The
Merrymakers – British Light Classics Various
Composers 
Concert Orchestra/Iain Sutherland rec. 1983/8. DDD
ALTO ALC 1192 [78:29][RB]
This
is a really splendid collection – the epitome of British light music
standing out in a crowded market.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Music
for a Time of War
Charles IVES (1874-1954)
The Unanswered Question John ADAMS
(b. 1947) The Wound-Dresser Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Sinfonia da Requiem Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Symphony 4
Sanford Sylvan (baritone) Oregon Symphony/Carlos Kalmar rec. 2011
PENTATONE CLASSICS PTC 5186 393 
[78:04] [JQ]
An
uncommonly interesting programme, excellently performed and recorded.
Music
inspired by Shakespeare and Hamlet
Friedrich KUHLAU (1786-1832)
William Shakespeare Overture Pyotr Il’yich
TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Hamlet Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Hamlet Joseph
JOACHIM (1831-1907) Hamlet Overture Edward
MacDOWELL (1860-1908) Two Symphonic Poems
South Jutland SO/Vladimir Ziva rec. 2010
DANACORD DACOCD682 [70:07] [JW]
This
unusual selection has been well put together.
A
Musical Journey - France Brittany and Normandy
NAXOS 
2.110300
[55.57] [RJF]
Varied
and interesting visual content somewhat haphazardly presented.
A
New Venetian Coronation 1595
Gabrieli Consort & Players/Paul McCreesh rec. 2012
SIGNUM SIGCD287 [73:55] [JV]
Fascinating
and musically captivating.
Play
It Again Kenji BUNCH
(b.1973) Slow dance Marjan MOZETICH
(b.1948) Scales of joy and sorrow Jorge
GRUNDMAN (b.1961) A walk across adolescence
Elena KATS-CHERNIN (b.1957)
Calliope Dreaming Paul SCHOENFIELD
(b.1947) Café music
Trio Arbós rec. 2011
NON PROFIT MUSIC NPM1012 [68:41]
[OL]
Enthusiastic
performances - as irresistible as this music deserves.
The
Complete Psalms of David Volume
2: Psalms 20-36
Salisbury Cathedral Ch/David Halls Daniel Cook (organ) rec. 2011
PRIORY PRCD1058 [75:06] [JQ]
A
second excellent instalment.
Saltarello
Garth
Knox (fiddle, viola, viola d’amore); Agnès Vesterman (cello);
Sylvain Lemêtre (percussion) rec. 2009
ECM NEW SERIES 2157 [59:59] [DC]
A
journey of dark and light, and well worth taking.
Andrés
Segovia - Maestro: Guitar Andrés Segovia (guitar) rec. 1954-61
ALTO
ALC 1195 [69:37] [Byz]
An
ideal disc for those looking for a cheap introduction to Segovia's
peerless musicianship.
Shadows
in Paradise Hitler’s Exiles in Hollywood
A film by Peter Rosen
EUROARTS 2058268 [55:00]
[JW]
Considers
the fate of those exiled to ‘Weimar on the Pacific’.
A
Song of Farewell Music of Mourning and Consolation
Gabrieli Consort/Paul McCreesh rec. 2011
SIGNUM SIGCD 281 [75:56] [GH]
A
fine disc this. Buy it.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Summertime
Felicity Lott (soprano) Graham Johnson (piano) rec. 2000
CHAMPS HILL RECORDS CHRCD008 [74:35] [Byz]
A
gorgeous, unmissable disc for all seasons.
Thirty
Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
SONY CLASSICAL
88691 912129 [93:33] [DC]
Well-made
and still resonant even nearly 20 years on.
Arturo
Toscanini Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Symphony 9 Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
Enigma Variations Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Symphony 35 Johannes BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Haydn Variations
rec. 1929-1952
GUILD GHCD 2384-85 [74:48 + 67:53] [JW]
This
is a mixed bag of a twofer.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Le
triomphe de l'amour Arias by
Rameau, Lully, Rebel & Charpentier
Sandrine Piau (soprano) Les Paladins/Jérôme Corréas
rec. 2011
NAÏVE OP 30532 [60:57] [JV]
A
superior disc which displays the features of French opera in full glory.
Tu
es Petrus
Jonathan DOVE (b. 1959) Missa
Brevis Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Hymn to St. Peter Thierry ESCAICH (b.
1965) Grande Messe Solenelle Carl RÜTTI
(b. 1949) St. Peter and St. Paul
Sheffield Cathedral Ch/Neil Taylor, Anthony Gowing (organ) rec. 2010
REGENT
REGCD360 [67:39] [JQ]
An
imaginatively planned and well executed programme of liturgical music
which is well worth investigating.
Music
for Viola da Gamba Works by Abel, Ortiz, Schenck, Telemann,
Simpson & Hume
Wieland Kuijken (viola da gamba) rec. 1993
REGIS RRC1346 [67:24] [JV]
A
disc no lover of the gamba would want to miss.
Walzer
Revolution Works by Mozart, J Strauss Snr & Lanner
Concentus
Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt rec. 2011
SONY CLASSICS 88697 914112 [41:58 + 58:16] [JS]
Good
value and a welcome change to most standard collections of Viennese
dance music.
A
Wind Blows from the East Four
German Medieval Tales
Drew Minter (voice and medieval harp)
BRIDGE 9372 [64.27] [GH]
In
the style of a minstrel entertainment in medieval Germany.
Women
at the Piano Vol. 4 An anthology of Historic Performances
rec.
1921-55
NAXOS 8.111218 [78:04] [SA]
A
disc of particular value.
OTHER
REVIEWS
Noel
Coward - the last British recordings
Woody
Guthrie –
A Centenary Tribute — his
26 Finest, 1940-47 RETROSPECTIVE RTR 4204 [76:38]
Alan
Jay LERNER (1918-1986)
and Frederick LOEWE (1901-1988) My
Fair Lady - Original Broadway Cast Recording rec. originally
released in 1956 
SONY MASTERWORKS BROADWAY 8 8697-49917-2
This
Fair Lady will deliver a wonderfully nostalgic glow
Alan
MELVILLE (1910-1983)
and Charles ZWAR (1911-1989)
Marigold – Original London Cast (1959)
A Musical Map
of the British Isles A map by Em Marshall-Luck and and
Geoff Sawyers [PCW]
A
map which every lover of British music will want to have on their wall.
Lionel
MONCKTON (1861-1923)
Selections from La Cingalee, The Arcadians, Quaker
Girl
Bel-Etage Ch & O/Mart Sander rec. 2002/3
DIVINE ART DIVERSIONS DDV24110 [69:08] [JF]
Attractive
tunes, evocative retro sentiments and a sense of fun.
That’s
Entertainment - A Celebration of the MGM Film Musical
Kim
Criswell, Matthew Ford, Sarah Fox, Seth MacFarlane, Curtis Stigers;
Maida Vale Singers; John Wilson Orchestra/John Wilson rec. 2011 For
full track listing see review
EMI CLASSICS 0 28843 2 [77:52 + DVD: 40:00][JW]
The
album is hugely attractive from beginning to end.
BOOK
REVIEWS
Gustav Holst and India
by Raymond Head. Paperback, 35 pp (A4), 9 illustrations, 10 music examples.
Available at £12.50 plus postage (hard copy) or £15 (download) from
Sky Dance Press, The Firs, 10 Worcester Rd, Chipping Norton OX7 5XX
(skydancepress@phonecoop.coop).
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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