One of the most grown-up review sites around

2020
54,416 reviews
and more.. and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here

     
  
 

 

International mailing


 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


Some items
to consider

 

paid for
advertisements



TROUBADISC

100th birthday of Mieczyslaw Weinberg on December 8, 2019.
Renate Eggbrecht has recorded all 3 violin Sonatas


FOGHORN Classics


Mozart Brahms
Clarinet Quintets


New Releases

Naxos Classical


Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10

 


Obtain 10% discount

 


Follow us on Twitter

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing
sample

Sample: See what you will get

Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Seen & Heard
Editor Emeritus
   Bill Kenny
MusicWeb Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

 

Discs for review may be sent to:
Jonathan Woolf
76 Lushes Road
Loughton
Essex IG10 3QB
United Kingdom
Ph. 020 8418 0616
jonathan_woolf@yahoo.co.uk


 





Gerard Hoffnung CDs

Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and get a free CD

New Releases

Naxos Classical

Hyperion

Musicweb sells the following labels
Acte Préalable
Alto
Altus
Arcodiva
Atoll
CDAccord
Cameo Classics
Centaur
Hallé
Hortus
Lyrita
Nimbus
Northern Flowers
Redcliffe
Sheva
Talent
Toccata Classics


Follow us on Twitter

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing
sample

Sample: See what you will get
Alphabetical Listing

PART 5
S-Z

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]


Domenico SCARLATTI (1679-1744) La Dirindina, Sinfonias, Sonatas Marina Bartoli (soprano) L'Arte dell'Arco/Federico Guglielmo (violin) rec. 2007 CPO 777 555-2 [63:59] [JV]

The intermezzo is the main attraction: a nice piece, well sung and played.  

Johann Christian SCHIEFERDECKER (1679-1732) Cantatas, Concerts Klaus Mertens (bass) Jan Kobow (tenor) Hamburger Ratsmusik/Simone Eckert rec. 2012 CARUS 83.398 [62:18] [JW]

Graciousness and melodic invention … facility and good spirits. 

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Octet Consortium Classicum rec. 1996 MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 301 0768-2 [63:41] [MC]

Splendidly performed. 

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Kerner Lieder & songs by Wolf, Korngold & Mahler Roderick Williams (baritone) Helmut Deutsch (piano) rec. 2011 WIGMORE HALL LIVE WHLIVE0055 [70:32] [JQ]

A marvellous, deeply satisfying lieder recital. 

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Violin Concertos, Phantasie Anthony Marwood (violin) BBC Scottish SO/Douglas Boyd rec. 2011 HYPERION CDA67847 [69:29][JW]

Three performances of a consistently high standard.

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Quintet Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Piano Quintet 2 Jonathan Biss (piano) Elias String Qt rec. 2012 ONYX 4092 [70:53] [JS]

Good to hear such thoroughly prepared and thoughtful performances. 

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Liederkreis, Sechs Gedichte aus dem Liederbuch eines Malers Gerald Finley (baritone) Julius Drake (piano) rec. 2011/2 HYPERION CDA67944 [64:20] [ST]

Finley brings a weight and intensity that is all his own. 

Le Martyre de Saint Sebastian Suite, La Mer Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Symphony 4 see DEBUSSY

Heinrich SCHÜTZ (1585-1672) Geistliche Gesänge Dresdner Kammerchor/Hans-Christoph Rademann rec. 2009 CARUS 83.239 [60:01] [JW] 

With fine performances and well judged recording there can be no reservations. 

José SEREBRIER (b.1938) Flute Concerto with Tango see Pipe Dreams - Sharon Bezaly


RECORDING OF THE MONTH

Bedřich SMETANA
(1824-1884) String Quartet 2 see Dawn of Czech Modernism

Louis SPOHR (1784-1859) Piano Sonata, Rondoletto George ONSLOW (1784-1853) Piano Sonata, Six Pièces, Toccata Howard Shelley (piano) rec. 2011 HYPERION CDA67947 [78:16] [JW]

First class recording and thoroughly sympathetic performances. 

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Violin Sonata Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Violin Sonata, Sei pezzi Tasmin Little (violin); Piers Lane (piano) rec. 2012 CHANDOS CHAN 10749 [65:50][RB]

Flooded with melodic light … surging with eruptive romance.

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Der Rosenkavalier Renée Fleming, Sophie Koch, Diana Damrau, Jonas Kaufmann, Munich PO/Christian Thielemann rec. 2009 DECCA 478 1507 [3 CDs: 203:39] [RMo]

The great climaxes still worked their magic and I often forgot my objections. 

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Tod und Verklärung see CHERUBINI

Maria SZYMANOWSKA (1789-1831) Ballads and Romances Elizabeth Zapolska (mezzo), Bart van Oort (piano) rec. 2011 ACTE PRÉALABLE AP0260 [71:54][JW]

An interesting impression is left by this disc.

Thomas TALLIS (1505-1585) The Complete Works Chapelle du Roi/Alistair Dixon, Charivari Agréable rec. 1996-2004 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94268 [10 CDs: 657:34] [JW]

The single most important Tallis set now available.

Pyotr Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The Sleeping Beauty (highlights) Slovak State PO/Andrew Mogrelia rec. 1991 NAXOS 8.572931 [76:59] [JWh]

Still one of the best recordings available. 

Pyotr Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The Sleeping Beauty Bergen PO/Neeme Järvi rec. 2012 CHANDOS CHSA 5113(2) [77:14 + 77:56] [DBi] [NB]

This is a great work in a very fine performance beautifully recorded. [DBi] I am not sure this current issue adds greatly to our knowledge and appreciation of this great work – finer and more engaging versions exist elsewhere. [NB]

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphonies 4 & 5 London PO/Vladimir Jurowski rec. 2011 LPO LIVE LPO-0064 [43:17 + 41:30] [ST]

These don’t stand up to repeated listening on record. 

Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) The Autograph Scores Collegium Musicum 90/Simon Standage rec. 2011 CHANDOS CHAN0787 [79:18] [JV]

Lovers of Telemann's music should consider this disc although the performances are less than ideal. 

Will TODD (b. 1970) The Call of Wisdom Tenebrae; English CO/Nigel Short SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD298 [66:46] [JQ]

Will Todd’s music is well served by Tenebrae but the programme is something of a mixed bag.

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) La Traviata Emma Matthews, Gianluca Terranova, Jonathan Summers, Australian Opera and Ballet O & Ch/Brian Castles-Onion rec. 2012 OPERA AUSTRALIA OPOZ56029DVD [141:00] [ST]

Go into it this once with open eyes and you’ll probably enjoy it. 

Heitor VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959) Symphonies 6 & 7 São Paulo SO/Isaac Karabtchevsky rec. 2011 NAXOS 8.573043 [68:18] [DM]

Musically uneven but still worth hearing; augurs well for the rest of this cycle. 

Carl VINE (b.1954) Pipe Dreams see Pipe Dreams - Sharon Bezaly

Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) Recorder Concertos George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Recorder Sonatas Piers Adams (recorders) with Musica da Camera in Vivaldi Howard Beach (harpsichord and organ); David Watkin (cello) in Handel rec. 1988, RED PRIEST RP008 [56:40 + 59:13] [JW]

Trilling luminescence … classical poise.

Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) Concerti con Molti Stromenti The King's Consort/Robert King rec. 1998 HYPERION HELIOS CDH 55439 [69:13]  [Byz]

A bargain for Vivaldi novices and collectors alike.

Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) Concertos for two violins Angelo Cicillini and Luca Venturini (violins) L'Orfeo Ensemble di Spoleto/Fabrizio Ammetto rec. 2009 TACTUS TC672253 [63:56] [JV]

Three first recordings and three reconstructions are reasons enough to welcome this disc. 

Richard WAGNER (1813 - 1883) Götterdämmerung Kirsten Flagstad, Set Svanholm, Opera Chorus, Oslo PO, Norwegian State Radio O/Øivin Fjeldstad rec. 1956 NAXOS 8.112066-69 [4 CDs: 260:12] [GF]

Should be in every serious Wagner lover’s collection for the singing of Flagstad and Svanholm. 

William Vincent WALLACE (1812-1865) Celtic Fantasies Rosemary Tuck (piano) Richard Bonynge (*piano II) rec. 2009. DDD NAXOS 8.572775 [71:13][Byz]

Craftsmanship and mellifluousness.

Carl Maria von WEBER (1786-1826) Invitation to the Dance (orch. Berlioz) op.65 [10:07] Symphony No. 1 [23:12] Bassoon Concerto op. 75 [17:12] Symphony No. 2 [17:50] Karen Geoghegan (bassoon) BBC Philharmonic/Juanjo Mena rec. 2012 CHANDOS CHAN 10748 [69:11] [RB]

A doughty entrant in the hardly over-populated Weber catalogue. Enjoyable stuff.

Mieczyslaw WEINBERG (1919-1996) Piano Sonatas 4-6 Murray McLachlan (piano) rec. 1996 DIVINE ART DDA25107 [66:46][SA]

A disc to savour.

Mieczysław WEINBERG (1919-1996) Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes, Symphony 6 Glinka Choral College Boys' Choir/Vasily Grachev St Petersburg State SO/Vladimir Lande rec. 2010 NAXOS 8.572779 [61:01] [Byz]

This must be the new first choice for Weinberg 6. 

Ermanno WOLF-FERRARI (1876-1948) Idillio-concertino, Concertino, Suite-concertino Andrea Tenaglia (oboe); Willian Moriconi (cor anglais); Giuseppe Ciabocchi (bassoon) Rome SO/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2009 NAXOS 8.572921 [77:32] [JWh]

77 minutes of sheer joy. You can’t help but smile so give it a try. 

Iannis XENAKIS (1922- 2001) Zyia, Six Chansons Grècques, Psappha, Persephassa Angelica Cathariou (mezzo); Cécile Daroux (flute); Daniel Ciampolini (percussion); Nikolaos Samaltanos, Dimitri Vassilikis (piano) SAPHIR LVC1168 [62.14] [GH]

Often thought-provoking as is the entire disc of music by this most innovative of minds. 

Juliusz ZAREBSKI (1854-1885) Piano Quintet see ZELENSKI

Wladyslaw ZELENSKI (1837-1921) Piano Quartet in C minor Op 61 (1890s) [36:19] Juliusz ZAREBSKI (1854-1885) Piano Quintet in G minor Op 34 (1885) [34:47] Jonathan Plowright (piano) Szymanowski Quartet rec. 2011, HYPERION CDA67905 [71:06] [RB]

Fluently lyrical late-romantic delights irresistibly presented in every way.


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]


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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

The Collector’s Guide to Gramophone Company Record Labels 1898 - 1925
Howard Friedman

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
Pat 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




Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.