Bartók
in the Desert - The Art of Irén Marik (1905-1986)
Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Bénédiction
de Dieu dans le solitude [14.37]Apparitions, no. 1 [5.29] Vallée
d'Obermann (first version) [13.31]Berceuse [8.16] Harmonies du Soir
[9.12] Les Jeux d'eau a la Villa d’Este [8.01]
Zoltan KODALY (1882-1967) Dances from Marosszék [9.40]
Béla BARTÓK (1881-1945)
Rondo No.1 on folk themes [2.49] Suite, Op. 14 [8.07]Allegro Barbaro
[2.30] Mikrokosmos Book VI – Nos 140-144, 147 [11.47] Romanian Folk
Dances [4.36] Evening in Transylvania [2.20] Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Fantasia, Op. 116/2 [3.22] Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Sonata no. 30, Op. 109 [18.27]
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Sinfonia in D minor [1.48] Claude DEBUSSY
(1862-1918) Images, Book II – [12.54] Cloches a travers les feuilles
Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut Poissons d’or Preludes Book
II -Tierces alternées [2.19] Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Miroirs: Vallée des Cloches [5.03]
Fryderyk CHOPIN (1810-1849) Etude
in A flat, Op. 25/1 [2.24] Franz SCHUBERT
(1797-1828) Impromptu, Op. 90/2 [4.30] Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Sonata no. 49: Allegro non troppo [6.14]
Jean Baptiste LULLY (1632-1687)
Courante [1.21] 
Irén
Marik (piano) Recorded 1950s-1983. Draco and unpublished recordings
recorded 1956-1974. Zodiac LP. Unpublished recordings recorded 1950s-1983
ARBITER 143 [79.49
+ 79.19] [JW]
Marik’s
pianism: at its best a strong sense of character
as well as considerable technical prowess
... see Full
Review
David
Martinez Guitar Recital Domenico
SCARLATTI (1685 – 1757) Sonata
K 208; Sonata K 209; Sonata K 32; Sonata K
27; Giulio REGONDI
(1822 – 1872) Introduction et Caprice,
Op. 23; Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685 – 1750) Prelude, Fugue
and Allegro BWV 998; Dionisio
AGUADO (1784 – 1849) Andante and
Rondo No. 3; Regino
SAINZ de la MAZA (1896 – 1981) Danzas
Cervantinas (after Gaspar
SANZ, 1640 – 1710) Folias; Españoleta;
Marizapalos; Canarios; Paco
de LUCIA (b. 1947) Fuente y Caudal
(Tarantas); Francisco
TÁRREGA (1852 – 1909) Recuerdos
de la Alhambra; Lágrima
David Martinez (guitar) rec. St John Chrysostom
Church, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, 22–24
April 2005.
NAXOS 8.557808 [68:19] [GF]
Another
feather in Naxos’s well-filled guitar hat
and to be warmly recommended. ... see Full
Review
Nellie
Melba - The Complete American Recordings: Vol.
3 1.
Édouard LALO (1823 – 1892) Le Roi d’Ys Puisqu’on
ne peut fléchir ... Vainement, ma bien aimée (Aubade)
2. Giacomo PUCCINI (1858 – 1924)
Tosca Vissi d’arte 3. Giuseppe VERDI (1813
– 1901) Otello Piangea cantando nell’erma landa (Willow Song); 4.
Ave Maria, piena di grazia 5. Francesco Paolo
TOSTI (1846 – 1916) Good-bye 6.
Landon RONALD (1873 – 1938) O Lovely NIght 7.
WETZGER By the Brook (Idyll for flute and piano, with John
Lemmoné, flute) 8. Wolfgang Amadeus
MOZART (1756 – 1791) Il re pastore L’amerò
sarò costante (Cadenza by Camille Saint-Saëns with Jan Kubelik,
piano) 9. Charles GOUNOD (1818
– 1893)/Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 – 1750)
Ave Maris (with Jan Kubelik, violin) 10. Liza
LEHMANN (1862 – 1918) Magdalen at Michael’s Gate 11.
Claude DEBUSSY (1862 – 1918) Mandoline; 12. Romance,
L. 43 13. Gustave CHARPENTIER (1860
– 1956) Louise Depuis le jour 14. Depuis le jour (unpubl.)
15. Stephen FOSTER (1826 – 1864)
Old Folks at Home 16. Maude Valérie
WHITE (1855 – 1937) John Anderson, My Jo 17.
TRAD.SCOTTISH Comin’ Thro’ the Rye 18.
Hermann BEMBERG (1859 – 1931) Les anges pleurent;
(unpubl.) 19. Chant vénitien (unpubl.) 20.
TRAD.SCOTTISH (arr. Liza LEHMANN) Annie Laurie 21.
Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841 – 1904)
Songs My Mother Taught Me (from Gypsy Melodies, Op. 55, No. 4) 22.
Songs My Mother Taught Me (from Gypsy Melodies, Op. 55, No. 4) (unpubl.)
Nellie Melba (soprano)
all except track 7, anonymous orchestra/Walter B Rogers (tracks 1 –
6, 13, 15, 20, 21); Gabriel Lapierre (piano)(tracks 8 – 12, 14, 16 –
19); Frank St Leger (piano)(tr 22) Recorded in Victor’s Camden studios
on August 25th 1910 (tracks 1 – 4), August 26th
1910 (tracks 5 & 6), November 7th 1910 (tr 7), October
2nd 1913 (tracks 8 – 10), October 3rd 1913 (tracks
11 – 16), October 4th 1913 (tracks 17 – 19), January 12th
1916 (tracks 20 – 22)
NAXOS 8.110336 [75:46] [GF]
There
are some peaches of sopranos from this era
I would still rather listen to, but Melba
has now belatedly entered my list of respectable
singers. ... see Full
Review
Nathan Milstein
Collection - Volume 1 Nicolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844 – 1908) Flight
of the Bumblebee [1:16]; Jules
MASSENET (1842 – 1912) Meditation
from Thaïs (arr: Marsick) (Stanton cartridge)
[3:45]; Henryk WIENIAWSKI
(1835 – 1880) Scherzo-Tarantelle Op. 16
[3:39]; Caprice in A minor Op. 18 No. 4 [1:28];
Antonio VIVALDI
(1678 – 1741) Violin Sonata in A major,
RV 31 (arr: Respighi) [5:54]; Max
BRUCH (1838 – 1920) Violin Concerto
No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 [24:01]; Johannes
BRAHMS (1833 – 1897) Sonata for
Violin and Piano No. 2 in A major, Op. 100
[18:29]; Nicolo PAGANINI
(1782 – 1840) Caprice Op. 1 No.
5 for solo violin [2:14]; Caprice Op. 1 No.
17 for solo violin [3:28]; Robert
SCHUMANN (1810 – 1856) Abendlied
[2:35]; Jules MASSENET
Meditation from Thaïs (arr: Masick)
(GE cartridge) [3:45]
Nathan Milstein (violin) Valentin Pavlovsky
(piano) (Wieniawski, Brahms), Artur Balsam
(piano) (Rimsky-Korsakov, Massenet, Schumann),
New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra/Artur
Rodzinski Recorded September 28, 1933 in Copenhagen,
Denmark (Paganini), November 2, 1943 (Brahms),
May 1944 (Rimsky-Korsakov, Massenet, Schumann),
August 14, 1944 (Wieniawski), December 31,
1944 (Bruch) and c. 1943 (Vivaldi)
DOREMI DHR-7706 [74:04] [GF]
Regarded
by some as technically brilliant but emotionally cold; most of these
mainly live, recordings, contradict this opinion. ... see Full
Review
New Zealand Women Composers
Dorothy KERR The
Structure of memory (1997-9) [10.29] Jenny
McLEOD (b. 1941) For Seven (1965-6) [19.21] Gillian
WHITEHEAD (b. 1941) Ahotu (O Matenga) (1984) [18.34]
Annea LOCKWOOD (b. 1939) Monkey
Trips (1995) [15.02]
Lontano/Odaline de la Martinez rec. Christ’s Hospital Sussex, May-June
2003
LORELT LNT 116 [63.59][GH]
If
you feel like a challenge go for this disc.
You can be sure that the performances are
unsurpassable. ... see Full
Review
Orientale
Adam GORB
(b.1958) Yiddish
Dances (2003) [14.52]* Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Caprice
Arabe Op.96 (1894) [7.03]** Alexander
BORODIN (1833-1887) In the
Steppes of Central Asia (1880)
[6.25]* Gustav
HOLST (1874-1934) Beni Mora
– Oriental Suite in E minor Op.29 No.1
(1910) arranged Nora Day (1891-1985) performing
edition by Anthony Goldstone (b.1944) [15.33]**
Reinhold GLIÈRE
(1875-1956) Orientale Op.38 No.17
(1908) [2.02]* Colin
McPHEE (1900-1964) Balinese
Ceremonial Music [9.27]** John
MAYER (1930-2004) Sangit Alamkara
Suite (1988) [16.42]* Joseph
ACHRON (1886-1943) Hebrew
Melody arranged Leopold Auer (1845-1930)
arranged Anthony Goldstone (b.1944) [5.26]**
Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow
(pianos) piano duet* two pianos** Recorded
in St John the Baptist Church, Alkborough,
Lincolnshire, 2005 except McPhee, recorded
1998
DIVINE ART 25032 [78.16] [RB]
A
generous, colourful and provocative collection
of pieces with an Oriental theme all very
well documented by Anthony Goldstone ...
see Full Review
The
Michael Rabin Collection - Vol. 1 Ludwig van
BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Sonata
for Violin and Piano No. 8 in G, Op. 30, No. 3 [17:24] Gabriel
FAURÉ (1845-1924) Sonata for Violin and Piano No.
1 in A, Op. 13 [22:51] Nicolo PAGANINI (1782-1820)
Caprice Op. 1 No. 17 in E-flat [3:16]
Michael Rabin, violin Lothar Broddack, piano The Bell Telephone Hour
Orchestra/Donald Voorhees (Paganini) Recorded from live broadcasts of
the RIAS Berlin, October 30, 1962 (Beethoven), October 17, 1961 (Fauré)
and August 7, 1950 (Paganini) Remastering and sonic restoration by Jacob
Harnoy. DOREMI DHR-7715
[43:31] [KS]
Rabin’s
playing is completely effortless, his technical
command of his instrument completely assured
and his tone is rich and lovely ... see Full
Review
Sacred
Music from Notre-Dame Cathedral LÉONIN
(c.1163-1190) Viderunt Omnes PEROTIN
(c. 1180-1225) Beata Viscera; Sederunt Omnes; ANON:
Plainchant: Viderunt Omnes; Motet on Dominus; Vetus abit littera SCOLICA
ENCHIRIADIS: Non Nobis Domine Joanna Forbes (soprano) Rebecca
Hickey (soprano) Kathryn Oswald (contralto) Alexander L'Estrange (counter-tenor)
Richard Eteson (tenor) Alexander Hickey (tenor) Timothy Watson (tenor)
Francis Brett (bass)
Tonus Peregrinus/Antony Pitts rec. Chancelade Abbey, Dordogne, France,
5-9 Jan 2004. DDD NAXOS
8.557340 [70:04] [RHa]
An
excellent addition to the early music catalogue
... see Full
Review
Tito Schipa IV HUARTE Madrigal
Espagnole [01:48] DE CRESCENZO
Ce steva na vota [01:54] DI
CAPUA O sole mio [02:36] Manuel
de FALLA (1876-1946) Jota [03:01]
Tito SCHIPA
(1889-1965) Ave Maria [04:22] A Cuba [02:18]
Prece [03:43] Angela mia [03:23] El gaucho
[03:02] Luna castellana [02:55] ANONYMOUS
La farfalletta [03:10] BUZZI-PECCIA
La nina querida [02:43] Mal d'amore
[03:26] Giovanni
Battista PERGOLESI (1710-1736) Nina
[02:44] Pietro MASCAGNI
(1863-1945) Ave Maria [03:55] OCHOA-LONGAS
Sevillana [02:25] Enrique
GRANADOS (1867-1916) - Playera
arranged Spanish Dances, Tito SCHIPA
[03:15] CUTILLO Femmena
'ngannatora [03:03] MARVASI-BARTHELEMY
Chi se ne scorda cchiu [2:40] DI
GIACOMO-COSTA Napulitanata [03:19]
CROSS I
shall return [02:49] BLAUFUSS-DONALDSON
When you are in love 02:59 Paolo
TOSTI (1848-1916) Ideale [03:00]
Marechiare [02:39] RAY
Tu sonrisa de cristal [03:06] Victor
HERBERT (1859-1924) Oh ! dulce
misterio de la vida [02:38]
Tito Schipa (tenor) Unnamed accompanists
Recorded 1925-1930
PREISER 89594 [77.10] [JW]
Unusual
though an all-light Schipa disc may be, there are constant examples
of his art here and very recommendable too in these fine transfers.
... see Full Review
Andrès Segovia - a Portrait
Allegro
films: (1) Segovia at Los Olivos (1967); (2) Song of the Guitar (1975)
With music by Bach, Albeniz, Scarlatti, Ponce, Torroba, Rameau, Granados,
Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and Llobet Producer: Christopher Nupen (also provides
introductory remarks).
OPUS ARTE OA CN 0931 D 
[196:00][ZT]
This
DVD is highly recommended. It has wide audience appeal but for aficionados
of the classical guitar it is mandatory viewing. ... see Full
Review
Stella
Maris ANON
English 13th century; Flos regalis virginalis; Quem trina
polluit; Dou way Robyn/Sancta Mater; Beata Viscera NOTRE-DAME
SCHOOL; O Maria. Stella maris; Veni Creator Spiritus PEROTIN
(fl.
c. 1200) Dum sigillum SUNGJI HONG
(b. 1973) Missa Lumen de Lumine
Trio Medieval with John Potter rec. Propstei St. Gerald, Feb 2005.
DDD ECM NEW SERIES 1929
476 3021 [65.46] [GH]
I
must add that the Trio Medieval is superb and the discipline learned
from medieval music pays off abundantly ... see
Full Review
Leopold
Stokowski Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Symphony No. 5 in D minor (1937) [40:51] Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Symphony No. 8 in D minor (1953-55)
[30:15]
London Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski Rec. live, Royal Albert
Hall, London, 15 (8), 17 (4) September 1964. BBC
LEGENDS BBCL 4165-2 [71:40][RB]
More
for completists whether in pursuit of RVW,
Shostakovich or that old magician Stokowski.
... see Full
Review
THE VERY BEST OF ...... Naxos Classical series Two-CD
sets for each of Vivaldi, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Handel, Mozart, Rachmaninov,
Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Puccini
The
pleasure of knowing that when the set is first
played it is likely to open doors of discovery.
... see Full
Review
Titta
Ruffo Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868)
Il
Barbiere di Siviglia; Largo al factotum [4.12] Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Nabucco; Tremin gl’insani [2.39] Ernani;
Oh1 de’ verd’anni miei [4.20] Rigoletto; Pari siamo [3.49] Un Ballo
in Maschera; Erti tu che macchiavi [4.26] Otello; Credo in un Dio crudel
[4.06] Otello; Era la notte [4.10] Otello; Si, pel cielo marmoreo giuro
[1.36] Giacomo MEYERBEER (1791-1864)
Dinorah; Sei vendicata assai [3.47] L’Africana; All’erta marinar
[3.38] L’Africana; Adamastor, re delle acque profonde [4.26] Georges
GOUNOD (1818-1893) Faust; Dio possente [3.59] Ambroise
THOMAS (1811-1896) Amleto; O vin [4.37] Jules
MASSENET (1842-1912) Thais; Ahimè! [2.56] Thais; Ecco
dunque l’orribil città [2.54] Umberto
GIORDANO (1867-1948) Andrea Chenier; Son sessant’anni [2.50]
Andrea Chenier; nemico della patria [4.05] Ruggiero
LEONCAVALLO (1858-1919) Zazà; Buona Zazà del
mio buon tempo [2.02] Zazà; Zazà; piccolo zingara [2.28]
Alberto FRANCHETTI (1860-1942) Cristoforo
Colombo; Aman lassù le stele [3.36] Cristoforo Colombo; Dunque
ho sognato [3.26] Titta
Ruffo (baritone) With unnamed accompaniments Recorded 1914-21
PREISER 89607 [77.03] [JW]
I
commend this selection for its authority and
intelligence of selection that reveals the
voice in all its glory ... the glory that
was Ruffo ... see
Full Review
Tangos
and Dances Jacob
GADE (1879-1963)
Jealousy
(1925) [3.46] Astor
PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992) Oblivion
(1984) [5.51] Libertango [4.27] Chiquilin
De Bachin (1968) [4.48] Gerardo
RODRIGUEZ (1897-1948) La Cumparista
(1917) [3.54] Enrique
GRANADOS (1867-1916) Spanish Dances
[Danzas Espanolas] – Andaluza (1892-1900)
[4.32] Miguel VARVELLO
(b.1943) Tiempos Inciertos [5.16] Carlos
GARDEL (1890-1935) Tomo y Obligo
[3.19] Isaac ALBÉNIZ
(1860-1909) Tango Op.165 No.2 (1892) [4.36]
Pablo ZIEGLER
(b.1944) Desde Otros Tiempos
[4.59] Alberto
GINASTERA (1916-1983)
Danza De La Moza Donosa [6.16] José
BRAGATO (b.1915) Graciela y Buenos
Aires [7.45] Fionnuala
HUNT Fino Irish Tango [2.22]
Fionnuala Hunt (violin and director) RTE Concert
Orchestra Recorded at Studio One, RTE, May
2004 Includes bonus DVD of filmed interview
between Fionnuala Hunt and Sean Rafferty filmed
at the Wigmore Hall in May 2005 [10’]
AVIE AV2079 [61.57] [JW]
Hunt
has certainly paid tribute to the song legacy
of tango with care and affection. ... see
Full Review
Virtuoso
Timpani Concertos (edited
and published by Harrison POWLEY)
(1784-1819) Concerto
per 6 Timpani and Orchestra (late 1790s) [15.26]
Partita in C (late 1790s) [15.07] André
PHILIDOR (c. 1647-1730) and Jacques PHILIDOR
(1657-1708) Marche de timballes (1685)
[3.37] Johann Carl Christian FISCHER (1752-1807)
Symphonie mit acht obligaten pauken (1780s)
[14.39] Johann Melchior MOLTER (1697-1765)
Sinfonia No. 99 (1750) [15.12] Johann
Christoph GRAUPNER (1683-1760) Sinfonia
a 2 corni, timpani, 2 violini, viola, e cembalo
(1747) [14.46]
Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Orchestra/Alexander
Peter, solo timpanist and conductor. Recorded
at the Lutherkirche, Radebul, Germany, 10
September 2003. Notes in English and Deutsch.
Photo of orchestra with listing of all players
and photo and full credits of score editor
Harrison Powley.
NAXOS8.557610 [78.38] [RH]
A
slightly disappointing glimpse into what has
the potential to be a fascinating corner of
the repertoire. ... see Full
Review
John Tomlinson:
Great Scenes and Arias -see review for details
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 62301-2 [4
CDs: 79:11 + 73:11 + 75:59 + 75:41] [GF]
For
untiring intensity and deep involvement John
Tomlinson is hard to beat. ... see Full
Review
World Orchestra
for Peace CD: Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) A
Midsummer night's Dream, Op. 61 (1842)
- Scherzoa [4'51]. Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) La merb
(1903-5) [24'13]. Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Petrushkac
(1911) [34'51]. DVD: UN 50th
Anniversary Concert Gioacchino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) Guillaume
Tell (1829) - Overtured [11'15].
Béla BARTÓK
(1881-1945) Concerto for Orchestra,
Sz116e (1943-5) [35'49]. Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Fidelio
(1814) - Act 2, finalef [13'06].
fAndreas Kohn (bass); fAlbert
Dohmen (baritone); fStig Andersen
(tenor); fEvelyn Herlitzius (soprano);
fHans Tschammer (bass-baritone);
fRuth Ziesak (soprano); fHerbert
Lippert (tenor); fLondon Voices;
World Orchestra for Peace/abcValéry
Gergiev, defSir Georg Solti. Rec.
aBaden-Baden in 1998, bRoyal
Albert Hall, London in 2000, cMariinsky
Theatre, St Petersburg, on May 6th-9th,
2003, defVictoria Hall, Geneva,
Switzerland in July 1995.
PHILIPS
475 6937 [CD + DVD] [63'57 + 73:00] [CC]
There
is much to enjoy and, indeed, cherish here
and the idea of a multi-format twofer is a
good one. ... see Full
Review
BOOK
REVIEW
The Penguin Concise
Guide to Opera By
Amanda Holden Penguin Reference ISBN 0-141-01682-5
paperback £9.99
A
nicely produced handy guide but only to be
relied upon for popular works. ... 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-Z]
[Part 6 Misc A-L]
[Part 7 Misc M-Z]
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