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RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH BACH Family
- Chamber Music for two Flutes Wilhelm Friedemann
BACH (1710-1784)
Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst BACH (1759-1845)
Johann Christian BACH (1735-1782)
Johann Christoph Friederich BACH (1732-1795)
Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788)
Hansgeorg
Schmeiser (flute) Jan Ostrý (flute) Eszter Haffner (viola) Othmar Müller
(cello) Ingomar Rainer (harpsichord) rec. 2008.
NIMBUS NI 5869 [79:22]
[KS]
Elegant
chamber music perfect for your next dinner party or evening alone with
a good book and a glass of fine wine. Fine playing all round by a well
matched and collegial ensemble.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Mili
BALAKIREV
(1837-1910) Piano
Sonata 2 and other piano works
Danny Driver (piano) rec. 2010
HYPERION CDA67806 [69:07] [DM]
A
pianist of exceptional skill and promise.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Joseph CANTELOUBE
(1879-1957)
Songs of the Auvergne
Netania Davrath (soprano) Unnamed O/Pierre de la Roche, Gershon Kingsley
rec. 1963/1966
VANGUARD CLASSICS ATM-CD-1189 [68.04 + 51.29] [RB]
One
of the last century’s greatest recordings.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH George CRUMB (b.1929)
Complete Crumb Edition - Vol.15 The Ghosts of Alhambra; Voices
from a Forgotten World
Jamie van Eyck (mezzo) Patrick Manson (baritone) David Starobin (guitar)
Daniel Druckman (percussion) Orchestra 2001/James Freeman rec. 2008/10
BRIDGE
RECORDS 9335 [67:26]
[DC]
Superb
release – atmospheric and highly original.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH John GARDNER
(b.1917) Music
for Brass and Organ
Paul Archibald (trumpet) Stephen King (organ) Cosmopolitan Brass/Chris
Gardner rec. 2010
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0048 [67:10]
[JS]
This
music has given me immense pleasure and I am very keen to get to know
more of this strangely under-performed and recorded composer.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alexander
GLAZUNOV (1865-1937) Complete Concertos
Rachel Barton-Pine (violin) Alexander Romanovsky (piano) Wen-Sinn Yang
(cello) Marc Chisson (saxophone) Alexey Serov (horn) Russian Ntl O/Jose
Serebrier rec. 2010
WARNER CLASSICS 2564679465 [56:11 + 57:48]
[RB]
Straight
to the top of the recommended versions of the concertos. I cannot imagine
this set being surpassed, so strong and sympathetic are these performances
and recordings.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Christoph
GRAUPNER
(1683-1760)
Concertos
for bassoon, strings and bc
Sergio Azzolini (bassoon) Ens il capriccio/Friedemann Wezel rec. 2007
CARUS
83.443 [73:16] [JV]
A
wonderful disc which brings the unique qualities of Graupner's music
to the fore.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Vincent
d’INDY (1851-1931)
Orchestral Works - Vol. 4 Počme des rivages - Suite symphonique
en quatre tableaux (ed. Cyril Bongers) Symphonie italienne
Iceland SO/Rumon Gamba rec. 2010
CHANDOS CHAN 10660 [76:53]
[DM]
Sheer,
unadulterated pleasure. Go on, treat yourself.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Bohuslav MARTINU
(1890-1959)
Le
Jour de Bonté (The Day of Charity)
Prague Chamber Ch, Pilsen PO/Milan Kanák rec. 2009
ARCO DIVA UP 6121-2 131 [73:16]
[ST][RB]
A
delight. Charming and interesting and leaves you hungry for more. [ST]
One of the highlights and discoveries of the Martinu celebrations. [RB]
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Astor
PIAZZOLLA
(1921-1992) Tiempo
del Angel
Astoria
FUGA LIBERA FUG603 [51:30]
[DJB]
Unless
you have a complete aversion to the accordion and/or the tango, this
is wonderful.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Franz
SCHUBERT
(1797 – 1828) Schwanengesang
Thomas
Oliemans (baritone) Malcolm Martineau (piano) rec. 2010
ET’CETERA KTC 1420 [69:04] [GF]
One
of the most thrilling young baritones around.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Franz
SCHUBERT
(1797-1828) Symphony
9 Richard WAGNER (1813-1883)
Rienzi overture Frederick DELIUS (1862-1934)
In a Summer Garden
Royal
PO/Sir Thomas Beecham rec. 1955/6
SOMM BEECHAM29 [75:38] [JW]
A fantastic performance of Schubert 9.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Roberto SIERRA
(b.1953) Piano Trios 1-3, Fanfarria, Aria y Movimiento Perpetuo, for
violin and piano
Trío Arbós: Miguel Borrego (violin) José Miguel
Gómez (cello) Juan Carlos Garvayo (piano) rec. 2009.
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559611 [53.05]
[Byz]
This
must be the most immediately attractive 'serial' music ever written!
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Elektra
Iréne Theorin (soprano) Eva-Maria Westbroek (soprano) Waltraud Meier
(soprano) René Pape (bass) Vienna PO/Daniele Gatti rec. 2010
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101 559 
[109:00]
[ST]
It
is as good a staged Elektra as you are likely to find.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alessandro STRIGGIO
(c.1536/7-1592)
Missa Ecco sì beato giorno Thomas
TALLIS (c.1505-1585) Spem in alium. Documentary: The
Making of Striggio
I Fagiolini/Robert Hollingworth rec. 2010
DECCA 478 2734 [CD: 68:53 + DVD: 57:55]
[DC]
Truly
magnificent.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Manfred TROJAHN
(b.
1949)
String Quartets 3 & 4, Fragments for Antigone, Song to Insomnia
III
Henschel Qt rec. 2009
NEOS RECORDS 11017 [66:04]
[MC]
A
cast-iron certainty to be one of my ‘Recordings of the Year’ for 2011.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard WAGNER
(1813-1883) Das Rheingold
Terje Stensvold, Dietrich Volle, Frankfurter Opern- & Museumsorchester/Sebastian
Weigle rec. 2010
OEHMS CLASSICS OC935 [77:46 + 76:48]
[GD]
The
closest to the almost mythical ideal of a Wagner recording in which
both performance and engineering are of the highest quality.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Mieczysław WEINBERG
(1919-1996) Children’s Notebooks 1-3, Piano Sonata 1
Elisaveta Blumina (piano) rec. 2008
CPO 777 517-2 [60:54]
[SA]
Blumina
approaches this music with great understanding and appreciation and
it makes for a wonderfully illuminating experience.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Earl WILD
(1915-2010) Grand Fantasy, Virtuoso Études, Someone to Watch
over Me, Piano Sonata
Xiayin Wang (piano) rec. 2010
CHANDOS CHAN10626 [79:01]
[NB]
A
tribute to the much-missed art of Earl Wild and a herald of things to
come from the remarkable Xiayin Wang.
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.
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!
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.
BARGAINS
OF THE MONTH
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Antonin DVORÁK
(1841-1904) Cello Concerto, Piano Concerto
Mstislav Rostropovich (cello) Frantisek Maxian (piano) Czech PO/Vaclav
Talich rec. 1951-2
REGIS RRC1368 [76:52]
[RB]
Two
historic recordings of Dvorák concertos in glorious interpretations.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) The Complete Piano Music
Leslie
Howard (piano) rec. 1985-2009
HYPERION CDS44501/98 [99 CDs: 122 hrs] [RB]
Howard
brings an archivist’s rigour and a high priest’s fervour to this project.
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) Počme
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.
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.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Tudor
Anthems and Motets
The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge/Timothy Brown rec. 1991, 1993.
HERITAGE
HTGCD 216 [67:32]
[JQ]
A
most desirable disc that provides an excellent introduction to the treasure
chest of Tudor sacred music.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Antonio VIVALDI
(1678-1741)
Vivaldi Edition Jaap ter Linden (harpsichord); La Magnifica Comunitŕ/Enrico
Casazza; Concerto Italiano/Rinaldo Alessandrini; Musica Ad Rhenum; English
CO/Philip Ledger; L’Arte dell’Arco/Federico Guglielmo; Modo Antiquo
Federico Maria Sardelli rec. 1975-2009
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94056 [40 CDs]
[BW]
A
genuine bargain for beginners and experienced Vivaldians alike
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH
Trumpet Concertos
Works
by Telemann, Molter, Torelli, M Haydn, L Mozart, Biber etc
Otto Sauter (trumpet) Capella Istropolitana, Kurpfälzisches CO
Mannheim, European Chamber Soloists/Nicol Matt rec. 2004-6
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94094 [10 CDs: 538:22]
[Byz]
Many
good things: music by composers generally badly served by other labels,
the standard of musicianship high and sound quality generally excellent.
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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