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BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Carol
Ann DUFFY and
Sasha JOHNSON MANNING The
Manchester Carols (2007) 
The Manchester Carollers Northern Chamber Orchestra/Richard Tanner
rec. St. Thomas’ Church, Stockport, England, 22 October 2007. DDD
NAXOS 8.572469 [63:43] 
[JQ] [ST]
Hugely
successful and atmospherically beautiful [ST] Fresh, lively and enjoyable
[JQ]... see Full Review
Masterpieces
of Mexican Polyphony Ch
Westminster Cathedral/James
O’Donnell
rec. 1989 HYPERION
HELIOS
CDH55317 [65:12] [BW]
High
on my list of inexpensive presents for anyone with a liking for
polyphony ... see Full
Review
Musicalische
Frühlings-Früchte Musica
Poetica/Jörn Boysen rec. 2008 CHALLENGE
CLASSICS CC72332 [61:11] 
[JV]
Music
by 17th-century German composers who were strongly influenced by
the French style ... see Full
Review
Neharót
Betty OLIVERO
(b. 1954)
Neharót Neharót Tigran MANSURIAN
(b. 1939) Tagh for the Funeral of the Lord, Three Arias
Eitan STEINBERG (b. 1955) Rava Deravin
Kim
Kashkashian (viola) Münchener Kammerorchester/ Alexander Liebreich,
Boston Modern Orchestra Project/Gil Rose, Kuss Qt rec. 2006-8
ECM NEW SERIES 2065 (476 3281) [60:13]
[GD]
Yet
another ECM classic ... see Full
Review
Pianistes
Français
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Concerto for three keyboards Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
Piano Concertos 12, 21 & 24 Ludwig van
BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Concerto 3
Vlado Perlemuter (piano) Robert Casadesus (piano) various orchestras
rec. 1954-58
TAHRA TAH666-667 [66:07 + 64:49]
[JW]
Refined
pianism … real nobility … charming gracefulness ... see
Full Review
Prima
Donna - The First Ladies
of Opera DECCA
478 2096 [68:14 + 70:39] 
[MC]
A
cherishable cornucopia of glorious singing ... see Full
Review
Pushkin
Romances Joan Rodgers
(soprano); Malcolm Martineau (piano) rec. 2009 HYPERION
CDA67773 [73:09] 
[OL]
A
well-conceived program, admirably sung ... See Full
Review
Simon
Rattle – American Music rec. 1986-99 EMI
CLASSICS 2150142 [7 CDs: 503:56] [JW]
This
one will appeal ... see Full
Review
Romance Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Romance Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Romances 1 & 2 Johan
SVENDSEN (1840-1911) Romance Zdeněk
FIBICH (1850-1900) Romance Peter
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Sérénade
mélancolique Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Rêverie
et Caprice Josef
Suk (violin)
Prague SO/Václav Smetáček
rec. 1970-78 SUPRAPHON
SU4000-2 [66:29] [JW]
A
measured and affectionate tribute ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Stille
Nacht (Silent
Night)
Bettina Pahn (soprano); Joachim Held (lute) rec. 2009 HÄNSSLER
CLASSIC CD 98.525 [59:30]
[JV]
A
splendid Christmas disc with a number of little-known songs, performed
with great refinement and subtlety ... see Full
Review
El
Tango I & II Estela
Telerman, Guillermo Carro (piano)
rec. 2002-7 PRETAL PRCD133 & PRCD138 [64:34] [RB]
Tango
seen through the creative lens of several generations of Argentina’s
classical composers ... see Full
Review
Tragédiennes
2 Véronique
Gens (soprano) Les Talens Lyriques/Christophe Rousset rec.
2008 VIRGIN
CLASSICS
2165742 [67:26] [JW]
Gens
is a laudable advocate for this repertoire ... see Full
Review
Viaje
en España Includes Vicente ARREGUI (1871-1925) Cinco
Piezas Liricas Oscar ESPLA (1886-1976) Levantina Jaime
PAHISSA (1880-1969) Tres Temas de Recuerdos Martha
Master (guitar) rec. 2009 GSP
RECORDINGS GSP 1034CD [55:10] [ZT]
Played
with conviction and panache … see Full
Review
Anna
Vinnitskaya Sergey RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Piano
sonata 2 Sofia GUBAIDULINA (b.
1931) Chaconne Nikolay MEDTNER (1880-1951) Sonata ‘Reminiscenza’ Sergey
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Piano sonata 7 Anna
Vinnitskaya (piano) rec. 2008 NAÏVE
AMBROISIE AM177 [61:46] [GD]
An
impressive debut ... see Full Review
Earl
Wild in Concert - Vol. 1 Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Sonata 50 Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Variations on a theme by
Gluck,
Sonata K332 Muzio CLEMENTI (1752-1832) Sonata
Op.40 No.3 Dieterich BUXTEHUDE (1637-1707) Suite Earl
Wild (piano)
rec. 1951-87 IVORY
CLASSICS
78001 [64:45] [JW]
Lovingly
expressive yet with panache, pose and personality ... see Full
Review
Wind
Effusions
Hanning SCHRÖDER (1896-1978) Music
for flute and bassoon Heitor VILLA-LOBOS
(1887-1959) Bachianas Brasileiras 6 Pierre
GABAYE (1930-2000) Sonatine for flute and bassoon Willson
OSBORNE (1906-1979) Rhapsody for bassoon Astor
PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992) Etudes Tanguistiques 3 & 4 Jan
BACH (b.1937) Music for a Low-Budget Epic Eugene
BOZZA (1905-1991) Sonatine for flute and bassoon
Danilo Lozano (flute) David Muller (bassoon) rec. 2007
CRYSTAL RECORDS CD710 [57:14]
[JW]
Interesting
recital, very well played and recorded ... see Full
Review
Within
a Dream -
A Celebration of the Artistry of Richard Hickox
Various Artists/Richard Hickox Full track-listing appears at the foot
of this review
CHANDOS CHAN 10568(2) [79:56 + 73:24]
[JQ]
A
handsome tribute to a versatile and much-missed musician. ... see Full
Review
Fritz
Wunderlich sings Operetta and Opera Arias rec.
1956-1958 REGIS
RRC1314 [59:20] [GF]
Wunderlich
was one of the very best tenors and this disc is a wonderful reminder
... see Full Review
CHRISTMAS
DISCS
see full listing
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685
-1750) Weihnachtsoratorium
Veronika Winter (soprano); Weibke Lehmkuhl (contralto); Jan Kobow
(tenor); Markus Flaig (bass) Rheinische Kantorei, Das Kleine Konzert/Hermann
Max rec. 2009
CPO 777 459-2 [73:29 + 63:31]
[JV]
The
playing and singing is first-rate, but the interpretation is too restrained
... see Full Review
Buxtehude/Bach:
Organ Music for Christmas Time Dietrich
BUXTEHUDE (1637-1707) Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Siegbert
Rampe (organ) rec. 2007
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM 341 1551-2 [62:54]
[JV]
As
a portrait of the organ this disc turns out well but these readings
are not uniformly convincing ... see Full
Review
Christmas
Songs
(See end of review for list of works)
Ida Falk Winland (soprano) Linné Brass Quintet with members of
the Uppsala Chamber Orchestra Orphei Drängar male-voice choir/Cecilia
Rydinger Alin rec. Uppsala University Hall, Sweden, February 2009
text and English translations included
BIS-CD-1833 [65:22] 
[JS]
Each
item has been carefully chosen and is performed to its best advantage...
see Full Review
December
- Laudes
Hannah Holgersson; Anton Ravik (soloists) Laudes Choir/Per-Henrik
Holgersson rec. 2007/2008, ToneZone Studios; Church of Odensala, Sweden.
PROPRIUS PRCD 2050 [38:48]
Outstanding
sonic qualities and an enjoyable programme, well sung … see Full
Review
Enchanted
Carols Howard
GOODALL (b.1958)
The Enchanted Voices/Howard Goodall rec. EMI Studios, Abbey Road,
London, no date given
CLASSIC FM CFMD 11 [70:00] 
[BBr]
This
concoction is best left to one side as a miscalculation. … see Full
Review
Fear and Rejoice, O People:
Music for Advent and Christmas
The Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge/ Christopher Robinson
Iain Farrington (organ)
rec. 14–15 July 1998, Chapel of St. John's College, Cambridge
NIMBUS NI 5589 [66:42]
[BBr]
Absolutely
delightful … see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Carol
Ann DUFFY and
Sasha JOHNSON MANNING The
Manchester Carols (2007)
The Manchester Carollers Northern Chamber Orchestra/Richard Tanner
rec. St. Thomas’ Church, Stockport, England, 22 October 2007. DDD
NAXOS 8.572469 [63:43]
[JQ]
Hugely
successful and atmospherically beautiful [ST] Fresh, lively and enjoyable
[JQ]... see Full Review
The
Musical Advent Calendar - 24 songs for Advent and Christmas
(See end of review for list of works and performers)
HÄNSSLER CLASSIC 98.553 [74:33]
Based
on the excellent idea of including an item for each day of December
before Christmas ... see Full
Review
On
Christmas Night (See end of review list of works)
Ralph Rousseau (viola da gamba); Lenny Kuhr (vocalist)
rec. Hoogland Catholic Church, 31 August 2006; “De Glindster”, De
Glind, 23 April 2009
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72340 [44:35]
Christmas
on the viol is both amusing and musically enjoyable ... see Full
Review
Jakub Jan RYBA
(1765-1815)Czech Christmas Mass Three
pastorellas [10:30] Czech Christmas Mass [39:31]
Magdalena Kožená (mezzo) Gabriela Eibenová (soprano) Jaroslav Brezina
(tenor) Michael Pospíšil (bass) Capella Regia Musicalis/Robert Hugo
rec. September 1998, Church of Our Lady of the Convent, Kladruby (Czech
Republic)
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON ARCHIV 477 8365 [50:01]
[PB]
A
wonderful antidote to the usual Christmas fayre – very warmly recommended.
... see Full Review
Heinrich SCHÜTZ (1585-1672)
Weihnachtshistorie
(Christmas Story) Auferstehungshistorie (Resurrection Story)
Else
Torp (soprano); Adam Riis (tenor); Johan Linderoth (tenor); Jakob
Bloch Jespersen (bass) Ars Nova Copenhagen; Concerto Copenhagen; Sirius
Viols/Paul Hillier rec. 2008
DACAPO 8.226058 [78:49]
[JS]
Probably
the greatest and most inspired piece of Christmas music ever written
… see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Stille
Nacht (Silent Night)
Bettina Pahn (soprano); Joachim Held (lute) rec. 29-31 January 2009,
Erlöserkirche in Vahrendorf, Germany. DDD
HÄNSSLER CLASSIC CD 98.525 [59:30]
[JV]
A
splendid Christmas disc with a number of little-known songs, performed
with great refinement and subtlety ... see Full
Review
BOOK
REVIEWS
Music
- a Mathematical Offering by
David Benson Cambridge University Press 2007 ISBN 978 0 521
61999-8 pp. 411 paperback £27 [RW]
A
considerable amount of material presented in a highly coherent way.
… see Full Review
To
Live for you! To Die for you! -
The Life of Gustav Mahler by: John Searight
Hardback 428 pages. Published 2009 Published in Association with The
Gustav Mahler Society of United Kingdom £19.95 [PPLL]
A
telling account summarizing the life and achievements of Gustav
Mahler in an easy-to-read document. … see Full
Review
American
Muse: The
Life and Times of William Schuman by Dr. Joseph W. Polisi
595 pp Over 50 B&W and color photos and illustrations 6" x
9" 2008 [RB]
A
fine book addressing extremely well a composer of music dramatically
exciting and lit with a filament that is part furnace part
neon ... 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]
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