Superbudget £5.99 or less 
Budget £6-7.99 
Medium £8-10.99 
Full
price £11+ 
Download
The
18th Century American Overture James
HEWITT (1770-1827) Medley Overture; New Medley Overture;
New Federal Overture; Benjamin CARR
(1768-1831) Federal Overture; Alexander
REINAGLE (1756-1809) Miscellaneous Overture; Occasional Overture;
Overture in G 
Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä/Patrick Gallois rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.559654 [68:25]
[JS]
A
disc that generates a contented smile.
Arias
for Soprano, Trumpet and Organ Baldassare
GALUPPI (1706-1785)
Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660-1725)
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Henry PURCELL (1659-1695) Giovanni
VIVIANI (1638-1693)
George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759)
Trio
Barocco (Emi Aikawa (soprano), Alberto Bardelloni (trumpet), Ivan Ronda
(organ)) rec. 2010. DDD
SHEVA COLLECTION SH035 [50:20] 
[Byz]
Overall
this CD disappoints.
Sir
Thomas Beecham - The Classical Tradition
Beecham Choral Society, Royal PO, London PO/Sir Thomas Beecham rec.
1934-58
EMI CLASSICS 9099462 [10 CDs: 719:30]
[JS]
Beecham
most certainly possessed an understanding of the underlying spirit of
the music.
The
Beginning of a Legend John
Williams - His first recording Works
by Bach, Scarlatti, Sor, Albeniz, Ponce, Duarte, Segovia, Tansman &
Granados
John Williams (guitar) rec. 1958
IDIS 6600 [65:18] [ZT]
An
important historical recording.
Below
- Music
for Low Flutes
Peter Sheridan (flutes) Claire Cooper (piano) rec. 2007-9
MOVE RECORDS MD3330 [73:00]
[DC]
Amazing
what you can do with a bit of old tube.
Jussi
Björling Live - Broadcast Concerts 1937-60
WEST
HILL RADIO ARCHIVES WHRA6036 [4 CDs: 302:59]
[JW]
Conspicuously
fine restorative work, making listening to these broadcasts recitals
a pleasure, and never a critical chore.
Judith
Blegen and Frederica von Stade - Duets by:
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Ernest CHAUSSON
(1855-1899) Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660-1725)
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Judith
Blegen (soprano) Frederica von Stade (mezzo) Musicians of the Ch Mus
Soc of Lincoln Center/Jaime Laredo rec. 1974/1975
SONY CLASSICAL 
78514 [42:16] 
[RM]
Both
ladies sing excellently with texts invariably clearly enunciated and
dramatically enlivened.
Ingen
Blomst I Verdens Lande Peter
A. HEISE (1830-1879) Digte fra det Engelske Friedrich
KUHLAU (1786-1832) Drey Gedichte aus Gerstenbergs poetischen
Wäldchen Christian BARNEKOW (1837-1913)
Fire folkesange efter det russiske ved Thor Lange
Julius BECHGAARD (1843-1917) Lyriske Sange: Digte af Ernst
v. d. Recke
Erik Bekker Hansen (tenor) Camilla Toldi Bugge (soprano) Ellen Refstrup
(piano) rec. 2010
DANACORD DACOCD 705 [66:02]
[JW]
Which
composer set Longfellow, Shelley, Byron, Tennyson, Burns and George
Moore in his 1876 collection?
British
Music for Concert Band Gustav HOLST
(1874-1934) Military Band Suites 1 & 2 Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) English Folk Song Suite Percy
GRAINGER (1882-1961) A Lincolnshire Posy, Children’s March
Central
Band of the Royal Air Force/Wing Commander Eric Banks
REGIS RRC 1326 [71:30]
[JQ]
This
splendidly performed and hugely enjoyable disc is self-recommending
– and not just to band music devotees.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
British Women Composers
Ethel
SMYTH (1858-1944) Violin Sonata Elizabeth
MACONCHY (1907-1994) Three Preludes Irène
Regina WIENIAWSKA (1879-1932) Violin Sonata Phyllis
TATE (1911-1987) Triptych
Clare Howick (violin) Sophia Rahman (piano) rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.572291 [78:09]
[GH]
An
imaginative programme, brilliantly handled … a very generously
filled CD.
Bullets
and Lullabies
James Rhodes (piano) rec. 2010
WARNER BROTHERS RECORDS 50524 98358328 [29:33 + 43:49 [BR]
“Pop
classical” done right: neither self-important nor frivolous, and good
playing too.
Cello
Duello
Jens Peter Maintz & Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt (cellos) rec. 2010
SOLO
MUSICA SM146 [75:25] [JS]
If
you enjoy this combination of instruments you will certainly enjoy this
disc … it can be listened to with no danger of monotony.
CELLO
M.E.
Erland von KOCH (1910-2009)
Monolog no.17 [7:08] Miroslav PETRÁŠ
(b.1948) Hukvaldská Fantasie - Hommage à Janáček [9:08] Jan
CARLSTEDT (1926-2004) Balada op.18 (1960) [8:32]
Ondrej KUKAL (b.1964) Rapsodie
op.6 (1984) [6:55] Mikael ERICSSON
(b.1952) 'Dobrú Noc' - Koncertní Variace (Hommage à Piatti)
[18:15] Tango 'Buenas Noches' [3:27] Tango 'Taserud' [2:39] Relax [2:56]
Ack Värmeland, du Sköna (trad. arr. Ericsson)
Mikael Ericsson (cello) rec. Prague, June 2009. DDD
ARCODIVA UP0138-2131 [63:03]
[Byz]
A
superb CD that no one who appreciates well-crafted, melodious music
could fail to cherish.
Cirque
French mélodies by Sauguet, Milhaud, Satie, Poulenc & Auric
Céline Ricci (soprano) Daniel Lockert (piano) rec. 2009
DORIAN SONO LUMINUS DSL92125 [74:53] [SA]
Ricci does the songs credit, making them immediately accessible to what
is hoped will be a wide audience.
British
Clarinet Quintets Edwin ROXBURGH
(b. 1937) Quintet Kit TURNBULL (b. 1969)
Three Cautionary Tales Nigel CLARKE
(b. 1960) Equiano Martin ELLERBY (b.
1957) Epitaph VII
Linda Merrick (clarinet) Navarra Qt rec. 2008
NAXOS 9.70122 [64:27]
[RB]
An
anthology accommodating a variety of styles: tougher and melodic.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Diva, Divo
Joyce
DiDonato (mezzo) Ch & O l’Opéra National de Lyon/Kazushi
Ono rec. 2010
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6419860 [80:41]
[JQ]
Simply
sensational!
El
Amor y la Muerte Enrique
GRANADOS Goyescas:
El amor y la muerte, El pelele Isaac
ALBENIZ Iberia: Evocacion, El Puerto, Fête dieu à Séville
Federico MOMPOU Variations
sur un thème de Chopin
Sebastian Stanley (piano) rec. 2010
EMEC RECORDS E-085 [60.00]
[SA]
I
have really enjoyed reviewing this disc and will eagerly look out for
more of them from this wonderfully sensitive young pianist.
English
Choral Music
Cambridge University Chamber Ch/Timothy Brown rec. 1991
HERITAGE HTGCD213 [67:29]
[JF]
Second
to none.
Highlights
from Faust and French Opera
Charles GOUNOD (1818-1893)
Faust (1859) Philémon et Baucis (1860) Jules
MASSENET (1842-1912) Manon (1884) Ambroise
THOMAS (1811-1896) Mignon (1866) Georges
BIZET (1863) Les Pêcheurs des Perles (1863)
Geraldine Farrar (soprano); Enrico Caruso (tenor); Antonio Scotti (baritone);
Marcel Journet (bass) rec. 1908-1916
NIMBUS PRIMA VOCE NI 7859 [76:01]
[JS]
The
importance of the material makes this disc essential listening.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Rare
French works for violin and orchestra Gabriel
FAURÉ (1845-1924) Violin Concerto Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Morceau de concert Édouard
LALO (1823-1892) Fantaisie norvégienne Ernest
GUIRAUD (1837-1892) Caprice Joseph
CANTELOUBE (1879-1957) Poème
Philippe Graffin (violin) Ulster O/Thierry Fischer rec. 2001
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55396 [71:13]
[NB]
Peerless
technique allied to superb unmannered musicianship … much to be praised.
The
Golden Age of Light Music: Confetti
rec. 1949-59
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5175 [78:04]
[JF]
A
subtle balance of well-crafted music, lost innocence, joyfulness and
happiness and imagination.
The
Golden Age of Light Music - From the Vintage Vaults rec. 1930-45
GUILD GLCD 5176 [78:14]
[JW]
Well
then. Eclectic, certainly; good, yes.
Great
British Anthems Works by Parry, Stanford, Stainer, Naylor, Walton,
Holst, & Finzi
Vasari
Singers/Jeremy Backhouse; Jeremy Filsell (organ) rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572504 [70:15] [KS]
In
general, a fine program of great war-horses from the Anglican choral
canon. The minor flaws do not overshadow the overall excellence of these
performances.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH
Great Pianists - Vol. 2
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Piano Concerto 23 Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Don Giovanni Fantasy Richard STRAUSS
(1864-1949) Burleske
Alexander Brailowsky, Shura Cherkassky, Rudolf Serkin (piano) Boston
SO/Serge Koussevitsky, P-SO New York/Dimitri Mitropoulos (Strauss) rec.
1945-58
GUILD GHCD2367 [77:18]
[SA]
A
disc to marvel at.
Happy
Frog & Hot Canary
The Aspidistra Drawing Room O rec. 2010
ASPIDISTRA no number [55:23]
[JS]
I
thoroughly enjoyed the music and performances on this disc.
Ikon
II
Holst
Singers/Stephen Layton rec. 2010
HYPERION CDA67756 [71:35]
[JQ]
Unfamiliar
but very rewarding music in superb, sonorous and idiomatic performances.
A
Kaleidoscope
Peter Mattei (baritone) rec. 1991-2006
BIS BISCD1954 [76:50]
[OL]
A
taster plate of a magnificent voice.
Hans
Knappertsbusch – The Complete RIAS Recordings
Berlin
PO rec. 1950-52
AUDITE 21.405 [5 CDs: 355:30] [JW]
The transfers are the finest now to be heard of this material … compiled
with care.
Latin-American
Music for Guitar Jorge
MOREL (b.1931) Al Maestro Agustín
BARRIOS MANGORÉ (1885-1944) La catedral Sebastián
IRADIER (1809-1865) La Paloma Vicente
COVES (b.1982) Chelitango Agustín
BARRIOS MANGORÉ Vals Ástor
PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992) Chiquilín de Bachín
Vicente
Coves (guitar) Enrique Morente (vocal) Horacio Ferrer (narrator) Esteban
Ocaña (piano) rec. 2005-2009
NAXOS 8.572527 [67:04]
[OL]
Very
beautiful music, played with ultimate sensitivity and compassion.
Dinu
Lipatti – The Last Recital Works by
Bach, Mozart, Schubert & Chopin
rec.
1950
NAXOS 8.111366 [78:39] [SA]
This
is a disc to cherish and to relish at every playing.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH The
Queen’s Music: Italian Vocal Duets and Trios Luigi
ROSSI, Girolamo Alessandro FRESCOBALDI,
Giacomo CARISSIMI,
Anonymous
Emma
Kirkby, Susanne Rydén (sopranos); Peter Harvey (baritone); Mikarl Bellini
(counter-tenor); Mime Yamahiro Brinkmann (cello); Lars Ulrik Mortensen
(harpsichord) rec.2008. DDD. Booklet includes texts and translations.
BIS
BIS-CD-1715 [68:16]
[BW]
Essential
listening for Emma Kirkby’s many fans: if you’re not one already, this
may well win you over.
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]
[last 5 days] [Recommended
recordings]
EXPLORE
MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL 
