1953) Lessons
of the Sky Bill DOUGLAS (b.
1942) Oboe Sonata James MACMILLAN (b.
1959) Intercessions Bill DOUGLAS (b. 1953) Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and
Piano Andrea CLEARFIELD (b.
1960) Three Songs Fulvio
CALDINI (b. 1959) Etude de réveil Phillip
BIMSTEIN (b. 1947) Cats
in the Kitchen Michelle
Fiala (oboe) Donald Speer (piano); Bill Douglas (piano); Joseph
Salvalaggio; Martin Schuring (oboes); Frank Morelli (bassoon);
Karl Olsen (double-bass); John Cipolla (clarinet); Heidi Pintner
(flute) rec. 2007 MSR
CLASSICS MS1217 [63:41] [CR]
Enjoyable
and well written ... see Full
Review
Andrés
Segovia – The Master Guitarist rec.
1927-49 EMI
CLASSICS ICON 2080772 [3 CDs: 62:09 + 59:02 + 62:09] [JW]
Inexpensive,
well produced and fully representative ... see Full
Review
THURSDAY November 13th
Vincenzo
BELLINI (1801-1835) La
straniera Patrizia
Ciofi (soprano) Mark Stone, (baritone) Darío Schmunck (tenor)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
London PO/David Parry OPERA
RARA ORC38 [61.56
+ 69.58] [RJF]
A
warm welcome for this first studio recording of Bellini’s fourth
opera ... see Full Review
Norbert
BURGMÜLLER (1810-1836) Symphony
1 Hugo STAEHLE (1826-1848) Symphony
1 Staatstheaters
Kassel O/Marc Piollet rec. 2001 STERLING
CDS1046-2 [74:25] [SV]
Are
we so jaded that we can't appreciate such well-crafted, expressive
music ... see Full Review
Maurice
DELAGE (1879–1961) Quatre
počmes hindous, Deux fables de La Fontaine, Trois
počmes désenchantés,Sept haď–kaďs Maurice
JAUBERT (1900–1940) Saisir, Chants sahariens Ernest
CHAUSSON (1855–1899) Chanson perpétuelle Felicity
Lott (soprano), Jean–Claude Bouveresse (violin) Kammerensemble
de Paris/Armin Jordan rec. 1994 VIRGIN
CLASSICS 5221282 [60:02] [BBr] 
Rare
melodies by Jaubert and Delage finely sung ... see Full
Review
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797–1848) Lucia
di Lammermoor Vladimir
Stoyanov, Mariella Devia, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari Ch & O/Gérard
Korsten rec. live 2004 DYNAMIC
CDS 576/1-2 [65:15 + 71:16] [GF]
Not
a top contender but deeply involving despite less than consummate
singing ... see Full Review
Dmitry
Borisovich KABALEVSKY (1904-1987) Piano
Concerto 3, Rhapsody on the Theme “School Years”, Poem
of Struggle Nikolay Adreyevich
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Piano Concerto Hsin-Ni
Liu (piano) Gnesin Academy Chorus Russian PO/Dmitry Yablonsky.
rec. 2005/6 NAXOS
8.557794 [54:09] [MSJ]
Maybe
Kabalevsky’s karma really has come home to roost ... see Full
Review
Modest
Petrovich MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Pictures
at an Exhibition Alexander
Nikolayevich SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Vers la flamme,
Five Preludes, Sonata 5 Mikahil
ARKADIEV (b.1958) Sonata brevis, Eine Kleine Zaubermusik Mikhail
Arkadiev (piano) rec. Moscow, 1994 CLASSICAL
PIANO ASSEMBLY RCD30108 [75:14] [JW]
The
accent is on the performer-composer ... see Full
Review
Reinhard Schwarz-Schilling (1904-1985) Introduction
and Fugue, Symphony in C, Sinfonia diatonica Staatskapelle
Weimar/José Serebrier rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570435 [65:40] [WK]
Sincere
music filling a major gap in our knowledge of post-war German
music ... see Full
Review
Georg
Christoph WAGENSEIL (1715–1777) Symphonies
Volume 2 Stuttgarter
Kammerorchester/Johannes Goritzki rec. 2004 CPO
7771122 [54:24] [BBr]
Sprightly
and well thought out music played with some brilliance ...
see Full Review
Eugene
YSAYE (1858-1931) Six
Sonatas for solo violin, Počme élégiaque, Ręve
d’enfant, Philippe
Graffin (violin); Pascal Devoyon (piano) rec. 1997 HYPERION
HELIOS CDH55226 [78:30] [EM]
A
real love and comprehension shines through ... see Full
Review
David
Oistrakh – 100th Anniversary
Edition CD
1 Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Concerto
for two Violins Antonio
VIVALDI (1678–1741) L’Estro Armonico No 8 Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Violin Concerto 5 Jean-Marie
LECLAIR (1697-1764) Violin Sonata Zoltán
KODÁLY (1882-1967) Three Hungarian folk dances CD
2 Ernst Hermann MEYER (1905-1988) Violin
Concerto David
Oistrakh, Igor Oistrakh (violin) Leipzig Gewandhaus O, Staatskapelle
Dresden/Franz Konwitschny (Mozart) rec. 1954-65 BERLIN
CLASSICS 0184612BC [77:52 + 36:19] [JW]
Offers
gap-filling opportunities even for strong Oistrakh admirers ...
see Full Review
WEDNESDAY
November 12th
Judith BAILEY
(b.
1941) Instrumental music
String Quartet Op. 31, Clarinet Quintet for
B flat clarinet and string quartet Op. 47,
The Towers of San Gimignano for solo
piano Op. 51, Egloshayle Nightingale Trio
for violin, viola and cello Op. 59, Aquamarine
Waltz for cello and piano Op. 65, Microminiature
No. 1 for violin, cello and piano Op.
68, Microminiature No. 2 for violin,
viola and cello Op. 70, Visions of Hildegard
for B flat clarinet, violin, cello and
piano Op. 72, Light for violin, viola
and piano Op. 76
Davey Chamber Ensemble (Juliet Davey, Prunella
Sedgwick (violins); Lucy White (viola); Catherine
Wilmers (cello); Jane Plessner (clarinet);
Nicola Grunberg (piano)) rec. Michael Tippett
Centre, Bath Spa University, 19-21 December
2007
METIER MSVCD92101 [77:24]
[JW]
A
fine and stimulating conspectus ... see Full
Review
Arnold BAX
(1883 -1953) The Piano
Music Iris
Loveridge (piano) rec. 1959-1963. mono ADD
LYRITA REAM 3113 [3CDs 3:44:55]
[JF]
Technical
brilliance, interpretive skill, spirit and
inspiration ... see Full
Review
Charles-Auguste
De BÉRIOT
(1802-1870) Piano
Trio No.1 Op.58 (1847) [17:58] Grand Trio
Op.64 (published 1850) [22:50] Trio Op.4 [11:57]
Nocturne Plaintes de jeune fille [Piano
Trio Op.34] (1841) [9:04]
Kuniko Nagata (violin); Mark Drobinsky (cello);
Hirotoshi Kasai (piano) rec. no details given
TALENT DOM 2911 127 [62:44]
[JW]
Big-boned
and assertive ... see Full
Review
George
LLOYD (1539/40-1623)
Symphony
No. 4 in B, Arctic (1945-6) [65:07]
Albany Symphony Orchestra/George Lloyd rec.
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, New York,
7-8 December 1987. DDD
ALBANY RECORDS TROY 498 
[65:07] [MG]
The
better of the two recordings available and
now in even better sound … see Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI
(1858 – 1924) Soprano
arias
Amarilli
Nizza (soprano) Orchestra of the Dvořák
Theatre of Ostrava/Gianluca Martinenghi, except
tracks 15-17, recorded live with Orchestra
of the Arturo Toscanini Foundation of Parma/Julian
Reynolds
rec. 2007 Italian texts enclosed
DYNAMIC CDS 595 [75:48]
[GF]
A
bit uneven but constantly thrilling to hear
... see Full
Review
Sir
Charles Villiers Stanford
(1852-1924) Symphony
No. 1 in Bb major (1876) [48:36] Clarinet
Concerto Op.80 (1903) [22:03]
Robert Plane (clarinet) Bournemouth Symphony
Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones rec. 2007. DDD
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford: Symphonies
- Volume 4
NAXOS 8.570356 [70:39]
[JF]
Stanford
the consummate craftsman, music that is subtle
and unpredictable ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard
STRAUSS (1864–1949)
Salome (sung in English, translation
from German by Tom Hammond) (1905) Susan Bullock
(soprano) – Salome John Graham-Hall (tenor)
– Herod
Philharmonia Orchestra/Charles Mackerras rec.
2007 Salome’s dance of the Seven Veils
(concert version)
CHANDOS CHAN 3157(2) [61:39 + 52:40]
[DH]
Real
emotional and sonic surge ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Igor
STRAVINSKY
(1882-1971) The
Rite of Spring (1911-13, revised 1947)
[34:14] Apollon Musagète (1927-28,
revised 1947) [29:36]
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Jaap
van Zweden rec. 2006
EXTON OVCL 00330 [63:50]
[DM]
A
very fine Rite indeed. One of my discs of
the year. ... see Full
Review
Arabenne and
other trombone works from the North Christian
LINDBERG (b. 1958) Arabenne,
for trombone and strings (1996-97)1 [11:05]
Vagn HOLMBOE
(1909-1996) Concerto No. 12, Op. 52 (M.
169) (1950)2 [14:04] Mats
LARSSON (b. 1965) Concerto for
trombone and wind instruments (1995)3
[21:03] Kalevi
AHO (b. 1949) Symphony No. 9, for
trombone and orchestra (1993-94)4
[31:19]
Christian Lindberg (trombone) 1Tapiola
Sinfonietta/Jean-Jacques Kantorow 2Aalborg
Symphony Orchestra/Owain Arwel Hughes 3Östgöta
Blåsarsymfoniker/Arie van Beek 4Lahti
Symphony Orchestra/Osmo Vänskä rec.
November 1998, Tapiola Concert Hall, Finland
(Lindberg); June 1996, Aalborghallen, Aalborg,
Denmark (Holmboe); May 1996, Linköping
Concert Hall, Sweden (Larsson); January 1995,
Ristinkirkko, Lahti, Finland (Aho)
BIS CD888 [78:48]
[DM]
Mandatory
for anyone interested in the modern trombone
... see Full
Review
Robert
Merrill & Jussi Björling - Operatic
Arias and Duets rec.
1949-51 NIMBUS
PRIMA VOCE NI 7945 [78:31]
This
disc is a gem ... see Full
Review
TUESDAY November
11th
Bela
BARTÓK (1881-1945) Music
for violin and piano
Elise Bĺtnes (violin); Hĺvard
Gimse (piano) rec. 2005
SIMAX PSC1174 [71:24][KS]
Superb
performances of wonderfully romantic and passionate music ... see Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) String
Trios Anne-Sophie
Mutter (violin); Bruno Giuranna (viola); Mstislav Rostropovich (cello)
rec. 1988 DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 4777430 [66:24 + 73:12][MC]
A
most rewarding and invigorating experience ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Concerto Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Violin
Concerto Ilya
Kaler (violin); Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/Pietari Inkinen rec.
2007 NAXOS 8.570321
[72:13][TP]
Another
wonderful disc from Ilya Kaler ... see Full
Review
Pierre
de MANCHICOURT (c.1510-1564) Missa
‘Cuidez vous que Dieu nous faille’ etc.
The Brabant Ensemble/Stephen Rice rec. 2005
HYPERION CDA67604 [67:16][BW]
Another
neglected composer receives his due ... see Full
Review
Joseph MARX (1882-1964)
Piano Music
Tonya Lemoh (piano) rec. 2006
CHANDOS CHAN10479 [54:38][WK]
Marx
presented with flow and serenity, sureness of touch and clarity ...
see Full
Review
Pietro
MASCAGNI (1863-1945) Cavalleria
Rusticana Ruggero LEONCAVALLO
(1857-1919) I Pagliacci
Plácido Domingo; Beppe Union of Japan Professional Choruses NHK Symphony
Orchestra/Oliviero de Fabritiis rec. 1976
VAI 4438
[158:02][RM]
Domingo
fans and all lovers of fine singing should seek this out ... see Full
Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) String Quintet;
Lieder Chilingirian
Quartet; Dame Janet Baker; Geoffrey Parsons (piano) rec. 1971-81
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2282822 [76:42][BW]
A
recommendable bargain but I very slightly prefer the Aeolians ... see
Full Review
A
song more silent
- New works for Remembrance by Cecilia
MCDOWALL (b. 1951), Lynne PLOWMAN (b.
1969), Tarik O’REGAN (b. 1978) and Sally
BEAMISH (b. 1956)
Portsmouth Grammar School Chamber Choir; London Mozart Players/Nicholas
Moldoveanu rec. 2007
AVIE AV2147 [65:35][JQ]
Exciting
and original modern choral music, splendidly performed ... see Full
Review
Grace Davidson – A Portrait
Grace Davidson
(soprano); Fiori Musicali/Penelope Rapson rec. 2007
METRONOME METCD1083 [69:54][JW]
This
engaging recital makes a fine calling-card ... see Full
Review
Jauchzet Gott in
allen Landen Music by
Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750), Johann Philipp KRIEGER (1649-1725),
Johann ROSENMÜLLER (1619-1684),
Gottfried FINGER (1660-1730),
Johann ROSENMÜLLER and
Jan Dismas ZELENKA (1749-1745)
Ruth Ziesak (soprano); Reinhold Friedrich (trumpet); Berliner
Barock Compagney rec. 2006
PHOENIX EDITION 102
[61:01][JV]
An
interesting and musically captivating programme ... see Full
Review
MONDAY November 10th
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphonies Nos. 1-4
etc. London
Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult rec. 1954
NAXOS CLASSICAL ARCHIVES 9.80228-31 
[56:43+49:24+48:44+56:40][CH]
A
great Brahms First … playing of extraordinary fervour ... see Full
Review
Francesco
CILEA (1866-1950) Adriana Lecouvreur
Union of Japan
Professional Choruses; NHK Symphony Orchestra/Gianfranco Masini rec.
1976 VAI 4435
[147:00][ST]
Let’s
hear it for this opera, in spite of its faults ... see Full
Review
Peter
CORNELIUS (1824–1874) Der Barbier von Bagdad
Philharmonia Chorus
and Orchestra/Erich Leinsdorf rec. 1956 Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786–1826) Abu Hassan Berlin
Radio Symphony Chorus and Orchestra/Leopold Ludwig rec. 1944
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111337-38 [78:26 + 57:18][GF]
There
is an extra frisson to this set … a prime recommendation ... see Full
Review
Christian Joseph LIDARTI
(1730-1795) Violin
Concertos
Auser Musici/Francesco D'Orazio (violin) rec.
2004
HYPERION CDA67685 [61:25][JV]
Impressive
performances of first-rate music ... see Full
Review
Georg MUFFAT (1653-1704)
Auserlesene Instrumentalmusik
Holland Baroque Society/Matthew Halls rec. 2007
CHANNEL
CLASSICS CCSSA27408
[64:26][JV]
An
eloquent and passionate plea for Muffat’s splendid music ... see Full
Review
Wayne
PETERSON (b.1927) String Quartets
Nos. 1-3 Alexander
String Quartet rec. 2006
FOGHORN CLASSICS CD1994 [60:55][JW]
An
engaging discovery for chamber enthusiasts ... see Full
Review
Elizabethan
Love Songs
Hugues Cuénod (tenor) rec. 1952
LYRICHORD LEMS8063 [57:33][JW]
Cuénod’s
distinctive high tenor from 1952 ... see Full
Review
Gundula
Janowitz in Concert Music by George
Frederic HANDEL (1685-1759), Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791), Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786-1826), Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901), Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924)
and Richard WAGNER
(1813-1883)
Gundula Janowitz (soprano); Graz Philharmonic Orchestra/Berislav Klobucar
rec. 1970 VAI 4458
[54:00][ST]
I’ll
not be returning to this in a hurry ... see Full
Review
Klabunterbunt
- Chansons, Lieder, Gedichte und Prosa von
Klabund (Chansons, Songs, Poetry and Prose of Klabund (Alfred
HENSCHKE 1890-1928)
Artists include: Annemarie Hase; Ernst Busch; Kate Kühl; Hanne Wieder;
Blandine Ebinger; Hanne Wieder; Hannes Wader; Hermann Prey; Tim Fischer
EDEL KULTUR/AKADEMIE
DER KÜNSTE 0014682BCB [52:27 + 66:57][DB]
For
fans of German Cabaret ... see Full
Review
Songs
My Mother Taught Me Music by Leoš
JANÁČEK (1854-1938), Antonín DVOŘÁK
(1841-1904), Ervin (Erwin) SCHULHOFF
(1894-1942), Petr EBEN
(1929-2007), Jan
Josef RÖSLER (1771-1813), Vítězslav
NOVÁK (1870-1949) and Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890-1959)
Magdalena Kožená (mezzo); Malcolm Martineau (piano) rec. 2007
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4776665 [70:17][JW]
Thoughtful
and imaginative ... see Full Review
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