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Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) - A QUINTET OF CHOPIN PRELUDES
- 24 Preludes, op. 28
Craig Sheppard (pianoforte)
with CHOPIN - Prelude in c sharp,
op. 45 - Alexander SCRIABIN 24 Preludes,
op. 11 - Recorded live in the Meany Theatre, University of Washington,
Seattle - 4th October 1994 (Chopin), 1st May 1995
(Scriabin) AT 00-00549
[74’00"]
Nina Milkina (pianoforte)
with CHOPIN - Nocturne in c sharp,
op. posth. - Recorded at the Bishopsgate Institute, London, 1977
UNTERSCHRIFT CLASSICS (no number) [44’46"]
Artur Rubinstein (pianoforte)
with CHOPIN - Sonata no. 2 op. 35,
Berceuse op. 57, Barcarolle op. 60 - Recorded 10th, 11th,
20th June 1946 (Preludes), 11th, 18th,
29th March 1946 (Sonata), 20th June 1946 (Berceuse),
28th August 1946 (Barcarolle), location not given
BMG CLASSICS – RCA VICTOR GOLD SEAL GD60047 [70’26"] [CH]
Summary:
A strong recommendation for Nina Milkina’s little-known set; Cortot
should be heard if you are at all tolerant of "historical"
sound. And one or even two versions of these pieces are not enough …
See Full Review
Madeleine
DRING (1923-1977)
Chamber works and songs -
Trio for flute, oboe and piano - Trio for oboe, bassoon and keyboard
- Danza Gaya - Polka for flute and piano - Italian
Dance - Colour Suite - Five Betjeman Songs
Joanne Boddington (flute) - Jane Finch (oboe) - Martin Gatt (bassoon)
- Margaret Lynn (piano) - Nicola Hollymann (soprano) - Recorded at St
George's, Bristol, November 2000
MOBILE RECORDING COMPANY RECORDS MRCD1 [59.56] [AJD]
Lovely,
melodious and memorable: who needs gloom and doom in their listening?
… see Full Review
Maurice RAVEL
(1875
– 1937) Piano
Concerto for the Left Hand (1930). Richard
STRAUSS (1864 – 1949) An Alpine Symphony (1915) -
Robert Casadesus (piano)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Dimitri Mitropoulos - recorded 19th
August 1957 – Ravel and 19th August 1956 – Strauss in the
Festspielhaus, Salzburg
ORFEO C 586 021 B [63.08] [JP]
We
are in Orfeo’s debt for allowing us to eavesdrop on these wonderful
performances. … see Full Review
Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741)
Farnace
(1727) - Francesco CORSELLI (1705-1778)
Farnace (1739) - Furio Zanasi, baritone - Farnace; Adriana Fernández,
soprano - Berenice; Sara Mingardo, contralto - Tamiri; Gloria Banditelli,
contralto - Selinda; Sonia Prina, contralto - Pompeo; Cinzia Forte,
soprano - Gilade; Fulvio Bettini, baritone - Aquilio
Le Concert des Nations/Jordi Savall - Rec: October 2001, Teatro de la
Zarzuela de Madrid
ALIA VOX AV9822
[2:55:17]
[KM]
Rare
attractive music to which justice is done. … see Full
Review
Richard WAGNER (1813-1883)
Parsifal
(1878-82) - Amfortas: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (bar) - Titurel: Hans
Hotter (bass) - Gurnemanz: Gottlob Frick (bar) - Parsifal: René
Kollo (ten) - Klingsor: Zoltan Kélémen (bar) - Kundry:
Christa Ludwig (sop) - First Knight: Robert Tear (ten) - Second Knight:
Herbert Lackner (ten) - Alstimme: Birgit Finnilä (con) - First
Esquire: Rotrund Hansmann - Second Esquire: Marga Schiml - Third Esquire:
Heinz Zednik - Fourth Esquire: Ewald Aichberger - Klingsor’s flower
maidens: Lucia Popp; Alison Hargan; Anne Howells; Kiri Te Kanawa; Gillian
Knight; Margarita Lilowa (sop)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Georg Solti - Recorded in the Sofiensaal,
Vienna 1972 and
DECCA 470 805-2 [4 CDs 260:10] [IL]
This
new refurbishment of an acclaimed star-studded version of Wagner’s last
opera sounds glorious and, for me, is only eclipsed by the DG recording.
… see Full Review
Swiss Concertos
of the Twentieth Century: Flute and Clarinet - Hermann
HALLER
(1914-2002) Flute and Clarinet Concerto (1961) [17.03] - Wladimir
VOGEL (1896-1984) Flute Concertino (1979) [11.19] - Robert
BLUM (1900-1994) Clarinet Concertino (1974) [11.29]
- Hans SCHAEUBLE (1906-1988)
Flute Concertino (1959) [15.58] -
Philipp Jundt (flute) - Elisabeth Häfliger (clarinet) - Camerata
Zürich (strings)/Räto Tschupp - rec. Radio Studio, Zürich,
Oct 2001 (Blum; Haller); Jan 2002 (Vogel; Schaeuble)
GUILD GMCD 7250 [56.47] [RB]
The
answer to 'what next after the Nielsen wind concertos' ... see Full
Review
Antonín
DVORÁK (1841-1904)
Ten
Legends, B122/Op. 59 (1881)
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra/David Zinman. First issued in 1984.
[DDD] WARNER APEX 7559
79676-2 [41'43] [CC]
Disappointing,
despite the price tag. … see Full Review
Percy TURNBULL (1902-1976)
Songs and Part-Songs: Chloris
in the Snow - In Fountain Court - A Boy’s Song - My Bed is a Boat -
To Julia - When Daffodils begin to peer - Ejaculation to God - To God
- Piping down the Valleys Wild - Cavalier - If Doughty Deeds - The Rainy
Day - The Moon - The Moon (second setting) - The Reminder - The Reminder
(second setting) - Guess, Guess - My Mopsa is Little - To Blossoms -
The Shower - Cargoes - Where go the boats? - Take me to the North Countrie
- You spotted snakes - There was as simple maiden - To Blossoms (second
setting) - Nancy Argenta, soprano; Roderick Williams, baritone - Robin
Bowman, piano; Alistair Young, piano (in "Where go the boats?")
The Joyful Company of
Singers, directed by Peter Broadbent - Solo songs recorded July and
September 2000 at St. Philip’s Church, London, UK - Part-songs recorded
in March 2000 at Southlands College, London, UK
SOMM CELESTE SERIES SOMM 020 [51.08] [WH]
The
singing on this disc brings great pleasure … see Full
Review
Ernst Levy; Forgotten
Genius plays Beethoven, Liszt and Levy -
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata No 29 Op 106 Hammerklavier (1818) - Piano Sonata
No 32 Op 111 (1822) - Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
- Piano Sonata in B Minor S178 (1852-53) - Harmonies Poétiques
et Religieuses No 3 Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude
S173 (1845-52) - Années de Pèlerinage, Seconde Année
No 1 Sposalizio S161 (1837-49) - Hungarian Rhapsody No 12 S244 (1846-85)
- Ernst LEVY (1895-1981) - Pieces
for Piano Nos 6, 7, 8, 9 and 18
Ernst Levy, piano - Recorded 1954-58 except Liszt’s Sposalizio recorded
on a Sonabel 78 in 1928
MARSTON 52007-2 [2 CDs 156.59] [JW]
The
fiery, dramatic, occasionally vexatious playing of Levy. … see Full
Review
Ernst Levy 2; Forgotten
Genius plays Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart - Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809)
Piano Sonata No 31 Hob XVI/46 (1778) - Piano Sonata No 47 Hob XVI/32
(1776) - Piano Sonata No 60 Hob XVI/50 (c1794-1795) - Piano Sonata No
61 Hob XVI/51 (c1794-1795) - Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Piano Sonata No 23 Op 57 Appassionata (1804)
- Piano Sonata No 27 Op 90 (1814) - Piano Sonata No 28 Op 101 (1816)
- Piano Sonata No 30 Op 109 (1820) - Piano Sonata No 31 Op 110 (1821-22)
- Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Fantasy in D Minor K397 (1782 or 1786-87) - Johann
STRAUSS II (1825-1899) Frühlingsstimmen Op 410 (1883)
Ernst Levy, piano - Recorded
on Unicorn Records 1956 (Haydn, Beethoven Sonatas Nos 23, 30, 31) 1958
(Beethoven Sonatas No 27, 28), Mozart and Strauss from Sonabel 78s recorded
in c1929 MARSTON
52021-2 [2 CDs 79.26 and 71.33] [JW]
A
pianist who demands to be heard. … See Full
Review
The Piano G & Ts.
Recordings from the Gramophone and Typewriter era (1900-1907); Alfred
Grünfeld, Raoul Pugno and Natalia Janotha -
Alfred
GRÜNFELD (1852-1924)
Serenade Op 32 - Etude a la tarantella Op 47/3 - Mazurka à la
Viennoise Op 51 - Ungarische Fantasie Op 55 - Valse mignonne Op 51/4
- Romance Op 42 - Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Wohin - Die Forelle - Johann STRAUSS (1825-1899)
Frühlingsstimmenwalzer arr Grünfeld - Georg
Frederic HANDEL (1685-1759) Suite No 4 – Gavotte and Variations
- Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660-1725)
Sonata in a L495 - Raoul PUGNO (1852-1914)
Impromptu valse - Valse lente - Fryderyk CHOPIN
(1810-1849) Waltz in A Flat Op 34/1 - Nocturne in F Sharp Op
15/2 - Impromptu in A Flat Op 29 - Berceuse in D Flat Op 57 - Sonata
in B Flat Minor Op 35 – March funèbre - Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Songs without words Op 67/4 - Scherzo
in E Minor Op 16/2 - Jules MASSENET (1842-1912)
Valse folle - Emmanuel CHABRIER (1841-1894)
Scherzo-valse - Fryderyk CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Fugue in A Minor - Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Songs without words Op 67/4 - Natalia JANOTHA
(1856-1932) Polish carillon (extract) - Gavotte impériale
Alfred Grünfeld,
piano (all items from Grünfeld to Strauss) - Raoul Pugno, piano
(all items from Handel to Mendelssohn’s Scherzo) - Natalia Janotha,
piano (last four items) - Recorded Vienna, Paris and London 1903-1905
APR 5532 [77.13]
[JW]
Incision,
clarity of fingerwork and superb touch … see Full
Review
There is Sweet Music:
English Choral Songs 1890-1950 -
Charles Villiers Stanford
The
Blue Bird; Quick we have but a second (arr.) - Frederick
Delius:
Two Unaccompanied part-songs - Edward
Elgar:
There is sweet music; My love dwelt in a Northern Land -
Ralph Vaughan Williams:
Three Shakespeare Songs -
E.J. Moeran:
The Sailor & young Nancy (arr.) -
Percy Grainger:
Brigg Fair (arr); Londonderry Air (arr.) - Edward
T Chapman:
The three ravens (arr.) -
Gustav Holst:
My sweetheart's like Venus (arr.) -
Edward Bairstow: The
oak and the ash (arr.) -
Benjamin Britten:
Five Flower Songs
The Cambridge Singers: directed by John Rutter - Recorded in the Great
Hall of University College School, London, February 1986
COLLEGIUM RECORDS
CSCD 505 [56.27]
[JF]
A
good introduction to the English Choral Tradition from the first half
of the 20th century … see Full Review
BOOK
REVIEWS
WILLIAM WALTON The Romantic
Loner: A centenary portrait album
by Humphrey Burton and Maureen Murray Published by Oxford University
Press in January 2002 £25, hardback
ISBN 0-19-816235-9 [DW]
SCORE REVIEWS
RECORDINGS OF
THE MONTH
Luigi CHERUBINI
(1760-1842) Medea (1797)
Maria Callas (Medea), Fedora Barbieri (Neris), Maria Luisa Nache (Glauce),
Gino Penno (Giasone), Giuseppe Modesti (Creonte), Angela Vercelli (Prima
ancella), Maria Amadini (Seconda ancella), Enrico Campi (Capo delle
guardie) Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan/Leonard Bernstein -
Recorded live 10th December 1953 at La Scala, Milan
EMI CLASSICS CMS 5 67909 2 [2 CDs. 52’ 08", 77’ 11"] [CH]
The
sparks fly between Callas and Bernstein and the set should be heard
for its documentation of an extraordinary musical meeting, in quite
passable sound. … see Full Review
James
MACMILLAN
(b. 1959) Magnificat (1999) Nunc dimittis
(2000) Exsultet (1998/2000) Màiri (1997) The
Gallant Weaver (1997) The Birds of Rhiannon (2001)
Jonathon Scott (organ) BBC Singers – Stephen Betteridge (chorus-master)
BBC Philharmonic – James MacMillan (conductor) Recorded Studio Seven,
New Broadcasting House, Manchester, November 2001, DDD
CHANDOS CHAN 9997 [70:30] [CT]
A
highly recommended collection of recent works for choir and orchestra
by MacMillan, magnificently performed by the BBC Philharmonic and the
BBC Singers under the direction of the composer. … see Full
Review
Domenico
SCARLATTI (1685-1757) Sonatas:
b minor K.129, G major K.146, C major K.132, E major K.162, A major
K.24 Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
9 Etudes Tableaux op. 39, Prelude in g sharp minor, op. 32/12
Craig Sheppard (pianoforte) Recorded live, 25.02.1994 (Scarlatti), 02.03.2000
(Rachmaninov), Meany Theatre, University of Washington, Seattle
AT 00-00118 [68.13] [CH]
Some
wonderful pianism by one of the leading pianists of our times. … see
Full Review
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
(1872-1958)
The Film Music - Vol. 1 Scott of the Antarctic *(1948); The
People’s Land (1942) ; Coastal Command (1943)
Merryn Gamba (soprano) * Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus * BBC Philharmonic
Orchestra/Rumon Gamba Recorded in New Broadcasting House, Manchester;
12 and 21 March 2002
CHANDOS CHAN 10007 [78:30] [IL]
An
excellent introduction to RVW’s evocative film music … see Full
Review
William WALTON
(1902-1983) Piano
Quartet (1918-21, rev. 1973/4) [29.16] Anon in Love for tenor
and guitar (1959) [10.49] Valse (from Façade) arr.
for solo piano (1923) [4.26] Passacaglia for solo cello (1979/80)
[6.14] Sonata for Violin and Piano (1947-49, rev. 1949/50) [24.42]
Nash Ensemble – Marianne Thorsen (violin) Lawrence Power (viola) Paul
Watkins (cello) Ian Brown (piano) with John Mark Ainsley (tenor) Craig
Ogden (guitar) Recorded at Potton Hall, Suffolk on 1-3 February and
20 March 2002 HYPERION
CDA 67340 [75.56] [TH]
A
superb disc that will have great appeal for the generalist and Walton
specialist … see Full Review
Leontyne
Price Rediscovered HANDEL ,
BRAHMS, GIORDANO,
POULENC, BARBER,
HOIBY, Spirituals,
PUCCINI,
CILEA Leontyne
Price (soprano) David Garvey (piano) Recorded ‘live’ at Carnegie Hall,
New York City on 28 February, 1965
RCA RED SEAL 09026 63908 2 [66’36] [JQ]
Recommended
urgently to all lovers of the singing voice. If you only buy one disc
of vocal music this year make sure it’s this one! … see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH
Aaron COPLAND (1900-1990)
Clarinet Concerto (1947-48) - Four Dance Episodes from
Rodeo (1942) - Sextet for string quartet, clarinet and piano (1937)
- Quartet for piano and strings (1950)
Richard Horsford (clarinet), Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Thierry Fischer
(Concerto) Bournemouth
Symphony Orchestra, John Farrar (Rodeo) - Michael Collins (clarinet),
Martin Roscoe (piano), Vanbrugh Quartet (sextet and quartet) - Recorded
at Barking Assembly Hall, 1989 (Concerto), Winter Gardens, Bournemouth
1993 (Rodeo), Potton Hall, Suffolk, 1999 (sextet and quartet)
ASV PLATINUM PLT 8504
[70.51] [TH]
A
cheap way to get to know other aspects of this composer’s art. Recommended
unreservedly. … see Full Review
Ferde
GROFÈ
Hollywood Suite; Hudson River Suite; Death Valley Suite
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by William Stromberg
NAXOS 8.559017
[56:14] [IL]
Magnificent
over-the-top; but hugely enjoyable, vividly descriptive music played
with all the stops out by film music conductor Stromberg and recorded
in some of the best Naxos sound I have yet heard. Don't hesitate, buy
it before it sells out! ... see Full Review
George Frideric HANDEL
(1685-1759) Concerti
Grossi op. 3 (1710-1720) Concerto Grosso in F major op. 3 no. 4a, Concerto
Grosso in D minor op. 3 no. 5, Concerto Grosso in D major op. 3 no.
6, Concerto Grosso in B flat major op. 3 no. 2, Concerto Grosso in G
major op. 3 no. 3, Concerto Grosso in B flat major op. 3 no. 1
English Baroque Soloists/Sir John Eliot Gardiner Rec: March 1980, Henry
Wood Hall, London.
WARNER APEX 0927 48682
2 [60.21] [KM]
This
memorable recording is a must for lovers of Handel’s instrumental music.
… see Full Review
Gustav MAHLER
(1860-1911) Symphony
No.9 in D Major (1908-9)
Berliner Philharmoniker/Sir John Barbirolli (Recorded in the Jesus-Christus-Kirche,
Berlin, on 10-11,14 & 18 January 1964)
EMI GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 5 67925 2 [78.26] [TD]
If
you don’t already own this great recording, one of the five or six best
of this work ever taped, buy it immediately. It should be on every Mahlerite’s
shelf. … see Full Review
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Violin
Concerto No. 1, Opus 19 (1917-23)* - Violin Concerto No. 2 (1935)* -
Overture on Hebrew Themes, Opus 34b (1919)^ - March in B flat,
Opus 99 (1944)^ - Schlomo Mintz (violin)* - Chicago Symphony Orchestra*
- Chamber Orchestra of Europe^
Claudio Abbado*^ - Recorded February-March 1983, Orchestra Hall Chicago
(Concertos); October November 1988, Konzertshaus Vienna (Overture, March)
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
MASTERS 445 607-2 [59.57] [TB]
Full
of orchestral subtleties, well balanced, exotic, magical textures -
an ideal foil to Mintz's beautifully toned solo line. of the First Concerto
… see Full Review
Franz
SCHUBERT
(1797-1828) Complete Piano Sonatas;
Impromptus; Moments Musicaux various artists
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 99798 [TH]
It
is only fair to give this big undertaking a very warm welcome. … see
Full Review
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WHETTAM
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Intrepida 
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RR016 (44' 11'') [PC] Read on
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[Detailed listing (last two
days)]
[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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