PART 5
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Continuum: Symphony at Night Marco SCHÄDLER (b.1964) Nachtschicht Matthias FROMMELT (b.1975) Nocturne, Turbulenz, Ohne Namen Jürg HANSELMANN (b.1960) Dies Irae Variationen Klavierduo Sandra und Jürg Hanselmann (pianos) Sinf Orch Liechtenstein/Albert Frommelt/William Maxfield; Sinf Vorarlberg/Benjamin Lack rec. 2007-2010 CARUS 83.364 [76:46] [Byz]

All the performances on this disc are better than might be imagined from such low-key ensembles.

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Die schöne Müllerin Christopher Maltman (baritone) Graham Johnson (piano) rec. 2010 WIGMORE HALL LIVE WHLIVE0044 [62:34] [JQ]

A masterly live recording to which I’m sure I’ll return often in the future. 

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Winterreise Christopher Maltman (baritone) Graham Johnson (piano) rec. 2010 WIGMORE HALL LIVE WHLIVE0046 [77:31] [JQ]

A memorable reading: an interpretation full of insight and imagination. 

Erwin SCHULHOFF (1894-1942) Violin sonata 2 see ENESCU

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony 5 London SO/Leonard Bernstein rec. live, 1966, EUROARTS IDÉALE AUDIENCE 3085318 [54:45] [DM]

Vintage Lenny; not to be missed.

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphonies 6 & 12 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Vasily Petrenko rec. 28-29 July and *23-24 June, 2010, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. DDD NAXOS 8.572658 [69:38] [JQ]

A fine version of the Sixth Symphony but, despite the excellent performance, the Twelfth remains a weak piece.

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906 – 1975) Piano Duos and Duets Vol. 1 Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert (piano duet/duo) rec. 2007 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0034 [75:46] [DC]

Terrific stuff.

Parallels Alexander SKRIABIN (1872-1915) Sonata-Fantasia 2, Two Poems, op.32, Five Preludes, op.74, Three Etudes, op.65 Nikolai ROSLAVETS (1881-1944) Sonata 2, Two Poems, Five Preludes, Three Etudes Anya Alexeyev (piano) rec. 2009 MARQUIS 81415 [72:46] [Byz]

An attractive choice for the curious.

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Romeo and Juliet - Fantasy Overture see Prokofiev

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH  Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681 - 1767) Tafelmusik Musica Antiqua Köln/Reinhard Goebel rec. 1988 ARCHIV 477 8714 [4 CDs: 253:25] [JV]

One of the best Telemann recordings of all time.

Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681 - 1767) Der Tag des Gerichts Siri Karoline Thornhill (soprano), Susanne Krumbiegel (contralto), Tobias Hunger (tenor), Gotthold Schwarz (bass) Bach Consort Leipzig/Gotthold Schwarz rec. 2009 RONDEAU ROP6036 [73:17] [JV]

A fine recording of what is a true masterpiece of an old man, who was still young in spirit.

Sinfonia Antartica; Scott of the Antarctic – Archive recordings from the Heroic Age of Polar Exploration Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Sinfonia Antartica, Scott of the Antarctic Stanley Kirkby, Robert Carr (baritones) Sir John Gielgud (narrator) Margaret Ritchie (soprano) London PO/Sir Adrian Boult Philh Orch/Ernest Irving rec. 1953/1948 CD41 RECORDINGS CD41-024 [67.14] [JD]

This curious commemorative release does claim our attention.

Giuseppe VERDI (1813 – 1901) Un ballo in maschera Placido Domingo (baritone) Josephine Barstow (soprano) Sumi Jo (soprano) Wiener Phil/Sir Georg Solti rec. 1990 ARTHAUS MUSIC 107 271 [145:00] [GF]

Timeless and all-embracing. It’s hard to resist.

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Rigoletto Richard Tucker (tenor) Robert Merrill (baritone) Roberta Peters (soprano) Metropolitan Opera Ch & O/Fausto Cleva rec. 1955 SONY CLASSICAL 88697 91005 2 [52:26 + 58:17] [RMo]

A wholly creditable souvenir of a good night at the Met.

Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) Six cello sonatas see BACH

Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Der Fliegende Holländer Astrid Varnay (soprano) Hermann Uhde (bass-baritone) Rudolf Lustig (tenor) Ludwig Weber (bass) Bayreuth Fest Ch/Orch/Joseph Keilberth rec. l955
PRISTINE AUDIO PACO 062 STEREO [2:20:49] [RMo]

This live Bayreuth set is now clearly top of the heap.

Fu-Tong WONG (b.1948) Rhapsody of Taiwan Rhapsody of Taiwan, for orchestra, In Memoriam, Xi Shi Fantasy, for violin & orchestra, Variations on a Theme by Chen' Chu-Shui, Fugato for Strings Su Shien-Ta (violin) Taipei Sinfonietta WIND MUSIC TCD5234 [46:20] [Byz]

A superb melodicist and a fine orchestrator - a latter-day Taiwanese Dvorák! Deserves the widest of audiences in the West.

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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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