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Elliott
CARTER (b.1908)
Complete works - Vol. 8: 16 Compositions
2002-2009 
rec. 2008/9
BRIDGE 9314 A/B [49.29 + 53.42] 
[GH]
Wild
but logical Carterian counterpoint ... see Full
Review
Marc-Antoine
CHARPENTIER (1643–1704)
Motet pour les trépassés; Messe pour les trépassés; Miserere des Jésuites
see
Tubery
Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano Music - Volume 1
Louis Lortie (pno), rec. 2009
CHANDOS CHAN 10588 [79:32]
[CC]
A
stimulating issue, the true excellence of which lies in the Nocturnes
and Scherzos. The Sonata, alas, is its let-down. ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Muzio CLEMENTI
(1752-1832)
The Complete Sonatas -Vol. 5 Sonatas op. 34, 37 & 46
Howard Shelley (piano) rec. 2009
HYPERION CDA67814 [77:51 + 67:28]
[MS]
The
fifth of six sets containing all of Clementi's piano sonatas - played
with great flair, expertise but above all insight. Another winner …
see Full Review
Eric
COATES
(1886-1957) The Merrymakers Overture ;
At The Dance ; The Man from the Sea ; Oxford Street
; The Three Bears ; By the Sleepy Lagoon; Queen Elizabeth
Arthur SULLIVAN (1842-1900) Overtures:
The Mikado; The Yeoman of the Guard ; Iolanthe ;
Ruddigore
London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras (Coates) Philharmonia
Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras (Sullivan) rec. 1956-7
VOCALION CDVS 1964 [62:50] 
[IL]
Light
music favourites cleanly transferred from mid-1950s LPs and delivered
with great flamboyance and élan. ... see Full
Review
Louis
COUPERIN
(c.1626–1661) Carillons
de Paris see Tubery
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Images, Prélude à l’après-midi
d’un faune, La Mer
O dell’Accademia
Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Leonard Bernstein rec. live, 1989
UNITEL CLASSICA/C MAJOR 701608 
[82:46] 
[WH]
A
straightforward, well executed film of one of Leonard Bernstein’s
last concerts … see Full
Review
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
String Quartet Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
String Quartet Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Three Pieces
Alban Berg Qt rec. 1983/4
EMI CLASSICS MASTERS 9 65939 2 [66:20] 
[ST]
At
budget price and in splendid sound it’s hard to see how anyone
could be disappointed with this.... see Full
Review
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797–1848) L’Elisir d’amore
Maria
Bayo (soprano); Rolando Villazon (tenor) Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
of The Grand Theatre del Liceu, Barcelona//Daniele Callegari rec. 2005
VIRGIN
CLASSICS DVD VIDEO 26727790 [152:00]
[RJF]
With
not a farm to be seen another updating of Donizetti’s pastoral
idyll. An enjoyable evening in the theatre.… see Full
Review
Francesco
DURANTE (1684 - 1755) Harpsichord concertos
Gerald Hambitzer (harpsichord), Concerto Köln/Werner Ehrhardt, rec.
1990, 1992
PHOENIX EDITION 427 [53:35 + 41:07]
[JV]
Every
lover of baroque instrumental music will get a lot of pleasure out of
listening to these concertos by a highly original master ... see Full
Review
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Cello Concerto,
In Nature’s Realm Josef SUK
(1874-1935) Pohádka
Saša Večtomov (cello) Central Bohemia SO/unknown conductor
rec. c. 1973
ORCHESTRAL CONCERT CDs CD9/2009 [79:45]
[JW]
Preserves
Večtomov’s reading of the concerto, one he never committed
to posterity in the studio ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Antonín DVORÁK
(1841-1904) Symphonic Poems The
Water Goblin, The Noon Witch, The Golden Spinning Wheel,
The Wild Dove,
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras rec. , 2001, 2008,
2009
SUPRAPHON SU 4012-2 [79:42]
[BR]
The
new standard recordings of Dvorák’s symphonic poems … see Full
Review
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
String Quartet No.11 in C, Op.61, B121 (1881)
String Quartet No.12 in F, Op.96, B179, 'American' (1895) The
Wihan Quartet
rec. 2004. DDD. NIMBUS
ALLIANCE NI6114 [63:30]
Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Piano Quintet No.1 in A, Op.5, B28 (1872, rev.1887)
Piano Quintet No.2 in A, Op.81, B155 (1887) Goldner
String Quartet ; Piers Lane (piano) rec. 2009. DDD HYPERION
CDA67805 [66:32]
[BW]
No
need to hesitate if the couplings appeal ... see Full
Review
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Piano Trios
Rosamunde Trio, rec. 2008
ALTO ALC1058 [76:38]
[OL]
Very
warm and humane … offers an interesting alternative view ... see Full
Review
Antonín
DVORÁK (1841-1904)
Song transcriptions for violin/viola and piano by Josef Suk
Biblical Songs, Gypsy Songs, In Folk Tone, Love Songs, Lullaby, Moravian
Duets, Four Songs, Josef Suk (violin/violaš) Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)
rec. September 2009, Bohemia Music Studio, Prague
TOCCATA TOCC0100 [60:05]
[JW]
If
you know the songs, or even if you don’t, I think you’ll love these
transcriptions. ... see Full Review
Antonín
DVOŘAK (1841–1904) Violin Concerto in A minor
see Milstein
Manuel
de FALLA (1876 – 1946) El amor brujo, El sombrero
de tres picos, excerpt from La vida breve
Suzanne Danco (sop.), Marina de Gabarain (mezzo), L’Orch. de la Suisse
Romande/Ernest Ansermet, rec. 1952, 1955
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0077 [64:33]
[GF]
Rhythmically
alert and sensible paced but sound quality may be an issue ... see Full
Review
Manuel
de FALLA (1876–1946) Falla – Guitar
Transcriptions
Peter and Zoltán Katona (guitars); Juanita Lascarro (soprano);
David Garcia Mir (percussion) rec. 2008
CHANNEL CLASSICS CCS SA 28809 [57:00] 
[OL]
The
most Spanish of all the Spanish music - a fresh approach… see
Full Review
Aloys
FLEISCHMANN (1910 – 1992) Four Masters, Sinfonia Votiva,
An Coítín Dearg, Clare’s Dragoons
Gavan Ring (bar.), Pat Fitzpatrick (war-pipes), RTÉ PO &
Ch/Robert Houlihan, rec. 2009
RTÉ LYRIC FM CD 127 [75:59]
[HC]
A
splendid centenary tribute to a most distinguished composer whose music
is still too rarely heard … see Full
Review
César FRANCK (1822–1890)
Symphony in D minor see Sir Henry
Wood
Girolamo
FRESCOBALDI (1583–1643) Fiori Musicali: Three
Organ Masses
Roberto Loreggian (organ); Fabiano Ruin (tromba barocca) Schola Gergoriano
‘Scriptoria’/Dom Nicola M Belinazzo rec. 2008
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93781 [78:2]
[BW]
Attractive
– but likely to be of specialist appeal… see Full
Review
Beat
FURRER (b.1954) String Quartet No.3
KNM Berlin rec. 2007
KAIROS 0013132KAI [51:22]
[GD]
Always
engaging, always musical …radical without ever resorting to aggression.…
see Full Review
Jacob
GADE (1879–1963) Waltzes, Tangos and Cinema
Music
Christian Westergaard (piano) rec. 2009
DACAPO 8.226057 [78:37]
[BBr]
The
proverbial one-hit wonder… see Full
Review
Valery
Alexandrovich GAVRILIN
(1939–1999) Songs
Mila Shkirtil (mezzo); Yuri Serov (piano) rec.2007
NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9955 [58:29]
[NB]
A
winning combination of interesting repertoire well performed and recorded
... see Full Review
George
GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Overtures and Songs
Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano), New Princess Theatre Orchestra/John McGlinn
rec. 1986
EMI CLASSICS 50999 6 06689 2 9 [79:06]
[WK]
Gershwin
as he was meant to sound, performed by artists wo love him. As close
as you’ll ever get to being on Broadway in the 1920s ... see Full
Review
Alexander
GLAZUNOV (1865
– 1936) Complete Works for Organ
Vera Zvegintseva (organ) rec. 2005
NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9940 [49:06] [NB]
Ultimately
I find the music here just too uninspiring to imagine it leaping from
my shelves very often. … see Full
Review
Alexander
GLAZUNOV (1865-1936) Violin Concerto see Milstein
Mikhail
GLINKA (1804-1857) Trio pathétique Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano Trio
Moscow Rachmaninov Trio, rec. 2000
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55322 [62:23]
[JW]
A
lightweight Tchaikovsky Trio, so caveat emptor ... see
Full Review
Christoph
Willibald GLUCK (1714-1787)
Orphée et Eurydice
Juan Diego Flórez (tenor) Ainhoa Garmendia (soprano) Ch &
O Titular del Teatro Real/Jesús López-Cobos rec. live,
2008
DECCA 478 2197 [68:09 + 36:39]
[ST]
Go
to this for curiosity value and Minkowski for authenticity ... see Full
Review
Edward
GREGSON (b.1945)
Trombone Concerto Peter
Moore (trombone) BBC Concert Orchestra/Bramwell Tovey rec. 2010
CHANDOS 
CHAN10627 [14:41]
[BW]
I
hope that it bucks the trend of concertos for brass instruments to be
less than popular... see Full
Review
Deirdre
GRIBBIN (b.
1967) Venus Blazing, Unity of Being, Empire States
Bradley
Creswick (violin) RTÉ National SO/Gavin Maloney rec. 2008
RTÉ LYRIC FM CD 125 [55:22]
[HC]
A
fine survey of Gribbin’s recent output in excellent performances
and recording … see Full Review
Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907) Piano Concerto see SCHUMANN
Nicolas
de GRIGNY
(1672–1703) Cromorne
en taille ŕ 2 parties see Tabart
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759) Concerti Grossi,
Op.3
Kammerorchester Basel/Julia Schröder (violin) rec. 2009
DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI 886975 75202 [55:04]
[BW]
Lively
and exciting but too hectic in the main… see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759)
Acis and Galatea
de Niese/Cuthbertson, Workman/Watson, Agnew/McRae,Hamilton, Rose/Underwood,
Park/Kay, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Hogwood 2009
OPUS ARTE OA1025D 
[110:00]
[ST]
This
production looks great and with one exception sounds fantastic too ...
see Full Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Admeto, Re di Tessaglia,
HWV22 (1727)
Marie Arnet, Kirsten Blaise (sop.), Tim Mead, Andrew Radley, David Bates
(c-ten.), Wolf Matthias Friedrich (bar.), William Berger (bass), Göttingen
Fest. Orch./Nicholas McGegan, rec. 2009
UNITEL CLASSICA CMAJOR DVD 702008 [181:00 + 21:00 bonus] (Blu-ray
702104)
[BW]
Worth
having musically – if you can abide the oddities of the production ...
see Full Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759) Alexander’s
Feast, The Choice of Hercules
Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; English Chamber Orchestra;
Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields; Philip Ledger rec. 1974, 1978
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6285202 [148:02]
[BW]
Price
considerations may well lead you to prefer this to the strong competition…
see Full Review
George
Frideric HANDEL
(1685 - 1759)
Apollo e Dafne, Concerto grosso
Myrsini Margariti (soprano), Nikolay Borchev (baritone) Händelfestspielorchester/Bernhard
Forck rec. 2009
AVI-MUSIC 8553200 [57:43]
[JV]
Two
excellent singers and a fine orchestra bring this pocket-size opera
to life ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH George
Frideric HANDEL
(1685 – 1759) Giulio
Cesare in Egitto (1724) Complete recording of the 1724 version.
Kristina
Hammarström (mezzo) – Giulio Cesare; Emanuela Galli (soprano) – Cleopatra;
Mary-Ellen Nesi (mezzo) – Sesto; Irini Karaianni (mezzo) – Cornelia;
Romina Basso (mezzo) – Tolomeo; Tassis Christoyannis (baritone) – Achilla;
Petros Magoulas (bass) – Curio; Nikos Spanatis (bass) – Nireno; Orchestra
of Patras/George Petrou rec. 24-30 July 2006, Patras, Greece Italian
libretto with English translation enclosed
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 609 1604-2 [3 CDs: 75:50
+ 78:48 + 77:23]
[GF]
A
knock-out from the very first bars of the overture ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685
- 1759) Judas Maccabeus
Makoto Sakurada (tenor) Ch de Chambre de Namur; Les Agremens/Leonardo
Garcia Alarcon rec. 2009
AMBRONAY AMY024 [64.05 + 64.04]
[RH]
Allowing
for limitations of the sung English this is a vivid and involving performance
… see Full Review
George
Frederic HANDEL (1685-1759)
Mezzo-soprano Arias
Max Emanuel Cencic (counter-tenor) I Barocchisti, Coro della Radiotelevisione
Svizzera/Diego Fasolis rec. 2009
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6945740 [64:03]
[J-PJ]
A
box of brilliant operatic jewels ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Alexander’s Feast
Gerlinde Sämann (sop.), Knut Schoch (ten.), Klaus Mertens (bass), Junge
Kantorei, Frankfurt Baroque Orch./Joachim Carlos Martini, rec. 2008
NAXOS
8.572224 [79:49]
[ST]
A
worthy performance, but this shouldn’t be your final choice ... see
Full Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685
- 1759) Israel in Egypt
Rosemary Joshua (soprano) Gerhild Romberger (alto); Kobie van Rensburg
(tenor); Simon Pauly (baritone) Ch Bavarian Radio; Concerto Köln/Peter
Dijkstra rec. live, 2008
BR KLASSIK 900501 [65.52 + 40.13]
[RH]
Its
heart is in the right place but it doesn’t quite come off ...
see Full Review
Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809)
Violin Concertos Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Sinfonia Concertante
Rachel Podger (violin) Pavlo Beznosiuk (viola) O Age of Enlightenment
rec. 2009
CHANNEL CLASSICS CCSSA29309
[67:43] [DC]
What
more can you ask...? ... see Full
Review
Joseph
HAYDN (1732–1809) Complete Keyboard Sonatas
- Volume 1
Geoffrey Lancaster (fortepiano) rec. 2009
TALL POPPIES TP201 [66:22]
[JW]
Provocative
readings. Whether you will be enchanted, provoked or infuriated is very
much a matter of taste.… see Full Review
Sir
Henry Wood – Volume 1 Joseph
HAYDN (1732–1809) Symphony No 94 in G major Surprise
Joseph
HAYDN (1732–1809) 27 String Quartets and the
Seven Last Words on the Cross
Amadeus String Quartet rec. 1963-78
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 8116 [10 CDs]
[JW]
Great
riches that still work their magic on the listener… see Full
Review
Joseph
HAYDN (1732–1809) Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI/48,
Sonata in G major, Hob. XVI/40, Sonata in D major, Hob. XVI/19, Sonata
in D major, Hob. XVI/42, Andante and variations in F minor, Hob. XVII/6
Carole
Cerasi (fortepiano, clavichord) rec. 2009
METRONOME MET CD 1085 [72:52]
[GP]
A
thoroughly rewarding programme, superbly played on two fascinating instruments…
see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Joseph HAYDN
(1732-1809)
Opera at Eszterháza: Arias - La Circe
Miah Persson (soprano) Haydn Sinfonietta Wien/Manfred Huss rec. 2008/9
BIS
BISSACD1811
[71.31] [MM-B]
A
joy from beginning to end ... see Full
Review
Gottfried
August HOMILIUS (1714–1785) Choral Works, Cantatas,
Oboe Sonata
Friedrich Kircheis (organ and harpsichord); Ludwig Güttler (trumpet
and corno de Caccia); Andreas Lorenz (oboe); Dorothea Wagner (soprano);
Cornelia Kieschnik (alto); Clemens Volkmar (tenor); Phillip Brömsel
(bass)
CARUS 83.236 [78:28]
[JW]
Get
to know Homilius elsewhere first and then sample the grave nobility
and organ freedoms implicit in his Chorales.… see Full
Review
Alan
HOVHANESS (1911–2000) Solos, Duos and Trios
Paul
Hersey (piano); Christina Fong (violin/viola); Libor Soukal (bassoon);
Jiri Sestak (oboe)
OGREOGRESS PRODUCTIONS DVD AUDIO 29959 [126:11] 
[GH]
If
you are already keen on Hovhaness then this is generous and fills many
a gap… see Full Review
Charles
IVES
(1874–1954) Holidays
Symphony – performance [55:20] and analysis.
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra/Michael Tilson Thomas 16:9 widescreen
format; 7.1 surround sound, 2.0 stereo. DSD/NTSC. Region 0 (all regions)
AVIE/SFS
MEDIA DVD 821936002490 [111:50]
[BW]
An
enlightening commentary on a neglected work… see Full
Review
John
JOUBERT
(b. 1927) Symphony 1 William
MATHIAS (1934-1992) Symphony 1
London PO/Vernon Handley (Joubert); Royal PO/Sir Charles Groves rec.
1969/95
LYRITA SRCD.340 [62:02]
[NB]
Another
marvellous disc of two fascinating symphonic firsts and a fitting reminder
of the stature of two great British conductors. ... see Full
Review
Paul
KLETZKI
(1900 - 1973)
Piano Concerto, Three Preludes, Fantasie
Joseph Banowetz (piano) Russian PO/Thomas Sanderling rec. 2006/7
NAXOS 8.572190 [75:12]
[BBr]
This
is very interesting historically, but less so musically … see
Full Review
Lev
Konstantinovich KNIPPER
(1898-1974)
Violin Concerto No.1 (1943) [39:15] Symphony No.8 (1942) [27:19]
Mikhail Krutik (violin) St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra/Alexander
Titov rec. St. Catherine Lutheran Church St. Petersburg, Russia, 1-2,
21-22 April 2009 Wartime Music - Vol.6
NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9975 [66:55]
[NB]
I
am glad to have had the chance to hear this. ... see Full
Review
Yuri
Vladimirovich KOCHUROV
(1907 - 1952) Macbeth: Symphony for Large Orchestra (1940-48)
[28:42] The Suvorov Overture (1944) [10:41]; Solemn March (1945) [6:45];
Heroic Aria (1942) [7:38]
Olesya Petrova (mezzo); St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra/Alexander
Titov rec. 2009 Wartime Music Vol. 11
NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9981 [53:49]
[NB]
An
interesting byway well worth travelling ... see Full
Review
Marcel
LANDOWSKI
(1915-1999) The
Warner Landowski Edition
Maurice
Andre, David Wilson-Johnson, Michel Bouquet, Galina Vishnevskaya, Mstislav
Rostropovich, Danilo Sanges, Catherine Dubosc, Michel Senechal, Alfred
Mittenhofer, Jose Van Dam, Philippe Huttenlocher Alain Lombard, Georges
Pretre, Jean Martinon, Marc Soustrot Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra,
French National Orchestra, ORTF National Orchesta, Pays De Loire Philharmonic
Orchestra Full artist details and track-listingsin review
WARNER CLASSICS 2564695917 [9 CDs: c.496:00]
[RB]
Resourceful
and imaginative … the Landowski reputation deserves more than self-effacement.
... see Full Review
Benjamin
LEES (1924-2010)
String Quartets 1, 5 & 6
Cypress String Qt rec. 2002-5
NAXOS 8.559628 [62:23]
[GPu]
Excellent
performances, well recorded, of the quartets of a composer better known
for his symphonic works … see Full
Review
Jeffrey
LEWIS (b.1942) Silence of the Night
Caroline MacPhie (soprano); Zheng-Yu Wu (violin); David Jones (piano)
rec. 2007
MÉTIER MSV 28514 [70:37]
[JW]
A
refined and ‘serene’ quality … slow moving and rapt…
see Full Review
Franz
LISZT
(1811-1886)
Symphonic Poems,
transcribed August Stradal (1860-1930) - Volume 1 Les Préludes: Symphonic
Poem No. 3 (1848) Heroďde Funčbre: Symphonic Poem No. 8 (1850) Die Ideale:
Symphonic Poem No. 12 (1857)
Risto-Matti Marin (piano) rec. 2007.
TOCCATA TOCC0035 [65:15]
[RB]
Adding
a munificent chapter to Liszt's piano works. ... see Full
Review
Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Liszt Students Play Liszt - Rare Original
Piano Recordings
d'Albert, Sauer, Stavenhagen, Friedheim, da Motta, Siloti, Reisenauer,
Timanoff, Burmeister, Liebling, Ansorge, Lamond rec. 1905-26
PIERIAN 0039/40 [61:21 + 61:34]
[JW]
An
insight into Liszt’s recreative practices with his own pieces ... 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]
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5 S-Z]
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