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Edward
MACDOWELL Suite No. 2, Op. 48 Indiansee Howard
Hanson Conducts
George
Alexander MacFARREN (1813–1887) Robin Hood 
John Powell Singers, Victorian Opera Ch & O/Ronald Corp
rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.660306-07 [78:36 + 79:57] [JF]
A
great work; possibly the composer’s masterpiece.
Bruno
MADERNA
(1920-1973)
Piano Concerto, Concertos for Two Pianos, Quadrivium
Aldo Orvieto, Fausto Bongelli (pianos) Gruppo 40.6; Fondazione Arena
di Verona O/Carlo Miotto rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.572642 [66:32]
[RB]
Those
Roundhouse concerts come to unruly life again.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav
MAHLER
(1860-1911)
Symphony 2
Michaela Kaune (soprano); Dagmar Pecková (alto) NDR Ch, Staatschor Latvija,
Philharmoniker Hamburg/Simone Young rec. 2010
OEHMS CLASSICS OC 412 [79:27] 
[DM]
Hugely
impressive, a must for all Mahlerians.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 6
La Monnaie SO/Hartmut Haenchen rec. 2009
ICA CLASSICS ICAD 5018 
[86:46] [TP]
Rhythmically
crisp, naturally paced, and flowingly lyrical.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER
(1860-1911)
Symphony 2
Kathleen Battle (soprano) Christa Ludwig (mezzo) Konzertvereinigung
Wiener Staatsopernchor, Vienna PO/James Levine rec. live, 1989
ORFEO C837112B [23:28 + 65:37]
[DM]
Surely
one of the great Resurrections of our time.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 6
Philharmonia O/Esa-Pekka Salonen rec. 2009
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD275 [80:35]
[TP]
Unbridled
excellence … tiny price tag.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Das Lied von der Erde
Jadwiga Rappé (mezzo) Piotr Kusiewicz (tenor) Polish Ntl Radio SO Katowice/Michael
Zilm rec. 1989
DUX 0810 [65:59] [WH]
A
live performance, imperfect, but very affecting and well worth hearing.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Piano Quartet Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) String Quartet; String Trio; Phantasy
Pražák
Qt, Sachiko Kalahari (piano) rec. 1994/2001
PRAGA DIGITALS PRD/DSD 250168 
[63:20] [MC]
Some
fine playing although not always inside the music. The recorded sound
does not always do the music any favours.
Gian
Francesco MALIPIERO (1882
- 1973) Impressioni dal vero, Pause del silenzio
Rome SO/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2009/10
NAXOS 8.572409 [79:53]
[HC]
A
splendid release and the perfect complement to the Naxos series of Malipiero
symphonies.
Josep
MARTÍ I CRISTIŔ (1884-1918) Musica per a piano
Daniel
Blanch (piano) rec. 2010
LA MŔ DE GUIDO LMG 2102 [62:02] [Byz]
Full
of melody, poignancy, elegance, Spanish character and imagination, all
brought vividly to life by the light-fingered, graceful pianism of Daniel
Blanch.
Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Piano Concertos 1, 2 &
4 Giorgio
Koukl (piano) Bohuslav Martinů SO, Zlin/Arthur Fagen rec. 2009
NAXOS
8.572373 [74:45]
[DM]
Perhaps
appealing to those unfamiliar with these concertos.
William
MATHIAS (1934-1992) Piano Concertos 1 & 2
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Fantasy
Mark Bebbington (piano) Ulster O/George Vass rec. 2011
SOMM SOMMCD 246 [70:42] [JF]
These
three very different works have been dealt with admirably. A huge sympathy
and understanding is evident.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Felix
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Symphonies
3 & 4
Musikkollegium Winterthur/Heinz Holliger rec. 2010
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM 9011663-6
[67:33] [JS]
An
important and immensely enjoyable disc.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Felix
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Incidental music:
Antigone, Oedipus, Athalia
Berliner Rundfunkchor, Männerchor 'Carl Maria von Weber' Radio
SO, Berlin/Stefan Soltesz, Das Neue Orch/Christoph Spering rec. 1991-2002
BRILLIANT
CLASSICS 94216 [3 CDs: 55:27 + 50:33 + 63:19]
[RB]
Something
of an event and unmissable if you are a devoted Mendelssohnian or an
impassioned researcher of German romantic theatre music.
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Double Concerto; String Quintet
2 Antje
Weithaas (violin) Alexander Lonquich (piano) Camerata Bern rec. 2010
CLAVES
RECORDS 50-1102 [63:41]
Piano Concerto; Double Concerto
Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano) Freiburger Barockorchester/Gottfried
von der Goltz (violin and direction) rec. 2010
HARMONIA MUNDI HMC 902082 [71:40]
[MC]
One
could do much worse than add both releases to your Mendelssohn collection.
Gian
Carlo MENOTTI (1911-2007) Maria Golovin,
Violin Concerto
Franca Duval (soprano) Richard Cross (bass-baritone) Patricia Neway
(alto) Tossy Spivakovsky (violin) Trottolo Ch & O/Peter Herman Adler;
Boston SO/Charles Munch rec. 1954/8
NAXOS 8.111376-77 [77:38 + 65:55] [RB]
Go
for this wonderful set if your favourites include Barber's Vanessa and
the Walton Violin Concerto.
Piotr
MOSS (b.1949)
Meditation and Psalm, Voyage, Cinq tableaux de Caspar
David Friedrich
Grażyna Strzeszewska, Anna Sikorzak-Olek (harps) Polish Radio Ch
in Cracow/Polish Ntl RSO in Katowice/Michał Klauza rec. 2009/10
DUX
0820 [70:58]
[JW]
Moss
wants to convey mood, and feeling, and he does these things very well
indeed.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano Concerti 24 & 25
Ronald
Brautigam (fortepiano) Die Kölner Akademie/Michael Alexander Willens
rec. 2010
BIS-SACD-1894
[55:29]
[DC]
Pretty
decent, but unlikely to revolutionise your thinking on these works.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Duo Sonatas Vol. 4
Duo Amadé rec. 2010
CHANDOS CHACONNE CHAN 0781 [75:54] [GA]
Lively
historically-informed performances of a neglected part of Mozart’s output.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) The Magic Flute
Ying Huang, Matthew Polenzani, Nathan Gunn, Erika Miklósa, René Pape,
Met Ch & O/James Levine rec. 2006
SONY CLASSICAL 88697 910139
[112:00] [RJF]
An
ideal Christmas present to get the kids off the tablet and computer
and in to opera.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) The Da Ponte Operas
from the Salzburg Festival
Ch of the Vienna State Opera, Vienna PO/Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Bertrand
de Billy, Adam Fischer rec. 2006-9
EUROARTS
2058818 [6 DVDs: 9:30:00] [ST]
There
are lots of things to enjoy in this set: it’s just a pity that you have
to look so hard for them.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Ave verum corpus, Requiem
Agnes
Giebel (soprano) Marga Höffgen (mezzo) Hans-Ulrich Mielsch (tenor) Boris
Carmeli (bass) RTF Ntl O & Ch/Josef Krips rec. 1965
CASCAVELLE VEL3156 [57.12] [RH]
Krips
and his forces perform with strong integrity and he allows the music
to sing.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791)
Ein musikalischer Spass see Reiner
Rarities
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) A Night on the Bare Mountain
see TCHAIKOVSKY
Carl
NIELSEN (1865-1931) Symphony 1; Saul and David
- Prelude to Act II
London SO/Andre Previn rec. 1967
HIGH DEFINITION TAPE TRANSFER HDCD196 [40:45]
[RB]
An
empowered recording worth the attention of true Nielsen fans.
Pavel
Zemek NOVÁK (b.1957) Preludes and Fugues
William Howard (piano) rec. 2009
CHAMPS HILL RECORDS CHRCD 016 [76:16]
[RB]
Defies
the bounds of tonality yet never abdicates the need to communicate with
audiences.
Michael
NYMAN
(1944-) In Concert
Michael Nyman Band rec. 2009
ARTHAUS MUSIK
101487 [86:00] [KM]
A
nice performance of some thirty years of music, mostly from soundtracks.
Giovanni
PAISIELLO (1740-1816) Complete Piano Concertos
Pietro
Spada (pianoforte)Orch da Camera di Santa Cecilia rec. 1992
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94224 [73:24 + 75:32]
[Byz]
Thoroughly
melodious and interesting but neither profound nor stunningly imaginative.
Giovanni
Pierluigi da PALESTRINA (c.1525-1594)
Missa Papae Marcelli Arvo PÄRT
(b.1935) Choral works
Nederlands Kamerkoor/Risto Joost rec. 2010
GLOBE RECORDS GLO5240 [79:53]
[DC]
Beautiful
record, daft programme.
Arvo
PÄRT (b.1935) Choral works see
PALESTRINA
Krzysztof
PENDERECKI (1933-) Sextet see DOHNANYI
Allan
PETTERSSON (1911-1980) Symphonies 1 & 2
Norrköping Symphony/Christian Lindberg rec. 2010; DVD documentary
BIS-CD-1860
[76:56]
Eight Barefoot Songs, Concertos 1 & 2
Anders Larsson (baritone) Nordic CO/Christian Lindberg rec. 2007
BIS-CD-1690
[72:21] Concerto
3 for string orchestra
Nordic CO/Christian Lindberg rec. 2006
BIS-CD-1590 [54:00] [RB]
A
monumentally important first recording for a reconstruction of Pettersson’s
first symphony and fresh elite recordings of the three Concertos for
Strings.
Hans
PFITZNER (1869-1949) Von Deutsche Seele -
Romantische Kantate
Solveig Kringelborn (soprano) Nathalie Stutzmann (mezzo) Christopher
Ventris (tenor) Robert Holl (bass) Rundfunkchor/Simon Halsey Deutsche
SO Berlin/Ingo Metzmacher rec. 2007
CAPRICCIO CAP5092 [47:47 + 43:12]
[RB]
German
romantic poetry in words and music threaded through and tied off with
supercharged accelerant - a blazing and roaring lunge at sun-drenched
fierce nobility.
Mario
PILATI (1903-1938)
& Achille LONGO (1900-1954)
Piano Quintets
Circo Artistico, Aldo Ciccolini (piano) rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572628 [56:30]
[RB]
Another
pair of provocative discoveries.
American
78rpm Rarities
Walter
PISTON (1894-1976) Symphony 2 Various
Genesis Suite
Boston SO/G. Wallace Woodworth, Janssen Symphony of Los Angeles/Werner
Janssen rec. 1944-6
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC306 [76:12]
[RB]
Rare
historical material but rewarding and as well as documentary value.
Walter
PISTON Symphony No. 3 see Howard
Hanson Conducts
Nicola
PORPORA (1686-1768) Cantatas
Iestyn Davies (counter-tenor) Arcangelo/Jonathan Cohen (cello) rec.
2010
HYPERION CDA67894 [78.04] [RH]
A
fine disc of civilised entertainment which wears its learning and musicality
lightly.
Francis
POULENC (1899-1963) Quatre Motets pour un temps de
Pénitence see FAURE
Michael
PRAETORIUS (1571-1621) Christmas Music
Westminster Cathedral Ch, The Parley of Instruments/David Hill rec.
1986
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55446 [49:13] [JV]
From
every point of view this is an intriguing and captivating disc.
Sergey
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Peter and the Wolf
Will Kemp (narrator) Royal Ballet Sinf/Paul Murphy rec. 2010
OPUS ARTE OA1057D
[38:00] [ST]
If
you know some children who enjoy dancing, or if you want to get some
children interested in dance for the first time, then this is especially
for you.
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Violin Concertos 1 & 2, Sonata
for 2 violins
Pavel Berman & Anna Tifu (violin), Orch Della Svizzera Italiana/Andrey
Boreyko rec. 2010
DYNAMIC CDS 676 [62:23]
[AM]
Solid
but generalised performances that can’t match the competition in these
fine works.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) The Love for Three Oranges
Suite see TCHAIKOVSKY
Roger
QUILTER
(1877 - 1953) The Complete Piano Music
David Owen Norris (piano) rec. 2004
EM RECORDS EMR CD002 [47:00]
[IL]
Brings
back cherished memories of Quilter’s exquisitely fragile and magical
music.
Sergei
RAKHMANINOV
(19873-1943)
Preludes
Marta Deyanova (piano)rec. 1987
NIMBUS NI 5094 [76:57]
[RB]
Warmth
without sultry condensation and drama without uncontrolled blur.
Sergey
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Piano pieces and Thirteen Preludes, Op. 32 [40:09] Moments musicaux,
Op. 16 [26:32]
Dmitri Alexeev (piano) rec. 1987/1989
VIRGIN CLASSICS 0963752 [70:33 + 66:41]
[BR]
Perhaps
worth it for the miniatures, not the impersonal preludes.
Serge
RACHMANINOFF (1873–1943) Vesna, Three Russian Songs,
The Bells
Svetla Vassileva (soprano) Misha Didyk (tenor) Alexei Tanovitski (bass)
Ch of the Mariinsky Theatre, BBC PO/Gianandrea Noseda rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN 10706 [62:53] [JQ]
A
good, vibrant account of The Bells, though the recording lacks some
of the usual Chandos impact.
Einojuhani
RAUTAVAARA (b.1928)
Apotheosis - The Best of Einojuhani Rautavaara Cantus
arcticus, Apotheosis & selected movements
Richard Stoltzman (clarinet) Helsinki PO/Leif Segerstam, Vladimir Ashkenazy,
Swedish RSO/Mikko Franck rec. 1996-2008
ONDINE ODE 1081-2 [70:32]
[JW]
A
disc of highlights.
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Ma Mčre l’Oye: Suite see RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Anton
REICHA (1770-1836) Chamber Music for Bassoon and Strings
Island
- Jane Gower (bassoon) Madeleine Easton, Alice Evans (violin) Galina
Zinchenko (viola) Catherine Jones (cello) rec. 2011
ARS PRODUKTION ARS38091 [49:53] [JV]
Nobody
should be discouraged by the short playing time from purchasing this
disc.
Wallingford
RIEGGER New
Dance see Howard
Hanson Conducts
Knudåge
RIISAGER (1897-1974) The Symphonic Edition - Vol.
1 Overture for Erasmus Montanus, Klods Hans, Symphony 1,
Comoedie, Fastelavn
Aarhus SO/Bo Holten rec. 2010-2011
DACAPO 8.226146 [64:52]
[RB]
This
is a pleasing collection and bodes well for the later volumes.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Nikolay RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
(1844-1908) Capriccio espagnol, Overtures
Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 2010-11
NAXOS 8.572788 [67:05]
[RMay]
What
I want to know now about Schwarz and his musicians is what exactly are
they on?
Nicolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) The Golden Cockerel: Suite
Igor
STRAVINSKY
(1882-1971)
The Firebird: Suite Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Ma Mčre l’Oye: Suite
Sym O/Albert Coates rec. 1921-1924
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC 303 [70:19]
[CH]
Nikolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Antar see
Oriental Rhapsody
Pierre
RODE (1774-1830) Violin Concertos 3, 4 & 6
Friedemann Eichhorn (violin) Jena PO/Nicolás Pasquet rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.570767 [73:51] [BR]
Pleasurable
violin concertos of the ‘French school’ c. 1800, and the violinist joins
in the spirit with his own excellent cadenzas.
Julius
RÖNTGEN (1855-1932)
Piano Concertos 2 & 4
Matthias Kirschnereit (piano) NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover/David Porcelijn
rec. 2008
CPO 777 398-2 [59:24]
[RB]
Some
extremely beautiful and even noble and fresh things to say - just don’t
look for high tragedy.
Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) Guillaume Tell
Gerald Finley (baritone) John Osborne (tenor) Matthew Rose (bass) Elena
Xanthoudakis (soprano) Ch & O of the Academia di Santa Cecilia,
Rome/Antonio Pappano rec. 2010
EMI CLASSICS 0288262 [3 CDs: 208:15] [RJF]
Some
virtues, but does not replace Gardelli’s earlier EMI version in my affections.
A pity it is not complete.
Gioacchino
ROSSINI (1792
- 1868) Il Turco in Italia, L'Italiana in Algeri,
Il Cambiale di Matrimonio
Haydn O di Bolzano e Trento/Umberto Benedetto Michelangeli, Antonello
Allemandi; Teatro O Comunale di Bologna/Donato Renzetti rec. 2006/7
DYNAMIC
CDS682 [5 CDs: 378:36]
[RH]
Not
perfect but lively and involving and certainly worth the low price.
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