Manuel
SAUMELL (1817-1870) 8 Contradanzas (arr. Leo
Brouwer) see BROUWER
Jan SandStrÖm (b.
1954) Från
Mörker till Ljus (From Darkness to Light) for reader, baritone
and chamber orchestra 
Peter
Mattei (baritone); Sven Wollter (reader) Norrbotten CO/Petter Sundkvist
rec. 2002 SWEDISH
SOCIETY SCD1136 [WK]
A
fine premiere recording of a major work on the fundamentals of
good and evil ... see Full Review
Franz Schreker
and Pupils Franz
SCHREKER (1878-1934)
Intermezzo Op. 8 for strings;(1902)
[6.37]; Scherzo Op. 8 for strings (1902)
[6.34] Julius BŰRGER
(1897-1995) Two Songs for baritone
and orchestra (1919): Legend [12.43];
Silence of the night [10.45] Ernst
KŘENEK (1900-1991) Symphony
No. 1 Op. 7 (1921) [35:36]
Dietrich Henschel (baritone) Luzerner Sinfonieorchester/John
Axelrod rec. KKL Luzern, Konzertsaal, 4-5
July 2006. DDD
NIMBUS NI 5808 [71:48] [GH]
Unfocused
and the Křenek is disappointing. Only
the two songs by Bűrger are of real interest
... see Full
Review
Franz SCHUBERT
(1797-1828) String Quartet “Death and the
Maiden” Arr. Mahler Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
String Quartet “American”
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Charles Rosekrans rec. 2002
TELARC CD80610 [69:35][DC]
Nice
enough, but no real musical revelations to be had. ... see Full
Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) The String Quartets
Quatuor Sine Nomine
rec. 1989-1994 CASCAVELLE
VEL 3115 [5 CDs: 65:37 + 63:35 + 76:17 + 74:37 + 74:37][DC]
Not
without its competitors, but a bracing new view on Schubert nonetheless
... see Full Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Reflections
on Schubert
Michael Coonrod (piano) rec. 2006
WORLD RECORDS [2CDs 74:52+77:31][BW]
Good
performances, well recorded, but not viable in such a competitive market
... see Full Review
Schubert
and his Circle Franz
SCHUBERT
(1797-1828) Piano
Sonata in C major, D840, "Reliquie" (1825) completed by
Brian Newbould [43:50] Thirteen Variations on an Theme of Anselm
Hüttenbrenner, D576 (1817) [14:50] Anselm
HÜTTENBRENNER (1794-1868) Piano Sonata in E major, Op.16
(1826) [18:26] Franz SCHUBERT Deutscher
in C sharp minor, D643 [0:56] Josef HÜTTENBRENNER
(1796-1882) Tanz der Furien [1:12]
Todd Crow (piano)
rec. 30-31 May 2006, Martel Recital Hall, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie,
New York
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0065
[79:16] [DC]
A
must for all Schubert fans. ... see Full
Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Sonata
D784, Thirteen Variations on a Theme by Hüttenbrenner Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Fantasiestücke Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Images Book 2: Cloches à travers
les feuilles Sviatoslav
Richter
rec. live 1969-79 BBC LEGENDS
BBCL4222-2 [CH]
Some
supreme playing and one performance appears for the first time
... see Full Review
Robert
Schumann
(1810-1856)
Symphonies 1 & 4 Deutsche
Radio Philharmonie/Stanislaw Skrowaczewski rec. 2007
OEHMS CLASSICS OC707 [WK]
Idiosyncratic
but gripping performances of two Schumann
favorites ... see Full
Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Symphony
2 Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Variations
on a Theme of Haydn Munich
PO/Sergiu Celibidache
rec. 1980/94 EMI CLASSICS
5568492 
[CH]
Those
wishing to investigate the Celibidache phenomenon
will find much here to reward and fascinate
... see Full
Review
Robert SCHUMANN
(1810-1856)
Symphony
no. 3, Symphony no. 4
Munich PO/Sergiu Celibidache rec.1986/88
EMI CLASSICS 56525 [74:17] [CH]
The
"Rhenish", in particular, gets an
unusual yet stimulating interpretation. ...
see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Robert
SCHUMANN
(1810-1856)
Piano concerto (documentary & performance)
Martha Argerich, Gewandhaus O Leipzig/Riccardo
Chailly rec. live 2006
EUROARTS 2056068 
[MM-B]
A
great recording of an equally great performance
... see Full
Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano
Quintet see BRAHMS
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Fantasiestücke see SCHUBERT
Heinrich
SCHÜTZ (1585-1672)
The Christmas Story Giovanni
GABRIELI (1557-1612) Christmas
Motets
John Mark Ainsley, Michael George, Ruth Holton,
The King’s Consort/Robert King rec. 1989
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55310 [EM]
Glorious
music, excellent performances ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alexander SCRIABIN
(1872-1915)
Complete Solo Piano Works
Maria Lettberg rec. 2004-2007
CAPRICCIO 49586 [DC]
Very
high quality indeed, in every regard ... see
Full
Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Symphony
No. 4 in C minor
Beethoven Orchestra Bonn/Roman Kofman rec.
2006. DDD Complete Symphonies - Vol. 8
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG
937 1208-6 [65:08] [BBr]
I’m
sorry. I want much more from this music than
Kofman and his players give me. ... see Full
Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Piano Trio 2 see RACHMANINOFF
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Humoresques see GRIEG
Johann
SOBECK (1831-1914) Wind Quintets opp.
9, 11 & 14
Albert Schweitzer Quintett rec. 2005
CPO 777 203-2 [60:40][DC]
Repertoire
which is full of fun and which deserves recognition. ... see Full
Review
Padre Antonio
SOLER (1729-1783) Sonatas Nos. 60,
66, 68, 75, 76 etc.
Gilbert Rowland (harpsichord) rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570292 [77:51][GPu]
A
top-quality conclusion to a series which has
given some brilliant and idiosyncratic music
… see Full Review
Sir
Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924)
Symphony
no. 2 in D minor – "Elegiac"
; Symphony no. 5 in D major – "L’Allegro
ed il Penseroso"
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones
rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570289 [74:33] [CH]
Lloyd-Jones’s
performance of the Fifth Symphony has revealed
it to me as a perfectly achieved work of art.
... see Full
Review
Halsey STEVENS
(1908-1989)
Symphonic
Dances (1958) [19:04] Sonata
for Solo Cello (1958) [23:18] Symphony
#1 (1945) [14:54]
London Philharmonic Orchestra/George Barati
(Symphonic Dances); Gabor Rejto (cello); Japan
Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra/Akeo Watanabe
(Symphony #1) Notes in English
CRI 892 [53:21] [OP]
The
time for a renaissance of the work of this
unjustifiably neglected composer is long overdue
... see Full
Review
James STEVENS (b.1923)
Miniature Overture - In a Nutshell; Symphony No. 1; A Coronation
Overture - Lion and Unicorn; Symphony No. 2; Musique Concrète
BBC Northern
Orchestra/Stanford Robinson; BBC Scottish Orchestra/Ian Whyte rec.
1953-6 PRISTINE AUDIO XR
PASC100 [67:45][RB]
Psychologically
complex music productively adrift in tonality's shadowlands ... see
Full Review
Bernardo
STORACE (fl.1664) Passagagli con partite pastorali see
CARESANA
Alessandro STRADELLA
(1639-1682) Amanti,
olà, olà!, Accademia d'Amore a 5 voci; Chi
resiste al Dio bendato
Alessandro Stradella Consort/Estevan Velardi
rec. 2000-5
CHANDOS CHAN0728 [73:43][JV]
Two
interesting secular works by Alessandro Stradella – recommended although
the performances leave something to be desired … see Full
Review
Johann
STRAUSS II
(1825-1899) Jabuka (with dance
arrangements) European
Johann Strauss O/Christian Pollack rec. 2005/7
NAXOS 8.660216-17 [ST]
Buy
it for the dance arrangements: you’ll be whistling them long past
New Year ... see Full Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Ein Heldenleben;
Metamorphosen
Staatskapelle Dresden/Fabio Luisi rec. 2007
SONY BMG 88697084712 
[72:30][MS]
Committed
exciting, compelling and colourful accounts of two Strauss orchestral
works. ... see Full Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Salome’s
Dance; Suite from Der Rosenkavalier;
Burleske for
piano and orchestra; Festival Prelude for organ and orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra/Jesús López-Cobos
rec. 1994
TELARC CD80371 [65:21][IL]
An
enjoyable collection ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Alpine
Symphony, Four Last Songs Anja
Harteros, Staatskapelle Dresden/Fabio Luisi
rec. 2007 SONY
BMG 88697 141972 [MS]
Another
real winner from Dresden in opulent and luscious Strauss ... see Full
Review
Igor
STRAVINSKY
(1882-1971) The
Rite of Spring, Symphony in Three Movements
Bamberg SO/Jonathan Nott rec. 2005/6
TUDOR
7145 [TB]
Nott
has the measure of the score and the tempi
always feel appropriate ... see Full
Review
Piet
SWERTS (b. 1960) Symphony No. 2 “Morgenrot”
Vlaams Radio Orkest/Bjarte
Engeset rec. 2000
PHAEDRA 92052 [72:21][HC]
A
work of great expressive strength into which Swerts put much of his
inner self, deeply sincere ... see Full
Review
Eric
TANGUY (b. 1968) Cello Concertos
Nos. 1 & 2 Anne
Gastinel (cello); Orchestre National de France/Alain Altinoglu rec.
2006-7 NAIVE V5078
[57:41][RB]
Two
eruptive concertos from the last two decades ... see Full
Review
Alexandre
TANSMAN (1897-1986)
Chamber Music with Clarinet:
Musique for clarinet and string quartet; Musique à Six for
clarinet, string quartet, and piano; Trois Pieces; Triptyque
Jean-Marc Fessard
(clarinet; bass clarinet); Quatuor Elysée rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570235 [54:44][JW]
A
feather in the cap for Tansman admirers ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe TARTINI (1692-1770)
The Devil’s Trill and other violin sonatas
The Locatelli Trio rec. 1990-1
HYPERION DYAD CDD22061 [73:19 + 67:23][MS]
Enigmatic
twists and turns, wryly inviting. sympathetic, attentive playing on
this generous reissue ... see Full Review
John
TAVENER (b. 1944) The Protecting Veil;
Thrinos Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Suite for solo cello No. 3
Steven Isserlis (cello); London Symphony Orchestra/Gennadi Rozhdestvensky
rec. 1991 VIRGIN CLASSICS
5034302 [74:04][DC]
15
years on, and still one of the mighty handful. ... see Full
Review
Piotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony
No. 5 Munich Philharmonic
Orchestra/Sergiu Celibidache rec. 1991
EMI CLASSICS CDC 5565222
[58:26][CH]
A
truly shattering experience. My perceptions of this symphony can never
be the same again. ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Romeo
and Juliet, Symphony 6
Cincinnati SO/Paavo Järvi rec. 2007
TELARC
SACD60681 [MG]
Performances
of tension, honed shape and sheeny, emotive lyricism … see Full
Review
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The
Seasons Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
(1844-1908) Piano Concerto in C sharp minor
Victor Merzhanov (piano); USSR State Symphony Orchestra/Israel Gusman
rec. 1986-1998 VISTA
VERA VVCD00027 [60:16][JW]
A
strange kind of disc geared strongly to admirers of the pianist ... see
Full Review
Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767)
Wind Concertos Volume 1
La Stagione Frankfurt, Camerata Köln/Michael Schneider rec. 2005/6
CPO 7770322 [KS]
Refined
elegance … well balanced playing by musicians who are obviously
enjoying themselves ... see Full
Review
Georg Philipp
TELEMANN (1681-1767) Cantatas
Annette Markert
(alto); Il Parnaso Musicale rec. 1990
CHRISTOPHORUS CHE 0125-2 [49:23][MS]
Telemann’s
facility with evocation and technical dexterity
in response to deep yet familiar emotions
performed well and idiomatically ... see Full
Review
Thomas D. A.
TELLEFSEN
Complete Piano Works -
Vols 1-4
Malgorzata Jaworska (piano).rec. 1999-2007
ACTE PRÉALABLE AP0049, AP0062,
AP0064, AP0154 [JW]
The
music of an executant-composer now almost
completely forgotten. ... see Full
Review
Kurt
THOMAS (1904-1973) Passionsmusik,
Psalm 137 Norddeutscher
Figuralchor/Jörg
Straube rec. 2004 THOROFON
BELLA
MUSICA
CTH2493 [GPu]
A
welcome chance to hear two choral works very influential in their
day, but now largely forgotten; they benefit from exemplary performances
in an apt acoustic … see Full
Review
Virgil
THOMSON
(1896-1989)
The Plow That Broke the Plains, The River
Post-Classical Ensemble/Angel
Gil-Ordóñez rec. 2005
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559291 [DM]
If
you just want the music – this disc is as
authoritative as it gets ... see Full
Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
(1872-1958) Oboe
& tuba concertos, The Lark Ascending Frederick
DELIUS (1862-1934) On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring,
Summer Night on the River William
WALTON (1902-1983) Two Pieces from Henry V
Neil Black, Arnold Jacobs, Pinchas Zukerman, Chicago SO, English CO/Daniel
Barenboim rec. 1973-77
DG ELOQUENCE 442 8333 [JW]
Some
pleasures but also some longeurs ... see Full
Review
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
Dona Nobis Pacem see BARBER
Giuseppe VERDI (1813–1901)
Luisa Miller
Luciano Pavarotti, Gilda Cruz Romo, RAI di Torino SO/Peter Maag rec.
live 1974 ARTS ARCHIVES
430882 [GF]
No
one with an interest in good Verdi singing
and conducting should miss this live set in
superlative stereo ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813–1901)
Nabucco (highlights)
Matteo Manuguerra, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Renata
Scotto, Philharmonia O/Riccardo Muti rec.
1977/8
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 3933742 [GF]
There
are some good things here but too much is
hard-driven and unsubtle ... see Full
Review
Louis
VIERNE
(1870-1937) Organ Symphonies 1-6
Kees Geluk,
Eric Quist, Bert den Hertog rec. 2004/5
D.E. VERSLUIS DEV-VI1010
[DC]
There
are better versions, but still an interesting and useful set ...
see Full Review
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678–1741) Opera
arias & sinfonias Emma
Kirkby (soprano) Brandenburg Consort/Roy Goodman
rec. 1994 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55279 [RH]
Kirkby’s
light vocal timbre works extremely well … most enjoyable ... a
vivid, lively and well structured programme … see Full
Review
Wladimir
VOGEL (1896–1984) Thyl
Claes Part 1 Marie-Thérèse
Letorney (soprano) Choeur des XVI, Svizzera Italiana O/Luca
Pfaff
rec. live 1996 CPO 999 960-2 [HC]
Not
to be missed ... see Full
Review
William
WALTON (1902-1983) Two Pieces from
Henry V see VAUGHAN
WILLIAMS
Peter
WARLOCK
(1894-1930) An
Old Song for small orchestra see BUTTERWORTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Graham WHETTAM (1927-2007)
String Quartets Nos. 1 & 4; Oboe Quartet No. 2
Jenny-Lee Keetley (oboe); Carducci Quartet rec. 2007
CARDUCCI CLASSICS CSQ5847 [63:55][RB]
A
gripping voice in the annals of British music - mysteriously ignored
... see Full Review
John
Ramsden WILLIAMSON (b.
1929)
Music for woodwind
Miriam Hughes (flute) Sarah Ableman (clarinet) Rosemary Richardson (bassoon)
David Jones (piano)
DUNELM DRD0271 [DC]
Solid
craftsmanship, but consistent to a fault ... see Full
Review
Ian
WILSON (b. 1964) String Quartets Nos.
4-6 ; Lyric Suite
The Callino Quartet rec. 2005
RIVERRUN RVRCD77 [60:08][HC]
A
fine introduction to Ian Wilson’s personal
and strongly expressive sound-world. ... see
Full Review
Ermanno
WOLF-FERRARI
(1876-1948) Idillio-Concerto
for oboe, strings and two horns Op.15
(1932) [18:53] Concertino for cor anglais,
strings and two horns Op.34 (1947) [24:38]
Suite Concertino for bassoon, strings
and two horns Op.16 (1933) [19:48]
Piet van Bockstal (oboe and cor anglais) Luc
Loubry (bassoon) Westsächisches Symphonie
Orchester (West Saxony Symphony Orchestra)/Hans
Rotman No recording details
TALENT SACD DOM 2929 90 [63:30] [JW]
A
work that comes gift-wrapped "delicious".
... see Full
Review
Charles WUORINEN
(b. 1938)
Tashi, Percussion Quartet, Fortune
Contemporary Music Group, New Jersey Percussion Ens. rec. 1993/6
NAXOS 8.559321 [GPu]
Music
of high intelligence but also of fair accessibility, clearly structured,
engaging mind and emotions alike … see Full
Review
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