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Alphabetical Listing

PART 4
M-R

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]


Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Totenfeier, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen Sarah Connolly (mezzo) O Age of Enlightenment/Vladimir Jurowski rec. 2011 SIGNUM SIGCD259 [38:18] [MC]

Not exceptional but certainly impressive in spite of short playing time. 

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Das Lied von der Erde (arr. Arnold Schoenberg/Rainer Riehn) Jane Irwin (mezzo); Peter Wedd (tenor) Manchester Camerata/Douglas Boyd rec. 2010 AVIE AV 2195 [60:32] [JQ]

An act of homage by Schoenberg but no substitute for Mahler’s wonderful, luminous original.

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 1 Baltimore SO/Marin Alsop rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.572207 [54:55] [JWh]

A really satisfying Mahler 1. 

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 4 (arr. Erwin Stein) Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Nuits d’Été (arr. David Matthews) Heather Shipp (mezzo) O of The Swan/David Curtis rec. 2009 SOMM RECORDINGS SOMMCD 245 [79:50] [JQ]

Well worth investigating if you’re attracted to hearing ‘Mahler lite’. 

Gustav MAHLER (1860 - 1911) Kindertotenlieder, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Quartettsatz Ferruccio BUSONI (1866 - 1924) Berceuse élégiaque Sara Mingardo (contralto) Musici Aurei/Luigi Piovano rec. 2011 ELOQUENTIA EL 1233 [62:21] [GF]

Part of the vogue for recording Mahler songs in reduced versions for chamber sized orchestra. 


RECORDING OF THE MONTH

Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Piano Quintet see Dawn of Czech Modernism

Peter MAXWELL DAVIES (b. 1934) Symphony 1, Mavis in Las Vegas BBC Philharmonic/Peter Maxwell Davies rec. 1994/97 NAXOS 8.572348 [68:03] [DM]

Great fun; a reminder of the composer’s relaxed, more genial side.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Elijah Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Robert Murray, Simon Keenlyside, Wrocław Philharmonic Ch; Gabrieli Consort, Young Singers Scheme & Players/Paul McCreesh rec. 2011/12 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD300 [68:30 + 67:28] [ST]

Worth every bit as much praise as McCreesh’s Berlioz. 

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Choral works St Albans Abbey Girls Ch, Lay Clerks of St Albans Cathedral Ch/Tom Winpenny (organ) Peter Holder (organ) rec.2011 NAXOS 8.572836 [77:08] [JS]

A refreshing, enjoyable and well filled disc.

Frederico MOMPOU (1893-1987) Preludes 5-10, Canciónes y danzas 5-12, Impresiones intimas Olena Kushpler (piano) rec. 2011 CAPRICCIO C5115 [63:47] [JW]

A warmly textured series of performances, well recorded. 

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Bassoon Concerto Antonio ROSETTI (1750-1792) Bassoon Concertos Kurpfalzisches Kammerochester, Orchestra/Eckhart Hubner (bassoon) rec. 2012 CPO 777 742-2 [57:46] [BMcC]

A sense of wonder, hopefulness and optimism.

Modest Petrovich MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Boris Godunov Yevgeny Nesterenko (bass)Choir of the Bolshoi Theatre/A.Rybnov Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra/Mark Ermler rec. 1982 ALTO ALC 2504 [3 CDs: 61:22 + 49:14 + 79:06][RB]

A Bolshoi recording - theatricality, both brazen and tender, is a given.


RECORDING OF THE MONTH

Vitězslav NOVÁK (1870-1949) Piano Quintet see Dawn of Czech Modernism

Jacques OFFENBACH (1819 - 1880) La belle Hélène, Orphée aux enfers Dame Felicity Lott, Michel Sénéchal, Natalie Dessay, Yann Beuron Les Musiciens du Louvre, Opéra National de Lyon/Marc Minkowski rec. 1997/2000 ARTHAUS MUSIK 107 506 [123:00 + 153:00] [GF]

Superb singing and playing. 

George ONSLOW (1784-1853) Piano Sonata, Six Pièces, Toccata see SPOHR

Carl ORFF (1895-1982) Carmina Burana Kiera Duffy (soprano) Marco Panuccio (tenor) Daniel Schmutzhard (baritone) MDR SO & Ch/Kristjan Järvi rec. 2012 SONY CLASSICAL 88725446212 [60:00] [DM]

An anti-climax in every sense; one for the sale bins. 

Charles Hubert Hastings PARRY (1848-1918) Cello sonata see British Works for Cello and Piano

Giovanni Benedetto PLATTI (1697 - 1763) Sonatas Rüdiger Lotter (violin) Sebastian Hess (cello) Florian Birsak (fortepiano) rec. 2010 OEHMS CLASSICS OC836 [73:00] [JV]

An eloquent dialogue between the three instruments. 

Ignaz PLEYEL (1757-1831) String Quartets 'Paris' Vol. 1 Janáček Qt rec. 2011 ARS PRODUKTION ARS 38818 [63:26]   [Byz]

No admirer of Haydn's late String Quartets can fail to be pleased by this disc. 

Seppo POHJOLA (b. 1965) String Quartets 1-4 The Kamus Qt rec. 2010 ALBA ABCD334 [69:50] [HC]

Pohjola's first four string quartets in superb sound and readings. 

Joachim RAFF (1822-1882) Piano Works - Volume 3 Tra Nguyen (piano) rec. 2011 GRAND PIANO GP634 [76:33] [Byz]

An intuitive sense of expression and phrasing brings this magical music to life. 

Max REGER (1873-1916) Violin Sonatas 2 & 3, Romance Ulf Wallin (violin) Roland Pöntinen (piano) rec. 2008 CPO 777445-2 [64:36] [JW]

Offers the genuine Regerian experience. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Marie Victoire Takesha Meshé Kizart (soprano) Markus Brück (baritone) Ch & O Deutschen Oper Berlin/Michail Jurowski rec. 2009 CPO 777 121-2 [3 CDs: 164:45] [NB]

A major release of great value and interest. 

Nicolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Scheherazade see BEETHOVEN

Antonio ROSETTI (1750-1792) Bassoon Concertos see MOZART

Gioacchino ROSSINI (1792 -1868) Aureliano in Palmira Kenneth Tarver (tenor) Catriona Smith (soprano) Geoffrey Mitchell Ch, London PO/Maurizio Benini rec. 2010 OPERA RARA ORC46 [3 CDs: 168:43] [RJF]

Not among the greatest of the composer’s operas but a must for all bel canto enthusiasts as well as Rossini completists. 

Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868) Complete Overtures Vol. 1 Prague Philharmonic Ch, Prague Sinfonia O/Christian Benda rec. 2011 NAXOS 8.570933 [60:04] [JWh]

Bright and breezy but not quite an outright winner.   

Miklós RÓZSA (1907-1995) Violin concerto, Concerto for String Orchestra, Theme, Variations and Finale Jennifer Pike (violin) BBC Philh/Rumon Gamba rec. 2011/12 CHANDOS CHAN10738 [75:08] [JF]

A superb recording that reveals all the colour and dynamics of these complex and passionate scores. 


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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