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LATEST CD & DVD REVIEWS

Monday August 29th

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205 reviews completed so far this month

Johannes BRAHMS Violin sonatas 1-3 Albert Spalding (violin) Erno Dohnányi (piano) rec. 1951 PRISTINE AUDIO [GA] These historic recordings of the Brahms violin sonatas are warm and communicative, with a strong sense of spontaneity.

George Frideric HANDEL Ariodante Joyce DiDonato, Matthew Brook, Karina Gauvin, Il Complesso Barocco/Alan Curtis rec. 2010 VIRGIN CLASSICS [JW] This new set has real advantages.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Franz SCHUBERT Piano sonatas Craig Sheppard (piano) rec. 2010 ROMÉO RECORDS [JQ] Exceptionally fine and satisfying. Sheppard is a perceptive and intelligent guide.

Martha Argerich at the Verbier Festival Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto 2 Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Concerto 1 Georges BIZET Symphony Martha Argerich (piano) Verbier Festival CO/Gábor Takács-Nagy rec. 2010 EUROARTS/IDÉALE AUDIENCE [DM] Strictly for Argerich fans, I’m afraid.

Music for Oboe, Horn and Piano Works by Mozart, Blanc, Herzogenberg, Molbe, Balser & Damase Jeremy Polmear (oboe) Stephen Stirling (horn) Richard Saxel (piano) rec. 2010 OBOE CLASSICS [JW] Engaging, clever and often quietly memorable.

Musicweb's Recordings of the Month Click here Musicweb's Bargains of the Month Click here

NEW and RECENT ARTICLES

Kirk McElhearn asks "How much should you spend on a stereo?"

Masterwork Index: Liszt's sonata in B minor

August Download Roundup #2 by Brian Wilson

NOTICES

The Thomas Dunhill Connection Fri 21st - Sun 23rd October 2011, Bondleigh, Devon, UK

Discs received for review A new feature; updated monthly

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MUSICWEB Special Offer We had great success with selling the Haydn Symphonies as mp3 files put onto CD (see review). This time we offer the complete organ works of J.S.Bach played by Kevin Bowyer on 8CDs containing 320 kbps mp3 files and a complete set of notes as a pdf file. You can buy these through MusicWeb for just £23 post-free here. Reviews by Brian Wilson and Kirk McElhearn Same Price: Complete Haydn Symphonies on mp3 CDs review NOTE: These sets cannot be played on a normal CD player. You will need one of the following: a computer; a portable MP3 device (like an iPod, but not limited to iPods) a DVD player; the latest generation of in-car disc players.

 

MUSICWEB EXCLUSIVE Celebrating Fifty Years devoted to British Music 4CD sets £18 post free world-wide EXCLUSIVE Buy both sets for just £28 post free world-wide See Review

Arkivmusic has over 4000 ArkivCDs which are digital remakes of out-of-print CDs available nowhere else. New issues now contain full booklet notes link

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