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RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Georges BIZET
(1838 – 1875) Carmen
Elina
Garanca, Roberto Alagna, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Ch & O/Yannick
Nézet-Séguin rec. 2010
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 073 4581 
[2 DVDs: 167:00 + 9:00] 
[GF]
This
is a great achievement
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johannes BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Piano Concerto 2, Klavierstücke
Nicholas Angelich (pno), Frankfurt RSO/Paavo Järvi, rec. 2009
VIRGIN CLASSICS 2663492 [74:37] 
[JQ]
A
performance of the Brahms Second Piano Concerto that deserves to be
ranked among the very best.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH William BYRD
(1539/40-1623)
Infelix ego: The Byrd Edition - Volume 13
The Cardinall’s Musick/Andrew Carwood rec. 2009
HYPERION CDA67779 [61:17] [MG]
Performances
of palpable commitment and exceptional quality.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Francesca and Giulio CACCINI
(1587-c.1640)
O vive rose and other songs
Shannon Mercer (soprano), Luc Beauséjour (harpsichord, organ), Sylvain
Bergeron (guitar, theorbo), Amanda Keesmaat (cello) rec. 2009
ANALEKTA AN 2 9966 [61:54]
[GPu]
Lovely
performances of fine early seventeenth-century songs.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Henri
DUTILLEUX (b. 1916) D’Ombre et de silence -
Complete Piano Music
Robert Levin, Ya-Fei Chuang (pno) rec. 2008
ECM NEW SERIES 2105 (4763653) [75.31]
[GH]
A
fascinating disc with two masterpieces most beautifully played and recorded.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Sir Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934)
The Kingdom
Clare Rutter, Susan Bickley, John Hudson, Iain Paterson, Hallé
Ch & O/Sir Mark Elder rec. live, 2009
HALLÉ CDHLD7526 [57:49 + 36:28] 
[JQ]
Elder
and the Hallé offer the pre-eminent digital account of Elgar’s
last oratorio.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Arthur HONEGGER
(1892-1955) Les Aventures du Roi Pausole
Mattijs van de Woerd, Opera Trionfo, Nieuw Ens/Ed Spanjaard rec. 2008
BRILLIANT
CLASSICS 9152 [72:05] 
[RB]
One
wonders why this work has not become more popular. A winner.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Philip SAWYERS
(b.1951)
The Gale of Life, Symphonic Music for Strings and Brass, Symphony 1
Grand
Rapids Symphony/David Lockington rec. 2002/2004/2008
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI 6129 [63:38]
[NB]
Reflects
great credit on all involved – music of instant appeal and enduring
quality performed with zealous passion recorded in excellent sound.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jan Dismas ZELENKA
(1679 - 1745) Missa votiva
Joanne Lunn, Daniel Taylor, Johannes Kaleschke, Thomas E. Bauer, Kammerchor
Stuttgart, Barockorchester Stuttgart/Frieder Bernius rec. 2008
CARUS 83.223 [69:15]
[JV]
Another
masterpiece by Zelenka - the performance displays the Mass in its full
glory.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jonas
Kaufmann – Verismo Arias
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor) Eva-Maria Westbroek (sop) Rosa Feola (soprano)
Cristina Reale (mezzo) O dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Roma/Antonio
Pappano
DECCA 478 2258 [61 :52]
[RMo]
Kaufmann
just gets better and better.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Milo
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Cello sonata Frank
BRIDGE (1879-1941) Cello sonata Mark-Anthony
TURNAGE (b.1960) Milo, Sleep On
Guy Johnston (cello) Kathryn Stott (piano) rec. 2009
ORCHID CLASSICS ORC100010 [64:17]
[EM]
A
disc I would recommend to anyone looking for excellent versions of any
of these works.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Moonflowers, Baby!
Works
by Hindemith, Honegger, Milhaud, Francaix, Vaughan Willaims & Kupferman
Jonathan Cohler (clarinet) Judith Gordon (piano) rec. 1993
CRYSTAL RECORDS CD733 [62:12]
[OL]
Sensitive,
subtle, beautiful, refined.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Musica
Sacra Hungarica
Budapesti Monteverdi Kórus/Éva Kollár rec. 2010
CARUS 2.151/99 [68:22]
[WH]
A
fascinating and lovely collection from a distinguished German publishing
house.
BARGAINS
OF THE MONTH
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Luigi BOCCHERINI (1743-1805)
Sonatas for Cello and Piano
Fedor Amosov (cello) Jen-Ru Sun (piano) rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.572368 [67:46]
[JS]
This
has been an exceptionally and unexpectedly enjoyable disc.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Girolamo FRESCOBALDI
(1583-1643) Frescobaldi Edition - Vols 3 & 4
Stagione
Armonica, Schola Gregoriana/Sergio Balestracci, Dom Nicola M. Bellinazzo
rec. 2006/8
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93780/1 [64:04 + 78:04]
[JV]
Two
great volumes in a major project of Brilliant Classics.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Joseph HAYDN
(1732-1809)
Masses - Volume 3 Missa Sancti Nicolai, Missa
in angustiis
Ann Hoyt (soprano) Trinity Ch, Rebel Baroque O/J. Owen Burdick rec.
2002/7
NAXOS 8.572123 [64:46]
[BW]
Challenges
even the best - a bargain alternative to Trevor Pinnock.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Hans Christian LUMBYE
(1810-1874)
The Best Of
Tivoli SO/Giordano Bellincampi, David Riddell, Tamás Vetö
rec. 1998-2005
NAXOS 8.556843 [71:21]
[BW]
Joins
my select list of music for cheering up.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Krzysztof
PENDERECKI (b. 1933) Credo, Cantata in honorem
Almć Matris Universitatis Iagellonicć sescentos abhinc annos fundatć
Iwona
Hossa, Aga Mikolaj (sop.) Ewa Wolak (alto) Rafal Bartminski (ten.) Remigiusz
Lukomski (bass) Warsaw Boys’ Ch, Warsaw PO & Ch/Antoni Wit, rec.
2008
NAXOS 8.572032 [56:27]
[BW]
Music
which matches power and contemplation with performances to match.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Orchestral and vocal collection
rec.
1962-1994
EMI CLASSICS 6 27910 2 [78:47 + 76.51]
[TB]
For
anyone starting out upon a Vaughan Williams collection, it would be
hard to better this EMI compilation of classic recordings reissued at
bargain price.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Antonio VIVALDI
(1678-1741) Bajazet
Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, David Daniels, Elina Garanca, Vivica Genaux,
Patrizia Ciofi, Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi rec. 2004
VIRGIN CLASSICS 4564592 [73:35 + 72:48]
[J-PJ]
The
best of the best in terms of Neapolitan-style opera – tuneful, virtuosic
and passionate. Virtually every number in this recording is a highlight.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH English
Lute Songs
Robin Blaze (counter-tenor); Elizabeth Kenny (lute) rec. 1999
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55249 [70:34]
[EM]
A
superb disc of excellent programme and performance.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Byron Janis Edition
- The Legendary Concerto Recordings
Moscow PO/Kirill Kondrashin, Moscow Radio SO/Gennady Rozhdestvensky,
Minneapolis SO/Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, London SO/Herbert Menges, Antal
Dorati, rec. 1960-63
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9182 [4 CDs: 261:56]
[RB]
Classic
readings without a hint of autopilot. Demands your attention and will
reward it with generosity.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Fritz
Wunderlich - A Poet among Tenors
EMI CLASSICS ICON 6295252 [6 CDs: 533:27]
[RMo]
I
urge every lover of the tenor to buy this set
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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