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Music
for Solo Clarinet Works by Jörg
WIDMANN (b.1973) Edison
DENISOV (1929-1996) Alexander GOEHR
(b.1932) André JOLIVET (1905-1974)
Eduard Brunner (clarinet) rec. 2009 NAXOS 8.572470 [71:17] 
[CR]
Overall
this is an excellent disc with an enjoyable range of repertoire and
fine playing throughout.
Music
for solo flute Toru
TAKEMITSU (1930-1996) Air (1996) [8:20]; Younghi
PAGH-PAAN (b.1945) Dreisam-Nore (1975) [7:12]; Kazuo
FUKUSHIMA (b.1930) Mei (1962) [5:08]; Paul
HINDEMITH (1895-1963) Acht Stücke (1927) [6:59]; Sigfrid
KARG-ELERT (1877-1933) Sonata appassionata Op. 140 [4:42];
Johann Anton STAMITZ (1717-1757) Capriccio-Sonata
in A major [8:11]; C.P.E. BACH (1714-1788)
Sonata in A minor Wq 132 (1758) [11:04]; J.S.
BACH (1685-1750) Partita in A minor BWV 1013 [13:30] 
Hansgeorg Schmeiser (flute) rec. 9-12 July 1996, Nimbus Foundation Concert
Hall, UK. DDD
NIMBUS NI5522 [66:00] 
[CR]
A
well produced and enjoyable disc, with Schmeiser demonstrating his ability
to perform a range of musical styles effectively and with understanding.
Naxos
Travelogues
- Cultural Tours of China - with traditional music:
SHANXI, XINJIANG, SICHUAN, YUNNAN , TIBET 
[RF]
Fantastic
scenery and locations marred by an inability to identify all the interesting
and magnificent locations shown.
O
Virgo Benedicta - Music of Marian Devotion from Spain’s Century
of Gold Works by GUERRERO, ESQUIVEL & VIVANCO
Marian
Consort/Rory McCleery rec. 2010
DELPHIAN DCD34086 [75:10]
[JQ]
An
auspicious debut disc from a fine British vocal consort.
David
Oistrakh – Legacy Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685-1750) Concerto
for two violins Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Sinfonia Concertante Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Violin Concerto
David Oistrakh (violin/viola) Igor Oistrakh (violin) English CO/Colin
Davis; Moscow PO/Yehudi Menuhin/Kirill Kondrashin rec. 1961/1963
ICA CLASSICS DVD ICAD
5012 [93:53] [JW]
Admirers
of string players will warm to this DVD, and to the estimable performances
preserved here.
Rhapsodies
for Two Pianos Florent SCHMITT (1870-1958)
Three Rhapsodies Alexander ARUTYUNIAN (b.1920)/Arno
BABADJANIAN (1921-1983) Armenian Rhapsody Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Russian Rhapsody George
GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Rhapsody in Blue Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Hungarian Rhapsody 2
Tami Kanazawa, Yuval Admony (piano) rec. 2001/3
ROMÉO RECORDS 7276 [64:37]
[OL]
There
is some excellent playing here, but it took me some time to warm to
this disc.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Rhythms & Blues
Works by Barber, Rubin, Scherzinger, Adams, Bolcom, Morton & Swigger
Jocelyn
Swigger (piano) rec. 2009
CON BRIO RECORDINGS CBR21046 [70:33]
[BR]
What
a great surprise: American rags, blues, and minimalism together in a
superb program.
Timothy
Richards (tenor) Italian Album
Minsk O/Wilhelm Keitel rec. 2010
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG9091664-6 
[51:22] [GF]
A
worthy documentation of a singer in mid-career.
S'il
Vous Plaît - Virtuoso Miniatures
Mie Miki (accordion) rec. 2009
BIS BISCD1804 [69:24] [Byz]
Magnificent
musicality … unique sonorities … beautifully passionate.
Song
of the Birds Manuel
de FALLA (1876-1946) Spanish Dance no. 1 (from La Vida
Breve) [3:45]; Suite Populaire Espagnole [13:19]; Pablo
de SARASATE (1844-1908) Zapateado, op. 23, no.2 [3:36]; Astor
PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992) Le Grand Tango [11:55]; Enrique
GRANADOS (1867-1916) Spanish Dance no 2. (Orientale) [3:22];
Gaspar CASSADO (1897-1966) Requiebros
[5:09]; Suite for Solo Cello [17:11]; Albert
GINASTERA (1916-1983) Pampeana no 2 [9:02]; Pablo
CASALS (1876-1973) Song of the Birds [3:47]
Nancy Green (cello) Tannis Gibson (piano) rec. 2008,
CELLO CLASSICS CC1025 [70:06]
[ZT]
An
enjoyable recording with general, wide appeal.
Songs
to Mary Marian motets by Grandi, Monteverdi, Frescobaldi,
Carissimi & Kerll
Robert Crowe (male soprano) Michael Eberth (organ) rec. 2010
HÄNSSLER PROFIL PH10054 [79:02] [JV] 
Robert
Crowe's singing is far away from the 17th-century ideal of recitar cantando.
Stokowski's
Chicago Debut Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1759)
Chorales Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Romeo and Juliet Suite Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Swan Lake Johannes BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Symphony 2 Reinhold GLIÈRE
(1875-1956) Symphony 3
Chicago SO/Leopold Stokowski rec. 1958
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC 242 [78:44 + 79:14]
[JW]
A
little slice of Stokowskian debut history in these two discs.
Memorial
Tribute to Toscanini
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Brandenburg Concerto 2, Passacaglia and Fugue Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) Concerto grosso Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) Sonata a quattro 3, Rehearsal
extracts
NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini rec. 1938-54
GUILD GHCD2364-65 [52:05 + 59:25]
[JW]
Toscanini’s
intimate and astute way is well worth hearing, and admiring.
Romantic
Works for Violin Antonín DVORÁK
(1841-1904) Violin Concerto Josef
SUK (1874-1935) Four Pieces Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Three Romances
Eugène YSAŸE (1858-1931) Les Neiges D’Antan, Berceuse
Christine
Raphael (violin) Rainer Gepp (piano) Nuremberg SO/Andreas Albert, Rhine
CO/Jan Corazolla rec. 1977-87
GENUIN GEN10535 [74:17] [JW]
Lacking
in personality and in a sense of projection.
Virgo
Sancta Cæcilia Chant from the Antiphonary of Anna
Hachenberch
Ens Candens Lilium/Norbert Rodenkirchen rec. 2009
RAUMKLANG MARC AUREL EDITION MA20044 [52:06]
[BW]
Joins
my list of recommendations for the end of a bad-hair day.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Voices from
Heaven Maurice DURUFLÉ
(1902-1986) Requiem, Quatre Motets Herbert
HOWELLS (1892-1983) Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis, Requiem
Ch St
John’s College, Cambridge/Christopher Robinson, George Guest
REGIS
RRC1341 [78:54] [JQ]
Beautifully
crafted, inspired music in immaculate performances.
Volkslieder
Vol. 1
rec. 2010
CARUS 83.003 [74.23] [MM-B]
The
result of all these collaborations is a work of pure beauty and joy.
Yundi
- Live in Beijing
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante, Piano Sonata 2, Mazurkas,
Nocturnes, Polonaise
Yundi (Li) (piano) rec. 2010
EMI CLASSICS 6316392 [70:58] (CD) + [75.00] ]
[Byz]
Eloquent
and expressive playing.
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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