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Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano
Trio No. 2 see RAVEL
Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921)
Symphony no.3 in C minor, op.78 (Organ Symphony) (1886) [37:17]
Le Rouet d’Omphale, op.31 (1869) [8:50] Danse macabre
op.40 (1874) [7:20] Emmanuel CHABRIER
(1841-1894) España - rhapsody for orchestra (1883)
[6:48] Joyeuse Marche 1888) [3:59]
Pierre Segon (organ) L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet
rec. Victoria Hall, Geneva, Switzerland; October 1952 (Saint-Saëns
opp. 31, 40; Chabrier); May 1962 (Saint-Saëns op.78). ADD
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0082 [64:43]
[RMay]
A
perfectly worthwhile and enjoyable release ... see Full
Review
Alexander SCRIABIN
(1872-1915) Vladimir Sofronitsky, live
at the Scriabin Museum
Vladimir Sofronitsky (piano) rec. 1960
ARBITER 157 [72:38][JW]
This
is a special recital ... see Full
Review
Alexander
SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Piano Music
Xiayin Wang (piano) rec.
2007 NAXOS 8.570412
[66:12][GF]
Stunning
pianism and clever programming … see Full
Review
Claudin de SERMISY (1490-1562)
Si bona suscepimus see PHINOT
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony
No. 4 Netherlands Radio
Philharmonic Orchestra/Mark Wigglesworth rec. 2005
BIS-SACD-1553
[66:44][TB]
A
great performance of a symphony among Shostakovich’s greatest ... see
Full Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975) Symphony 10
Veljo TORMIS (b. 1930) Overture 2
Cincinnati SO/Paavo Järvi rec. 2008
TELARC CD-80702 [67:35]
[WH]
Two
responses to tyranny - others are more convincing in the Shostakovich … see Full
Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony
13 Sergei Aleksashkin
(bass); Moscow Chamber Ch, Moscow Radio Tchaikovsky SO/Vladimir
Fedosseyev rec. live, 2006 RELIEF
CR991081 [76:49] [WH]
A
stunning live performance of Shostakovich’s great choral
symphony … see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) The
Nose Vladislav
Sulimsky (baritone) Alexei Tanovitski (bass) Tatiana Kravtsova
(soprano) Mariinsky Theatre Ch & O/Valery Gergiev
rec. 2008 MARIINSKY
MAR0501 [50:41 + 50:56] [DM]
Gergiev
sets new standards for this work ... see Full
Review
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphonies
2& 7,Finlandia
Adelaide SO/Arvo Volmer rec. 2007
ABC CLASSICS 476 6167 [71:09]
[SV]
Unless
curious about this orchestra I'd bypass this one ... see Full
Review
Jean
SIBELIUS
(1865-1957)
Symphony No. 3 in C Major op. 52 (1907) [27:41] Symphony No. 6 in D
Minor op. 104 (1923) [25:42] Igor STRAVINSKY
(1882-1971) Violin Concerto in D major (1931) [20:40]
Northern Sinfonia/Thomas
Zehetmair (violin/director) rec. 2007, 2008, Hall One, The Sage, Gateshead.
DDD AVIE AV2150 [74:22]
[CC]
A
wonderful testament to the talents of the Northern Sinfonia. ... see
Full Review
Roberto
SIERRA
(b.1953)
Missa Latina ‘Pro Pace’
Heidi Grant Murphy (soprano); Nathaniel Webster (baritone) Milwaukee
SCh & O/Andreas Delfs rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.559624 [68:17]
[NB]
Powerful
and individual, exemplary skill and commitment ... see Full
Review
Mischa
SPOLIANSKY (1898-1985) Film
Music Mark Coles (bass);
Roderick Elms (piano); John Wright (organ) BBC Concert O/Rumon Gamba
rec. 2008 CHANDOS MOVIES
CHAN 10543 [73:03]
[RB]
Often
imaginative; a professional to the fingertips ... see Full
Review
Sir
Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924)
Symphony No. 1; Clarinet Concerto
Robert Plane (clarinet); Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570356
[70:39][JQ]
A
fitting culmination to the Naxos cycle of Stanford symphonies ... see
Full Review
Karlheinz
STOCKHAUSEN
(1928-2007)
Zyklus, Spiral I & II, Pole, Japan, Wach, Tierkreis, In Freundschaft
Harald Bojé, Peter
Eötvös, Christoph Caskel, Markus Stockhausen, Margareta Hurholz
rec. 1971-92 EMI CLASSICS
6955982 [66:30 + 75:08]
There
is always hope! ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Richard Strauss recorded live at the Salzburg Music Festival Don
Quixote Op.35 - Fantastische Variationen über ein Thema
ritterlichen Charakters [43:52] Also sprach Zarathustra Op.30
[35:13] Mstislav Rostropovich
(cello); Ulrich Koch (viola) Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Herbert von
Karajan rec. 1975, 1979
HIGH DEFINITION TAPE TRANSFERS HDTT HDCD174 [79:05]
[NB]
Powerfully
performed testaments to great artists at their peak. ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS
(1864-1949) Salome
Maria Ewing, Kenneth Riegel, Royal Opera House O/Edward Downes rec.
live, 1992 OPUS ARTE
OAR3108D [104:00]
[ST]
Could
well be your first choice ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Elektra
Astrid Varnay, Hans Hotter,
Kolner RSO & Ch/Richard Kraus rec. 1953
CAPRICCIO 5008 [35.30 + 64.59]
[DH]
What
a pity the original engineers did not set up a single “mike” and
let rip ... see Full
Review
Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) The
Rake’s Progress Jayne
West, Jon Garrison,
Gregg Smith Singers, St. Luke’s O/Robert Craft rec. 1993 NAXOS
8.660272-3 [74:31
+ 53:32] [WH]
Well
sung and brilliantly played, but not really a theatrical experience … see Full
Review
Tomas SVOBODA
(b. 1939)
String Quartets - Volume 1 String Quartets: No. 1 op. 29 (1960) [10:51];
No. 2 op. 151 (1994) [25:44]; No. 3 op. 175 (2002) [19:55]; No. 4 op.
179 (2002) [19:36] Martinů
Quartet rec. 27 January, 23 April, 16 September 2005, Arco Diva studio,
Prague Domovina, Czech Republic. DDD
NORTH PACIFIC MUSIC NPM LD 022 [76:32]
Tomas SVOBODA (b. 1939) String Quartets
- Volume 2 String Quartets: No. 5 op. 180 (2003) [18:33]; No. 6 op.
185 (2005) [17:06]; No. 7 op. 187 (2005) [20:53]; No. 8 op. 190 (2006)
[19:34] Martinů
Quartet rec. 17 May, 11 October 2006, Arco Diva studio, Prague Domovina,
Czech Republic. DDD
NORTH PACIFIC MUSIC NPM LD 031 [76:14]
Tomas SVOBODA (b. 1939) Overture
of the Season op. 89 (1978) [8:42] Marimba Concerto op. 20 (1993)
[25:48] Symphony No. 1 Of Nature op. 20 (1956) [36:02]
Niel DePonte (marimba) Oregon Symphony/James DePreist rec. 9-10 January
2000 (Overture, Marimba); 13 June 2000 (symphony), Arlene Schnitzer
Concert Hall, Portland, Oregon. DDD
ALBANY TROY604 [70:59]
Tomas SVOBODA (b. 1939) Piano Concerto
No. 1 op. 71 (1974) [18:40] Piano Concerto No. 2 op. 134 (1987) [44:21]
Norman Krieger (piano)
(2); Tomas Svoboda (2)
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra/Neal Gittleman rec. 20-21 February, 20-21
November, 1999, Montgomery County’s Memorial Hall. DDD
ARTISIE 4 1006 [63:01]
Fascinating.
The Quartets are a special discovery as is the Overture. ... see Full
Review
Piet
SWERTS (b.
1960) Heilige
Seelenlust Ann
De Renais (soprano); Jan Caals (tenor)
Lemmens Institute Ch & O/Edmond Saveniers
rec. live, 2008 PHAEDRA 92059 [72:39] [HC]
A
most welcome addition to Piet Swerts’ discography … see Full
Review
Francisco
TÁRREGA (1852-1909) Jota Michael
Erni (guitar) rec. 2008 GUILD
GMCD7332 [61:33][JW]
A
somewhat guarded welcome ... see Full
Review
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) CD 1 Capriccio
Italien, Op. 45 [14:22] Eugene Onegin, Op. 24: Polonaise; Valse [4:10
+ 5:36] The Nutcracker - Suite, Op. 71a (Miniature Overture; March;
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy; Russian Dance (Trepak); Arabian Dance
(Coffee); Chinese Dance (Tea); Dance of the Reed Pipes; Waltz of the
Flowers) [22:31] London
Philharmonic Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski CD 2 Francesca da Rimini,
Op. 32 [22:37] Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 [28:12]
London Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski rec. 1973-4 ADD
DECCA ELOQUENCE 442
8335 [47:15 + 50:49]
[RB]
Delicacy
and sumptuous dazzle side by side ... see Full
Review
Boris TCHAIKOVSKY
(1925 - 1996)
Four Poems by Josef Brodsky (1965)a [11:06] From Kipling
(1994)b [5:42] String Trio (1955)c [14:14] Two
Poems by Mikhail Lermontov (1940)a [4:09] Two Pieces for
Balalaika and Piano (1991)d [2:55] Lyrics of Pushkin (1972)a
[27:04] Olga Filonova
(soprano)a; Svetlana Nikolayeva (mezzo)b; Alexey
Khutoriansky (violin)c; Lev Serov (viola)bc; Marina
Archakova (cello)c; Kirill Ershov (balalaika)d;
Olga Solovieva (piano)ad
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0046 [65:10]
[HC]
A
most welcome and substantial addition to the discography … see
Full Review
Peter Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Orchestral Suites Nos. 1-4
New Philharmonia
Orchestra/Antal Dorati rec. 1966
DECCA THE ORIGINALS 4781708 [77:53 + 65:30][RB]
Compact
good value and pleasing musical sense ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Francesca da Rimini
- Fantasy op. 32 (transc. Karl Klindworth (1830-1916)) [24:09] Ludwig
Van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Sonata op. 2 No. 2 () [22:31] Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Etudes-Tableaux: op. 39, nos, 1,3,
8; op. 33 no. 3 [12:24]
Dennis Plutalov (piano) rec. 4 December 2007, 25 September 2005, Kimball
Recital Hall, USA, (Francesca; Etudes); 1 December 2004, Crowford Hall
(LVB). DDD SHEVA COLLECTION
017 [59:37]
[NB]
Missionary
zeal of the Francesca performance. A superb interpretation. ... see
Full Review
Piotr
Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
The Sleeping Beauty
Viviana Durante, Zoltán Solymosi, Royal Ballet Royal Opera House
O/Barry Wordsworth rec. live 1994
OPUS ARTE OAR3107D
[132:00]
[RMay]
What
an embarras de richesses from Opus Arte! ... see Full
Review
Georg
Phillipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) Flute concertos see
Frederick
II
Veljo
TORMIS (b. 1930) Overture 2 see SHOSTAKOVICH
Bramwell
TOVEY (b. 1953) Coventry
Variations, Pictures in the Smoke, The Lincoln Tunnel Cabaret,
Nine Daies Wonder Joseph
Alessi (trombone); Mark Fewer (violin) Foden's Band/Bramwell
Tovey rec. 2006-9 EGON
SFZ 136 [64:32] [CT]
An
entertaining Bramwell Tovey anthology performed magnificently
... see Full Review
Joaquín
TURINA (1882-1949) Violin
sonatas 1 & 2, Variaciones clásicas, Euterpe, El
poema de una sanluqueña Eva
León (violin); Jordi
Masó (piano)
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570402 [61:55] [JW]
Panache
and passion - you won’t be disappointed ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Erkki-Sven TÜÜR (b.
1959) Wallenberg Jesper
Taube, Priit Volmer, Estonian Ntl Opera Ch & SO/Arvo Volmer
rec. live a 2007 ESTONIAN
RECORD PRODUCTIONS ERP1808 [1:58:05] [GF]
Should
be seen by as many as possible … see Full
Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) on the ALBION
label - A triumphant contribution
[RB]
Invaluable to the legion of RVW enthusiasts
- do not miss Folksongs of the Four Seasons ... see Full
Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Mystical
Songs Trinity
College Ch, Melbourne U/Michael Leighton Jones
rec. 2007 ABC
CLASSICS
ABC 476 6906 [77:14] [JQ]
I’m
sorry that I can’t give a warmer welcome to this disc ...
see Full Review
Tomás Luis De VICTORIA
(1548–1611) Missa Gaudeamus and other
works Lay Clerks
of Westminster Cathedral/Matthew Martin rec. 2008
HYPERION CDA67748 [73:20]
[GH]
The
Lay Clerks sound as if they have been singing plainchant all
their lives ... see Full Review
Antonio
VIVALDI
(1678-1741) The French
Connection Concertos Adrian
Chandler (violin); Katy Bircher (flute); Peter Whelan (bassoon)
La Serenissima/ Adrian Chandler rec. Hospital of St Cross, Winchester,
21-24 January 2009. DDD
AVIE AV2178 [75:36]
[JPJ]
One
can’t help feeling disappointed by that elusive French connection
... see Full Review
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) New Discoveries
Modo Antiquo/Federico
Maria Sardelli rec. 2008
NAĎVE OP30480 [57:37][MS]
Delightful
and thought-provoking pieces newly attributed to Vivaldi ... see Full
Review
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) The Four
Seasons
John Corigliano (violin); Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York/Guido
Cantelli rec. 1955
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC176 [44:26][JW]
For
admirers of Vivaldian string saturation, Cantelli style ... see Full
Review
Antonio VIVALDI
(1678-1741) Juditha Triumphans,
RV644 (Oratorio) (1716)
Sally-Anne Russell (mezzo) - Juditha; Sara Macliver (soprano) - Abra;
Fiona Campbell (mezzo) - Vagaus; David Walker (counter-tenor) - Holofernes;
Renée Martin (mezzo) - Ozias; Cantillation;
Pinchgut Opera; Orchestra of the Antipodes/Attilio Cremonesi rec. live,
City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney, Australia, 5, 8-10 December
2007. DDD. Texts and translations included.
ABC CLASSICS 476 6957 [59:51 + 58:02]
[BW]
Despite
fierce competition, this has a great deal going for it. ... see Full
Review
Antonio VIVALDI
(1678-1741) Arias
Magdalena Kozena (mezzo); Venice Baroque Orchestra/Andrea Marcon rec.
2008 ARCHIV 4778096
[77:19][ZT]
Vivaldi
arias at their best ... see Full
Review
Richard
WAGNER (1813
- 1883) Die Walküre
Hans Hotter, Birgit Nilsson, Ch & O Teatro alla Scala di Milano/Herbert
von Karajan rec. live, 1958
IDIS 6549/51 [3 CDs: 62:47 + 78:57 + 63:51]
[RMo]
So
much fine singing but an inadequate Siegmund ... see Full
Review
William
WALTON
(1902-1983) Façade
- Suites 1 and 2 (1922/1926/1938) [21:03] Charles
LECOCQ (1832-1918)
Mam'zelle Angot - Suite (arr. Leonide Massine) (1872/1943) [23:58]
Royal Opera House Orchestra,
Covent Garden/Anatole Fistoulari recording data not given
HDTT HDCD152 [45:12]
[SV]
The
sonic results are first-rate ... see
Full Review
László
WEINER (1916-1944) Chamber
Music With Viola Duo, Sonata, String Trio, Concerto for Piano,
Flute, Viola Dirk Hegemann
(viola) Stuttgart & Saarbrücken RSO/Julian Kuerti rec. 2007
HUNGAROTON HCD 32607
[68:28]
[NB]
Well
performed and recorded music by composer still finding his own
musical path ... see Full Review
Felix
WEINGARTNER (1863-1942) Fruhling;
Symphony No. 6
Sinfonieorchester Basel/Marko Letonja rec. 2007
CPO 777102-2
[57:30][RB]
A
loquacious symphony and a more interesting tone poem ... see Full
Review
Paul
WHITTY (b. 1970) Thirty–nine
pages
Darragh Morgan (violin); Mary Dullea (piano) rec.
2007
METIER RECORDS MSV28509 [62:04][BBr]
Give
the music time to get inside you … see Full
Review
Erich
ZEISL (1905-1959)
Piano Concerto, Pierrot in der Flasche suite
Gottlieb Wallisch (piano) Vienna RSO/Johannes Wildner rec. 2006
CPO 777226-2 [62:49]
[RB]
Euphoric
and melodious ... see Full Review
Johann
ZUMSTEEG (1760-1802) Cello Concerto see
HAYDN
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