RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921)
Piano Concerto 2 Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Piano Concerto George GERSHWIN (1898-1937)
Rhapsody in Blue 
Benjamin Grosvenor (piano) Royal Liverpool PO/James Judd rec. 2012
DECCA 478 3527 [65:45] [JQ]
A
thoroughly entertaining disc. Enjoy!
Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
La Muse et le Poète, Cello Concerto 1, Symphony 1
Augustin Dumay (violin) Pavel Gomziakov (cello) Kansai PO/Sachio Fujioka
rec. 2011
ONYX 4091 [64:13] [Byz]
A
fine CD, ideally suited to the recollection of summer past.
Domenico
SCARLATTI (1685-1757)
The Complete Sonatas MP3 Edition
Richard Lester (harpsichord, fortepiano, organ) rec. 2001-2006 ; DDD
Contains mp3 files at 320 kbs
NIMBUS NI1719 [9 mp3 CDs: 41:00:00] [BW, KM] NOTE:
These sets cannot be played on a normal CD player. You will need one
of the following: a computer; a portable MP3 device (like an iPod, but
not limited to iPods) a DVD player; or the latest generation of in-car
disc players.
A
notable bargain – but take it in small doses. [BW] Sometimes you get
what you pay for; the poor sound of this set isn’t compensated for by
its bargain price. [KM]
Johann
Hermann SCHEIN (1586-1630) Israelsbrunnlein
Dresdner
Kammerchor/Hans-Christoph Rademann rec. 2000/12
CARUS 83.350 [47.07 + 47.25] [RH]
Performances
of great charm.
Alfred
SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) Piano quintet, Piano quartet, Piano
trio, Piano Concerto 2
Maria Lettberg & Ewa Kupiec (pianos) Petersen Qt, Berlin RSO/Frank
Strobel rec. 2008/9
CRYSTAL CLASSICS N 67083 [72:38] [Byz]
Schnittke
is well known for his so-called polystylism but the salient aspects
here are atonality and a sombre mien.
Alfred
SCHNITTKE (1934-1998)
Suite in the Old Style see PROKOFIEV
Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Verklärte Nacht
Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
String Sextet
Talich Quartet, Jiri Jajnar, Vaclav Bernasek rec. 1989
PHAIA PHU011 [60:50] [RMo]
I
doubt whether anyone will be disappointed in these sextets, beautifully
played as they are here.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Symphonies 3 & 5
Basel SO/Dennis Russell Davies rec. 2011/2
SINFONIEORCHESTER BASEL SOB01 [50:28] [MC]
Vigorous
and polished accounts from these excellent Schubert advocates.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Symphonies 8 & 9
Staatskapelle Dresden/Herbert Blomstedt rec.1978/81
BERLIN CLASSICS ETERNA 0300349BC [77:42] [GA]
Excellent
Schubert performances.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Piano Quintet, Adagio and Rondo concertante
Peter Rösel (piano) Gewandhaus Qt Leipzig rec. 1986
BERLIN CLASSICS ETERNA EDITION 0300377BC [48:33] [MC]
Straightforward
and compelling … highly appealing.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
String Quartets 13 & 14
Doric String Quartet rec. 12
CHANDOS CHAN 10737 [73:55] [MC]
Exceptional
accounts; superior to most. Playing of genuine gravitas.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano Trio, Violin Sonata
Beethoven-Trio rec. 1971/72
BERLIN CLASSICS ETERNA EDITION 0300376BC [62:20] [MC]
Worthy
to stand alongside the finest accounts without displacing them.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Winterreise
Maarten Koningsberger (baritone) Roger Braun (piano) rec. 2002
QUINTONE Q11003 [73:30] [GF]
Koningsberger’s
is a perfectly valid reading, worth anyone’s money.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Lieder
Heinrich Schlusnus (baritone) Franz Rupp, Sebastian Peschko (piano)
rec. 1927 – 1943. ADD
NIMBUS PRIMA VOCE NI7883 [77:20] [RMo]
A
master-class in the Lieder-singer’s art.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Impromptus see
BACH
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Erwin SCHULHOFF (1894-1942) String
Quartet 1 see SIBELIUS
Erwin
SCHULHOFF (1894 - 1942) Five Pieces for String Quartet
see VASKS
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Concerto Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Eroica Variations, Sonata
30 Annie
Fischer (piano) Cologne Radio SO/Joseph Keilberth rec. 1957/8
ICA CLASSICS ICAC 5062 [73:19] [CH]
A
chance to hear Annie Fischer, not always at her happiest in the studio,
in truly great form in live broadcasts.
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Liederkreis, Op. 39 (1840) [26:59] Sechs Gedichte aus dem Liederbuch
eines Malers, Op. 36 (1840) [15:59] Liederkreis, Op. 24 (1840) [21:30]
Gerald
Finley (baritone); Julius Drake (piano)
rec. 2011/2012, DDD German texts and English translations included
HYPERION CDA67944 [64:30][JQ]
This
fine disc is a worthy successor to Gerald Finley’s earlier Schumann
disc.
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Concerto see BRAHMS
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Abegg Variations see Alexandra
Dariescu
Heinrich
SCHÜTZ (1585-1672)
Die Sieben Worte, Johannes-Passion
Ars Nova Copenhagen/Paul Hillier rec. 2009
DA CAPO 8.226093 [58:11] [EM-L]
Deeply
moving performances of some intriguing works.
Ittai
SHAPIRA (b.1973) The Old Man and the
Sea, Concierto Latino
Ittai Shapira (violin) Royal Liverpool PO/Neil Thomson, London Serenata/Krzysztof
Chorzelski rec. 2010-2012
CHAMPS HILL RECORDS CHRCD 032 [52:41] [Byz]
A
memorably orchestrated, romantic modern masterpiece, full of imagination,
passion and beautiful melody.
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Symphony No. 7 in C, Op. 60, Leningrad (1941) [72:23]
Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio/Vladimir Fedoseyev rec.
2004
RELIEF CR991079 [72:23] [SV]
An
affecting and well-realized performance.
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Viola Sonata see
HINDEMITH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) String Quartet Voces Intimae
Leos JANÁČEK (1854-1928)
String Quartet 1 Erwin SCHULHOFF (1894-1942)
String Quartet 1
Henschel Qt rec. 2008
NEOS CLASSICS 11006 
[65:23]
[MC]
Dark
and melancholy is explored through compelling playing of real distinction.
Jean
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5 see STRAVINSKY
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphony 5 see
BRAHMS
Antonio
SOLER (1729-1783) Six Concertos for Two Organs
Johann Tobias KREBS (1690-1762)
Eight Little Preludes and Fugues
E. Power Biggs & Daniel Pinkham (organs) rec. 1954-1959
PRISTINE AUDIO PAKM 050 [77:40] [JW]
Organ
aficionados will have a field day.
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Don Juan, Op.20 [16.49] Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche,
Op.28 [14.38] Also sprach Zarathustra, Op.30 [33.44]
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras rec.. 1995
ALTO ALC 1197 [PCG]
Listeners
are well served by performances of the highest order.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
The Rite of Spring Jean SIBELIUS
(1865-1957) Symphony 5
London SO/Leonard Bernstein rec. 1966
ICA CLASSICS ICAD 5082 
[85:54] [DM]
Truly
great performances; Bernstein at his magnetic best.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Josef SUK
(1874-1935)
A Summer’s Tale, Prague
BBC SO/Jiří Bĕlohlávek rec. 2012
CHANDOS CHSA 5109
[79:32] [NB]
Powerful
burnished beauty … simply glorious.
Johan
SVENDSEN (1840-1911)
Norwegian Rhapsodies 3 & 4, Cello Concerto, Symphony 2
Truls Mørk (cello) Bergen POa/Neeme Järvi rec. 2010/11
CHANDOS CHAN10711 [72:09] [NB]
A
hugely enjoyable disc of undemandingly appealing music presented in
typically superb Chandos sound.
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Transcriptions
for piano
Anthony Goldstone (piano) rec. 2012
DIVINE ART DDA25093 [63:12] [BR]
For
Tchaikovsky aficionados, a real treat; for others, maybe a bit off the
path.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Piano concerto 1, Symphony 5
Conrad Hansen (piano) Berlin PO/Willem Mengelberg rec. 1940
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC348 [74:29] [RMay]
Pristine
Audio and Mark Obert-Thorn have done a sterling job in bringing a greater
degree of clarity to these 72 years old performances than we have ever
heard before.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The Nutcracker
and the Mouse King
Anna Tsygankova, Matthew Golding, James Stout, Holland Symfonia/Ermanno
Florio rec. 2011
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101 636 [108:00
+ 27:00] [DM]
Nutcracker-lite;
short on magic, too.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony 2
Russian National O/Mikhail Pletnev rec. 2011
PENTATONE PTC 5186382
[48:12] [DMcC]
A
most frustrating and disappointing release.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Violin Concerto Carl NIELSEN (1865-1931)
Violin Concerto
Vilde Frang (violin) Danish Ntl SO/Elvind Gullberg Jensen rec. 2011
EMI
CLASSICS 6025702 [71:48] [WH]
Two
very individual and magnificent performances.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Romeo and Juliet
see FRANCK
Thomas
TELLEFSEN (1823-1874) Complete Piano Works
Jørgen Larsen (piano) rec. 2010/11
2L-080-PABD 
[198:00] [KM]
Attractive
piano music from a student, then friend of Chopin.
Will
TODD (b. 1970) The Call of Wisdom
Tenebrae, English CO/Nigel Short
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD298 [66:46] [WH]
A
beautifully performed selection of Will Todd’s choral music, for
the most part sweet and undemanding.
Barbara
THOMPSON (b.1944)
Perpetual Motion
Apollo Saxophone Orchestra rec. 2012, Royal Northern College of Music.
DDD
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6200 [52:06] [JW]
Inspiring
musicians playing with terrific verve.
Yvonne
TROXLER (b.1962) Brouhaha
Glass Farm Ens rec. 2007-11
INNOVA 835 [42:50] [Byz]
Imaginative
and worthwhile music.
Viktor
ULLMANN (1898-1944) The Complete Piano Sonatas
Jeanne
Golan (piano) rec. 2011
STEINWAY AND SONS 30014 [66.13 + 59.10] [GH]
Golan
plays this music so convincingly … Ullmann is a fascinating figure.
Pēteris
VASKS (b.
1946) String Quartet 4 Erwin SCHULHOFF
(1894 - 1942) Five Pieces for String Quartet Anton
WEBERN (1883 - 1945) Langsamer Satz Jaan
RÄÄTS (b. 1932) Concerto for Chamber Orchestra
Prezioso
String Qt rec. 2011/2
ESTONIAN RECORD PRODUCTION ERP 5912 [68:54] [HC]
Prezioso's
first disc is a splendid calling card while offering a most attractive
programme.
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
Sonata for Violin and Piano Gustav HOLST
(1874-1934) Five Pieces for violin and piano Henry
WALFORD DAVIES (1869-1941) Sonata for Violin and Piano
Rupert
Marshall-Luck (violin); Matthew Rickard (piano) rec. 2012
EM RECORDS EMR CD006 [63:23] [JW]
Committed
and watertight performances.
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
A Cotswold Romance, Death of Tintagiles
London Philharmonic Ch, London SO/Richard Hickox rec. 1997
CHANDOS CHAN10728X [54:34] [MC]
This
disc will appeal mainly to die-hard Vaughan Williams admirers.
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Linden Lea and other
songs Gerald FINZI (1901-1956)
Seven poems of Robert Bridges
Quink Vocal Ensemble rec. 1987
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72501 [54:24] [JQ]
A
fundamentally misconceived project.
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Songs of Travel
see Most
Grand to Die
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Nabucco
Ettore Bastianini, Mirella Parutto, O & Ch of the Maggio Musicale
Fiorentino/Bruno Bartoletti rec. 1961
IDIS 6630/31 [73:07 + 50:19] [JS]
Worth
having for the stunning performance of the title role and the exciting
and idiomatic performances of the other singers.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901)
Ernani
Gino Penno (tenor) Giuseppe Taddei (baritone) Giacomo Vaghi (bass) Caterina
Mancini (soprano) Ch & SO di Roma della RAI/Fernando Previtali rec.
1950
WARNER FONIT 2564 66143-6 [74:38 + 43:17] [RMo]
Full-blooded
Verdi at full throttle the like of which it is impossible to hear today.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Un ballo in maschera
Ferruccio
Tagliavini, Giuseppe Valdengo, Maria Curtis Verna, RAI Torino/Angelo
Questa rec. 1954
WARNER FONIT 2564 66143-9 [75:06 + 44:30] [RMo]
A
vintage Ballo.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Il trovatore
Sondra Radvanovsky (soprano) Marcelo Alvarez (tenor) Dolora Zajick (mezzo)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky (baritone) Metropolitan Op Ch & O/Marco Armiliato
rec. 2011
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
0734797 [143:00 + 7:00] [JZ]
These
performances come together brilliantly in this impressive recording.
Tomás
Luis de VICTORIA (1548-1611) Officium Defunctorum;
Motets
Collegium Vocale Ghent/Philippe Herreweghe
PHI 005 [59:40] [DG]
A
distinctive interpretation that’s as good as any of the rivals.
Heitor
VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959)
Symphonies 6 & 7
São Paulo SO/Isaac Karabtchevsky rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.573043 [68:18] [NB]
Augurs
very well for the proposed complete cycle on Naxos.
Heitor
VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959) Uirapurú,
Bachianas Brasileiras 4, The Emperor Jones
Odense SO/Jan Wagner rec. 1999/2000
BRIDGE 9129 [61:36] [DM]
A
most rewarding issue, played with great conviction and style.
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) Sonatas & Concertos
rec. 1964-72
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802109 [9 CDs: 449:49] [Byz]
Not
a boxed set for connoisseurs - nor really for anyone else, for that
matter.
Georg
Christoph WAGENSEIL (1715-1777) Concertos for
Organ
Elisabeth Ullmann (organ) Piccolo Concerto Wien/Roberto Sensi rec. 2002
ACCENT
ACC 24248 [62:27] [Byz]
Utterly
winsome music with appealing foot-tapping rhythms and catchy melodies
piled high.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Orchestral excerpts Vols 1
& 2
Seattle Symphony/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1986-1992
NAXOS 8.572767/8 [69:21 & 64:41] [RMay]
Will
offer a great deal of pleasure.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Orchestral Excerpts Vol. 3:
Tannhäuser, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg & Tristan und
Isolde
Alessandra Marc (soprano) Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1986-1992
NAXOS 8.572769 [62.26] [PCG]
One
cannot help but feel that this could well have been left to gather dust.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883)
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Soloists;
Vienna PO/Georg Solti
DECCA 478 3702 2 [17 CDs, 1 DVD, 1 Blu-Ray Audio Disc]
Nearly
perfect in every detail. As superb now as it was when first issued.
It need fear no later rivals.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Lohengrin
Klaus Florian Vogt, Annette Dasch, Georg Zeppenfeld, Bayreuth Festival
O & Ch/Andris Nelsons rec. 2011
OPUS ARTE OA1071D
[2 DVDs: 209:00] Lohengrin
Plácido Domingo, Cheryl Studer, Robert Lloyd, Vienna State Opera
Ch & O/Claudio Abbado rec. 1990
ARTHAUS MUSIK 100 957
[2 DVDs: 219.00] [PCG]
Taken
as a representation of Wagnerian Gesamtkunstwerk these productions
sink themselves without a trace.
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Lohengrin
Klaus Florian Vogt, Annette Dasch, Berlin RSO/Marek Janowski rec. 2011
PENTATONE
PTC5186403 [3 CDs: 200:34] [ST]
Solid
but not superb.
Richard
WAGNER (1813 - 1883) Der Ring des Nibelungen
(Highlights)
John Bröcheler (bass-baritone) Lisa Gasteen (soprano) Gary Rideout
(tenor) Stuart Skelton (tenor) Deborah Riedel (soprano) John Wegner
(baritone) Adelaide SO/Asher Fisch rec. 2004
MELBA MR 301133-34
[77:58 + 76:30] [GF]
As
an introduction to The Ring this twofer should win many new proselytes.
William
Vincent WALLACE (1812-1865)
Chopinesque
Rosemary Tuck (piano) The Tait Chamber Orchestra/Richard Bonynge (Grande
Fantasie) rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.572776 [79:20] [RW]
Lightly
balletic music sympathetically interpreted.
William
WALTON (1902-1983)
Piano Quartet Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941)
Phantasy Guillaume LEKEU (1870-1894)
Piano Quartet
Frith Piano Quartet rec. 2010
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI 6183 [65:38] [JW]
This
unwieldy programme nevertheless deserves to do well.
Anton
WEBERN (1883 - 1945) Langsamer Satz see
VASKS
Charles-Marie
WIDOR (1843-1937) Organ Symphonies 5 & 6
Joseph Nolan (organ) rec. 2011
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD292 [72:35] [WK]
This
series could rival that of Ben van Oosten as the standard for the Widor
symphonies.
Adriaen
WILLAERT (1490-1562)
Vespro della Beata Vergine
Capilla Flamenca/Dirk Snellings rec. 2012
RICERCAR RIC325 [79:30] [JV]
This
great repertoire receives exemplary performances.
Hugo
WOLF (1860 - 1903) The Complete Songs - Vol 4
Mary
Bevan (soprano) Quirijn de Lang (baritone) Sholto Kynoch (piano) rec.
2011
STONE RECORDS 5060192780161 [72:18] [GF]
All
in all this is a damn good disc that should be a revelation to both
jaded collectors and relatively innocent beginners.
Ermanno
WOLF-FERRARI (1876-1948)
Wind concertinos
Andrea Tenaglia (oboe); Willian Moriconi (cor anglais); Giuseppe Ciabocchi
(bassoon) Rome SO/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572921 [77:32] [JS]
Characterful,
lyrical, enjoyable and written with real craftsmanship.
Ermanno
Wolf Ferrari:
Violin Concerto: Alberto
Cantù - Ermanno Wolf Ferrari: La Musica, la grazia, il silenzio. Includes
a CD of the Violin Concerto in D major Op.26 (1901) performed by Laura
Marzadori (violin) with Orchestra Città di Ferrara/Marco Zuccarini,
recorded live, Teatro Comunale di Ferrara, 14 April 2012 Gabrielli Editori
2011, 123pp [JW]
If
you’d like a monograph on the composer, you will find this excellent
performance much to your liking as well as an exciting bonus.
Iannis
XENAKIS (1922-2001) Tetras
JACK Qt rec. 2011 see LIGETI
Jan
Dismas ZELENKA (1679-1745)
Zelenka Sonatas (ca.1722-23)
Ensemble Marsyas rec. 2011
LINN CKD 415 [49:43] [DC]
Delightfully
detailed and freshly energetic – a superb disc.
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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