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Domenico
SCARLATTI
(1685-1757) Complete Keyboard Sonatas -
Volume 11 
Gottlieb
Wallisch (piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570468 [63:35] [BW] 
I
don’t normally like Scarlatti on the piano but I enjoyed this ...
see Full Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797–1828) Symphonies
Nos. 8 & 9; Entr’acte from Rosamunde
BBC Symphony Orchestra/Adrian Boult; National Symphony Orchestra/Anatole
Fistoulari & Basle Symphony Orchestra/Felix Weingartner rec. 1928-44
BEULAH 1PD32 [71:36][BBr]
Well
worth having ... see Full Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Winterreise
Henry PURCELL (1659-1695) Man
is for the Woman Made Benjamin BRITTEN
(1913-1976) Folksong Arrangements
Peter Pears (tenor); Benjamin Britten (piano) rec. 1964-70
DECCA 0743257 
[118:53][JQ] 
An
invaluable reminder of a remarkable musical partnership ... see Full
Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Symphony
9 Philharmonia
O/Sir Charles Mackerras rec. 2006 SIGNUM
SIGCD133 [59:04] [MG] 
A
performance of consummate skill … see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Franz
SCHUBERT (1797–1828) Die
Winterreise Hans
Hotter (baritone); Michael Raucheisen (piano)
rec. 1942 MUSIC & ARTS
CD-1061 [75:50]
[GF]
Belongs
among the Desert Island Disc recordings of Winterreise ... see Full
Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810–1856) Lieder Edition 5:
Frauenliebe und –leben, 7 Lieder, Gedichte der Königin Maria
Stuart, 8 Gesänge
Sibylla Rubens (soprano), Uta Hielscher (piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.557078 [47:16] [GF]
Not
top-drawer Schumann but Rubens is a pleasure to listen to … see Full
Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810–1856) Lieder
Sharon Rostorf-Zamir
(soprano); Jonathan Zak (piano) rec. 2007
ROMÉO RECORDS 7260 [58:07][GF]
Should
appeal to most lovers of German songs ... see Full
Review
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975)
Festive Overture, Symphony 5
Philharmonia O/Vladimir Ashkenazy rec. 2001
SIGNUM SIGCD135 [50:10] [MSJ] /
Ashkenazy’s
Philharmonia version becomes first choice ... see Full
Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Cello
Concerto 2 Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Cello
Symphony Jamie
Walton (cello) Philharmonia O/Alexander Briger
rec. 2008 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD137 [69:33]
[MG]
Concentration
and engaging lyricism … see Full
Review
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Kullervo, The
Oceanides, Karelia Suite, Scènes historiques, Tapiola, Finlandia,
Two Serenades, Bournemouth
SO/Paavo Berglund
rec. 1970-5 EMI CLASSICS GEMINI
2176742 [71.45 + 76.10] [RB]
Good
inexpensive way to explore the lesser-known pieces ... see Full
Review
Padre
Antonio SOLER (1729-1793) Piano
Sonatas Marie-Luise
Hinrichs (piano)
rec. 2006 CPO 777 200-2 [61:45]
[TP]
An
attractive disc ... see Full Review
Wilhelm
STENHAMMAR (1871–1927) Piano
Music Piano Sonatas,Nights of Late Summer, Three
Fantasies, Martin
Sturfält (piano)
rec. 2007 HYPERION CDA67689 [76:05]
[WK][RB]
Victorious
command and a heart-direct eloquence ... see Full
Review
Zygmunt
STOJOWSKI (1870-1946) Suite
for Orchestra, Le Printemps, Prayer for Poland Marta
Wróblewska (soprano); Maciej Bogumil Nerkowski (baritone);
Rafal Sulima (organ) Podlasie Opera & Ph Ch & O Bialystok/Marcin
Nalecz-Niesiolowski rec. 2007 DUX
0625 [53:56] [JW]
A
real find … much to excite and stimulate ... see Full
Review
Alessandro
STRADELLA (1639-1682) Cantata
for Christmas Eve: Si apra al riso ogni labro [26:39]
Sinfonia in A major [5:49] Sinfonia in F major [11:37] Cristina
Miatello (soprano); Caterina Calvi (contralto); Roberto Abbondanza
(bass) La Magnifica Comunità/Enrico Casazza rec. Chiesa
della Santissima Trinità, Pernumia, Italy, 1999. DDD Booklet
notes in English. Texts provided but no translations. BRILLIANT
CLASSICS 93367 [51:18] [DW]
Unfortunately,
the poor quality of the vocal contributions makes this a non-starter … see Full
Review
Johann
STRAUSS (1825–1899) Die Fledermaus
RIAS Kammerchor, RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester/Ferenc Fricsay rec.
1949 AUDITE 23.411
[39:09 + 74:51][GF]
Splendid
singing, outstanding conducting and lively action ... see Full
Review
Johann STRAUSS
(1825 - 1899) Die Fledermaus
(1874)Julius Patzak (tenor) - Gabriel von Eisenstein; Hilde Güden
(soprano) - Rosalinde; Kurt Preger (baritone) - Frank; Sieglinde Wagner
(contralto) - Prince Orlofsky; Anton Dermota (tenor) - Alfred; Alfred
Poell (baritone) - Dr Falke; August Jaresch (tenor buffo) - Dr Blind;
Wilma Lipp (soprano) - Adele The Chorus of the Vienna State Opera,TheVienna
Philharmonic Orchestra/Clemens Krauss rec. Musikvereinsaal, Vienna,
22 June, 16-22 September 1950 plus Die Fledermaus Gala
NIMBUS NI 7954/5 [74:46
+ 69:30]
[GF]
By
some distance the most idiomatically Viennese recording of the operetta
... see Full Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864–1949)
Ariadne auf Naxos
Gundula Janowitz, Sylvia Geszty, Staatskapelle Dresden/Rudolf Kempe
rec. 1968 EMI CLASSICS
2088242 [38:28 + 79:41] [GF]
Definitely
a recommendable buy ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS
(1864-1949) Salome
Nadja Michael, Peter Bronder, La Scala, Milan O/Daniel Harding rec.
live 2007 TDK DVWW-OPSALOME
[108:00]
[ST]
Sounds
a lot better than it looks ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Eine
Alpensinfonie, Don Juan Royal
Concertgebouw O/Mariss Jansons
rec. live, 2007 RCO LIVE RCO08006 
[70:22]
[IL]
A
stunning Alpine ascent and a robust and opulent Don Juan ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Ein
Heldenleben, Tod und Verklärung Fritz
Görlach (violin) RIAS SO/Karl Böhm rec. 1950/1 AUDITE
95.586 [71:33] [GP-J]
A
fascinating document that Strauss lovers will undoubtedly want
to hear ... see Full
Review
Karol SZYMANOWSKI
(1882-1937)
Violin Concertos 1 & 2, Symphonies 3 & 4, Litania do Marii
Panny, Demeter, Stabat Mater
Konstanty Kulka (violin); Piotr Paleczny (piano) Polish Radio National
SO & Ch/Antoni Wit; Jerzy Maksymiuk rec. 1978-83
EMI CLASSICS 2068702 [72:55 + 68:37] [EM]
An
excellent addition to the catalogue ... see Full
Review
Sergei
Ivanovich TANEYEV (1856-1915) String
Trios Leopold
String Trio rec. 2008 HYPERION
CDA67573 [67.29]
[GH]
All
in all a fine release ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Sir John
TAVENER
(b.1944) Ex Maria Virgine – A Christmas
Sequence for Choir and Organ (2005)* 1[37:57] Birthday
Sleep (1999) [5:27] O, Do Not Move (1990) [2:00] A Nativity (1985)
[2:14] Marienhymne (2005)* [4:42] O Thou Gentle Light (2000)2
[4:41] Angels (1985/96)3 [6:45]
James McVinnie (organ)1; Stefan Berkieta (baritone)2;
Simon Thomas Jacobs (organ)3 Choir of Clare College,
Cambridge/Timothy Brown rec. Norwich Cathedral, England, 6-8 July
2008. DDD. Texts
and translations included. * World Première Recording.
NAXOS 8.572168 [63:46]
[BW]
Major
new music, well worth coming to terms with ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Manfred Symphony; The Voyevoda
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Vasily Petrenko rec.
2007
NAXOS 8.570568 [68:51][IL]
A
thrilling, darkly-hued Manfred ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Nutcracker
- ballet in two acts (1891-2)
San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra/Martin West choreography by Helgi Tomassonrec.
live, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, 19, 21 December 2007
OPUS ARTE OA1002D [13:00] [IL,GL]
Truly
magical. The ideal family Christmas
present. ... see Full
Review
Georg
Philipp TELEMANN (1682-1767) Sonate Corellisante for
2 violins see CORELLI
Ludwig
THUILLE (1861-1907) Cello Sonata see DOHNÁNYI
Michael
TIPPETT
(1905-1998) String Quartets 1, 2 & 4
The Tippett Quartet rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570496 [64:37] [TH]
Playing
of tremendous power and persuasion ... see Full
Review
Donald
Francis TOVEY (1875-1940) Sonata for two cellos see DOHNÁNYI
Gomidas VARTABED (1869-1935)
Gomidas Songs
Isabel Bayrakdarian (soprano) Armenian PO/Eduard Topchjan rec. 2005
NONESUCH 511487-2 [55.10]
[MM-B]
Traditional
and evocative, yet universal in melodic appeal. ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) La
Traviata Kristiane
Kaiser, Jean-François Borras, Slovak PO & Ch/Ernst Märzendorfer
rec live, 2008 EUROARTS
2057218 [134:00]
[IL]
A
satisfactory production ... see Full
Review
Heitor
VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959) Piano
Music - Volume 7 Includes Amazonas, Prelúdios
para Guitarra Sonia
Rubinsky (piano) rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570503 [69:11] [BW]
Another
very good volume in this recommendable series but not the place
to start ... see Full
Review
Stanley WALDEN
(b. 1932) Maquettes for two pianos;
Sh’mah - duo for violin and cello; Five Similes for piano;
Trio for horn, violin and piano
Spectrum Concerts Berlin rec. 2007-8
NAXOS 8.559355 [53:52][JW]
Music
that is never obvious and can be subtly withdrawn ... see Full
Review
Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786-1826) Aufforderung zum Tanze (Invitation
to the Dance) see BEETHOVEN
John
WHITE (b.
1936) Piano
Sonatas 1, 4, 5 & 9 Alun
HODDINOTT (1929-2008) Piano Sonatas 1 & 2,
Nocturnes 1 & 2, Elegy Colin
Kingsley (piano); Valerie Tryon (piano)
rec. 1960/2 LYRITA
REAM.2108 [41:38 + 43:19]
[BBr]
Authoritative
performances of pieces which tend to be overlooked ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Tandem Eugène
YSAŸE (1858
- 1931) Sonata for 2 violins see PROKOFIEV
Click
for alphabetical listings by composer:
[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]
[Recommended
recordings]
