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Elliott
CARTER (b.1908) Clarinet Concerto, Gra see American
Clarinet
Antonio
CESTI (1623 - 1669) Le disgrazie
d'Amore 
Auser
Musici/Carlo Ipata, rec. 2009 HYPERION
CDA67771/2 [76:51 + 77:43] [JV]
This
'moralizing comic opera' is highly entertaining and is given a
fine performance by an impressive cast ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Kissin
Plays Chopin Evgeny
Kissin (piano)
rec. 1993-2004 BMG-RCA
88697 625302 [5 CDs: 317:31] [DC]
Powerful
and sometimes wayward, but not to be avoided ... see Full
Review
George
CRUMB (b. 1929) Sonata for solo cello see PROKOFIEV
Luigi
DALLAPICCOLA (1904
- 1975) Tartiniana,
Due Pezzi, Piccola Musica Notturna,
Frammenti Sinfonici dal Balletto ‘Marsia’,
Variazioni per Orchestra BBC
PO/Gianandrea Noseda rec. 2004 CHANDOS
CHAN10258 [73:07] [HC]
Superb
performances and recordings of works from an important decade in
Dallapiccola’s composing life … see Full
Review
Claude
DEBUSSY
(1862 – 1918) Jeux
– poème dansé [19:22] and other pieces
arranged for orchestra by Colin MATTHEWS
(b. 1946):
Halle Orchestra/Sir Mark Elder rec. 2007/8 DDD
HALLE CD HLL 7518 [73:35]
[JQ]
Orchestral
re-imaginings of Debussy’s piano pieces which are entertaining, intriguing
and very satisfying ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Frederick
DELIUS (1862 - 1934) Cello Sonata see English
Viola Sonatas
Ernst
von DOHNANYI (1877-1960) Piano
Concertos 1 & 2 Howard
Shelley (piano)
BBC Philharmonic/Matthias Bamert
rec. 2001/4 CHANDOS CHAN10599X [72:25] [RB]
Rather
wonderful and revelling in luxury sound ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Gaetano DONIZETTI
(1797-1868) Lucrezia Borgia
Montserrat Caballé, Alfredo Krauss, RCA Italiana Opera Ch &
O/Jonel Perlea rec. 1966
SONY OPERA HOUSE 88697575942 [60.53 + 73.22]
[RJF]
The
preferred choice among CD recordings of this dramatic work from Donizetti’s
pre-Lucia period ... see Full
Review
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848) Maria
Stuarda Maria
Pia Piscitelli (soprano) Laura Polveretti (mezzo) FORM O Filarmonica
Marchigiana/Riccardo Frizza
rec. live, 2007 NAXOS
8.660261-62 [60:41
+ 55:55] [GF]
This
is the most idiomatically Italian version of them all ... see Full
Review
Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797 – 1848) Lucrezia Borgia
Dimitra
Theodossiou (sop.), Nidia Palacios (mezzo), Ch & O Bergamo Musica
Festival Gaetano Donizetti/Tiziano Severini, rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.660257-58 [55:56 + 76:45]
[GF]
Admirably
sensitive and involved ... see Full
Review
Antal
DORATI (1906-1988) Divertimento see MARTINŮ
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Serenade for Strings see
Bohemian Album
Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Overture Froissart,
Symphonies 1 & 2 Phil.
O/Andrew Davis, rec. 2007 SIGNUM
CLASSICS SIGCD179 [67:57 + 57:23] [WH]
Fine
performances of Elgar’s two symphonies, but the conductor’s earlier
readings are to be preferred … see Full
Review
Sir
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) Violin Concerto B
min. Nikolaj
Znaider (violin), Staatskapelle Dresden/Sir Colin Davis, rec.
2009 BMG-RCA
RED SEAL 88697605882 [49:37] [JQ]
A
significant addition to the discography of one of the pinnacles
of the violin repertoire ... see Full
Review
Francisco
ESCUDERO (b.1912) Orchestral works see Basque
Music
Gabriel
FAURÉ (1845-1924) Piano
Quartets 1 & 2,
Nocturne 4 Hermitage
String Trio, Kathryn Stott (piano) rec. 2009 CHANDOS
CHAN10582 [71:49] [JW]
Sweep
and largesse but can miss the implicit nobility of the writing and the
subtlety of the melancholia ... see Full
Review
Gabriel
FAURÉ (1845–1924) Sicilienne Op. 78 (1898)
[3:31] Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor Op. 117 (1921) [18:25] Après
un rêve (arr. P. Casals) (1878) [2:55] Elegie Op. 24 (1880) [6:18]
Romance Op. 69 (1894) [3:52] Berceuse Op. 16 (arr. for cello and piano)
(1879) [3:09] Papillon Op. 77 (1884) [3:02] Sérénade Op.
98 (publ. 1908) [3:22] Cello Sonata No. 1 in D minor Op. 109 (1917)
[19:19] Pavane Op. 50 (arr. H. Busser) (1887) [5:39]
Ina-Esther Joost Ben-Sasson (cello); Allan Sternfield (piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS
8.570545 [69:32]
[JW]
Relatively
unengaged, static and lacks tonal variety… see Full
Review
Graham
FITKIN (b.
1963) Circuit,
T1 & T2, Relent, Carnal,
Furniture Kathryn
Stott (piano) Noriko Ogawa (piano) Tokyo SO/Naoto Otomo rec. 2007 BIS
BIS-SACD-1517 
[68:36] [HC]
A
superbly played and recorded survey of Graham Fitkin’s output
for piano … see Full
Review
César
FRANCK
(1822-1890)
Violin Sonata Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Piano Trio
Arthur Catterall (violin) William Murdoch (piano) WH Squire (cello)
rec. 1923-6
HISTORIC RECORDINGS HRCD00024 [67:43]
[JW]
What
a sympathetic chamber player and how eloquent were his colleagues ...
see Full Review
César
FRANCK (1822-1890)
String Quartet see Virtuoso
Quartet
Tomás
GARBIZU (1901-1989) Misa Papa Juan XXIII, Cinco
canciones vascas see Basque
Music
Alexander
GLAZUNOV
(1865-1936) Les Ruses d'amour
Romanian State Orchestra/Horia Andreescu rec. 1986 Orchestral Works - Volume 19
NAXOS 8.572447 [50:56]
Enthusiasm
and creditable playing. ... see Full
Review [MC] A very appealing score … one of the series’ more
enjoyable excursions ... see Full
Review [RMay]
Alexander
GLAZUNOV
(1865-1936) José
Serebrier conducts the Nine Glazunov Symphonies Royal Scottish
National Orchestra/José Serebrier rec. Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow 2004-2009.
DDD full details at end of review WARNER CLASSICS: Symphonies
1, 2, 3, 9 (2564 68904-2); 6 (2564 69627-0) 4, 7 (2564 63236-2); 5 (2564
61434-2); 8 (2564 61939-2)
Consistently
inspired interpretative insights combined with superb audio-technology
... see Full Review
Reinhold
GLIÈRE (1875
- 1956) Russian Piano Music Series - Vol. 3 25 Preludes,
3 Mazurkas,
12 Esquisses Anthony
Goldstone (piano) rec. 2002 DIVINE
ART
DDA25083 [69:02] [NB]
A
natural gift for melody makes Gliere’s music thoroughly enjoyable
... see Full Review
Christoph
Willibald GLUCK (1714-1787) Orfeo ed Euridice Ewa
Podles, Ana Rodrigo, Elena de la Merced, Comunidad de Madrid
Ch, Galicia SO/Peter Maag, rec. 1998 ARTS
47753-8 [34:29 + 69:14] [MM-B]
If
you believe that of Orfeo should be sung by a contralto then this
recording is a good option ... see Full
Review
Henryk
Mikolaj GÓRECKI (b.1933) Three Dances see
SZABELSKI
Morton
GOULD (1913-1996) Philharmonic
Waltzes see MENDELSSOHN
Enrique
GRANADOS (1867-1916) Violin Sonata see RAVEL
Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907) Piano Concerto see TCHAIKOVSKY
Pavel
HAAS (1899-1944) String Quartet 2 see Bohemian
Album
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Duets Rosemary
Joshua (sop.), Sarah Connolly (mezzo), English Concert/Harry
Bicket, rec. 2009 CHANDOS
CHAN 0767 [62:44] [J-PJ]
For
sheer vocal beauty, there is very little to fault. ... see Full
Review
Roy
HARRIS (1898-1979) Symphonies
5 & 6, Acceleration Bournemouth
SO/Marin Alsop
rec. 2008 NAXOS
8.559609 [61:44] [WK]
Desperately
needed recordings of two Harris symphonies, both of crucial importance
in his development … see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Franz Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) The
Complete String Quartets Kodaly
Qt
rec. 1989-2000 NAXOS
8.502400 [25CDs:
25:42:24] [SA]
The
Kodaly Quartet plays with a shared intelligence that makes for thrilling
listening - nothing could persuade me to live without it … see
Full Review
Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Symphony
88,
Harmoniemesse Bavarian
Radio SO & Ch/Mariss Jansons
rec. live 2008 BR
KLASSIK
403571900102 [67:08] [WH]
Solid
performances of Haydn from a live concert … see Full
Review
Franz
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) String Quartets op.
54 Sacconi
Quartet SACCONI
RECORDS no number [63:13] [JS]
Quartet
playing and music of this quality is rare on disc … see Full
Review
Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Violin Concertos 1 & 4
see MOZART
Michael
HAYDN (1732-1806) Orchestral works Deutsche
Kammerakademie Neuss/Frank Beermann & Johannes Goritzki,
rec. 1994-2004 CPO
777 137-2 [77.00 + 78.54] [GH]
Everyday
charm and down-to-earth musical intelligence ... see Full
Review
Heinz
HOLLIGER (b.1939) Oboe Sonata see MARTINŮ
Alan
HOVHANESS
(1911 - 2000) Vision
from High Rock, Symphony 15, Mountain of Prophecy Michael
YOUNG (b. 1939)
Secrets Gregory SHORT
(1938-1999) Mount Takhoma
Northwest SO/Anthony Spain Northwest SO/Anthony Spain rec. 1997
KOCH INTERNATIONAL 3-7399-2 HI [67:14]
[RB]
Mostly
Hovhaness but all satisfyingly mountain themed ... see Full
Review
Alan
HOVHANESS
(1911-2000) Symphonies
7, 14 & 23
Trinity College of Music/Keith Brion rec. 2008
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559385 [62:43]
[RB]
Surrender
to the music and you can be transported to realms undreamt or
at least
dreamt only by Hovhaness ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Herbert HOWELLS (1892-1983) St
John's Magnificat and other choral works Ch
St John’s College, Cambridge/Andrew Nethsingha
rec. 2009 CHANDOS
CHAN10587 [75:33] [JF]
There
are at least four excellent reasons why this CD should be at the top
of the list for all Herbert Howells enthusiasts ... see Full
Review
Tobias
HUME
(c.1579-1645) Passion
& Division -The First Part of Ayres—Captain Humes Musicall Humors
Susanne Heinrich (viola da gamba) rec. 2009
HYPERION CDA67811 [70:34]
[KMc]
This
Hume fan is disappointed, but others may not be ... see Full
Review
Vincent
d’INDY (1851-1931) Istar, Choral
Varié, Symphony 3, Diptych méditerranéen Sigurdur
Flosason (saxophone) Iceland SO/Rumon Gamba rec. 2009 CHANDOS
CHAN10585 [71.09] [GH]
It’s
good to welcome this Chandos volume and especially the Third Symphony
... see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH
John
IRELAND (1879 - 1962) Cello Sonata
Gordon
JACOB (1895
- 1984) Viola
Sonata see English
Viola Sonatas
Leoš JANÁČEK (1854-1928) Piano
Sonata, On An Overgrown Path, In the Mist Slávka
Pĕchočová (piano)
rec. 2009 PRAGA
DSD250266 [77:33] [GL]
I
enjoyed this new recording but felt it was lacking compared to the best
in these lovely works ... see Full
Review
John
JOUBERT
(b.
1927) Symphony 1 William
MATHIAS (1934-1992) Symphony 1
London PO/Vernon Handley, Royal PO/Sir Charles Groves (Mathias) rec.
1969/95
LYRITA SRCD.340 [62:02]
[MG]
Two
fine performances, clearly recorded … see Full
Review
Paul
KLETZKI (1900 – 1973) Piano Concerto, 3 Preludes,
Fantasie Joseph
Banowetz (pno) Russian PO/Thomas Sanderling, rec. 2006-7 NAXOS
8.572190 [75:12] [NB]
Interesting
and rare music but a disc for the rampantly curious only … see Full
Review
Eugeniusz
KNAPIK (b.1951) La flûte de jade see SZABELSKI
Ioannis
KOUKOUZÉLIS Byzantine
Chant Choeur
Byzantine de Grèce/Lycourgas Angelopoulos JADE
399 299-2 [73.08] [GH]
A
sense of ecclesiastical space and air ... see Full
Review
Jean-Marie
LECLAIR
(1697 - 1764)Violin Sonatas, Book 1: Nos. 1-12
Adrian Butterfield (violin), Alison McGillivray (viola da gamba), Laurence
Cummings (harpsichord) rec. 3-5, 8-10 January 2008, St Mary's Church,
Walthamstow, London, UK. DDD
NAXOS 8.570888-890
[JV]
This
recording testifies to Leclair's greatness as a composer and as a performer
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Giovanni LEGRENZI (1626-1690) Messa
a 4 Voci e Doi Violini, Vesperae Solemnes de Confessore Oficina
Musicum/Riccardo Favero rec. 2008 DYNAMIC
CDS653 [35:45
+ 67:30] [MS]
Superbly
persuasive … so complete and sheerly lovely that one cannot
wait for more … see Full Review
Magnus
LINDBERG
(b. 1958)
GRAFFITI (2009)a [31:32] Seht die Sonne (2007) [25:40]
Helsinki Chamber Choira; Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Sakari
Oramo
rec. House of Culture, Helsinki 4-5 September 2008, Finlandia Hall,
Helsinki 23 May 2009a
ONDINE ODE 1157-2 [57:12]
[HC]
Of
its time while remaining accessible… see Full
Review
Franz
LISZT (1811-1886)/Ferrucio
BUSONI (1866-1924) Fantasy and Fugue on “Ad nos, ad
salutarem undam” (1897) [26:41] Ferrucio BUSONI
(1866-1924) Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 20/K204 (1883) [28:34].
Prélude et étude en arpègesm K297 (1823) [9:36]
Wolf Harden (piano) rec. Potton Hall, Suffolk, 23-24 April 2008. DDD
NAXOS
8.572077 [64:51]
[CC]
The
inclusion of a transcription, an early and a late work is what makes
this disc such a satisfying experience if heard all the way through
at once. ... see Full Review
Antonio
LOTTI (1667 - 1740) Missa a tre cor see ZELENKA
Sergei
LYAPUNOV (1859
- 1924) Russian
Piano Music Series - Vol. 4 Piano Sonata, Barcarolle, Variations
on a Georgian Theme,
Fêtes de Noël, Nocturne in D flat major,
Mazurka 8 Anthony
Goldstone (piano) rec. 2000 DIVINE
ART
DDA25084 [72:36] [NB]
A
disc in which all those involved can take great pride. Revelatory
repertoire superbly performed, recorded and beautifully presented … see Full
Review
Graham
LYNCH (b.1957) Undiscovered Islands Mark
Tanner (pno), Gillian Poznansky (flute), rec. 2008 PRIORY
PRCD 1024 [78:33] [CR/RB]
An
interesting and enticing compositional voice [CR] / Delicate, subtle
and mesmerisingly impressionistic music [RB] ... see Full
Review
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