1700:
The Century of the Portuguese -
Works by Pedro António AVONDANO (1714-1782) Pietro
Giorgio AVONDANO (?-?) Francisco
António DE ALMEIDA (c.1702-1755?)
Gemma Bertagnolli (soprano) Fernando Miguel Jaloto (harpsichord)
Divino Sospiro/Enrico Onofri rec. 2010
DYNAMIC CDS 709 [64:12] [JV]
An
important and illuminating disc.
18th-Century
Flemish Harpsichord Music
Ewald Demeyere (harpsichord) rec. 2011
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72528 [74:20] [JV]
Never
a dull moment ... probably thanks to Demeyere's critical assessment
of the extant music.
Amarante
Céline Scheen (soprano) Edoardo Egüez (lute, theorbo) Philippe Pierlot
(viola da gamba) rec. 2010
FLORA 2210 [59:09] [JV]
Rarely
does one hear such a beautiful voice as Céline Scheen's.
The
Beecham Collection Works by Handel,
Strauss, Bach & Ravel
Royal PO/Thomas Beecham rec. 1955
SOMM BEECHAM 31 [73:19] [JW]
This
disc charts new territory for the Beecham collector, and does so in
good sound.
Orchestral
Realisations by Luciano Berio Works by Brahms, Mahler &
Schubert
Michael Collins (clarinet) Roderick Williams (baritone) Bergen PO/Edward
Gardner rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHSA5101
[73:33] [NB]
A
typical Chandos disc - interesting repertoire ripely recorded by fine
performers.
The
Art of Luigi Alberto Bianchi (violin & viola)
rec. 1972-2001
DYNAMIC CDS 690/1-10 [10 CDs: 629:35] [JW]
If you are a Bianchi admirer I’m sure there are things here, recorded
over the space of three decades, that will be new to you.
British
Light Music
various orchestras
REGIS RRC1381 [62:04] [JW]
I’m afraid I am in no man’s land as regards this disc.
Cello
Elegies and Romances Vols 1 & 2
Penelope Lynex (cello) Alexander Wells (piano) rec. 2004/06
LIR CLASSICS LIR022 & LIR023 [54:02 & 55:36] [BR]
Intriguing
programs loaded with rarities, but the cello playing is not fully up
to snuff.
Clarinet
Sonatas of the 20th
Century Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921) Othmar SCHOECK
(1886-1957) Leonard BERNSTEIN
(1918-1990) Mieczyslaw WEINBERG
(1919-1996) Edison DENISOV
(1929-1996)
Dawid Jarzynski (clarinet and bass clarinet); Tamara Chitadze (piano)
rec. 2010
DUX 0799 [76:03] [BR]
A really admirable program, but playing which doesn’t adequately underline
what makes each of its composers unique.
Cor!
- Alison Teale plays cor anglais
Alison Teale (cor anglais) Elizabeth Burley (piano) rec. 2010
OBOE CLASSICS CC2023 [76:27] [JW]
This
engaging recital has been extremely well recorded. Admirers of the instrument
should find much to reward them.
The
Divine Mystery Music by Power, Packe & Nystedt Schola Gothia,
Hanna Wiskari Griffiths (saxophone) rec. 2011 MUSICA REDIVIVA MRCD
021 [51.26] [RH]
A
lovely disc. Beautifully and evenly sung, with nice unanimity.
Fellini,
Jazz & Co
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Jazz Suite No. 2 Nino ROTA (1911-1979)
La Strada Suite Ottorino RESPIGHI
(1879-1936) Fontane di Roma, Pini di Roma
Berlin PO/Riccardo Chailly rec. 2011
EUROARTS 2058404
[105:00] [DM]
Soporific
performances and dull sonics; in other words, a dud.
Fiddler’s
Spring
Works by Holst, Rautavaara, Larsson, Rangström, Nordgren, Weiner
& Tobias
Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas rec. 2010
ALBA ABCD330 [67:41] [WH]
One
well-known work and one remarkable masterpiece in a fascinating and
magnificently played collection.
French
Impressions Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Violin Sonata 1 César
FRANCK (1822-1890) Violin Sonata Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Violin Sonata
Joshua Bell (violin) Jeremy Denk (piano) rec.2010
SONY CLASSICAL 88697 891822 [67:19] [MC]
Impeccable
performances.
Great
French Concertos
Alfred DÉSENCLOS (1912-1971)
Incantation, Thrène et Danse André
JOLIVET (1905-1974) Trumpet concerto 2, Concertino
Henri TOMASI (1901-1971) Trumpet
concerto Charles CHAYNES (b. 1925)
Trumpet concerto 1
Eric Aubier (trumpet) l'Opéra National de Paris O/Marius Constant
rec. 1995-98
INDESENS INDE001 [67:03] [RB]
A
glorious and completely unhackneyed collection of French 20th
century trumpet concertos.
Freud
und Lust - Works by Dietrich BUXTEHUDE
(c.1637-1707) Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Johann Christoph BACH
(1642-1703)
Ryland Angel (alto) Holy Trinity Bach Players/Rick Erickson rec. 2005
DEUX-ELLES
DXL1147 [57:52] [JV]
If
you decide to purchase this disc you won't regret it.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH From the Old
World to the New Songs by
Loeffler, Brahms, Bridge & Copland
Karina
Lucas (mezzo) Rebecca Jones (viola) Simon Lane (piano) rec. 2009
SONIMAGE
SON11101 [76:05] [SA]
A
true partnership of equals.
High
Flight Choral music by Chilcott, Lauridsen & Whitacre
The King’s Singers; Concordia Ch/René Clausen rec. 2003/10
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD262 [60:10] [JQ]
A
collection of some very interesting vocal music; but is the singing
of The King’s Singers just a little bit too perfect?
Invocacion
-
Impressions of Spain
Ian Watt (guitar) rec. 2011
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6172 [64:47] [ZT]
An
excellent recording in every sense.
Italian
Operas Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868)
Il barbiere di Seviglia Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) La traviata
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924) Tosca
Francesco CILEA (1866-1950) Adriana Lecouvreur
rec. 2000-08
EUROARTS 2057928
[4 DVDs: 554:00] [JLZ]
A
fine selection priced affordably and chosen well.
The
Juilliard Quartet plays
Bartók, Schoenberg, Berg and Webern Juilliard Quartet rec. 1949-1952
WEST HILL RADIO ARCHIVES-6040 [6 CDs: 60:03 + 38:17 + 58:58 + 70:42
+ 60:17 + 59:18] [JW]
A
significant monument in performance history.
Cyprien
Katsaris (piano) Live in Shanghai
rec. 2007
PIANO 21
P21035N [106:00] [JW]
A
dazzler of a recital.
The
LPO celebrates American composers Works by Erb, Richter,
Lundborg & Bazelon
Gregg Henegar (contrabassoon) London PO/Harold Farberman rec. 1989
LEONARDA
LE331 [64:22] [RB]
Four
fairly uncompromising and distinctive American works brilliantly performed
and recorded.
A
Lindberg Extravaganza
Christian Lindberg (trombone and vocals) Swedish Wind Ens/Hans Ek rec.
2009
BIS-CD-1878 [63:10] [DM]
Slight,
perhaps; engaging, certainly. Great fun.
The
Lure of the Red Jacket
Glyn
Williams (euphonium) Foden’s Band/Michael Fowles
DOYEN DOY CD287 [73:01] [TP]
One
of the best solo brass albums I have heard in years.
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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