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Alphabetical Listing

Recommendations

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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RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

RECORDING OF THE MONTH BACH Family - Chamber Music for two Flutes Wilhelm Friedemann BACH (1710-1784) Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst BACH (1759-1845) Johann Christian BACH (1735-1782) Johann Christoph Friederich BACH (1732-1795) Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788) Hansgeorg Schmeiser (flute) Jan Ostrý (flute) Eszter Haffner (viola) Othmar Müller (cello) Ingomar Rainer (harpsichord) rec. 2008. NIMBUS NI 5869 [79:22] [KS]

Elegant chamber music perfect for your next dinner party or evening alone with a good book and a glass of fine wine. Fine playing all round by a well matched and collegial ensemble.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Mili BALAKIREV (1837-1910) Piano Sonata 2 and other piano works Danny Driver (piano) rec. 2010 HYPERION CDA67806 [69:07] [DM]

A pianist of exceptional skill and promise.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Joseph CANTELOUBE (1879-1957) Songs of the Auvergne Netania Davrath (soprano) Unnamed O/Pierre de la Roche, Gershon Kingsley rec. 1963/1966 VANGUARD CLASSICS ATM-CD-1189 [68.04 + 51.29] [RB]

One of the last century’s greatest recordings.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH George CRUMB (b.1929) Complete Crumb Edition - Vol.15 The Ghosts of Alhambra; Voices from a Forgotten World Jamie van Eyck (mezzo) Patrick Manson (baritone) David Starobin (guitar) Daniel Druckman (percussion) Orchestra 2001/James Freeman rec. 2008/10 BRIDGE RECORDS 9335 [67:26] [DC]

Superb release – atmospheric and highly original.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH John GARDNER (b.1917) Music for Brass and Organ Paul Archibald (trumpet) Stephen King (organ) Cosmopolitan Brass/Chris Gardner rec. 2010 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0048 [67:10][JS]

This music has given me immense pleasure and I am very keen to get to know more of this strangely under-performed and recorded composer.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Alexander GLAZUNOV (1865-1937) Complete Concertos Rachel Barton-Pine (violin) Alexander Romanovsky (piano) Wen-Sinn Yang (cello) Marc Chisson (saxophone) Alexey Serov (horn) Russian Ntl O/Jose Serebrier rec. 2010 WARNER CLASSICS 2564679465 [56:11 + 57:48] [RB]

Straight to the top of the recommended versions of the concertos. I cannot imagine this set being surpassed, so strong and sympathetic are these performances and recordings.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Christoph GRAUPNER (1683-1760) Concertos for bassoon, strings and bc Sergio Azzolini (bassoon) Ens il capriccio/Friedemann Wezel rec. 2007 CARUS 83.443 [73:16] [JV]

A wonderful disc which brings the unique qualities of Graupner's music to the fore.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Vincent d’INDY (1851-1931) Orchestral Works - Vol. 4 Počme des rivages - Suite symphonique en quatre tableaux (ed. Cyril Bongers) Symphonie italienne Iceland SO/Rumon Gamba rec. 2010 CHANDOS CHAN 10660 [76:53] [DM]

Sheer, unadulterated pleasure. Go on, treat yourself.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Bohuslav MARTINU (1890-1959) Le Jour de Bonté (The Day of Charity) Prague Chamber Ch, Pilsen PO/Milan Kanák rec. 2009 ARCO DIVA UP 6121-2 131 [73:16] [ST][RB]

A delight. Charming and interesting and leaves you hungry for more. [ST] One of the highlights and discoveries of the Martinu celebrations. [RB]

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Astor PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992) Tiempo del Angel Astoria FUGA LIBERA FUG603 [51:30] [DJB]

Unless you have a complete aversion to the accordion and/or the tango, this is wonderful.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Franz SCHUBERT (1797 – 1828) Schwanengesang Thomas Oliemans (baritone) Malcolm Martineau (piano) rec. 2010 ET’CETERA KTC 1420 [69:04] [GF]

One of the most thrilling young baritones around.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Symphony 9 Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Rienzi overture Frederick DELIUS (1862-1934) In a Summer Garden Royal PO/Sir Thomas Beecham rec. 1955/6 SOMM BEECHAM29 [75:38] [JW]

A fantastic performance of Schubert 9.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Roberto SIERRA (b.1953) Piano Trios 1-3, Fanfarria, Aria y Movimiento Perpetuo, for violin and piano Trío Arbós: Miguel Borrego (violin) José Miguel Gómez (cello) Juan Carlos Garvayo (piano) rec. 2009. NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559611 [53.05] [Byz]

This must be the most immediately attractive 'serial' music ever written!

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Elektra Iréne Theorin (soprano) Eva-Maria Westbroek (soprano) Waltraud Meier (soprano) René Pape (bass) Vienna PO/Daniele Gatti rec. 2010 ARTHAUS MUSIK 101 559 [109:00] [ST]

It is as good a staged Elektra as you are likely to find.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Alessandro STRIGGIO (c.1536/7-1592) Missa Ecco sì beato giorno Thomas TALLIS (c.1505-1585) Spem in alium. Documentary: The Making of Striggio I Fagiolini/Robert Hollingworth rec. 2010 DECCA 478 2734 [CD: 68:53 + DVD: 57:55] [DC]

Truly magnificent. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Manfred TROJAHN (b. 1949) String Quartets 3 & 4, Fragments for Antigone, Song to Insomnia III Henschel Qt rec. 2009 NEOS RECORDS 11017 [66:04] [MC]

A cast-iron certainty to be one of my ‘Recordings of the Year’ for 2011.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Das Rheingold Terje Stensvold, Dietrich Volle, Frankfurter Opern- & Museumsorchester/Sebastian Weigle rec. 2010 OEHMS CLASSICS OC935 [77:46 + 76:48] [GD]

The closest to the almost mythical ideal of a Wagner recording in which both performance and engineering are of the highest quality.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Mieczysław WEINBERG (1919-1996) Children’s Notebooks 1-3, Piano Sonata 1 Elisaveta Blumina (piano) rec. 2008 CPO 777 517-2 [60:54] [SA]

Blumina approaches this music with great understanding and appreciation and it makes for a wonderfully illuminating experience.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Earl WILD (1915-2010) Grand Fantasy, Virtuoso Études, Someone to Watch over Me, Piano Sonata Xiayin Wang (piano) rec. 2010 CHANDOS CHAN10626 [79:01] [NB]

A tribute to the much-missed art of Earl Wild and a herald of things to come from the remarkable Xiayin Wang.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH British Women Composers Ethel SMYTH (1858-1944) Violin Sonata Elizabeth MACONCHY (1907-1994) Three Preludes Irène Regina WIENIAWSKA (1879-1932) Violin Sonata Phyllis TATE (1911-1987) Triptych Clare Howick (violin) Sophia Rahman (piano) rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.572291 [78:09] [GH]

An imaginative programme, brilliantly handled … a very generously filled CD.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Diva, Divo Joyce DiDonato (mezzo) Ch & O l’Opéra National de Lyon/Kazushi Ono rec. 2010 VIRGIN CLASSICS 6419860 [80:41] [JQ]

Simply sensational! 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH The Queen’s Music: Italian Vocal Duets and Trios Luigi ROSSI, Girolamo Alessandro FRESCOBALDI, Giacomo CARISSIMI, Anonymous Emma Kirkby, Susanne Rydén (sopranos); Peter Harvey (baritone); Mikarl Bellini (counter-tenor); Mime Yamahiro Brinkmann (cello); Lars Ulrik Mortensen (harpsichord) rec.2008. DDD. Booklet includes texts and translations. BIS BIS-CD-1715 [68:16] [BW]

Essential listening for Emma Kirkby’s many fans: if you’re not one already, this may well win you over.

 

BARGAINS OF THE MONTH

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Antonin DVORÁK (1841-1904) Cello Concerto, Piano Concerto Mstislav Rostropovich (cello) Frantisek Maxian (piano) Czech PO/Vaclav Talich rec. 1951-2 REGIS RRC1368 [76:52] [RB]

Two historic recordings of Dvorák concertos in glorious interpretations.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Franz LISZT (1811-1886) The Complete Piano Music Leslie Howard (piano) rec. 1985-2009 HYPERION CDS44501/98 [99 CDs: 122 hrs] [RB]

Howard brings an archivist’s rigour and a high priest’s fervour to this project.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH  Rare French works for violin and orchestra Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924) Violin Concerto Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Morceau de concert Édouard LALO (1823-1892) Fantaisie norvégienne Ernest GUIRAUD (1837-1892) Caprice Joseph CANTELOUBE (1879-1957) Počme Philippe Graffin (violin) Ulster O/Thierry Fischer rec. 2001 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55396 [71:13] [NB]

Peerless technique allied to superb unmannered musicianship … much to be praised.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Great Pianists - Vol. 2 Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano Concerto 23 Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Don Giovanni Fantasy Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Burleske Alexander Brailowsky, Shura Cherkassky, Rudolf Serkin (piano) Boston SO/Serge Koussevitsky, P-SO New York/Dimitri Mitropoulos (Strauss) rec. 1945-58 GUILD GHCD2367 [77:18] [SA]

A disc to marvel at. 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Tudor Anthems and Motets The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge/Timothy Brown rec. 1991, 1993. HERITAGE HTGCD 216 [67:32] [JQ]

A most desirable disc that provides an excellent introduction to the treasure chest of Tudor sacred music.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) Vivaldi Edition Jaap ter Linden (harpsichord); La Magnifica Comunitŕ/Enrico Casazza; Concerto Italiano/Rinaldo Alessandrini; Musica Ad Rhenum; English CO/Philip Ledger; L’Arte dell’Arco/Federico Guglielmo; Modo Antiquo Federico Maria Sardelli rec. 1975-2009 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94056 [40 CDs] [BW]

A genuine bargain for beginners and experienced Vivaldians alike

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Trumpet Concertos Works by Telemann, Molter, Torelli, M Haydn, L Mozart, Biber etc Otto Sauter (trumpet) Capella Istropolitana, Kurpfälzisches CO Mannheim, European Chamber Soloists/Nicol Matt rec. 2004-6 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94094 [10 CDs: 538:22] [Byz]

Many good things: music by composers generally badly served by other labels, the standard of musicianship high and sound quality generally excellent. 


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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