NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
[New] Strauss's Sinfonia domestica - a survey by Ralph Moore
Strauss's Eine
Alpensinfonie - a survey by Ralph Moore
Christmas 2021 - Some Seasonal Offerings by Brian Wilson
Cello concerto project: new update (now includes works for
multiple cellos)
Vocal Retrospective: Teresa Żylis-Gara in Memoriam by Ralph Moore & Mike Parr
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Tuesday November
30th
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Concerto
- Oscar Shumsky (violin)
Philharmonia Hungarica/Uri Segal rec. 1984 BIDDULPH 85007-2 [42:10]
[JW] The great Oscar Shumsky in an unreleased Brahms concerto recording from 1984.
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)
The Turn of the Screw - Rhian Lois (soprano) Robert Murray (tenor)
Sinfonia of London/John Wilson
OperaGlass Works rec. 2020 CHANDOS CHDVD5290 [112 mins] [ST]
A laudable lockdown effort from the performers and creative team, but I don’t think I’ll be coming back to it.
Arthur
FARWELL (1872-1952) Songs, Choral & Piano
Works - William Sharp (baritone) Emanuele Arciuli (piano) Dakota String
Quartet, Texas University Chamber Singers/James Morrow rec. 2013-20 NAXOS
8.559900 [52:41] [RB] Much startlingly fresh writing here and well recorded too.
Liza LIM (b.1966)
Singing in Tongues – Operas and Vocal Works 1993-2007
- Elision rec. 2003-08 HUDDERSFIELD CONTEMPORARY RECORDS HCR25CD
[3CDs: 175:19] [DMD] By any estimation this is great music.
Anton Edvard PRATTÉ (1796-1875) Grand Concert,
Theme and Variations,
Souvenir de Norvčge -
Delphine Constantin-Reznik (harp) Norrköping SO/Daniela Musca rec. 2020 BIS BIS-2570 SACD [73:35]
[DC]
Another unknown composer emerges, and is very welcome indeed.
The Performance Style of Jascha Heifetz
by Dario Sarlo pub. 2020 Routledge [SG]
For ardent devotees of the art of Jascha Heifetz.
A Virtuoso Double Bass
Works by Hindemith, Lasoń & Rota -
Kamil Łomasko (double bass), Karina Komendera (piano)rec. 2018/21 ACTE PREALABLE AP0497 [48:59] [WH]
Short playing time, but well worth the attention of an adventurous music lover.
Monday November 29th
Giuseppe Antonio BRESCIANELLO (c.1690-1758)
Concerti and Sinphonias - La Serenissima/Adrian Chandler (violin) rec. 2020
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD693 [69:37] [RHa]
La Serenissima plays, with customary good taste and elan, the graceful and spirited music of a Bavarian-based Bolognese.
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphony No 1,
Scčnes historiques - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Thomas
Beecham rec. 1947/52 SOMM ARIADNE 5013 [78:00] [JQ]
This is a most important release, both for Beecham devotees and Sibelians.
Imogen Cooper (piano) …Le temps perdu…
Works by Ravel, Liszt, Fauré & Respighi rec. 2021 CHANDOS CHAN20235 [83:21]
[RMas] An excellent Fauré Theme and Variations, but there are reservations about the remainder of the program.
English Music for Viola and Piano Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola)
John Lenehan (piano)
rec. 2020 DUTTON EPOCH CDLX7390 [82:42] [JW] Small-scale viola sonatas and suites from a little-known cohort of generously lyrical English composers.
Leipzig 1723
Works by Graupner, Fasch, Bach & Telemann -
Stefan Temmingh (recorder) Capricornus Consort Basel/Péter Barczi
rec. 2020 ACCENT ACC24375 [66:15] [DC]
A glimpse into music history and a veritable musical tonic for those darker days.
The Music of the Temporalists
by
André Pogoriloffsky publ. 2011
CreateSpace Publishing
[BMC] A fictional music-theory tale told as a first-person account…
Jakub Józef Orliński (countertenor)
Anima Ćterna - Orchestra and Chorus of Il Pomo d’Oro/Francesco Corti rec. 2020
ERATO 9029674390 [80:21] [MC]
One of the finest countertenors I have encountered since the prime of the outstanding Andreas Scholl.
Friday November 26th
Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1848)
Le Convenienze ed Inconvenienze Teatrali - Patrizia Ciofi (soprano)
Charles Rice (baritone)
Chorus & Orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon/Lorenzo Viotti
rec. 2017 OPUS ARTE Blu-ray OABD7289D [114:00] [MP]
Utterly delightful and not to be missed.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano Sonatas arranged for Guitar Duo
-
Duo Morat-Fergo rec. 2020 CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72867 [75:13]
[ZT]
Novel but stay with the original instrument.
Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Luonnotar,
Tapiola,
Pelléas och Mélisande,
Rakastava,
Vĺrsĺng -
Lise Davidsen (soprano)
Bergen PO/Edward Gardner rec. 2018/21 CHANDOS CHSA5217 SACD [72:51]
[RWe]
None of these performances let the release down, but there is much distinguished competition in the two major items.
Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Don Juan, Eine Alpensinfonie -
San Francisco Symphony/Herbert Blomstedt
rec. 1988 DECCA 421 815-2 [70:12] [JQ] The continued
availability of these fine Strauss recordings is a cause for celebration.
Celebrating Women! Works
by Hyde, Smith, Smyth & Wegener -
The Hague String Trio rec. 2021 COBRA 0083 [60:01] [JW] A variety of string trios from women composers, in world premiere recordings.
Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor)
Ŕ sa guitare
- Thibaut Garcia (guitar) rec. 2020-2021 ERATO 9029500570 [69:03]
[MC]
An irresistible collection of songs, beautifully performed and recorded.
Lockdown Blues Peter Dickinson (piano) rec.
2021 SOMM RECORDINGS SOMMCD0644 [68:37]
[JF]
This recital is lugubrious, often cool and always captivating.
Thursday
November 25th
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony No 4
James MACMILLAN (b. 1959) Larghetto -
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra/Manfred Honeck
rec. 2017/18 REFERENCE RECORDINGS FR-744 SACD [54:00] [RC]
The excellence of the Brahms Fourth and the high artistic quality of the new MacMillan work make this disc a standout.
Carl CZERNY (1791-1857)
Romantic Piano Fantasies on Sir Walter Scott’s Novels - Pei-I Wang and Samuel Gingher (piano duet) rec. 2019
NAXOS 8.579099 [79:59] [RCh]
Czerny responding to Scott's writing in dramatic, sparkling fashion.
Vanessa LANN (b. 1968)
Moonshadow Sunshadow - various artists & ensembles ATTACCA PRODUCTIONS 2015146 [63:42]
[JW] Transformation and synchronization; a compilation of the music of the American-Dutch Vanessa Lann.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Piano Sonatas Vol. 3 -
Peter Donohoe (piano) rec. 2018 SOMM RECORDINGS SOMMCD0613 [64:38]
[MG]
Donohoe is magnificently alert to the dramatic potential of these sonatas.
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Un ballo in Maschera - Piotr Beczała (tenor), Dmitri Hvorostovsky (baritone), Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano), Orchester
& Chor der Wiener Staatsoper/Jesús López-Cobos rec. 2016
ORFEO C210062 [2 CDs: 135:03] [MC]
This live performance will remain close to my treasured recordings by Leinsdorf, Bartoletti and Votto.
Christmas Carols with The King’s Singers
rec. 2020
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD683 [68:20] [MR]
Cleobury would have loved it all; The King’s Singers have done his memory proud.
Like a Phoenix from the Ashes
- An Organ Portrait - Gdansk Organ Landscape Vol. 1
-
Andrzej Mikołaj Szadejko (organ) rec. 2019 MDG 906 2157-6 SACD [68:07]
[JV] Kristian Wergscheider has done a brilliant job with the building of this very fine instrument.
Wednesday
November 24th
Gustavo DÍAZ-JEREZ (b.1970) Metaludios Books 4 & 5
- Gustavo Diaz-Jerez (piano) rec. 2020
IBS CLASSICAL IBS172021
[70:00] [DMD]
More ear tickling delights from the Canary Islands
Désiré PÂQUE (1867-1939) Piano Trios,
Adagio Sostenuto,
Lento Cantabile -Trio Spilliaert rec. 2020 CYPRES CYP8609 [72:46]
[HC]
Superb performances of Pâque's all-too-rarely heard trios.
Serge PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Complete Piano Sonatas
- Dinara Klinton (piano) rec. 2019/20
PIANO CLASSICS PCL10191 [3 CDs: 170 mins]
[RWe]
Sensitive and often impressively virtuosic accounts of these splendid works.
Ermanno WOLF-FERRARI (1876–1948)
Complete Overtures and Intermezzi - Oviedo Filarmonia/Friedrich Haider rec. 2009/10 NAXOS 8573582 [62:31]
[GH]
A delightful collection, representing the best of the composer’s orchestral works.
Discovering the Classical String Trio Vol. 3 The Vivaldi Project rec. 2020 MSR CLASSICS MS1623 [77:25]
[DJB]
Plenty to enjoy with one genuine discovery, but don’t expect Mozart or Haydn.
Ecco la primavera
Florentine Music of the Fourteenth Century - Early Music Consort of London/David Munrow rec. 1969 DECCA 4362192 [50:00]
[SB]
Munrow’s early music performances still sound exciting and fresh.
Igor Markevitch (conductor)
The Deutsche Grammophon Legacy rec. 1953-1965 ELOQUENCE 4841659 [21 CDs: c. 23hrs]
[JW]
Markevitch, a favourite of collectors, splendidly served in a 21-CD DG retrospective.
