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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]

Superbudget £5.99 or less Budget £6-7.99 Medium £8-10.99 Full price £11+
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Elizabeth MACONCHY (1907-1994) The Sofa; The Departure Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells/Dominic Wheeler rec. 2007 CHANDOS CHAN10508 [70:12] [HC]

A magnificent recording of Maconchy’s highly contrasted operatic diptych ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No.1 in D (1888) [56:51] London Symphony Orchestra/Jascha Horenstein rec. Barking Assembly Hall, London, 29-30 September 1969. ADD Transferred from a Unicorn four-track tape. HDTT HDCD128 [56:51] [TD]

You will be as thrilled as I was. ... see Full Review 

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No.9 in D major (1909) Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra/Alan Gilbert 2-7 June 2008, Stockholm Concert Hall, Stockholm, Sweden SACD Surround/SACD Stereo/CD Stereo BIS SACD1710 [82.22]  [TD]

I am not going to recommend you buy this one ... see Full Review 

Giuseppe MARTUCCI (1856-1909) Piano Concerto 2, Momento musicale, Novelletta, Serenata, Colore orientale Gesualdo Coggi (piano) Roma SO/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2007/8 NAXOS 8.570932 [68:56] [BBr]

There’s a lack of fire … see Full Review 

William Thomas McKINLEY (b. 1938) Clarinet Duet Book II, Concerto for Two Clarinets see COPLAND

Paul MEALOR (b. 1975) Stabat Mater [23:51] Let Fall the Windows of Mine Eyes [6:51] Between Eternity and Time [7:42] Beata es, Virgo Maria [4:44] Lux Benigna [4:12] Ave [13:03] Irene Drummond (soprano); Drew Tullock (piano) Con Anima Chamber Choir/Paul Mealor rec. King’s College Chapel, Aberdeen, March 2009 CAMPION CAMEO 2083 [60:25]  [WH]

Rich, beautiful and instantly memorable - perhaps too easy on the ear? … see Full Review 

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Piano Trios Borodin Trio rec. 1984 CHANDOS CLASSICS CHAN10535X [64:38] [SV]

Merits a warm welcome … see Full Review

Felix MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Organ Works Hans Fagius (organ) rec. 2008 DAPHNE 1033 [78:47+78:32][JS]

This set very much deserves to be heard in wider musical circles … see Full Review

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Mendelssohn Edition 5 - Keyboard and Chamber Music Annie d’Arco (piano) Marie-Claire Alain (organ) Trio Fontenay, Kreuzberg and Eder Qts, Olivier Charlier (violin), Monte-Carlo PO/Lawrence Foster, Maxim Vengerov (violin) Alexander Markovich (piano) rec. c.1960-1991 WARNER CLASSICS 2564 69267-4 [5 CDs: 319:45] [JS]

Very enjoyable and worthwhile … see Full Review 

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Violin Concerto in E minor see Campoli

Krzysztof MEYER (b.1943) Complete works for cello and piano Cello Sonata No.1, op.62 (1983) [28:29] Canzona, op.56 (1981) [10:59] Cello Sonata No.2, op.99 (2004) [24:42] Ewa Mizerska (cello), Emma Abbate (piano), Katarzyna Hlensk (piano - 2nd Sonata only) rec 28-30 January 2008, Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio, Polish Radio, Warsaw DDD TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0098 [64:34] [BBr]

For me this is essential listening … see Full Review 

Krzysztof MEYER (b.1943) Symphony No.7 Sinfonia del Tempo che passa, op.97 (2002/2003) [41:34] Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra, op.105 (2005/2006) [35:26] Magdalena Rezler–Niesoilowska (violin), Julius Berger (cello) National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice/Gabriel Chmura (Symphony); Lukasz Borowicz (Concerto) rec. 23 – 25 November 2004 (Symphony) and 10 – 11 June 2008 (Concerto), Concert Hall of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice DDD DUX 0695 [76:59] [BBr]

His music is well worth the effort … see Full Review

Claudio MONTEVERDI (1567 - 1643) L’incoronazione di Poppea - Opera in a prologue and three acts (1643) Poppea - Danielle de Niese (soprano) Nerone - Alice Coote (mezzo) Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment/Emmanuelle Haïm rec. Glyndebourne Festival, June 2008 DECCA 074 3339 [193:00 + 41:00] [RMk]

A strong musical and theatrical performance ... see Full Review 

Lodewijk MORTELMANS (1868-1952) Homerische symfonie, Morgenstemming, Mythe der lente Royal Flemish Philharmonic/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA67766 [66:41] [NB]

A big symphony that ultimately falls short of its lofty goals ... see Full Review 

Claudio MONTEVERDI (1567 - 1643) Sweet Torment I Fagiolini; Barokksolistene/Robert Hollingworth rec. 2009 CHANDOS CHACONNE CHAN 0760 [79:02] [GF]

A highly accomplished and engaging disc ... see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Requiem Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Te Deum Sheila Armstrong, Janet Baker, Nicolai Gedda, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Robert Tear, John Alldis Ch, ECO, New PCh & O/Daniel Barenboim rec. 1969/71 EMI CLASSICS 2127182 [79:09] [CR]

Ferocious and full of dark energy … see Full Review 

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Sinfonia concertante, Violin Concerto 4 Walter Barylli (violin); Paul Doktor (viola) Vienna PO/Clemens Krauss, Vienna State Opera O/Felix Prohaska rec. 1944/51 PREISER 90760 [57:54] [JW]

A fascinating retrieval ... see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano Sonata 13 see BRAHMS

Carl NIELSEN (1865-1931) Symphonies 4 & 5 Danish Ntl SO/Michael Schønwandt rec. 1999 NAXOS 8.570739 [75:03] [DM]

Schønwandt’s unwavering grip ... see Full Review

Kai NIEMINEN (b.1953) Palomar, Through Shadows I Can Hear Ancient Voices, Vicoli in ombra Mikko Raasakka (clarinet) Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä/Patrick Gallois (flute) rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.572061 [58:31] [JW]

A contemporary portfolio of approachable colour and incident ... see Full Review 

Zygmunt NOSKOWSKI (1846-1909) Piano Works 1 Impressions Op.29 [12:40]
3 Pièces Op.35 [14:03] Moments mélodiques Op.36 [16:13] Contes Op.37 [20:31] Feuille de trèfle Op.44 [13:03] Valentina Seferinova (piano) rec. May 2008, Polish Radio Station S1 ACTE PRÉALABLE APO 188 [76:41] [JW]

Idiomatic skill and some striking moments ... see Full Review 

Henryk OPIEŃSKI (1870-1942) Complete Songs; Chamber Works Maria Pawlaczyk (soprano) Weronika Firlej-Kubasik (piano) Anna Organiszczak (piano) ¹ Mariusz Derewecki (violin) ² rec. 2001 and 2003, Radio Merkury and the Academy of Music, Poznań ACTE PRÉALABLE APO 075 [63:56] [JW]

Altogether a different brand of Polish composition ... see Full Review 

Robin ORR (1909-2006) Centenary Tribute - Archive recordings of performances by friends and colleagues Granville Jones (violin); Thurston Dart (harpsichord) rec. historical, various dates ADD GUILD GHCD2350 [72:28] [GH]

A fascinating collection of historic recordings … see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Nicoló PAGANINI (1782 - 1840)
24 Caprices Op.1 James Ehnes (violin) rec. 2009 ONYX 4044 [78:04] [NB]

Marvellous, amazing, stunning, spectacular ... see Full Review 

Ignaz PLEYEL (1757-1831) Oboe & flute quintet, Oboe quartets, Flute quartet Orsolya Kaczander (flute) Lajos Lencsés (oboe) Vilmos Szabadi (violin) Péter Bársony (viola) Péter Szabó ('cello) HUNGAROTON CLASSIC HCD 32572 [59:11] [SV]

Musical and assured, with a hint of roughness suggesting rustic vitality … see Full Review

Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Etudes-Tableaux see TCHAIKOVSKY

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Rapsodie espagnole, La Valse (for 2 pianos) see DEBUSSY

 

Max REGER (1873-1916) J S BACH Piano Transcriptions, Volume 7Complete Bach transcriptions for piano two hands by Max Reger Markus Becker (piano) rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA67683 [55:03 + 55:16] [JL]

Nothing but delight here … if you know what you are getting into … see Full Review

Ferdinand RIES (1784-1838) Violin Concerto, Double Horn Concerto, Overtures Teunis van der Zwart (horn) Erwin Wieringa (horn) Anton Steck (violin) Kölner Akademie/Michael Alexander Willens rec. 2007 CPO 777 353-2 [65:30] [RB]

Ebullience and poetry … juniper freshness ... see Full Review

Nikolay Andreevich RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Evgeny Svetlanov - The Anthology of Russian Symphony Music Complete track-listing at foot of this review The State Academic Symphony Orchestra/Evgeny Svetlanov rec. 1971-1993 SVET 57-009-1/6 [6 CDs: 67:03 + 63:19 + 70:03 + 76:16 + 58:51 + 72:37] [DM]

All lovers of Russian music will find much to treasure in this box ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Julius RÖNTGEN (1855-1932) Symphonies 8 & 15, Variations on a Norwegian Folksong Carmen Fuggiss (soprano) NDR Radiophilharmonie/David Porcelijn rec. 2006 CPO 777 307-2 [69:29] [RB]

Deeply romantic yet not extravagant ... see Full Review

Antonio ROSETTI (c1750 - 1792) Flute Concerto see German Flute Concertos

Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868) Il Turco in Italia Marco Vinco (bass) Alessandra Marianelli (soprano) Prague Chamber Ch, Haydn O Di Bolzano e Trento/Antonello Allemandi rec. live, 2007 NAXOS 2.110259 [165.09] [RJF]

Has some fine qualities, especially its leading lady ... 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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