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Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony No. 2 in C minor Resurrection (1894)
[84:17] Anne Schwanewilms (soprano); Lioba Braun (alto) Chor der Bayerische
Symphoniker/Rolf Beck 
Bamberger Symphoniker and Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie/Jonathan Nott
rec. 2008, 2 SACDs for the price of 1
TUDOR 7158 
[32:53
+ 51:24] 
[GD]
A
coherent and self-sufficient interpretation ... see Full
Review
Gustav
MAHLER
(1860-1911) Symphony
No.2 Resurrection (1894) [85:11]
Alice Coote (mezzo); Natalie Dessay (soprano) Orfeón Donostiarra Frankfurt
Radio Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Järvi rec. live, Alte Oper, Frankfurt,
6-8 May 2009. Stereo. DDD
VIRGIN CLASSICS 50999 694586 0 6 [23:17 + 61:54]
[GD] plus blind review from [NB]
Competent
but old-fashioned ... see Full
Review
Gustav
MAHLER (1860–1911) Symphony no.5 in C sharp minor
Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra/Simon Rattle rec. 2002
EMI CLASSICS 50999 9 65935 2 3 [69:6] 
[GD]
Rattle’s
CBSO interpretive insights with the added benefit of the Berlin Phil’s
virtuosity … an attractive prospect indeed… see Full
Review
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony 9
RSO Stuttgart des SWR/Roger Norrington rec. live, 2009
HÄNSSLER CLASSIC CD 93.244 [72:10] 
[DC]
“...this
is not my music...” ... see Full
Review
Bohuslav
MARTINU
(1890-1959) Duo No. 2 for violin and cello, H371 (1958) Sonata
for flute, violin and piano, H254 (1937) Trio for flute, cello and piano,
H300 (1944) Bergerettes - five pieces for violin, cello and piano,
H275 (1939)
Artemiss Piano Trio; Zofie Vokalkova (flute) rec. 2009.
ARCODIVA UP 0126-2 131 [70:19]
[DC]
The
finest kind of chamber music. ... see Full
Review
Olivier
MESSIAEN (1908-1992) La Nativité du Seigneur
Jennifer
Bate (organ) rec. 1989
DIGITALCLASSICS 1034DC 
[DC]
Fits
the bill, though full of period charm ... see Full
Review
Olivier
MESSIAEN (1908–1992) La Mort du Nombre, Thème
et Variations, Fantasie see
Fantasie
Giacomo
MEYERBEER (1791–1864) Il crociato in Egitto
Michael
Maniaci (counter-tenor); Patrizia Ciofi (soprano) Orchestra and Chorus
of Teatro La Fenice/Emmanuele Villaume rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.660245-47 [3 CDs] 
[RH]
Gives
a strong flavour of the piece… see Full
Review
Nicolai
Yakovlevich MIASKOVSKY
(1881-1950) String Quartets Volumes 1, 3 & 4
Taneyev Quartet
NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA 9950 9952 9953 [75:40]
[JW]
Place
these volumes next to your Svetlanov box of the symphonies. ... see
Full Review
Stanislaw
MONIUSZKO
(1819-1872) Masses - vol. 2 Latin Mass in E flat major; Mass
in E minor for two sopranos and alto with organ; Mourning Songs for
Holy Mass for the souls of the dead for four voices and organ in D minor;
Mass in A minor for Two Voices (soprano, alto) and organ
Marta Boberska (soprano); Agnieszka Rehlis (alto); Rafal Bartminski
(tenor); Andrej Bialko (organ); The Warsaw Philharmonic Choir/Henryk
Wojnarowski
rec. 2009,
DUX 0720 [76:22]
[GD]
Curiously
austere liturgical repertoire … this one is for Moniuszko fans only.
... see Full Review
Pierre
MOULU
(1484?-c.1550) Mater floreat ; Missa Missus est Gabriel
angelus ; In Pace ; Missa Alma redemptoris mater; Kyrie (Missa Alma
redemptoris mater), long version; Agnus Dei (Missa Alma redemptoris
mater), long version Josquin DES PREZ (c.1450/55–1521)
Missus est Gabriel angelus
The Brabant Ensemble/Stephen Rice rec. 2009
HYPERION CDA67761 [74.38]
[RH]
Fascinating
and rather enchanting ... see Full Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Arias for Male Soprano
Michael Maniaci (male soprano) Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman rec. 2009
TELARC
TEL-31827-02 [61.01]
[MM-B]
Maniaci
is a pleasant revelation ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Sinfonia Concertante see HAYDN
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756 – 1791) Die Hochzeit des Figaro
(Le nozze di Figaro) (sung in German)
Kreyssig, Falewicz, Rienhardt-Kiss, Dene, Trekel-Burckhardt, Chorus
and Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin/Geza Oberfrank rec. 1976
ARTHAUS 101 295 
[2 DVDs: 166:00 (opera); 50:00 (special feature)]
[GF]
As
close to Mozart’s and Da Ponte’s original idea as one could wish ...
see Full Review
Jacques
OFFENBACH (1819–1880) The Tales of Hoffmann
Nicolai Gedda; Gianna d’Angelo; Elisabeth Schwarzkopf; Victoria
de los Angeles Choeurs René Duclos; Orchestre de la Société
des Concerts du Conservatoire/André Cluytens rec. 1964-5
EMI CLASSICS 4 56394 2 [152:12]
[ST]
This
hasn’t improved with age… see Full
Review
Gavriil
Nikolaevich POPOV
(1904 - 1972) Symphony No.2 Motherland Op.39
(1943) The Turning Point Op.44 – film soundtrack (1945) Red Cavalry
Campaign – Symphonic Poster for a large orchestra (1941) Male Group
of the Smolny Cathedral Chamber Choir (track 12)
St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra/Alexander Titov
rec.2008/9 Wartime Music Vol.8
NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9977 [60:10] [NB]
I
am left wanting to search out more of this elusive composer’s works
but not on the strength of anything presented here ... see Full
Review
Sergey
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Semyon Kotko, a suite Op.81bis (1941) Waltzes, a suite Op.110 (1940-46)
St.
Petersburg State Academic SO/Alexander Titov rec.r 2009 Wartime Music:
Vol.10
NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9980 [63:50]
[NB]
I
hope that other discs in this series will prove more exciting and engaging
... see Full Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOV
(1873 - 1943)
The Rock, Symphony 2
BBC PO/Gianandrea Noseda rec. 2008/9
CHANDOS CHAN10589 [74:52]
[BBr]
Lack
of tension and real fire … see Full
Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
Etudes-tableaux Op.33 & 39, Vocalise
Barbara Nissman (piano) rec. 2006
PIERIAN 0031 [72:59]
[JW]
Wide
and handsome as befits these fine performances ... see Full
Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) The Divine Liturgy of St John
Chrysostom Op.31
Latvian Radio Choir/Sigvards Klava rec. 2008
ONDINE ODE1151-5 
[59:06]
[GD]
Impressive
with some wonderful swells over the course of some of the longer phrases
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Sergei RACHMANINOV
(1873-1943)
Aleko (1892-1893)
Sergey Murzaev (baritone) - Aleko; Svetla Vassileva (soprano) - Zemfira;
Evgeny Akhimov (tenor) - Young Gypsy; Gennady Bezzubenkov (bass) - Old
Gypsy; Nadezhda Vasilieva (mezzo) - Old Gypsy Woman; Coro del Teatro
Regio del Torino; BBC Philharmonic/Gianandrea Noseda. rec. 2009. DDD
CHANDOS
CHAN10583 [50:55]
[CC]
My
Recording of the Month, by a long way. The BBC Philharmonic sounds simply
superb … Noseda conducts intelligently, sensitively, with full structural
awareness of the dramatic trajectory. ... see Full
Review
Joachim
RAFF (1822-1882) Suite, Overtures & Preludes
Tra Nguyen (pno), SO Norrlands Opera/Roland Kluttig, rec. 2009
STERLING CDS10852 [77:46]
[RB]
Faithful
evangelisation for this totally neglected and very attractive music.
... see Full Review
Joachim
RAFF
(1822-1882) Die
Tageszeiten, Konzertante in vier Satzen op. 209; Morgenlied op.
186a; Einer Entschlafenden op. 186b*; Die Sternen WoO53
Tra
Nguyen (piano) Josefin Wolving; Lena Nordlund, Lena Palmquist (soloists)*
Sångkraft Chamber Choir The Symphony Orchestra of Norrlands Opera/Andrea
Quinn rec. 2009. DDD
STERLING
CDS1089-2 [79:52]
[RB]
Melodious
and mellifluous in the most exalted German romantic tradition ... see
Full Review
André
RAISON
(1640s–1719) Offerte
du 5e ton see TUBERY
Einojuhani
RAUTAVAARA (b.1928) Choral Works
Schola Cantorum of Oxford/James Burton rec. 2009
HYPERION CDA67787 [72:19]
[OL]
A
very well-sung collection of powerful, beautiful music… see Full
Review
Leonard
Bernstein Conducts Maurice RAVEL
(1875–1937) La Valse
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) String
Quartet see DEBUSSY
François
REBEL (1701 - 1775)/François FRANCOEUR
(1698 - 1787) Zélindor, roi des Sylphes; Suite
from 'Le Trophée'
Ah Young Hong; Heidi Grant Murphy; Jean-Paul Fouchécourt; William Sharp;
The Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus/Ryan Brown rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.660224 [61:36]
[JvV]
A
lacklustre and bland interpretation - the quality of the singing is
uneven ... see Full Review
Silvestre
REVUELTAS (1899-1940) La noche de los mayas (1939)
see STRAVINSKY
François
ROBERDAY
(1624–1680) Fugue
8e et caprice sur le même sujet see TUBERY
Pierre
RODE (1774-1830) 24 Caprices en forme d’études
Elizabeth Wallfisch (violin) 2004
CPO 777 129-2 [40:15 + 43:30]
[DC]
A
fine cycle, and a superb period performance ... see Full
Review
Robert
de ROOS (1907-1976) String Quartets II, III, V, VII
Utrecht String Quartet rec. 2009
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 603 1613-2 [64:39]
[DC]
Remarkable
and significant ... see Full
Review
Johann
ROSENMÜLLER (1619-1684) German sacred concertos
Johann Rosenmüller Ensemble/Arno Paduch rec. 2000
CHRISTOPHORUS CHR 77319 [72:07]
[JV]
An
interesting survey of Rosenmüller's sacred oeuvre - the performances
are good, although not without some flaws ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Gioachino ROSSINI
(1792-1868) L’Italiana
in Algeri - Comic opera in two acts (1813)
Samuel Ramey (bass); Kathleen Battle (soprano) I Solisti Veneti; Prague
Philharmonic Choir/Claudio Scimone rec. 1980
ERATO OPERA COLLECTION 2564 68335 9 [71.30 + 69.21]
[RF]
A
welcome return to the catalogue of this excellent performance which
is a must for all Rossini enthusiasts. ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Gioacchino ROSSINI
(1792-1868)
Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Juan Diego Flórez (tenor) Joyce DiDonato (mezzo) Pietro Spagnoli
(baritone) Ch & O Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Antonio Pappano
rec. live, 2009
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6945819 
[2 DVDs: 102:00 + 74:00]
[ST]
A
big thumbs-up on every front ... see Full
Review
Albert
ROUSSEL (1869-1937)
Symphony 4, Rapsodie flammande, Petite Suite, Concert pour petit
orchestre, Sinfonietta
Royal Scottish Ntl O/Stéphane Denève rec. 2006-8
NAXOS 8.572135 [69:08]
[LW]
Denève
produces another winner in his Roussel series … see Full
Review
Anton
Grigorievich RUBINSTEIN
(1829
– 1894) Collected Songs - Volume 1
Mila
Shkirtil (mezzo); Mikhail Lukonin (baritone); Yuri Serov (piano) rec.
2007
NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9960 [64:37]
[NB]
A
fascinating disc of intriguing music ... see Full
Review
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