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        Silvia
                  Marcovici Vol. 1 Violin concertos by Beethoven,
                  Bartok, Bruch, Lalo, Brahms, Saint-Saëns & Tchaikovsky 
 rec.
                  1979-96 
 DOREMI
        DHR7942-44 [73:54 + 74:15] +DVD [~100:00] 
 
 [JW]
        Splendid
              instrumental and tonal qualities and a strong, direct and impressive
              musicality ... see Full Review
        Millennium
                    Canons Looking Forward, Looking Back Kevin
                    PUTS (b.1972)  Millennium Canons Jonathan
                    NEWMAN (b.1972)  My Hands Are A City Kristin
                    KUSTER (b.1973)  Lost Gulch Lookout John
                    MACKEY (b.1973)  Kingfishers Catch Fire Gustav
                    HOLST (1874
  -
  1934)  Hammersmith Adam GORB (b.1958)  Awayday 
 University
  of Georgia Wind Ensemble/John P. Lynch
  rec. 2008
 NAXOS
  8.572231 [61:25] 
 [CR]
        Interesting
              successful works played with youthful energy and professionalism … a
              quality product ... see Full
              Review 
        Pierre
                Monteux in Boston A
                Treasury of Concert Performances 1951-58 
 Boston
                SO/Pierre Monteux rec. 1951-58 
 WEST
                HILL RADIO ARCHIVES WHRA6022 [8 CDs: 554:13] 
 [JW]        
        Authoritative,
              finely played, well recorded and transferred ... see Full
              Review
        Moving 
          Clarinet Josef 
          PALENICEK (1914-1991) Partita Piccolo [8:58]; 
          Bohuslav MARTINU (1890-1959) 
          Sonatina per clarinetto e pianoforte (1956) [10:55]; Miloslav 
          ISTVAN (1928-1990) Sonata for Clarinet and Piano [15:01]; 
          Karel HUSA (b.1921) Three Studies 
          for Solo Clarinet (2008) [8:48]; Viktor KALABIS 
          (1923-2006) Suita per clarinetto e pianoforte (1999) [8:24] 
 
          Irvin Venyš (clarinet); Martin Kasík (piano) rec. September-November 
          2009, Martinu Hall, Academy of Music, Prague. DDD 
 
          ARCODIVA UP 0106-2 131 [52:33] 
 
          [CR]  
        
Playing 
          of intelligence and maturity, presenting this music in the best possible 
          way ... see Full Review  
        
Musica 
          Fennica 
          Robert KAJANUS (1856 - 1933) Suite ancienne, 
          Berceuse Lauri SAIKKOLA (1906 - 1995) 
          Tripartita, Musica per archi Armas LAUNIS 
          (1884 - 1959) Suite nordique 
 
          St. Michel Strings/Erkki Palola rec. 2007 
 
          ALBA ABCD274 [56:19] 
 
          [HC]
        A
              lovely disc with several Finnish rarities in excellent performances
              and recording … see Full
              Review 
        A
                Musical Journey – Rome 
            Comprising images of the piazzas, fountains and remains of Empire. Music 
            by Franz LISZT 
            (1811-1886) 
 
            Joseph Banowetz (piano), Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Oliver Dohnányi 
            
 NAXOS 
            
2.110239 
            [58:37] 
 
            [JF]
        As 
          a picture postcard it is superb: for anyone who has spent time in the 
          city it is an essential souvenir. ... see Full 
          Review 
        A
                  Musical Journey - Northern Italy and Sicily  Comprising
                  images of Mantua, Lago di Orta, Cremona, Milan, Etna and Taormina
                  Music by Mozart (Symphonies 25 & 41) 
 NAXOS
        2.110251 
 [58:32] 
 [JF]
        A
              great production ... see Full
              Review 
        Neujahrskonzert:
              New Year’s Concert 2010 
 Vienna
              PO/Georges Prêtre
rec. 2010 
 DECCA
0743376 
 [146:20] 
 [BW]
        A
              record of a vintage concert ... see Full
              Review 
        Ombre
                  De Mon Amant -
                  French Baroque arias by Charpentier, Rameau and Lambert  
 Anne
                  Sofie von Otter (mezzo) Les Arts Florissants/William Christie
                  rec. 2008 
 ARCHIV
                  PRODUKTION
477 8610 [65:04] 
 [J-PJ]
        A
              rather mixed bag of musical offerings but the highlight is von
        Otter ... see Full Review
        Phoenix 
          in Flight  
          Carl Maria von WEBER (1786 - 
          1826)  Clarinet concertino, Clarinet concerto 2 Giovanni 
          BOTTESINI (1821 - 1889)  Duetto Claude 
          DEBUSSY (1862 - 1918)  Première Rhapsodie 
          
 Richard 
          Stoltzman (clarinet); Richard Fredrickson (double-bass) Slovak RSO/Kirk 
          Trevor rec. 2002-5 
 
          NAVONA RECORDS NV5801 [59:52] 
 
          [OL]
        Great
              clarinet playing - for the sake of clarinet playing ... see Full
              Review 
        Yun-yi
                Qin (piano) Includes Wolfgang
                Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Variations on a Minuet Franz
                SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano Sonata 16 Joseph
                HAYDN (1732-1809) Keyboard Sonata Claudio
                PRIETO (b.1934) Jaén 2008 
 rec.
                2008 
 NAXOS
        8.572341 [76:02] 
 [JW]
        A
              youthful marker of talent ... see Full
              Review 
        Rathamataz 
 Brett
            Baker (trombone) Black Dyke Band/Dr Nicholas J. Childs rec. 2009 
 DOYEN
        DOYCD261 [71:46] 
 [GD]
        On
              form thoughout, not that there is much to challenge Black Dyke
              in this repertoire. ... see Full
              Review 
        Romantic
                  Piano Pieces  
 Israela
                  Margalit (piano)
rec. 1991 
 DECCA
476
3486 [69:06] 
 [BR]
        Lives
              up to its billing, at least … see Full
              Review 
        The 
          Sakari Oramo Collection Jean 
          SIBELIUS, Edvard GRIEG, 
          Sergey RACHMANINOV, Béla BARTÓK, 
          Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH, John 
          FOULDS, Gustav MAHLER 
          
 Nikolai 
          Lugansky, piano , Leila Josefowicz, violin , Peter Donohoe, piano City 
          of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/ Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bartók)/Sakari 
          Oramo rec. 2000 - 2006 
 
          WARNER CLASSICS AND JAZZ 2564 68694-5 [74:54 + 74:18] 
        A 
          selection of greatest hits which falls short of the mark … see Full 
          Review 
        Schmelzer & Co -
              Music at the Habsburg Court 
 Caecilia-Concert
              rec. 2009 
 CHALLENGE
        CLASSICS CC72339 [75:53] 
 [JV]
        Fascinating 
          repertoire from the 17th century - the wind are impressive, but the 
          strings are dynamically a bit flat ... see Full 
          Review
        Send
                  In The Clowns 
 London
                  Brass rec. 1989 
 TELDEC
        2564 68617-4 [57:57] 
 [MC]
        London
              Brass demonstrate their excellent talents on this entertaining
              release ... see Full
              Review
        
BARGAIN
                OF THE MONTH The Service
                of Venus and Mars: Music
                for the Knights of the Garter 
 Gothic
                Voices/Christopher Page (with Andrew Lawrence-King, medieval
                harp) rec. 1986 
 HYPERION
        HELIOS CDH55290 [49:46] 
 [BW]
        The 
          Christophorus is entertaining, the Hyperion an essential purchase ... 
          see Full Review
        Seized 
          by Sweet Desire 
          - Singing Nuns and Ladies 
          [Notre Dame Repertoire] anon 
          PEROTINUS (fl c1200) LEONINUS 
          (fl 1150s-c1201) 
 
          Musica Ficta (Malene Nordtorp, Ann-Christine Wesser Ingels, Amy Vestbř, 
          Susannah Carlsson (soprano), Rie Koch, Elisabeth Řrsnes, Linnéa Lomholt, 
          Helen Rossil (contralto))/Bo Holten rec. 1-3 March 2005, St Paul's Church, 
          Copenhagen, Denmark. DDD 
          
 NAXOS 
          8.572265 [49:39] 
 
          [JV]
        A 
          female look at 'male' repertoire ... see Full 
          Review 
        Sixty 
          Glorious Years: A 
          Concert of 19th Century British Music 
 
          Katy Morrell (soprano); Phillida Bannister (contralto); Campbell Russell 
          (tenor); Fiona Murphy (cello); Wilfred Goddard (clarinet); Ian Wass 
          (organ); John Talbot, (piano) The Midlands Chorale/Robert Williams Rec1997 
          
 BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY 
          BMS422CD [75.14] 
 
          [JF][NB]
        For 
          entertainment and enjoyment rather than academic study. ... [JF]
          A disc to remind one of the blazing genius of Elgar and the unique path 
          he trod through 1890s British musical culture … see Full 
          Review 
        Cyril 
          Smith and Phyllis Sellick Piano 
          Duos César FRANCK 
          (1822-1890) Prélude, choral et fugue (1884) arranged 
          by John Odom for three hands [18:55] Felix 
          MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Allegro Brillant, in A major for 
          piano Op.92 (1842) arranged by John Odom for three hands [8:47] Franz 
          SCHUBERT (1797-1828) 
          Fantasie, D.940 (1828) [17:37] Sonata in B flat D.617 (1823) [17:23] 
          Gabriel FAURÉ 
          (1845-1924) Dolly Suite Op.56 (1894-97) arranged by 
          John Odom for three hands [16:39] 
 
          Cyril Smith and Phyllis Sellick (piano duet) rec. 1974 
 
          NIMBUS NI 5178 [79:21] 
 
          [JW] 
        Commanding 
          musicality across this eighty minute recital ... see Full 
          Review 
        Trobadors – Trouvčres – Minnesänger: Songs
              and Dances of the Middle Ages 
 Ensemble
              für frühe Musik Augsburg rec. 1984 
 CHRISTOPHORUS
        ENTRÉE CHE 0148-2 [50:34] 
        The
              Christophorus is entertaining, the Hyperion an essential purchase
              ... see Full Review
        
RECORDING 
          OF THE MONTH La 
          Voce di Orfeo - Gli amori di Francesco Rasi 1574-1621 
          
 
          Furio Zanasi (baritone); Giulio Casati (narrator) La Chimera/Eduardo 
          Egüez rec. 2009 DDD 
 
          NAIVE E 8925 [62:36] 
 
          [JV]
        A 
          magnificent recording and an impressive demonstration of recitar cantando 
          ... see Full Review 
        Xibus  
 Boston
            String
Qt & guests 
 NAVONA
RECORDS
NV 5808 [52:58] 
 [BBr]
        I
              can find no redeeming features whatsoever ... see Full
        Review
         
        BOOK REVIEWS
        The 
          Great Lablache 
          - Nineteenth Century Operatic Superstar: 
          His Life and His Times 
          by Clarissa Lablache Cheer [MMB]
        A 
          very commendable attempt to bring us the story of an operatic star … 
          who but for this book would have been almost completely forgotten. A 
          valuable reading experience. ... see Full 
          Review 
        The
                  Cello Suites by
                  Eric Siblin.
Allen & Unwin, 2009 319 pages, paperback
ISBN 978-1-74237-159-7 [DJB] 
         
        
        Click 
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          [Part 4 M-R] [Part 
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          7 Misc M-Z] 
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