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Alphabetical Listing

PART 4
M-R

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]


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Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No. 2 in C minor Resurrection (1894) [84:17] Anne Schwanewilms (soprano); Lioba Braun (alto) Chor der Bayerische Symphoniker/Rolf Beck Bamberger Symphoniker and Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie/Jonathan Nott rec. 2008, 2 SACDs for the price of 1 TUDOR 7158 [32:53 + 51:24] [GD]

A coherent and self-sufficient interpretation ... see Full Review

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No.2 Resurrection (1894) [85:11] Alice Coote (mezzo); Natalie Dessay (soprano) Orfeón Donostiarra Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Järvi rec. live, Alte Oper, Frankfurt, 6-8 May 2009. Stereo. DDD VIRGIN CLASSICS 50999 694586 0 6 [23:17 + 61:54] [GD] plus blind review from [NB]

Competent but old-fashioned ... see Full Review

Gustav MAHLER (1860–1911) Symphony no.5 in C sharp minor Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Simon Rattle rec. 2002 EMI CLASSICS 50999 9 65935 2 3 [69:6] [GD]

Rattle’s CBSO interpretive insights with the added benefit of the Berlin Phil’s virtuosity … an attractive prospect indeed… see Full Review 

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 9 RSO Stuttgart des SWR/Roger Norrington rec. live, 2009 HÄNSSLER CLASSIC CD 93.244 [72:10] [DC]

“...this is not my music...” ... see Full Review

Bohuslav MARTINU (1890-1959) Duo No. 2 for violin and cello, H371 (1958) Sonata for flute, violin and piano, H254 (1937) Trio for flute, cello and piano, H300 (1944) Bergerettes - five pieces for violin, cello and piano, H275 (1939) Artemiss Piano Trio; Zofie Vokalkova (flute) rec. 2009. ARCODIVA UP 0126-2 131 [70:19] [DC]

The finest kind of chamber music. ... see Full Review

Olivier MESSIAEN (1908-1992) La Nativité du Seigneur Jennifer Bate (organ) rec. 1989 DIGITALCLASSICS 1034DC [DC]

Fits the bill, though full of period charm ... see Full Review 

Olivier MESSIAEN (1908–1992) La Mort du Nombre, Thème et Variations, Fantasie see Fantasie

Giacomo MEYERBEER (1791–1864) Il crociato in Egitto Michael Maniaci (counter-tenor); Patrizia Ciofi (soprano) Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro La Fenice/Emmanuele Villaume rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.660245-47 [3 CDs] [RH]

Gives a strong flavour of the piece… see Full Review 

Nicolai Yakovlevich MIASKOVSKY (1881-1950)  String Quartets Volumes 1, 3 & 4 Taneyev Quartet NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA 9950 9952 9953 [75:40] [JW]

Place these volumes next to your Svetlanov box of the symphonies. ... see Full Review

Stanislaw MONIUSZKO (1819-1872) Masses - vol. 2 Latin Mass in E flat major; Mass in E minor for two sopranos and alto with organ; Mourning Songs for Holy Mass for the souls of the dead for four voices and organ in D minor; Mass in A minor for Two Voices (soprano, alto) and organ Marta Boberska (soprano); Agnieszka Rehlis (alto); Rafal Bartminski (tenor); Andrej Bialko (organ); The Warsaw Philharmonic Choir/Henryk Wojnarowski
rec. 2009, DUX 0720 [76:22] [GD]

Curiously austere liturgical repertoire … this one is for Moniuszko fans only. ... see Full Review

Pierre MOULU (1484?-c.1550) Mater floreat ; Missa Missus est Gabriel angelus ; In Pace ; Missa Alma redemptoris mater; Kyrie (Missa Alma redemptoris mater), long version; Agnus Dei (Missa Alma redemptoris mater), long version Josquin DES PREZ (c.1450/55–1521) Missus est Gabriel angelus The Brabant Ensemble/Stephen Rice rec. 2009 HYPERION CDA67761 [74.38] [RH]

Fascinating and rather enchanting ... see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Arias for Male Soprano Michael Maniaci (male soprano) Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman rec. 2009 TELARC TEL-31827-02 [61.01] [MM-B]

Maniaci is a pleasant revelation ... see Full Review 

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Sinfonia Concertante see HAYDN

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756 – 1791) Die Hochzeit des Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro) (sung in German) Kreyssig, Falewicz, Rienhardt-Kiss, Dene, Trekel-Burckhardt, Chorus and Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin/Geza Oberfrank rec. 1976 ARTHAUS 101 295 [2 DVDs: 166:00 (opera); 50:00 (special feature)] [GF]

As close to Mozart’s and Da Ponte’s original idea as one could wish ... see Full Review 

Jacques OFFENBACH (1819–1880) The Tales of Hoffmann Nicolai Gedda; Gianna d’Angelo; Elisabeth Schwarzkopf; Victoria de los Angeles Choeurs René Duclos; Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire/André Cluytens rec. 1964-5 EMI CLASSICS 4 56394 2 [152:12] [ST]

This hasn’t improved with age… see Full Review 

Gavriil Nikolaevich POPOV (1904 - 1972) Symphony No.2 Motherland Op.39 (1943) The Turning Point Op.44 – film soundtrack (1945) Red Cavalry Campaign – Symphonic Poster for a large orchestra (1941) Male Group of the Smolny Cathedral Chamber Choir (track 12) St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra/Alexander Titov rec.2008/9 Wartime Music Vol.8 NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9977 [60:10] [NB]

I am left wanting to search out more of this elusive composer’s works but not on the strength of anything presented here ... see Full Review

Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Semyon Kotko, a suite Op.81bis (1941) Waltzes, a suite Op.110 (1940-46) St. Petersburg State Academic SO/Alexander Titov rec.r 2009 Wartime Music: Vol.10 NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9980 [63:50] [NB]

I hope that other discs in this series will prove more exciting and engaging ... see Full Review

Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873 - 1943) The Rock, Symphony 2 BBC PO/Gianandrea Noseda rec. 2008/9 CHANDOS CHAN10589 [74:52] [BBr]

Lack of tension and real fire … see Full Review 

Sergei RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) Etudes-tableaux Op.33 & 39, Vocalise Barbara Nissman (piano) rec. 2006 PIERIAN 0031 [72:59] [JW]

Wide and handsome as befits these fine performances ... see Full Review 

Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom Op.31 Latvian Radio Choir/Sigvards Klava rec. 2008 ONDINE ODE1151-5 [59:06] [GD]

Impressive with some wonderful swells over the course of some of the longer phrases ... see Full Review 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Aleko (1892-1893) Sergey Murzaev (baritone) - Aleko; Svetla Vassileva (soprano) - Zemfira; Evgeny Akhimov (tenor) - Young Gypsy; Gennady Bezzubenkov (bass) - Old Gypsy; Nadezhda Vasilieva (mezzo) - Old Gypsy Woman; Coro del Teatro Regio del Torino; BBC Philharmonic/Gianandrea Noseda. rec. 2009. DDD CHANDOS CHAN10583 [50:55] [CC]

My Recording of the Month, by a long way. The BBC Philharmonic sounds simply superb … Noseda conducts intelligently, sensitively, with full structural awareness of the dramatic trajectory. ... see Full Review

Joachim RAFF (1822-1882) Suite, Overtures & Preludes Tra Nguyen (pno), SO Norrlands Opera/Roland Kluttig, rec. 2009 STERLING CDS10852 [77:46] [RB]

Faithful evangelisation for this totally neglected and very attractive music. ... see Full Review

Joachim RAFF (1822-1882) Die Tageszeiten, Konzertante in vier Satzen op. 209; Morgenlied op. 186a; Einer Entschlafenden op. 186b*; Die Sternen WoO53 Tra Nguyen (piano) Josefin Wolving; Lena Nordlund, Lena Palmquist (soloists)* Sångkraft Chamber Choir The Symphony Orchestra of Norrlands Opera/Andrea Quinn rec. 2009. DDD
STERLING CDS1089-2 [79:52] [RB]

Melodious and mellifluous in the most exalted German romantic tradition ... see Full Review

André RAISON (1640s–1719) Offerte du 5e ton see TUBERY

Einojuhani RAUTAVAARA (b.1928) Choral Works Schola Cantorum of Oxford/James Burton rec. 2009 HYPERION CDA67787 [72:19] [OL]

A very well-sung collection of powerful, beautiful music… see Full Review 

Leonard Bernstein Conducts Maurice RAVEL (1875–1937) La Valse

Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) String Quartet see DEBUSSY

François REBEL (1701 - 1775)/François FRANCOEUR (1698 - 1787) Zélindor, roi des Sylphes; Suite from 'Le Trophée' Ah Young Hong; Heidi Grant Murphy; Jean-Paul Fouchécourt; William Sharp; The Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus/Ryan Brown rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.660224 [61:36] [JvV]

A lacklustre and bland interpretation - the quality of the singing is uneven ... see Full Review 

Silvestre REVUELTAS (1899-1940) La noche de los mayas (1939) see STRAVINSKY

François ROBERDAY (1624–1680) Fugue 8e et caprice sur le même sujet see TUBERY

Pierre RODE (1774-1830) 24 Caprices en forme d’études Elizabeth Wallfisch (violin) 2004 CPO 777 129-2 [40:15 + 43:30] [DC]

A fine cycle, and a superb period performance ... see Full Review 

Robert de ROOS (1907-1976) String Quartets II, III, V, VII Utrecht String Quartet rec. 2009 MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 603 1613-2 [64:39] [DC]

Remarkable and significant ... see Full Review 

Johann ROSENMÜLLER (1619-1684) German sacred concertos Johann Rosenmüller Ensemble/Arno Paduch rec. 2000 CHRISTOPHORUS CHR 77319 [72:07] [JV]

An interesting survey of Rosenmüller's sacred oeuvre - the performances are good, although not without some flaws ... see Full Review 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868) L’Italiana in Algeri - Comic opera in two acts (1813) Samuel Ramey (bass); Kathleen Battle (soprano) I Solisti Veneti; Prague Philharmonic Choir/Claudio Scimone rec. 1980 ERATO OPERA COLLECTION 2564 68335 9 [71.30 + 69.21] [RF]

A welcome return to the catalogue of this excellent performance which is a must for all Rossini enthusiasts. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Gioacchino ROSSINI (1792-1868) Il Barbiere di Siviglia Juan Diego Flórez (tenor) Joyce DiDonato (mezzo) Pietro Spagnoli (baritone) Ch & O Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Antonio Pappano rec. live, 2009 VIRGIN CLASSICS 6945819 [2 DVDs: 102:00 + 74:00] [ST]

A big thumbs-up on every front ... see Full Review 

Albert ROUSSEL (1869-1937) Symphony 4, Rapsodie flammande, Petite Suite, Concert pour petit orchestre, Sinfonietta Royal Scottish Ntl O/Stéphane Denève rec. 2006-8 NAXOS 8.572135 [69:08]  [LW]

Denève produces another winner in his Roussel series … see Full Review 

Anton Grigorievich RUBINSTEIN (1829 – 1894) Collected Songs - Volume 1 Mila Shkirtil (mezzo); Mikhail Lukonin (baritone); Yuri Serov (piano) rec. 2007 NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9960 [64:37] [NB]

A fascinating disc of intriguing music ... see Full Review


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]


 



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