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Bob
CHILCOTT (b.1955) Making Waves
The Sirens/Bob
Chilcott rec. 2008
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD142 [65:21][GPJ] 
You
are likely to be surprised and delighted ... see Full
Review
Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano Concertos
Nos. 1 & 2
Arthur Rubinstein (piano); Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra/Alfred
Wallenstein & NBC Symphony Orchestra/William Steinberg rec. 1946-53
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111296
[66:58][RMay] 
A
mix of exuberance and maturity ... see Full
Review
Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano Music
Heinrich Neuhaus
(piano) rec. 1946-53
RUSSIAN COMPACT DISC RCD16248 [71:00][JW]
Quicker,
rhythmically tighter, less rubati, fewer inflexions ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) The
Complete Works Garrick
Ohlsson (piano)
rec. 1989-2000 HYPERION CDS44351/66 [16
CDs: 1155:35] [PL]
A
rewarding bargain no Chopin-lover should resist ... see Full
Review
James COHN (b.1928)
Symphonies Nos. 2 & 7 etc.
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Vakhtang Jordania rec. 2001
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559376 [65:53][RB]
One
is certainly left intrigued to hear more ... see Full
Review
James
COHN (b.1928) Miniatures;
Variations on Muskrat Ramble; Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 5; Americana;
Waltz; Strutting Butterflies; Piano Concerto
Mirian Conti (piano); Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Vakhtang Jordania
(concerto) rec. 2001-8
XLNT MUSIC CD18012 [69:02][RB]
Cohn
with a lighter hand ... see Full
Review
Corellisante Arcangelo
CORELLI (1653 - 1713) Sonatas for 2 violins Georg
Philipp TELEMANN (1682-1767) Sonate Corellisante
for 2 violins Rebel
rec. 2003 DORIAN
DSL-90703 [68:08]
John
CORIGLIANO (b. 1938) A Dylan
Thomas Trilogy
Sir Thomas Allen (baritone); Nashville Symphony Chorus & Orchestra/Leonard
Slatkin rec. 2007 DDD
NAXOS 8.559394 [66:48][JF]
Stunning,
impressive, wonderful, beautiful, disturbing … somehow a masterpiece
... see Full Review
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) String Quartet
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) String
Quartet Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924) String
Quartet Quatuor Ebčne
rec. 2008
VIRGIN CLASSICS 5190452 [80:27][JW]
Engaging performances. Beauty of sound ... see
Full Review
Ernő DOHNÁNYI (1877-1960) Cello
Sonata Ludwig THUILLE (1861-1907) Cello
Sonata Donald Francis TOVEY (1875-1940) Sonata
for two cellos Marcy
Rosen (cello) Lydia Artymiw (piano) Frances Rowell (cello, Tovey)
rec. 2007 BRIDGE
9264 [74:39] [JW]
Well
played though somewhat under-projected ... see Full
Review
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797–1848) Lucia
di Lammermoor Beverly
Sills, Alfredo Kraus, Ch & O Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires/Juan
Emilio Martini rec. live 1972 WEST
HILL RADIO ARCHIVES WHRA6013 [65:17
+ 71:20] [GF]
Few
singers in recorded history have been deeper roles than Sills and
Kraus ... see Full Review
Frantisek DUSSEK (1731-1799)
Piano Concertos
Karek Kosárek (piano); Prague Chamber Orchestra rec. 2007
ETCETERA KTC1369 [59:12][TB]
The
music really comes alive, and is fresh, appealing and attractively performed
... see Full Review
Antonin
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Symphony 7 see HINDEMITH
Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Symphony No.
3 & Pomp & Circumstance March No. 6 elaborated by Anthony PAYNE
Sapporo Symphony Orchestra/Tadaaki Otaka rec. 2007
SIGNUM SIGCD118 [66:21][MG]
Many
good things but not as persuasive as Hickox … see Full
Review
Sir
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
The
Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38 (1900) [94:21]
Alice Coote (mezzo) - The Angel; Paul Groves (tenor) – Gerontius; Bryn
Terfel (bass-baritone) - The Priest and The Angel of The Agony Hallé
/Sir Mark Elder rec. 2008 English text included
HALLÉ CD HLD 7520 [37:20 + 57:01] 
[AS]
A
fine achievement and an asset to any record collection ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Elgar:
A Self-Portrait Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
Overture: Froissart, op.19 [13:29] Dream Children,
op.43 [6:50] The Music Makers, op.69 [38:41] Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750), orch. Elgar Fantasia and
Fugue in C minor, BWV 537/op.86 [8:58] Jane Irwin (mezzo)
Hallé Choir and Orchestra/Mark Elder rec. 2005
HALLÉ CD HLL 7509 [68:24]
[GPJ]
High
standards … a fascinating programme ... see Full
Review
Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924) String Quartet
see DEBUSSY
César
FRANCK (1822-1890) The
Great Organ Works Roberto
Antonello rec. 2002-4 FAGOTT
F39064 [3 CDs: 78:33 + 76:00 + 69:30] [MC]
Antonello
seems admirably suited to this repertoire ... see Full
Review
César
FRANCK (1822-1890) Trois
Chorales, Trois Pičces,
Pastoral, Final Colin Walsh (organ)
rec. 2008 GUILD GMCD7324 [79:50]
[MC]
Impresses
from start to finish - a very fine recital ... see Full
Review
Francesco
GEMINIANI (1687-1762) Six Concerti
Grossi, Op.3
The Academy of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood rec. 1976
DECCA L’OISEAU LYRE 4780024 [46:33][BW] 
An
attractive reissue, not at all dated ... see Full
Review
Charles
GOUNOD (1818–1893) Faust (1859) Giuliano
Romagnoli, Gemma Bosini, Fernando Autori, Ch & O La Scala,
Milan/Carlo Sabajno rec. 1920 DIVINE
ART DDH27810 [72:29 + 70:09] [GF]
Much
to admire ... surprisingly listenable ... see Full
Review
Christoph
GRAUPNER (1683-1760) Magnificat see KEISER
George
Frederick HANDEL (1685-1759) Water
Music Suites I & II; Sinfonias
Concerto Köln/Anton Steck rec. 2007
BERLIN CLASSICS 0016172BC [62:22][AS]
A
very enjoyable disc … one to which I will return regularly ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL
(1685–1759)
Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day, Organ Concerto 13, Zadok the Priest,
Coro della Radio Svizzera,
I Barocchisti/Diego Fasolis rec. 2005/8
ARTS 47739-8 
[61.35] [RH]
Crisp
and lively but does not quite live up to opening promise ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH George Frideric
HANDEL (1685-1759) Parnasso in Festa
The King’s Consort and Choir/Matthew Halls rec. 2008
HYPERION CDA67701/2 [72:25 + 59:26][BW]
A
very important discovery, excellently performed and recorded ... see
Full Review
Georg
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Furore – opera
arias Joyce
DiDonato (mezzo); Les Talens Lyriques/Christophe Rousset rec. 2008
VIRGIN CLASSICS 519038 [75:08][JW]
Fulsome
commitment revealed by this fearless singer ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH George Frideric
HANDEL (1685-1759) Acis
and Galatea Susan
Hamilton, Nicholas Mulroy, Dunedin Consort and Players/John Butt
rec. 2008 LINN
CKD319 [41:19 + 53:59] 
[BW]
Already
a strong contender for the 2009 Recording of the Year ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759) Arias from Samson,
Messiah & Judas Maccabeus see BACH
Alfred
HILL
(1869-1960) String
Quartets Nos. 4, 6 & 8
Dominion Quartet rec. 2007-8
NAXOS 8.572097 [65:00][JW]
Recording
quality excellent … committed playing ... see Full
Review
Paul
HINDEMITH (1895-1963) Concert
Music Antonin DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Symphony
7 Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Egmont Overture New
PO/Carlo Maria Giulini
rec. 1969/75 BBC LEGENDS BBCL4194-2 [66:59]
[SV]
Strictly
for Giulini Compleatists ... see Full
Review
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
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Tandem Arthur
HONEGGER (1892-1955) Sonatine for 2 violins see PROKOFIEV
Vincent
d’INDY (1851-1931) Jour d'été ŕ la montagne see MOERAN
Charles
IVES (1874-1954) Songs
Volumes 1 & 2
Various artists rec. 2005
NAXOS 8.559269 [74:52] & 8.559270 [67:37][JS]
Many
novelties will attract despite under-characterised performances ...
see Full Review
Christian
August JACOBI (1688 - after 1725) Der Himmel steht uns
wieder offen see HOMILIUS
Mieczysław
KARŁOWICZ (1876-1909) Symphonic
Poems Vol. 2
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Antoni Wit rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570295 [63:13][RMay]
Offers
a varied and rounded impression of Karłowicz’s style
... 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
Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) Piano
Works Nine Piano Pieces, Méditation sur un
motif de Claude Debussy, Seven Piano Pieces, Dances
of Marosszék Adrienne
Krausz (piano) rec. 2008 BUDAPEST
MUSIC CENTER RECORDS BMCCD143 [61:41] [WK]
A
fine choice for a modern set of Kodaly’s piano music ... see Full
Review
Anders KOPPEL (born
1947) Concerto for Violin, Accordion
and Orchestra; Concerto for Saxophone, Piano and Orchestra Christina Ĺstrand (violin); Bjarke Mogensen (accordion); Benjamin Koppel
(saxophone); Rikke Sandberg (piano); Danish National Symphony Orchestra-DR/John
Storgĺrds rec. 2006-7
DACAPO 8.226055 [67:56][HC]
Superbly
crafted, colourful, often beautiful and at times rather gripping ...
see Full Review
Herman
D. KOPPEL (1908-1998) Composer and Pianist: Volume
5
Herman D. Koppel
(piano) rec. 1986
DANACORD DACOCD569-70 [62:41 + 73:05][DC]
A
fascinating record of one musician’s remarkable achievements ... see
Full Review
Thomas
LINLEY (1756–1778) The Song of Moses;
Let God Arise
Holst Singers; The Parley of Instruments/Peter Holman rec. 1997
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55302 [66.31][RH]
Music
which deserves to be better known ... see Full
Review
Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Piano
Concerto No. 1 see MUSSORGSKY
Jean-Baptiste
LULLY (1632–1687) Armide
Opera Lafayette/Ryan Brown rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.660209-10 [55.33 + 66.16][RH]
A
creditable and approachable Armide ... see Full
Review
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[Part 4 M-R] [Part
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