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NEW and RECENT ARTICLES
One of the 76 Smartest Philadelphians: Lang Lang in Interview with Marc Bridle
Magnus Lindberg interviewed by Marc Bridle
BEATRIX POTTER IN MUSIC
by Philip Scowcroft
Music inspired by William Makepeace Thakeray
by Philip Scowcroft
H G Wells in Music by Philip Scowcroft
Music inspired by Oscar Wilde by
Philip Scowcroft
Crime Fiction and Music by Philip
Scowcroft
EDWARD GERMAN: Serious or Light?
by Philip Scowcroft
Jascha Horenstein - a CD Discography by Donald Clarke
Sir Malcolm Arnold at 80 by Hubert Culot
ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Popular Music now on-line (nearly 4000 pages)
DICTIONARY of Classical composers now complete
THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC Reflections of a music publisher by Ernst RothContemporary British Music (1945-1970) by Francis Routh complete on-line book
Arthur Butterworth Writes: The Loquacious Conductor
Diatribes and Digressions:
It maybe Hi-Fi but is it music? by David Dyer
Musings on Carmen by David DyerAlgernon ASHTON works list
MALCOLM ARNOLD – THE SYMPHONIES: A comparative review (Part One) Paul Conway
GOLDBERG MAGAZINE A quarterly magazine of early music
If you enjoy the sort of articles Arthur Butterworth and others write and feel you would like to write one yourself I would be willing to open a Public Forum where they could be presented. email Len
On-Line help sites: How do I do this, Where do I find this. Some free, some not
Did you know you could help sponsor a new recording for as little as £10 - a symphony for £25? Read on such as this one now reviewed here: GRAHAM WHETTAM Sinfonia Intrepida
BBCSO/Sir Charles Mackerras.
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HOFFNUNG for CHRISTMAS? an ideal Christmas present for yourself or your friends The Hoffnung little books
The Maestro, Symphony Orchestra, Music Festival,Companion to Music, Musical Chairs, AcousticsGet SIX for the price of FIVE
£7.69 each or 6 books £36 .79 incl P&PRecording of the Hoffnung Music Festivals: CDs
The Hoffnung Music Festival Concert 1956,The Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival 1958,The Hoffnung Astronautical Music Festival 1961A Last Encore cassette
BBC recordings of Speech Day, Oxford Union, December 1958 "Life begins at 38" with the famous Bricklayer story and the hotelier offering French widows in every bedroom.If you wish to flip between this page and the latest reviews use the button marked "Return to previous page" to get back to here
LATEST CD REVIEWS (last two days)
There are 230 FULL-LENGTH CD reviews for December on the next five pages - our biggest monthly review number yet.
(The December Gramophone has only approx80 and International Record Review approx100)
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BOOK REVIEW
Beecham Stories New Expanded edition of the best selling classic -
Anecdotes, sayings and impressions of Sir Thomas Beecham
compiled by Harold Atkins and Archie Newman with a Foreword by Yehudi Menuhin
Robson Books hardback 90 pages £10:95 ISBN 1-86105-393-2
Always guaranteed to raise a smile.
Frank Bridge – radical and conservative
By Anthony Payne
This is an erudite appreciation of the music of a too long neglected and overshadowed British composer. ... see Full Review
GOLDBERG MAGAZINE
A quarterly magazine of early music
120 pages.
60 FF, £6.50, $12.50, 1,250 PTA. http://www.goldberg-magazine.comLovers of early and baroque music would certainly do well to check out this magazine, to learn more about the music they listen to, and to have an attractively produced magazine to read every three months.
THE PENGUIN GUIDE TO COMPACT DISCS: The Guide To Excellence In Recorded Music 2002 Edition
Published Nov 22nd [RB]
An ideal Christmas present for the dedicated classical CD collector or someone you might like to become a dedicated collector. Beginners in this field could hardly have a better companion.
THE NEW PENGUIN OPERA GUIDE
This book now joins the elite ranks of opera books. On the same shelf you will find Kobbé and the Operatic Grove. As a single volume opera encyclopedia it is peerless. At £30.00 this will be money exceptionally well spent.
The Walled-In Garden – The songs of Roger Quilter
By Trevor Hold.A much-needed and balanced assessment of Roger Quilter’s art. ...see Full Review
William Walton: A Bio-Bibliography by Carolyn J Smith. Bio-Bibliographies in Music Number 18. 247pp. $68.50. ISBN 0-37-25391-9. I988. Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut 06881.
Despite its age this is still a very useful addition to the Walton bookshelf
SCORE REVIEWS
RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH
Granville BANTOCK (1868-1946) The Song of Songs - Prelude (1926) Omar Khayyam - Prelude and Camel Caravan (1906) Caristiona (1920) Processional (1893) Thalaba the Destroyer - symphonic poem (1899)
rec 20-21 Feb 2001, Walthamstow Assembly Halls, London - DDD
Hyperion should take a deep bow for this latest Bantock salvo which is remarkably strong meat especially in the case of Thalaba and Caristiona.
DELIUS Song of Summer. A film by Ken Russell.
BFIVD518 £19.99 (with director's biography and commentary). Video version: VHS BFIV101 £12.99.
No-one interested in Delius should be without a copy of Song of Summer. It has not dated at all and it repays repeated viewing and remains a fine tribute to Eric Fenby's sacrifice and self-less devotion.
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) The Haydn Project [141.29] CD1 1. String Quartet No. 23 in F minor, Op. 20/5, H. 3/35 2. String Quartet No. 30 in E flat major "Joke" Op. 33/2, H. 3/38 3. String Quartet No. 43 in G major, Op. 54/1, H. 3/58 4. String Quartet No. 53 in D major "Lark" Op. 64/5, H. 3/63 CD2
1. String Quartet No. 59 in G minor "Rider"/"Horseman" Op. 74/3, H. 3/74
2. String Quartet No. 61 in D minor "Fifths"/"The Bell"/"The Donkey" Op. 76/2, H. 3/76 3. String Quartet No. 66 in G major "Lobkowitz" Op. 77/1, H. 3/81
David Finckel, cello Rec.: LeFrak Concert Hall, Queens College, NY, 2000-01A magnificent recording, which deserves the utmost attention. While it is unlikely that the Emerson Quartet will record a complete set of Haydn’s quartets, one must hope that they will add more of them to their discography. This is a real gem. ...see Full Review
Graham WHETTAM (b.1927) Concerto Drammatico; Sinfonia contra timore
These pieces are gloomy and harsh. Whettam’s is a striking musical world.
Hugh WOOD (born 1932) Symphony Op.21 (1982) Scenes from Comus Op.6 (1962/5)²
A superb release coupling two substantial pieces by a most distinguished composer whose music is still all too rarely heard. In my Top Ten list and heartily recommended
Lesley GARRETT Travelling Light
This is one of those albums that seems to improve on every hearing. If you’re still not sure then give a copy to your mum or auntie or brother. But I suspect you will end up regretting not buying one for yourself.
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Bach Edition
You owe it to yourself to get this set - at its super-bargain price, even those recordings you don't like will not cause too much disappointment, but the quality of the excellent ones is such that you will certainly be delighted. (Note that the cost of some of the recordings in this set that have been licensed from other labels would far exceed the total cost of the entire set.) If only to have the 60 CDs of sacred cantatas, and to discover what is an incredible collection of moving and memorable music, this set is worth having. Treat yourself to 160 CDs of Bach, then, take a few weeks off to enjoy this music. ...see Full Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756 - 1791) Mozart Edition Volume 1 Concertos for Wind Instruments,Violin Concertos
This first volume of Brilliant Classic’s complete Mozart set certainly bodes well for the other 23 volumes. The performances range from good to excellent, the sound is almost always fine. ... see Full Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756 - 1791)
Once again, Brilliant Classics comes up with a very good set of Mozart’s works. While not perfect, these performances and recordings are fine. The budget price is an additional incentive for those interested in discovering all of Mozart’s works for piano and orchestra. ...see Full Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Don Giovanni, opera (1787)
Hungarian Radio Chorus, Nicolaus Estherházy Sinfonia/Michael Halász
Rec. Phoenix Studio, Budapest, Nov. 2000This performance and recording stands ahead of many in the catalogue, even if not supplanting Giulini’s 1959 recording for EMI, which may never be bettered, but that is at full price. ... see Full Review
Carl ORFF (1895-1982) Carmina Burana
The extensive percussion is spectacularly well captured. The tam-tam and timpani can rarely have sounded so thrilling in a recorded performance. Mehta conducts with consummate control of his massed forces though he is occasionally a little indulgent with slow tempi. ... see Full Review
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