Gustav
MAHLER (1869-1911)
Symphony 5 
Pittsburgh SO/Manfred Honeck live 2011
EXTON OVCL-00460 
[73:38] [RMo]
Very
fine but without anything especially striking to say.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860 – 1911) Lieder eines fahrenden
Gesellen; Kindertotenlieder Alma
MAHLER (1879 – 1964) Fünf Lieder
Julie Boulianne (mezzo) Ensemble Orford/Jean-François Rivest, Marc Bourdeau
(piano) rec. 2011
ATMA ACD2 2665 [56:43] [GF]
This
is a valuable disc.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 2; A Portrait of Mariss
Jansons
Ricarda Merbeth (soprano) Bernarda Fink (mezzo) Netherlands Radio Choir;
Royal Concertgebouw O/Mariss Jansons rec. 2009
UNITEL CLASSICA 709708 
[51:37 + 90:08] [JZ]
A
revealing documentary matched with a dramatically charged interpretation
of Mahler 2.
Tomás
MARCO (b.1942) Tarots, Sonata de Fuego
Marcello Fantoni (guitar) rec. 2010-2011
DYNAMIC CDS708 [79:24] [Byz]
An
irresistible recital that should appeal to most tastes.
Frank
MARTIN (1890-1974) Cello concerto Arthur
HONEGGER (1892-1955) Cello concerto
Othmar SCHOECK (1886-1957)
Cello concerto
Christian Poltéra (cello) Malmö SO/Tuomas Hannikainen rec.
2006-2007
BIS BIS-CD-1737 [72:39] [MC]
The
Honegger is concise yet marvellously melodic in Poltéra’s
firmly focused and expressive performance.
Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Five Madrigal Stanzas
see 135 Years of
Czech Composers
Peter
MAXWELL DAVIES (b.
1934) Symphony 2, St Thomas Wake
BBC Philharmonic/Peter Maxwell Davies rec. 1991/3
NAXOS 8.572349 [76:40] [WH]
Two
important works from the Master of the Queen’s Music in authoritative,
reissued performances.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Domenico MAZZOCCHI
(1592-1665)
La Catena d'Adone, Favola boschereccia
Scherzi Musicali/Nicolas Achten rec. 2010
ALPHA 184 [57:56 + 74:13] [JV]
If
you like 17th-century operas, don't miss this one. A jewel.
John
McCABE (b.1939) Movements; Clarinet sonata;
Fauvel’s Rondeaux; Clarinet Quintet
Linda Merrick (clarinet) Peter Sheppard Skaerved (violin) Neil Heyde
(cello) Aaron Shorr (piano) Kreutzer Qt rec. 2011
GUILD GMCD7369 [63:20] [JF]
I
enjoyed every work on this CD.
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (William Shakespeare (1564-1616))
Overture, Op.21 [11.44]; Incidental music, Op.61 [100.08]
(with play adapted by Adrian Farmer)
Eirian James and Judith Howarth (sopranos): Scottish Philharmonic Singers;
Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Jaime Laredo rec. 1985
NIMBUS NI 5041/2 [54.42 + 57.10] [PCG]
This
is very much a set which stands unchallenged in the catalogue
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Violin Concerto see TCHAIKOVSKY
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Clarinet Sonata in E flat (1824) [19:57] see BRAHMS
DOWNLOAD
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] [DM]
C’est
vraiment parfait;
this new Turangalîla sweeps the board.
Olivier
MESSIAEN (1908-1992)
Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum (1964)* [32.31] Le
tombeau resplendissant (1931) [18.13] Hymne (1932) [15.11]
Orchestra
National de Lyon/Jun Märkl rec. 2008* / 2010
NAXOS 8.572714 [65.55] [PCG]
Bloated
and inflated in a way that does Messiaen no favours at all.
Adolf
MIŠEK (1875-1955)
Double Bass Sonatas and Miniatures 1
Szymon Marciniak (double bass) Joanna Lawrynowicz (piano) rec. 2011,
ACTE
PRÉALABLE AP0257 [57:22] [JW] Adolf
MIŠEK (1875-1955) Double Bass Sonatas and Miniatures
2
Szymon Marciniak (double bass) Joanna Lawrynowicz (piano)
rec. 2011,
ACTE PRÉALABLE AP0258 [53:42] [JW]
This
is a most pleasant revival, engagingly played, and well recorded.
Michal
MOC (b.1977) Stuntmen's Relay,
eMotion, Chordalians & Chordaliens, Betelgeuse
Michal
Moc (accordion) AUKSO CO of Tychy/Marek Mos' rec. 2008-2011
DUX 0756 [56:03] [Byz]
The
more adventurous listener should find in Moc a voice of some considerable
originality.
Claudio
MONTEVERDI (1567-1643) Masses and madrigals
Complesso Vocale Polifonia & I Solisti di Milano/Angelo Ephrikian
rec. 1966-1967-1969
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802117 [3 CDs: 46:00 + 43:59 + 42:42] [BW]
Too
dated in style and recording quality to be of much value.
Claudio
MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
L'Incoronazione di Poppea
Birgitte Christensen, Jacek Laszczkowski, Patricia Bardon, Norwegian
National Opera O/Alessandro De Marchi rec. 2010
EUROARTS 2058928
[180:00] [KM]
A
stark, empty performance, with some decent singers, but distracting
sound and staging.
Claudio
MONTEVERDI (1567 - 1643) Missa in illo tempore
Giaches DE WERT (1535 - 1596)
Ascendente Jesu
Odhecaton/Paolo da Col rec. 2011
RICERCAR RIC322 [64.35] [RH]
Strong,
well shaped performances, naturally placed and performed by an interesting
ensemble.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791)
Apollo et Hyacinthus
Sophie Bevan (soprano) Lawrence Zazzo (counter-tenor) The Orchestra
of Classical Opera/Ian Page rec. 2011
LINN CKD398 [76:38] [JS]
I
cannot imagine a better start to Linn’s intended series of recordings
of Mozart’s operas by Classical Opera.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Missa Solemnis,Regina caeli, Vesperae solennes de Dominica
Lynda
Russell (soprano); Lina Markeby (mezzo); James Oxley (tenor); David
Wilson-Johnson (baritone); St Paul’s Cathedral Choir; Simon Johnson
(organ); St Paul’s Mozart O/Andrew Carwood rec. 2011
HYPERION CDA 67921 [69.19] [PCG]
These
genial performances are perfectly in scale and will be welcome to many.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Complete sacred choral works
Chamber Ch Europe/Nicol Matt rec. 2001-2
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94264 [11 CDs: 805:17 + CD-ROM] [TB]
Musical
rewards galore.
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) The Last 8 Piano Concertos
Berlin
PO/Daniel Barenboim (conductor and piano) rec. 1986/89
EUROARTS 2066094 
[255:00] [KM]
The
video quality of this “historic” recording is excellent,
and the performances delightful.
Meetings
with the Professor
- Volume 1: Mozart
Professor Andrzej Jasiński lecturing on and performing Sonatas
K330 & 457 rec. 2009
DUX 9870
[88.30] [DMcC]
For
anyone studying Mozart’s piano works, watching this is a must.
Wolfgang
MOZART Piano Concerto No.9 in E flat, K271 Jeunehomme
see SCHUMANN
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756 1791) Rondos see
VIOTTI
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Symphony 35 see
Toscanini
Modest
MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Boris Godunov
Nicolai Ghiaurov, Sena Jurinac, Vienna State Opera Ch, Vienna PO/Herbert
von Karajan rec. 1966
OPERA D’ORO OPD7084 [3 CDs: 154:42] [RMo]
I
do not see a strong case for preferring this live Salzburg version over
the later studio recording.
Modest
MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Pictures at an Exhibition see
DEBUSSY
Johannes
OCKEGHEM (c.1410-1497) Missa pro defunctis Bengt
SØRENSEN (b.1958) Fragments of Requiem
Ars Nova Copenhagen/Paul Hillier rec. 2005/11
DACAPO 6.220571 [61:32] [DC]
Shoots
straight into the soul and lingers long in the mind.
Jacques
OFFENBACH (1819-1880) Un mari à la porte,
Les fables de la Fontaine
Gabrielle Philiponet (soprano) Stéphane Malbec-Garcia (tenor)
Nicolai Krügel (piano) Royal Liverpool PO/Vasily Petrenko rec.
2008
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC LPOFFCD00211 [71.13] [PCG]
Charming,
cheeky and lively.
Norman
O’NEILL (1875-1934)
Chamber Works for Strings and Piano
Michael Dussek (piano); The Bridge Quartet rec. 2012
EM RECORDS EMR CD005 [69:26] [MC]
Rare
and appealing English chamber scores.
Charles
Hubert Hastings PARRY Lady Radnor's Suite see BUTTERWORTH
Nick
PEROS (b. 1963) Soliloquies
Linda Shumas (piano) Virginia Markson (flute) Simon Fryer (cello)
PHOENIX
RECORDS PHX 01201 [31:00] [Byz]
Attractive
enough in a low-key way.
Francis
POULENC (1899-1963)
Half Monk/Half Rascal Sept Chansons, Quatre petites prières
de Saint François d’Assise, Laudes de Saint Antoine de
Padoue, Chansons françaises
Danish National Vocal Ensemble/Stephen Layton rec. 2008/9
OUR RECORDINGS 8.226906 [56:13] [WH]
A
Danish choir and English conductor in an outstanding collection of unaccompanied
Poulenc.
Francis
POULENC (1899-1963) Flute Sonata
see
British
Flute Concertos
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Cello
Sonata see SHOSTAKOVICH
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Piano
Concerto 3
Anton RUBINSTEIN (1829-1894)
Piano Concerto 4
Nicholas Moog (piano) Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz/Nicholas
Milton rec. 2011
ONYX CLASSICS 4089 [69:49] [BR]
Good
but not essential Rachmaninov, though the main appeal is a barnstorming
performance of the Rubinstein.
Maurice
RAVEL La Valse see Darknesse
Visible
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Violin Sonata see
FRANCK
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) La valse see DEBUSSY
Nikolay
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Scheherazade see
BEETHOVEN
Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) Le Comte Ory
Juan Diego Flórez, Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, Metropolitan
Opera 0 & Ch/Maurizio Benini rec. 2011
VIRGIN CLASSICS
0709599 [2 DVDs: 153:00] [ST]
Will
give hours of pleasure.
Anton
RUBINSTEIN (1829-1894) Piano Concerto 4 see
RACHMANINOV
Poul
RUDERS (b.1949) Symphony 4, Songs and Rhapsodies
Flemming
Dreisig (organ) Frode Andersen (accordion) Odense SO/Robert Minczuk,
Athelas Sinf Copenhagen rec. 2011
BRIDGE RECORDS 9375 [60:48] [Byz]
Tumultuous,
surprisingly approachable, highly memorable.
Alejandro
RUTTY (b. 1967) The conscious sleepwalker
Moravian PO/Petr Vronsky; 4mil Saxophone Qt; Mayan City Sinfonietta/Alejandro
Rutty; Red Clay Saxophone Qt; Kiev PO/Robert Ian Winstin rec. 2005/11
NAVONA
RECORDS NV 5870 [59:45] [PCG]
Playing
absolutely flawless and a proper sense of fun.
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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