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Alphabetical Listing

Recommendations

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]


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RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869)Grande Messe des Morts Robert Murray (tenor) Gabrieli Players/Consort/Chetham’s Sch of Music Symphonic Brass Ens/Wroclaw Phil Ch/O/Paul McCreesh rec. 2010 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD280 [48:25 + 40:17] [ST]

First class.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Erno DOHNÁNYI (1877-1960) Sextet Krzysztof PENDERECKI (1933-) Sextet Ensemble Kheops rec. 2010 FUGA LIBERA FUG585 [58:52] [BR]

Great sound, great under-exposed music, an obviously excellent and good-humored ensemble: this one is a keeper.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH George GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Songs Sarah Vaughan (vocalist) Los Angeles PO/Michael Tilson Thomas rec. live, 1982 SONY CBS MASTERWORKS MK 37277 [61:11] [IL]

A concert of Gershwin songs not to be missed. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Johann Wilhelm HERTEL (1727 - 1789) Bassoon concertos, Sinfonia Sergio Azzolini, Miho Fukui (bassoons) Capriccio Barockorchester/Dominik Kiefer rec. 2010 TUDOR 7182 [82:11] [JV]

If there is any way to demonstrate that a little-known composer deserves more attention, this is the way to do it.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Witold LUTOSLAWSKI (1913-1994) Silesian Triptych, Paroles Tissées, Les Espaces du Sommeil, Chantefleurs et Chantefables Lucy Crowe (soprano) Toby Spence (tenor) Christopher Purves (baritone) BBC SO/Edward Gardner rec. 2011 CHANDOS CHAN10688 [67:40] [WH]

Magnificent music, superbly performed by an all-British team, and with outstanding Chandos sound and presentation to match.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 2 Kathleen Battle (soprano) Christa Ludwig (mezzo) Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Vienna PO/James Levine rec. live, 1989 ORFEO C837112B [23:28 + 65:37] [DM]

Surely one of the great Resurrections of our time. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 2 Michaela Kaune (soprano); Dagmar Pecková (alto) NDR Ch, Staatschor Latvija, Philharmoniker Hamburg/Simone Young rec. 2010 OEHMS CLASSICS OC 412 [79:27] [DM]

Hugely impressive, a must for all Mahlerians.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 6 Philharmonia O/Esa-Pekka Salonen rec. 2009 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD275 [80:35] [TP]

Unbridled excellence … tiny price tag.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Felix MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Symphonies 3 & 4 Musikkollegium Winterthur/Heinz Holliger rec. 2010 MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM 9011663-6 [67:33] [JS]

An important and immensely enjoyable disc.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) New Babylon Basel Sinf/Mark Fitz-Gerald rec. 2011 NAXOS 8.572824-25 [43:15 + 48:08]  [SA]

It is a great addition to any collector of his music and is superbly played on this disc

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony 4 Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) A Night on the Bare Mountain Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) The Love for Three Oranges Suite BBC Singers, BBC SO & Ch/Gennadi Rozhdestvensky rec. 1979/81 ICA CLASSICS ICAC5035 [68:34] [DM]

A most entertaining collection. Another fine issue from ICA.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) A Sea Symphony (1909) [66:19] Geraldine McGreevy (soprano); Tommi Hakala (baritone) MDR Symphony Orchestra and Radio Choir/Howard Arman rec. 2007 MDR KONZERTE VKJK 0731 [66:19] [WH]

Mainly German forces combine for a very fine performance of the Sea Symphony – this disc is an unexpected gem.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Martha Argerich Edition: Chamber Music rec. 1991-2008 EMI CLASSICS 0940142 [8 CDs: 9:51:00] [SA]

A set that no chamber music lover should be without.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Anna Netrebko - Live at the Metropolitan Opera Metropolitan Opera Ch & O rec. 2002-2010 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 9903 [66:01] [OL]

A great souvenir of a most wonderful voice.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH On Christmas Night Ch St John’s College, Cambridge/Andrew Nethsingha rec. 2011 CHANDOS CHSA5096 [74:22] [JQ]

This excellent and most enjoyable disc will be a high quality Christmas present for a musical friend - or to give to yourself!

 

BARGAINS OF THE MONTH

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Jehan ALAIN (1911-1940) Complete Works for Organ Jean-Baptiste Robin (organ) rec. 2009/2010 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94233 [3 CDs: 71:58 + 71:37 + 79:26] [DC]

Not quite perfect, but still worth every penny.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Felix MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) Incidental music: Antigone, Oedipus, Athalia Berliner Rundfunkchor, Männerchor 'Carl Maria von Weber' Radio SO, Berlin/Stefan Soltesz, Das Neue Orch/Christoph Spering rec. 1991-2002 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94216 [3 CDs: 55:27 + 50:33 + 63:19] [RB]

Something of an event and unmissable if you are a devoted Mendelssohnian or an impassioned researcher of German romantic theatre music.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Nikolay RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Capriccio espagnol, Overtures Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 2010-11 NAXOS 8.572788 [67:05] [RMay]

What I want to know now about Schwarz and his musicians is what exactly are they on?

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphonies 6 & 7, Finlandia New Zealand SO/Pietari Inkinen rec. 2009-10 NAXOS 8.572705 [59:28] [BR]

I’ve been critical of Inkinen’s Sibelius symphonies so far, but this Sixth is distinguished and his Seventh is absolutely mandatory.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681 - 1767) Early Concertos and Sonatas Ens Cordia/Stefano Veggetti (cello) rec. 2009 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94208 [61:17] [JV]

This is simply an outstanding disc.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH  Heitor VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959) Complete Guitar Music Frédéric Zigante (guitar) rec. 2009/10 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9196 [50.41 + 54.01] [GH]

An excellent and inexpensive collection.

 

 


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]


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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