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BARGAIN OF THE MONTH
Mario CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO (1895-1968)
Violin Concerto 2 see WALTON
Frederic
CHOPIN
(1810-1849)
Etudes Op. 10 (1833) [27.42] Robert SCHUMANN
(1810-1856) Fantasia in C Op. 17 (1839) [31.27]
Agustin
Anievas (piano)
NEWPORT CLASSIC NCD60179 [58.69] 
[RBe]
Lyricism
and dreaminess without sentimentality.
Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Transcriptions Jaroslaw KORDACZUK (b.1967)
Sostenuto: Hommage ŕ Chopin
Jolanta Stopka (violin) Magdalena Blum (piano) rec. 2009, DDD ACTE
PRÉALABLE AP0208 [53:48]
[JW]
Interesting
idea: an all-Chopin transcription album but variably executed.
Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano Sonata 3 see
ALBENIZ
Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Nocturnes see Ciccolini
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jacobus
CLEMENS non Papa (1510/1515-1555/6)
Missa Pro Defunctis, Motets
Brabant Ens/Stephen Rice rec. 2010
HYPERION CDA67848 [72.52]
[GH]
Jacobus
Clemens can be considered up there with the very best.
Gloria
COATES
(b.1938)
String Quartet 9, Sonata for Solo Violin, Lyric Suite
Kreutzer Qt; Roderick Chadwick (piano) rec. 2008/2009
NAXOS 8.559666 [58:51]
[Byz]
Naxos
deserve plaudits for having the courage to bring Coates’ music to wider
attention even if it is rather unlikely that our pop-drenched society
will ever hear, let alone understand, her art.
Delfín
COLOMÉ (1946-2008) Chamber Works
Ad hoc String Qt, Alfredo Carlavilla, Marcos Palancares (saxophone)
Francisco Alcocer (bassoon) Luis Navidad (contrabass) Agustín Maruri
(guitar) Delfín Colomé (piano) rec. 1982-2010
EMEC E-096 [68:48]
[Byz]
Varied,
entertaining music, and a fitting tribute to a colourful composer.
Carson
COOMAN (b.1982) A Trip to the Sky, Schumann Serenade
for string trio, Quartet for Piano and Strings, Viola Quintet, Cavatina,
Carson
Cooman (piano) rec. 2010
MSR CLASSICS MS 1387 [68:01]
[Byz]
An
outstanding disc in every regard.
Aaron
COPLAND (1900-1990)
Appalachian Spring Suite, Short Symphony, Quiet City,
Three Latin American Sketches
Orpheus CO rec. 1988
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9207 [60:52]
[MC]
Hard
to find fault with this winning release so superbly performed and recorded.
Robert
CRAWFORD (b.1925) Elegiac quintet, Clarinet quintet see
VEALE
Louis
François DAUPRAT (1781-1868)
Grand Sextet
Die Detmolder Hornisten rec. 1982
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG3240087-2 [40:01]
[Byz]
Music
and performances are plain irresistible but what about the playing time?
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862–1918)
Orchestral Works Vol. 5
O Ntnl de Lyon/Jun Märkl rec. 2009/2010
NAXOS 8.572568 [73:04] [BW]
Slow
tempi and a too-serious box of toys preclude my recommendation, but
others may – and do – disagree.
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Ibéria, La Mer Maurice RAVEL
(1875-1937) Ma mère l’Oye Suite
Boston SO/Charles Munch rec. 1958/61
ICA CLASSICS ICAD5014 
[68:01] [WH]
Highly
disciplined, rather hard-driven concert performances from a master conductor
in his prime.
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Violin sonata see Echoes
of Paris
Antonín
DVORÁK
(1841-1904) Slavonic Dances 1st series
Op.46 B78 (1878) [32:35] Slavonic Dances 2nd series Op.72
B145 (1886) [31:38]
Kristina Krkavcová and Martin Kasík (piano) rec. January-February 2004,
Liechtenstein Palace, Prague
ARCO DIVA UP 0067-2 131 [65:09]
[JW]
These
performances are both enjoyable and sympathetic
Antonín
DVORÁK
(1841-1904) Requiem (1888) [94:19]
Simona Šaturová (soprano); Jana Sýkorová (mezzo); Tomአčerný
(tenor); Peter Mikulአ(bass) Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno
Brno Philharmonic Orchestra/Petr Fiala rec. live, Janáček Theatre
Brno, November 2010
ARCODIVA UP0130-2132 [94:19]
[ST]
A
solid performance but acoustic problems make it a version you can’t
really live with.
Antonín
DVOŘÁK
(1841-1904)
Complete piano works
Inna Poroshina (piano) rec. 1997/8
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94085 [5 CDs: 271:16]
[BR]
If
you haven’t yet heard this often-excellent music, give it a try.
Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Cello Concerto
see WAGNER
Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Cello Concerto see HAYDN
Rolande
FALCINELLI
(1920-2006) Improvisations
Rolande Falcinelli (organ) rec. 1979-1986,
HORTUS 079 [73:38]
[DC]
Flamboyant
and daring inventiveness.
Gerald
FINZI (1901-1956) Lo, the Full Final Sacrifice see
RESURRECTION
César
FRANCK
(1822-1890)
Symphony Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Romeo and Juliet
RAI SO Roma, Torino/Sergiu Celibidache rec. 1957/60
ISTITUTO DISCOGRAFICO ITALIANO IDIS 6611 [63:49]
[CH]
A
performance to stand at the summit of Franck interpretation, and it’s
some time since I’ve been so completely gripped by Romeo and Juliet.
Hans
GÁL (1890-1987) Intermezzos, Sketches, Sonata for Two
Violins, Huyton Suite
Ulrike Anton (flute) Russell Ryan (piano) Cornelia Löscher, Wolfhart
Schuster (violin) rec. 2010
GRAMOLA 98896 [67.11]
[GH]
Beautifully
documented, superbly played and sympathetically recorded.
Luigi
GATTI (1740-1817) Three concertos
Paolo Ghedoni, Rita Macagna (violin) Stefano Canuti (bassoon) Andrea
Dembech (piano) O da Camera del Conservatorio di Musica di Mantova rec.
2008/9
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94146 [69:19]
[GPu]
Rewarding
music by a Salzburg Kapellmeister who deserves to escape from Mozart’s
‘shadow’.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Alexander GLAZUNOV (1865-1936) Sten'ka
Razin see TCHAIKOVSKY
Christoph
Willibald GLUCK
(1714-1787) Ezio – dramma per musica
in three acts (1750 Prague version) [98:00] Soloists
Prague Symphony Chamber Orchestra/Jirí Petrdlík rec. 2010
ARCODIVA UP 0141-2232 [2 CDs: 98:00]
[ST]
If
you’re a serious collector of Gluck then you can pick up this set without
fear of disappointment.
Nicolas
GOMBERT (c.1495-c.1560)
Magnificat Octavi Toni, Missa Tempore Paschali, O Rex
gloriae
Robin Blaze (counter-tenor) Toby Watkin (tenor) Giles Underwood (bass)
Henry's Eight/Jonathan Brown rec. 1996
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55323 [65:31]
[MS]
A
splendid, idiomatic, persuasive yet appropriately reserved account of
Gombert's great Mass … a very desirable CD.
Henryk
GÓRECKI
(1933-2010) The
Three String Quartets
Royal String Qt rec. 2010
HYPERION CDA67812 [48:47 + 55:54] [MS]
An
excellent set of recordings of all Górecki's finished string quartets
played utterly sympathetically and with real insight.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Edvard
GRIEG (1843
- 1907) Violin Sonata 1 Béla BARTÓK
(1881 - 1945) Sonata for solo violin Richard
STRAUSS (1864 - 1949) Violin Sonata
Vilde Frang (violin) Michail Lifits (piano) rec. 2010
EMI CLASSICS 9476392 [78:49]
[GF]
Give
us more of Vilde Frang, please, EMI!
Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907)
Lyric Pieces see Ciccolini
Ricard
Lamote de GRIGNON (1899-1962)
Monocromies see TURINA
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685 – 1759) Arias from Giulio Cesare
in Egitto
Natalie Dessay (soprano) Sonia Prina (contralto) Stephen Wallace (counter-tenor)
Le Concert d’Astrée/Emmanuelle Haďm rec. 2010
VIRGIN CLASSICS 9078722 [65:32]
[GF]
This
disc is highly attractive.
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685 - 1759) Il trionfo del Tempo
e del Disinganno
Lucy Crowe (soprano) Anna Stephany (mezzo) Hilary Summers (contralto)
Andrew Staples (tenor) Early Opera Company/Christian Curnyn rec. 2010
WIGMORE
HALL LIVE WHLIVE0042/2 [65:56 + 71:34]
[JV]
Not
particularly dramatic performance of Handel's oratorio.
Emil
HARTMANN (1836-1898) Nordic and German Songs
Iben
Vestergĺrd (soprano) Cathrine Penderup (piano) rec. 2010
DANACORD DACOCD 712-713 [60:06 + 64:44]
[GF]
This
issue can’t be recommended.
Johann
Adolph HASSE (1699-1783)
Cleofide
Emma Kirkby (soprano) Agnes Mellon (soprano) Derek Lee Ragin (counter-tenor)
Rheinische Kantorei, Capella Coloniensis/William Christie rec. 1986
CAPRICCIO
7080 [4 CDs: 230:16]
[KM]
A
delightful opera by a forgotten composer; if you like Handel, check
out Cleofide.
Franz
Josef HAYDN (1732-1809) Cello Concerto 1 Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Cello Concerto 1 Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Cello Concerto
Mstislav Rostropovich (cello) London SO/Gennady Rozdhestvensky
BBC BBCL 4198-2 [67:35]
[GA]
Full-blooded
engagement.
Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Haydn’s Music for England
Judith Nelson (soprano) Paul Elliott (tenor) Academy of Ancient Music/Christopher
Hogwood (fortepiano) rec. 1978
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0388 [48:06 + 48:32] [JS]
Superb
music, well played and recorded.
Franz
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) Complete Early Divertimenti
Simon
Standage (violin) Haydn Sinf Wien/Manfred Huss rec. 1993-2009
BIS
CD 1806-08 [5 CDs: 5:45]
[KM]
A
mixed bag of early Haydn, from bland to delightful.
Franz
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809)
Songs and Cantatas
Emma Kirkby (soprano) Marcia Hadjimarkos (fortepiano) rec. 2009
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94204 [56:42] [BW]
Excellent
value – you may not like the poetry but Haydn’s music and the performances
amply compensate.
Franz
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) Missa Brevis, Creation Mass
Rebel Baroque O/J. Owen Burdick & Jane Glover rec. 2001/2008
NAXOS
8.572127 [53:08] [WK]
Overall,
a very serviceable disc of these two masses, although some listeners
may miss the more traditional full-orchestra treatment.
Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Piano Sonata Hob. XVI:34 see
Prokofiev
Herbert
HOWELLS (1892-1983) Like as the Hart Desireth
Waterbrooks see
Resurrection
Engelbert
HUMPERDINCK (1854 – 1921) Dornröschen
Brigitte
Fassbaender, Armgart Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner RSO/Ulf
Schirmer rec. 2008
CPO 777 510-2 [40:06 + 50:03]
[GF]
This
live recording is splendid and the music is mostly fresh and melodious
and well worth hearing.
Michael
HURD (1928-2006) Pop Cantatas
John Addison (narrator) Alexander Wells (piano) Members of New London
O, New London Children’s Ch/Ronald Corp rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572505 [67:02]
[NB]
Anything
that stays in the memory for forty years with such pleasurable clarity
has to be a winner.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Charles
IVES (1874-1954) A Concord Symphony, orch. Henry
Brant Aaron COPLAND (1900-1990) Organ
Symphony
Paul Jacobs (organ) San Francisco SO/Michael Tilson Thomas rec. 2010
SFS
MEDIA 82193600382 
[77:07] [KM]
A
must for any fan of Ives. The Concord Symphony is a magnificent realization,
and the performance here is top-notch.
Zoltán
KODÁLY (1882-1967) Dances from Galánta, Háry János Béla
BARTÓK (1881-1945) 2 Portraits, First Rhapsody György
LIGETI (1923-2006) Concert Românesc
Mihaela Costa (violin) Gulbenkian O/Lawrence Foster rec. 2009
PENTATONE PTC 5186 360 [76:41]
[BR]
A
solid 75 minutes of pure pleasure, highlighted by a surprising Ligeti
folk concerto.
Zoltán
KODÁLY
(1882-1967)
Dances of Galanta Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Clarinet concerto Ludwig van
BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony 8
Jan Mach (clarinet) Prague SO/Jirí Kout rec. live, 2010
FOK 0003-2 031 [70:21]
[JW]
Maybe
a tempter for fans of these artists but really it’s not possible to
recommend this disc beyond that constituency.
György
LIGETI (1923-2006) Concert Românesc see
KODÁLY
Franz
LISZT (1811-1886)
Symphonic Poems: Ce qu’on entend sur la montagne, Prometheus,
Festklänge
Dresdner Philharmonie/Michel Plasson rec. Dresden, 1995
BERLIN CLASSICS 0300136BC [64:33]
[IL]
Engaging,
exciting performances of some of Liszt’s lesser-known symphonic
poems.
Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Rhapsodie Espagnole see Prokofiev
David
LUMSDAINE (b.1931)
White Dawn - Soundscapes I-V, Blue
Upon Blue, A Tree Telling of Orpheus, A Norfolk Songbook,
Cambewarra
Peter Lawson (piano) Jonathan Price (cello) John Turner (recorders)
Lesley-Jane Rogers (soprano) Gemini/Martyn Brabbins rec. 1984-2004
METIER MSV28519 [60:29 + 59:21]
[GH]
Quite
brilliant and utterly convincing.
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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