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1001
Nights - Breezes from the Orient Includes Ernest
REYER (1823-1909) Le Sélam Karol
SZYMANOWSKI (1882-1937) Songs
of the Infatuated Muezzin Nikolaï RIMSKI-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Schéhérazade Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Schéhérazade Berlin
RSO/Hanns-Martin Schneidt, Maria Guida
rec. 1989 PHOENIX EDITION 420 [3
CDs: 60:56 + 54:23 + 59:46] [RB]
From
jingling janissaries to infatuated muezzins ... see Full
Review
The
Pierre-Laurent Aimard Collection Pierre-Laurent
Aimard (piano)
COE/Nikolaus Harnoncourt , Berlin PO/Kent
Nagano WARNER CLASSICS 2564
691492 [77:36
+ 76:27] [DC]
Find
out what all the fuss is about ... see Full
Review
American
Ballets
George ANTHEIL (1900-1959)
Capital of the World William SCHUMAN
(1910-1992) Undertow Morton GOULD
(1913-1996) Fall River Legend
Ballet Theatre O/Joseph Levine rec. 1954/5
EMI AMERICAN CLASSICS 6952282 [75:02]
[RB]
Undeniably
fascinating ... see Full
Review
American
Choral Premieres
William Ferris Chorale/Paul French rec. 2007-8
CEDILLE RECORDS CDR90000109 [64:10][JQ]
Very
worthwhile and immaculately performed ... see Full
Review
Americans in Rome:
Music by Fellows of the American Academy in Rome
various
performers rec. 2007
BRIDGE 9271A/D [4 CDs: 284:16]
[CR]
A
wonderful overview and well worth exploring
see Full
Review
Amore
Infinito Songs
Inspired by the Poems of John Paul II Plácido
Domingo (tenor) London SO/Nick Ingman DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 477 8166 [48:55] [GF]
A
humanitarian message and lyrical singing of great beauty … see Full
Review
Le
Ballet Français Music by Leo
DELIBES (1836-1891), Frederic
CHOPIN (1810-1849), Adolphe ADAM (1803-1856),
Jules MASSENET (1842-1912) and
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Various orchestras
and conductors rec. 1985-94
PHOENIX EDITION 416 [3 CDs: 158:00][ST]
Nothing
special ... see Full Review
Battaglia
d'amore Bellerofonte
CASTALDI (1580 - 1649) Girolamo
FRESCOBALDI (1583 - 1643) Bellerofonte
CASTALDI Il
Furioso (Eugenia Cirrieri, Laura Fabris, Janet Youngdahl (soprano),
Gian Polo Fagotto, Claudio Zinutti (tenor), Victor Coelho (archlute,
theorbo, tiorbino), David Dolata (theorbo, tiorbino), Neil Cockburn
(harpsichord))/David Dolata rec. 2006, DDD
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0081 [76:33]
[JV]
An
interesting and musically captivating portrait of an intriguing personality
... see Full Review
The Berlin Recital
- Martha Argerich and Gidon Kremer; Music
by Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856),
Béla BARTÓK (1881-1945) and Fritz
KREISLER (1875-1962)
Martha Argerich (piano); Gidon Kremer (violin) rec. 2006
EMI CLASSICS 6933992 [58:01 + 58:47][MC]
Distinguished
performers … a special sense of empathy and assurance ... see Full
Review
Rolf
Björling (tenor) rec.
1964-81 BLUEBELL
ABCD111 [76:08] [GF]
The
great Jussi Björling’s son - a fine tribute to his memory
… see Full Review
British Clarinet Music
Charles
Harford LLOYD (1849 - 1919) Suite in the
Old Style (1914) [9:48] Charles Villiers STANFORD
(1852 - 1924) Three Intermezzi Op.13 (1879) [8:03] Sonata
in F major Op.129 (1911) [18:25] William Yeates
HURLSTONE (1876 - 1906) Four Characteristic Pieces [14:34]
Cecil Armstrong GIBBS (1889 - 1960)
Three Pieces (1957) [7:56] Gerald FINZI (1901
- 1956) Five Bagatelles (1943) [13:49]
Alessandro Travaglini (clarinet); Christopher Howell (piano) rec. Studio
'L'Eremo', Lessona, Italy, 21 February-25 May 2009
SHEVA COLLECTION SH021 [75:59] [NB]
A beautiful disc of essentially lyrical English clarinet music ... see
Full Review
also
a review by John France
Café Music Astor
PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992) Four
Seasons of Buenos Aires, Le Grand Tango Paul
SCHOENFIELD (b.
1947) Café Music Joaquín TURINA (1882-1949) Trio
2 George GERSHWIN (1898-1937) It Ain't
Necessarily So Trio
Solisti
rec. 2007 BRIDGE
9296 [64:42] [OL]
High-voltage
and enjoying, perfect chemistry ... see Full
Review
The Art of Campoli – Volume
III Alfredo
Campoli (violin); London Philharmonic Orchestra/Arthur Bliss, National
Symphony Orchestra/Victor Olof, Eric Gritton (piano) rec. 1946-55
BEULAH 6PD10 [77:28][JW]
Another
worthily re-ordered entrant to the Campoli lists ... see Full
Review
José
Carreras - A Celebration
José Carreras (tenor); Various accompanists; recordings published 1976–93
UCJ 4781879 [75:32
+ 75:47][GF]
Representative
examples of the essential Carreras ... see Full
Review
Cortot
- HMV Recordings 1931-48 Includes Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786-1826) Piano Sonata 2 Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Piano Sonata Alfred
Cortot (piano)
rec. 1929-48 NAXOS
HISTORICAL 8.112012 [76:04]
Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano Sonata 2 Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Kinderszenen,
Carnaval Alfred
Cortot (piano)
rec. 1948/53 NAXOS
HISTORICAL
8.111327 [62:56] [JW]
Good
programming, fine transfers ... see Full
Review
The
Art of Alfred Deller
The Deller Consort/Alfred Deller (counter-tenor and
conductor) ALTO ALC1018
[75:44][EM]
A
very good compilation ... see Full Review
Alfred Deller - portrait d’une
voix
Written by Jean-Claude
Biette; directed by Benoît Jacquot rec. 1976
HARMONIA MUNDI HMD9909018
[DVD: 65:00 + CD: 75:56]
[GHu]
The
musical qualities shine through ... see Full
Review
Del
sonar pitoresco -
Musical pleasures in the Venetian countryside
at the time of Tiepolo Antonio LOTTI (c.1667-1740) Sonata
a 4 Giovanni Benedetto PLATTI (1697-1763) Sonata Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) Trio Sonata Giovanni
Antonio BRESCIANELLO (1685-1757) Concerto Agostino
STEFFANI (1654-1728) Chomigioia Antonio
LOTTI Echo Sonata
a 4 Francesco MONTANARI (1676-1737) Sonata
Ensemble
Barocco Sans Souci
rec. 2008 DYNAMIC CDS637 [64:47] [JV]
First
recordings of pieces for oboes and bassoon - well executed & recorded
... see Full Review
Desertscape
New Music For Clarinet Keith
Merrill BRADSHAW (b.1961)
Desertscape Jeffery HOOVER
(b.1959) September, Dreaming Robert
FRUEHWALD (b.1957) Andy and Me, Terpsichore
Michael Dean (clarinet); Tyson Wunderlich (piano) rec. 2008
No label or number [42:29]
[CR]
A
confident recording of music written for this enterprising performer
... see Full Review
Lil
Eva - Selected
Norwegian Songs. A Tribute to Eva Sars Nansen.
Agathe BACKER-GRØNDAHL (1847
- 1907) Halfdan KJERULF (1815 -
1868) Rikard NORDRAAK (1842 - 1866)
Isa Katharina Gericke
(soprano); Christian Ihle Hadland (piano) rec. 2-4 May 2008, Polhøgda,
the home of Eva and Fridtjof Nansen Full texts and English translations
enclosed. SIMAX PSC
1238 [65:31]
[GF]
I
don't expect ever to hear this repertoire better performed.
see Full Review
Famous French Overtures
Edouard
LALO (1823-1892) Le Roi d'Ys (1875) [12:05] Daniel-François-Esprit
AUBER (1782-1871) Le Domino noir (1837) [7:00] Fra Diavolo
(1830) [7:52] Ferdinand HÉROLD (1791-1833)
Zampa (1831) [8:01] Ambroise THOMAS
(1811-1896) Raymond (1851) [7:35] Mignon (1866) [8:22] Adrien
BOIELDIEU (1775-1834) La Dame blanche (1825) [7:30] Jacques
OFFENBACH (1819-1880) La Belle Hélène (arr.
by Eduard Hanesch) (1864) [8:39] Orphée aux Enfers (1858) [9:16]
L'Orchestre de la
Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet rec. May 1960; Victoria Hall, Geneva,
Switzerland. ADD DECCA
ELOQUENCE 4800023 [77:23]
[PL]
High
drama
intrinsic charm ... see Full
Review
France: A
Musical Journey To the
music of Chopin's Piano Concerto 1 Idil
Biret (piano); Slovak PO/Robert
Stankovsky NAXOS 2.110247 [77.56] [RJF]
Stunning
views but Chopin in France misses out ... see Full
Review
From
Russia
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Three Movements from Petrushka Anton ARENSKY
(1861-1906) Three Pieces Alexander SCRIABIN
(1872-1915) Two Poems Sergei RACHMANINOFF
(1873-1943) Preludes
Panagiotis Trochopoulos (piano) rec. 2007
CAMEO CLASSICS CC9023CD [70:08]
[JW]
A
strong recital disc ... see Full
Review
Furtwängler:
The Early Recordings Vol. 3 Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786-1826) Overture and Entr’acte, Der
Freischütz; Invitation to the dance Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Music from A Midsummer Night’s
Dream; Overture, The Hebrides Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Hungarian march, The Damnation
of Faust Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. 1929-35
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111004 [65:26][RMay]
Enjoyable
accounts of familiar repertoire back in wide circulation ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Véronique
Gens - Tragédiennes 2
Véronique Gens (soprano); Les Talens Lyriques/Christophe Rousset rec.
2008 VIRGIN CLASSICS
2165742 [67:26][GF]
One
of the most satisfying vocal discs for a long, long time … see Full
Review
The
Golden Age of Light Music - A Box
of Light Musical Allsorts rec.
1951-58 GUILD
GLCD5157 [77:51]
The Golden Age of Light Music - That's Light Musical Entertainment rec.
1950-58 GUILD
GLCD5158 [78:29] [NB]
Compulsory
purchases for nostalgia seekers ... see Full
Review
Golden
Operetta of Vienna
rec. 1937-58
ALTO ALC1049 [67:50]
[GF]
Aimed
at listeners with a fleeting interest in operetta ... see Full
Review
Hallé Centenary
Concert Carl
Maria WEBER (1786-1826) Der
Freischütz Overture Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano
Concerto 2 Sir Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) Symphony
1, A conversation with Sir John Barbirolli Clifford
Curzon (piano); Hallé O/Sir John Barbirolli
rec. 1958 BARBIROLLI SOCIETY
SJB1033-34 [64:06
+ 65:54] [JQ]
A
fine souvenir of a great partnership ... see Full
Review
Hermana de la Luna
Various artists/Mohamed Hammadye rec. 2000
PNEUMA PN330 [60:11][EM]
Verve,
understanding, knowledge and pizzazz ... see Full
Review
I was Glad
Choir
of St. Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh/Michael Harris rec. 2008
YORK AMBISONIC YORKCD201 [62:36][JQ]
Carefully
prepared but lacks just a vital bit of character ... see Full
Review
Eva
Knardahl - Great Norwegian
Performers 1945-2000, vol. II Includes Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907) Ballade Sergei
RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Eva Knardahl
(piano) Oslo PO/Mariss Jansons rec. 1966-82
SIMAX CLASSICS PSC1831 [64:09]
[JW]
Knardahl
mavens will find these performances indispensable ... see Full
Review
A
little Music for a Few Friends
Halle
Wind Quintet, Michael Davies (violin); John Adams (viola); Ian Rudge
(cello) rec. 1975/6
CAMPION CAMEO 2076 [57:22]
[CR]
World-class
playing ... see Full Review
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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
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