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BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER
(1860-1911)
The Complete Works - 150th Anniversary Edition 
EMI CLASSICS 6089852 [16 CDs: ca 19 hrs] 
[ST]
This
set is a real treat, and an unmissable bargain.
Igor
MARKEVITCH (1912-1983)
Complete Orchestral Works: Vol. 4 & 5 Rébus,
Hymnes, Lorenzo il Magnifico, Psaume
Lucy Shelton (soprano) Arnhem SO/Christopher Lyndon-Gee rec. 1996
NAXOS 8.572154/5 [54:32]
[BBr]
Exciting
and rewarding issues … see Full Review
Pietro
MASCAGNI (1863-1945) Cavalleria Rusticana Ruggero
LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919) I Pagliacci
José Cura, Zurich Opera House Ch & O/Stefano Ranzani rec. 2009
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101489 [151:00] 
[RMay]
Strong
singing and plenty of engaging stage business.
Bohuslav
MARTINU
(1890-1959) Cello Sonatas 1-3, Slovak & Rossini Variations
Paul Watkins (cello) Huw Watkins (piano) rec. 2009
CHANDOS CHAN 10602 [70:15]
[JW]
Meaty,
powerful and assured performances.
Colin
MATTHEWS Debussy prelude orchestrations, Postlude see
DEBUSSY
David
MATTHEWS
(b. 1943) The String Quartets - Vol. 1
Kreutzer Qt rec. 2008
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0058 [64:03]
[HC]
Beautiful
works in magnificent performances and recording
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Symphonies 3-5, Overtures: A Midsummer Nights Dream, The
Hebrides, Die schöne Melusine, Violin Concerto
Jascha Heifetz (violin) NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini rec. 1941-54.
GUILD GHCD2358-59 [75:55 + 76:18] 
[JW]
A
handy twofer, well transferred with performances predominantly good
Felix
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY
(1809-1847) Piano
Trios
Mendelssohn Piano Trio rec. 2007
CENTAUR CRC 2925 [58:19]
[GD]
No
unnecessary interpretive distractions, just the goods.
Felix
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Piano Trio 1 Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano Trio 2
Smetana Trio rec. 2009
SUPRAPHON SU4008-2 [73:45]
[GD]
Passionate
and expressive readings, but intimacy and tight ensemble are the key
features, just as they should be.
Claudio
MERULO
(1533-1604) Missa
Virginis Mariae ‘In Annutiatione Domini’
Roberto Loreggian (organ); Schola Gregoriana “Scriptoria”/Dom Nicola
M.Bellinazzo rec. 2000
TACTUS TC 533801 [62.08] [GH]
An
interesting insight into a species of sacred music which is rarely if
ever encountered in the flesh.
Olivier
MESSIAEN (1908-1992) Quatuor pour la fin du temps,
Vingt regards sur l'enfant Jésus, Harawi Zygmunt
KRAUSE (b. 1938) Quatuor pour la Naissance
Joanna MacGregor (piano) rec. 1993-2002
WARNER CLASSICS SOUNDCIRCUS 2564 68393-2 [4 CDs]
[DC]
A
one-stop instant Messiaen collection, and very well played indeed.
Darius
MILHAUD (1892-1974) Sonatina see Cohler
Claudio
MONTEVERDI (1567-1643) L’Incoronazione di Poppea
Janet Baker; Robert Ferguson; Anne Collins, Ch & O Sadler’s
Wells Opera/Raymond Leppard rec. 1971
CHANDOS CHAN 3172(2) [79:05 + 72:26] 
[JS]
A
powerful and valuable supplement to more historically informed recordings
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Complete Wind Concertos
Eric Hoeprich (basset clarinet); Dennis Godburn (bassoon); Marc Schachman
(oboe); Sandra Miller (flute); Victoria Drake (harp); R.J. Kelly (horn)
American Classical O/Thomas Crawford rec. 1996-8
NIMBUS RECORDS NI 2568/70 [3 CDs: 65:02 + 71:03 + 66:09]
[DC]
Pretty
much top of the heap for a complete HIP set.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Così
fan tutte
Malin Hartelius (soprano) Anna Bonitatibus (mezzo) Zurich Opera Ch &
O/Franz Welser-Möst rec. live, 2009
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101495 [2 DVDs: 200:00]
[RJF]
This
period costumed production suffers from a minimalist setting with too
many silly visual distractions that inhibit, rather than complement,
Mozart's comedy.
Johann
PACHELBEL (1653-1706) Vespers Johann
KRIEGER (1652-1735) Sonata à 5 Johann
Caspar KERLL (1627-1693) Sonata à 5
The King's Singers; Charivari Agréable/Kah-Ming Ng rec. 2009
SIGNUM
SIGCD198 [72:49] [JV]
Unknown
vocal music by Pachelbel in a not completely convincing interpretation.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Lorenzo PALOMO
(b.1938)
Dulcinea
Ainho Arteta (soprano) Ch & O Deutsche Oper Berlin/Miguel Angel
Gómez Martínez rec. live, 2006
NAXOS 8.572577 [58:15]
[GPu]
A
compelling piece recorded live at its premiere
Sir
Charles Hubert Hastings PARRY (1848-1918)
Choral Masterpieces
Manchester Cathedral Ch/Christopher Stokes rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.572104 [66:25]
[JQ]
A
useful programme of Parry’s choral music let down by an underweight
account of the main work.
Arvo
PÄRT (b. 1935) Summa; Cantus in memoriam Benjamin
Britten; Tabula Rasa; Wallfahrtslied; Mozart-Adagio;
Spiegel im Spiegel
Angèle Dubeau (violin) La Pietà rec. 2009
ANALEKTA AN28731 [61:30]
[DC]
An
excellent disc on all levels.
Clóvis
PEREIRA (b. 1932) Cello concertino see HAYDN
Giovanni
Benedetto PLATTI (1697 - 1763) Ricercata & Sonate
Neumeyer
Consort rec. 2008
CHRISTOPHORUS CHR 77310 [63:57]
[GPu]
Fine
music from the era of transition from the baroque to the classical
Francis
POULENC (1899-1963) Clarinet Sonata see
Cohler
Joan
Pau PUJOL (1570-1626) Missa sexti toni &
other choral works
Exaudi Nos/Joan Grimalt, rec. 2009
COLUMNA MÚSICA 1CM0226 [47:21]
[MS]
Largely
unknown repertoire from the early Catalan Baroque performed with panache
and solid conviction
Johann
Joachim QUANTZ (1697 - 1773) Flute Sonatas 272-277
Verena
Fischer (transverse flute), Klaus-Dieter Brandt (cello), Léon Berben
(harpsichord), rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.557805 [63:28]
[JV]
These
performances are lively and energetic, but lack sensitivity and affekt.
Sergei
RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) Piano Concerto 3 Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Le Sacre du printemps Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The Nutcracker (extracts)
Yefim
Bronfman (pno), Berlin PO/Sir Simon Rattle, rec. 2009
EUROARTS 2057754 [104:00] 
[IL]
A
rich concert-hall experience.
Joseph
Joachim RAFF
(1822-1882) Ode
an den Frühling, Piano Concerto
Peter Aronsky (piano) Basel RSO/Jost Meier, Matthias Bamert rec. 1982/94
TUDOR
7035 [54:13]
[JW]
This
is for the more seasoned Raff traveller.
Johann
Valentin RATHGEBER (1682 - 1750) Missa St. Benedicti
Monteverdi Ensemble Würzburg/Matthias Beckert, rec. 2008
CPO 777 425-2 [70:53]
[JV]
This
technically undemanding repertoire receives first-class interpretations
Maurice
RAVEL (1875 -1937) Complete Piano Solo Works
Abdel Rahman El Bacha (piano) rec. 2007
TRITON EXCL-00015 
[61:57 + 69:19] [DC]
Accurate
and refined – a definite recommendation.
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Bolero see RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) La valse
see Monteux
Silvestre
REVUELTAS (1899-1940)
La Coronela, Itinerarios, Colorines
Santa Barbara Symphony, English CO/Gisèle Ben-Dor rec. 1997/8
NAXOS
8.572250 [50:24]
[BBr]
This
music is compelling.
Franz
Xaver RICHTER (1709 - 1789) Messa Pastorale, Symphony,
Magnificat
Wroclaw PCh & Baroque O/Andrzej Kosendiak, rec. 2008
CYPRES CYP1659 [57:11]
[GPu]
A
valuable insight into Richter’s interesting late work as a composer
of sacred music
Nikolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Shéhérazade,
Suite Symphonique Arthur HONEGGER (1892-1955)
Pacific 231 Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Bolero
Piano Duo Trenkner-Speidel rec. 2010
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG3301616-2 [68:39]
[BBr]
Something
of a specialist issue
Gioacchino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Kathleen
Battle, Metropolitan Opera Ch & O/Ralf Weikert, rec. 1988
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 073 4022
[2 DVDs: 97:38 + 61:52]
[ST]
Not
a version I’ll be returning to often.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gioachino ROSSINI
(1792-1868)
L’Inganno Felice
Raúl Giménez, Annick Massis, Le Concert des Tuileres/Marc
Minkowski rec. live, 1996
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 681484 [78.11]
[RJF]
A
welcome return to the catalogue at a price that should ensure that all
Rossini-lovers add it to their collection if it is not already there.
Joseph
Nicolas Pancrace ROYER (1705 - 1755) Harpsichord
Works
Christophe Rousset (harpsichord) rec. 2007
AMBROISIE AM 151 [58:56]
[JV]
These
harpsichord works, varying from 'tender' to 'tumultuous', are given
brilliant performances on a splendid historical harpsichord.
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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