Raffaele
CALACE
(1863-1934)
Mandolin Concertos 1 & 2, Rapsodia napoletana 
Alison Stephens (mandolin), Steven Devine (piano) rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570434 [GPu]
Charming
music, excellently performed and making a real case for taking
the mandolin seriously … but not too solemnly … see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Joseph CANTELOUBE (1879–1957) Chants
d’Auvergne, Triptyque, Chants de France Véronique
Gens (soprano) Lille-Région Nord Ntl O/Serge Baudo rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570338 [HC]
Véronique
Gens sings beautifully throughout and shows a fine understanding … perfectly
at ease ... see Full Review
Ernest
CHAUSSON (1855-1899) Piano Quartet see FRANCK
Samuel
COLERIDGE-TAYLOR (1875-1912) Legend, Romance, Violin
Concerto Julius HARRISON (1885-1963) Bredon
Hill Lorraine
McAslan,
London PO/Nicholas Braithwaite rec. 1994 LYRITA
SRCD317 [JF]
Rare
treasure ... see Full Review
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Prelude to the Afternoon of
a Faun see TCHAIKOVSKY
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848) Lucie de
Lammermoor
Patricia Ciofi (soprano); Chorus and Orchestra of the Opéra National
de Lyon/Evelino Pido rec. 2006
TDK DVD VIDEO DV-OPLDLM 
[145:00][RJF]
Ciofi’s
portrayal is a considerable histrionic tour de force … Her interpretation,
together with the singing of the other principals, make this a worthy
issue on DVD ... see Full Review
Paul DUKAS
(1865-1935) Ariane et Barbe-Bleu
Ariane – Lori
Philips (soprano); Barbe-Bleu – Peter Rose (bass); BBC Singers; BBC
Symphony Orchestra/Leon Botstein rec. 2007
TELARC CD 80680 [68:56 + 54:43][TH]
It’s
bound to win new friends for the work ... see Full
Review
Thomas DUNHILL (1877-1946)
Symphony
in A minor, Op. 48 (1914-16) [45:57] Richard
ARNELL (b. 1917) Lord Byron: a Symphonic Portrait, Op.
67 (1952) [21:51] Royal
Scottish National Orchestra/Martin Yates rec. Glasgow, 10-12 April 2006
DUTTON EPOCH CDLX 7195
[68:48] [MH]
Recording
firsts of important works … lovingly performed, superbly recorded
... see Full Review
Sir
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) realized by Anthony
PAYNE Symphony No. 3; So
Many True Princesses Who Have Gone; Pomp and Circumstance March No. 6
BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Richard Hickox rec.
2007
CHANDOS CHSA 5057 
[70:18][IL]
Another
noteworthy recording of the Elgar/Payne Symphony ... see Full
Review
Edward
ELGAR
(1857-1934) Violin
Concerto in B minor (1910) (48:52) Serenade for Strings (1892) (12:16)
James Ehnes (violin) Philharmonia
Orchestra/Andrew Davis rec. live Queen Elizabeth Hall, London 17, 20
May 2007 ONYX 4025
[61:08] [IL]
Ehnes’
tone pleases throughout … a beautiful sheen
on top notes but alas passion and emotional
commitment are absent here. I caught little
in the way of regret for "what might
have been" ... see Full
Review
Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Symphony
1 (transc. solo piano) Alan
BUSH (1900-1995) Piano Sonata Mark
Bebbington rec.
2006 SOMM SOMMCD069 [JW]
A
niche market disc undoubtedly but a valuable one ... see Full
Review
Gerald FINZI
(1901-1956)
Hardy songs
John Carol Case, Robert Tear, Neil Jenkins,
Howard Ferguson rec. 1967-70
LYRITA SRCD282 [RB]
For
Finzi-Hardy connoisseurs aching for a nostalgia
fix from the true Grail. Unbeatable if now
showing its years ... see Full
Review
Gerald
FINZI (1901-1956) Earth
and Air and Rain, To a Poet, By Footpath and
Stile Roderick
Williams (baritone) Iain Burnside (piano) Sacconi Quartet (Op.
2) rec. 2005/6 NAXOS
8.557963 [RB] [EM]
Lovely
rich, dark tone, exquisite enunciation … glorious songs brilliantly
performed [EM] ... A world premiere recording and intelligent emotional
engagement with the words [RB] ... see Full
Review
Nicolas
FLAGELLO (1928-1994) Symphonic
Aria, Mirra, Violin Concerto, Six orchestral
songs Elmar
Oliveira (violin) Susan Gonzalez (soprano) National RSO Ukraine/John
McLaughlin Williams
rec. 2006/7 ARTEK
AR00362 [RB]
Flagello:
a distinctive voice; once you are tuned in you will want everything
of his ... see Full Review
César FRANCK
(1822-1890) Piano Quintet Ernest
CHAUSSON (1855-1899) Piano Quartet
Jan Michiels, Spiegel String Quartet rec. 2005
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG64413512 [SV]
Beautiful
and comparatively unfamiliar music, excellent performances - what
more could you want? ... see Full
Review
John
GARTH
(1721-1810) Six
Concertos for the Violoncello (published
1760) Concerto No.1 in D major [17:08] , Concerto
No.2 in B flat major [11:57], Concerto No.3
in A major [14:12], Concerto No.4 in B flat
major [13:57], Concerto No.5 in D minor [16:57],
Concerto No.6 in G major [19:26],
Richard Tunnicliffe (cello) The Avison Ensemble
rec. The Picture Gallery, Paxton Hoise, Berwick
upon Tweed, December 2006
DIVINE ART DDA25059 [43:33 + 50:36] [JW]
An
adept composer with an especially fine ear
for lyric slow movements which he vests with
gravity and breadth of utterance ... see Full
Review
Mauro
Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo GIULIANI (1781-1829)
Variazioni su un tema di Handel per Chitarra;
Rossiniana No. 1 see SOR
Reinhold GLIERE
(1875-1956) Cello
Concerto in D minor op. 81 (1946) [40:34]
Horn Concerto in B flat op. 91 (1950) [24:28]
Quirine Viersen (cello) Eliz Erkalp (horn)
Royal Flemish Philharmonic/Marc Soustrot rec.
Roma Hall, Antwerp, Belgium, June 2006
DOM TALENT DOM 2929 96 [65:11]
[MM-B][RB]
Do
not expect originality in his style yet Gliere’s
music is professional and shapely and invites
a return visit. ... see Full
Review
Edvard
GRIEG (1843–1907) Peer Gynt Suites, Six Orchestral
Songs Inger
Dam-Jensen (soprano),
Malmö SO/Bjarte Engeset
rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570236 [GF]
One
has that hard-to-define feeling that this is undisputedly right
... see Full Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Water
Music: Suite in F; Suite in D; Music for the Royal Fireworks
London Classical
Players/Roger Norrington rec. 1996
VIRGIN CLASSICS 3913342 [68:45][JW]
Bracing,
powerfully propounded, skilfully projected and not free from disputatious
point-making ... see Full Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Music
for the Chapel Royal Let God arise; I will magnify thee;
As Pants the hart; O Sing unto the Lord; As Pants the hart
Choir of the Chapel Royal Musicians Extra-ordinary/Andrew Gant rec.
2005 NAXOS 8.557935
[60:55][JV]
Splendid
music by Handel which is seldom performed - despite some shortcomings
there is enough to enjoy and the music is too good to be missed... see
Full Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Fernando,
Re di Castiglia
Il Complesso Barocco/Alan
Curtis rec. 2005
VIRGIN CLASSICS 3654832 [71:53 + 77:26][IB]
A
delightful score … fortunate here in being both sensitively and expressively
performed ... see Full Review
Franz
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) Symphonies:
Volume 32 Symphonies Nos. 9, 10, 11 & 12
Sinfonia Finlandia/Patrick Gallois rec. 2005
NAXOS 8.557771 [60:12][BW]
Perfectly
decent performances and recording but there are more stylish versions
of other early symphonies and Naxos have some of them in their catalogue
... see Full Review
William
HAYES (1708–1777) Sinfonia in d
minor; Concerto in D; Overture to the Ode 'The Passions';
Concerto for organ and orchestra in G; Concerto in d minor
Capriccio Basel/Dominik Kiefer rec. 2006
CAPRICCIO 71135
[61:58][JV]
An
outstanding release - historically important
and musically enthralling ... see Full
Review
Julius HARRISON
(1885-1963) Bredon Hill see
COLERIDGE-TAYLOR
Bernard
HERRMANN (1911–1975)
and Alfred NEWMAN
(1900-1970)
The Egyptian (1954) (Restored
and reconstructed by John Morgan) [71:31]
Moscow Symphony Orchestra and Choir/William
Stromberg rec. March and April 1998, Mosfilm
Studio, Moscow. DDD re-issue of Marco Polo
8.225078
NAXOS 8.557702 [71:31]
Herrmann’s
fingerprints are all over his cues and Newman’s
contribution are more sober and conventional
... see Full
Review
Robert
HUGILL (b.
1955) The
Testament of Dr. Cranmer and other works eight:fifteen
vocal ensemble/Chameleon Arts O/Paul Brough rec. 2007 DIVINE
ART DDA25053 [JQ]
This
well produced disc features committed performances from musicians
who serve Robert Hugill well ... see Full
Review
John IRELAND
(1879-1962) The Piano Music
Eric Parkin (piano)
rec. 1975, ADD 3 CDs for the price of 2
LYRITA SRCD.2277 [3 CDs: 56:09 + 52:45
+ 51:04] [GH]
Eric
Parkin gets to the heart of almost all of
the music, especially the shorter pieces.
... see Full
Review
Leoš
JANÁČEK (1854-1928)
Katya Kabanova
Cheryl Barker, Robert Brubake, Jane Henschel,
Welsh National Opera Ch & O/Carlo Rizzi
rec. 2006
CHANDOS CHAN 3145(2) [LW]
This
is for those wanting to hear the work in English and provides a
fair representation. For those who want the real thing, however,
Mackerras’s 1977 Decca version still rules ... see Full
Review
Richard JONES
(?-1744) Suites for the Harpsichord
Judit Péteri
(harpsichord) rec. 2006
HUNGAROTON HCD 32454 [69:18][JV]
Three
remarkable keyboard suites by a forgotten English composer – music of
quality finely performed ... see Full Review
Artur
KAPP (1878-1952) Don
Carlos Eugen KAPP (1908-1996) Kalevipoeg Villem
KAPP (1913-1964) Symphony 2 BBC
PO/Neeme Järvi rec. 2001/5 CHANDOS
CHAN10441 [RB]
Attractive
and accessible without being bland, hectoring or inane ... see Full
Review
Andrew KEELING (b.1954)
Reclaiming Eros Piano Quartet - Reclaiming Eros; Scarlet
Letters for guitar; Powered by Joy; Black Sun for lute;
Gefunden for four viols; Seule for mezzo-soprano; A Child
Divine for bass viol;
Stor Quartet rec. 2004-5
BURNING SHED (no catalogue number given) [75:53] Andrew
KEELING (b.1954) Blue Dawn Distant Skies,
Mountains and Shadows; MirAre; Petit Requiem pour Basil; Blue Dawn
3-Orm rec. 2005-6 BURNING
SHED (no catalogue number given) [70:21][DC]
Fascinating
and rewarding stuff ... see Full
Review
Drew
KRAUSE (b.
1960) Powder computer-generated
sounds rec. 2005 INNOVA
676 [CR]
The
kind of music one would either love or hate; either way, definitely
worth a try … see Full Review
Constant
LAMBERT (1905-1951) Romeo
and Juliet, Pomona, Music for Orchestra, Rondo Burlesca English
CO/Norman Del Mar rec. 1977 LYRITA
SRCD215 [DW]
One
of the most promising and accomplished composers of the first half
of the twentieth century, making Lambert’s early death all the
more regrettable … see Full Review
Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Complete Piano Music: Vol. 26: Music for Two Pianos
Années de Pèlerinage, Dante Symphony
Franz Liszt Piano Duo rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570516 [MC]
Bresciani
and Nicolosi clearly have the music of Liszt in the blood ... see Full
Review
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