JANUARY
RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH William
BYRD (1539/40-1623) Second
Service & Consort Anthems
The Choir of Magdalen College,
Oxford/Bill Ives. rec. 2006
HARMONIA MUNDI USA HMU907440 [71:05][MG]
This
CD excels in many ways; most of all
in the revelation that this is music
of feeling ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Leo
DELIBES
(1836-1891)
Sylvia
Darcey Bussell, Roberto Bolle, Royal
Ballet O (Royal Opera House)/Graham
Bond rec. 2005
OPUS ARTE OA0986D 
[IL]
A
beautiful production of this charming
ballet with a wonderfully melodic score
by Delibes ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907)
Violin Sonata 1 JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Humoresques Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
Sospiri, Violin Sonata
Isabelle van Keulen (violin) Ronald
Brautigam (piano) rec. 2006
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72171 [MC]
Grieg,
Elgar and Sibelius given the finest
interpretative service ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH George
Frideric HANDEL
(1685-1759) Giulio
Cesare in Egitto
Andreas Scholl, Inger Dam-Jensen, Concerto
Copenhagen/Lars Ulrik Mortensen rec.
2005
HARMONIA MUNDI HMD990 9008.09 [BW]
Probably
the best DVD version and one of the
best in any format ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wild
about Liszt
Franz
LISZT (1811-1896)
Recitals:
Liszt the Poet, Liszt the Transcriber,
Liszt the Virtuoso; TV appearances,
Audio tracks
Earl Wild (piano)
IVORY CLASSICS
77777 [JW]
Wild’s
playing is cut from legendary cloth
... astonishing accuracy, bravura and
poetry ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Concertos for two and three
pianos
Alexei Lubimov, Ronald Brautigam,
Manfred Huss (fortepianos) Haydn Sinfonietta
Wien/Manfred Huss rec. 2006
BIS SACD1618 
[MM-B]
A
delight from begin to end ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791) Don
Giovanni
RIAS Kammerchor,
Freiburger Barockorchester/René Jacobs
rec. 2006
HARMONIA MUNDI HMC 901964-66 [3
CDs: 60:39 + 52:31 + 57:36][GF]
Wholly
engrossing - this eternal masterpiece
with swathes of cobweb blown away ...
see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Robert
SCHUMANN
(1810-1856)
Piano concerto (documentary & performance)
Martha Argerich, Gewandhaus O Leipzig/Riccardo
Chailly rec. live 2006
EUROARTS 2056068
[MM-B]
A
great recording of an equally great
performance ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alexander
SCRIABIN (1872-1915)
Complete Solo Piano Works
Maria Lettberg rec. 2004-2007
CAPRICCIO 49586 [DC]
Very
high quality indeed, in every regard
... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Graham
WHETTAM (1927-2007)
String Quartets Nos. 1 & 4; Oboe
Quartet No. 2
Jenny-Lee Keetley (oboe); Carducci Quartet
rec. 2007
CARDUCCI CLASSICS CSQ5847 [63:55][RB]
A
gripping voice in the annals of British
music - mysteriously ignored ... see
Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jonas
Kaufmann - Romantic Arias
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor); Prague Philharmonic
Orchestra/Marco Armiliato rec. 2007
DECCA 4759966 [65:09][GF]
Judging
from this debut recital Kaufmann is
well equipped to be among the world’s
lead tenors – and he will stay there.
... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Quijotes
Jacques
IBERT (1890-1962) Quatre
Chansons de Don Quichotte
Manuel
de FALLA (1876-1946)
El retablo de Maese Pedro
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937)
Don Quichotte à Dulcinée
Jesus
GURIDI (1886-1961)
Una aventura de Don Quijote
Carlos Alvarez (baritone); Orquesta
de la Comunidad de Madrid/Jose
Ramon Encinar rec. 2005
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4763094 [55:38][IB]
A
distinguished and enjoyable disc. Enterprise,
imagination not restricted to the independents
... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Premieres
and Encores Henry
Hugo PIERSON (1815-1873) Macbeth
Alan RAWSTHORNE
(1905-1971) Fantasy Overture. Cortèges
David MORGAN
(1933-1988) Contrasts Francis
CHAGRIN (1905-1972) Concert
Overture: Helter Skelter Peter
WARLOCK (1894-1930) Serenade
for Strings Malcolm
ARNOLD (1921-2006) Comedy
Overture: Beckus the Dandipratt rec.
1976-1978,
LYRITA SRCD.318 [79.22] [JF]
Attractive
and interesting … ‘must have’ CD ...
see Full
Review
RECORDING OF THE
MONTH Symphonic
Brass
Black Dyke Band/Nicholas Childs rec.
2007
NAXOS 8.570726 [77:07][MC]
I
can see significant interest and many
converts to brass band music being generated
by this disc from the Black Dyke Band
... see Full
Review
BARGAINS
OF THE MONTH
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Guillaume
DUFAY
(c.1397-1474)
Music for Saint Anthony of Padua
Binchois Consort/Andrew Kirkman rec.
1996
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55271 [BW]
Superlative
performances, well recorded, of attractive
music: another excellent Helios reissue
... see Full
Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Joseph
HAYDN (1732–1809)
Symphonies - Volume 32
Nos 9-12
Sinfonia Finlandia/Patrick Gallois rec.
2005
NAXOS 8.557771 [GF]
There
is an energy and rhythmic vitality here
that is completely irresistible ...
see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Jean-Marie
LECLAIR (1697-1764)
Complete Flute Chamber Works
Fenwick Smith (flute), John Gibbons
(harpsichord) rec. 2003-5
NAXOS 8.557440-41 [CR]
Some
of the finest playing I have heard ...
see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Piano Concertos 1-4, Rhapsody on
a Theme of Paganini, Preludes, Opp.23
& 32
Agustin Anievas, New PO/Moshe Atzmon,
Aldo Ceccato, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
rec. 1967-73
EMI CLASSICS 5008712 [MC]
The
splendid playing of Agustin Anievas
admirably serves the music of Rachmaninov
... see Full
Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH
Music
for the Lion-Hearted King - Music
to mark the 800th anniversary of the
Coronation of King Richard I of England
in Westminster Abbey, 3 September 1189
Gothic Voices rec. 1988
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55292 [60:13][BW]
Yet
another highly attractive reissue from
Hyperion – perhaps the best yet of these
Gothic Voices CDs ... see Full
Review
February
2008
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
