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Alphabetical Listing

PART 4
M-R

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]
[last 5 days] [Recommended recordings]

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Otmar MÁCHA Elegy for violin and piano see Bacova

Sir Alexander MACKENZIE (1847-1935) Violin Concerto; Pibroch Suite Malcolm Stewart (violin); Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Vernon Handley, David Davies rec. 1997 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55343 [55:09][EM] 

Wonderfully lyrical performances … see Full Review

Walter MACFARREN (1826-1905) Concertstück see BENEDICT

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 8 & movements from Symphonies 6 & 9 Vienna PO/Dimitri Mitropoulos  rec. 1959/60 IMMORTAL PERFORMANCES IPCD1005-2 [66:22 + 59:51] [JW]

This Mahler 8 sounds first class ... see Full Review 

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 8, Adagio from Symphony 10 San Francisco SCh & O/Michael Tilson Thomas rec. live, 2006/8 SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY 821936-0021-2 [51:32 + 60:30] [JQ]

A fine conclusion to Michael Tilson Thomas’s Mahler cycle ... see Full Review

William MATHIAS (1934-1992) Celtic Dances see Hoddinott

Johann Simon MAYR (1763-1845) Fedra Staatsorchester Braunschweig/Gerd Schaller rec. 2008 OEHMS CLASSICS OC920 [64:28 + 50:46][IB]

The curious will certainly be rewarded ... see Full Review

Nikolai MEDTNER (1880-1951) Two Pieces Op. 58 Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Suite No. 2; Russian Rhapsody; Symphonic Dances Dmitri Alexeev, Nikolai Demidenko (piano) rec. 1993 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55337 [78:11][OL]

Formidable playing … fast and furious ... see Full Review

Felix MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Symphony No.2 Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra/Andrew Litton rec. 2008 BIS-SACD-1704 [63:05][DM]

Has its moments but is disappointingly uneven ... see Full Review

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Antigone Kammerchor Stuttgart & Klassische Philharmonie Stuttgart/Frieder Bernius rec. 2004 CARUS 83.224 [61:08]  [MC]

Splendidly performed and recorded - rare Mendelssohn ... see Full Review 

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809 - 1847) String Quartets 1 & 2 Gabrieli String Qt rec. 1989 CHANDOS CHAN10534X [59:32] [GF]

Attractive readings, especially at around a fiver … see Full Review

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-47) Violin Concerto see BEETHOVEN

Olivier MESSIAEN (1908 - 1992) Les Oiseaux Louise Bessette (piano) rec. 2008 ANALEKTA AN29960 [64:24] [GF]

Fascinating music, idiomatically played … see Full Review

Stanisław MONIUSZKO (1819-1872) Masses The Warsaw Philharmonic Choir/Henryk Wojnarowski rec. 2008 DUX 0657 [76.42][RH]

Charming performances of music with insufficient interest ... see Full Review

Lodewijk MORTELMANS (1868-1952) Homerische symfonie etc. Royal Flemish Philharmonic/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA67766 [66:41][RB]

Craggy and exciting; florid and exultant ... see Full Review

Leopold MOZART (1719-1787) Complete Horn Concertos Herman Jeurissen (horn); Concerto Rotterdam/Heinz Friesen rec. 1982 MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG3210095-2 [48:51][CC] 

Pure delight and very definitely not just horn player territory ... see Full Review

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Così fan tutte Sena Jurinac (soprano) Alice Howland (soprano) Richard Lewis (tenor) Glyndebourne Festival Ch, Royal PO/Fritz Busch rec. live, 1951 IMMORTAL PERFORMANCES IPCD 1004-2 [78:58 + 70.56] [JW]

Still obviously a specialist acquisition ... see Full Review 

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756 - 1791) Danielle de Niese-The Mozart Album Danielle de Niese (soprano) Age of Enlightenment O/Sir Charles Mackerras rec. 2008/9 DECCA 478 1511 [65:48] [GF]

In spite of some reservations there is a lot to admire here ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Carl August NIELSEN (1865-1931) Music for Wind and Piano New London Chamber Ensemble rec. 2005/8 MERIDIAN CDE84580 [64:58] [JL]

One of the best Nielsen discs ever made … see Full Review 

Jacques OFFENBACH (1819-1880) Bluebeard Hanns Nocker (baritone) Anny Schlemm (mezzo) Berlin Komische Oper Ch & O/Karl-Fritz Voigtmann rec. 1973 ARTHAUS MUSIK 101293 [139:00] [RW]

Appealing and convincingly played ... see Full Review

Robin ORR (1909-2006) Centenary Tribute  Various artists rec. 1948-89 GUILD GHCD2350 [72:28][RB]

A passionate foundation linked to confidences and sorrow ... see Full Review

Arvo PÄRT (b.1935) Summa, Fratres see TAVENER

Georgs PELĒCIS (b. 1947) Revelation Gidon Kremer; Kremerata Baltica rec. 2005 MEGADISC MDC7797 [67:03] [DJB]

A triumph of melody and rhythm over modernism - life-affirming ... see Full Review 

Krzysztof PENDERECKI (b. 1933) Unaccompanied choral works Polish Chamber Ch/Jan Lukaszewski rec. 2008 DUX 0694 [57.41]  [RH]

Despite some very fine singing, rather fragmented and etiolated ... see Full Review

Václav PICHL (1741-1805) Violin Concerto see BENDA

Ildebrando PIZZETTI (1880-1968) Preludio – Fedra; Canti della stagione alta; Cabiria – Film Music: Sinfonia del fuoco Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie/Oleg Caetani rec. 1997 NAXOS 8.570874 [49:13][NB] 

Indulgently romantic piano concerto performed with bravura assurance ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Francis POULENC (1899-1963) Gloria Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Daphnis et Chloé Jessica Rivera (soprano) Chicago SCh & O/Bernard Haitink rec. 2007 CSO RESOUND CSOR901 906 [77:09] [BR]

Marvellous playing, glowing sound, inspired coupling … see Full Review

Alexander PRIOR (b.1995) Velesslavitsa - Concerto for Piano, Two Violins and Cello and orchestra (2008) [46:35] Zhang Xiao Ming (piano); Simone Porter (violin); Michael Province (violin); Nathan Chan (cello); Northern Sinfonia/Alexander Prior rec. live, The Sage, Gateshead, 29 April 2009. DDD TOCCATA TOCC0109 [46:35] [RB]

Smoking fervour and volatile tension ... see Full Review 

Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Symphony 2, Symphony-Concerto French Ntl O/Mstislav Rostropovich, Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), London SO/Seiji Ozawa rec. 1986/7 WARNER CLASSICS 2564 691742 [74:47] [WK]

A mostly superb rendition of the Symphony-Concerto … see Full Review

Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891 - 1953) Piano Sonata No.4 in C minor see Russian Piano

Sergei RACHMANINOV (1973 - 1943) Prelude in C sharp minor see Russian Piano

Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Suite No. 2; Russian Rhapsody; Symphonic Dances see MEDTNER

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Songs Gerald Finley (baritone) Julius Drake (piano) rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA67728 [73:28]  [TB]

Supreme collaborative insights … wonderful music too ... see Full Review 


RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Daphnis et Chloé see POULENC

Alan Rawsthorne (1905-1971) Piano Concerto No. 1 see FERGUSON

Anton REICHA (1770 - 1836) Woodwind Quintets - Volume 8 Westwood Wind Quintet rec. 2005 CRYSTAL RECORDS CD268 [73:55] [NB]

Disappointing performances and music ... see Full Review

Alec ROWLEY (1892-1958) Piano Concerto see FERGUSON

RECORDING OF THE MONTH William RUSSELL (1777-1813) Complete Organ Voluntaries John Kitchen (organ) rec. 2008 DELPHIAN DCD34062 [3 CDs: 65:27 + 68:01 + 53:14] [JV]

An exemplary production: repertoire, performance, instrument and booklet ... 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]
[last 5 days] [Recommended recordings]


 



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