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RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies
4 & 7 
The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen/Paavo
Järvi rec. 2004-6
RCA RED SEAL 88697 129332
[69:23] 
[MG]
Herreweghe
- considered and Olympian, Järvi: spontaneous
and mood-varied … see
Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Albert
Herring - A Comic Opera in Three Acts
Op. 39 (1947) [133:35] Lady Billows, an elderly
autocrat – Joan Cross (soprano) Albert Herring,
from the greengrocer’s – Peter Pears (tenor)
The English Opera Group Chamber Orchestra/Benjamin
Britten rec. live 1949. DDD English libretto
included
NIMBUS NI 5824/6 [3 CDs: 51:43 + 51:52
+30:00] 
The
sheer vitality and excellence of the work
of Britten and the EOG ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Sir Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) Symphony
2, In the South, Sospiri BBC
SO/Sir Adrian Boult
rec. 1937-44 BEULAH 5PD15 [76:37] 
[EMc]
Wonderful … consistent
inspiration … unforgettable ... see Full
Review
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Girolamo
FRESCOBALDI (1583-1643) Keyboard
Music from Manuscript Sources
Martha Folts (harpsichord) rec. 2007
NAXOS
8.570717 [73:03][JV] 
A
spectacular combination of music, instrument and performer - not to
be missed ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Charles IVES (1874-1954)
Songs, Orchestral and Ensemble pieces
Marni Nixon (soprano); John McCabe (piano); Henry Herford (baritone);
Ensemble Modern/Ingo Metzmacher rec. 1967 & 1991
EMI CLASSICS AMERICAN CLASSICS 2066312 [79:24][RB]
A
master of dissonance ... the magic of mood, evocation, suggestion ...
see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Edouard LALO (1823-1892) Symphonie
Espagnole, Fantasie Norvégienne,
(both works arr. violin and guitar by Lars Hannibal) Kim
Sjøgren, (violin); Lars Hannibal, (guitar)
rec. 1992 OUR RECORDINGS 8.226903 [48:33] [KS]
Delightful
arrangements of well known works, a lovely little musical diversion
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Kenneth LEIGHTON
(1929-1988)
Sequence for All Saints; Chorale Prelude: Rockingham; O God,
enfold me in the sun; Morning Canticles; The World’s
Desire Wells Cathedral
& School Chapel Ch/Matthew Owens rec. 2007
HYPERION CDA67641 [76:23]
[JQ]
Superb:
Hyperion and the musicians have done Leighton
proud ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Nikolai MYASKOVSKY (1881-1950) Symphonies
17 & 21, Salutatory Overture Russian
Federation Academic SO/Evgeny Svetlanov rec. 1991-3 ALTO
ALC1023 [77:14] [RB]
Fervent
music-making from Svetlanov and Myaskovsky ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Giacomo
PUCCINI
(1858–1924) La
Bohème (1896) Norma Fantini,
D’Annunzio Lombard, Massimiliano Pisapia
Children’s Choir, Orchestra and Chorus of
Festival Puccini/Stewart Robertson rec. 2007
DYNAMIC 33564 [118:00]
[GF]
A
feast for eye as well as ear! ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Julius RÖNTGEN (1855-1932) Aus
Goethes Faust Machteld
Baumans, Marcel Beekman, Dennis Wilgenhof, Nationale Reisopera
Enschede Ch, Netherlands SO/David Porcelijn rec. 2007 CPO 777
311-2 [60:34] [RB]
Extraordinary
work … totally beguiling freshness of romantic invention ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH American
Orchestral Song Music by Virgil THOMSON
(1896-1989), John Alden CARPENTER
(1876-1951), Roy HARRIS (1898-1979),
Charles Tomlinson GRIFFES (1884-1920)
and Horatio PARKER (1863-1919)
Patrick Mason
(baritone); Odense Symphony Orchestra/Paul Mann rec. 2007
BRIDGE 9254 [57:56][RB]
Luscious
late-romantic song-cycles with orchestra and
the visionary Harris more angular ... see
Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Knotwork
Graham
FITKIN (b.1963)
Vent (1994) [8:58]Eddie
McGUIRE (b.1948)
Celtic Knotwork (1990/94) [4:39] Pierre
Max DUBOIS
(1930-1995)
Quatuor (1964) [7:15] Lenny
SAYERS
(b.1977)
For Four (2001) [5:13] Eddie
McGUIRE
(b.1948)
Chinese Knotwork (2001) [6:57] Alfred
UHL (1909-1992) Divertimento (1942)
[12:31] Nicholas
SIMPSON
(b.1958)
Mardale Changes (2005) [9:39] Astor
PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992) Histoire
du Tango (1986) [18:57]
Fell Clarinet Quartet (Colin Blamey, Helen
Bywater, Marianne Rawles, Lenny Sayers) rec.
October 2007, Prestonkirk Church, East Lothian,
Scotland. DDD
DELPHIAN DCD34065 [74:20] [CR]
Accessible
and well composed music for four clarinets
– an incredible sound ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Lorraine
at Emmanuel - Celebrating the lives
of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson and Craig Smith
BACH and
HANDEL arias
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (mezzo) The Orchestra
of Emmanuel Music/Craig Smith and John Harbison
rec.
‘live’ 1992; 1995; 1999, Emmanuel Church,
Boston, MA. DDD English texts (Handel) and
German texts with English translations (Bach)
included
AVIE AV2130 [60:58]
A
superb disc that all admirers of this singer
will want to have ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Anna
Netrebko - Opera Arias Bonus: The
Making of the Film: Anna Netrebko.
The Woman – The Voice [14:44]
Anna Netrebko (soprano) Wiener Philharmoniker/Gianandrea
Noseda rec. 2003.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 00289 477 7566 [62:59
+ 40:38]
[GF]
One
of the classics ... see Full Review
BARGAINS
OF THE MONTH
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Aaron
COPLAND
(1900-1990) The
Tender Land Suite, Piano Concerto, Old
American Songs Vol. I, Old American Songs
Vol. II (arr. for chorus)
Benjamin Pasternack (piano) (Tender); St.
Charles Singers (Songs); * Nathaniel Stampley
(baritone); † Jeffrey Hunt (tenor) Elgin Symphony
Orchestra/Robert Hanson rec. 2007, Song texts
included
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559297 [63:42]
[DM]
Lesser-known
Copland superbly played and recorded. Indispensable.
... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841–1904)
Symphonic
Variations, op.78 (1877) [22:48] Symphony
No.9 in E minor, From the New World,
op.95 (1893) [41:56]
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/Marin Alsop rec.
2007 DDD
NAXOS 8.570714 [64:44][BBr]
Shattering
in its power and urgency ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Alexander GLAZUNOV (1865-1936) Orchestral
works (including symphonies 1-8 & violin concerto) Russian
State SO/Valeri Polyansky
rec. 1997-2002 BRILLIANT CLASSICS
93565 [7
CDs: 455.08] [RB]
An
often joyous set and an astonishing bargain ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Alan
HOVHANESS (1911-2000) Fanfare for the New Atlantis;
Concerto No. 2 for guitar; Symphony No. 63
Javier Calderón (guitar); Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Stewart
Robertson rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.559336 [59:29][RB]
Perhaps
the best Hovhaness instalment so far from Naxos ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Carl NIELSEN (1865-1931) Symphonies
Nos. 2 & 3
Danish National Symphony
Orchestra/Michael Schønwandt rec.
1999
NAXOS 8.570738 [71:11][LW]
A
real bargain and the best way to have these symphonies at very affordable
cost ... see Full Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Sergei PROKOFIEV
(1891-1953) Piano Concertos 1-5, Overture
on Jewish Themes, Visions fugitives
Michel Béroff (piano) Michel Portal (clarinet) Gewandhausorchester Leipzig/Kurt
Masur, Parrenin Quartet rec. 1974/81
EMI CLASSICS GEMINI 5176292 [72:03 + 75:56]
[SH]
Béroff
with Masur is as good as it gets, especially in such a pure ADD
recording ... see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Gioacchino ROSSINI
(1792-1868) L’Inganno Felice
Czech Chamber Soloists Brno/Alberto Zedda rec. 2005
NAXOS OPERA CLASSICS 8.660233-34 [51.21 + 34.17][RJF]
A
excellent and welcome addition to the burgeoning Naxos Rossini catalogue
... see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Albert ROUSSEL (1869-1937)
Symphony No. 2; Pour une fête de printemps; Suite in F
Royal Scottish National
Orchestra/Stéphane Denève rec. 2006-7
NAXOS 8.570529 [68:43][LW]
Superb
performances and the recorded sound at an economic price ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Jean
SIBELIUS (1865–1957) Symphonies
4 & 5 Berlin
PO/Herbert von Karajan
rec. 1976 CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE
5218722 [71:24] [BBr]
A
magnificent Fourth … an outstanding bargain ... see Full
Review
Click
for alphabetical listings by composer:
[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]
[Recommended
recordings]
An excellent reissue
by Hyperion on their Helios label, t
Over
a period of three years from December 2003,
I have spent a lot of time in the company
of Harry Partch – not literally, of course,
as he died in 1974, but working my way though
an article and some eight reviews that can
all be found on MusicWeb. Then, at the MusicWeb
annual lunch (January 2007), the name of John
Cage caught my ear. For reasons that my subconscious
was not prepared to divulge, my curiosity
was tickled. Partch and Cage have on occasion
been paired off, as a sort of American "Debussy
and Ravel" – was
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