Elizabeth
MACONCHY (1907
- 1994) The Land, Piano Concertino, Music for Woodwind and Brass,
Symphony 
Clelia Iruzun (piano) BBC Scottish SO/Odaline de la Martinez rec. 2009
LORELT
LNT 133 [64:05] [HC]
A
most welcome addition to Maconchy's growing discography.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Das Lied von der Erde
Jane Henschel (mezzo) Gregory Kunde (tenor) Houston SO/Hans Graf rec.
2009
NAXOS 8.572498 [62:46] [WH]
There
are many fine things in this performance, but the magnificent mezzo
is miscast.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen;
Rückert-Lieder; Kindertotenlieder
Hermine Haselböck (mezzo) Russell Ryan (piano) rec. 2008/9
BRIDGE RECORDS 9341 [60:25] [MC]
Very different voices and each bringing individual qualities to the
table.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony 3
Waltraud Meier (mezzo) Eton College Boys Ch, London PO & Ch/Klaus
Tennstedt rec. 1986
ICA CLASSICS ICAC 5033 [59:58 + 42:21] [JQ]
Once
again, hearing Klaus Tennstedt live in Mahler is a rich and rewarding
experience.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 8
Gewandhaus Ch & O Leipzig/Riccardo Chailly rec. 2011
ACCENTUS 
ACC10222 [92:19] [DM]
Adrift
in the doldrums; not a patch on Chailly's fine 'Resurrection'.
Kryštof
MAŘATKA
(b.1972)
Praharphona Sextet, Hypnózy
Sandrine Chatron (harp) Ens Calliopée/Kryštof Mařatka rec. 2009/10
DUX
0784 [52:34] [JW]
Music
for academics and other musicians; not for audiences.
Czeslaw
MAREK (1891-1985) Suite, Quatre Meditations, Serenade,
Sinfonia, Capriccio, Sinfonietta
Ingolf Turban (violin) Philharmonia O/Gary Brain rec. 1995/96
GUILD GMCD 7360/61 [74:31 + 66:52] [NB]
Plenty
of interesting music here for the adventurous collector although my
ultimate impression is of a fine craftsman lacking the glamour of genius.
Czeslaw MAREK
(1891-1985)
Songs and Choral Music
Elzbieta Szmytka (soprano) Jean Rigby (mezzo) William Dazeley (baritone)
Krysztof Smietana (violin) Iain Burnside (piano) Philharmonia Ch &
O/Gary Brain rec. 1997/98
GUILD GMCD 7366/67 [71:39 + 59:04] [JW]
Late-Romantic-cum-folkloric
music in excellent performances.
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Piano Trios
Argenta Trio rec. 2010
BRIDGE 9338 [60:57] [SV]
Pleasing,
especially for the superb pianism.
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
String Quartets 2 & 6
Minguet Qt rec. 2009
CPO 777 503-2 [53:39] [GD]
Dreamlike
reveries and turbulent climaxes yet we have detail and pinpoint accuracy.
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Christus, O
haupt voll blut und wunden, Von himmel hoch
Sandrine Piau (soprano) Accentus; Ensemble Orchestral de Paris/Laurence
Equilbey rec. 2011
NAÏVE V5265 [48:15] [JS]
Ignore
the very short measure and concentrate on the quality of what is on
offer.
Felix MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847)
Lieder ohne Worte see Vassily
Primakov
Krzysztof
MEYER (b.1943)
String Quartets - volume 2 String Quartet no.9, op.74 (1990)
[24:35] String Quartet no.11, op.95 (2001) [15:21] String Quartet no.12,
op.103 (2005) [36:27]
Wieniawski String Quartet rec. 2010; DDD
NAXOS 8.572656 [76:24][Byz]
Intelligent
and emotive with a distinctive eastern European voice … melancholy and
hope, restlessness and emptiness, darkness with glimpses of light.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH E.J. MOERAN
(1894-1950)
Sketches for Symphony 2, Overture for a Festival John
IRELAND (1879-1962) Sarnia
Royal Scottish Ntl O/Martin Yates rec. 2011
DUTTON EPOCH CDLX 7281 [59:14] [RB]
Sensational
… radiance, colour and drive.
Federico
MOMPOU (1893-1987)
Piano music - Vol 2: Discoveries
Martin Jones (piano) rec. 2011
NIMBUS NI 5877/9 [3 CDs: 2:46:00] [PCG]
Most
enjoyable from beginning to end.
Paul
MORAVEC (b. 1957) Vita brevis, Characteristics,
Useful Knowledge: A Franklin Fantasy
Amy Burton (soprano) Randall Scarlata (baritone) Simon Mulligan (piano)
Trio Solisti, La Fenice, Cecilia Brauer (glass harmonica) rec. 2007-09
NAXOS
AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559698 [56:19] [PCG]
Those who enjoy the music of Moravec will welcome the chance to make
acquaintance with more of his music but proceed with a degree of caution.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Le Nozze Di Figaro
Reri Grist (soprano) Walter Berry (bass-baritone) Edith Mathis (soprano)
Ch of the Vienna St Op/Vienna PO/Karl Böhm rec. 1966
ARTHAUS MUSIK 
107 057 [2 DVDs: 180:00] [RJF]
This
classy and classic performance from another era well deserves to be
seen despite its technical limitations.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano Concertos 22
& 25
Paul Badura-Skoda (piano) Vienna PO/Horst Stein, Concertgebouw O/George
Szell rec. 1959
MUSIC & ARTS CD-1254 [65:59] [JQ]
Two
very fine performances that show how life-enhancing Mozart’s music can
be when it’s done well.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) The Prussian string
quartets
Emerson Qt rec. 2011
SONY CLASSICAL 88697 935982 [74:00] [KM]
A
fine recording of Mozart’s last string quartets, and one that offers
excellent sound, by one of the finest string quartets playing today.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Symphony 40 see
Toscanini
Nikolai
MYASKOVSKY (1881-1950) String Quartet 13 see
SHOSTAKOVICH
George
ONSLOW (1784-1853) Complete Piano Trios Vols 3
& 4
Trio Cascades rec. 2004/5
CPO 777 232-2 [74:24 + 75:25] [SV]
These
excellent performances merit a strong recommendation.
Pietro
Domenico PARADISI (1707
- 1791) Harpsichord Sonatas
Filippo Emanuele Ravizza (harpsichord)
CONCERTO CD 2008 [62:11 + 77:17] [JV]
A
rewarding set which lovers of harpsichord music will certainly enjoy.
Giacomo
Antonio PERTI (1661
– 1756) Messa a 12 (1687) see COLONNA
Laurent
PETITGIRARD (b. 1950) Guru
Hubert Claessens, Sonia Petrovna, Philippe Do, Karen Wierzba, Hungarian
SO Budapest/Laurent Petitgirard rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.660300-01 [71:05 + 49:24] [GF]
An
engrossing experience.
Kimmo
POHJONEN (b. 1964)/Samuli
KOSMINEN Uniko
Kronos Qt, Kimmo Pohjonen (accordion) Samuli Kosminen rec. 2004
C MAJOR 707108 [82:00]
[KM]
Hard
to describe, this fusion of electronic music, middle-eastern sounds,
and minimalism is entrancing and odd and ultimately provides a unique
musical experience.
In
The Heart Of Things Francis
POTT (b. 1957) Mass & other choral works
Grace Davidson (soprano) Commotio/Matthew Berry rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.572739 [66:58] [JQ]
An
excellent collection of choral music by Francis Pott in consistently
fine performances.
Sergey
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Romeo and Juliet (arr.
for viola and piano)
Matthew Jones, Rivka Golani (viola) Michael Hampton (piano) rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572318 [58:08] [OL]
Unexpectedly
rich, faithful and touching.
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Scythian Suite see Music from
the Machine Age
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Symphony 1; Piano Concerto 1
see A
Piano Evening with Martha Argerich
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Piano Concerto 3, Piano Sonata
6 see Evgeni Kissin
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Piano Concerto 2, Piano Sonata
2, Études-Tableaux Op.33 Hélène Grimaud (piano) Royal PO/Jésus Lopez-Cobos
rec. 1985-1992 DAL-SEGNO DSPRCD063 [77:52] [JW]
The
concerto is beset by too many faults but the other works are first-class
in every way.
John
RAMSAY (b.1931)
String Quartets No.1 -4
The Fitzwilliam String Quartet
rec. 2010/11
METIER MSV 28528 [38:32 + 48:29] [JF]
Ramsay’s
approachable String Quartets undoubtedly deserve a place in the repertoire.
An impressive cycle.
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Daphnis et Chloé
John Alldis Ch, London PO/Bernard Haitink rec. 1979
LPO 0059 [57:48] [KE]
Held
back by a degree of reserve.
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Pavane pour une infante défunte
see Julian Bream
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) La Valse see Music
from the Machine Age
Max
REGER (1873-1916)
Violin Concerto, Romances 1 & 2
Tanja Becker-Bender (violin) Konzerthausorchester Berlin/Lothar Zagrosek
rec. 2011
HYPERION CDA67892 [74:39] [MC]
Profoundly
expressive performances and a most attractive sound.
Max
REGER (1873-1916)
Romances 1 & 2, Violin Concerto, Aria
Kolja Lessing (violin) Göttingen SO/Christoph-Mathias Mueller rec.
2009/10
TELOS MUSIC TLS097 [78:56] [GD]
Richly
melodic and perfectly formed.
Franz
Xaver RICHTER (1709 - 1789) Sonatas for Flute, Harpsichord
and Cello 2. Sonatas 4-6 Pauliina Fred (transverse flute) Aapo Häkkinen
(harpsichord) Heidi Peltoniemi (cello) rec. 2009 NAXOS 8.572030
[61:50] [JV]
The
second disc of this project is a worthy successor to the first.
Marga
RICHTER (b.1926) Snow Mountain: A Spiritual
Trilogy
David Wells (cello) Marga Richter (piano) Daniel Heifetz (violin) Michael
Skelly (piano) rec. 1984
LEONARDA LE337 [71:50] [RB]
These
three works are kindred in their concentration and in their exploration
of remote realms of thought.
Nikolay
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Sadko Musical
Picture; Suites from The snow maiden, Mlada, Le
coq d’or
Seattle Symphony/Gerard Schwarz rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.572787 [70:04] [RMay]
Exoticism, swagger and aplomb … add this disc to your collection.
Martin
ROMBERG (b.1978) Valaquenta; Tableaux
Fantastiques
Aimo Pagin (piano) rec. 2010
LAWO LWC 1022 [79:44] [Byz]
Deliciously atmospheric and suggestive.
Albert
ROUSSEL (1869-1937) Segovia for guitar
see Julian Bream
Jeffrey
RYAN (b.1962) The Linearity of Light, Equilateral
Concerto, for piano trio amd orchestra, Symphony 1 Fugitive Colours
Gryphon
Trio Annalee Patipatanakoon (violin) Roman Borys (cello) Jamie Parker
(piano) Vancouver SO/Bramwell Tovey rec. 2008-2010
NAXOS CANADIAN CLASSICS 8.572765 [69:13] [Byz]
Angular
and sometimes brash, but never out-and-out modernistic.
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