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Manchester
Accents Terence
GREAVES
(b.1933), Anthony GILBERT (b.1934),
Walter CARROLL (1869-1955)/Eric
FOGG (1903-1939), John McCABE (b.1939),
Thomas PITFIELD (1903-1999), John
MANDUELL (b.1928), James LANGLEY
(1927-1994) 
Northern
Chamber Orchestra/Nicholas Ward
rec. St. Thomas Church, Stockport, 30-31 October 2000.
ASC RECORDS ASC CS CD45 [68:39] 
[DC]
Shed
a tear for lost worlds, or celebrate a genuine revival - not to be missed.
... see Full Review
Robert
Merrill and Jussi Björling
- Operatic Arias and Duets
rec. 1949-51 NIMBUS
NI 7945 [78:31] 
[JW]
A
catch for collectors ... see Full
Review
Rafael Aguirre Minarro: Guitar
Recital Rafael Aguirre
Minarro (guitar) rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.572064 [63.23][ZT] 
A
well-balanced programme; strong technique and musicianship ... see
Full Review
David
Oistrakh – The Complete EMI Recordings
David
Oistrakh (violin); Various accompanists rec. 1953-71
EMI CLASSICS 2147122
[17 CDs: 70:15 + 69:58 + 74:47 + 78:50 + 65:56 + 73:39 +
65:54 + 72:08 + 74:29 + 76:31 + 52:46 + 60:06 + 71.25 + 71:19 + 67.42
+ 70:07 + 60:14][JW]
A
cornerstone collection by the most admirable of violinists ... see Full
Review
Opera
and Ballet Favourites Excerpts
from Pyotr Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The Snow Maiden,
The Nutcracker, None but the Lonely Heart, The Queen of Spades,
Iolanta 1812 Overture Anastasia The Sleeping Beauty
Eugene Onegin Sergey RAKHMANINOV (1873-1943) Vocalise, Aleko Nicolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Sadko Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924) La Bohème Placido
Domingo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Kiri te Kanawa, Anna Tomowa-Sintow,Darcey
Bussell, Irek Mukhamedov, Royal Opera House O/Stephen Barlow;
Placido Domingo; Edward Downes; Barry Wordsworth rec. live
1993 OPUS
ARTE OAR3110D 
[137:00]
[ST] 
Musically
speaking this disc is very good ... see Full
Review
René
Pape - Gods, Kings & Demons
René Pape (bass); Staatsopernchor Dresden Staatskapelle Dresden/Sebastian
Weigle rec. 2008 DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 4776408 [65:36][GF]
An
outright winner ... see Full Review
Pianistes
Françaises
Aimée Marie Roger-Miclos (piano) Fonotipia recordings
c. 1905; Marie Panthès (piano) Columbia recordings 1934-36; Youra Guller
rec. 1956; Madeleine de Valmalète (piano) recording date unknown; Agnelle
Bundervoët (piano) rec. 1954-7
TAHRA TAH653-654 [67:54 +74:24][JW]
An
undertaking of real value and virtue ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Artur Rubinstein Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano
Sonata 23 Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Intermezzo
2 Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Carnaval Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Ballade 1,
Etude Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Hungarian
Rhapsody Heitor VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959) O
polichinelo rec. live, 1963 MEDICI
ARTS MM029-2 [80:45]
[JW]
I
can’t recall a live performance by Rubinstein to equal it ... see Full
Review
Stokowski Georges
ENESCO (1881–1955) Rumanian Rhapsodies Nos.1 & 2
Claude DEBUSSY (1862–1918) Nocturnes
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882–1971) Firebird
Suite Richard WAGNER (1813–1883)
Ride of the Valkyries
All–American Youth Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski rec. 1941-53
CALA CACD0549 [75:38][BBr]
Impossible
to believe these were made over 50 years ago ... see Full
Review
Evgeny
Svetlanov Edition Alexander
BORODIN, Alexander GLAZUNOV,
Alexander DARGOMIZHSKY , Mily
BALAKIREV, Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, Sergei
RACHMANINOV, Sergei LYAPUNOV, Anatol
LIADOV, Anton RUBINSTEIN,
Mikhail GLINKA, Eduard
NÁPRAVNÍK, Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY,
Anton ARENSKY, Nicolai MIASKOVSKY, Boris
PARSADANIAN, Alexandra PAKHMUTOVA,
Arkady MAZAEV, Rostislav
BOIKO, Halik ZAIMOV, Evgeny
SVETLANOV,Alexei MURAVLEV
USSR State Symphony Orchestra Grand Symphony Orchestra of TV and Radio
Bolshoi Theatre Symphony Orchestra Evgeny Svetlanov Rec.1954 -1992
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9001 [10 CDs: 73:20 + 69:51 + 76:08 + 75:48
+ 71:51 + 67:25 + 73:34 + 75:23 + 68:49 + 76:54]
[JW]
Coruscating
and winning … some outstanding things here ... see
Full Review
The
Art of George Szell – Previously Unissued
Concerts 1943-1957 Volumes 1 & 2 New
York P-SO, Cleveland O/George Szell WEST
HILL RADIO ARCHIVES WHRA6018 & [4 CDs: 290:30] & WHRA6019 [4
CDs: 298:42] [JW]
All-round
excellence in performances just that bit more athletic ... see Full
Review
Tombeau
pour Mr de Ste Colombe et autres portraits Works
by Sainte Colombe, Marais, Forqueray, Rameau, Denis & Ennemond
Gautier Ensemble
Spirale, Violaine Cochard (harpsichord))/Marianne Muller rec.
2007 ZIGZAG
TERRITOIRES ZZT080302 [69:09] [JV]
A
fine collection of musical portraits in passionate and gestural
performances ... see Full Review
John Scott Whiteley plays
organ music from York Minster The English Cathedral Series
Vol. XV
John Scott Whiteley (organ) rec. 2007
REGENT REGCD275 [73:55][ST]
Well
done to all involved ... see Full Review
Liping
Zhang (soprano) Arias
Giuseppe VERDI
(1813-1901) I vespri Siciliani - Mercè, dilette amiche;
Il Trovatore - Timor di me? ... D'amor sull'ali rosee;
Il Corsaro - Egli non riede ancora...non so le tetre immagini;
La Traviata - È strano! è strano!...Sempre libera Vincenzo
BELLINI (1801-1835) Norma - Casta Diva Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858-1924) Tosca - Vissi
d'arte; Madama Butterfly - Un bel di, vedremo; La
Rondine - Chi il bel sogno di Doretta Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848) Lucia di Lammermoor - Il
dolce suono mi colpi Liping
Zhang (soprano) Prague PO/Giordano Bellicampi rec. 2008
EMI CLASSICS 2372502 [52:20] [RJF]
Despite
short measure, a warm welcome to this debut recital ... see Full
Review
CHRISTMAS
DISCS
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Weihnachtskantaten (Christmas Cantatas)Wie
schön leuchtet der Morgenstern BWV
1 (1725) [21:32] Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
BWV 61 (1714) [15:45] Dazu ist erscheinen
der Sohn Gottes BWV 40* (1723) [16:26]
Arleen Auger (soprano); *Ortrun Wenkel (contralto);
Peter Schreier (tenor); Siegfried Lorenz (bass)
Thomanerchor Leipzig; Neues Bachisches Collegium
Musicum/Hans-Joachim Rotzch rec. dates and
venues not specified
BERLIN CLASSICS BASICS 0149262BC [53:42]
[JQ]
Well-turned
performances under one of Bach’s successors
in Leipzig ... see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Christmas
Oratorio Elly
Ameling, Dame Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau,
Choir of King’s College, Cambridge ASMF/Sir Philip Ledger rec.
1976 EMI
CLASSICS GEMINI 2176252 [77:46 + 76:38] [JQ]
A
performance that will give much pleasure ... see Full
Review
CHRISTMAS
ORATORIOS Gottfried
August HOMILIUS
(1714 - 1785) Weihnachtsoratorium
Gottfried August
HOMILIUS Die
Freude der Hirten über die Geburth Jesu
(Weihnachtsoratorium) (HoWV I,1) [41:39]
Christian August
JACOBI (1688 - after 1725) Der
Himmel steht uns wieder offen, cantata
for tenor, choir and orchestra [16:20]
Christiane Kohl (soprano), Annette Markert
(contralto), Marcus Ullmann (tenor), Tobias
Berndt (bass) Sächsisches Vocalensemble,
Virtuosi Saxoniae/Ludwig Güttler rec.
2007.
DDD
CARUS 83.235 [58:22]
[JV]
Christmas
repertoire, but the enjoyment is spoilt by
less than ideal performances ... see Full
Review
Reinhard
KEISER
(1674-1739) Dialogues
von der Geburt Christi (1707) [30:52]
Christoph GRAUPNER
(1683-1760)
Magnificat in C (1722) [14:08]
Rastatter Hofkapelle/Jürgen Ochs
rec. 2008
CARUS 83.417 [45:00]
[JW]
Christmas
spirit and trumpet-proud ... see Full
Review
Olivier
MESSIAEN (1908-92) La
Nativité du Seigneur (1935) [62:55] Le Banquet
Céleste (1928) [6:55] Apparition de l’Église Éternelle (1932)
[10:00] Jennifer Bate
(organs of Beauvais Cathedral and Sainte Trinité) rec. St Pierre de
Beauvais Cathedral, August 1980 (Nativité and Apparition)
and Sainte Trinité, Paris, no date – 1987?) (Banquet). DDD.
REGIS RRC1086
[71:50] [BW]
An
excellent and timely reminder of the power of Messiaen’s music ... see
Full Review
Alessandro
STRADELLA (1639-1682)
Cantata
for Christmas Eve: Si apra al riso ogni
labro [26:39] Sinfonia in A major [5:49]
Sinfonia in F major [11:37]
Cristina Miatello (soprano); Caterina Calvi
(contralto); Roberto Abbondanza (bass) La
Magnifica Comunità/Enrico Casazza rec.
Chiesa della Santissima Trinità, Pernumia,
Italy, 1999. DDD Booklet notes in English.
Texts provided but no translations.
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93367 [51:18]
[DW]
Unfortunately,
the poor quality of the vocal contributions makes this a non-starter
… see Full Review
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Nutcracker
- ballet in two acts (1891-2)
San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra/Martin West choreography by Helgi Tomasson
rec. live, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, 19, 21 December
2007
OPUS ARTE DVD OA 1002 D [13:00] [IL,GL]
Truly magical. The ideal family Christmas
present. ... see Full Review
A
un niño llorando.
Christmas with Quink Vocal
Ensemble
Quink Vocal Ensemble (Marjon Strijk (soprano);
Mariëtte Oelderik (soprano); Elsbeth
Gerritsen (alto); Harry van der Berne (tenor);
Kees Jan de Koning (bass)) rec. 2008 Original
language texts and English translations included
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72306 [64:40]
A
nicely varied programme of Christmas music.
... see Full
Review
A
Christmas Festival
Elin Manahan Thomas (soprano);
Clara Sanabras (soprano); Melanie Marshall
(mezzo); The Cambridge Singers; Farnham Youth
Choir; John Birch (organ) Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra/John Rutter rec. April 2008, Cadogan
Hall, London. Organ rec. June 2008 in the
Royal Albert Hall, London. DDD Original texts
and English translations included
COLLEGIUM COLCD 133 [73:15]
[JQ]
A
varied Christmas offering from John Rutter
... see Full
Review
Christmas
Concertos and Cantatas Francesco MANFREDINI (1684 - 1762) Concerto
grosso Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660 - 1725) Cantata pastorale Antonio VIVALDI (1678 - 1741) Concerto for violin Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681 - 1767) In dulci
jubilo Arcangelo CORELLI (1653 - 1713) Concerto grosso Collegium
Musicum 90/Simon Standage
rec. 1998 CHANDOS CHAN0754
X [62:10] [JV]
Look
elsewhere ... see Full
Review
Assisi
- Christmas Cantatas
Ruth Ziesak (soprano), Ingeborg
Danz (contralto), Reinhold Friedrich (trumpet)
L'Arte del Mondo/Werner Ehrhardt rec. 2008
PHOENIX EDITION 149 [67:31]
[JV]
An
important and interesting addition to the catalogue of Christmas music
... see Full Review
Advent
Carols from St. John’s
The Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge/Christopher
Robinson James Martin (organ) rec. Chapel of St. John’s College, Cambridge,
18-20 March, 19 July 1994. DDD
NIMBUS NI 5414 [77:25]
[CT]
Evocative
and beautifully sung ... see Full
Review
Celtic
Christmas
Emma Christian (vocal, celtic harp), Arthur Cormack
(vocal), Colin McAllister (vocal, bodhran), Julie Murphy (vocal), Robin
Huw Bowen (welsh triple harp), Pete Cooper (fiddle, viola), Steafan
Hannigan (irish pipes, bodhran, flute), Ceri Rhys Matthews (welsh and
breton bagpipes, cittern, chanter), Dougie Pincock (scottish highland
pipes, scottish small pipes, bodhran), Dave Townsend (concertina, accordion,
vocal). rec. Valley Recordings, Littleton-on-Severn, November
1995/March 1996
SAYDISC CD-SDL 417 [73:41]
[EM]
Just
slightly hard-going ... see Full
Review
Christmas
from Gloucester:
See Amid The Winter
Snow
Gloucester Cathedral Choir/John Sanders Mark
Lee (organ) rec. Gloucester Cathedral, January
1991. DDD English texts included
GRIFFIN GCCD 4066 [58:00]
[JQ]
This
very good recital of seasonal music is most
enjoyable ... see Full
Review
Christmas from
Truro
Truro Cathedral Choir/Robert
Sharpe Christopher Gray (organ) rec. Truro
Cathedral, 28-29 January 2008
REGENT REGCD281 [65:03] [JF]
All
in all, this a fine production that both inspires
and impresses.... see Full
Review
A
Christmas Caroll from Westminster Abbey
The
Choir of Westminster Abbey/James O’Donnell
* Robert Quinney (organ) rec. 2008. DDD Original
language texts and English translations included
HYPERION CDA67716 [63:34] [JQ]
A
first rate Christmas compilation ... see Full
Review
Christmas
Now is Drawing Near
Sneak's Noyse (Roddy Skeaping, Lucie Skeaping,
Jeremy Barlow, Robin Jeffrey, Mike Brain)
with Ray Attfield (voice, hurdy-gurdy, drum),
Tim Laycock (voice, concertinas, melodeon)
rec. 1988, DDD
SAYDISC CD-SDL 371 [53:20]
[JV]
Christmas
carols as you probably haven't heard them
before ... see Full
Review
Christmas
with the Palestrina Choir
The Palestrina Choir,
St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Dublin/Blánaid
Murphy rec. 2008. Booklet with texts and translations.
St
Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Hybrid SACD71812221361
[73:31]
[BW]
Will
appeal if you want the unusual items – otherwise,
look elsewhere ... see Full
Review
Christmas
With The Tallis Scholars
The Tallis Scholars/Peter
Phillips. rec. c.1986-1998, The Church of
St Peter and Paul, Salle, Norfolk and Merton
College, Oxford. DDD. Booklet with texts and
translations included.
GIMELL CDGIM202 [78:08 + 78:34]
[BW]
A
very attractive collection of medieval and
Tudor music ... see Full
Review
Elizabethan
Christmas Anthems
Red Byrd; The Rose Consort of Viols rec. Forde
Abbey, November, 1989. DDD. Booklet with notes
but no texts.
AMON RA CD-SAR46 [59:23]
[BW][JV]
An
excellent and varied selection, well performed and recorded – very enjoyable...
see Full Review
Elizabethan
Christmas Anthems
Red Byrd; The Rose Consort of Viols rec. Forde Abbey, November, 1989.
DDD. Booklet with notes but no texts.
AMON RA CD-SAR46 [59:23]
[RH
Shows
its age but a charming Christmas present ... see Full
Review
Folkjul
– A Swedish Folk Christmas
Sofia Karlsson (vocals)
, Emma Härdelin (vocals) , Lisa Rydberg
(violin) Gunnar Idenstam (organ) ; St Jacobs
Kammarkör/Gary Graden rec. 2007, Texts
and English translations enclosed
BIS-NL-CD-5031 [63:58]
[GF]
A
refreshing Christmas disc, off the beaten
track ... see Full
Review
Machet
die Tore weit
-
Baroque Christmas Cantatas
from Central Germany Johann
SCHELLE (1648-1701), Basilius
PETRITZ (1647-1715), Philipp
Heinrich ERLEBACH (1657-1714), Christian
August JACOBI (1688- after 1725), Christian
LIEBE (1654-1708), Johann
Ernst BESSEL (1654-1732)
Birte Kulawik (soprano I); Dorothea Wagner
(soprano II); David Erler (contralto); Hans
Jörg Mammel (tenor); Matthias Lutze (bass)
Sächsisches Vocalensemble; Batzdorfer
Hofkapell/Matthias Jung rec. Lukaskirche,
Dresden, 8-11 June 2007. DDD German texts
and English translations included
CPO 777 332-2 [57:55]
[JQ]
Most
enjoyable unfamiliar music in sparkling performances. ... see Full
Review
Old
Christmas Return’d
The York Waits, Robin Jeffrey (lute, guitar, cittern
and theorbo), Richard Wistreich (voice)rec. Forde Abbey, nr Chard, Dorset,
February 1992 SAYDISC
CD-SDL 398 [50:50]
[Em]
A
joyful mixture of Christmas music and carols ... see Full
Review
A
Piano Christmas in the 1920s Andrei
Kmita, Elsie Holt, Adam Carroll, Herbert Clair & Edgar
Fairchild, Fritz Kreisler, John Tasker Howard, Pietro Yon,
Leslie Loth (pianos) rec. 1920s LYRICHORD
LYRCD6012 [61:53] [JW]
An
enjoyable and unabashed collection ... see Full
Review
The
Spirit of Christmas Present
BBC Welsh Chorus/John Hugh Thomas Fanfare Trumpeters of the Welsh
Guards; Huw Tregelles Williams (organ) rec. no dates given. DDD
NIMBUS NI 7034 [62:07] [CT]
A
disappointing compilation of carols drawn from several previous Nimbus
Christmas releases. ... see Full Review
A
Tapestry of Carols
Maddy Prior; The Carnival
Band
rec. The Meeting House, Frenchay, Nr. Bristol,
UK, February 1987. DDD. Booklet with notes
but no texts.
SAYDISC CD-SDL366 [51:05]
[BW]
Something
different from the usual carol collection
... see Full
Review
Thys
Yool:
A Medieval
Christmas
Martin Best Ensemble/Martin Best rec. 1988.
DDD. Ambisonic (UHJ encoded) Booklet includes
Modern English translations but not original
Middle English, French and Latin texts.
NIMBUS NI5137 [64:07]
[BW]
Unusual
and varied repertoire attractively performed ... see Full
Review
Thys
Yool:
A Medieval Christmas
Martin Best Ensemble/Martin Best rec. 1988. DDD. Ambisonic (UHJ encoded)
Booklet includes Modern English translations but not original Middle
English, French and Latin texts.
NIMBUS NI5137 [64:07]
[Em]
A
lovely disc ... see Full Review
BOOK
REVIEWS
Roman
Catholic Church Music in England, 1791 - 1914: A Handmaid
of the Liturgy by Thomas E. Muir [RH]
Guilhermina
Suggia: Cellist by
Anita Mercier [MMB]
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]
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