Elizabeth
MACONCHY (1907–1994) Proud
Thames,
Symphony, Serenata Concertante,
Music for Strings 
Manoug Parikian
(violin),
London PO, London SO/Vernon Handley LYRITA
SRCD288 [JW]
Not
always an easy listen but all the more rewarding
for it ... see Full
Review
Paysages
Jules
MASSENET (1842-1912) Scènes
Alsaciennes (1881) [23:20]
Gustave CHARPENTIER (1860-1956) Impressions
d’Italie (1891) [35:58] Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1923) Suite
Algérienne (1879) [18:13]
Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice/Marco Guidarini
rec. March 2007, Diacosmie Hall, Nice, France
TALENT DOM 2929 106 SACD [77:46] [DC]
An
excellent disc, full of approachable, off-the-beaten-track
music. ... see Full
Review
Paul
McCARTNEY (b.1942) Ecce Cor Meum
Academy of St Martin in the Fields/Gavin Greenaway rec. 2006
EMI CLASSICS 3704242 [56:51][EM]
Many
good bits, although one feels that it does not hang together as a whole;
too many sudden changes of direction, too many contesting styles, not
enough evidence an over-arching, masterful “voice”. Well performed though
and interesting ... see Full Review
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Violin
Concerto,
Octet,
Three Lieder (arr. Daniel Hope) Daniel
Hope, CO of Europe/Thomas Hengelbrock rec. 2007 DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 4776634 [TP]
Consistently
fine playing … worth hearing the original of the concerto … see Full
Review
E.
J. MOERAN
(1894-1950)
Piano music see BAINES
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano Concertos
Nos. 9 & 19;
Nine
Variations on a Menuet by Duport
Clara Haskil, (piano) rec. 1952-6
MEDICI ARTS MM004-2 [67:58][KS]
Flawless,
perfectly expressive … even the inferior sound does little to damage
this priceless pianism. ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano Concertos
Nos. 14, 20 and 25
Wiener Philharmoniker/Rudolf Buchbinder (piano, conductor) rec. 2006
EUROARTS 2055908 
[84:33][MG]
Performances
of admirable composure and the evident joy in the music making is very
appealing … see Full Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Piano Concerto
No. 24 Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Piano Concerto
Yevgeny Kissin (piano); London Symphony Orchestra/Sir
Colin Davis rec. 2006
EMI CLASSICS 3828792 [62:19][SV]
A
superfluous release, save perhaps as a memento of the two concerts ...
see Full Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791) Don Giovanni English
Chamber Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim rec. 1975
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 3932562 [77:33 + 79:13][GF]
There’s some good
singing here but the recording is let down
by lethargic tempos and the omission of most
of the recitative. ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Don
Giovanni K527 (1787) arranged for
wind ensemble (1788?) by Josef
TRIEBENSEE (1772-1846)
Opera Senza (Maarten Dekkers, Tomoharu Yoshida
(oboes); Thorsten Johanns, Paul-Joachim Blöcher
(clarinets); Kathleen Putnam, Hubert Stähle
(horns); Henrik Rabien, Hubert Betz (bassoons);
Jörg Schade, (double-bass) rec. 22-24
February 2007, Evangelische Kirche, Honrath,
Germany. DDD. Stereo, 5+1 and 2+2+2 formats
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG
903 1464-6 Hybrid SACD [58:22]
Very
good performances and recording: attractive
enough, but do we need this kind of distillation
of a Mozart opera in this day of multiple
recordings? ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791)
Die Zauberflöte
Kurt Moll, Peter Schreier, Edda Moser, Anneliese Rothenberger, Walter
Berry, Bavarian State Opera Ch & O/Wolfgang Sawallisch rec. 1972
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE
3932662 [74:26 + 73:53] [GF]
An
excellently conducted version with Moll and Moser outstanding among
the soloists ... see Full Review
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) String Quartets
Nos.1-6 Cherubini
Quartet rec. 1989-90
EMI CLASSICS TRIPLE 5 00857 2 [3 CDs: 55:46 + 56:44 + 60:28][BW]
These
good performances, well recorded, would receive a clear recommendation
but the Henschel Quartet offer performances at least as good and their
3-CD set contains more music for little more money ... see Full
Review
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809–1847) Lieder Carl
LOEWE (1796–1869) Lieder
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) rec. 1967-1970
EMI CLASSICS GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 3919902 [72:31
+ 70:54][GF]
Practically
anything Fischer-Dieskau recorded in those days is worth having and
those who have yet to discover the Lieder-composers Mendelssohn and
Loewe should jump at this opportunity ... see Full
Review
Ignacy
Jan PADEREWSKI (1860–1941) Douze
Mélodies sur de poesies de Catulle Mendes and other songs Anna
Radziejewska (mezzo) Mariusz Rutkowski (piano) rec. 2007 DUX
DUX0585 [RH]
A
lovely recital and should be of interest to everyone with a fondness
for songs ... see Full Review
Paul
PATTERSON (b. 1947) Missa Brevis
Michael BERKELEY (b. 1948) Or
Shall We Die?
London Philharmonic Choir/Owain Arwel Hughes (Patterson)/Richard Hickox
(Berkeley) rec. 1984-6
EMI CLASSICS BRITISH COMPOSERS 5059212 [66:05][RB]
Two
modern-ish works - leaning on the one hand on protest and on the other
on a choral legacy stretching back to Byrd and Tallis. ... see Full
Review
Krzysztof PENDERECKI
(b. 1933) Die Teufel von Loudun
Chor und Orchester der Hamburgischen Staatsoper/Marek Janowski
rec. 1969
PHILIPS 4463282 [68.42 + 37.20][OP]
In
the end Die Teufel is about fear and pity, intolerance, heresy and hypocrisy
– Jeanne silently praying as Grandier is burning to death … ... see
Full Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858–1924) Tosca
Magda Olivero
(soprano); Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Milano della RAI/Emidio Tieri
rec. 1957 ISTITUTO
DISCOGRAFICO ITALIANO IDIS 6519/20 [42:44 + 66:17][GF]
Olivero
collectors should invest in this set; others who want a Tosca, not a
specific Tosca, are advised to look elsewhere ... see Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI
(1887-1924)
Il Trittico
Alberto Mastromarino, Amarilli Nizza, Teatro Comunale di Modena Orchestra/Julian
Reynolds rec. live 2007
TDK DVWW-OPTRIT [IL]
Much
to recommend it. ... see Full
Review
Roger
QUILTER (1877-1953) The
Complete Quilter Songbook Vol. 1 Mark
Stone (baritone)/Stephen Barlow (piano)
rec. 2005/6 SONY BMG 88697
139962 [JQ]
This
pair of discs will give a great deal of pleasure and they should
be warmly welcomed by all enthusiasts for English song ... see Full
Review
Sergei RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
The Bells see ADAMS
Enjoyable,
but lacking just a little sparkle and grit ... see Full
Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Official
Collection Vol. 9 Symphony
2,
The Rock Russian Federation State
SO/Evgeny Svetlanov
rec. 1995 WARNER MUSIC 5101
122352 [JW]
Vivid,
full of candour, clear-eyed architecture and communicative drama
... see Full Review
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Miroirs; Gaspard
de la Nuit Minoru
Nojima (piano) rec. 1989
REFERENCE RECORDINGS RR-35CD [50:30] [CH]
Nojima
has made a great Liszt record but unfortunately his “other” disc
goes some way to explaining his slender reputation. ... see Full
Review
Aribert
REIMANN (b. 1936) Zyklus,
Kumi Ori, Die Pole sind in uns Yaron
Windmüller (baritone) Axel Bauni (piano), Saarbrücken RSO/Günther
Herbig rec. 2004 NAXOS
8.570199 [DC]
If
you feel your collection lacks intellectual weight and you long
for an antidote to hedonistic thrills, then this is certainly worth
a try ... see Full Review
Josef
Gabriel RHEINBERGER (1839–1901) Oster-Hymne;
Vier schstimmige Motetten; Mass in E flat; Drei geistliche Gesänge
Phoenix Bach Choir
and Kansas City Chorale/Charles Bruffy rec. 2007
CHANDOS CHSA 5055
[56.22][RH]
Lovely
works, well recorded … this should suit if you want to explore Rheinberger's
choral music. ... see Full Review
Franz
Xaver RICHTER (1709-1789) Six
Grandes Symphonies
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra/Aapo Häkkinen rec. 2005
NAXOS 8.557818 [73.26][GH]
The
whole disc should give much pleasure. Buy it. ... see Full
Review
Ferdinand
RIES (1784-1838) Piano Concertos,
Vol. 2 Swedish National Air with Variations; Introduction
and Polonaise; Piano Concerto in C sharp minor
Christopher Hinterhuber (piano) Gävle Symphony Orchestra/Uwe Grodd
rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.557844
[60:27] [TP]
This
disc offers you satisfying performances of satisfying music. How can
you refuse? ... see Full Review
Georg
Wenzel RITTER (1744-1808) Bassoon
Quartets Paolo
Carlini, rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570500 [JW]
Mozartian
protagonist whose achievements, whilst modest, also enrich the
bassoon repertoire ... see Full
Review
Cyril
ROOTHAM (1875-1938) The
Stolen Child, Miniature Suite, City in the West, The
Psalm of Adonis, For the Fallen BBC
Northern Singers Northern Sinfonia & Ch/Richard Hickox
rec. 1986 EMI
CLASSICS BRITISH COMPOSERS 5059232 [RB]
Don’t
miss out on this treasurably warm music from the British musical
renaissance ... see Full Review
Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) La
pietra del paragone Sonia
Prina, Francois Lis, Ensemble Matheus/Jean–Christophe Spinosi
rec. live 2007 NAÏVE V5089 [RJF]
Staged,
if that is the word, courtesy of cinematographic
magic. Importantly, taken at face value, it
works ... see Full
Review
Gioachino
ROSSINI
(1792-1868) La
pietra del paragone.
Marie-Ange Todorovich Il Marco Vinco (bass);
Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real, Madrid/Alberto
Zedda
OPUS ARTE. OA
0987 D [2 DVDs:189min]
Experienced
singers contribute to the success of this
updated production ... see full
review
Nino
ROTA (1911–1979) Complete
Music for Viola/Piano and Violin/Piano Marco
Fornaciari (violin and viola), Gabriele Baldocci (piano) rec.
2006 ARTS
MUSIC 47718-8 [BBr]
We
badly need this kind of music these days - well crafted and tuneful
music ... see Full Review
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[Recommended recordings]
Over a period of three years
from December 2003, I have spent a lot of time
in the company of Harry Partch – not literally,
of course, as he died in 1974, but working my
way though an article and some eight reviews that
can all be found on MusicWeb. Then, at the MusicWeb
annual lunch (January 2007), the name of John
Cage caught my ear. For reasons that my subconscious
was not prepared to divulge, my curiosity was
tickled. Partch and Cage have on occasion been
paired off, as a sort of American "Debussy and
Ravel" – was there any real connection between
them? This may come as a bit of an anticlimax
but, other tha
[Letter to Ben Johnston, 1952, reproduced in Innova
Enclosure 3] Who is right – the "pro" camp or
t
