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Emmanuel
CHABRIER (1841-1894)
Espańa; Suite pastorale; Le roi malgré lui
(excerpts) see
LALO
Emmanuel CHABRIER (1841-1894)
Fête Polonaise see Monteux
Marc-Antoine
CHARPENTIER (1643-1704) David et Jonathas 
Anders J. Dahlin, Sara Macliver, Cantillation; Antipodes O/Antony Walker
rec. 2008
ABC CLASSICS 476 3691 [57.51 + 62.26] 
[RH]
An
appealing record of what sounds like a fascinating performance
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Frédéric (Fryderyk) CHOPIN
(1810-1849)
Cello Sonata Simon (Szymon) LAKS (1901-1983)
Cello Sonata Karl (Karol) SZYMANOWSKI
(1882-1937) Cello Sonata
Raphael Wallfisch (cello); John York (piano) rec. 2010
NIMBUS NI5862 [75:53]
[BW]
One
of the unexpected highlights of the Chopin year for me.
Frédéric
CHOPIN
(1810-1849) Ballades,
Fantasie, Polonaise-Fantasie
Vladimir Feltsman (piano) rec. 2008
NIMBUS NI 6128 [64:07]
[BR]
It
is no insult to Feltsman’s playing to praise his pauses
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Frédéric CHOPIN
(1810–1849)
Songs
Konrad Jarnot (baritone); Eugčne Mursky (piano) rec. 2009
HÄNSSLER PROFIL PH04068 [53:34] 
[GF]
Those
who still look down on Chopin’s songs should give this a listen. I’m
sure they will be converted – just as I was.
Frederick
CHOPIN
(1810-1849) Complete Music for Piano and Orchestra
Vol.1 Fantasy on Polish Airs, Rondo ŕ la Krakowiak, Piano
Concerto 1
Tatiana Shebanova (piano) Polish Sinfonia Iuventus O/Tadeusz Wojciechowski
rec. 2009
DUX 0741 [74:02] [GD]
For
those who find the bravado of the top name pianists too much to stomach.
Frédéric
CHOPIN
(1810-1849)
Piano Sonata 2, Polonaise, Prelude see Pogorelich
Piero COPPOLA (1888-1971)
Interlude dramatique see Monteux
John
CORIGLIANO (b.1938) Phantasmagoria, Violin Concerto
Michael
Ludwig (violin), Buffalo PO/JoAnn Falletta, rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.559671 [61:02] 
[NB]
Fragmentary,
kaleidoscopic, hallucinatory … creates a wonderfully atmospheric sense
of colliding realities.
Marc-André
DALBAVIE (b.1961) Variations orchestrales sur une
oeuvre de Janácek, Sinfonietta, The Rocks under
the Water
Monte-Carlo PO/Marc-André Dalbavie rec. 2006
AME SON ASCP 0711 [64:41]
[LW]
A
fine introduction to the orchestral music of Marc-André Dalbavie
Claude
DEBUSSY
(1862-1918) Preludes (arr. C. Matthews) Colin
MATTHEWS Postlude: Monsieur Croche
Hallé O/Sir Mark Elder rec. 2006-8
HALLÉ CD HLL7527 [42:25 + 54:10] 
[NB][RB]
A
delight … transcends any criticism or comment except that of gratitude
and admiration [NB] Matthews catches the sound of Debussy [RB]
Frederick
DELIUS (1862-1934) Florida Suite, Summer Evening see
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Ernő
DOHNÁNYI (1877-1960) Symphonic Minutes,
Variations on a Nursery Song, Suite
Eldar Nebolsin (piano) Buffalo PO/JoAnn Falletta rec. 2008/9
NAXOS 8.572303 [69:39]
[LW]
This
disc provides an excellent introduction to Dohnányi's music.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Gaetano DONIZETTI
(1797-1848)
L’Elisir d’amore
Mariella Devia, Roberto Alagna Tallis Chamber Ch, English CO/Marcello
Viotti rec. 1992
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 681478 [61:07 + 69.12]
[RJF]
A
very warm welcome to the return to the catalogue of this idiomatic and
well sung performance.
Jonathan
DOVE
(b.
1959) Tobias and the Angel
Omar Ebrahim, Darren Abrahams, Community choirs/David Charles Abell
rec. 2006
CHANDOS CHAN10606 [75.18] [RH]
I
took up the disc prepared to admire but in fact I was charmed and entranced.
I hope you will be too.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Antonín DVOŘÁK
(1841-1904) Piano Quartets
Helena Suchárová-Weiser (pno), Vlach Qt Prague, rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.572159 [71:11]
[SV]
Beautiful
playing … at Naxos prices an absolute steal
Antonín
DVORÁK (1841-1904) Symphonies 7 & 8
Baltimore SO/Marin Alsop
rec. 2008/9
NAXOS 8.572112 [74:21]
[BW]
An
acceptable Eighth and a Seventh with which I disagree.
Rosemary
DUXBURY (b.1959) Streams
Patricia Siffert (piano) Sinfonia Aosta/Emmanuel Siffert rec. 2005
CHARASOUND CS2RD01 [50:40]
On Wings of Light
Patricia Siffert (piano); Catherine Musker (viola); Tony Hinnigan (cello);
Rosemary Curtis (oboe) rec. 1997
CHARASOUND CS1RD02 [67:50]
[JF]
The
‘timeless’ nature of her music is perhaps the defining quality
of these two CDs
Antonín
DVORÁK
(1841-1904) String Quartets 9 & 14
Wihan Qt rec. 2010
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI 6115 [67:30]
[MG]
Gave
me a lot of pleasure.
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Violin Concerto, Legends
Richard Tognetti (violin) Nordic CO/Christian Lindberg rec. 2009
BIS BIS-CD-1708 [70:17]
[BW]
If
– and only if – you warm to the idiomatic first movement more than I
did, this could be your version of choice.
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Symphony 6 see
SUK
Hanns
EISLER (1898-1962) String Quartet see Karl
Amadeus HARTMANN
Sir
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) Sea Pictures, Symphony
1 Dame
Janet Baker (alto) London PO/Vernon Handley rec. 1984
LPO 0046 [72:18]
[JQ]
A
welcome souvenir of a conductor, who is still much-missed, in music
from the core of his repertoire.
John
ELLIS
(b.
1943) Music for Organ Vol. 1
Ronald Frost (organ)
DIVINE ART DIVERSIONS DDV24141 [62:19]
[DHJ] Vol. 2
Robin Walker (organ)
DIVINE ART DDA25087 [67:04]
[DHJ][GH]
Lovers
of organ music should not hesitate to purchase these discs - they will
not be disappointed [DHJ] ... The Organ Symphony is Ellis’s masterwork
and the more I have heard it the more it surprises and amazes me [GH]
Georges
ENESCU (1881–1955) String Octet, Violin Sonata 3
Monte Carlo PO/Lawrence Foster, Valeriy Sokolov (violin), Svetlana Kosenko
(pno), rec. 2008
VIRGIN CLASSICS 5129312 [65:01]
[BBr]
Sokolov
and Foster fail to penetrate to the heart of this music.
Norbert
GLANZBERG (1910-2001) Holocaust Lieder, Suite Yiddish
Roman
Trekel (baritone) Mulhouse SO/Daniel Klajner rec. 2009
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 901 1588-6 [70:09]
[GF]
Music
that is easy to take to one’s heart.
Alexander
GLAZUNOV (1865-1936)
Violin Concerto Dimitri SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975) Violin Concerto 1
Sasha Rozhdestvensky (violin) State Symphony Capella of Russia/Gennady
Rozhdestvensky rec. 2007
NIMBUS NI6123 [60:22]
[GD][RB]
A
fine recording, and the Shostakovich in particular really shines when
presented in a performance of this standard. [GD] What a contrast between
these two Russian violin concertos [RB]
Charles
GOUNOD (1818-1893) La Nonne Sanglante
Osnabrück Theatre Ch, Osnabrück SO/Hermann Bäumer rec. 2008
CPO 777 388-2 [68:04 + 70:05]
[JS]
CPO
and Osnabrück deserve considerable praise for this very successful revival
of this fascinating work.
Francisco
GUERRERO (1951–1997) Concierto de camára; Delta Cephei;
Vâda; Ars Combinatoria; Anemos C; Hyades
Pilar Jurado, Jacqueline Squarcia (soprano); Vicente Sabater (electronics);
Grup Instrumental de Valčncia/Joan Cerveró rec. 2007
ANEMOS C33001 [49:29]
[HC]
A
superb survey of Guerrero’s often gripping and beautiful chamber music.
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Mezzo-Soprano Opera Arias
Max
Emanuel Cencic (counter-tenor); Coro della Radiotelevisione Svizzera,
I Barrocchisti/Diego Fasolis rec. 2009
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6945740 [64:58]
[JW]
Magnificent
singing.
Karl
Amadeus HARTMANN
(1905-1963)
String Quartets 1 & 2 Hanns EISLER
(1898-1962) String Quartet
Vogler Quarett Berlin rec. 2001
NIMBUS RECORDS NI5729 [64:16]
[JW]
This
Nimbus release offers real rewards.
Joseph
HAYDN
(1732-1809) Cello concertos 1 & 2 Clóvis
PEREIRA (b. 1932) Cello concertino
Antonio Meneses (cello and director)/Northern Sinf/Bradley Creswick
rec. 2009
AVIE AV2176 [70:30]
[BW]
These
performances are now my benchmarks for Haydn and the Pereira offers
an apt coupling
Joseph
HAYDN
(1732-1809)
Symphonies 18, 28 & 52
Apollo Ensemble/John Hsu rec. 1998
CENTAUR RECORDS CRC2447 [59:59]
[MG]
A
fine period instrument introduction to a range of Haydn symphonies.
Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Sonatas see BACH
Josef
HOLBROOKE (1878-1958)
Fantasie-Sonata see British
Music for Cello and Piano
Arthur
HONEGGER (1892-1955)
Horace victorieux, Cello Concerto, Prélude, Fugue et
Postlude, Une Cantate de Noël
Alban Gerhardt (cello); James Rutherford (baritone); Robert Court (organ)
BBC National O & Ch Wales/Thierry Fischer rec. 2007/8
HYPERION CDA67688 [75:43]
[BBr]
For
repeated pleasure I shall be looking elsewhere.
Alan
HOVHANESS (1911-2000)
Symphonies 7, 14 & 23
Trinity College of Music Wind O/Keith Brion rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.559385 [62:43]
[MC]
A
splendidly performed disc that will appeal mainly to the more adventurous
listener
Arthur
HONEGGER (1892-1955) Pacific 231 see
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Johann
Caspar KERLL (1627-1693) Sonata à 5
see PACHELBEL
Zygmunt KRAUSE (b. 1938) Quatuor
pour la Naissance see MESSIAEN
Johann
KRIEGER (1652-1735) Sonata à 5 see
PACHELBEL
Simon
(Szymon) LAKS (1901-1983) Cello sonata see
CHOPIN
Édouard
LALO
(1823-1892) Symphonie
espagnole, Namouna (excerpts) Rapsodie norvégienne;
Le roi d’Ys – overture Emmanuel CHABRIER
(1841-1894) Espańa ; Suite
pastorale; Le roi malgré lui (excerpts)
Suisse Romande O/Ernest Ansermet
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0049 [76:46 + 73:41]
[DM]
Lalo
items generally fine and persuasively done, but the Chabrier makes this
collection rather special. Don’t miss!
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Kenneth LEIGHTON
(1929 – 1988) Works for Solo Piano Sonatas, Preludes, Winter
Scenes
Margaret Fingerhut (piano) rec. 2009
CHANDOS CHAN10601 [70:16]
[NB] [RB]
Interpretations
of the very highest order
Ruggero
LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919) I Medici
Plácido Domingo; Carlos Álvarez; Daniela Dessi, Ch &
O Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Alberto Veronesi rec. 2007
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 7456 [78.43+46.21]
[RJF]
The
ageless Domingo gives another demonstration of his vocal skills in Italian
verismo influenced by Wagner.
Ruggero
LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919) I Pagliacci see
MASCAGNI
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