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John CAGE (1912-1992)
Thirteen,
Four6, Four3 
The Barton
Workshop/James Fulkerson rec. 2002
MEGADISC MDC7799 [79:32]
[DC]
The
kind of disc which might change your mind about Cage ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe Maria
Gioacchino CAMBINI (1746-1825?) Quintets
Nos. 1-3 Ensemble
dell’Accademia rec. 2005
SYMPHONIA SY05219 [51:42][GPu]
Engaging
music by a composer who, until recently, has
rarely had much justice from posterity; anyone
fond of chamber music for wind instruments
should certainly hear this … see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Georgy
L'vovich CATOIRE (1861-1926)
Violin
Sonatas 1 & 2, Elegy for
violin and piano Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Pièce
en forme de habañera, Tzigane
Herwig Zack (violin) Bernd Zack (piano) rec.
2007
AVIE AV2143 [67:49] [RB]
Another
Milstein in the making ... music that is dramatic,
fantastic, poetic ... see Full
Review
Gustave
CHARPENTIER (1860-1956) Impressions
d’Italie (1891) [35:58] see Paysages
Erik
CHISHOLM (1904-1965)
Symphony
No. 2 Ossian (1939) [34:18]
Trevor HOLD (1939-2004) The
Unreturning Spring – a song cycle to poems
by James Farrar op. 3 (1961-63) [16:00] Eric
FOGG (1903-1939) Sea-Sheen:
an idyll op. 17 (1920) [4:41]; Merok (1929)
[7:51]
Ailish Tynan (soprano); Roderick Williams
(baritone) (Hold) Royal Scottish National
Orchestra/Martin Yates (Chisholm) BBC Concert
Orchestra/Martin Yates (Hold); Gavin Sutherland
(Sea-Sheen); Vernon Handley (Merok)
rec. Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, 16 May 2007
(Chisholm); Colosseum, Town Hall, Watford,
5-6 June 2007 (Hold); 4 August 2005 (Sea-Sheen);
6 December 2005 (Merok). DDD world
premiere recordings
DUTTON EPOCH CDLX 7196 [63:29] [RB]
Three
fine and contrasted works … Delicacy, Northern
pomp and poetry and sylvan magic ... see Full
Review
Nigel
CLARKE (b.
1960) Pernambuco, The Miraculous
Violin, Loulan, Samurai, Premonitions, Black Fire
Peter Sheppard Skaerved (violin), Band of HM Royal Marines, Plymouth
rec. 2006/7 NAXOS 8.570429
[CR]
Unmissable
... see Full Review
Gloria
COATES (b. 1938)
Symphony No. 15; Cantata da Requiem,
‘WWII Poems for Peace’; Transitions
Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra/Michael Boder
rec. 1985-2006
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559371 [59:12][DM]
A
sound-world that positively explodes with imagination and brilliance
... see Full Review
Carson COOMAN (b. 1982)
Piano Music
Donna Amato (piano) rec. 2006
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559350 [76:42][DM]
A
mixed selection and a mixed bag, too ... see
Full Review
Gordon
CROSSE
(b. 1937) Purgatory
- Opera in One Act (1966) [39:34]
A Boy: Peter Bodenham, (tenor) An Old Man
- Glenville Hargreaves, (baritone) Orchestra
and Chorus of the Royal Northern College of
Music/Michael Lankester rec. February, August
1974, RNCM, Manchester. ADD first issued on
LP in association with the British Council
on LP ARGO ZRG818 in 1975. CD SINGLE
LYRITA SRCD.313 [39:34] [RB]
This
edgy, ruthless, creepy and mildly dissonant
little Bergian two-hander ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gaetano DONIZETTI
(1797-1848)
Don Pasquale
Claudio Desderi, Francisco Gatell, Laura Giordano, Ch & O Teatro
Municipale Piacenza/Riccardo Muti rec. live 2006
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101303 
[RJF]
Muti’s
sympathetic and idiomatic baton combines with superb stage direction
and period sets and costumes, to do full justice to Donizetti’s
creation ... see Full Review
Guillaume
DUFAY (1393–1474) Missa de S
Anthonii de Padua; O proles Hispaniae
The Binchois Consort/Andrew Kirkman rec. 1996
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55271 [54.27][RH]
I
defy anyone to listen to this music and not want to tap their toes!
... see Full Review
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Rusalka 
Cheryl
Barker, Rosario La Spina, Opera Australia Chorus, Australian
Opera and Ballet O/Richard Hickox
rec. live 2007 CHANDOS
CHAN10449 
[3
CDs] [CH]
Excellent,
but not quite a match for Neumann’s Supraphon recording ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Sir Edward ELGAR
(1857-1934) Froissart; Cello Concerto;
Enigma Variations The Wand of Youth – Suites Nos. 1 &
2; The Starlight Express: Songs; Dream Children
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Welsh National Opera Orchestra/Sir
Charles Mackerras rec. 1990-2
DECCA ELOQUENCE 4428280 [76:38 + 74:26][CH]
Some
very fine Elgar interpretation, especially if you like to home in on
the nostalgic side ... see Full Review
August
ENNA (1859–1939) Heisse Liebe
NDR Chor and
NDR Radiophilharmonie/Hermann Bäumer rec. 2006
CPO 7772502 [59:38 + 38:47][GF]
No
lost masterpiece but it is still good to have a recording and the second
act has a great deal to offer ... see Full
Review
Johann
Friedrich FASCH (1688-1758)
Passio Jesu Christi (The Passion
of Jesus Christ)
Schola Cantorum Budapestiensis; Capella Savaria
Baroque Orchestra/Mary Térey-Smith rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570326 [71:24][BW]
Naxos again bring us a neglected but worthwhile
work in a good performance, well recorded
... but errors in the libretto need to be
put right ... see Full
Review
Eric
FOGG (1903-1939) Sea-Sheen:
an idyll op. 17 (1920) [4:41]; Merok (1929)
[7:51] ... see Chisholm
Symphony 2
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH César FRANCK (1822-1890) Complete
Organ Works - Volume I Hans-Eberhard
Ross
rec. 2004/5 AUDITE 91.518 
[2
CDs]
[DM]
One
hesitates to use the word ‘great’ but in this case nothing else
will do ... see Full Review
Peter
Racine FRICKER
(1920-1990) Concerto
for Violin and small Orchestra op. 11 (1950,
rev. 1974) [23:25] David
MORGAN (1933-1988) Violin Concerto
(1966) [26:02] Don
BANKS (1923-1980) Concerto for
Violin and Orchestra (1968) [26:55]
Yfrah Neaman (violin) (Fricker; Banks) Erich
Gruenberg (violin) (Morgan) Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra/Norman Del Mar (Fricker; Banks);
Vernon Handley (Morgan) rec. July 1973, All
saints, Tooting, London (Fricker, Banks);
28 April 1976, Kingsway Hall, London (Morgan).
ADD originally issued on LP: Argo ZRG 715
(Fricker, Banks); Lyrita SRCS97 (Morgan).
LYRITA RECORDED EDITION SRCD.276 [76:26]
[RB]
A
sometimes challenging, sometimes smiling collection
of concertos otherwise lost to us ... see
Full Review
Morten
GAATHAUG
(b. 1955)
Musica da camera
String Quartet 2, Six Songs to Poems by Jens
Bjřrneboe, Piano Quintet
Tore Dingstad, Ellen Ugelvik (piano) Per Anders
Třnder (baritone) Ensemble Bjřrvika rec. 2007
2L 44
[JW]
I
enjoyed my time with Gaathaug ... see Full
Review
Roberto
GERHARD
(1896-1970) Symphony
No. 4 ‘New York’ (1967) [26:04] Violin
Concerto (1942-5) [34:03]*
Yfrah Neaman (violin) BBC Symphony Orchestra/Colin
Davis rec. 1972, London. ADD originally released
as Decca Argo ZRG701
LYRITA SRCD.274 [60.10] [RB]
Music
of dissonant discontinuity and conflagration
... see
Full Review
George
GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Rhapsody
in Blue; Cuban Overture; Variations on
I Got Rhythm Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Ma mčre l’Oye;
Les Sites auriculaires; Boléro Maurice RAVEL, attributed to F Dante Pilade “Fermo” Marchetti
(1876–1940) arranged by Anthony Goldstone Fascination (Valse tzigane)
Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow (two pianos and piano duet)
rec. 1997 & 2007
DIVINE ART DDA25057 [74:02][BBr]
Joyous
and infectious exuberance ... see Full
Review
Philip
GLASS (b. 1937)
Reflections
Cello
Octet Conjunto Iberico; Jean Paul van Spaendonk (singers)/ Elias Arizcuren
rec. 2001 ORANGE MOUNTAIN MUSIC
OMM0032 [56:32][PG]
Highlights
both the compositional prowess of Glass and the virtuosity of the players
... see Full Review
Peder GRAM (1881-1956)
Orchestral Works - vol. 2: Avalon; Symphonies
Nos. 2 & 3
Danish PO/Matthias Aeschbacher rec. 2007
DACAPO 8.224718 [64:58][RB]
Sylvan
pantheism not lacking in vigour and rounded out with contentment ...
see Full Review
Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907) Piano Concerto;
Ballade in G minor; Lyric Pieces
Leif Ove Andsnes (piano); Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Mariss Jansons
rec. 2001-7 EMI CLASSICS
3943992 [71:24][JW]
The
Ballade is a must-hear for Grieg lovers, no question ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric Handel (1685-1759) (attributed)
Trio Sonatas for oboe and violin
Convivium rec. 1998
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55280 [64:16][BW]
Lively
performances of attractive music: whether it’s by Handel or not does
not matter ... see Full Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759) Great
Handel Ian
Bostridge (tenor); Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Harry
Bicket rec. 2006 EMI
CLASSICS 3822432 [65.54][RH]
Bostridge’s
admirers will undoubtedly enjoy this but other listeners might
be less convinced by his rather personal take ... see Full
Review
Franz
Joseph HAYDN (1732–1809) Il
ritorno di Tobia Roberta
Invernizzi, Sophie Karthäuser (soprano); Ann Hallenberg (contralto);
Anders J. Dahlin (tenor); Nikolay Borchev (bass) VokalEnsemble
Köln/Max Ciolek, Capella Augustana/Andreas Spering rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570300-02 [3 CDs] [JV]
An
outstanding performance: powerful, but also transparent and well-articulated
... see Full Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759) La
Resurrezione
Combattimento Consort Amsterdam/Jan Willem de Vriend rec. 2001
CHALLENGE RECORDS CCDVD72159
[DVD: 1.56 + 0.46 plus 2 CDs: 64:02 + 50:48][JV]
Recommendable
for the dramatic reading of the orchestral
score - the vocal contributions are a mixed
bag ... see Full
Review
Trevor
HOLD (1939-2004) The Unreturning
Spring – a song cycle to poems by James
Farrar op. 3 ... see
Chisholm
Symphony 2
Herbert
HOWELLS (1892-1983) Piano Quartet,
Fantasy String Quartet,
Rhapsodic Quintet
Richards Piano Quartet, Thea King (clarinet) rec. 1973
LYRITA SRCD.292 [53.20] [EM]
Exemplary
performances of extremely moving, accomplished and utterly gorgeous
pieces! ... see Full Review
Leoš JANÁCEK (1854–1928) The
Excursions of Mr Broucek Jan Vaník,
Peter Straka,
BBC Singers, BBC SO/Jirí Belohlávek
rec. 2007
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 7387 [65.01 + 57:59] [DC]
Rarely
seen on both stage and record, and after hearing this new recording
I suspect you will find this state of affairs
as
inexplicable as I do ... see Full
Review
Joseph
Martin KRAUS (1756-1792) Ballet
Music
Swedish Chamber Orchestra/Petter Sundkvist rec. 2005
NAXOS 8.557498 [69:39][JW]
A
robust and entertaining selection – captivatingly well presented and
highly enjoyable ... see Full
Review
Joseph
Martin KRAUS (1756-1792) Violin
Concerto, Olympie, Azire Takako
Nishizaki (violin), New Zealand SO/Uwe Grodd
rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570334 
[58:36]
Joseph Martin KRAUS (1756-1792) Pantomimes, Fiskarena,
Ballet music for Gluck’s Armide Swedish
CO/Petter Sundkvist rec. 2005 NAXOS
8.557498 [69:39]
[TP]
Unfailingly
well crafted, tuneful and charming ... see Full
Review
Edouard
LALO
(1823-1892)
Symphonie Espagnole, Fantasie Norvégienne (arr. by Lars
Hannibal for violin and guitar)
Kim Sjřgren (violin) Lars Hannibal (guitar) rec. 1992
OUR RECORDINGS 8.226903 [JW]
Unusual
and surprising fare ... see Full Review
Jean LANGLAIS
(1907-1991) Eclipse: Choral and Organ
Music Gloriae
dei Cantores/Elizabeth C. Patterson rec. April 2007
GLORIAE DEI CANTORES GSCD041 [56.16 + 62.21][GH]
Excellent
with fine diction and intonation and a clear and precise ensemble ...
see Full Review
Orlandus LASSUS (1532-1594)
Lamentationes Jeremiae Prophetae - Requiem
Collegium Regale/Stephen Cleobury rec. 2005
SIGNUM
CLASSICS SIGCD076 [70:06][JV]
The
Collegium Regale sings Lassus's music very well, but is a little short
on expression ... see Full Review
Antonio
LAURO (1917–1986) Guitar
Music Volume 2 Includes Sonata, Estudios en imitiaciones,
Suite (Homenaje a John
Duarte) Victor Villadangos
rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570250 [GF]
Antonio
Lauro may not be the most important of 20th century
guitar composers but his music is always eminently listenable.
... see Full Review
Franz
LEHÁR
(1870-1948)
Wiener Frauen, Overtures: Der Göttergatte,
Wo die Lerche singt
WDR RSO & Ch/Helmuth Froschauer rec. 1971-2005
CPO 999 326-2 [59:50]
[IL]
Captivating
early Lehár ... see Full Review
Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Complete Piano Music. Vol. 27 - Donizetti Operatic Reminiscences
and Transcriptions
William Wolfram rec 2006
NAXOS 8.570137 [MC]
William
Wolfram is on splendid form negotiating a wide gamut of emotions.
... see Full Review
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