RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ludwig Van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) String Quartet in F major, Op. 18, No.1 ‘Lobkowitz’ (1799) [30:44]
String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No.4 ‘Lobkowitz’ (1800) [24:42] Quatuor Mosaïques (Erich Hobarth (violin); Andrea Bischof (violin); Anita Mitterer (viola); Christophe Coin (cello)) Recorded in September 2004, in Grafenegg Schloss ‘Alte Reitschule’, Austria. DDD NAÏVE E8899 [55:30] [MC]

Quatuor Mosaïques are an astonishing ensemble who deserve the utmost praise for these magnificently performed scores. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH George Frideric HANDEL (1685 - 1759) Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17 (1724) [208.00] Text by Nicola Haym after Bussani Giulio Cesare ... Graham Pushee, counter-tenor Curio ... Richard Alexander, bass Cornelia ... Rosemary Gunn, soprano Sesto ... Elizabeth Campbell, mezzo Cleopatra ... Yvonne Kenny, soprano Tolomeo ... Andrew Dalton, counter-tenor Achilla ... Stephen Bennet, tenor Nireno ... Rodney Gilchrist, counter-tenor Dancers of Opera Australia Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra/Richard Hickox. Recorded at the Opera House, Sydney, Australia, June 1994 Notes in English, Deutsch, and Français. Colour photos of Graham Pushee in costume, and of Sydney Opera House. Detailed track listing. No text or translations. PAL 4:3 PCM stereo 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1, dts 5.1. Disk 1, DVD-9; Disk 2 DVD-5. Subtitles in English, Deutsch, Français, Italiano. Region code 0 [all regions] Region 1 NTSC version available as Kultur Video D2911. EUROARTS 2053599 [146.00 + 62.00] [PSh]

The best Giulio Cesare I’ve ever experienced or am likely to. Close enough to perfection to merit only the highest level of criticism. ... see Full Review

 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) Scottish and Welsh Songs [32:18] Trio Es-Dur Hob. XV: 36 [10:56] Six Original Canzonettas [19:38] Trio A-Dur Hob. XV: 35 [12:31] James Taylor (tenor) Münchner Klaviertrio (Donald Sulzen (piano); Rudolf J. Koeckert (violin); Gerhard Zank (cello)) Recorded at the Bayerischer Rundfunk, Studio 2, München on 18-20, 24 July 2002. ORFEO C117051A [75:32][JR]

This recording is a must-have! Finding a better recording of these Haydn vocal works will be a challenge. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH John PICKARD (b. 1963) Gaia Symphony (1991-2003) ([Part One – Tsunami [13:33]; Window 1 – Water-Fire [3:05]; Part Two – Wildfire [12:22]; Window 2 – Fire-Air [3:45]; Part Three – Aurora [11:25]; Window 3 Air-Earth [2:15]; Part Four – Men of Stone [15:52]) Buy As You View Band/Robert Childs rec. St. Julian’s School, Newport and Cwmbran Council Chambers, March 2001 and February 2005 DDD DOYEN DOY CD188 [62:22] [CT]

A ground-breaking work for brass band of gargantuan proportions ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jean-Philippe RAMEAU (1683-1764) Les Indes galantes – Opéra ballet in a prologue and four entrées. (1735): Libretto by Louis Fuzelier. Prologue Hébé – Danielle de Niese Bellone – João Fernandes L’Amour – Valérie Gabail First entrée:  Le Turc généreux Osman – Nicolas Cavallier Emilie – Anna Maria Panzarella Valère – Paul Agnew Second entrée: Les Incas du Pérou Huascar – Nathan Berg Phani – Jaël Azzaretti Don Carlos – François Piolino Third entrée:  Les Fleurs-fête persane Tacmas – Richard Croft Ali – Nathan Berg Zaïre – Gaële Le Roi Fatime – Malin Hartelius Fourth entrée:  Les Sauvages Adario – Nicolas Rivenq Damon – Christoph Strehl Don Alvar – Christope Fel Zima – Patricia Petibon Les Arts Florissants/William Christie Andrei Serban, stage director Blanca Li, choreographer Recorded live, Opéra Naional de Paris-Opéra Garnier on 22, 24, 25 September 2003. Playable in all regions. OPUS ARTE 0923 D [107:58 + 143:11][JR]

Remarkable in all respects.  A must-have for opera lovers as well as Baroque music enthusiasts. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Tristan und Isolde (1865) Nina Stemme (sop) ... Isolde; Plácido Domingo (ten) ... Tristan; Mihoko Fujimora (mezzo) ... Brangäne; René Pape (bass) ... King Marke; Olaf Bär (bar) ... Kurwenal ; Jared Holt (ten) ... Melot; Ian Bostridge (ten) ... Shepherd; Rolando Villazón (ten) ... Young Sailor; Matthew Rose (bar) ... Steersman Royal Opera House Chorus, Covent Garden Royal Opera House Orchestra, Covent Garden/Antonio Pappano rec. Nov 2004–Jan 2005, No. 1 Studio, Abbey Road Studios, London. DDD Plus bonus DVD EMI CLASSICS 558006-2 [3 CDs: 78:57 + 73:54 + 73:38 = 227:00] [MB]

If, as rumour has it, this will be the last studio recording of a major opera, then EMI have ended the history of studio opera on a very high note indeed. ... see Full Review

  RECORDING OF THE MONTH Nordic Spell Kalevi AHO (b.1949) Concerto for flute and orchestra (2002) [30.34] Lahti Symphony Orchestra/Osmo Vänskä Haukur TÓMASSON (b.1960) Flute Concerto No.2 (2001) [21.43] Iceland Symphony Orchestra/Bernhardur Wilkinson Christian LINDBERG (b.1958) The World of Montuagretta (2001-02) [20.48] Swedish Chamber Orchestra/Christian Lindberg Sharon Bezaly (flute, alto flute) with accompanists as above Recorded in Sibelius Hall, Lahti, November 2003 (Aho), in Reykjavik, June 2004 (Tómasson), Orebro Concert Hall, November 2003 (Lindberg) BIS CD 1499 [74.27] [JW]

Wonderful stuff. Bis has been on a winner with Sharon Bezaly for some time now but this is surely the most splendid so far ... see Full Review

 

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BARGAIN OF THE MONTH

 

William ALWYN (1905-1985) Symphony No. 5 Hydriotaphia (1973) [14:27] Symphony No. 2 (1953) [27:22] Lyra Angelica - concerto for harp and orchestra (1954) [28:12] Suzanne Willison (harp) Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones rec. Philharmonic Hall. Liverpool, 4-6 Jan 2005. DDD NAXOS 8.557647 [69:52] [RB]

The best single CD introduction to the major works of Alwyn. Inspired playing and grippingly immediate recording quality ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Luigi BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) Boccherini Edition String Sextet No.1 in E flat G454; String Sextet No.3 in EG456; String Sextet No.4 in F minor G457; String Sextet No.6 in F G459; String Quartets op.15: Quartet No.1 in D G177; String Quartets op.24: Quartet No.6 in G minor G194; String Quartet in A op.39 G213; StringQuartets op.64: Quartet No.1 in F G248; String Quintets op.13: Quintet No.4 in D minor G280; String Quintets op.31: Quintet No.2 in G G326; String Quintets op.60: Quintet No.3 in A G393; String Quintets op.62: Quintet No.5 in D G401; Duet for 2 Violins in E flat 'La bona notte' G62; String Quartet No.4 in G 'La Tiranna' G223; String Quintet No.6 in C 'La musica notturna delle strade di Madrid' G324; String Quintet No.6 in F G336; Oboe Quintets op.55: Quintet No.1 in G G431; Quintet No.3 in D G433; Quintet No.4 in E flat G434; Quintet No.5 in E flat G435; Quintet No.6 in D minor G436; Six Sextets: 'Divertimentos': No.1 in A G461; No.5 in A G465; No.6 in C G466; Symphonies op.37: Symphony No.1 in C G515; Symphony No.3 in D minor G517; Symphony No.4 in A G518; Symphony in C minor op.41 G519. Symphony in D op.42 G520; Symphony in D op.43 G521; Symphony in D minor op.45 G522; Guitar Quintet in D minor G445; Guitar Quintet in E G446; Guitar Quintet in B flat G447; Guitar Quintet in D G448; Guitar Quintet in D G449. Guitar Quintet in G G450. New Berlin Chamber Orchestra, Petersen Quartet, Parisii Quartet, Dimov Quartet, various soloists. Recordings in collaboration with Sender Freies Berlin, Suddeutscher Rundfunk Stuttgart and Westdeutscher Rundfunk Cologne during the 1990s. DDD CAPRICCIO CC49463 [10 CDs] [DB]

A fantastic bargain which no lover of the classical period can possibly turn down at this extraordinarily low price. ... see Full Review

 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH César FRANCK (1822-1890)
Rédemption^a (1871-2) [13:50]; Nocturne^b (1884, orch. Ropartz) [4:01]; Le Chasseur maudit^c (1882) [16:20]; Psyché^a (1888) [26:28]; Les Éolides^d (1876) [10:45]. ^bChrista Ludwig (mezzo); ^abcOrchestre de Paris/Daniel Barenboim; ^dL:Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet. Rec. Notre Dame du Liban, Paris, ^aFeb, ^bcJune 1976, ^dVictoria Hall, Geneva, Jan 1967. ADD DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON ELOQUENCE 476 2800 [71:40] [CC]

An excellent compilation of Franckian gems. Very, very strongly recommended indeed. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759)
Giulio Cesare – Highlights from the opera in four acts. (1724) Libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym after Giacomo Francesco Bussani. Giulio Cesare – Paul Esswood (counter-tenor) Cleopatra – Roberta Alexander (soprano) and Lucia Popp (soprano) [14] Cornelia – Marjana Lipovšek (mezzo) Seste – Ann Murray (mezzo) Arnold Schönberg-Chor/Erwin G. Ortner Concentus musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt Recorded in Vienna, April 1984 and May 1985. WARNER APEX 2564 62018-2 [58:26] [JR]

One of the best representations of one of Handel’s most successful operatic ventures. This one hour compilation of highlights goes by all too quickly. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Jascha Heifetz: Hora Staccato and other favourites Grigoras DINICU (1889 – 1949) Hora Staccato (1906); Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835 – 1921) Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor for violin and orchestra op. 28 (1863); Moritz MOSZKOWSKI (1854 – 1925) Guitarre Op. 45 No. 2 (arr. Sarasate); Manuel de FALLA (1876 – 1946) Spanish Dance No. 1 (from La Vida Breve) (1913) (arr. Kreisler); Pablo SARASATE (1844 – 1908) Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs) for violin and orchestra Op. 20 No. 1 (1878); Antonio BAZZINI (1818 – 1897) La Ronde des Lutins – scherzo fantastique for violin and piano Op. 25 (1852); Henryk WIENIAWSKI (1835 – 1880) Polonaise Brillante No. 1 in D for violin and piano Op. 4 (1853); Camille SAINT-SAËNS Havanaise in E for violin and orchestra Op. 83 (1887); Manuel De FALLA Jota (Seven Popular Spanish Songs No. 4 (1915) (arr. Kochanski); Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897 – 1957) Much Ado About Nothing – incidental music (1920) Garden Scene – Holzapfel und Schlehwein; Joseph ACHRON (1886 – 1943) Hebrew Melody for violin and piano Op. 33 (1911); Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891 – 1953) Gavotta from Four Pieces for piano Op. 32 No. 3 (1918) (arr. Heifetz) – March in F minor from Ten Pieces for piano Op. 12 No. 1 (1906) (arr. Heifetz); Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873 – 1943) Daisies from Six Songs Op. 38 No. 3 (1916) (arr. Heifetz) – Oriental Sketch in B flat for piano (1917) (arr. Heifetz); William KROLL (1901 – 1980) Banjo And Fiddle; Georges BIZET (1838 – 1875) / Franz WAXMAN (1906 – 1967) Carmen Fantasia for violin and orchestra on themes from Bizet’s 1875 opera (1946) Jascha Heifetz (violin), Emanuel Bay (piano) (1, 4, 6, 9, 10, 12 – 17), Arpad Sandor (piano) (3, 11), London Philharmonic Orchestra/John Barbirolli (2), London Symphony Orchestra/John Barbirolli (5, 8), RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra/Donald Voorhees Recorded in London, Hollywood and New York 1934 – 1947. LIVING ERA CLASSICS AJC 8553 [77:16][GF]

There we are. End of review. Now grab your overcoat, Mr Grumble and everybody else, and run down to the store. There may still be a copy left. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH David Oistrakh. Violin Concertos – Historic Russian Archives: MENDELSSOHN; DVOŘÁK; SHOSTAKOVICH; LALO; BRUCH; BEETHOVEN; KABALEVSKY; TANEYEV; PROKOFIEV; TCHAIKOVSKY; SIBELIUS; BARTÓK; SZYMANOWSKI; HINDEMITH; GLAZUNOV; CHAUSSON; RAVEL; STRAVINSKY; MIASKOVSKY BRILLIANT CLASSICS 92609 [10 CDs 60.01 + 64.46 + 63.24 + 60.04 + 57.47 + 54.38 + 49.43 + 49.22 +56.35 + 56.31] [JW]

Capturing, unearthing, re-issuing some of the most consistently memorable violin playing of the twentieth century in repertoire entirely congenial to Oistrakh. What are you waiting for? ... see Full Review

 

 

 

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