---

LATEST CD & DVD REVIEWS

Tuesday August 28th

207 reviews completed so far this month.

Leonard BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) Arias and Barcarolles Samuel BARBER (1910-1981) The school for scandal David DIAMOND (1915-2005) Elegy in memory of Maurice Ravel Jane Bunnell (mezzo) Dale Duesing (baritone) Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1990/91 NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS [DM] Worth hearing for the Barber and Diamond; the Bernstein is eminently forgettable. 

Ferruccio BUSONI (1866-1924) Doktor Faust, Arlecchino, Comedy Overture, Berceuse Élégiaque, Rondo Arlecchinesco London PO/Sir Adrian Boult rec. 1949-62 IMMORTAL PERFORMANCES [JS] Should appeal to all Busoni enthusiasts.

Pietro MASCAGNI (1863-1945) Cavalleria rusticana Ruggero LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919) Pagliacci Sherrill Milnes, Plácido Domingo, Teresa Stratas, Tatiana Troyanos, Metropolitan Op O & Ch/James Levine rec. 1978 SONY CLASSICAL [GF] With a well-nigh perfect Pagliacci and a slightly flawed Cavalleria rusticana this is a good buy. 

Giuseppe Saverio MERCADANTE (1795-1870) Don Chisciotte Ugo Guagliardo, Domenico Colaianni, San Pietro a Majella Ch, Naples; Czech Chamber Soloists, Brno/Antonio Fogliano rec. 2007 NAXOS [RMo] Will not pass as much more than a mild curiosity.

Gioacchino ROSSINI (1792-1868) Armida Cecilia Gasdia, Chris Merritt, William Matteuzzi, I Solisti Veneti/Claudio Scimone rec. 1991 BRILLIANT CLASSICS [RH] Highly desirable … contains some fine things. 

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Four last songs, Das was sehr gut, Mandryka, Morgen mittag um elf Anne Schwanewilms, Gürzenich O Köln/Markus Stenz rec. 2011 ORFEO [JQ] Some lovely Strauss singing but the account of Vier letzte Lieder fails to challenge the best.

La Bella Minuta - Florid songs for cornetto around 1600 Bruce Dickey (cornett) Claudia Pasetto, Leonardo Bartolotto Alberto Rasi (viola da gamba) Maria Christina Cleary (harp) Liuwe Tamminga (organ) rec. 2011 PASSACAILLE  [JV] This disc impressively documents the art of the cornett and the brilliance of the cornettists of the time around 1600.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Filia Sion Gregorian chant & works by Perotinus, de Grudencz & von Bingen Vox Clamantis/Jaan-Eik Tulve rec. 2010 ECM NEW SERIES [DC] Truly magical. 

The Great Russian Pianists - The Original Piano Roll Recordings rec. 1908-1933 DAL SEGNO [SA] If you like being ‘gobsmacked’ by music and performances then this is the disc to do it. 

Julius Klengel - A Celebration Raphael Wallfisch, Sebastian Comberti, Sarah Butcher, Ben Chappell, Joely Koos (cello) Martin Ennis (organ) rec. 2009-11 CELLO CLASSICS [JW] Klengel was one of the most important figures in the history of the cello. 

Musicweb's Recordings of the Month Click here

NEW and RECENT ARTICLES

August Download Roundup #2 by Brian Wilson

Masterwork Index: Aida ~~ La Bohème

 

NOTICES

The Malcolm Arnold Festival, Northampton 21-22 Ocober
includes the World Premiere of The Dancing Master plus Strauss Die Fledermaus
Julian Lloyd Webber plays the Delius cello concerto
A night at the ballet. Suites from Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker and three Arnold Ballet scores (The programme will include Hobson’s Choice, David Copperfield, Sarabande and Polka and Bridge on the River Kwai march.)

Have you seen the NMC Map of contemporary music?

Discs received for review A new feature; updated monthly

Shopping on-line? Help us by doing it through MusicWeb Sales page

Advice for Windows Vista Users wishing to play sound samples from reviews

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

---

MusicWeb - The International Web Site Founder: Len Mullenger [UK], Classical Editor: Rob Barnett [UK],  Regular Reviewers:   Steve Arloff [UK], Guy Aron [Australia], Tony Augarde [UK], Terry Barfoot [UK], Melinda Bargreen [USA], David J. Barker [Australia], Rob Barnett [UK], Nick Barnard [UK], Robert Beattie [UK], Dave Billinge [UK], Peter Bright [UK], Byzantion [UK], Colin Clarke [UK], Dominy Clements [Netherlands], Michael Cookson [UK], Hubert Culot [Belgium], Evan Dickerson [UK], Gavin Dixon [UK], Robert J. Farr [UK], Christopher Fifield [UK], Göran Forsling [Sweden], John France [UK], Patrick Gary [USA], Pierre Giroux [CAN], Paul C. Godfrey [UK], Michael Greenhalgh [UK], William Hedley [France], Gary Higginson [UK], Neil Horner [UK], Robert Hugill UK], David Jennings [UK], Bill Kenny [UK], William S Kreindler [USA], Ian Lace [UK], Em Marshall-Luck [UK], Oleg Ledeniov [USA]Rob Maynard [UK], David A McConnell [USA], Kirk McElhearn [France], Robert McKechnie [UK], Ralph Moore [RMo] [UK], Dan Morgan [UK], Margarida Mota-Bull [UK], Glyn Pursglove [UK], John Quinn [UK], Carla Rees [UK], Brian Reinhart [USA], Donald Satz [USA], Mark Sealey [USA], John Sheppard [UK], George Stacy, Paul Steinson [UK], Kevin Sutton [USA], Bert Thompson [USA], Simon Thompson [UK], Zane Turner [Australia], Steve Vasta [UK], Johan van Veen [Netherlands], Raymond Walker [UK], Derek Warby [UK], Brian Wilson [UK], Jonathan Woolf [UK] Leslie Wright [USA]. A complete list of contributors can be seen here

---

EXPLORE MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Making a Donation to MusicWeb Writing CD reviews for MWI About MWI Who we are, where we have come from and how we do it. Site Map How to find a review How to find articles on MusicWeb Listed in date order Review Indexes    By Label       Select a label and all reviews are listed in Catalogue order    By Masterwork             Links from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to the review indexes for the individual works as well as other resources. Themed Review pages Jazz reviews

Discographies    Composer       Composer surveys    National       Unique to MusicWeb - a comprehensive listing of all LP and CD recordings of given works. Prepared by Michael Herman Book Reviews Complete Books We have a number of out of print complete books on-line Interviews With Composers, Conductors, Singers, Instumentalists and others Includes those on the Seen and Heard site Nostalgia Nostalgia CD reviews

Records Of The Year Each reviewer is given the opportunity to select the best of the releases Monthly Best Buys Recordings of the Month and Bargains of the Month Comment Arthur Butterworth Writes An occasional column Phil Scowcroft's Garlands British Light Music articles Classical blogs A listing of Classical Music Blogs external to MusicWeb International Reviewers Logs What they have been listening to for pleasure Announcements

Community Bulletin Board Give your opinions or seek answers Reviewers Past and present Helpers invited! Resources How Did I Miss That? Currently suspended but there are a lot there with sound clips Composer Resources British Composers British Light Music Composers Other composers Film Music (Archive) Film Music on the Web (Closed in December 2006) Programme Notes For concert organizers

External sites British Music Society The BBC Proms Orchestra Sites Recording Companies & Retailers Online Music Agents & Marketing Publishers Other links Newsgroups Web News sites etc PotPourri A pot-pourri of articles MW Listening Room MW Office Advice to Windows Vista users   Questionnaire     Site History   What they say about us What we say about us! Where to get help on the Internet CD orders By Special Request Graphics archive Currency Converter Dictionary Magazines Newsfeed   Web Ring Translation Service Rules for potential reviewers :-) Do Not Go Here! April Fools

MusicWeb International thank Naxos for the no-strings use of their server to mount the website.