Christopher
CAMPBELL (b.1977) Sound the All-Clear
INNOVA 750 [56:16] [Byz]
Musical
in a laid-back kind of way.
Joseph
CANTELOUBE (1879-1957)
Chants d’Auvergne Heitor
VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959) Bachianas
Brasileiras 5 Sergei RACHMANINOV
(1873-1943) Vocalise
Anna Moffo (soprano) American SO/Leopold Stokowski rec. 1964
NEWTON
CLASSICS 8802085 [41:22] [GF]
Enjoy
one of the most beautiful soprano voices on record.
Elliott
CARTER (b.1908) Night Fantasies see
BOULEZ
Alfredo
CASELLA (1883-1947) Notte di maggio,
Cello Concerto, Scarlattiana
Olivia Andreini (mezzo) Andrea Noferini (cello) Sun Hee You (piano)
Roma SO/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2007-09
NAXOS 8.572416 [66:18] [CH]
The
fascinating Notte di maggio is the most exciting discovery
but the Cello Concerto is worth knowing.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Bob
CHILCOTT (b. 1955) Requiem, Salisbury Motets,
Downing Service
Laurie Ashworth (soprano) Andrew Staples (tenor) Jonathan Vaughn (organ)
The Nash Ensemble, Wells Cathedral Choir/Matthew Owens rec. 2011
HYPERION CDA67650 [79:39] [JQ]
An
excellent collection of music by Bob Chilcott, including an important
new Requiem.
The
Chopin Piano Concertos Josef
HAYDN (1732-1809) Symphony no.44 in E minor, Hob.
1:44 Mourning (1772) [22:32] Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano concerto no.2 in F minor,
op.21 (1830) [34:29] Piano concerto no.1 in E minor, op.11 (1830) [43:35]
Valse brillante in A minor, op.34/2 (1831) [6:27]
Daniel Barenboim (piano) Staatskapelle Berlin/Andris Nelsons rec. 2010
ARTHAUS
MUSIK 
DVD
101 577 [110:00] [RM]
Incisive
rather than an especially poetic.
Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano Music
Vera Gornostaeva (piano) rec. 1974-89
LP CLASSICS 1002 [71:04] [CH]
Gornostaeva offers a free-soaring spirit and a dedication to musical
values that shine like a beacon.
Domenico
CIMAROSA (1749-1801) Keyboard Sonatas 2
Victor Sangiorgio (piano) rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572689 [76:44] [Byz]
Sangiorgio
gives a faithful, cogent and infectious account of the music.
Domenico
CIMAROSA (1749-1801) Sonatas see Julian
Bream
Giovanni
Paolo COLONNA (1637
– 1695) Laudate Dominum (1672) [5.04] Giacomo
Antonio PERTI (1661 – 1756) Messa a 12 (1687)
[32.29]; Sinfonia avanti la serenata [3:46]; Plaudite Mortales
(1678) [6.09]
Soloists, Choir and Orchestra of the Cappella Musicale di S. Petronio/Michele
Vannelli rec. 2006
DYNAMIC CDS 707 [47.26] [RH]
Vivid,
lively, full of joie de vivre in projecting Perti’s amazing work.
Sidney
CORBETT (b.1960) Absconditus, Detroit
Chronicles, Archipel Chagall I
Sarah Plum (violin) Jonathan Ruck (cello) Timothy Lovelace (piano) Patricia
Green (mezzo) rec. 2011
BLUE GRIFFIN RECORDING BGR235 [72:10] [Byz]
Flinty
and stark, yet bewitchingly atmospheric.
Ernesto
CORDERO (b. 1946) Caribbean concertos
Pepe Romero (guitar) Guillermo Figueroa (violin) I Solisti di Zagreb
rec. 2009/10
NAXOS LATIN AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.572707 [51:33] [RB]
Warmly
accessible but not facile; tonal but not simplistic.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Claude DEBUSSY
(1862-1918) Pour le Piano, Estampes, L’isle joyeuse Karol
SZYMANOWSKI (1882-1937) Prelude and Fugue, Sonata
Rafal
Blechacz (piano) rec. 2011
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 9548 [62.22] [RBe]
An
altogether brilliant recital from an outstanding young pianist.
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Pelléas
et Mélisande
John Tomlinson (bass) Sarah Walker (mezzo) English National Opera Ch
& O/Mark Elder rec. 1981
CHANDOS CHAN 3177(3) [3 CDs: 154:49] [GD]
A
handsome package of interest to those who remember the show and those
who have grown to love Debussy's opera since.
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Suite Bergamasque see
Vassily
Primakov
Frederick
DELIUS (1862-1934)
The Complete Delius Songbook - Vol. 2
Mark Stone (baritone) Stephen Barlow (piano) rec. 2011
STONE RECORDS 5060192780109 [75:33] [JF]
Invariably
interesting, well-constructed, often beautiful and sometimes quite moving.
Frederick
DELIUS (1862-1934) 150th Anniversary Edition
rec. 1929-99
EMI CLASSICS 0841752
[18 CDs: 22:26:00] [RB]
This
competitively priced and almost comprehensive set is irresistible.
Frederick
DELIUS (1862-1934) An Arabesque see
ARNELL
Antonín
DVORÁK
(1841-1904) Serenade for Strings in E, Op. 22 [27:15] Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Serenade for Strings
in C, Op. 48 [29:33]
Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice/Leoš Svárovský rec. 2000
ARCODIVA
UP 0031-2 031 [56:48] [BR]
Top-notch
performances, with rare clarity and freshness, though there’s plenty
of competition.
Antonin
DVORÁK
(1841-1904)
String Quartet 12 see The
American Album
Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934) Elgar conducts
Elgar: the complete recordings 1914-1925
MUSIC & ARTS CD-1257 [4 CDs: 296:02] [JW]
This
is an impressive box.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH George ENESCU
(1881-1955) Chamber Music 1895-1906
Claudia Bara (piano) Tatiana Samouil (violin) Gérard Caussé (viola)
Vincent Lucas (flute) Justus Grimm (cello) Frédéric Mellardi (trumpet)
Carmen-Elena Rotaru (piano) rec. 2011
INDESENS INDE036 [76:02] [Byz]
A five-star CD that should appeal to anyone with ears and a heart.
Gabriel
FAURÉ (1845-1924) Messe de Requiem, Élégie, Pavane, Super
flumina Babylonis
Philippe Jaroussky (counter-tenor) Matthias Goerne (baritone) Eric Picard
(cello) Ch & O de Paris/Paavo Järvi rec. 2011
VIRGIN CLASSICS 0709212 [62:45] [JW]
Directed
with assurance, sensitivity and a fine ear for balance.
Gabriel
FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Piano Quartet 1 Johannes BRAHMS (1933-1897)
Piano Quartet 1
Primrose Piano Quartet rec. 2010
MERIDIAN CDE84599 [68:00] [OL]
Listening
to this music should not be so tiring to the ear.
César
FRANCK (1822-1890) Violin Sonata
Guillaume LEKEU (1870-1894) Violin Sonata
Henri Koch (violin) André Dumortier (piano) rec. 1956
FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR 337 [57:36] [JW]
Will
primarily appeal to violin aficionados though not wholly confined to
them.
César
FRANCK (1822-1890)
Violin Sonata in A (1886) [28:10] Guillaume
LEKEU (1870-1894) Violin Sonata in G (1891) [34:04]
Eugčne YSAŸE (1858-1931)
Andante for violin and orchestra (1885) – piano reduction arranged by
Jerrold Rubenstein [6:26]
Jerrold Rubenstein (violin) Dalia Ouziel (piano) rec. 2010
TALENT DOM 2911 117 [70:30] [JW]
Alternative
versions are to be preferred.
Roberto
GERHARD (1896-1970) Tonades of the XVII and XVIII centuries
Nancy
Fabiola Herrera (mezzo) Mac McClure (piano) rec. 2009
COLUMNA MÚSICA 1CM0249 [40:08] [JW]
Interesting
and often rewarding.
Giorgio
Federico GHEDINI (1892-1965)
L’Olmoneta, Litanie alla Vergine, Musical Offering
Alessandro
Scarlatti di Napoli O/Giorgio Federico Ghedini rec. 1952
NAXOS 8.111325 [73:32][CH]
L’Olmoneta,
at least, suggests that the case for further exploration is strong.
Mauro
GIULIANI (1781-1829)
Guitar Concerto 1 see Julian Bream
Ola
GJEILO (b. 1978) Northern Lights
Ola Gjeilo (piano) Harrington String Quartet, Alison Chaney (soprano),
Ted Belledin (tenor sax) Phoenix Chorale/Charles Bruffy rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHSA5100 
[59:43] [KE]
A
very fine disc of meditative and refined music.
Philip
GLASS (b.1937) In the penal colony
Michael
Bennett (tenor) Omar Ebrahim (baritone) Music Theatre Wales Ens/Michael
Rafferty rec. 2010
ORANGE MOUNTAIN MUSIC OMM0078 [78.56] [PCG]
The
music lacks the emotional impact that the situation really needs.
Philip
GLASS (b.1937) Suite from “The Hours” see
Vassily
Primakov
Christoph
Willibald GLUCK (1714 - 1787) Ezio
Sonia Prina (contralto) Max Emanuel Cencic (counter-tenor) Ann Hallenberg
(soprano) Il Complesso Barocco/Alan Curtis. rec. 2008
VIRGIN CLASSICS 0709292 [69.27 + 77.26] [RJF]
Lovers
of opera of a later genre will find much to enjoy here.
Alexander
GOLDENWEISER (1875-1961)
Piano Music, Volume 1: Skazka, Op. 39 (publ. 1961) [7:18]; Sonata-Fantasia,
Op. 37 (1957-59?) [12:36]; Contrapuntal Sketches, Op. 12 (c.1932) [58:30].
Jonathan
Powell (piano) rec. 2006. DDD
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0044 [78:24] [CC]
Powell’s
magnificent advocacy of Goldenweiser. This is an important disc.
Charles
GOUNOD (1818-1893) Solemn Mass see
SCHUBERT
Enrique
GRANADOS (1867-1916) Goyescas (excerpts)
see BEETHOVEN
Christoph
GRAUPNER (1683-1760) The Passion Cantatas
Anton-Webern-Ch Freiburg, Ens Concerto Grosso/Hans Michael Beuerle rec.
2011
CARUS 83.457 [70:46] [JW]
Concise,
compact, undemonstrative but not at all cold … performed with care and
thoughtfulness.
André
Modeste GRÉTRY (1741-1813) Zémire et Azor
Michel Sénéchal (tenor) Huguette Boulangeot (soprano) Bournemouth SO/Thomas
Beecham rec. 1955
SOMM-BEECHAM 030-2 [47:41 + 66:43] [JW]
Beecham
admirers will be thrilled to find this recording now available.
Charles
Tomlinson GRIFFES (1884-1920) The Pleasure Dome
of Kubla Khan; The White Peacock see HARRIS
Charles
Tomlinson GRIFFES (1884-1920) Two Sketches
Based on Indian Themes see The
American Album
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Howard
HANSON (1896-1981) Symphony 1, The Lament
for Beowulf
Seattle SO/Chorale/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1988-1990
NAXOS 8.559700 [48:34] [DM]
Scandalously
neglected music, persuasively played.
Howard
HANSON (1896-1981) Symphony 2; Lux Aeterna;
Mosaics
Susan Gulkis Assadi (viola) Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1988-1994
NAXOS
8.559701 [57:06] [LW]
Reissued
Hanson in excellent recordings.
Howard
HANSON (1896-1981)
Symphony 3, Merry Mount Suite
Seattle Symphony/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1990
NAXOS 8.559702 [52:01] [SA]
Hanson’s
music is beautifully lyrical and original … highly attractive
to listen to.
Howard
HANSON (1896-1981) Symphonies 6
& 7, Lumen in Christo
Seattle SO & Chorale/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1989-94
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559704 [60:20] [RB]
Exuberance,
chattering Sibelian zest, an epic stride and a resplendent recording.
Roy
HARRIS (1898-1979) Symphony 3 Charles
Tomlinson GRIFFES (1884-1920) The Pleasure Dome
of Kubla Khan; The White Peacock Samuel BARBER
(1910-1981) Symphony 1
Eastman-Rochester SO/Howard Hanson rec. 1953/54
PRISTINE AUDIO XR PASC 315 [59:59] [RB]
Sturdily
driven … momentum magisterially sustained … an orchestra on world-class
form.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Joseph HAYDN
(1732-1809) Piano Sonatas Vol. 3
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano) rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN 10689 [75:22] [MG]
You
may not agree with everything he does, but you know you’re in the presence
of great playing.
Franz
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) Symphonies 43, 44, 48, 50, 61
& 91, Cello Concerto, German Dances
Erling Blöndal Bengtsson (cello) Danish Radio CO/Mogens Wöldike rec.
1949-1956
DANACORD DACOCD 703/704 [79:01 + 77:34] [JS]
Self-effacing
devotion to the composer in recordings of clarity and immediacy.
Franz
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) The Seven Last Words of
Christ on the Cross Cuarteto Almus rec. 2009 COLUMNA MUSICA
1CM 2072
[64:00] [KM]
Little
to recommend here: a turgid performance, poor sound, and more it detracts
from Haydn’s magnificent music.
Haydn
ŕ la anglaise
Café Mozart (Emma Kirkby (soprano), Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor), Jenny
Thomas (transverse flute), Ian Gammie (guitar), Alastair Ross (square
piano))/Derek McCulloch rec. 2011, DDD
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6174 [62:31]
[JV][JS]
An
interesting picture of domestic music in London in Haydn's time, despite
some modern 'corrections'. [JV]
A disc I will return to often for sheer pleasure in its innocent music-making.
[JS]
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Bernard HERRMANN
(1911-1975) The Battle of Neretva; The Naked and
the Dead
Moscow SO/William T. Stromberg rec. 2010
TRIBUTE FILM CLASSICS TFC1007 [77:16] [RB]
Classic Herrmann. Rejoice collectors everywhere. This is a recording
project done to an enviable standard.
Bernard
HERRMANN (1911-1975)
Jane Eyre
Slovak RSO/Adriano rec. 1994
NAXOS 8.572718 [68:22] [IL]
A
welcome return to the catalogues to inform and impress a new generation
of film music fans.
Alfred
HILL (1869-1960)
String Quartets 10 & 11, 'Life' Quintet
Dominion Qt, Richard Mapp (piano) vocal octet/Mark Dorrell rec. 2009/11
NAXOS
8.572844 [79:40] [Byz]
Mellifluous,
beautifully crafted and basically wistful.
Paul
HINDEMITH (1895-1963) Mathis der Maler, Nobilissima
Visione, Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria
von Weber
Săo Paulo SO/John Neschling rec. 2008
BIS-SACD-1730
[72:41] [JQ]
An
astutely planned disc, which brings together some of Hindemith’s most
attractive and impressive orchestral music.
Gustav
HOLST (1874-1934)
Symphony, Walt Whitman Overture, Military Band Suite 2, The
Perfect Fool, Scherzo
Munich SO/Douglas Bostock rec. ca 1998
ALTO ALC1170 [65:03] [RB]
Reveals
curious or satisfying facets of a great original.
Gustav
HOLST (1874-1934)
The Planets Op.32 (1914-16) (transcr. Peter Sykes) [60:08]
Hansjörg
Albrecht (organ) rec. 2010,
OEHMS CLASSICS OC
683 [60:08][DC]
Remarkably
successful – colourful and spectacular.
Gustav
HOLST (1874-1934) The Perfect Fool – ballet
music see Music from the Machine Age
John
IRELAND (1879-1962) Piano Concerto; Legend; First
Rhapsody; Pastoral; A Sea Idyll; Three Dances
John Lenehan (piano) Royal Liverpool PO/John Wilson rec. 2007/11
NAXOS 8.572598 [77:00] [DM]
A good introduction to Ireland’s changing musical landscapes.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
John IRELAND (1879-1962) Sarnia
see MOERAN
John
JOUBERT (b.
1927) The Choral Music of John Joubert
Gloucester Cathedral Ch/Adrian Partington Ashley Grote (organ) rec.
2009
PRIORY PRCD 1028 [77:01][JQ]
An
important release of some fine and distinctive music, firmly in the
English choral tradition.
Nikolai
KAPUSTIN (b. 1937) Concert Etudes, Preludes in
Jazz Style
Catherine Gordeladze (piano) rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.572272 [74:55] [BR]
Classically-oriented
listeners to Kapustin could start here, with music good enough to dispose
of the question: is it classical or is it jazz?
Aram
KHACHATURIAN (1903-1978) Flute Concerto see
Mirror
of Eternity
John
KINSELLA (b.
1932) Symphonies 6 & 7, Prelude and Toccata, Cúchulain
and Ferdia
National Chamber Ch Ireland, RTÉ Ntl SO/Proinnsias Ó Duinn,
Gavin Maloney rec. 2007-10
RTÉ LYRIC FM CD134 [76:51] [HC]
A
fine survey of recent works by one of the most distinguished Irish composers
of his generation.
Justin
Heinrich KNECHT (1752-1817)
Grande Symphonie, Orchestral works and arias
Sarah Wegener (soprano) Hofkapelle Stuttgart/Frieder Bernius rec. 1997-2011
CARUS
83.228 [48:18] [JW]
Charming,
pastel coloured, descriptive, sombre and lowering, radiant.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Erich Wolfgang
KORNGOLD (1897-1957) Die stumme Serenade
Sarah
Wegener, Birge Radde, Frank Buchwald, Young Opera Company, Holst-Sinfonietta/Klaus
Simon rec. 2009
CPO 777 485-2 [63:24 + 55:09] [IL]
Just the thing for unrepentant romantics.
Erich
Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1957) Piano Quintet,
String Sextet
Doric String Qt; Kathryn Stott (piano) Jennifer Stumm (viola) Bartholomew
LaFollette (cello) rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN 10707 [66:58] [GD]
Obscure
repertoire but playing of this standard deserves to find the widest
possible audience.
Guillaume
LEKEU (1870-1894) Violin Sonata see FRANCK
Guillaume
LEKEU (1870-1894) Violin Sonata see FRANCK
Guillaume
LEKEU (1870-1894) Piano Quartet see Walton
String Quartet
Leighton
LUCAS (1903-1982) Film
Music see
BENJAMIN
Witold
LUTOSLAWSKI (1913-1994) Symphonic Variations;
Piano Concerto; Variations on a Theme of Paganini; Symphony 4
Louis Lortie (piano) BBC SO/Edward Gardner rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHSA 5098
[67:25] [DC]
Tremendous performances and recording.
Anatoly
LYADOV (1855-1914) Symphonic Works
USSR State SO/Evgeny Svetlanov rec. 1970
MELODIYA MEL CD10 01873 [47:27] [RB]
Get
your aural sunglasses out for a dazzling sunburst of sound and fantasy.
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for alphabetical listings by composer:
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