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Budget £6-7.99 
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RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Harald SÆVERUD (1897–1992)
Peer Gynt
see Scandinavian
Classics
Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835 - 1921) Violin Concertos 1-3 
Fanny Clamagirand (violin) Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä/Patrick Gallois
rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572037 [72:30]
[Byz]
Quality
music in quality performances.
Alfred
SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) String Trio see
BACH
Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Pelleas und Melisande Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 3
Iris Vermillion (mezzo) Deutsche SO Berlin/Vladimir Ashkenazy rec. 1995/96
DECCA
ELOQUENCE 480 3479 [75: 00 + 64:14]
[DM]
I
cannot recall a more dispiriting, disjointed Mahler performance, either
in the concert hall or on record.
Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Variations on a Recitative, Two fragments
of a Sonata see HINDEMITH
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Divertissement à la Hongroise
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Hungarian Dances Nos 1-3 Maurice RAVEL
(1875-1937) Boléro
Marzena Kasprzak-Godeaux, Bernard Godeaux (piano 4 hands) rec. 2009
DUX
0774 [61:36]
[BR]
Graceful
pianism, but the hyper-intellectual train wreck of a liner essay is
more memorable.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Complete Piano Works
Michel Dalberto (piano) rec. 1989-95
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94093 [14 CDs: 861:41]
[DC]
Well
worth the asking price.
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Arpeggione
Sonata see HOFFMEISTER
William
SCHUMAN (1910–1992) Orchestral Works
Seattle
Symphony/Gerard Schwarz rec. 2003-2008
NAXOS 8.505228 [5 CDs: 317:46]
[GH]
A
fine box with impressive and oftentimes magnificent music that should
be heard more regularly. There’s a whole lifetime of discovery
here.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Robert SCHUMANN
(1810-1856) Album für die Jugend
Alessandra Ammara (piano) rec. 2010
ARTS 47756-8 [73:52] 
[RBe]
The
best performance of Album for the Young I have ever heard and
probably one of the best discs of Schumann piano music I have ever listened
to.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Robert SCHUMANN
(1810 - 1856) Symphonies 1-4
Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie/Frank Beermann rec. 2009/10
CPO
777 536-2 [64:19 + 57:00]
Complete Part Songs For Male Voices
Die Singphoniker rec. 2009
CPO 777 521-2 [61:00]
Sammlung von Musik-Stücken alter und neuer Zeit
Alsfelder Vokalensemble/Wolfgang Helbich rec. 2009
CPO 777 595-2 [3 CDs: 190:43]
[RB]
A
glorious Schumann cycle for the ages, highly accomplished and pleasurable
male choral works and a provocative collection of Schumann’s work as
a music journalist and agitator-advocate.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Liederkreis, Dichterliebe Franz
Paul LACHNER (1803-1890) Sängerfahrt
Mark Padmore (tenor), Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano) rec. 2010
HARMONIA MUNDI HMU907521 [68:53]
[SR]
Rich
and sympathetic communicative powers.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Fantasie Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Piano sonata
Lars Vogt (pno) rec. 2010
BERLIN CLASSICS 0300064BC [64:34]
[GD]
An
impressive disc then and the Schumann is up there with the best of them.
Alexander
SCRIABIN (1872–1915) Piano works
Vladimir Horowitz (piano) rec. 1953-56
ISTITUTO DISCOGRAFICO ITALIANO IDIS6602 [60:28]
[PS]
Recommended
as an introduction to the range of Scriabin’s solo piano music,
by one of his finest interpreters.
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975) Music for the theatre – Hamlet,
The Human Comedy, King Lear
St. Petersburg CO/Edward Serov rec. 1984 NORTHERN
FLOWERS NF/PMA 9905 [46:35]
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Hamlet and King Lear – Complete incidental music
Louise
Winter (mezzo) David Wilson-Johnson (baritone) Igor Khokhlovin (player-king)
Luba Stuchevskaya (player-queen) City of Birmingham SO/Mark Elder rec.
1994
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD052 [73:03]
[DM]
Mandatory
listening for all Shostakovich fans.
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Festive Overture see
RACHMANINOV
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony 9 see
TCHAIKOVSKY
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Jean SIBELIUS (1865–1957)
Violin Concerto, Four Lemminkainen Legends
see Scandinavian
Classics
Santeri
SIIMES (b.
1981) Organ
works Santeri
Siimes (organ) rec. 2010 FUGA-9298/PADME-CD017 [73:04] [DM]
A
recital that’s fully deserving of your time and hard-earned shekels.
Bedrich
SMETANA
(1824-1884) Má Vlast
Czech PO/Jakub Hruša rec. 2010
SUPRAPHON SU4032-2 [78:53]
[BR]
A
mature account, lacking fire but intimate and with hypnotic wind solos.
Louis
SPOHR (1784-1859) Violin
Concerto 8 Franz DANZI (1763-1826) Variations
on Mozart’s Là ci darem la mano Josef
REICHA (1752-1795) Cello Concerto Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786-1826) Concerto Grand potpourri Raphael
Wallfisch (cello) Northern CO/Nicholas Ward rec. 2009, NIMBUS
NI 5868 [75:24] [BR]
If
the repertoire interests you, go for it, but many will find this a bit
dull.
Charles
Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) Choral Music
Schola Cantorum of Dean Cl. Prep. School/Benjamin Nicolas rec. 2009/10
DELPHIAN
DCD34087 [77:28]
[JF]
An
exciting release.
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Poesie -
Orchestral Songs Diana
Damrau (soprano) Munich PO/Christian Thielemann rec. 2009 VIRGIN
CLASSICS 6286640 [71.09] 
[CF]
Damrau
is a wonderful singer, she has line in the voice, colour like a kaleidoscope,
and wears her emotional heart on her vocal sleeve.
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Ariadne auf Naxos
Natalie
Dessay (soprano) Deborah Voigt (soprano) Metropolitan Opera Ch &
O/James Levine rec. 2003
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6418679 
[134:00]
[BW]
A
strong contender – and less expensive than DVD rivals.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Richard STRAUSS
(1864 – 1949) Complete works for wind ensemble: Sonatina
1, Aus der Werkstadtt einer Invaliden; Suite; Serenade; Symphony,
Fröhliches Werkstatt
Academy Symphonic Wind/Keith Bragg rec. 2003-2006
ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC RAM034 [53:21 + 43:21]
[BBr]
This
is an exciting issue and should not be missed at any cost.
Richard
STRAUSS (1864–1949) Metamorphosen, Le Bourgeois
Gentilhomme Maurice RAVEL (1875–1937)
Piano Concerto
Hélène Grimaud (piano) CO Europe/Vladimir Jurowski rec.
2009
IDÉALE AUDIENCE 3078734 [88:31] 
[BW]
Well
worth having, but if you don’t mind audio-only alternatives, you
may well choose to forego the visuals.
Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Petrushka see
MENDELSSOHN
Josef
SUK (1874-1935) Serenade for Strings see
DVOŘÁK
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Sir ARTHUR SULLIVAN
(1842-1900) Overtures and Choruses
Royal PO, New SO London/Royston Nash, James Walker, Isidore Godfrey
rec. 1959-82
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 1285 [69.09 + 77.52]
[GH]
This
is a marvellous and well-presented double disc compilation.
Gilbert
& Sullivan - A Motley Pair
Tony Britten (director)
CAPRIOL FILMS CAP107 [150:00 + 59:00]
[JS]
These
programmes are unquestionably far superior in quality and depth to the
majority of arts documentary programmes seen on the television today.
Arthur
SULLIVAN (1842-1900) & W.
S. GILBERT (1836-1911) Iolanthe, Overture di Ballo
Pro Arte O/Sir Malcolm Sargent rec. 1958
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2134392 [64:26 + 43:05]
[SV]
Mostly
succeeds though it falls short of the highest expectations.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Giles SWAYNE (b.
1946) Magnificat I; The silent land; Ave verum corpus; Stabat mater
Raphael Wallfisch (cello) Dimitri Ens/Graham Ross rec. 1982/2010
NAXOS 8.572595 [68.18]
[RH]
This
is contemporary choral music at its best, and it is available at super-budget
price.
Aleksander
TANSMAN (1897-1986) 24 Intermezzi, Petite Suite, Valse-Impromptu
Eliane
Reyes (pno) rec. 2009-10
NAXOS 8.572266 [56:59]
[Byz]
Profound
music; distantly reminiscent of Chopin's Preludes.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893)
Complete Piano Works
Franco Trabucco (piano) rec. live, 2007
DYNAMIC CDS 665/1-7 [7 CDs: 487:08]
[GD]
Good
as these performances are, they are at least a rung below those of Postnikova,
Pletnev and Richter.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano Concerto 2 Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony 9
Andreas Boyde (pno) Freiburg PO/Johannes Fritzsch, rec. 1997
MINERVA ATHENE ATHCD16 [73:34]
[RB]
Galloping
swooning romantic exuberance. All the frisson of risk and spontaneity
of a live concert.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Violin Concerto see
HIGDON
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony 6 see
PROKOFIEV
Sir
Michael TIPPETT
(1905-1998)
Triple concerto, Piano concerto
Martino Tirimo (piano) Ernst Kovacic (violin) Gerard Caussé (viola)
Alexander Baillie (cello) BBC PO/Sir Michael Tippett rec. 1990/1
NIMBUS NI 5301 [72:32]
[DC]
Uniquely
special, but up against serious competition.
Donald
TOVEY
(1875-1940)
Piano Trio, Sonata Eroica, Piano Quartet
London Piano Trio, Ormesby Ens rec. 2007/8
GUILD GMCD7352 [74:40]
[JF]
A
testament to the interest being shown in so called ‘forgotten’ composers.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813–1901) Aida
Giannina
Arangi-Lombardi; Maria Capuana; Aroldo Lindi; Armando Borgioli; La Scala
Ch, Milan SO/Lorenzo Molajoli rec. 1928
PRISTINE AUDIO PACO 054 [76:22 + 60:56]
[RMo]
This
set has a special historical value and aesthetic quality which have
been greatly enhanced by Pristine’s superb remastering.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Simon Boccanegra
Marina Poplavskaya (sop.) Placido Domingo (ten.) Royal Opera House Ch
& O/Antonio Pappano rec. 2010
EMI CLASSICS 9178259
[2 DVDs: 171:00]
[RJF]
Forget
that Verdi wrote the title role for a baritone and enjoy Domingo’s penetrating
acted assumption of the role despite the compromises this involves.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Antonio VIVALDI
(1678–1741) Ottone in Villa
Maria Laura Martorana (soprano) Tuva Semmingsen (mezzo) L’Arte
dell’Arco/Federico Guglielmo rec. 2008
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94105 [72.08 + 67.51 + CD-ROM]
[MM-B]
Truly
excellent.
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741)
Concerti Grossi: Le quattro stagioni, La Stravaganza
John Holloway (violin) Taverner Players/Andrew Parrott, La Stravaganza
Köln/Andrew Manze rec. 1983/91
DAL SEGNO DSPRCD058 [64.17]
[DC]
Nice
enough, but no longer really competitive.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Antonio VIVALDI
(1678-1741)
Ercole dul Termodonte
Rolando Villazon (tenor) Patrizia Ciofi, Diana Damrau (sopranos) Joyce
DiDonato, Vivica Genaux (mezzos) Philippe Jaroussky (counter-tenor)
Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi rec. 2008-10
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6945450 [65:05 + 78:56]
[ST]
Whether
you buy this set for some magnificent singing or to get to know a once
lost opera, you will find plenty to enjoy.
Vivaldi
and Friends Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) Concertos Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Concerto for Four Harpsichords
René DUCHIFFRE (b. 1961) Concerto
for Two Violas
Apollo’s Fire/Jeanette Sorrell rec. live, 2000/8
AVIE AV2211 [74.34]
[MM-B]
Accomplished,
well judged, satisfying and extremely pleasing ... pure delight from
beginning to end.
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) Concerto Grosso see BRAHMS
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard
WAGNER (1813–1883) The Ring Without Words –
A Symphonic Synthesis (arr. Lorin Maazel)
Berlin PO/Lorin Maazel rec. 2000
EUROARTS 2057604 [88:00]
[DM]
Early
days yet, but this is already on my list of picks for 2011.
Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786-1826) Concerto Grand potpourri
see SPOHR
Mieczysław
WEINBERG (1919–1996) Complete Music for
Solo Cello Vol. 1 Twenty-Four Preludes, Cello Sonata 1
Josef Feigelson (cello) rec. 1996
NAXOS 8.572280 [57:16]
[BR]
The
sonata is more accessible, the preludes generally austere and enigmatic.
Scott
WHEELER (b.1952) Songs
William Sharp (baritone) Susanna Phillips (soprano) Joseph Kaiser (tenor)
Krista River (mezzo-soprano) Donald Berman (piano) rec. 2008/9
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559658 [72:07]
[Byz]
Much
of quality here.
Eric
WHITACRE (b. 1970) Light and Gold
Eric Whitacre Singers, Laudibus, King’s Singers, Pavão Qt, Christopher
Glynn (pno)/Eric Whitacre rec. 2010
DECCA 2743209 [71:16]
[WH]
A
hugely successful and widely admired disc which nonetheless does not
appeal to this reviewer at all.
Hugo
WOLF (1860-1903) Italian Serenade see
DVOŘÁK
Click
for alphabetical listings by composer:
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1 New] [Part
2 A-B] [Part 3 C-L]
[Part 4 M-R] [Part
5 S-Z]
[Part 6 Misc A-L] [Part
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