RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Mass in B minor 
Dorothea Mields, Hana Blažiková, Damien Guillon, Thomas Hobbs,
Peter Kooij, Collegium Vocale Ghent/Philippe Herreweghe rec. 2011
PHI LPH004 [50:47 + 50:32] [JQ]
A
splendid and important addition to the discography of Bach’s life-enhancing
masterpiece.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Symphonies
by the Bach Sons
Bach Concentus/Ewald Demeyere rec. 2011
ACCENT ACC24257 [53:20] [JF]
These
symphonies excited me, moved me and thoroughly entertained me.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alban
BERG (1885-1935) Lulu
Patricia Petibon, Tanja Ariane Baumgartner, Michael Volle; Vienna PO/Marc
Albrecht rec. 2011
EUROARTS/UNITEL CLASSICA 2072564 
[173:00] [DBi]
A
wonderful Lulu. Petibon is its true star in every respect. An outstanding
disc.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Georges
BIZET (1838-1875)
Carmen - - Magdalena Kožená ; Jonas Kaufmann (tenor);
Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2012,
EMI CLASSICS 4 40285 2 [71.41+78.08] [ST][RF]
Get
it while it’s hot! [ST] High on hype, this performance does not challenge
many competitors.[RF]
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alla
BORZOVA (b. 1961) Songs for Lada; To
the New World
Valentina Fleer (soprano) Valentina Kozak (folk contralto) Detroit SO/Leonard
Slatkin rec. 2010
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559706 [49.50] [PCG]
Heavenly
music … really like nothing else in the repertory.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Frederick DELIUS
(1862-1934)
Songs of Sunset, Songs, North Country Sketches,
A Late Lark
Henriette Bonde-Hansen, Johan Reuter, Aarhus Cathedral Ch, Aarhus SO
& Ch/Bo Holten rec. 2011
DANACORD DACOCD721 [74:27] [IL]
So
many riches flowing from Holten’s commitment to Delius.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Sir Edward ELGAR
The
Apostles, Op. 49 [114:29]
Rebecca Evans (soprano) – Alice Coote (mezzo) Hallé Choir; Hallé
Youth Choir; Hallé Orchestra/Sir Mark Elder rec. 2012 English text included
HALLÉ
CD HLD 7534 [65:08 + 49:21] [JQ]
The
clear first choice. This superb Apostles is a mandatory purchase for
all Elgar enthusiasts.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Carlo GESUALDO
(1566-1613)
Madrigals - Book 4
Delitiæ Musicæ/Marco Longhini rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572137 [68:57] [DMcC]
Wonderfully
cogent and affecting.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alexander
GLAZUNOV (1865-1936) String Quintet Anton
ARENSKY (1861-1906) String Quartet 2 Alexander
BORODIN (1833-1887)
String Sextet
Nash Ensemble rec. 2011
ONYX CLASSICS 4067 [65:37] [BR]
The
Glazunov and Arensky works are underappreciated gems. Great playing,
great program, mandatory purchase.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Naji HAKIM
(b.
1955) Bach'orama, Jonquilles, Mit seinem Geist,
Theotokos, Salve Regina, Gershwinesca
Naji Hakim (organ) rec. 2011
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD 284 [69:02] [DM]
A
walk on the wild side; an absolute must for adventure lovers.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Xerxes (Serse)
Ann
Murray, Christopher Robson, Christopher Booth-Jones, Valerie Masterson,
Lesley Garrett, English National Opera O & Ch/Sir Charles Mackerras
rec. 1988
ARTHAUS MUSIK 100 077 
[186:00]
[RF]
A
classic interpretation of this too rarely heard Baroque masterpiece.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809)
Great Haydn Symphonies CD 1 Symphonies Nos. 6, 45, 48
CD 2 Symphonies No. 82, 92, 94
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra/Adam Fischer rec. 1988, 1989, 1990,
1992 and 1995. DDD.
NIMBUS NI7041/2 [75:57 + 76:43] [BW]
A
strong contender as an introduction to some wonderful music.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH William
LAWES (1602-1645) The Royall Consorts
Les Voix Humaines rec. 2002/6
ATMA CLASSIQUE ACD22373 [63:44 + 65:48] [MS]
Lawes’
most beautiful, varied and profound chamber music played with great
style.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann
Simon MAYR (1763-1845) Samuele
Andrea Lauren Brown (soprano) Susanne Bernhard (soprano) Rainer Trost
(tenor) Jens Hamann (bass) Simon Mayr Ch/Ingolstadt Georgian Chamber
O/Franz Hauk rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572721-22 [34:28 + 60:02] [RJW]
Lively,
engaging and holds the listener’s attention.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Felix MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847)
Psalms Cyrillus KREEK (1889-1962)
Psalms, Five Sacred Folk Songs
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir/Daniel Reuss rec. 2009
ONDINE ODE1201-2 [64:18] [WH]
Gorgeous
music, ravishing singing. An exceptional disc. Not to be missed.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Olivier
MESSIAEN (1908-1992) Turangalîla-Symphonie
Steven
Osborne (piano) Cynthia Millar (ondes martenot) Bergen PO/Juanjo Mena
rec. 2011
HYPERION CDA67816 [77:07] [JQ]
A
splendid representation of Messiaen’s ambitious, tumultuous, superb
score.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang Amadeus
MOZART (1756-1791) Works for solo piano
Michail Lifits (piano) rec. 2011
DECCA 476 4857 [79.00] [JB]
No
lover of Mozart’s piano music will want to be without this extraordinary
Decca debut CD of Michail Lifits.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) The Bells
Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Alexander Nevsky
Elena Prokina (soprano) Daniil Shtoda (tenor) Sergei Leiferkus (baritone)
Alfreda Hodgson (mezzo) BBC SO & Ch, Philharmonia Ch & O/Evgeny
Svetlanov rec 1988/2002
ICA CLASSICS ICAC5069 [78:30] [JQ]
This
is a phenomenal disc! It shows Evgeny Svetlanov at his incandescent,
inspirational best.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975)
Symphony 11
Leningrad PO/Yevgeny Mravinsky rec. 1959
REGIS RRC1387 [60:22] [JQ]
One
of those recordings that’s an essential element in any Shostakovich
collection.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Josef
SUK (1874-1935) Asrael Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Sinfonia da Requiem
BBC SO/Jiří Bělohlávek rec. 2008
SUPRAPHON SU 4095-2 [61:50 + 21:23] [JQ]
A
fine souvenir of the fruitful partnership between Jiří Bělohlávek
and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Joby
TALBOT (b.1971) Alice in Wonderland
Lauren Cuthbertson, Sergei Polunin, Edward Watson, Zenaida Yanowsky,
Covent Garden O/Barry Wordsworth rec. 2011
OPUS ARTE OA1056D [120:00
+ 30:00] [IL]
An
entrancing new look at the story of Alice in Wonderland.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Mieczyslaw
WEINBERG (1919-1996) Symphony 20; Cello Concerto
Claes
Gunnarsson (cello) Gothenburg SO/Thord Svedlund rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHSA 5107 
[70:50]
[BR]
At
last! A new recording of one of my favorite cello concertos. Drop everything
and listen to this.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Mieczysław WEINBERG
(1919-1996) Complete Piano Works Vol. 2
Allison Brewster Franzetti (piano) rec. 2009-2010
GRAND PIANO GP607 [57:28] [SA]
Endlessly
fascinating and powerfully stated.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Affettuoso Sonatas
by Piani, Geminiani & Handel
Emilio
Percan (violin) Oriol Aymat Fusté (cello) Luca Quintavalle (harpsichord)
rec. 2011
ONYX CLASSICS 4099 [74:52] [JV]
One
of the best discs of baroque violin music I have heard for some time.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Rafael Aguirre (guitar)
Recital rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.572916 [62:16] [BR]
Fantastic.
Showcases exceptional playing and all sorts of Spanish delights new
and old.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Martha
Argerich and Friends Live from Lugano 2011
Martha Argerich (piano) Dora Schwarzberg (violin) Lucia Hall (violin)
Lida Chen (viola) Gautier Capuçon (cello)
EMI CLASSICS 6447012 [3 CDs: 225:40] [DC]
Live
vibe in Hi-Fi: a terrific collection.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Filia Sion
Gregorian chant & works by Perotinus, de Grudencz & von Bingen
Vox
Clamantis/Jaan-Eik Tulve rec. 2010
ECM NEW SERIES 2244 [71:07] [DC]
Truly
magical.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Nordic
Violin Favorites Works by Olsen, Atterberg, Stenhammar,
Bull, Halvorsen, Sibelius & Sinding
Henning Kraggerud (violin) Dalasinfoniettan/Bjarte Engeset rec. 2011
NAXOS
8.572827 [74:48] [DMcC]
This
fabulous recording features lesser known violin repertoire played with
a keen advocacy.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Still Sound
Bruce
Levingston (piano) rec. 2005/9
SONO LUMINUS DSL-92148 [56:13] [BR]
Levingston
holds us spellbound with poetic, even sublime playing in a recital which
takes us from 1828 to 2004.
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