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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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Albéric MAGNARD (1865-1914) Symphonies 1-4 BBC Scottish SO/Jean-Yves Ossonce rec. 1997 HYPERION DYAD CDD22068 [67:15 + 73:16] [JQ]

A compelling proposition ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Das Lied von der Erde Klaus Florian Vogt, Christian Gerhaher, Montréal SO/Kent Nagano rec. 2009 SONY CLASSICAL 88697508212 [61:28] [PPLL]

One of the quintessential recordings … full expressive power ... see Full Review

Marin MARAIS (1656-1728) Pièces de viole Jerôme Hantaï (bass viol); Alix Verzier (bass viol); Pierre Hantaï (harpsichord) rec. 1996-2000 VIRGIN VERITAS 6932132 [72:16 + 63:08] [MS]

Thoughtful and highly articulate ... see Full Review 

Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Complete Piano Music 5 Polkas, Waltzes Giorgio Koukl (piano) rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.572175 [50:43] [JW]

Most engaging ... see Full Review

Giuseppe MARTUCCI (1856-1909) Symphony No.1 etc. Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2007-8 NAXOS 8.570929 [69:38][IL]

Worth seeking out D’Avalos ... see Full Review

Brahms and his Contemporaries - Vol. III Giuseppe MARTUCCI (1856-1909) Cello Sonata Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Six Songs for Cello and Piano Theodor KIRCHNER (1823-1903) Eight Pieces for Cello and Piano Johannes Moser (cello); Paul Rivinius (piano) rec. 2008 HÄNSSLER CLASSIC CD93.208 [72:38][MC] 

Amiable music, rock-solid technique and rich timbre ... see Full Review

Colin MATTHEWS (b. 1946) Alphabicycle Order for children's choir, narrator and orchestra (2007) [31:12] Horn Concerto (2001) [22:27] Richard Watkins (horn); children's choir: Henry Goodman (narrator) Hallé Orchestra/Sir Mark Elder (Concerto); Edward Gardner (Alphabicycle) rec. BBC Studio 7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester, 12 July 2004 (Alphabicycle); Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 10-11 July 2007. DDD HALLE CD HLL 7515 [53:53] [RB]

Stimulating, dark and surreal ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH David MATTHEWS (b. 1943) The Music of Dawn, Concerto in Azzurro, A Vision and a Journey Guy Johnston (cello) BBC PO/Rumon Gamba rec. 2007 CHANDOS CHAN10487 [70:53] [HC]

Vital, carefully prepared and fully committed ... see Full Review

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) String Quartets, Opp. 12 & 13 Juilliard String Quartet rec. 1998 SONY CLASSICAL SK60579 [55:24][SV]

An essential "rightness" - a remarkable unanimity ... see Full Review

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) Complete Organ Works - Vol. IV Including L’Ascension & La Nativité du Seigneur Timothy Byram-Wigfield (organ) rec. 2008 DELPHIAN DCD34078 [79:02 + 79:36] [BW]

An attractive set, but Bate and Weir remain first choices ... see Full Review

Nikolai MIASKOVSKY (1881-1950) Symphonies 22-25 St Petersburg State Academic SO/Alexander Titov rec. 2008 NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9966 & 9971 [69:21 & 76:15] [RB]

Titov the philosophic poet – great in 23 ... see Full Review

Nikolai MYASKOVSKY (1881-1950) Silence  op. 9 (1910) Sinfonietta in B minor op. 32 no. 2 (1927-31) Divertissement op. 80 (1948) Russian Federation Academic SO/Evgeny Svetlanov rec. 1991-93, DDD volume 16 in the Myaskovsky Edition ALTO ALC 1042 (Olympia OCD 746) [75:05]
Nikolai MYASKOVSKY (1881-1950) Alastor Op. 14 symphonic poem (1912) Lyric Concertino in G Op. 32/3 (1928-29) Sinfonietta Op. 68/2 (1946) Russian Federation Academic Symphony Orchestra/Evgeny Svetlanov rec. 1991-93, DDD volume 17 in the Myaskovsky Edition ALTO ALC1043 (Olympia OCD747) [77:20] [RB]

The satisfying culmination of the Myaskovsky cycle ... see Full Review

Joni MITCHELL (b. 1943) The Fiddle and the Drum The Alberta Ballet rec. 2007 ARTHAUS MUSIK 101347 [115:26] [BBr]

Give this a try – it's really worth it ... see Full Review

Federico MOMPOU (1893 – 1987) Música callada Books 1-4 Haskell Small (piano) rec. July, November and December 2007, Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ, Bethesda, Maryland MSR CLASSICS MS 1282 [74:15] [GF]

Evasive but fascinating … the living guide who knows this destination best ... see Full Review

Robert MORAN (b. 1937) Mantra etc. Grassauer Bläserensemble/ Alexander Herrmann rec. 1997-2008 INNOVA 714 [66.00][WH]

Will appeal to those with jaded palates ... see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano Concerto No. 20 with various cadenzas Michael Rische (piano); WDR SO Köln/Howard Griffiths rec. 2008 HÄNSSLER PROFIL PH09006 [55:45][JS]

I greatly enjoyed Rische’s playing ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) & Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Clarinet Quintets Karl-Heinz Steffens (clarinet) Guy Baunnstein, Christoph Streuli (violins) Ulrich Knörzer (viola) Richard Duven (cello) rec. 2005/6 TUDOR 7137 [70:44] [KS]

Don’t walk, run to add this nearly perfect disc to your collection. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Violin Sonatas Jaap Schröder (violin); Lambert Orkis (fortepiano) rec. 1989/90 VIRGIN VERITAS 693 2182 [73:59 + 72:06] [CC]

A lovely set of discs ... see Full Review 

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Adagio and fugues (after Bach) see BACH

Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Boris Godunov Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française/Issay Dobrowen rec. 1952 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93926 [3 CDs: 64:40 + 68:23 + 45:23][J-PJ]

Will please seasoned listeners who know their Mussorgsky well ... see Full Review

Johann Baptist Georg NERUDA (c.1707 – c.1780) Trio Sonatas Sergio Azzolini (bassoon) Parnassi musici DDD CPO 777 383-2 [65:18] [JV]

Highly entertaining music by a little-known master from Bohemia ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH  Carl NIELSEN (1865-1931) Violin Concerto see SIBELIUS

 

Arne NORDHEIM (b. 1931) The Nordheim Tapes: Electronic Music from the 1960s rec. 1960-70 AURORA ACD5051 [47:03 + 57:25] [CR]

Crafted with expertise … deserves to be heard ... see Full Review

George ONSLOW (1784-1853) Piano Trios - Volume 2 Trio Cascades rec. 2004 CPO 777231-2 [57:50][BBr] 

This wonderful, and very interesting, composer ... see Full Review

Nicolò PAGANINI (1782-1840) 24 Caprices Tanja Becker-Bender (violin) rec. 2007 HYPERION CDA67763 [79:42][RB]

Very musical ... see Full Review

Giovanni Pierluigi da PALESTRINA (1525-1594) Assumpta est Maria [7:19] Missa Assumpta est Maria [29:42] Ave Maria [3:33] Beata est, Virgo Maria [2:56] Hodie gloriosa semper Virgo Maria [4:57] Regina coeli [6:22] Magnificat Septimi toni [12:53] Choir of Clare College, Cambridge/Timothy Brown rec. 1996 EMI ENCORE 2 08120 2 [68:24] [KS]

Fluid singing, a fine sense of balance, wonderfully resonant, an aural delight ... see Full Review

Ernst PEPPING (1901-1981) Symphony No. 2 Heinz SCHUBERT (1908-1945) Hymnisches Konzert Berlin PO/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. 1942-3 RUSSIAN COMPACT DISC RCD25016 [75:46][RB] 

Powerhouse performances athletically affirmative in reach and conviction ... see Full Review

John PITTS (b.1976) Seven Airs and Fantasias etc. Steven Kings (piano and prepared piano) rec. 2008 CD.TP/IPM08 [77:49][JW]

Toes – prepare to tap ... see Full Review

Ildebrando PIZZETTI (1880-1968) Rondò veneziano, Preludio a un altro giorno, Tre Preludii Sinfonici, La Pisanella BBC Scottish SO/Osmo Vänskä rec. 1998 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55329 [75:27] [RB]

Respighian romantic magnificence .... not for ascetic souls ... see Full Review

Vicente PRADAL (b.1957) El Diván del Tamarit Various artists rec. 2008 VIRGIN CLASSICS 5190332 [44:36][GPu]

Passionate and colourful, setting some of Lorca’s most powerful poems ... see Full Review

Josquin des Prés (c.1440-1521)  Missa Malheur me bat, Missa Fortuna desperata, The Tallis Scholars/Peter Phillips rec. 2008. DDD. GIMELL CDGIM 042 [75:27] [BW]

Perhaps even better than Gimell’s earlier Josquin offerings ... see Full Review

Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet,
Piano Sonata No. 7 , Visions Fugitives Ayako Uehara (piano) rec. 2007 EMI CLASSICS 50999 5 17852 2 [74:37] [KS]

Studied maturity and emotional depth. A true intellectual virtuoso. ... see Full Review

Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924) La Rondine Svetla Vassileva, Fabio Sartori, Puccini Festival Ch & O/Alberto Veronesi rec. live 2007 NAXOS 2.110266 [110:54] [IL]

Avoid ... see Full Review

Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924) Suor Angelica Victoria de los Angeles, Fedora Barbieri, Rome Opera Ch & O/Tullio Serafin. rec. 1956/7 REGIS RRC1306 [66:46] [CC]

Splendid isolation - well worth the low investment ... see Full Review

Giacomo PUCCINI (1858–1924) Arias Karine Babajanyan (soprano) Budapest SO/Pier Giorgio Morandi rec. 2007 EMI CLASSICS 2677312 [66:31] [GF]

Eminently promising ... see Full Review

Henry PURCELL (1659-1695) Dido and Aeneas (1689) Kirsten Flagstad (soprano) Thomas Hemsley (baritone) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano) rec. 1952 Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Götterdämmerung (1869-1874) - Act III Scene 3 – Brünnhilde’s Immolation [19:48] Kirsten Flagstad (soprano) Philharmonia Orchestra/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. London, 1948 NIMBUS PRIMA VOCE NI 7956 [76:35] [JW]

Many good things in this third commercial recording of Dido … see Full Review

Henry PURCELL (1659-1695) King Arthur The English Consort/Trevor Pinnock rec. 1991 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93928 [54:23 + 38:52][JS] 

Very well recorded, idiomatically performed ... see Full Review

Henry Purcell (1659-1695) Complete Odes and Welcome Songs soloists The King’s Consort/Robert King rec. 1986-1992Separate CDs, each with notes and texts, in a slip-case. HYPERION CDS44031-8 [8 CDs] [BW]

Little is likely to outshine this in Purcell year ... see Full Review

Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Symphony 2, The Isle of the Dead, Piano Concerto 3, Symphonic Dances St Petersburg PO/Mariss Jansons, London SO/André Previn, Leif Ove Andsnes (piano), Oslo PO/Paavo Berglund rec. 1974-93 EMI CLASSICS 2376162 [75:56 + 76:46] [BBr]

The Previn performances are fine ... see Full Review

Sergey RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Piano Trio “Élégiaque” see BEETHOVEN

Robert RAINES Echoes of Sarah, Ménage, The Return of Odysseus Florida SU Flute Ensemble/Matt Thomas, Moravian PO/Vit Micka rec. 2006-8 MSR CLASSICS MS1299 [51:31] [CR]

Made me want to listen again … surely a good sign ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Daphnis et Chloé (1912) [55:49] Shéhérazade - ouverture de féerie (1899) [15:33] MDR Rundfunkchor, Leipzig Orchestre National de Lyon/Jun Märkel rec. 2008. DDD NAXOS 8.570992 [71:37] [JPJ]

Does not disappoint … see Full Review

Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) L'enfant et les sortilèges (1925) [44:22] Ma Mère L’Oye [28:29] Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2008, EMI CLASSICS 2 64197 2 [72:58]
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) L'enfant et les sortilèges (1925) [45:49] Shéhérazade (1903) [18:30] Nashville Symphony Orchestra/Alastair Willis Julie Boulianne (mezzo) (Shéhérazade) rec. 2006/7 NAXOS 8.660215 [64:19] [WH]

Strengths in each but the one to have is the Maazel DG ... see Full Review

Antonín REICHA (1770-1836) Wind Quintets Vol. 11 Westwood Wind Quintet rec. 2007 CRYSTAL RECORDS CD271 [72:04] [RB]

Jocose and imaginative harmoniemusik ... see Full Review

Carl REINECKE (1824-1910) Wind Octet; Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe; Wind Sextet Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra rec. 1992 NAXOS 8.570777 [67:52][SV] 

Pleasing, in an early-Romantic way ... see Full Review

Julius REUBKE (1834-1858) Sonata on the 94th Psalm see LISZT

Henri-Joseph RIGEL (1741-1799) Symphonies Concerto Koln/Barry Sargent rec. 2008 BERLIN CLASSICS 0016432BC [69:08] [RB]

Resonantly, delightful in physical impact and rippling with life ... see Full Review

Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Scheherazade Alexander BORODIN (1833-1887) Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances Aram KHACHATURIAN (1903-1978) Extracts from Masquerade, Spartacus & Gayaneh London PO/Takuo Yuasa, Royal PO/Sir Thomas Beecham London SO/Aram Khachaturian CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2282802 [77:09] [SV]

A smorgasbord of complementary items … see Full Review 

Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) Concierto de Aranjuez, Concierto de estío, Concierto en modo galante, Zarabanda lejana y villancico, Concierto Serenata, Concierto pastoral, Concierto heroico London SO, Royal PO/Enrique Bátiz rec. 1981-85 EMI CLASSICS 2376812 [77:23 + 79:06] [BW]

An almost-ideal introduction to Rodrigo ... see Full Review

Nikolai ROSLAVETS (1881-1944) Violin Concertos 1 & 2 Alina Ibragimova (violin) BBC Scottish SO/Ilan Volkov rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA67637 [57:41] [RB]

Incense-heavy, ecstatic and romantic ... see Full Review

Gioachino ROSSINI (1792–1868) Il barbiere di Siviglia Maria Callas, Luigi Alva, Tito Gobbi, Philharmonia Ch & O/Alceo Galliera rec. 1957 EMI GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 3920462 [66:09 + 63:52] [OW]

Deserves classic status ... see Full Review

Anton RUBINSTEIN (1829-1894) Cello Sonatas Jiří Bárta (cello); Hamish Milne (piano) rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA67660 [70:55] [MC]

A splendid partnership delivers a resounding success ... 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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