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André
CAMPRA (1660-1744) Grands Motets
François COUPERIN (1668-1733)
Petits Motets 
Les Arts Florissants Chorus and Orchestra/William Christie rec. 2002-4
VIRGIN VERITAS 6932062
[67:04 + 72:52][J-PJ]
Deserves
repeated listening ... see Full
Review
David
CARLSON (b. 1952) Anna Karenina
Opera Theatre
of Saint Louis; The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra/Stewart Robertson
rec. 2007 SIGNUM CLASSICS
SIGCD154 [72:12 + 67:35][GF] 
A
modern opera that should be accessible to a wide audience ... see Full
Review
Elliot
CARTER (b.
1908) 100th Anniversary
Release Includes Mosaic, Dialogues & DVD: Interview New
Music Concerts Ensemble/ Robert Aitkin rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.559614 [64.50] & 2.110257 
[51.07]
Testimony
to an astonishing musical personality ... see Full
Review
Mario
CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO (1895-1968) 24
Caprichos de Goya
Zoran Dukic (guitar) rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.572252-53 [39:05 + 43:24][GPu]
A
fascinating and underrated work very persuasively presented … see Full
Review
Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano
Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 etc.
Garrick Ohlsson; Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra/Jerzy Maksymiuk.
rec. 1975-8 EMI CLASSICS
3714722 [71:47 + 75:48][CC]
Buy
this for the “extras”, which provide much delight ... see Full
Review
Frederic
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Nocturnes,
Waltz, Polonaise
see GOLTZ
Muzio
CLEMENTI (1752-1832) The
Complete Piano Sonatas - Vol. 3 Howard
Shelley (piano) rec. 2008 HYPERION
CDA67729 [63:17 + 59:03] 
[MS]
A
figure of importance and invention ... see Full
Review
Aaron
COPLAND
(1900-1990) Music
for the Theatre, Quiet City* , Music for Movies, Clarinet Concerto**
*Chris Gekker (trumpet);
Stephen Taylor (cor anglais); **William Blount (clarinet) Orchestra
of St Luke's/Dennis Russell Davies rec. 1988
NIMBUS NI 2522 [66:56]
[DM]
'Safe'
performances, lacking brio and bounce ... see
Full Review
Aaron
COPLAND (1900-1990) Symphony 2 see Stokowski
François COUPERIN (1668-1733)
Petits Motets see CAMPRA
Henry
COWELL (1897-1965)
Persian
Set (1957) Hymn and Fuguing Tune for string orchestra (1944)
American Melting Pot (1940) Air for solo violin and string
orchestra (1952) Old American Country Set (1937-39) Adagio
from Ensemble for string orchestra (1924)
Manhattan Chamber Orchestra/Richard Auldon Clark rec. 1993, . DDD
KOCH INTERNATIONAL CLASSICS 3-7220-2 H1 [64:07] 
Henry COWELL (1897-1965)
Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 10 for oboe and strings (1955) Air
and Scherzo for alto saxophone and small orchestra (1963) Concerto
Grosso for flute, oboe, clarinet, cello, harp and string orchestra
(1963) Fiddler's Jig for violin and orchestra (1952) Vincent
PERSICHETTI (1915-1987) The Hollow Men for trumpet
and strings (1944) Edward MacDOWELL (1860-1908)
To a Wild Rose (arr. string orchestra, Arthur Luck ) (1896)
Humbert Lucarelli (oboe); Gary Louie (alto saxophone); Ashley Horne
(violin); Chris Gekker (trumpet) Manhattan Chamber Orchestra/Richard
Auldon Clark rec. 1994, . DDD
KOCH INTERNATIONAL CLASSICS 3-7287-2 H1 [56:36]
[RB]
Cowell
- still fresh but from his later more accessible years ... see Full
Review
Claude DEBUSSY
(1862-1918) Préludes Book 1, 2 Etudes
Albert ROUSSEL (1869-1937) Trois Pièces
Yvonne Lefébure (piano) rec. 1969-71
SOLSTICE SOCD239 [52:25]
[CC]
An
interesting document of an interesting pianist ... see Full
Review
Peter
DICKINSON (b.
1934) Complete
Solo Organ Works Jennifer
Bate (organ)
rec. 1982-2007 NAXOS 8.572169 [77:42] [HC]
Superbly
crafted, varied and attractive ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gaetano
DONIZETTI
(1797-1868) Roberto Devereux
- lyric tragedy in three acts (1837) Elisabetta, Queen of England -
Dimitra Theodossiou (soprano); Roberto Devereux, Earl of Essex - Massimiliano
Pisapia (tenor); Sara, Duchess of Nottingham - Federica Bragaglia (mezzo);
Duke of Nottingham - Andrew Schroeder (baritone); Lord Cecil - Luigi
Albani (tenor); Sir Walter Raleigh - Giorgio Valerio (bass)
Chorus and Orchestra of the Bergamo Music Festival/Marcello Rota
rec. 2006 NAXOS DVD
2.110232 [134:00]
[RF]
A
very fine performance with a traditional set and opulent costumes. ...
see Full Review
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1868) Lucrezia
Borgia
Chorus and Orchestra of the Bergamo Music Festival/Tiziano Severini
rec. 2007 NAXOS 2.110264
[138.11][RJF]
A
well staged and sung performance of an opera from Donizetti’s golden
period ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Maurice
DURUFLÉ (1902-1986)
Quatre
Motets, Requiem
Jean-Jacques GRUNENWALD
(1911-1982)
Tu es Petrus, Psaume CXXIX
Sarah Connolly (mezzo) Christopher Maltman (baritone) Robert Cohen (cello)
Jeremy Filsell (organ) Vasari Singers/Jeremy Backhouse rec. 2008
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD163 [74:08]
[JQ]
Now
surely first choice for the Duruflé ... see Full
Review
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Piano Concerto;
Symphony No. 8 Igor
Ardašev (piano); Prague Symphony Orchestra/Petr Altrichter rec. 1993
ARTHAUS 102139
[88:00][CC]
I
doubt I’ll be returning to these accounts often, if at all … see Full
Review
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Slavonic Dances; Carnival overture
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Váčlav Talich rec.
1935
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111331 [74:49][RMay]
Intuitively
idiomatic and consistently enjoyable … see Full
Review
Petr
EBEN
(b. 1929)
Moto Ostinato, Symphonia Gregoriana
Paul Wißkirchen (organ); Händel-Festspielorchester Halle/Volker
Hempfling rec. 1990
MOTETTE CD40151 [65:40]
[RB]
A
major work of serenity and surprising majesty ... see Full
Review
Sophie-Carmen
ECKHARDT-GRAMATTÉ
(1901-1974)
February Suite Robert Comrie TURNER
(b.1920) Violin Sonata
Jack Glatzer (violin) Delores Jerde Keahey (piano) rec. 1989
ECKHARDT-GRAMATTÉ FOUNDATION no number [63:41] [RB]
Accessibly
romantic ... see Full Review
Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Falstaff, Romance, Cello
Concerto, Smoking Cantata Andrew
Shore (baritone); Graham Salvage (bassoon); Heinrich Schiff (cello)
Hallé O/Mark Elder
rec. 2003 HALLÉ CDHLL7505 [69:42] [JQ]
Elder
is a perceptive and committed guide to Elgar’s music ...
see Full Review
Anders
ELIASSON (b.
1947) Sinfonia per archi see Dedications
Gabriel FAURÉ
(1845 - 1924)
Ballade pour piano & orchestre, Berceuse pour violon & orchestre,
Élégie pour violoncelle & orchestre, Concerto pour
violon & orchestre, Romance pour violoncelle & orchestre, Fantaisie
pour flûte & orchestre, Fantaisie pour piano & orchestre
Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian (violin) Henri Demarquette (cello)
Juliette Hurel (flute) Jérôme Ducros (piano) Orchestre
de Bretagne/Moshe Atzmon rec. 2005, DDD
TIMPANI 1C1172 [63:59] [RB]
Cogently
assembled and full of endearing discoveries ... see Full
Review
Julie
Feeney 'pages':
1. Love Is A Tricky Thing; 2. Impossibly Beautiful; 3. Grace; 4. Valentine's
Song; 5. One More Tune; 6. Myth; 7. Mr. Roving Eye Guy; 8. Stay; 9.
Life's Nudge; 10. Monster; 11. Nothing to Declare; 12. Knock Knock
Julie
Feeney (vocals) Unnamed orchestra
MITTENS label No Number [c.62:00] 
[RB]
Hear
it - surprise yourself ... see Full Review
Francesco
FEO
(1667-1740)
Missa, Confitebor a 5
Anja Zügner, Dorothea Wagner (soprano); Dominika Hirschler (alto);
Tobias Hunger (tenor); Tobias Berndt (bass) Sächsisches Vocalensemble,
Batzdorfer Hofkapelle/Matthias Jung rec. 2007
CPO 777 333-2 [58:04]
[JV]
Sacred
music from 18th-century Naples which is anything but superficial
... see Full Review
Baldassare
GALUPPI (1706-1785) Keyboard
Sonatas Andrea
Bacchetti (piano)
rec. 2007 BMG-RCA RED SEAL
88697 367932 [68:50] [MS]
Neglected
keyboard sonatas played with sensitivity and depth ... see Full
Review
Luigi
GATTI (1740-1817) Schöpfungmesse Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Schöpfungmesse Dresdener
Kreuzkor & Philharmonie/Roderich Kriele
rec. live, 2008 CARUS 83.245 [69:64] [DC]
Interesting,
but not really top of the pile ... see Full
Review
Jan
van GILSE (1881-1944) Symphonies
Nos. 1 & 2
Netherlands Symphony Orchestra/David Porcelijn rec. 2007
CPO 777349-2 [67:02][RB]
Two
well-upholstered Dutch late-romantic symphonies ... see Full
Review
Umberto
GIORDANO (1867-1948) Marcella
Flament Bratislava
Chamber Choir; Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia/Manlio Benzi. rec.
2007 NAXOS 2.110263
[66:51][CC]
Given
the paucity of competition, a recommendation despite reservations ...
see Full
Review
Peggy
GLANVILLE-HICKS (1912-1990) Etruscan
Concerto etc. Tasmanian
Symphony Orchestra/Richard Mills, Antony Walker rec. 1993-2007 ABC
CLASSICS 4763222 [52:57][RB]
A
rewarding collection from this Australian RVW pupil ... see Full
Review
Boris
GOLTZ
(1913-1942)
Scherzo, Preludes Frederic CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Nocturnes, Waltz, Polonaise
Sergei Podobedov (piano) rec. 2007
MUSIC & ARTS CD-1210 [55:00]
[RB]
A
discovery for Russian piano enthusiasts ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jean-Jacques
GRUNENWALD (1911-1982) Tu
es Petrus,
Psaume CXXIX see DURUFLÉ
Manos
HADJIDAKIS
(1925-1994)
Piano Works For A Little White Seashell, Six
Popular Pictures, Ionian Suite, Rhythmology
Danae Kara (piano) rec. 1995
NAXOS 8.570957 [73.01]
[GH]
Light
music of a high calibre ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL
(1685-1759)
CD 1 Oboe Concerto No. 1, 2a, 3, Largo in F major, Alcina:
various, Ariodante : Overture; Sinfonia pastorale;
Rondeau I, II, Finale Il pastor fido : Pour les Chasseurs
CD 2 Berenice: Overture, Menuet, Gigue Solomon: Sinfonia
- Arrival of the Queen of Sheba Concerto a due cori No. 1,2,
3 Overture in D, Concerto grosso 'Alexander's Feast'
Roger Lord (oboe); Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Sir Neville Marriner.
rec. March 1964-69 ADD.
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 1388 [74:54+79:10]
[BW]
Stylish
performances of attractive music at a giveaway price ... see Full
Review
George
Frederic HANDEL (1685-1759) Organ
Concertos, Op.4
Accademia Bizantina/Ottavio Dantone (organ) rec. 10-12 June 2008 Bartholomäuskirche,
Hallé, Germany. DDD
L'OISEAU-LYRE 478 1465 [77:27]
[MC]
I
find it hard to imagine finer playing ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759)
Clavier Works
Siegbert Rampe (harpsichord) rec. 2008
MUSIKPRODUKTION
DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG34115372 [78:48][JV]
An
eloquent contribution to the debate ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Arias
and Duets - The Anniversary Edition
Various artists VIRGIN
CLASSICS 6960352 [78:18 + 77:37][GF]
Some
really great voices in a number of the finest baroque arias … see Full
Review
George Frideric HANDEL
(1685-1759)
Israel in Egypt
Vocalensemble Rastatt; Les Favorites/Holger Speck rec. 2008
CARUS 83.423 
[70:30+49:16]
[JS]
Not
seriously competitive … very undramatic ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Faramondo
Coro della Radio
Svizzera, Lugano and I Barocchisti/Diego Fasolis rec. 2008
VIRGIN CLASSICS 2166112 [3 CDs: 65.59 + 48.52 + 51.17][MM-B]
A very satisfying and welcome addition to the Handel opera recordings
... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Handel: Gold
Various artists
rec. 1953-2008 DECCA
4781460 [68:25 + 74:13][GF]
The performances are fully worthy of the music
... see Full
Review
George Frideric HANDEL
(1685-1759)
Un’Opera Immaginaria
Joyce DiDonato, Natalie Dessay, Ian Bostridge, Anne Sofie von Otter,
Philippe Jaroussky, Il Complesso Barocco/Alan Curtis, City of London
Baroque Sinfonia/Richard Hickox
VIRGIN CLASSICS 2672802 [77:00]
[RMo]
I
can envisage playing this lovely disc often ... see Full
Review
Lou
HARRISON (1917-2003) Symphony No. 2 Elegiac
see
HOVHANESS
Karl
Amadeus HARTMANN (1905-1963) Concerto
funebre etc. SWR
Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern/Paul Goodwin rec. 2004-7 WERGO
WER67142 [70:39][HC]
A
must for all admirers of Hartmann’s music … see Full
Review
Johann
Adolf HASSE (1699-1783) Gloria;
Te Deum; Regina Coeli
Dresdner Kapellknaben Members of the Dresdner
Staatskapelle/Konrad Wagner rec. 1988
CHRISTOPHORUS CHE0139-2 [47:46][J-PJ]
Hugely
enjoyable … deserves repeated listening ... see Full
Review
Nicolaus
HASSE (1605-1670) Complete Organ Works see
TUNDER
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) The
Complete Overtures Haydn
Sinfonietta Wien/Manfred Huss rec. 1994 BIS
BISCD1818 [60:55 +
57:05] [DC]
One
of life’s little gifts ... see Full
Review
Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Schöpfungmesse see GATTI
Bernard
HERRMANN (1911-1975) The
Kentuckian (1955) Williamsburg:
The Story of a Patriot (1956) Moscow
Symphony Orchestra/William T. Stromberg rec. 2007 TRIBUTE
FILM CLASSICS TFC1004 [73:19]
Bernard
HERRMANN (1911-1975) Fahrenheit
451 (1966) The Twilight Zone - Walking Distance (1959) Moscow
Symphony Orchestra/William T. Stromberg
rec. 2007 TRIBUTE FILM CLASSICS
TFC1002 [77:40]
Bernard
HERRMANN (1911-1975) Mysterious
Island (1961) Moscow
Symphony Orchestra/William T. Stromberg rec. 2007 TRIBUTE
FILM CLASSICS TFC1001 [71:27]
De
luxe re-recordings of classic Herrmann scores ... see Full
Review
Joseph
HOLBROOKE (1878-1958) Variations on The Girl I Left Behind
Me see HOWELL
Peter
HOPE (b. 1930) Songs and Chamber
Music Various
artists rec. 2004-5
DUTTON CDLX7192 [74:50][HC]
Melodic,
well crafted and sincere ... see Full
Review
Alan
HOVHANESS
(1911-2000)
Symphony No. 2 Mysterious Mountain op. 132 Lousadzak op.
48 Lou HARRISON (1917-2003)
Symphony No. 2 Elegiac
Keith Jarrett (piano) American Composers Orchestra/Dennis Russell Davies
rec. 1989. DDD
NIMBUS NI 2512 [67:00] 
[RB]
A welcome
return - the East, arcana and lyricism. ... see Full
Review
Alan
HOVHANESS (1911-2000) Symphony 1 see Stokowski
Dorothy
HOWELL (1898-1982) Lamia
Maurice BLOWER (1894-1982) Symphony
Joseph HOLBROOKE (1878-1958) Variations
on The Girl I Left Behind Me
Karelia PO/Marius Stravinsky rec. 2008
CAMEO CLASSICS CC9037CD [63:36]
[RB]
Remarkable
- three attractive and thoroughly enjoyable revivals ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH John IRELAND
(1879-1962) Mai-Dun
(1921) [11:04] The Forgotten Rite (1913-1918) [7:09] Satyricon
Overture (1944-1946) [8:45] The Overlanders Suite (arr. Sir Charles
Mackerras) (1946-1947) [19:27] A London Overture (1936) [12:14]
Epic March (1942) [8:18]
The Hallé Orchestra/John Wilson rec. 24-25 March 2007, BBC Studio
7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester
HALLÉ CDHLL 7523[67:41]
[JF]
Enthusiasm,
passion and understanding ... see review
John
IRELAND (1879-1962) Piano
Trios The Gould
Piano Trio rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.570507 [60:34][JF]
A
great investment ... see Full
Review
John IRELAND (1879-1962)
Violin sonatas, Fantasy Sonata, Cello Sonata, The Holy Boy
, Phantasie Trio, Piano trios
Lydia Mordkovich (violin); Gervase de Peyer (clarinet); Ian Brown (piano);
Karine Georgian (cello) rec. 1982-93
CHANDOS 241-40 [73:35 + 73:55]
[RB]
Essential
Ireland in voluptuous sound and performances ... see Full
Review
John
IRELAND
(1879-1962)
Piano Music by John Ireland - Volume 2
Mark Bebbington (piano) rec. CBSO Centre, Birmingham 18-19 January 2008
SOMM SOMMCD 088 [72:28] 
[JF][RB]
I
suggest that you add this to your collection. [JF] A fine series takes
another step forward [RB] ... see Full
Review
Leoš
JANÁČEK (1854-1928)
String Quartets Nos.
1 & 2 Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Three Madrigals for Violin
and Viola
Emerson String Quartet rec. 2008
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4778093 [55:26][LW]
One wants some sense of struggle ... see Full
Review
Leoš
JANÁČEK (1854-1928) Violin
Sonata Vitězslav NOVÁK (1870-1949) Violin
Sonata Oskar NEDBAL (1874-1930) Violin
Sonata Ivan Ženatý (violin);
Martin Kasík (piano) rec. 2008 SUPRAPHON
SU39782 [64.19] [NB]
Essential
for anyone interested in the finest chamber music performances
... see Full Review
Mieczysław
KARŁOWICZ (1876-1909) Rebirth
Symphony
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra/Jerzy Salwarowski rec. 2004
DUX 0656 [44:04][DM]
A
dreary piece that fails to live up to lofty ambitions ... see Full
Review
Aaron
Jay KERNIS (b.1960) Newly Drawn
Sky; Too Hot Toccata; Symphony in Waves
Grant Park Orchestra/Carlos Kalmar rec. 2006-7
CEDILLE CDR90000105 [64:00][GPu]
Kernis
gives eclecticism a good name … see Full
Review
Zoltán
KODÁLY
(1882-1967)
Art Songs
Andrea Meláth, Judit Németh (mezzo); Anna Korondi (soprano);
Gyula Orendt, Csaba Szegedi (baritone); Szabolcs Brickner (tenor) István
Kovács (bass); Emese Virág, Jenö Jandó (piano)
rec. 2007/8 HUNGAROTON
HCD32555-56 [72:55 + 63:37]
An
excellent account of a lesser-known part of the master’s
output ... see Full Review
Herman
D KOPPEL (1908-1998) Requiem,
Concertinos 1 & 2, Oboe concerto Chamber concerto DR
SO/Jan Krenz, Lamberto Gardelli, Leif Segerstam, John Frandsen,
BBC SO/Rudolf Schwarz rec. 1958-72 DANACORD DACOCD571-2 [53:57
+ 69:25] [RB]
Would
that all composers could receive similar regal treatment ... see Full
Review
Nikolaus
Von KRUFFT
(1779-1818)
Bassoon Sonatas Wouter
Verschuren (bassoon); Kathryn Cok (fortepiano) rec. 2008
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72313 [61:32]
[GPu]
Should
appeal to anyone interested in the bassoon repertoire (and not
just to them) … see Full Review
Jean
Xavier LEFÈVRE (1763-1829) Clarinet
Quintets Eduard
Brunner (clarinet); Ana Chumachenco (violin); Wen-Sinn Yang (cello);
Hariolf
Schlichtig (viola) TUDOR 7136 [56:36] [RB]
Mozartean
felicity and one work of Beethovenian depth ... see Full
Review
Franz
LEHÁR (1870-1948) Die blaue Mazur
Kammerchor der
Singakademie Frankfurt, Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt/Frank
Beermann rec. 2007
CPO 777331-2 [50:51 + 63:43][GF]
A
worthy addition … some really outstanding singing ... see Full
Review
Kenneth
LEIGHTON (1929-1988)
String Quartets 1 & 2, Seven Variations
Edinburgh Qt MERIDIAN CDE84460
[67:43]
[RB]
Impassioned
performances of works steeped in angst and melody ... see Full
Review
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for alphabetical listings by composer:
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1 New] [Part
2 A-B] [Part 3 C-L]
[Part 4 M-R] [Part
5 S-Z]
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