PART 4
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RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1865-1911) Symphony No.9 in D (1909-10) Berliner Philharmoniker/Sir Simon Rattle rec. October 2007 Philharmonie, Berlin. EMI CLASSICS 501228-2 [84.00] [TD]

Contemplating buying a Mahler 9 for the very first time: this is the one to have ... see Full Review

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Das Lied Von Der Erde Christianne Stotijn (mezzo); Donald Litaker (tenor); Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra/Martin Sieghart rec. 2006 EXTON HGO0702 [59:09][TD]

One day we may be surprised by a truly great new version but this honourable newcomer is not it ... see Full Review

Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Bergerettes - Five pieces for violin, cello and piano (1939) [21:46] Alfred SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) Trio for Violin, cello & piano (1985-1992) [23:45] Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Trio No. 1 for Violin, Cello and Piano (1923) [12:09] Puella Trio rec. 2007 ARCODIVA UP 0103-2 131 [57:58] [DC]

Has to be a winner ... see Full Review

Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Complete Piano Music - Volume 4 Includes Seven Czech Dances, Les ritournelles, Rujana Giorgio Koukl rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570215 [JW] [BBr]

Koukl has cast his net wisely and well, mixing established classics with works that none but a manuscript editor would have heard [JW]
I made the mistake of judging the book by its cover and dismissing the contents of this CD without playing it. Under no circumstances must you make the same idiotic mistake [BBr] ... see Full Review

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ballet) Alessandra Ferri, Roberto Bolle, Teatro alla Scala O/Nir Kabaretti rec. 2007 TDK DVWW-BLMID [RW]

Fine production with visual identity carefully wedded to movement … an apt and complete interpretation ... see Full Review

Mark Anton MOEBIUS (b. 1973) Fluchtpunkte eines Jägers see SCHUMANN

E. J. MOERAN (1894-1950) Piano Music see BAINES

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Philippus (Philippe) de MONTE (1521-1603) Motets, Madrigals and Chansons Ensemble Orlando Fribourg; In Echo/Laurent Gendre rec. 2007 CLAVES 502712 [51:17][BW]

An unjustly neglected composer brought to life in very good performances, well recorded ... see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Flute Quartets; Clarinet Quintet Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) String Quintet William Bennett (flute); Grumiaux Trio rec. 1969-79 PHILIPS ELOQUENCE 4428289 [63:41 + 77:39][CR]

An essential part of any CD collection ... see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Divertimento for violin, viola and cello Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) The Four Seasons David Nadien (violin) Kapp Sinfonietta/Emanuel Vardi rec. 1960/61 CEMBAL D’AMOUR CD125 [JW]

Nadien’s is a name worth celebrating and this disc does just that ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Marc NEIKRUG (b. 1946) Through Roses Will Quadflieg (speaker); Pinchas Zukerman (violin); Michel Rouilly (viola – alto); Wolfgang Bogner (cello); Gunter Rumpel (flute); Eduard Brunner (clarinet); Anne Leek (oboe); Pierre Beboux (percussion); Marc Neikrug (piano)/Christoph Eschenbach rec. 1985 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4159832 [OP]

One of the most moving pieces that I’ve ever experienced and one of my most cherished discs ... see Full Review

Jacques OFFENBACH (1819-1880) Gaîté Parisienne, Les belles américaines Jacques IBERT (1890-1962) Divertissement for Small Orchestra Cincinnati Pops O/Erich Kunzel rec. 1990/1 TELARC CD80294 [TP]

A welcome mid-price reissue of delightful music, stylishly played ... see Full Review

Giovanni PACINI (1796-1867) Alessandro nell’Indie Bruce Ford (tenor), Jennifer Larmore, Geoffrey Mitchell Ch, London PO/David Parry rec. 2006 OPERA RARA ORR35 [3 CDs] [RJF]

Construction and melodic invention lacking Rossini’s genius and Donizetti’s later flowering but a welcome opportunity ... see Full Review

Giovanni PAISIELLO (1740–1816) Passio di San Giovanni Trine Lund, Monika Mauch (sopranos); Jörg Schneider (baritone); Vocalconsort Berlin, L'Arte del Mondo/Werner Ehrhardt rec. live 2006 CAPRICCIO 60133 [JV]

Fine music … an interesting extension of the repertoire for Passiontide ... see Full Review

Johann Gottfried Wilhelm PALSCHAU (~1741-1815) Harpsichord Concertos Nos.1 & 2 Johann Abraham Peter SCHULZ (1747-1800) Six Pièces Pour le Clavecin ou le Piano Forte Lars Ulrik Mortensen (harpsichord; leader)/Concerto Copenhagen rec. 2007 DACAPO 8.226040 [67:08][JFL]

Intrigue gave way to proper enjoyment when I listened to Palschau’s concertos ... see Full Review

Robert PARSONS (c.1530-1572) Choral Music Voces Cantabiles/Barnaby Smith rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570451 [69:46][MS]

Voces Cantabiles have enthusiastically and carefully reached into a tightly tied sack and pulled out some jewels ... see Full Review

Charles PREVIN (1888–1973) House of Frankenstein see SALTER

Henry PURCELL (1659-1695) Dido and Aeneas Susan Graham, Ian Bostridge, European Voices, Le Concert d’Astrée/Emmanuelle Haïm rec. 2003 VIRGIN CLASSICS 5034222 [JW]

A warm welcome back to a first class recording ... see Full Review

Sergei Vasilievich RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) Olga Rusina Plays Rachmaninoff Olga Rusina (piano) rec. 2002/2006 DUX 0565 [63:32] [WK]

A disc of sometimes vibrant, sometimes eccentric Rachmaninoff - worth catching for certain of the performances. ... see Full Review

Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Works for Piano see DEBUSSY

Steve REICH (b. 1936) Music for 18 Musicians (1976) [61:21] Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble/Bill Ryan rec. No date given, Royce Auditorium, St. Cecilia’s Music Center, Grand Rapids, MI. USA. INNOVA 678 [61:21] [KMc]

An excellent recording of the seminal work of minimalism ... see Full Review

Antonín REICHA (1770-1836) Oboe quintet Antal DORÁTI (1906-1988) Notturno and Capriccio for oboe quintet Malcolm ARNOLD (1921-2006) Oboe Quartet Adam Halicki (oboe) Camerata Quartet rec. 2001 DUX 0583 [BW]

A strange set of bedfellows, but all the music is attractive, well played and recorded ... see Full Review

Anton REICHA (1770-1836) Woodwind Quintets - Volume 9 Quintet Op. 99 No. 5 & 6 Westwood Wind Quintet rec. 2006  CRYSTAL RECORDS CD269 [JW]

Big symphonic quintets, cleanly delineated, finely played and bursting with Classical ideas and expertise ... see Full Review

Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Humoreske for violin and orchestra, Leggenda for violin and orchestra, Sei piccoli pezzi (orch. Adriano), Rossiniana Marco Rogliano (violin) Sassari SO/Roberto Diem Tigani INEDITA PI2632 [IL]

A rare treat for Respighi fans. Engaging performances in very good sound ... see Full Review

Ferdinand RIES (1784-1838) Flute Quartets John Herrick Littlefield (flute); Aaron Boyd (violin); Ah Ling Neu (viola); Yari Bond (cello) rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570330 [56:33][BW]

Attractive music – not top-flight but certainly worth getting to know – well performed and recorded ... see Full Review

Joaquín RODRIGO (1901-1999) Complete Orchestral Music - Volume 10: Songs and Madrigals Raquel Lojendio (soprano) Asturias SO/Maximiano Valdés rec. 2003 NAXOS 8.555845 [GPu]

Fine settings distinguished by their blend of old and new and by Rodrigo’s constant responsiveness to his texts … see Full Review

Miklós RÓZSA (1907-1995) Music for Violin and Piano: Variations on a Hungarian Peasant Song; Duo for Violin and Piano; North Hungarian Peasant Songs and Dances; Sonata for Solo Violin Philippe Quint (violin); William Wolfram (piano) rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570190 [60:32][WK]

Rozsa’s output for single violin in committed and idiomatic performances ... see Full Review

 

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[Click here for the most recent reviews (last five days)]
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]

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