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Alphabetical Listing

PART 4
M-R

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]
[last 5 days] [Recommended recordings]

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Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 6 London PO/Klaus Tennstedt rec. 1981 LPO LIVE LPO-0038 [52:56 + 30:57] [JQ]

A splendid testimony to the Tennstedt/LPO partnership at its peak ... see Full Review 

Henning MANKELL (1868-1930) Three Preludes, Valse mesto, Three Legends, Four Pieces, Fantasy-Sonatas 1, 3 & 6, Ballade 7 Anna Christensson (piano) rec. 2008 PHOENIX EDITION 184 [67:14 + 67:05] [GF]

For adventurous lovers of piano music ... see Full Review 

Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Cello Concertos 1 & 2, Cello Concertino Raphael Wallfisch (cello) Czech PO/Jirí Belohlavek rec. 1991 CHANDOS CLASSICS CHAN10547X [76:27] [RB]

Delightful ... see Full Review

William MATHIAS (1934-1992) Celtic Dances see Welsh Dances

Nikolai MEDTNER (1880-1951) Two Pieces Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Suite 2, Russian Rhapsody, Symphonic Dances Dmitri Alexeev (piano); Nikolai Demidenko (piano) rec. 1993 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55337 [78:11] [RB]

Generous and played with volatile flair and edgy venom ... see Full Review 

William Rhys MEEK (b. 1963) On Salisbury Plain – Music for Piano William Rhys Meek (piano) rec. 2008 PRIVATE PRESSING [32:22][NH]

Overall, a real triumph ... see Full Review

Usko MERILÄINEN (b.1930) Papillons, Piano Sonatas 2, 4 & 5 Jaana Kärakkäinen (piano); Ilmo Ranta (piano II) rec. 1993/4 ALBA ABCD106 [73:05] [RB]

Kokkonen: modernism with lyricism. Meriläinen: uncompromising dissonance ... see Full Review 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Olivier MESSIAEN (1908-1992) The 100th Anniversary Edition rec. 1956-2004 EMI CLASSICS 2174662 [14 CDs: ca 15 hrs] [RB]

A wide-ranging anthology of dazzling variety and mixed vintage ... see Full Review

Léon MINKUS (1826-1917) Don Quixote (choreo. Nureyev/Petipa) Jean-Marie Didière, Ballet & O de l’Opéra national de Paris/Ermanno Florio rec. live 2002 ARTHAUS MUSIK 107009 [122:00]
Léon MINKUS
(1826-1917) Don Quixote (choreo. Gorsky/Petipa) Vladimir Ponomarev, Mariinsky Ballet, Mariinsky Theatre O/Pavel Bubelnikov rec. live 2006 DECCA 0743235 [118:00] [RMay]

A great deal to delight and a pleasure to watch ... see Full Review 

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Violin sonata 35 Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Violin sonata 7 Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin sonata 3 Alfredo Campoli (violin) Peter Katin (piano) rec. live 1972/3 ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS CD3/2009 [69:49] [JW]

A warm welcome to this disc ... see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 3; Sinfonia Concertante K. 364 Renaud Capuçon (violin); Antoine Tamestit (viola); Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Louis Langrée rec. 2007 VIRGIN CLASSICS 5021122 [72:56][LW]

Capuçon is in complete service to Mozart in these works ... see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Complete String Quartets - Volume 2 American String Quartet (Peter Winograd,violin; Laurie Carney, violin; Daniel Avshalomov, viola; David Geber, cello) rec. 1996/7 NIMBUS NI2533-5 [3 CDs: 69:27 + 76:22 + 73:25] [BW]

Rival versions may find a little greater depth but these offer excellent value ... see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Don Giovanni Vienna Chamber Chorus, Vienna Symphony Orchestra/Rudolf Moralt rec. 1955 rec. 1953 PREISER 90762 [3 CDs: 79:01 + 66:44 + 62:19][GF] 

A blustery Don but good singing from the other soloists … see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano concertos 9 & 14, Piano sonata 8 Alfred Brendel (piano) I Solisti di Zagreb/Antonio Janigro rec. 1966/8 ALTO ALC1047 [72:13] [BW]

A splendid reminder of early Brendel, still sounding very well ... see Full Review 

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) (a) Symphony No 38 in D major K504 'Prague' [23:26] (b) Flute Concerto No 2 in D major K314 [19:12] (c) Motet 'Exultate, jubilate' K165 [14:54] (d) Serenade in B flat major K361 'Gran Partita' [38:03]Leopold MOZART (1719-1787) (e) Trumpet Concerto in D major [8:53] André Pepin (flute) (b); Janine Micheau (soprano) (c); Michel Cuvit (trumpet) (e); L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (a,b,d,e); Paris Conservatoire Orchestra (c); Ernest Ansermet (conductor) (a-e) rec. Radio Hall, Geneva July 1947 (a), Maison de la Mutualité, Paris, May 1948 (c), Victoria Hall, Geneva November 1957 (b), May 1955 (d), March 1968 (e) DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0379 [57:54 + 47:06] [JS]

Much to enjoy here ... see Full Review 

Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Pictures at an Exhibition original piano version and the orchestration by Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Oleg Marshev (piano); Odense Symphony Orchestra/Jan Wagner rec. 2001-9 DANACORD DACOCD656 [70:13][BBr] 

A delightful disk … see Full Review

Jacques OFFENBACH (1819-1880) La Belle Hélène - Jessye Norman (soprano) Ch et Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/Michel Plasson rec.16-21 July 1984, Halle-aux-Grains, Toulouse EMI CLASSICS 395108 2 [55:54 + 50:57] [RMo]

This splendid recording wears its years lightly ... see Full Review 

Pavel PABST (1854-1897) Piano Concerto Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Piano Concerto Alexander SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Piano Concerto Oleg Marshev (piano); South Jutland Symphony Orchestra/Vladimir Ziva rec. 2007 DANACORD DACOCD660 [73:52][EM] 

Simply splendid ... see Full Review

Fredrik PACIUS (1809-1891) Hymn to Finland: Works for male-voice choir Audio Quattro (vocal quartet); The 4Z (vocal quartet); Akademiska Sångföreningen/Henrik Wikström rec. 2008 BIS-CD-1694 [60:30][DM]

Lovers of the genre need not hesitate ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Sir Charles Hubert Hastings PARRY (1848-1918) Choral Masterpieces Mark Rowlinson* (baritone); Jeffrey Makinson (organist) Manchester Cathedral Choir/Christopher Stokes rec. 2- 4 July 2008, Manchester Cathedral NAXOS 8.572104 [66:25] [JF]

An essential addition to many collections ... see Full Review 

Stephen PAULUS (b. 1949) To Be Certain Of The Dawn Minnesota Chorale; Minnesota Boychoir; The Basilica Cathedral Choir; The Cathedral Choristers Minnesota O/Osmo Vänskä rec. 2008 BIS BIS-CD-1726 [59:13] [JQ]

A thoughtful and thought-provoking piece. I urge you to hear it. ... see Full Review

Stephen PAXTON (1734-1787) Cello sonatas, Cello concerto Sebastian Comberti (cello) Ruth Alford (cello) Maggie Cole (harpsichord); The Pantheon Band rec. 2008 CELLO CLASSICS CC1021 [70:46] [BW]

Another deserving unknown rescued in attractive performances ... see Full Review 

Georgs PELĒCIS (b.1938) Revelation [15:07] Nevertheless (1994) [27:41] Astor Piazzolla, Oskar Strock and Me/Buena Riga [19:13] The Last Song [4:58] Gidon Kremer (violin) Katia Skanavi (piano, Revelation, Nevertheless) Jānis Sipkēvis (contralto) and Gabor Boldoczki (trumpet, Revelation) Kremerata Baltica rec. Radio Studios, Riga, November 2005 MEGADISC CLASSICS MDC 7797 [67:03] [DC]

Great beauty, plenty of padding. ... see Full Review

Francisco de PEÑALOSA (c.1470-1528) The Complete Motets Pro Cantione Antiqua/Bruno Turner rec. 1991 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55357 [67:53][MS]

Sumptuous and expertly-sung ... see Full Review

Krzysztof PENDERECKI (b. 1933) Utrenja ('Morning Prayer') Warsaw PCh & O/Antoni Wit rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.572031 [74:50] [DM]

A welcome release, despite variable singing and recording ... see Full Review

Marcel PÉRÈS (b. 1956) Contemplation - The Ancient Egyptians’ ‘Book of the Dead’ Marcel Pérès (organ) rec. 2007 ZIG-ZAG TERRITOIRES ZZT080601 [67:51] [RB]

The mystery of the ancients reflected in slow meditation ... see Full Review 

Astor PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992) Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, Le Grand Tango see Café Music

Leonid Alekseevic POLOVINKIN (1894-1949) Piano Works Anait Karpova (piano) rec. 2007/8 FUGA LIBERA FUG555 [60:08] [RB]

Tougher music from the deeps of the Soviet era. ... see Full Review 

Marcel POOT (1901-1988) Anthology of Flemish Band Music Vol. 2 Brass Band Buizingen/Luc Vertommen; Royal Symphonic Band of the Belgian Guides/ Norbert Nozy rec. 2002 WORLD WIND MUSIC WWM500090 [75:02][HC]

A splendid survey … excellent performances ... see Full Review

Hieronymus PRAETORIUS (1560-1629) Magnificats and motets The Cardinall's Musick/Andrew Carwood rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA67669 [68:30] [JV]

An important addition, despite some shortcomings in the interpretation ... see Full Review

PROKOFIEV REISSUES ON CHANDOS - THE AUGUST RELEASES 
Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Ivan the Terrible Concert Scenario [59:14] CHANDOS CHAN 10536 X [59:14]
Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution, Op. 74 [46:32] Excerpts from The Tale of the Stone Flower, Op. 118 [25:58] CHANDOS CHAN 10537 X [72:43]
Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Symphonic Suite from War and Peace (arr. C. Palmer) [27:02] Summer Night: Suite from 'The Duenna', Op. 123 [22:31] Russian Overture Op. 72 [14:08] CHANDOS CHAN 10538 X [63:03]
Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Romeo and Juliet: Suites Nos. 1-3 CHANDOS CHAN 10539 X [78:48]
Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19 [21:56] Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63 [25:47] Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano in F minor , Op. 80 [29:45] CHANDOS CHAN 10540 X [77:50]
Sergey PROKOFIEV
(1891-1953)
Eugene Onegin - Melodrama in Sixteen Scenes Op. 71 [124:11] CHANDOS CHAN 10541(2) X [74:05 + 50:06] [RB]

A fascinatingly varied and provocative crop - rhetoric and poetry ... see Full Review

Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Piano Transcriptions Cinderella, Symphony 1 Temirzhan Yerzhanov (piano) rec. 2005 CON BRIO RECORDINGS CBR28454 [64:53] [OL]

Low-cholesterol Prokofiev ... see Full Review

Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924) Turandot Maria Callas, Eugenio Fernandi, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Ch & O La Scala, Milan/Tullio Serafin rec. 1957 REGIS RRC2082 [55:30 + 68:53] [CC]

Serafin means business … generates huge excitement ... see Full Review 

Henry PURCELL (1659-1695) Purcell Edition III - Odes, Anthems and Ceremonial Music Monteverdi Choir; Equale Brass Ensemble; English Baroque Soloists/John Eliot Gardiner WARNER CLASSICS 2564 69140-7 [4 CDs: 288:00] [ST]

A reliable bargain ... see Full Review

Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Piano Concertos 1 & 3 Mikhail Pletnev, Cécile Ousset (piano) Philharmonia O/Libor Pešek, Günther Herbig rec. 1987/9 CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2282792 [70:41] [SV]

A worthwhile acquisition ... see Full Review 

Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Suite 2, Russian Rhapsody, Symphonic Dances see MEDTNER

Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No.2 /Ernest Ansermet see DELIBES

Alan RAWSTHORNE (1905-1971) Piano Concerto 1 see FERGUSON

Thomas L READ (b. 1938) Night Pageantry Various artists rec. 1982-2008 ZIMBEL RECORDS ZR118 [59:09][BBr]

Faceless and without charm ... see Full Review

Max REGER (1873-1916) Four Tone Poems after Böcklin, Variations on a Theme of Hiller, Psalm 100, Variations on a Theme of Mozart Royal Concertgebouw O/Neeme Järvi, Russian State SO/Valeri Polyansky rec. 1989/2000 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 8998 [66:50 + 59:45] [TB]

No better initiation into the rewards Reger's music can offer ... see Full Review

Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Piano Concerto see PABST

Gioachino Antonio ROSSINI (1792-1868) Complete Piano Music - Volume 4 Péchés de Vieillesse, Book 6 Marco Sollini (piano) rec. 2002 CHANDOS CHAN10520 [75:40] [JS]

Music slightly off the beaten track ... see Full Review

Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Rossiniana see STRAVINSKY

Jeajoon RYU (b. 1970) Sinfonia da Requiem Op.11 (2008) [42:41] Violin Concerto No.1 Op.10 (2006) [19:25] In-Hye Kim (soprano); Polish Radio Choir, Kraków; Camerata Silesia; Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra Warsaw/Łukasz Borowicz (Sinfonia da Requiem) So-Ock Kim (violin); Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra/Piotr Borkowski (Violin Concerto) rec. Polish Radio Witold Lutoslawski Concert Studio, Warsaw, 6 March 2008 (Sinfonia da Requiem); 3 December 2006 (Concerto) NAXOS 8.570599 [62:13]  [NB]

Powerfully performed premieres of oddly uninvolving music. ... 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]
[last 5 days] [Recommended recordings]


 



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