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20th
Century Guitar – The Art of Modern
Guitar Ulrich
WEDLICH (b. 1954) Guitar Sonata Leo
BROUWER (b. 1939) Concerto elegiaco, Hommage à César
Franck Carlo DOMENICONI (b.
1947) Koyunbaba Friedemann
Wuttke (guitar)
New Moscow CO/Igor Zhukov rec. 1992-2006 HÄNSSLER
PROFIL PH08039 [60:09] [BBr]
An
enjoyable issue and well worth having for the Brouwer ... see Full
Review
40
Degrees North
Includes Francisco TARREGA
(1852-1909) Variations on the Carnival of Venice He
Zhanhao (b. 1933)/Chen Gang (b. 1935) Violin Concerto "The
Butterfly Lovers" Enrique GRANADOS
(1867-1916) Valses Poeticos Wang Huiran (b.1936) Yi Dance
Xuefei Yang (guitar) rec. 2008
EMI CLASSICS 2063222 [67:43]
[ZT]
Aficionados
of fine music will not be disappointed by this excellent recording
... see Full Review
A Chantar Songs
of Women in the Middle Ages
Estampie rec. 1989 CHRISTOPHORUS
CHR77290 [66.36]
[GH]
A
joyous and happy experience ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH American
Orchestral Song Music by Virgil THOMSON
(1896-1989), John Alden CARPENTER
(1876-1951), Roy HARRIS (1898-1979),
Charles Tomlinson GRIFFES (1884-1920)
and Horatio PARKER (1863-1919)
Patrick Mason
(baritone); Odense Symphony Orchestra/Paul Mann rec. 2007
BRIDGE 9254 [57:56][RB]
Luscious
late-romantic song-cycles with orchestra and the visionary Harris more
angular ... see Full Review
Auf
Flügeln Des Gesanges
(On Wings of Song)
Includes
Felix MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Variations sérieuses
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Fantasie
Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Die Loreley
(arr. Liszt) Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (trans. Tanski)
Claudius Tanski (piano) rec. 2007
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG9121489-6
[67:42]
[MSJ]
A
very listenable recital of romantic piano
music ... see Full
Review
Reminiscences
-
Yuri Bashmet Marin
MARAIS Suite
in D Minor [11:50] Jan
Jiri BENDA Grave [3.32]
Johannes
BRAHMS Scherzo 'F.A.E.' Sonata
[5.51]; Berceuse (Wiegenlied) [1.56]
Igor
STRAVINSKY Chanson Russe from Mavra
[4.08] Sergei
PROKOFIEV Scene of Farewell and
Juliet's death from Romeo and Juliet [7.32]
Marin
MARAIS Five Old French Dances [10:34]
Maurice
RAVEL Pavane
[6.22] Erik
SATIE Gymnopedie no. 1 [3.11]
Jean-Philippe
RAMEAU La villageoise [0.47]
Yuri Bashmet (viola) Mikhail Muntyan (piano)
rec. 2007.
ONYX CLASSICS ONYX4032 [51:43]
[RB]
Breath-taking
pianissimo playing from Bashmet ... recital
favourites and encores. ... see Full
Review
The Beauty of Two Music
by Edvard GRIEG (1843–1907),
Paul HINDEMITH (1895–1963), Francis
POULENC (1899–1963) and Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890–1959)
The Kennedy Center Chamber Players rec. 2004-6
DORIAN DSL90705 [74:12][BBr]
A
slightly quirky programme, which makes it
all the more interesting ... see Full
Review
Beyond
Favorites Richard
O. BURDICK Horn
Trio Paul HINDEMITH
(1895-1963) Second Organ Sonata
Wolfgang Amadeus
MOZART (1756-1791) Sonata for two
pianos Ludwig van
BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphony No.1 in C
Richard Burdick (horns) rec. 2007/ 2008
I CHING MUSIC CD21 [69:46] [DC]
A
tremendous achievement, but beyond novelty?
... see Full
Review
A Candle to the Glorious Sun
Music by John MILTON
(c.1563-1647) and Martin
PEERSON (c.1572-1651)
Choir of Selwyn College/Sarah MacDonald
REGENT REGCD268 [68.12][GH]
Fantastic
to have this very rare repertoire and performed so well ... see Full
Review
Canticum Canticorum Includes
works by Schütz, Purcell and Marais
Les Voix Baroques/Stephen Stubbs. rec. 2007
ATMA ACD2 2503 [69:02]
[GPu]
A
well conceived and planned anthology … see Full
Review
Jiří Kylián’s
Car Men -
a film by Jiří Kylián and Boris Paval
Conen Sabine
Kupferberg, Gioconda Barbuto,
David Krügel, Karel Hruška (dancers) rec. 2006 plus Silent
Cries & La Cathédrale engloutie rec.
1983/87 ARTHAUS 102101 [61:00] [MM-B]
Kylián
is original, innovative, always questioning,
challenging ... see Full
Review
Chinese
Lieder
Jingma Fan (tenor) Reinild Mees (piano) rec.
January 2008, Frits Philipszaal, Eindhoven
CHANNEL OF CHINA - CHANNEL CLASSICS CCS SA
80908 [58:36] [DC]
A
fine product, deserving of success. ... see
Full
Review
Clarinet
Music 1950
Richard STRAUSS
(1864–1949)
Duet Concertino Witold LUTOSLAWSKI
(1913–1994) Dance Preludes Aaron COPLAND
(1900–1990) Clarinet Concerto Carl NIELSEN
(1865–1931) Little Suite
Jean-François Verdier (clarinet), Laurent Lefèvre (bassoon) Ensemble
Jean Wiéner/François-Xavier Roth rec. 2001
QUANTUM QM7006 [60:37]
[BBr]
Nice
disk, but the performances are too lightweight ... see Full
Review
Contemporary
Sacred Music from Estonia Andres
UIBO (b.1956) Antiphons Veljo
TORMIS (b.1930) At the Crossroads, Tower Bell
in my Village Arvo
PÄRT (b.1935) Ode VI, Prayer after the Canon Orthodox
Singers/Valery Petrov rec. 2007 TROUBADISC
TROCD01432 [62:42] [JW]
Performances
in every way worthy of the music ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe Di Stefano –
The Opera Singer
Various accompanying artists rec. 1947-1957
EMI CLASSICS ICON 2060752 [3 CDs: 76.10 + 75.37+ 79.28][RJF]
Highly
gifted and opened-toned lyric tenor who paid the price of the fast track
... see Full Review
Divisions
and Fantasias
Saskia Coolen (recorder, viola da gamba), Rainer Zipperling
(viola da gamba), Patrick Ayrton (harpsichord, organ) rec. 2005-7
GLOBE GLO5227 [73:38][JV]
Largely
unsatisfactory as these instruments are not very suitable here ... see
Full Review
Early Italian Cello
Music by Domenico GABRIELLI
(1651-1690), Francesco ROGNONI (?-before 1626), Girolamo FRESCOBALDI (1583-1643)
and Bartolome DE SELMA Y SALAVERDE (fl.
1613-1638)
Richard Tunnicliffe (cello, bass violin), Sebastian Comberti (cello),
Paula Chateauneuf (theorbo), James Johnstone (harpsichord, organ)
rec. 2007
CELLO CLASSICS CC1016 [75:13][JV]
The
first cello virtuoso in history, but this doesn't do his art real justice
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Juan
Diego Flórez Bel Canto Spectacular Vincenzo
BELLINI, Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868),
Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1848)
Juan Diego Flórez (tenor) *Fernando Piqueras (baritone) Cor de
la Generalitat Valenciana/Francesc Perales Orchestra de la Comunitat
Valenciana/Daniel Oren rec.2007, DDD Booklet with sung texts in Italian,
English, French and German
DECCA 478 0315 [76.50]
[MM-B]
A
pleasing and fulfilling piece of enjoyment
... see Full
Review
Flauto
con Forza Music by
Arne MELLNAS (1933-2002); Per MARTENSSON (b. 1967) and André
CHINI (b. 1945)
Anders Jonhäll (flute); Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra & Gothenburg
Symphony Orchestra/Pierre-André Valade rec. 2006-7
PHONO SUECIA PSCD173 [77:33][CR]
Completely
inspirational ... see Full
Review
Four American Quartets
Ralph EVANS (b.
1953) String Quartet No. 1 Philip GLASS
(b. 1937) String Quartet No. 2 George
ANTHEIL (1900-1959) String Quartet No. 3 Bernard
HERRMANN (1911-1975) Echoes
Fine Arts Quartet rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.559354 [62:27][RB]
Four
American string quartets - all vivid and diverse in style ... see Full
Review
Wilhelm
Furtwängler - Commercial Recordings
1940–1950 - Volume 6 Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
The
Hebrides, "Fingal's Cave" - Overture, Op. 26 [10:02] Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. Brahmssaal, Musikverein,
Vienna. 15 February 1949 Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1: No. 1 in G minor [3:07]; No. 2 in D
minor [2:34]; No. 3 in F major [1:50] Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Wilhelm
Furtwängler rec. Großer Saal, Musikverein, Vienna, 4 April
1949 Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 [40:12] Yehudi Menuhin (violin)
Lucerne Festival Orchestra/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. Kunsthaus,
Lucerne, 29-31 August 1949. Richard WAGNER
(1813-1883) Siegfried Idyll [17:00] Vienna Philharmonic
Orchestra/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. Brahmssaal, Musikverein, Vienna,
16-17 February 1949 NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.110999 [74:45]
[MM]
Music-making
that stirs the human soul and lifts the spirit
to a higher plane. ... see Full
Review
David Garrett – Virtuoso
David Garrett (violin)
rec. 2006-7 DECCA 4780080
[42:30][BBr]
Musically,
this, truly, is dross ... see Full
Review
German
17th-Century Church Music Robin
Blaze (counter-tenor) The Parley of Instruments/Peter
Holman rec. 1998 HYPERION
HELIOS CDH55230 [74:10] [BW]
Attractive
music, well performed – of much more than historical interest ...
see Full Review
Igor Gorin -
Volume 2
Igor Gorin (baritone) rec. 1939/ 1942/ 1955
NIMBUS PRIMA VOCE NI 7951 [79:30]
[GF]
Another
feather in the already well-decorated Nimbus cap. ... see Full
Review
Dmitri
Hvorostovsky: Russian Folk Songs
Dmitri Hvorostovsky (baritone)
Ossipov Russian Folk Orchestra/Nicolai
Kalinin & St.
Petersburg Chamber Choir/Nikolai Korniev rec.
1991-6
PHILIPS ELOQUENCE 4800472 [55:52 + 56:43][DM]
Wonderful
… will appeal to all lovers of Russian music.
Another winner ... see Full
Review
Impression William
ALWYN (1905-1985) Sonata
for oboe and piano Johann
Wenzel KALLIWODA (1801-1866) Morceau de
Salon Henri DUTILLEUX (b.1916) Sonata
for oboe and piano Nino
ROTA (1911-1979) Elegia Antonio
PASCULLI (1842-1924) Gran Concerto Katsuya
Watanabe (oboe); David Johnson (piano)
rec. 2008 HÄNSSLER PROFIL PH08038 [69:31] [JF]
A
disc that most oboe enthusiasts would want to add to their collections
... see Full Review
Herbert
von Karajan: Maestro for
the Screen
A film by Georg Wübbolt Filmed in 2008
Language: German (subtitles: English, French,
Spanish, Italian) Picture format: 16:9 PCM
Stereo sound
ARTHAUS MUSIK DVD 101 459 [52:00]
[CF]
Karajan
was unique; an egomaniac par excellence ...
see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Knotwork
Graham
FITKIN (b.1963)
Vent (1994) [8:58]Eddie
McGUIRE (b.1948)
Celtic Knotwork (1990/94) [4:39] Pierre
Max DUBOIS
(1930-1995)
Quatuor (1964) [7:15] Lenny
SAYERS
(b.1977)
For Four (2001) [5:13] Eddie
McGUIRE
(b.1948)
Chinese Knotwork (2001) [6:57] Alfred
UHL (1909-1992) Divertimento (1942)
[12:31] Nicholas
SIMPSON
(b.1958)
Mardale Changes (2005) [9:39] Astor
PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992) Histoire
du Tango (1986) [18:57]
Fell Clarinet Quartet (Colin Blamey, Helen
Bywater, Marianne Rawles, Lenny Sayers) rec.
October 2007, Prestonkirk Church, East Lothian,
Scotland. DDD
DELPHIAN DCD34065 [74:20] [CR]
Accessible
and well composed music for four clarinets
– an incredible sound ... see Full
Review
The
Last of the Troubadours: The Art
& Times of Guiraut
Riquier
Martin Best Medieval Ensemble rec. 1981. ADD.
Booklet with translations but no original
texts.
NIMBUS NI5261 [42:16] [BW]
Attractive:
medieval music made available to the modern
listener ... see
Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Lorraine
at Emmanuel - Celebrating the lives
of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson and Craig Smith
BACH and
HANDEL arias
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (mezzo) The Orchestra
of Emmanuel Music/Craig Smith and John Harbison
rec.
‘live’ 1992; 1995; 1999, Emmanuel Church,
Boston, MA. DDD English texts (Handel) and
German texts with English translations (Bach)
included
AVIE AV2130 [60:58]
A
superb disc that all admirers of this singer
will want to have ... see Full
Review
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]
[Recommended
recordings]
en a profoundOver a period
of three years from December 2003, I have spent
a lot of time