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Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Samson and Dalila 
Chorus and Orchestra of the Opera Bastille/Myung-Whun Chung rec. 1991
EMI CLASSICS 5091852
[46.16 + 77.15][EM] 
A
fine work in a superb performance ... see Full
Review
Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Introduction and rondo
capriccioso see PAGANINI
Giovanni
Battista SAMMARTINI
(1700/01-1775) Gerusalemme sconoscente ingrate,
Confitebor, Symphonies
Silvia Mapelli (soprano); Miroslava Yordanova (mezzo); Giorgio Tiboni
(tenor) Filippo Ravizza (harpsichord) Symphonica Ensemble/Daniele Ferrari
rec. 2005 NAXOS 8.570253
[58:13] [EM] 
Rather
mixed works and performances ... see Full
Review
Alessandro
SCARLATTI (1660-1725) Il martirio
di Santa Cecilia
I Barocchisti/Diego Fasolis rec. 2000
CPO 7772582 [51:34 + 57:15][JV]
A
fairly good account but doesn't fully explore its dramatic power ...
see Full Review
Giacinto
SCELSI (1905-1988) Preludi,
Serie I–IV
Alessandra Ammara (piano) rec. 2008
ARTS 47721-8 
[73:10][MS] 
Musicological
puzzles and rewards ... highly satisfying ... see Full
Review
Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951)
Suite for Piano see BACH
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano Quintet The
Trout Antonín DVOŘÁK
(1841-1904) Piano Trio Dumky
Jörg Demus (piano); Schubert Quartet rec. 1958-9
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON ELOQUENCE 4800489 [67:00][RB]
Fine
vintage performances with the enduring power to enthral ... see Full
Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano
Trios
Wu Han (piano); Philip Setzer (violin); David Finckel (cello)
rec. 2008
ARTIST LED 108022 [79:37][KS]
Utterly
winsome … absolute masters of chamber music ... see Full
Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797–1828)
Deutsche Schubert-Lied-Edition Vol. 29: Settings
of Various Poets
Ferdinand von Bothmer (tenor); Ulrich Eisenlohr (piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570838 [56:11]
[GF]
A
disc for Schubert completists ... see Full
Review
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Music
for Flute and Piano Arpeggione Sonata, Six Schubert
Songs,
Variations on Trockne Blumen Uwe
Grodd (flute); Matteo Napoli (piano)
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570754 [69:23] [CR]
The
music is allowed to sing and there is no surrender to self-indulgence
... see Full Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Complete Overtures Vol. 1
Prague Sinfonia/Christian Benda rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570328 [63:08]
[JS]
Sheer
delight … one engaging work follows another ... see Full
Review
Franz SCHUBERT
(1797-1828) String Quartets 10 & 13, Quartetsatz
Belcea Quartet rec. 2002
EMI CLASSICS ENCORE
2357382 [73:21]
I
was sold on these performances from the start … see Full
Review
Clara
SCHUMANN (1819-1896) Complete
Songs
Dorothea Craxton (soprano); Hedayet Djeddikar (piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570747 [70:17]
Valuable
programme but far too much compromised singing ... see Full
Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Violin
Sonatas 1-3 Carolin
Widmann (violin), Dénes Várjon (piano) rec. 2007
ECM NEW SERIES 2047 (476 6744) [72:01] [JFL]
My
favorite recording of these works ... see Full
Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Konzertstück for Four Horns see DVOŘÁK
Rodion
SHCHEDRIN (b.1932)
The
Ancient Melodies of Russian Folk-songs (2007) [17:53] Cello Sonata
(1996) [34:24] In the Style of Albeniz (1959) [4:36] Quadrille
from Nicht nur Liebe (1961) [6:57]
Raphael Wallfisch (cello) Rodion Shchedrin (piano) rec. Wyastone, Monmouthshire,
25 May 2007 NIMBUS
NI 5831 [63:53]
[JWi]
The
quality of performance alone makes this disc worth buying ... see Full
Review
Jean SIBELIUS
(1865-1957) CD 1 [59:16] Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43 [42:31] Tapiola, Op. 112 [16:23] CD 2 [55:30] Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Symphony No. 4 in A minor. Op. 63 [35:37] Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) The Isle of the Dead, Op. 29 * [19:33] L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Ernest
Ansermet Paris Conservatoire Orchestra/Ernest Ansermet (Rachmaninov) rec. Victoria Hall, Geneva, Switzerland, October 1963 (Symphony No. 2), November
1963 (Symphony No. 4, Tapiola); La Maison de la Mutualité, Paris,
France, September 1954 (Rachmaninov). * MONO. ADD DECCA ELOQUENCE
480 0044 [59:16 + 55:30] 
[RB]
Not
to be missed by dedicated Sibelians ... see Full
Review
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) The
Sibelius Edition - Volume 7 [363:22] The Complete Solo
Songs Anne
Sofie von Otter, Monica Groop, Jorma Hynninen, Bengt Forsberg
(piano); Love Derwinger (piano); Jaakko Kuusisto (violin);
Marko
Ylönen (cello); Joel Laakso (cello)
rec. 1989-2008 BIS BISCD1918-20 [5
CDs:
363:22] [RB]
Erudition
and the delight of discovery ... see Full
Review
Roger
SMALLEY (b. 1943) Through
a Glass Darkly Piano Quintet, Horn Trio, String Quartet
2 Australian
String Qt; Roger Smalley (piano) Darryl Poulsen (horn); Paul
Wright (violin) MELBA
RECORDINGS MR301112 [62:35] [RB]
Rewarding
works from a lion of contemporary tonality ... see Full
Review
Bedřich
SMETANA (1824-1884) Má Vlast Leipzig
Gewandhaus O/Václav Neumann BERLIN
CLASSICS 0014412BC [79:56] [CC]
Gloriously
rounded sound, technical excellence and Václav Neumann ... see Full
Review
Alan Louis SMITH (b.1955) Vignettes:
Covered Wagon Woman see BEACH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Fernando
SOR (1778-1839) Fantasias y Estudios
Manuel Babiloni (guitar) rec. 2008
EDITS E.G. TABELET 1017 [65:52][ZT]
No
finer recording of this Sor repertory is available ... see Full
Review
Charles
Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924)
Piano
Music - Land of Sunset Glories Various
Christopher Howell (piano) rec. 2008, DDD
SHEVA 019 [63:36]
[JF]
Well
worth waiting for ... see Full
Review
Max
STEINER
(1888-1971) The
Charge of the Light Brigade- complete film score (1936) [90:02]
Moscow Symphony Orchestra/William Stromberg rec. Mosfilm Studio, Moscow,
February 2008 TRIBUTE
FILM CLASSICS TFC-1005 [65:18 + 34:54]
[IL]
Superb
performances, blisteringly exciting, tenderly romantic ... see Full
Review
Johann
STRAUSS II (1825-1899) Die
Fledermaus
Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy rec. 1950-1
PRISTINE AUDIO PACO030 [34.05 + 55.42][RMo]
Singularly
underwhelming ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949)
CD 1 Don
Quixote, Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Der Rosenkavalier:
Waltzes CD 2 Metamorphosen, Capriccio: Sextet,Die Frau ohne Schatten:
Symphonic Fantasy, Feuersnot: Love Scene, Salome: Dance
of the Seven Veils
Bernard Haitink/Eugen Jochum /Karl Münchinger /Giuseppe Sinopoli DDD
ELOQUENCE 480 0478
[74.22 + 77.18]
[WH]
A
superb collection including two “must have” performances ... see
Full Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Sinfonia
Domestica, Parergon zur Sinfonia Domestica, Eine Alpensinfonie, Macbeth Gary
Graffman (piano), Vienna PO/André Previn Los Angeles PO/Zubin Mehta
Detroit SO/Antal Dorati (Macbeth)
rec. 1968-95
DECCA ELOQUENCE
480 0408 [67:10 + 67:55] [ST]
There’s
a lot to enjoy here ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS
(1864-1949) CD 1
Burleske, Duet-Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon, Concerto
for Oboe CD 2 Aus Italien, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme,
Herbert Blomstedt/Vladimir
Ashkenazy/Lorin Maazel rec. 1966-2004 DDD DECCA
ELOQUENCE 4800404 [64:09 + 77:32]
[PL]
A
most welcome addition to your collection ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864–1949) Four Last Songs etc.
Christine Schäfer
(soprano); Karita Mattila (soprano); Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Claudio
Abbado rec. 1997-8 DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON ELOQUENCE 4800414 [65.27][RH]
Not
ideal but comes moderately close and gives us some superb Strauss singing
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Igor STRAVINSKY
(1882-1971) Canticum Sacrum; Agon; Requiem Canticles
SWR Vokalensemble
Stuttgart; SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg/Michael Gielen
rec. 2004-7 HÄNSSLER
CLASSIC CD93226 [57:52][DC]
Not
sure about late Stravinsky? This is the path to enlightenment ... see
Full Review
Arthur
SULLIVAN (1842-1900) HMS Pinafore;
Trial by Jury EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2134332 [57:38
+ 53:21]
Mikado EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2134442 [54:25 + 36:22]
Pirates of Penzance EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2134542
[47:47 + 64:44]
Ruddigore EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2134542 [55:43
+ 41:15]
Yeomen of the Guard EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2134542
[55:49 + 37:39]
Iolanthe
see review for details of artists and recording dates
EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2134392 [62:47 + 43:05][JW]
Have
they ever really been away? ... see Full
Review
Piet
SWERTS (b. 1960) Fantasia
para un Marqués Peter
CABUS (1923 – 2000) Concerto classico for guitar Jozef
van LOOY (1927 – 2001) Guitar Concerto Wim
Brioen (guitar) Slovak Sinfonietta, Zilina/Tom
van den Eynde; Ivo Venkov (van Looy) rec. 2007/8 PHAEDRA
92057 [63:55] [HC]
Very
attractive and ultimately rewarding ... see Full
Review
Karol SZYMANOWSKI (1882-1937)
String Quartets 1 & 2 Ludomir
RÓŻYCKI
(1884-1953) String Quartet
Royal String Quartet rec. 2008
HYPERION CDA67684 [70:20][JW]
A
strong front-runner ... see Full Review
Giuseppe
TARTINI (1692-1770) Devil’s Trill
Sonata see VIVALDI
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Complete Symphonies etc.
London Philharmonic
Orchestra/Mstislav Rostropovich rec. 1976-7
EMI CLASSICS 5194932 [5 CDs: 70:47 + 72:32 + 76:43 + 79:09 + 78:34][RMay]
Significantly
less than the sum of its parts ... see Full
Review
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Complete Symphonies
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra/Oleg Caetani rec.
2007-8
ABC CLASSICS 4766442 [6 CDs: 40:23 + 75:34 + 39:34 + 46:27 + 43:50
+ 54:03][RMay]
I
have listened with so much pleasure to these accounts ... see Full
Review
Peter
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893)
Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op.64 (1888) [48:04] Francesca da Rimini
- Orchestral Fantasy Op. 32 (1877) [25:33]
Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela/Gustavo Dudamel rec. live.
2008 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
477 8022 GH [73:37]
[RB]
DG
continue to mine a rich vein of fervent music-making ... see Full
Review
Piotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The
Nutcracker Choreography by Maurice Béjart and Marius
Petipa Damaas
Thijs, Elisabet Ros,
Béjart Ballet Lausanne, Colonne O/Edmón Colomer
rec. live, 2000 EMI CLASSICS
2165869 
[99:00]
[RMay]
What
exactly are those bearded drag queens doing in our beloved Nutcracker?
... see Full Review
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840
– 1893) Romances
Christianne
Stotijn (mezzo); Julius Drake (piano) rec. Champs Hill, Pulborough,
England, 5-7 July 2008 Transliterated sung texts and English translations
enclosed.
ONYX 4034 [63:16] 
[GF]
Should
be savoured by all lovers of good song interpretation ... see Full
Review
Piotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Piano Trio Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Piano Trio 2
Smetana Trio rec. 2008
SUPRAPHON SU3949-2 [73:12] [CC]
Born
of the utmost musical integrity yet informed with first-flush freshness
... see Full Review
Piotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Songs see DVOŘÁK
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The Nutcracker
Suite see PROKOFIEV
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Simon Boccanegra
Rome Opera Orchestra
and Chorus/Gabriele Santini rec. 1957
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.110119-20 [62:12 + 78:09]
also REGIS RRC2083 [62:12 + 78:09][ST]
A
great ensemble performance the like of which we just don’t get these
days ... see Full Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Aida -
Highlights
Leontyne Price (soprano); Chorus and Orchestra of the Rome Opera/Georg
Solti rec. 1961 DECCA
ELOQUENCE 4801283 [71.13][RJF]
The
best of Aida and a memento of Leontyne Price’s first recording ... see
Full Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Otello
Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Colón de
Buenos Aires/Sir Thomas Beecham rec. 1958
IDIS
6547/48 [65:15 + 69:24][JS]
Caveat
emptor maybe, but also carpe diem ... see Full
Review
Pietro
VINCI
(1515–1584) Ricercars
Antonio IL VERSO (1560–1621) Ricercars
Diego Cannizzaro (organ)
rec. 7-9 September 2008, Church of San Pantaleone, Alcara Li Fusi, Messina,
Italy. DDD TACTUS
TC 512201 [60.20]
[RH]
More
of a disc to dip into than to play in its entirety ... see Full
Review
Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741)
Concertos for two violins
Viktoria Mullova, Giuliano Carmignola (violins); Venice Baroque Orchestra/Andrea
Marcon rec. 2007 ARCHIV
PRODUKTION 4777466 [61.02][MC]
One
of the most consummate displays of period instrument playing ... see
Full Review
Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741)
The Four Seasons Giuseppe
TARTINI (1692-1770) Devil’s Trill
Sonata
Joshua Bell (violin); Academy of St. Martin in the Fields rec.
2007-8
SONY BMG 88697110132 [53:59][PPLL]
A
recording you will come to remember ... see Full
Review
Antonio
VIVALDI (1687-1741) Complete
Recorder Concertos Cappella
Academica Frankfurt/Michael Schneider rec. 2007 CPO
777 304-2 [66:39] [BW]
Attractive,
but seven works for recorder make for lack of variety ... see Full
Review
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Das
Rheingold Falk
Struckmann, Peter Galliard, Wolfgang Koch, Hamburg PO/Simone
Young
rec. 2008 OEHMS CLASSICS OC925 [76:27
+ 75:10] [CC]
A
thoroughly enjoyable Rheingold ... see Full
Review
Richard WAGNER
(1813-1883) Tannhäuser:
Dich, teure Halle Der fliegende Holländer:
Senta’s Ballad, Wie aus der Ferne Lohengrin:
Einsam in truben Tagen Die Walküre:
Act III, Scene 3 Tristan und Isolde:
Mild und leise
Birgit Nilsson, Hans Hotter (baritone) Philharmonia O/Leopold Ludwig
rec. 1957 EMI GREAT
RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 5097022 [82:13] [CC]
Magnificent
singing - must be heard by all self-respecting Wagnerites ... see Full
Review
Richard WAGNER
(1813-1883) Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg - Act
I Prelude see BRUCKNER
Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786-1826)
Overtures
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Antoni
Wit rec. 2006
NAXOS
8.570296 [76:24][LW]
I
am happy to welcome this collection ... see Full
Review
Leó
WEINER (1885-1960) Toldi
North Hungarian
Symphony Orchestra/László Kovács rec. 2008
HUNGAROTON HCD32608 [65:55][RB]
A
colourful national epic … full of romantic atmosphere ... see Full
Review
Egon WELLESZ
(1885-1974) Symphonies Nos. 1-9 etc.
Radio Symphonieorchester
Wien/Gottfried Rabl rec. 2001-04
CPO 777183-2 [4 CDs: 71:10 + 75:05 + 63:22 + 70:44][RB]
Deeply
serious and sometimes unsettling symphonies ... see Full
Review
Ermanno WOLF-FERRARI (1876-1948)
Orchestral Works
Karen Geoghegan (bassoon) BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/Gianandrea Noseda
rec. 2008 CHANDOS CHAN
10511 [79:28]
[CR]
Sumptuous
and enormously enjoyable ... 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]
[Part 6 Misc A-L] [Part
7 Misc M-Z]
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