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Ernest
CHAUSSON (1855-1899) Symphony in
B flat; Soir de fête; Viviane 
Orchestre (National) du Capitole de Toulouse/Michel Plasson rec. 1976-86
EMI CLASSICS 7478942
[60:54][DW] 
For
many will be of historical interest only ...
see Full Review
Ernest
CHAUSSON (1855–1899) Chanson
perpétuelle see DELAGE
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Frédéric CHOPIN
(1810-1849) Ballade No. 2; selection of Mazurkas &
Waltzes; Impromptu No. 2; Piano Sonata No. 2
Maurizio Pollini (piano) rec. 2008
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4777626 [57:08][MC] 
Innate
musicality and great nobility ... see Full
Review
Francesco
CILEA (1866-1950) Adriana Lecouvreur
Union of Japan
Professional Choruses; NHK Symphony Orchestra/Gianfranco Masini rec.
1976 VAI 4435 
[147:00][ST]
Let’s
hear it for this opera, in spite of its faults ... see Full
Review
Peter
CORNELIUS (1824–1874) Der Barbier von Bagdad
Philharmonia Chorus
and Orchestra/Erich Leinsdorf rec. 1956 Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786–1826) Abu Hassan Berlin
Radio Symphony Chorus and Orchestra/Leopold Ludwig rec. 1944
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111337-38 [78:26 + 57:18][GF] 
There
is an extra frisson to this set … a prime recommendation ... see Full
Review
Laurence
CRANE (b. 1961) Solo Piano Pieces
1985-1999 Michael
Finnissy (piano) METIER
MSV28506 [80.00][DJ]
This
is quietly insistent music that exists in
its own terms ... see Full
Review
Brett DEAN (b.1961)
Viola Concerto; Twelve
Angry Men; Intimate Decisions; Komarov's Fall
Brett Dean (viola); Sydney
Symphony/Simone Young rec. 1997-2007
SYDNEY
SYMPHONY LIVE SSO20070/BIS CD 1696 [61:05]
[TP]
An
astute release showcasing a distinctive and
interesting composer ... see Full
Review
Claude DEBUSSY
(1862-1918) Estampes
[13:47] Images, Bk.II [14:34] Préludes, Bk.II
[39:34] Russell Sherman
(piano) rec. 27-29 July 2005, Jordan Hall, Boston, USA. DDD
AVIE AV2164 [68:01]
[GPJ]
Sherman
can hold his own in exalted company ... see
Full Review
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862–1918) Suite Bergamasque, Les
soirs illuminés par l’ardeur du charbon Pour le Piano see RAVEL
Maurice
DELAGE (1879–1961) Quatre
poèmes hindous, Deux fables de La Fontaine, Trois
poèmes désenchantés,Sept haï–kaïs Maurice
JAUBERT (1900–1940) Saisir,
Chants sahariens Ernest CHAUSSON (1855–1899) Chanson
perpétuelle Felicity Lott (soprano),
Jean–Claude Bouveresse (violin) Kammerensemble de Paris/Armin Jordan
rec. 1994 VIRGIN CLASSICS 5221282 [60:02]
[BBr] 
Rare
melodies by Jaubert and Delage finely sung ... see Full
Review
Stephen
DODGSON (b
1924) Sonata
for brass quintet see MAW
Ernő (Ernst von) DOHNÁNYI (1877-1960)
Violin Concertos 1 & 2
Michael Ludwig (violin) Royal Scottish Ntl O/JoAnn Falletta rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570833 [71:24]
[DW]
This
rare recording makes this issue an important and welcome one … see Full
Review
Petrus de DOMARTO (fl. 1450) Missa Spiritus almus see BUSNOIS
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797–1848) Lucia
di Lammermoor Vladimir
Stoyanov, Mariella Devia, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari Ch & O/Gérard
Korsten
rec. live 2004 DYNAMIC CDS
576/1-2 [65:15
+ 71:16] [GF]
Not
a top contender but deeply involving despite less than consummate
singing ... see Full Review
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848) Roberto
Devereux Chorus
of the Bergamo Musica Festival; Corrado Casati Orchestra of the Bergamo
Musica Festival/Marcello Rota rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.660222-23 [54.39 + 72.39][MM-B]
Does
Devereux absolute justice and is very good value for money ... see Full
Review
Jan
Ladislav DUSSEK
(1760–1812) Piano Sonatas
Markus Becker (piano) rec. 2007
CPO 777 323-2 [69:31] [BBr]
Music
well worth investigating ... see Full
Review
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Piano Trio
No. 3 Bedřich SMETANA (1824-1884)
Piano Trio Gelius
Trio rec. 2007 THOROFON
CTH2549 [69:03][JW]
Not
a first choice but this is a trio to watch ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ross EDWARDS (b.
1943) Symphonies 1 & 4 Adelaide
Chamber Singers, Adelaide Phil Ch, Adelaide SO/Richard Mills
rec. 2002 ABC
CLASSICS 476 6161 [60:00] [TP]
A
first class production that deserves to find a wide audience ...
see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Sir Edward ELGAR
(1857-1934)
The
Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38 (1900) [94:21] CD 1 Part I [37:20] CD
2 Part II [57:01]
Alice Coote (mezzo) - The Angel; Paul Groves (tenor) – Gerontius; Bryn
Terfel (bass-baritone) - The Priest and The Angel of The Agony Hallé
Choir; Hallé Youth Choir Hallé Orchestra/Sir Mark Elder
rec. Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 15-19 July 2008 English text included
HALLÉ CD HLD
7520 [37:20 + 57:01]
[JQ]
A
remarkable achievement. ... see Full
Review
George
ENESCU (1881–1955) Oedipe
Les Petits Chanteurs
de Monaco; Orfeón Donostiarra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo/Lawrence
Foster rec. 1989 EMI
CLASSICS 2088332 [79:36 + 77:02][GF]
Essential listening
for opera lovers ... see Full
Review
Andrew FORD (b
1957) Night
and dreams: the Death of Sigmund Freud Arnold SCHOENBERG (1974–1951)
Ode
to Napoleon
London Sinfonietta/David Atherton
rec.
2000 & 1973 DECCA
ELOQUENCE 4800461 [72:41][BBr]
Anyone
with an interest in the music of our time will welcome this disk ...
see Full Review
Luca
FRANCESCONI (b.
1956) Etymo, Da Capo, A fuoco,
Animus IRCAM,
Ensemble Intercontemporain/Susanna
Mälkki
rec. 2006/7 KAIROS 0012712KAI 
[69:15]
[HC]
I
doubt that these performances will ever be bettered ... see Full
Review
César
FRANCK (1822-1890) Violin
Sonata Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Violin Sonata
Sarah Chang (violin); Lars Vogt (piano) rec. 2003
EMI CLASSICS 2081222 [68:46][JW]
Something
of a miss I suppose ... see Full
Review
John
GARDNER (b
1917) Theme and Variations for brass quartet, op.7 see MAW
Philip
GATES (b.1963) A Garland for Gatsby;
Piano Quintet; The Lake Isle
Philip Gates (piano); Carducci Quartet rec. 2007
MELODIST 3130CD [56:51][JW]
A
most engaging disc ... see Full Review
Christopher
GIBBONS (1615-1676) Verses for organ see WISE
Vinko
GLOBOKAR (b.
1934) Der Engel der Geschichte, Les
Otages SWR
SO Baden-Baden und Freiburg/Fabrice Bollon and Martyn Brabbins,
Experimentalstudio des SWR, Freiburg Bayerischen Rundfunks
SO/Arturo Tamayo rec. 2004/6 COL
LEGNO WWE 2SACD 20609 [59:32
+ 62:13] [DB]
A
challenging pair of large-scale works … see Full
Review
Christoph
Willibald GLUCK (1714–1787) Iphigénie
en Aulide, La Rencontre imprévue, Don Juan José Van
Dam, Anne Sofie Von Otter, Lynne Dawson, L'Opéra National de
Lyon O/John Eliot Gardiner rec. 1981-90 ERATO
2564 695620 [4 CDs: 66:57 + 65:50 + 73:38 + 78:10] [MC]
This
is splendidly performed and recorded ... see Full
Review
Georges
Charles GOUNOD
(1818-1893)
Faust Alfredo
Kraus, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Renata Scotto NHK SO & Opera Ch/Paul Ethuin
rec. live 1973 VAI 4417
[187:00
+ 37:00] [RJF]
Worth
watching for the three principals, despite the technical limitations
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907) Peer
Gynt Suites 1 & 2, Funeral March in Memory of Rikard
Nordraak, Old Norwegian Melody with Variations, Bell
Ringing Bergen
PO/Ole Kristian Ruud
rec. 2003-5 BIS BIS-SACD-1591 [70:50]
[SV]
A
must-have ... see Full
Review
Carlos
GUASTAVINO (1912-2000) Songs
Désirée Halac (mezzo); Dalton Baldwin (piano) rec. 2008
ALBANY TROY1023 [75.16][RH]
A
lovely recital ... see Full
Review
Georg
Friedrich HÄNDEL (1685-1759)
Water Music; Music for the Royal Fireworks
Ensemble L’Arte dell’Arco/Federico Guglielmo rec. 2004
CPO 7773122
[66.05][MM-B]
Will
warm you even without a fire! ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759) Orlando
Orchestra ‘La Scintilla’
of the Zurich Opera/William Christie rec. 2007
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101309
[2 DVDs: 155:00][RM]
Musically
and dramatically strong but not a definitive
production ... see Full
Review
Furore George
Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759) Opera
Arias Joyce
DiDonato (mezzo) Les Talens Lyriques/Christopher Rousset rec.
2008 VIRGIN
CLASSICS 5190382 [75.08] [RH]
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759) Arias from Samson, Messiah & Judas
Maccabeus (Kathleen Ferrier) see BACH
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Franz
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) Complete
Music for Solo Keyboard Ronald
Brautigam (fortepiano) rec. 1998-2002 BIS
BIS-CD-1731/33 [15
CDs: 17:04:37] [KM]
For
fans of the instruments or neophytes, this is a bargain not to
be missed ... see Full
Review
Vagn
HOLMBOE (1909-1996) Concerto No.
12, Op. 52 (M. 169) (1950) see
Arabenne
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Gustav
HOLST (1874-1934) Choral Folksong Arrangments see VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Arthur
HONEGGER (1892-1955) Film
Scores Regain, Crime et Châtiment, Le
Démon de l’Himalaya, L’Idée Slovak
PCh, Slovak RSO/Adriano rec. 1992/3 NAXOS
FILM MUSIC CLASSICS 8.570979 [74:40] [JW]
Well
researched and very well performed ... see Full
Review
Engelbert HUMPERDINCK (1854 – 1921) Hansel
and Gretel - a fairy tale in three acts (1893) Gretel - Christine
Schäfer (soprano) Hansel - Alice Coote (mezzo) Gertrude (Mother)
- Rosalind Plowright (mezzo) Peter (Father) - Alan Held (baritone) The
Sandman - Sasha Cooke(mezzo) The Dew Fairy - Lisette Oropesa (soprano)
The Witch - Philip Langridge (tenor)
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra/Vladimir Jurowski rec. 2008
EMI CLASSICS
2063089 8 DVD [120.45]
[RMk]
A
virtuoso musical and acting performance ...
see Full
Review
Engelbert
HUMPERDINCK (1854–1921)
Hänsel
and Gretel - opera in three acts (1893)
Brigette Fassbaender (soprano) – Hänsel;
Lucia Popp (soprano) – Gretel; Walter Berry
(bass) – Father, Broom-maker; Julia Hamari
(contralto) – Mother; Anny Schlemm (mezzo)
– Witch; Norma Burrowes (soprano) – Sandman;
Edita Gruberova (soprano) – Dew Fairy; Vienna
Boys’ Choir - Wiener Sangerknaben (gingerbread
children)
Wiener Philharmoniker/Georg Solti rec.
Sofiensaal, Vienna, February, March, June
1978. ADD
DECCA CLASSICS OPERA SERIES 478 0143 [63:39
+ 44.03]
[RW]
A
strong cast of principals who need no introduction
... see Full
Review
Maurice
JAUBERT (1900–1940) Saisir,
Chants sahariens see DELAGE
Karl
JENKINS (b.
1944) The Concertos Sarikiz, Quirk, La
Folia, Over the Stone, Allegretto London
SO/Karl Jenkins
rec. 2007/8 EMI CLASSICS 5002352 [79:50]
[BBr]
Nothing
deep or profound, just well crafted and very enjoyable ... see Full
Review
Dmitry
Borisovich KABALEVSKY (1904-1987) Piano
Concerto 3, Rhapsody on the Theme “School Years”, Poem
of Struggle Nikolay Adreyevich
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Piano Concerto Hsin-Ni
Liu (piano) Gnesin Academy Chorus Russian PO/Dmitry Yablonsky.
rec. 2005/6 NAXOS
8.557794 [54:09] [MSJ]
Maybe
Kabalevsky’s karma really has come home to roost ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Mieczysław
KARŁOWICZ
(1876-1909) Symphonic
Poems Vol. 1
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra/Antoni Wit
rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570452
[70:41][IL]
For
lovers of inflated Late-Romanticism, this
is treasure trove ... see Full
Review
Mieczysław
KARŁOWICZ (1876-1909) Symphonic
Poems Vol. 2: Returning Waves, A Sorrowful Tale, Eternal
Songs New
Zealand SO/Antoni Wit
rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570295 [63:13]
[IL]
Unrelenting
doleful, angst-ridden, somewhat derivative … plenty to admire ...
see Full Review
Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1857) Violin Concerto see Richard
STRAUSS
Friedrich
KUHLAU (1786-1832) Sonatinas for
piano Opp. 55 & 88 Jenő Jandó,
(piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570710 [65:09][DB]
Some
delightful piano works in the spirit of Haydn and Mozart … see Full
Review
Mats
LARSSON (b. 1965) Concerto for trombone and wind instruments
(1995) see
Arabenne
Ruggero LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919)
I Pagliacci see MASCAGNI
Christian Joseph LIDARTI
(1730-1795) Violin
Concertos
Auser Musici/Francesco D'Orazio (violin) rec.
2004
HYPERION CDA67685 [61:25][JV]
Impressive
performances of first-rate music ... see Full
Review
Christian
LINDBERG (b. 1958) Arabenne,
for trombone and strings see
Arabenne
Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Piano concerto 1 see TCHAIKOVSKY
George LLOYD (1539/40-1623)
Symphony
No. 4 in B, Arctic (1945-6) [65:07]
Albany Symphony Orchestra/George Lloyd rec. Troy Savings Bank Music
Hall, Troy, New York, 7-8 December 1987. DDD
ALBANY RECORDS TROY 498 
[65:07] [MG]
The
better of the two recordings available and
now in even better sound … see Full
Review
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]
