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Tuesday May 31st

George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Messiah - Eboracum Baroque/Chris Parsons rec. 2020 EBORACUM BAROQUE [2 CDs: 132:08]  [JD] Despite the sense of joy here, significant flaws prevent this recording from being a contender.  

John JENKINS (1592-1678) Four-Part Consorts - Phantasm rec. 2012 LINN RECORDS CKD677 [76:15] [JV] Consort playing of the highest level.

Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Orchestral Works - Royal Stockholm PO/Sakari Oramo rec. 2020/21 BIS BIS-2438 SACD [68:43] [JQ] A highly enjoyable Ravel collection.

Alfons SZCZERBIŃSKI (1858-1895) Complete Piano Works 2 - Giorgio Koukl (piano) rec. 2021 GRAND PIANO GP884 [61:52] [SA] Hopefully Koukl’s excellent performances of these extremely enjoyable works will bring the composer’s compositional talents to a wider audience of lovers of piano music.

Bronislaw Gimpel (violin) Live Vol. 1 rec. 1930s-1967 DOREMI DHR-8163/4 [75:24 + 79:12] [SG] A player who never achieved the fame he deserved.

Syncopated Musings Works by Scott Joplin and others - Marilyn Nonken (piano) rec. 2021 DIVINE ART DDA25220 [67:57] [JW] A reflective, somewhat serious look at Scott Joplin and his collaborators.

Monday May 30th

Samuel BARBER (1910-1981) The Complete Songs - Fleur Barron (mezzo-soprano), Louise Kemény, Soraya Mafi (sopranos), Jess Dandy (contralto), Julien Van Mellaerts (baritone), William Thomas (bass), Dylan Perez (piano) rec. 2021 RESONUS RES10301 [78:14 + 80:26] [GF] A valuable addition to the Barber discography, not least due to 19 first recordings.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) String Quartets Nos 4-6 - Chiaroscuro Quartet rec. 2019 BIS BIS-2498 SACD [79:55] [DBi] The most stimulating disc of Beethoven Quartets I have heard in a very long time - essential listening.

Johann Simon MAYR (1763-1845) Alfredo il Grande - Marie-Luise Dressen (mezzo), Concerto de Bassus/Franz Hauk rec. 2019 NAXOS 8.660483-84 [87:08 + 69:16] [MP] An honorable effort to breathe life into a long lost operatic curiosity.

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) The Complete Symphonies - Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra/Klaus Mäkelä rec. 2021 DECCA 485 2256 [4 CDs: 265:13] [RWe] An impressive debut recording – no allowance required for the conductor’s youth.

Solo Works by Abel & JS Bach - Lucile Boulanger (viola da gamba) rec. 2020 ALPHA 783 [2 CDs: 90:44] [JV] A convincing case for Bach on the viola da gamba.

Three Generations Works by Alexander, Nikolai & Ivan Tcherepnin - Quan Yuan (violin), Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin (flute), Ian Greitzer (clarinet), David Witten, Donald Berman (piano) rec. 1997-2019 TOCCATA NEXT TOCN0012 [63:40] [SA] Three highly talented and individual composers whose music is both fascinating and genuinely different.

Friday May 27th

Camargo GUARNIERI (1907–1993) Choros Vol. 2 - Săo Paulo Symphony Orchestra/Roberto Tibiriçá rec. 2020/21 NAXOS 8.574403 [70:13] [NB] Spirited and compelling performances of instantly attractive music.

Mary HOWE (1882-1964) Songs and Duets - Courtney Maina (soprano) Christopher A. Leach (tenor) Mary Dibbern (piano) rec. 2021 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0634 [69:24] [WK] Wonderful interpretations of works by an important American voice.

Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1957) Die Tote Stadt - Klaus Florian Vogt (tenor) Camilla Nylund (soprano) Finnish National Opera Chorus & Orchestra/Mikko Franck rec. 2010 OPUS ARTE OACD9050D [2 CDs: 143:42] [DBi] This is a perfectly decent recording of Korngold’s lovely opera but there are others that include librettos and are better recorded.

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Serenades - Berliner Barock Solisten/Reinhard Goebel rec. 2021 HÄNSSLER CLASSIC HC21013 [51:29] [PBW] As Goebel's way with Mozart is very individual, its appeal undoubtedly will be a matter of personal taste.

Florence PRICE (1887-1953) Ethiopia’s Shadow in America, Piano Concerto Valerie COLEMAN (b. 1970) Umoja: Anthem of Unity Jessie MONTGOMERY (b. 1981) Soul Force - Michelle Cann (piano) New York Youth Symphony/Michael Repper rec. 2020 AVIE AV2503 [52:51] [LW] A celebration of Black American women composers.

Gioachino ROSSINI (1792–1868) Il barbiere di Siviglia - Maria Callas (soprano) Luigi Alva (tenor) Tito Gobbi (baritone) Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus/Alceo Galliera rec. 1957 PRISTINE AUDIO PACO191 [59:44 + 70:04] [RMo] Anyone new to this timeless and perennial favourite is urged to go for the Pristine option - it is as good as it gets.

Thursday May 26th

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony No. 6 Steven STUCKY (1949-2016) Silent Spring - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra/Manfred Honeck rec. 2017/18 REFERENCE RECORDINGS FR-747 SACD [58:02] [LD] Probably for Honeck’s admirers only – and even they should proceed with some caution.

Sir Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) Elgar from America Vol. 3 - rec. 1953-59 SOMM ARIADNE 5015-2 [69:50+ 58:03] [PCG] Barbirolli’s live New York Dream of Gerontius is something of a revelation.

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Complete Symphonies & Fragments - L’Orfeo Barockorchester/Michi Gaigg rec. 2018 CPO 555228-2 [4 CDs: 277:25] [JLW] Schubert’s symphonies in the moment of creation.

Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) Chamber Music - Rainer Seidl (bassoon), Daniel Valentin Marx (guitar) rec. 2021 NAXOS 8.551433 [51:15] [GPJ] An enjoyable disc of music for this unusual but highly successful combination of instruments.

Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Earth’s Wide Bounds - Leah Jackson (soprano) Joshua Ryan (organ) Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea/William Vann rec. 2020/21 ALBION RECORDS ALBCD051 [78:05] [JQ] A marvellous disc in every respect.

Frederick Stock (conductor) Chicago Symphony Orchestra Vol. 1 rec. 1916-26 PRISTINE AUDIO PASC657 [74:53 + 75:43] [GT] Historic recordings reveal the glory of Stock’s Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Wednesday May 25th

Havergal BRIAN (1876–1972) Faust - Peter Hoare (tenor), David Soar (bass-baritone), Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2019/21 DUTTON EPOCH SACD 2CDLX7385 [76:55 + 58:25] [JQ] All admirers of Havergal Brian’s music should add this important release to their collection.

Frédéric CHOPIN (1810–1849) Piano Concertos (chamber arrangements) - Emmanuel Despax (piano), Chineke! Chamber Ensemble rec. 2021 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD700 [75:09] [RMay] Attractive new accounts of the Chopin concertos in chamber versions.

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No.4 - Chen Reiss (soprano) Czech PO/Semyon Bychkov rec. 2020 PENTATONE PTC5186972 [56:49] [DMD] Deserves to be added to the list of recent outstanding versions of this much recorded symphony.

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano Concertos Nos 22 & 23 - Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano) Manchester Camerata/Gábor Takács-Nagy rec. 2021 CHANDOS CHAN20166 [64:34] [MG] Bavouzet and Takács-Nagy provide fresh insights in their ongoing exploration of Mozart.

Germaine TAILLEFERRE (1892–1983) Her Piano Works, Revived Vol. 1 - Nicolas Horvath (piano) rec. 2021 GRAND PIANO GP891 [83:21] [GPJ] A fine disc which displays the enormous breadth of Tailleferre’s achievement, and celebrates her outstanding musical gifts.

Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) A Sea Symphony - Isobel Baillie (soprano) John Cameron (baritone) London Philharmonic Ch & O/Sir Adrian Boult rec. 1953-1954 PRISTINE AUDIO PASC658 [67.20] [PCG] The remastering of a historic recording, nearly seventy years old, which still justifies its place in the catalogue.

 

 



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