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The
Ames Piano Quartet – Complete Dorian Recordings 1989-2009 
Ames Piano Qt rec. 1989-2009
DORIAN DSL-90908 [8 CDs: 566:39] 
[JW]
This
set gives us Ames’ major statements in an admirable way.
Martha
Argerich and Friends: Live from the Lugano Festival 2009
rec.
2009
EMI CLASSICS 6073672 [3 CDs: 72:43 + 75:09 + 72:35]
[OL]
Sustains
the high level achieved in preceding years. Some of the performances
are just stunning.
Arie
Antiche
Alfredo
Kraus (tenor) José Tordesillas (piano) rec. 1988
NIMBUS NI5102 [45:46] 
[JW]
Kraus
pays homage to the songs of his youth with all the wit, charm and adroitness
at his disposal.
Baroque
Favourites
Brandenburg
Ch, Australian Brandenburg O/Paul Dyer rec. 1997-2009
ABC CLASSICS 476 4056 [48:26 + 41:59] 
[JW]
There
are certainly some entertaining and enjoyable excerpts here. It’s
not just for the ABO clan.
Kurt
Baum (tenor)
Arias
Austrian SO/Wilhelm Loibner
PREISER 89741 [78:55]
[JW]
The
very opposite of a beautiful tone … sung very much on one level, namely
bloody loud.
Beecham
in Seattle - Vol. 2
Antonín
DVORÁK
(1841
– 1904) Cello Concerto Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Symphony
3
Mischel Cherniavsky (cello) Seattle SO/Sir Thomas
Beecham rec. 1943
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC 238
[BBr]
The
Mendelssohn is a must-have.
Best
of British
rec. 1964-2005
EMI CLASSICS 6316002 [3 CDs: 232:27]
[BBr]
I
never complain when English music is on offer.
Cavalcade
of English Singers
- Vols 1 & 2
Isobel
Baillie (soprano) Clara Butt (contralto) Heddle Nash (tenor) Miriam
Licette (soprano) rec. 1925-48
DUTTON CDBP9797 & CDBP9802 [71:48]
[JW]
A
roster of stalwart British singers whose names resonate down the ages.
Cello
Rhapsody
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Polonaise brillante Manuel de FALLA
(1876-1946) Suite populaire espagnole Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Cello sonata Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Cello sonata Béla
BARTÓK (1881-1945) Rhapsody 1 Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Arpeggione sonata Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890-1959)
Variations on a theme of Rossini Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975) Cello sonata
Timora Rosler (cello), Klára Würtz (piano) rec. 1997/2001
BRILLIANT
CLASSICS 9157 [59:02 + 54:17]
[OL]
This
disc may appeal to the listeners that like the mellow qualities of the
cello sound.
Chasing
Rainbows
Australian Girls Ch rec. 2010
ABC 4764060 [61:51]
[JF]
Fine
tonal blend and balance and generous warmth.
Contrasts
Choral works by Gorecki, Mantyjarvi, Vermeerwen , Lauridse,
Elgar, Whitacre & Biebl
Cantatrix/Geert-Jan van Beijeren Bergen en Henegouwen rec. 2008
ALIUD ACDHN0342 
[65:34]
[WH]
A
fine first outing on disc for this Dutch amateur choir – if the programme
appeals the disc will bring much pleasure.
Albert
da Costa (tenor) Arias
PREISER 89740 [71:35] 
[GF]
It
seems then that Albert da Costa is best remembered as the tenor on whose
belly Birgit Nilsson spent parts of the third act in Tristan und Isolde
on 28 December 1959.
Danish
Salon Music
Con Sordino rec. 2008
GATEWAY MUSIC CONSCD003 [62:54]
[JS]
Should
be in the collection of every lover of light or salon music.
Dialogues
of Sorrow
Passions on the death of Prince Henry, 1612
Gallicantus, Elizabeth Kenny (lute)/Gabriel Crouch rec. 2010
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD210 [70:46]
[BW]
A
fine successor to Gallicantus’ earlier recording for Signum.
Dreams
Ophélie Gaillard (cello) Royal PO/Tim Redmond
APARTE AP001 [55:01]
[RB]
Should
please the seemingly inexhaustible market for sincerely shaped sentimental
anthologies.
English
Love - Songs of Passion, Pain & Pleasure
Mark Stone (baritone); Stephen Barlow (piano) rec. 2008
STONE RECORDS 5060192780000 [73:47]
[EM]
Stone
does not do the more delicate and understated songs justice.
English
Recorder Music
Thomas PITFIELD (1903-1999) Concerto,
Three Nautical Sketches Philip LANE
(b.1950) Suite Ancienne Sir Malcolm
ARNOLD (1921-1999) Concertino Edward
GREGSON (b.1945) Three Matisse Impressions
Ian PARROTT (b.1916) Prelude
and Waltz David LYON (b.1938)
Concertino Alan BULLARD (b.1947)
Recipes
John Turner (recorder) Royal Ballet Sinf/Gavin Sutherland, Edward Gregson
rec. 1999
NAXOS 8.572503 [73.37]
[GH]
A
marvellously entertaining disc. Buy it.
Felix
Austria Works
for Viola da Gamba Consort
Hamburger Ratsmusik/Simone Eckert rec. 2009
CPO 777 451-2 [66:02]
[JV]
Intriguing
repertoire for viol consort written for the Imperial court in Vienna.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH
Pierre Fournier -
The
Aristocrat of Cellists
rec. 1937-71
EMI CLASSICS ICON 6295392 [7 CDs: 504:35]
[JW]
Noble,
selfless and wonderful.
French
Clarinet Rhapsody
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Première
rhapsodie Francis POULENC (1899-1963)
Clarinet Sonata Arthur HONEGGER (1892-1955)
Clarinet Sonatina Darius MILHAUD (1892-1974)
Sonatina, Duo Concertant
Ralph Manno (clarinet), Alfredo Perl (piano) rec. 1995
OEHMS CLASSICS OC114 [53:38]
[OL]
Great
piano, indifferent clarinet. Not a must-have.
Fröst
and Friends
Martin
Fröst (clarinet) rec. 2009
BIS BISSACD1823
[64:04]
[GPu]
A
joyful celebration of an instrument and of friendship.
Emil
Gilels – Early Recordings Vol. 2
rec. 1937-54
NAXOS 8.112051 [70:47]
[JW]
Another
well curated selection.
The
Golden Age of Light Music War
and Peace
rec. 1942-49
GUILD GLCD5171 [78:50]
[JW]
Like
the musical equivalent of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse … but
in a good way.
The
Golden Age of Light Music
Lightly Classical
rec. 1942-59
GUILD GLCD5172 [79:34]
[BBr]
Hurrah!
Hurrah! Hurrah! Three well deserved cheers for this fantastic collection
– it’s one of the most entertaining from this source.
Hamburg
1705 -
Eighteenth-century works for harpsichord by Handel, Graupner & Mattheson
Michele
Benuzzi (harpsichord) rec. 2009
LIR CLASSICS LIR021 [65:42]
[JV]
The
programme is interesting, but the performances are flawed.
Hymns
and Prayers
Stevan Kovacs TICKMAYER (b.1963)
Eight Hymns in memoriam Andrei Tarkovsky César
FRANCK (1822-1890) Piano Quintet Giya
KANCHELI (b.1935) Silent Prayer
Gidon Kremer (violin) Kremerata Baltica rec. 2008
ECM NEW SERIES 2161 (4763912) [74:00]
[DC]
At
times jaw-droppingly beautiful.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH
Alicia de Larrocha Complete
EMI Recordings
rec.
1962-92
EMI CLASSICS ICON 6294862 [8 CDs: 557:44]
[JW]
It
would hardly be possible to imagine a more headily performed collection
of Spanish piano music.
Legends
of the Piano -
Acoustic Recordings 1901-24
Camille Saint-Saëns, Vincent d'Indy, Cécile Chaminade, Edvard
Grieg, Enrique Granados (piano) rec. 1901-24
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.112054 [79:46]
[JW]
In
pretty much all respects Naxos transfers are the field leaders.
Click
for alphabetical listings by composer:
[Part
1 New] [Part
2 A-B] [Part 3 C-L]
[Part 4 M-R] [Part
5 S-Z]
[Part 6 Misc A-L] [Part
7 Misc M-Z]
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