Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Fantasiestücke,
Opus 12 - Papillons, Opus 2 - Carnaval, Opus 9 
George-Emmanuel Lazaridis (piano) - Recorded 25-25 October 2000, St
Philip's Church, London, SW16
SOMM SOMMCD 024 [72.11] [TB]
Very
fine, with some particularly well judged nuances of dynamic … see Full
Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Fantasiestücke,
op. 12 (1837) Papillons, op. 2 (1831) Carnaval, op. 9
(1835) George-Emmanuel Lazaridis, piano - Recorded October 2000, St.
Philips Church, Streatham, London, UK.
SOMM NEW HORIZONS SOMMCD 024 [72.11] [WH]
Lazaridis
- certainly someone to watch out for. Anyone wanting this particular
combination of works shouldn’t hesitate. … see Full
Review
Florent
SCHMITT (1870-1958)
La
Tragédie de Salomé (1907) [26.18] Psalm 47 for
soprano, chorus and orchestra (1904) [26.06] Janiana - symphony
for string orchestra (1941) Suite en Rocaille for harp, violin,
viola, flute, cello (1934) Lied et Scherzo (1910)
Jacques Prat (violin), Sharon Sweet (sop), Guy Commentale (violin),
Jean-Louis Gil (organ), Orchestre Philharmonique et Choeurs de Radio
France/Marek Janowski (Salomé; Psalm) Orchestra
Jean-Francois Paillard/Jean-Francois Paillard (Janiana) Marie-Claire
Jamet Quintet (Suite) Pierre Del Vescovo (horn), Jean Hubeau
(Lied et Scherzo)
ERATO ULTIMA 8573 85636 2 [CD1 52.39; CD2 41.52] [RB]
Schmitt
the luxuriant and the lithe. Not the dernier cri in sound but enjoyable
and very high interpretative values. 2-4-1 price. … see
Full Review
Franz
SCHREKER (1878-1934)
Ekkehard
Overture, Op. 12 [12.06]* Fantastic Overture [10.34]* Interlude
from Der Schatzgräber, Act 3 [13.00]** Prelude to Die
Gezeichneten [9.31]*** Prelude to Das Spielwerk [5.53]***
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Edgar Seipenbusch - Recorded in the Concert Hall of the
Slovak Philharmonic *16 November 1985, **24 July 1987’ ***9 November
1986 - First released as Marco Polo 8.220392
NAXOS 8.555246 [51.05] [JQ]
Seipenbusch
and his players are enthusiastic advocates and the programme is played
with commitment even if the last degree of refinement is missing. …
see Full Review -
see
also review
by Raymond Walker
RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
Alexander
SCRIABIN (1872-1915)
Piano Concerto and works for solo piano
Roger Woodward, piano Sydney Symphony Orchestra/Edo de Waart Recorded
1991/1999, Eugene Goossens Hall/Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Australia.
ABC CLASSICS 465 671-2
[2CDs: 79.56+79.02]
Alexander SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Late Piano
Works Roger Woodward,
piano
Recorded 1991, Eugene Goossens Hall, Sidney.
ABC CLASSICS 465 741-2 [75.02] [RW]
Anyone
seriously interested in investigating Scriabin’s piano music couldn’t
do better than invest in Roger Woodward’s marvellous two disc set. …
see Full Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975) complete
symphonies WDR Radio
Chorus (2, 3), Choral Academy Moscow (13), Sergei Aleksashkin (bass)
(13), Alla Simoni (soprano) (14), Vladimir Vaneev (bass) (14), WDR Symphony
Orchestra, Cologne conducted by Rudolf Barshai DDD Stereo Recorded in
the Philharmonie, Cologne (recording dates for each symphony above)
BRILLIANT CLASSICS
6275-1/11
A
sturdy, truthful set, then, which in some ways combines the Russian
and Western approaches to this composer. And which has a great no. 5.
see Full Review
RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
Jean
SIBELIUS(1865-1957)
En
Saga, Op.9 (1892/1902) [18.03] The Dryad, Op.45 No.1 (1910)
[5.07] Dance-Intermezzo, Op.45 No.2 (1904/07) [2.47] Pohjola’s
Daughter, Op.49 (1906) [13.10] Night Ride and Sunrise, Op.55
(1908) [17.20] The Bard, Op.64 (1913/14) [7.32] The Oceanides
Op.73 (1914) [10.03]
Lahti Symphony Orchestra/Osmo Vänskä Recorded at the Sibelius
Hall, Lahti, Finland during August 2000 and May 2001
BIS CD-1225 [75.54]
Vänskä
is keeping up to the incredibly high standards he has set himself. …
see Full Review
RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Songs: Illalle,
op. 17/6, Den judiska flickans sång, from Belshazzar’s Feast,
op. 51, 6 Songs, op. 36, Jag är etz träd, op. 57/5, Necken,
op. 57/8, 5 Songs, op. 37, Vem styrde hit din väg? Op. 90/6, Norden,
op. 90/1, 6 Songs, op. 50, Våren flyktar hastigt, op. 13/4, Under
strandens granar, op. 13/1
Katarina Karnéus (mezzo-soprano), Julius Drake (pianoforte) Recorded
26th-28th June 2001, location not given
HYPERION CDA67318 [65’01"] [CH]
A
disc which surely announces the arrival of a major artist. Sibelius’s
songs are highly individual, poetic creations, and this is an ideal
introduction to them. … see Full Review
Dmitri SMIRNOV
(born 1948) Elegy
for Cello Op.97a (1997), Piano Sonata No.4 Op.124 (2000), Violin Sonata
No.3 Op.109 (1998), Piano Trio No.1 Op.23 (1977), Cello Sonata Op.25
(1978), Postlude for Violin Op.112 (1998)
Patricia Kopatchinskaya (violin); Alexander Ivashkin (cello); Ivan Sokolov
(piano) Recorded: Moscow Radio House, August 2001
MEGADISC MDC 7818 [70:57] [HC]
Smirnov’s
often impassioned music always aims at direct communication, no matter
how technically complex or sophisticated it may be. … see Full
Review
Charles
Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924)
The
Bluebird, Beata Quorum Via, Songs of the Sea, Te Deum Laudamus in B
Flat, Magnificat in B Flat, Nunc Dimittis in B Flat, Magnificat in G,
Nunc Dimittis in G, Psalm 96 – O Sing unto the Lord a New Song
Psalm 150 – O Praise God in His Holiness, Agnus Dei, The Fairy Lough,
A Soft Day Recorded 1952-2000 
DECCA British Music Collection 470 384-2 [52’07]
Freshness,
nobility and conviction with a wide tonal range from the choir. … see
Full Review
Charles
Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) Irish
Songs and Ballads
James Griffett (tenor) with Cifford Benson (piano)
CAMPION CAMEO 2001 [67.13] [RW]
Very
good and an excellent archive of these forgotten works … see Full
Review
Johann
STRAUSS II (1825
- 1899) Kaiser-Walzer
arr. Arnold Schoenberg [12.24] Rosen aus dem Suden op.388 arr.Arnold
Schoenberg [9.51] Wein, Weib und Gesang op.333 arr. Alban Berg
[13.12] Schatz-Walzer op.418 arr. Anton Webern [13.12] Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882 - 1971) Octet for Wind Instruments (1923/1952)
[15.22] Pastorale for Violin and Wind Quartet (1934) [2.54] Ragtime
for Eleven Instruments (1918) [4.38] Concertino for Twelve Instruments(1952)
[6.34] Boston Symphony
Chamber Players - Rec. Symphony Hall, Boston, April 1975 (Stravinsky)
and April 1979 (Strauss)
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 463 667-2 [73.45] [HT]
It
is hard to see the hands of Schoenberg and his pupils in these beautifully
mellifluous transcriptions of favourite waltzes. … see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Elektra Astrid Varnay (Elektra)
New York Philharmonic, Dmitri Mitropoulos (conductor) Carnegie Hall,
New York, 25 December 1949 Carl Maria von WEBER
(1786-1826) Und ab die Wolke (Die Freischütz) Ozean, du Ungeheuer
(Oberon) Richard WAGNER
(1813-83) Senta’s Ballad (Der Fliegende Holländer) Pietro
MASCAGNI (1863-1945) Vol lo sapete
(Cavalleria Rusticana) Jules MASSENET Il
est gon (Herodiade) Giacomo PUCCINI
(1858-1924) In quelle trine morbide (Manon Lescaut) Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Ecco l’orride campo (Un Ballo in Maschera)
Come in quest’ ora bruna (Simon Boccanegra) Astrid Varnay with unstated
conductors and orchestras
GUILD GHCD 2213/14 [2’29"47] [PQ]
A
white-knuckle 90 minutes and a valuable chance to hear Varnay in full
flight. … see Full Review [PQ]
Excellent
introduction to Varnay's art as well as a tribute to Mitropoulos. There
are other Varnay Elektras that more fully preserve the soprano's achievement.
… see Full Review
[CG]
A lady clearly in command of all her forces and after one and a half
hours of strenuous singing the voice is as fresh as when it started.
… see Full Review [JN]
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Piano Recital -
Nocturne, opus 10, nr. 1; Waltz Scherzo in a minor, Opus 7; Humoresque
in G, opus 10 nr 2, Capriccioso is B-flat, opus 19, nr. 5, Chanson triste,
opus 40, nr 2; Waltz in A-flat, opus 40, nr.8; Romance in f minor, Opus
5, Romance in F, opus 51, nr 5; Un poco di Chopin, opus 72 nr. 15; L’espiègle,
opus 72 nr. 12; Réverie du soir, opus 19 nr 1; Menuetto-scherzoso,
opus 51 nr. 1, Valse de salon, opus 51 nr. 1; Méditation, Opus
72, nr. 5. From "The Seasons," Nr. 5, May. White Nights; Number
6, June, Barcarolle; Number 11, November, Troika; Number 1, January,
By the fireplace.
Sviatoslav Richter, piano - Recorded in Studio 3 of the Bavarian
Radio, 1983. Engineered by Wolfgang Karreth DDD - Licensed from Olympia
REGIS RRC 1093 [79'58][KS]
Rare
indeed to get such a broad sampling of Tchaikovsky’s shorter solo piano
works, and to have them played by a great Russian pianist like Richter
is a bonus. … see Full Review
Peter Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840
- 1893) Pique
Dame (The Queen of Spades) – complete opera (1890) (libretto
by Modest Tchaikovsky after the novella by Alexander Pushkin) Gegam
Grigorian (Herman), Maria Guglegina (Liza), Lumila Filatova (Countess),
Sergei Leiferkus (Count Tomsky, Alexander Gergalov (Prince Yeletsky),
Vladimir Solodovnikov (Chekalinsky, Olga Borodina (Pauline) Kirov Opera
Chorus, Kirov Orchestra, conducted by Valerie Gergiev. (Stage production
by Yuri Termikanov). recorded in the Maryinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg,
1992. Video directed by Brian Large.
PHILIPS 070 434-9 [179 minutes] [JP]
Now
the most desirable DVD version in the catalogue of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece
… see Full Review
Piotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Francesca
da Rimini (1876) [23.13] Hamlet (1888) [19.16] Alexander
SCRIABIN (1871-1915) Poème d'Extase (1908)
[19.14] Stadium Symphony
Orchestra of New York/Leopold Stokowski (Tchaikovsky) Stadium Houston
Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski (Scriabin) rec: c. 1959, Tchaikovsky:
1959 Manhattan Center, New York; Houston Civic Center, Texas. AAD
OMEGA EVEREST EVC 9037 [62.02]
Reference
versions, highly coloured in Stokowski's golden hands, of the Tchaikovsky
works in refulgent sound quality. ... see Full
Review
Piotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Romeo
and Juliet, Piano Concerto No. 1, Symphony No. 5 - John Ogdon (piano)
London Symphony Orchestra/Pierre
Monteux - Rec: concert performance, 31 May 1963, Grosser Konzertsaal,
Vienna, ADD VANGUARD
CLASSICS OVC 8031/2 [CD1: 53.20; CD2: 44.05] [RB]
Tchaikovsky
made anew, green in youth and with the capacity to astonish and delight.
… see Full Review
Peter
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893):
The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Special concert edition) BBC Symphony
Orchestra conducted by
Gennadi Rozhdestvensky Recording: Royal Festival Hall, London, 10 October
1979 BBC Legends BBCL
4091-2 [141.17] [JQ]
A
stylish, ebullient and exhilarating performance … see Full
Review
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY Written
and narrated by: Jeremy Siepmann
Tchaikovsky: Malcolm Sinclair Also featuring: Karen Archer, Teresa Gallagher,
Stephen Thorne and David TimsonConductor: AssortedEnsembles: Assorted
NAXOS 8.558036-39-04 [4:09:54] [KR]
This
CD would serve well as a classroom aid for any teacher of music history
or indeed for any classical music beginner not allergic to Shakespearean
accents. … See Full Review
Michael
TIPPETT
(1905-1998) Concerto
for Orchestra (1964) [35.56] Concerto for violin, viola, cello and
orchestra (1981) [37.28] Little Music for String Orchestra (1946)
[10.53] Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli (1953) [20.59]
Concerto for Double String Orchestra (1940) [23.44] Fanfare
for Brass [1.54] Dance Clarion Air [4.51] Byzantium
(1991) [26.54] LSO/Colin
Davis (Triple; Concerto) Gyorgy Pauk (violin); Nobuko Imai (viola);
Ralph Kirshbaum (cello) (Triple) Academy of St Martin in the Fields/Marriner
(Little Music; Corelli; Concerto) Philip Jones Brass Ensemble (Fanfare)
Schola Cantorum of Oxford/Nicholas Cleobury (Dance) Faye Robinson (sop)/Chicago
SO/Georg Solti rec 1964-91 ADD/DDD
DECCA The British Music Collection 470 196-2 [2CDs: 154.52] [RB]
Something
special - treasurable and pleasurable all in excellent sound. ... see
Full Review
Galina USTVOLSKAYA
(born 1919) Piano
Concerto (1946)a - Symphony No.1 (1955)b
Oleg Malov (piano)a; Boris Pinkhasovich, Pavel Semagin (trebles)b;
Ural Philharmonic Orchestra; Dmitri Liss - Recorded: Yekaterinenburg
Philharmonia, April 2000
MEGADISC MDC 7856 [38:38] [HC]
Music
by the Mystery Woman of Russian music superbly played by musicians who
really believe in the music and give it dedicated, committed readings.
… see Full Review
Galina USTVOLSKAYA
(born
1919) Symphony
No.2 "True and Eternal Bliss" (1979)a, Symphony
No.3 "Jesus Messiah, Save Us" (1983)b, Symphony
No.4 "Prayer" (1985/7)c, Symphony No.5 "Amen"
(1989/90)d
Oleg Malov (piano)abc; Pavel Nemytov (voice)ab;
Elena Popova (contralto)c; Ural Philharmonic Orchestraab;
Dmitri Lissab; St Petersburg Soloistscd - Recorded:
Yekaterinenburg Philharmonia, August and September 1999ab;
and St Petersburg Radio House, October and November 1994cd
MEGADISC MDC 7854
[50:07][HC]
Ustvolskaya’s
music is like nothing else; and there is no denying the almost visceral
intensity of her "rituals of despair". … see Full
Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958): Symphony No 6
in E minor [33.27] Symphony No 9 in E minor [32.52] Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves’*
[4.12] Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra - Conducted by Vernon
Handley - Recorded in the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool 5 & 6 March
1993 And *30 November & 1 December 1990 - CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE
7243 5 75312 2 1 [70.51] [RB]
Finely
played, faithfully and understandingly conducted and recorded in excellent,
well-balanced sound. … see Full Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
Fantasia
on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, Five Variants of ‘Dives and Lazarus’, Job
- A Masque for Dancing
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley Recorded in the Fairfield
Halls, Croydon on 3 and 4 December 1973 (Tallis) and at St Augustine’s
Church, Kilburn on 24 and 25 June 1985 and 14 and 15 December 1983
EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 7243 5 75314 2 9 [76’52"] [CF]
The
playing is fine, the interpretation compelling. … see Full
Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
A
Sea Symphony Joan Rodgers (sop.), William Shimmell (bar.) Royal
Liverpool Philharmonic Choir Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Vernon Handley
Recorded in the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool 27-29 July, 1988
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 7243 5 75308 2 8 [69.45] [JQ]
Handley
is the hero of the enterprise, leading an interpretation which is very
satisfying. … see Full Review
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
Serenade
to Music (choral version) Partita for double string orchestra
Sinfonia Antartica (No.7) Alison Hargan (soprano)
Ian Tracey (organ) Royal
Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra/Vernon Handley Recorded in
the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool on 30 November and 1 December 1990
EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE
7243 5 75313 2 0 [76’19"] [CF]
A
compellingly driven account which will chill you to the bones in this
reissue … see Full Review
Giuseppe VERDI (1813–1901)
An
Introduction to Rigoletto
Written by Thomson Smillie - Narrated by David Timson
NAXOS 8.5580-48 [79.05][JN]
I’ve
got my doubts about the efficiency of this project … see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901)
Messa
da Requiem (1874) Angela
Gheorghiu (sop), Daniela Barcellona (mezzo), Roberto Alagna (tenor),
Julian Konstantinov (bass) Swedish Radio Chorus Berliner Philharmoniker/Claudio
Abbado Recorded at live performances in the Philharmonie, Berlin on
25th & 27th January 2001 Full Price
DVD
EMI CLASSICS 7243 4 92693 9 2 Region coded for all territories [88’47"]
CD EMI CLASSICS 7213 5 57168 2 8 [83’48"] [MB]
Ideally,
lovers of this work must own all three available DVDs because they will
give between them an ideal performance of this notoriously difficult
work. If you have to choose one then it should be Abbado (Edinburgh).
....see
Full Review
Giuseppe
VERDI
(1813-1901) Rigoletto Machado/
Nucci/ Mula/ Luperi/ M’punga Orchestra, Choir and Corps de Ballet of
Arena di Verona/ Marcello Viotti Recorded Arena di Verona, July 2001
TDK
DVOPRIG [134:00]
A
large scale production from last year’s Verona Festival that attempts
to fill the vast space of the open air, 2000 year old Arena. Some subtlety
and pathos is lost as the strong cast project larger-than-life performances
but Leo Nucci and Inva Mula make a superb father/daughter stage partnership
that ensures some exciting moments. ...see Full
Review
Richard
WAGNER Der
Ring Des Nibelungen Das
Rheingold [139’ 32] Die Walküre [210’ 17"]
Siegfried [229’ 18"] Götterdämmerung
[238’ 17"] Sung in German
Siegfried - Alan Woodrow (tenor) Brünnhilde - Elena Comotti/Elizabeth-Maria
Wachutka/Eva Silberbauer (soprano) Wotan - Albert Dohmen/Duccio dal
Monte/Juha Uusitalo (bass-baritone) Singers of the Accademia di Montegral
Orchestra del Teatro
di San Carlo, Naples/Orchestra of the Tyrol Festival Gustav Kuhn (conductor)
Recorded live at the Tyrol Festival or Teatro di San Carlo, Naples between
1998 and 2001 ARTE NOVA
74321 87075 2 13CD [13 hours 37’ 24" ] [CF]
If
you can cope with cast changes and are prepared to accept some variable
performances then it’s worth adding this 25th version to
the others; be choosy about which bits you listen to. … See Full
Review
Sir William WALTON (1902-1983)
The
Quest - Siesta - The Wise Virgins - Alison Crum (viola da gamba)*
English Northern Philharmonia/David
Lloyd-Jones - Recorded 11-12 July 2001, The Great Hall, University of
Leeds NAXOS 8.555868
(62.59) [TB]
An
interesting, though not outstanding, compilation. … see Full
Review
William
WALTON (1902-1983)
Façade
Suites 1 and 2 Viola Concerto Variations on a Theme of Hindemith
Paul Neubauer, viola Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Andrew Litton Recorded
The Guildhall, Southampton March 1996
DECCA British Music Collection 470 200-2 [71’30]
Unlike
all the other items I have seen in the British Music Collection this
is an all-new release. It was worth the wait. ...see Full
Review
Peter
WARLOCK
(1890-1930) Capriol
Suite [10.13] Serenade for Strings [7.44] Lullaby My Jesus [3.13] Youth
(Robert Wever) As ever I saw (anon) There is a lady (Ford) When as the
Rye (Peel) Sigh no more (Shakespeare) Sleep (Fletcher) Pretty Ring Time
(Shakespeare) Jillian of Berry (Beaumont and Fletcher) The Bayly berith
the Bell away (anon) Passing by (anon) The Frostbound Wood (Blunt) Robin
Good-Fellow (anon) Twelve Oxen (anon) Yarmouth Fair (Collins) Romance
(Stevenson) To the memory of a great singer (Stevenson) After two years
(Aldington) The Droll Lover (anon) Ha'NackerMill (Belloc) My Own Country
(Belloc) The Birds (Belloc) Elore Lo (anon) The Fox (Blunt) Fair and
True (Breton) Roister Doister (Breton) Cricketers of Hambledon (Blunt)
Academy of St Martin
in the Fields/Marriner (Capriol; Serenade) Choir of Winchester Cathedral/David
Hill (Lullaby) Norman Bailey/Geoffrey Parsons (songs) rec 1972-1994
DECCA The British
Music Collection 470 199-2 [71.55] [RB]
Warlockians
will not want to miss this collection which is made de rigueur by Bailey.
... see Full Review
Karl
WEIGL
(1881-1949) Symphony
No. 5 Apocalyptic (1945) Phantastisches Intermezzo (1921)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
Berlin/Thomas Sanderling - rec Feb 2000, July 2001, Jesus Christus Kirche,
Dahlem, Berlin BIS-CD-1077
[64.24] [RB]
Music
in Brucknerian manner but with imaginative fibre and a symphony that
includes a mighty adagio to treasure.[RB]
Music
very much ‘in touch’ with the times. The detailed orchestration has
a French brilliance to it.[GP-J]… see Full Review
Detailed listing (last two
days)]
[Part 1 New] [Part 2 A-B] [Part
3 C-L]
[Part 4 M-R] [Part
5 S-Y] [Part 6 Misc] [Part
7 Misc]
Return
to Front page