RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Hector BERLIOZ
(1803-1869) Symphonie fantastique, Béatrice et Bénédict
Scottish CO/Robin Ticciati rec. 2011
LINN CKD 400 [63:12] [DM]
Palate-cleansing,
ear-pricking performances. Not to be missed.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Pierre BOULEZ
(b. 1925) Mémoriale, Dérive 1 & 2 
Fabrice Jünger (flute) Ens Orchestral Contemporain/Daniel Kawka rec.
2011
NAĎVE MO782183 [63.10] [GH]
This
is great music but undoubtedly challenging. Important and of lasting
value.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Anton BRUCKNER
(1824-1896)
Symphony 9
Berlin PO/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2012
EMI CLASSICS 9529692 [82:10] [RMo]
Massive
solidity … rich sonority … magical.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848) L’Elisir d’Amore Roberta
Peters (soprano) Carlo Bergonzi (tenor) Metropolitan Op Ch/O/Thomas
Schippers rec. 1966 SONY CLASSICAL 88691 90991 2 [64:28 + 49:26]
[JS]
Well
worth hearing – a splendid cast caught at their best … captures the
spirit of this most delightful of operas.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848) Anna Bolena
Anna Netrebko, Elina Garanca, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Francesco Meli,
Wiener Staatsoper/Evelino Pidň rec. 2011
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 073 4725 
[193:00 + 4:00 bonus] [RJF]
No
lover of Donizetti’s operas should do without this outstanding performance.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1840-1904) Cello Concerto,
The Water Goblin, In Nature’s Realm
Zuill Bailey (cello) Indianapolis SO/Jun Märkl rec. 2011
TELARC TEL-32927-02 [75:30] [LW]
Bailey’s
new account of the Dvořák concerto is among the best in
recent years.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alexander GLAZUNOV
(1865-1936)
Complete Symphonies and Concertos
Rachel Barton-Pine (violin), Alexander Romanovsky (piano), Wen-Sinn
Yang (cello), Marc Chisson (saxophone), Alexey Serov (horn) Russian
National Orchestra/Jose Serebrier rec. 2004-2010 DDD Full
contents list at end of review
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 66467 4 [8 CDs: c. 520:00] [RB]
This
set goes straight to the top of the recommended versions of the symphonies
and concertos.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Henryk
GÓRECKI (1933-2010) Totus Tuus - Choral Music
Euntes ibant et flebant, Lobgesang, Totus Tuus, Salve, Sidus Polonorum,
Amen Natl Youth Ch of GB/Mike Brewer rec. 2010-2011 DELPHIAN DCD34054
[61:47] [JQ]
Another
formidable achievement by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain
and Mike Brewer.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Howard
HANSON (1896-1981) Symphonies 4 & 5, Elegy
in Memory of Serge Koussevitzky, Dies Natalis
Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1990/92
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559703 [69:45] [DM]
Works
of strength and subtlety, supremely well played.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Complete Symphonies
Mozart
Akademie Amsterdam/Jaap ter Linden
rec. 2001-2002
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94295 [11 CDs: 67:20 + 64:45 + 63:44 +61:42 +
62:54 + 78:05 + 66:12 + 63:59 + 77:43 + 65:13 + 63:41][BW]
A
superb bargain for all lovers of Mozart, not just for period-instrument
devotees… see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Pablo
SARASATE (1844-1908)
Music for Violin and Piano - Volume 3
Tianwa Yang (violin); Markus Hadulla (piano) rec. 2007, 2010
NAXOS 8.570893 [78:55] [JWh]
An
amazing violinist does wonders with Sarasate.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975)
Symphony 8 Richard WAGNER (1813-1883)
Rienzi: Overture Richard STRAUSS
(1864-1949) Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils
Royal Concertgebouw O/Andris Nelsons rec. 2011
C MAJOR UNITEL CLASSICA 709908
[100:00] [JQ]
A
remarkable concert, splendidly captured on DVD.
DOWNLOAD
OF THE MONTH Richard STRAUSS
(1864-1949)
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (1895-1896) [29:56] Gustav
HOLST (1874-2934) The Planets, Op. 32/H.125
(1914-1916) [45:58]
Boston Symphony Orchestra/William Steinberg rec. 1970-1971, MP3, 16-bit
lossless and 24-bit Studio Master Pdf cover art; no booklet
LINN/UNIVERSAL UNI016 Download [75:54] [DM]
A
fine Zarathustra and a distinguished Planets, presented in analogue
sound of rare subtlety and presence.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893)
Complete Symphonies
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Yuri Simonov, Vladimir Fedoseyev rec.1983-98
BRILLIANT
CLASSICS 94307 [7 CDs: 442:00] [RMo]
A
bargain box of extraordinary quality and desirability … could
hardly be bettered.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Giuseppe VERDI
(1813-1901) Macbeth
Simon Keenlyside, Liudmyla Monastyrska, Raymond Aceto; Ch & O Royal
Opera House, Covent Garden/Antonio Pappano rec. 2011
OPUS ARTE OA1063D
[170:00] [ST]
An
excellent release, altogether, and something that any fan of the opera
would enjoy.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Complete Ballet Music from the
Operas
Bournemouth SO/José Serebrier
NAXOS 8.572818-19 [54:09 + 61:13] [DM]
Two
hours of pure, unadulterated pleasure.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Rienzi: Overture Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Salome: Dance of
the Seven Veils Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975) Symphony 8
Royal Concertg O/Andris Nelsons rec. 2011
C-MAJOR UNITEL 710004 
Blu-ray
[100:00] [DMo]
Fine
Wagner, good Strauss, inspired Shostakovich.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Die Walküre – music-drama in three
acts (1870)
The Hallé/Sir Mark Elder rec.2011 DDD. Booklet with synopsis included.
Text and translation on CD5.
HALLÉ CDHLD7531 [4 CDs: 71:32 + 68:13 + 30:59 + 77:13 + CD 5: libretto
and translation] [BW]
A
very welcome alternative to existing recordings – and at a competitive
price.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH French
Impressions Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921) Violin Sonata 1 César FRANCK
(1822-1890) Violin Sonata Maurice RAVEL
(1875-1937) Violin Sonata
Joshua Bell (violin) Jeremy Denk (piano) rec. 2010
SONY CLASSICAL 88697891822 [67:19] [LW]
Winning
accounts of French violin/piano sonatas warmly recorded.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gulfstream
Chamber works by Larsen, Lieuwen, Schickele & Copland
enhake; Corinne Stillwell (violin) Pamela Ryan (viola) rec. 2010
NAXOS
8.559692 [55:01] [BR]
Four
excellent, brief chamber in a sort of tasting menu of delights from
the past 75 years.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH A
Song of Farewell Music of Mourning and Consolation
The
Gabrieli Consort/Paul McCreesh rec. 2009
SIGNUM RECORDS SIGCD281 [75:56] [NB]
A
disc of the year without doubt.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Günter Wand - The Munich
Phil Recordings Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphonies
4, 5, 6, 8 & 9 Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Symphonies 8 & 9 Johannes BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Symphony 1 Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Symphony 1
Munich PO/Günter Wand rec. 1993-2001
PROFIL EDITION PH06013 [8 CDs: 512:43] [MC]
Indispensable
gems in performances that lovers of Austro-German Romantic repertoire
will certainly relish.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Los
Pajaros Perdidos - The South-American Project
Raquel Andueza, Lucilla Galeazzi (soprano) Philippe Jaroussky (counter-tenor)
Luciana Mancini (mezzo) Vincenzo Capezzuto (alto) L’Arpeggiata/Christina
Pluhar (harp) rec. 2011
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6785162 or 0709502 [75:23] [BW]
Sheer
musical enjoyment.
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