Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Symphony
no. 3 in E flat Eroica - Symphony no. 4 in B flat
Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart/Sir Roger Norrington. Rec. 1999?
SWR HÄNSSLER
CLASSIC CD93.085 [74.53] [DCFW]
If
you do not add it to your collection you will be missing something of
unequalled excellence and will be all the poorer! … see Full
Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791)
Requiem in d minor, K. 626 for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass,
chorus and orchestra [50:33] Benjamin BRITTEN
(1913-1976) in conversation with Donald Mitchell [26:00]
Heather Harper, soprano Alfreda Hodgson, mezzo-soprano Peter Pears,
tenor John Shirley-Quirk, bass Aldeburgh Festival Chorus English Chamber
Orchestra/Benjamin Britten Recorded 20 June 1971, Aldeburgh Festival
Concert Hall (Requiem) Recorded February 1969 (Interview) Great Performers
of the 20th Century series
BBC LEGENDS BBCL 4119-2 [76:33] [JS]
It
is said that when the angels sing, they sing Mozart: if that is true,
then when the angels mourn, they sing the Requiem thus … see Full
Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH
Gustav MAHLER
(1860-1911)
Symphony No. 4 (1892-1895) [53.29] - Richard
STRAUSS (1864 -1949) Burleske (1885-1886) [20.09] - Lisa
della Casa (soprano) - Byron Janis (piano)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Fritz Reiner - recorded in 1958
RCA RED SEAL 09026 64002 2 [73.38] [CF]
A
recording worth its weight in gold for the stylish Reiner and the exemplary
playing of the CSO.
see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Das
Lied von der Erde (1907-8)
Christa Ludwig (mezzo-soprano) Fritz Wunderlich (tenor) Philharmonia
then New Philharmonia Orchestra/Otto Klemperer Recorded in Kingsway
Hall, London 19-22 February 1964 No 1 Studio, Abbey Road, London 7-8
November 1964 and 6-9 July 1966 Great Recordings of the Century series
EMI CLASSICS 7243
5 66892 2 0 [64’07"] [JQ]
One
of the finest accounts of Das Lied von der Erde ever committed to disc.
… see Full Review
Jean
SIBELIUS
(1865-1957) - The Seven Symphonies
-
Symphony No. 1 (1898) [38.03] - Symphony No. 2 (1902) [47.14] - Symphony
No. 3 (1907) [29.31] - Symphony No. 4 (1911) [36.05] - Symphony No.
5 (1917) [31.35] - Symphony No. 6 (1918) [28.50] - Symphony No. 7 (1920)
[23.29] Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra (2, 4-7) - Helsinki Radio Symphony Orchestra (1, 3)
- Okko Kamu (1-3) - Herbert von Karajan (4-7) - rec. Helsinki, Oct 1972
(1,3); Berlin Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Feb 1970 (2), Feb, May, Sept 1965
(4), Feb 1965 (5), Apr, Sept 1967 (6, 7). ADD
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON TRIO 474 353-2 [3CDs: 78.57+77.47+78.39]
[RB]
A
classic ... fresh as an analogue daisy. ... stands proud and unblushing
in the Sibelius stakes ... see Full
Review
Peter Il'ych Tchaikovsky
(1850-1893) Swan
Lake - Grand Ballet in Three Acts (1877)
Russian State Symphony Orchestra/Dmitry Yablonsky - Rec. Studio 5 Moscow
State Broadcasting and Recording House, July 2001
NAXOS 8.555873-874 [2CDs: 147.56] [JF]
A
great concert performance. Allows us to come to terms with this great
music as if it were a Straussian tone poem. Recommended. … see Full
Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
Mass
in G minor* (1922) [21’41"] - Festival Te Deum in F major** (1937)
[7’35"] - Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
‘My love dwelt in a northern land’, Op. 18 No.3 (1890) [4’18"]
- Two Choral Songs, Op. 71 (1914): ‘The Shower’ [2’26"]; ‘The Fountain’
[3’56"] - ‘Go, song of mine’, Op. 57 (1909) [4’24"] - ‘Death
on the hills’, Op. 72 (1914) [3’14"] - Two Choral Songs, Op. 73
(1914): ‘Serenade’ [2’07"]; ‘Love’s tempest’ [2’59"] - *Isobel
Collyer (soprano); Joya Logan (alto); Christopher Mercer (tenor); Martin
Johnson (bass) - ** John Birch (organ)
The Holst Singers/Hilary Davan Wetton - Recorded in St. Paul’s Girls’
School, Brook Green, London in April 1990
REGIS RRC 1135 [54’13"] [JQ]
With
top-drawer performances this Regis CD is an outstanding bargain in every
way. It’s reissue is warmly to be welcomed and I recommend it with great
enthusiasm. … see Full Review
Leonard
Bernstein. The Original Jacket Collection Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphony No. 3 Op. 55 Eroica Bernstein Talk; How a Great Symphony
Was Written [14.22] Recorded January 1964 and December 1965 [talk] Leonard
BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) Symphonic Dances from West Side
Story orch. Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal Symphonic Suite from On
the Waterfront Recorded March 1861 [West Side Story] and May 1960
[On the Waterfront] Aaron COPLAND (1900-1990)
Rodeo – four dance episodes Billy the Kid – orchestral suite Recorded
May 1960 [Rodeo] and October 1959 [Billy the Kid] George
GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Rhapsody in Blue orch. Ferde Grofé
An American in Paris Recorded June 1959 [Rhapsody in Blue] and June
1958 [An American in Paris] Joseph HAYDN
(1732-1809) Symphony No. 82 Hob 1; 82 The Bear Symphony No.
83 Hob 1; 83 The Hen Recorded May 1962 [The Bear] and April 1962
[The Hen] Charles IVES (1874-1954)
Symphony No. 2 Bernstein Talk; Leonard Bernstein discusses Charles
Ives Recorded October 1958 and June 1966 [Talk] Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No. 7 in E minor Op 55 Recorded
December 1965 Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Symphony No. 5 Op 47 Recorded October 1959 Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphony No. 5 Op 82 Pohjola’s Daughter
Op 49 Recorded March 1961 [Symphony] and May 1964 [Pohjola’s Daughter]
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Le
Sacre du Printemps (1913 version) Recorded January 1958
New York Philharmonic Orchestra Leonard Bernstein (piano/conductor)
SONY CLASSICAL SX10K89750
[10 CDs 484.28] [JW]
Bernstein
- a man for most seasons … this box gives us many imperishable first
thoughts in repertoire in much of which he was a towering master. …
see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976)
The
Turn of the Screw – opera in 2 Acts (1954) - The Prologue -
Philip Langridge, tenor; The Governess - Felicity Lott, soprano; Miles
- Sam Pay, treble (young child in her charge); Flora - Eileen Hulse,
soprano (young child in her charge); Mrs.Grose, the housekeeper - Phyllis
Cannan, mezzo-soprano; Quint, a former manservant - Philip Langridge,
tenor; Miss Jessel, a former governess - Nadine Secunde, soprano
Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble, Brindisi Quartet/Steuart Bedford. Recorded
in October 1993 in The Concert Hall, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh, UK
NAXOS OPERA CLASSICS 8.660109 [2CDs: 53:06+53:17] [GPJ]
As
soon as I’d finished listening to this, I immediately wanted to hear
it again … an exceptionally powerful musical and dramatic experience.
… see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Bohuslav MARTINU
(1890-1959) String
Quartet No. 1 (1918) - String Quartet No. 2 (1925) - String Quartet
No. 3 (1929) - String Quartet No. 4 Concerto da Camera (1937)
- String Quartet No. 5 (1938) - String Quartet No. 6 (1946) - String
Quartet No. 7 Concerto da Camera (1947) - Madrigals for Violin
and Viola (1947) - String Trio No. 2 (1934) - Bedrich
SMETANA (1824-1884) String Quartet No. 1 in E minor From
My Life (1880) - String Quartet No. 2 in D minor (1882-83) -
Leoš JANÁCEK (1854-1928) String Quartet
No. 1 Kreutzer Sonata (1923) - String Quartet No. 2 Intimate
Letters (1928) Stamitz
Quartet - Recorded in Prague 1988 (Janácek), 1990 (Smetana and Martinu)
BRILLIANT CLASSICS
6473 [5 CDs 245.48] [JW]
A
warm welcome to this disarmingly cheap set. I heartily recommend this
comprehensive traversal of the unpredictable, occasionally highly impressive
Martinů Quartets. … see Full Review
BOOK REVIEW
Peter Maxwell Davies: Source book
Edited by Stewart Craggs Published by Ashgate Publishing Ltd. 2002 Hardback
318 pages ISBN 1-85928-042-0
£49.50
MusicWeb price
£42.50
Likely
to be the definitive source of information on the composer’s works for
some years to come. … see Full Review
SCORE REVIEWS
Richard Stoker
(arrangements) Eight British Folk-Songs Opus 39c For voice and
guitar (fingered and edited by Werner J. Wolff). Doblinger Munich 2002.
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Sinfonia Intrepida BBCSO/Sir
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[Detailed listing (last two days)]
[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]