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Alphabetical Listing

PART 5
S-Z

[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]

 

Gustave SAMAZEUILH (1877-1967) Le Chant de la Mer; Suite en Sol; Trois Petites Inventions; Naiades au Soir; Esquisses; Evocation Stéphane Lemelin (piano) rec. 1999 ATMA CLASSIQUE ACD22210 [66:44][RB]

Lemelin negotiates this allusive subtle music with fluency and fibre ... see Full Review

Erik SATIE (1866-1925) Parade; Trois Gymnopédies; Mercure; Trois Gnossiennes; Relâche New London Orchestra/Ronald Corp rec. 1989 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55176 [65:36][SV]

Gorgeous sound reproduction makes this an essential acquisition, especially at bargain price ... see Full Review

Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660-1725) Concertos pour flûte Les Boréades/Francis Colpron rec. 2006 ATMA BAROQUE ACD22521 [61:10] [CR]

Poise, elegance and artistry from these fine performers ... see Full Review

Andreas SCHETT Schubertlieder see KRALER

Alfred SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) Piano Quartet see MAHLER

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Humoreske, Romance, Sonata 1 Alicja Fiderkiewicz rec. live 2007 DUNELM  DRD0272 [58:00] [PB-W]

Involvement and passionate intensity carry the day ... see Full Review


BARGAIN OF THE MONTH
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Symphony 9 see MENDELSSOHN


Johann Abraham Peter SCHULZ (1747–1800) Six diverses pièces pour le Clavecin ou le Piano Forte see PALSCHAU

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Quintet Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Piano Quintet 2 Michiko Otaki (piano) Graffe String Quartet rec. 2007 RADIOSERVIS CR0385-2 [62:18] [RB]

A very fine Martinů quintet and a mainstream romantic version of the Schumann ... see Full Review

Gerard SCHWARZ (b.1947) In Memoriam for cello and string orchestra see From Jewish Life

Alexander SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Piano Concerto see PABST

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony No. 8 London Symphony Orchestra/André Previn rec. 1973 EMI CLASSICS ENCORE 5090242 [61:14][LW] 

This Previn version is one of the very best ... see Full Review

Adrien Francois SERVAIS (1807-1866) and Joseph GHYS (1801-1848) Variations brillantes sur 'God save the King' Op.38 (c.1835) ... see Cello Duos

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Trio 2 see RACHMANINOV

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Finlandia, Symphonies 1 & 7, Pelléas and Mélisande Helsinki City SO/Leopold Stokowski rec. live 1953 GUILD GHCD2341 [78:55] [RB]

Invaluable for Sibelians and Stokowskians – atmospheric historic recordings ... see Full Review

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphonies 1-4 London Symphony Orchestra/Anthony Collins rec. 1952-54 Mono. ADD DECCA ELOQUENCE 442 9490 [75:29 + 56:43] Symphonies 5-7 CD 2 [62:47] Pohjola’s Daughter, Op.49 [12:41] Nightride and Sunrise, Op.55 [14:19] Pelléas et Mélisande, Op.46 [13:51] Karelia Overture, Op.10 [6:56] Karelia Suite, Op.11 [14:29] London Symphony Orchestra/Anthony Collins; Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Thomas Jensen (Karelia Suite) rec. 1954/55 Mono. ADD DECCA ELOQUENCE 442 9493 [78:09 + 62:47] [RB]

Classic Sibelius tellingly put across in pioneering mono for collectors and enthusiasts. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Incidental Music Pelléas et Mélisande suite; Karelia Overture & Suite; King Christian II Suite Philharmonia Orchestra/Enrique Batiz & London Symphony Orchestra/Loris Tjeknavorian rec. 1982 & 1994 REGIS RRC1272 [78:14][RB] 

An atmospheric, generous and inexpensive helping of Sibelius's most instantly engaging incidental music ... see Full Review

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56 'Voces Intimae' (1908) [33:07] Frederick DELIUS (1862-1934) String Quartet (1916) [27:39] Sonata in one movement for Cello and Piano (1916) [12:25] Fitzwilliam String Quartet rec. 1971/1978 ADD. DECCA ELOQUENCE 442 9486 [73:27] [RB]

Powerhouse performances of three little known works. ... see Full Review

Jean SIBELIUS; Richard STRAUSS Songs Tom Krause (baritone), Pentti Koskimies (piano), John Williams (guitar) rec. 1967 (Sibelius songs 1-16) Decca Studios, 1963 ((Sibelius songs 17-25) ADD DECCA ELOQUENCE 442 9447 [76:27] [RB]

The young Tom Krause caught in golden and resoundingly ringing youth.
... see Full Review

Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) Symphonies 2 & 5 Bournemouth SO/David Lloyd-Jones rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570289 [74:33] [KS]

A winsome discovery. German thoughtfulness with a British coastal breeze, well worth investigating ... see Full Review

Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Piano Music Victor Sangiorgio rec. 1991 NAXOS 8.570377 [71:20] [DM]

Won’t suit all tastes, but warmth and clarity, intelligence and style ... see Full Review

Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Le Chant du Rossignol, L’Oiseau de feu: Suite see RAVEL

Sir Arthur SULLIVAN (1842-1900) Pineapple Poll (arr. Mackerras); Symphony in E major Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570351 [78:26][SV]

Could have been more crisply played ... see Full Review

Giles SWAYNE (b. 1946) Music for Cello and Piano Robert Irvine (cello); Fali Pavri (piano) rec. 2007 DELPHIAN DCD34073 [70:00][JWi]

A really delightful disc - varied, humorous and enjoyable ... see Full Review

Sergey Ivanovich TANEYEV (1856-1915) Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra/Thomas Sanderling rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570336 [75:51][DM]

Worthy if not particularly inspired ... see Full Review

Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) ‘O thou transcendent’ Tony Palmer’s film of the life of Vaughan Williams TONY PALMER FILMS TPDVD106  [147:30] [MG]

Stimulating, irritating, but ultimately rewarding and memorable … see Full Review

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Messa de Requiem Julia Varady (soprano); Felicity Palmer (mezzo); Keith Olsen (tenor); Roberto Scandiuzzi (bass) Orfeón Donostiarra Ch, Toulouse Capitole O/Michel Plasson rec. 1996 EMI CLASSICS 56459 [67.31 + 13.13] [ED]

Despite good intentions this does not deliver enough to secure a recommendation. ... see Full Review

Giuseppe VERDI (1813–1901) Il Trovatore Giuseppe Di Stefano, Maria Callas, Ch & O La Scala Milano/Herbert von Karajan rec. 1956 NAXOS 8.111280-81 [68:02 + 61:59] [GF]

Karajan the hero but Callas in one of her best recorded performances is absolutely superb ... see Full Review

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Luisa Miller Raffaele Arié, Luciano Pavarotti, Gilda Cruz Roma, Sinfonica RAI di Torino Ch & O/Peter Maag rec. live 1974 ARTS ARCHIVES 43088-2 [57.07 + 79.40] [GPu]

A fine live-in-the-studio performance, with Pavarotti heard at his winning best and much else to admire and enjoy … see Full Review

Heitor VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959) Bachianas Brasileiras 2, 4 & 8 Cincinnati SO/Jesus Lopez-Cobos rec. 1995 TELARC CD-80393 [70:00] [DH]

The engineering on this Telarc reissue is too upfront and artificial compared with the latest Bachianas Brasileiras cycle from BIS ... see Full Review

Jesús VILLA-ROJO (b.1940) Concierto plasteresco; Serenata; Concierto 2 Orquesta de Cámera Reina Sofía/Nicolás Chumachenco rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570443 [49:55][JW]

A mosaically refined musical imagination using string sonorities with highly effective, sonorous eloquence ... see Full Review

Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) Violin Concertos and String Symphonies - Vol.1 Israel Chamber Orchestra/Shlomo Mintz (violin; conductor) rec. Metz, France at the Arsenal Concert Hall. Original release 1992, 1993 MusicMasters Classics NIMBUS NI 2500-4 [5 CDs : 55:27 + 60:39 + 57:45 + 59:26 + 62:08] [DC]

Excellent musicianship and production – a safe bet. ... see Full Review

Antonio VIVALDI (1678–1741) Griselda Giles Tomkins, Marion Newman, Opera in Concert, Aradia Ensemble/Kevin Mallon rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.660211-13 [3 CDs] [GF]

Vital playing on period instruments and there is some accomplished singing too ... see Full Review

Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) La Verità in Cimento (Highlights) Ensemble Matheus/Jean-Christophe Spinosi rec. 2000 NAÏVE OP30452 [66:36][GPu] 

A ravishing set of extracts from one of the finest of the excellent series of Vivaldi operas on Naïve … see Full Review

Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) The Ring - an orchestral adventure (arr. Henk de Vlieger), Siegfried Idyll Royal Scottish Ntl O/Neeme Järvi rec. 2007 CHANDOS CHSA5060 [75:42] [DM]

While I’m delighted Järvi is back with the RSNO I really can’t celebrate their new disc ... see Full Review

Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Tristan und Isolde – Prelude to Act 1; Siegfried Idyll see BRAHMS

Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Der Fliegende Holländer - Overture; Lohengrin - Prelude to Act I; Parsifal – Prelude to Act I & Good Friday Spell; Siegfried Idyll Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Academic Festival Overture Boston Symphony Orchestra/Serge Koussevitzky rec. 1946-9 NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111283 [74:09][RM]

Of immense interest in highlighting Koussevitsky’s distinctive characteristics as a musician and an under-appreciated conductor ... see Full Review

Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Bavarian State Opera Orchestra/Wolfgang Sawallisch rec. 1993 EMI CLASSICS 5091952 [4 CDs: 69:18 + 71:16 + 66:31 + 49:36][EMc]

Sawallisch - the hero of the hour, supported by forces which have this music in their blood ... see Full Review

Gwyneth WALKER (b. 1947) Now Let Us Sing – Choral Selections for Women’s Voices Bella Voce Women’s Chorus of Vermont/Dawn O. Willis rec. 2007 Private Recording [62:21] [GMH]

Particular enthusiasm and freshness but hardly the stuff to set the world of choral music on fire ... see Full Review

Sir William WALTON (1902-1983) Façade, Henry V, Orb and Sceptre Dame Edith Sitwell, Peter Pears (reciters), English Opera Group Ensemble/Anthony Collins;  Sir Laurence Olivier, Philharmonia O/Sir William Walton rec. 1944-54 ALTO ALC1026 [73:12] [JS]

An undoubted success as a whole in preserving these particularly stylish performances of the two main works ... see Full Review

Judith WEIR (b. 1954) Three Operas The Consolations of Scholarship, Missa del Cid, King Harald's Saga Jane Manning (soprano), Lontano/Odaline de la Martinez, Combattimento/David Mason rec. 1989 CALA CACD88040 [55.01] [JWi]

A welcome and entertaining disc ... see Full Review

Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) Organ Symphonies 7 & 9 Frédéric Ledroit rec. 2007 SKARBO DSK1076 [65:34] [WK]

Uneven but generally exciting playing by an organist we have come to expect good things from ... see Full Review

Regina WITTEMEIER (b. 1956) Ich lebe mein Leben in wachsenden Ringen – acht Lieder nach Rainer Maria Rilke see HINDEMITH

 


[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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