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Recommendations

[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]


RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Sir Arnold BAX (1883-1953) Symphony No. 2 (1924-6) [37:39] Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor (1931-2)* [40:46] London Philharmonic Orchestra/Myer Fredman (2); Raymond Leppard* (5) rec. 1970,1971 LYRITA SRCD.233 [78.28] [RB]

Bax whirls the listener into the action and the call is irresistible. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Arnold BAX (1883–1953) String Quartet 1 Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) String Quartet Pavão Quartet rec. 2007 DISCRETE RECORDINGS DISC0701 [BBr]

An unqualified success. A truly fabulous disk ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH John DOWLAND (1563-1626)
Lute Songs Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Nocturnal after John Dowland Mark Padmore (tenor), Elizabeth Kenny (lute), Craig Ogden (guitar) rec. 2007 HYPERION CDA67648 [MG]

A terrific disc which demonstrates how flexibly Dowland’s line can be treated in expressing the nuances of the texts … see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH John Herbert FOULDS (1880-1939) A World Requiem BBC Symphony Chorus & Orchestra/Leon Botstein rec. 2007 CHANDOS CHSA5058 [45:08 + 44:50][PCW]

Ventures like this give one hope for the future of recorded music … see Full Review

HISTORICAL RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ruggiero LEONCAVALLO (1858-1919) Chatterton Chorus and orchestra of Teatro alla Scala/Ruggiero Leoncavallo rec. 1908 Pagliacci Giuseppe Rosci Chorus and orchestra of Teatro alla Scala/Ruggiero Leoncavallo (as stated on labels; possibly Carlo Sabajno) rec. 1907 MARSTON 52016-2 [79.04 + 78:14][JW]

An amazing rarity transferred with care, presented with authority, and made universally available ... see Full Review

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

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

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

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony 15 Boris TCHAIKOVSKY (1925-1996) Theme and Eight Variations for Orchestra Dresden Staatskapelle/Kyrill Kondrashin rec. live 1974 HÄNSSLER PROFIL PH06065 [JFL]

This Shostakovich 15 goes to the very top ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Richard STRAUSS (1864–1949) Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs), Op. posth., TrV 296 (1948)[22:54] Brentano-Lieder, Op. 68, TrV 235 (1918, orch. 1933 (10) and 1940)[28:40] Ariadne auf Naxos, Op. 60, TrV 228a (excerpts) (1912) [8:47] Ricarda Merbeth (soprano) Weimar Staatskapelle/Michael Halász rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570283 [60:21] [GF]

Undoubtedly thrilling and the complete Brentano with a tremendous reading of Lied der Frauen lends further importance to this disc. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Symphony No. 5; Dona Nobis Pacem London Philharmonic Orchestra & BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus/Ralph Vaughan Williams rec. 1936-52 SOMM CELESTE SERIES SOMMCD071 [72:04][JQ]

A priceless document ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) L’Olimpiade Sara Mingardo, Roberta Invernizzi, Concerto Italiano/Rinaldo Alessandrini rec. 2002 NAÏVE OP30451 [GPu]

A marvellous selection of some of the very best music from one of Vivaldi’s best operas, in an already classic modern performance … see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Arie di bravura - Diana Damrau Arias by Salieri, Mozart and Righini Diana Damrau (soprano) Le Cercle de l’Harmonie/Jérémie Rhorer rec. 2006 VIRGIN CLASSICS 3952502 [GF]

This disc is superb in all respects and the repertoire is un-hackneyed! ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Fire Burning in Snow Baroque music from Latin America – 3 Ex Cathedra Consort and Baroque Ensemble/Jeffrey Skidmore rec. 2007,Texts and English translations included HYPERION CDA67600 [75:35] [JQ]

This is a CD that commands attention ... see Full Review

 


BARGAINS OF THE MONTH

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Kenneth FUCHS (b. 1956) United Artists; Quiet in the Land; Fire, Ice, and Summer Bronze; Autumn Rhythm; Canticle to the Sun Timothy Jones (French horn); London Symphony Orchestra/JoAnn Falletta rec. 2006 NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559335 [64:00][DM]

Fuchs’s distinctive voice, flair for orchestral colours and sheer lyricism shine through ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH John TAVERNER (c.1490-1545) O splendor gloriæ, Te Deum, Alleluia, Mass ‘The Western Wynde’ The Sixteen/Harry Christophers rec. 1991 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55056 [BW]

The only reason not to buy this excellent CD is that it will make you want the five other recordings in the series ... see Full Review



[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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