Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Samson
et Dalila (1877) 
Charles
Alves da Cruz, Klara Uleman, Opera Spanga/David Levi OPERA
SPANGA FFDOC29 
[100:00] 
[GF]
Possibly
the most cruel and cynical opera production made – deeply fascinating
... see Full Review
Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660-1725)
Stabat Mater see PERGOLESI
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Franz SCHMIDT (1874-1939)
Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln
Wiener Singverein; Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich/Kristjan Järvi
rec. 2005 CHANDOS CHSA5061(2)
[64:04
+ 48:55][RB]
Stunning
as a work, as a performance and as a recording. For all practical purposes
the leading version of Schmidt's masterpiece ... see Full
Review
Florent
SCHMITT (1870-1958) Etude pour le Palais hanté see
DEBUSSY
Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Violin
Concerto Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Violin
Concerto Hilary
Hahn (violin)
Swedish RSO/Esa-Pekka Salonen rec. 2007 DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 477 7346 [63:00] 
[EMc]
An
excellent disc, particularly for the revelatory
recording of the Schoenberg ... see Full
Review
Arnold
SCHOENBERG
(1874-1951) Phantasy for Violin
with Piano accompaniment, Op.47 (1949) see
American
Fantasies
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Rondo
see BRUCH
Gunther
Schuller
(b.1925) Recitative and Rondo
(1954) see
American
Fantasies
Cyril SCOTT (1879-1970)
Cello Concerto; Symphony No. 1
Paul Watkins (cello); BBC Philharmonic/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2007
CHANDOS CHAN10452 [58:04][RB]
Wonderfully
light of heart ...fully mature and intriguing
... see Full
Review
Humphrey
SEARLE (1915-1982) Aubade for
Horn and Strings Op.28 see
Hoddinott
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975)
Symphony 11 Beethoven
O Bonn/Roman Kofman rec. 2006
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG93712096
[64:28]
[DM]
Kofman
may have a fine band and a wonderful recording but in this symphony
that simply isn’t enough ... see Full
Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) String
Quartets Nos. 5, 7 & 9
Mandelring Quartett rec. 2007
AUDITE 92528
[67:54][JFL]
The
Mandelring’s carefully considered, always unpredictable ways are a treasure
... see Full Review
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) The Seven
Symphonies etc. Danish
National Symphony Orchestra/Leif Segerstam rec. 1990-92
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 8867 [4 CDs: 74:55 + 70:24 + 69:32 + 70:24] 
A
handy set at an even handier price but Segerstam’s drum beats at a very
measured pace … see Full Review
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Symphonies 1-5, Rakastava, Tapiola, Swan of Tuonela, Finlandia
Royal Stockholm
PO/Vladimir Ashkenazy rec. 2006/7
EXTON OVCL-00279, OVCL-00282 & OVCL-00292 [65:44 + 72:19 + 71:20]
[RB]
Mixed
results - not an outright winner ... see Full
Review
Jean SIBELIUS
(1865-1957) Symphonies Nos.
2 & 5
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Hallé Orchestra/Sir
John Barbirolli rec. 1962-8
TESTAMENT SBT1418 [77:03][DRD]
Classic versions … humane and heartfelt ... see Full
Review
Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphonies
Nos. 4 & 5
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Herbert von Karajan rec. 1976
EMI CLASSICS 5090272 [70:50][CH]
A
controversial Fourth and a below-par Fifth ... see Full
Review
Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Nightride and Sunrise, Luonnotar, Lemminkäinen Suite, Jungfrun i
tornet, Pelléas et Mélisande, Valse triste
Solveig Kringelborn (soprano) Estonian National Male Choir; Royal Stockholm
PO, Estonian Ntl SO/Paavo Järvi rec. 1996-2002
VIRGIN CLASSICS 5220552 [73:32 + 67:38]
[RB]
Imaginative,
well rendered readings ... go for it ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) En
Saga, Tapiola, Finlandia, Valse Triste,
Violin Concerto, Four Lemminkainen Legends Jan
Damen (violin), Concertgebouw O, London PO/Eduard van Beinum,
Danish RO/Thomas Jensen
rec. 1952-57 DECCA ELOQUENCE
442 9487 [50:28 + 75:38] [RB]
A
box of delights and discoveries for Sibelians ... see Full
Review
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Violin Concerto see SCHOENBERG
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Complete
Piano Music CD
Annette Servadei (piano) rec. 1992-4
ALTO ALC 5001 [5 CDs: 69:31 + 70:13 + 71:21 + 66:28 + 73:41][RB]
Rewarding
music-making but unassuming and not earth-shatteringly original or intense
... see Full Review
Richard
STRAUSS
(1864-1949) Don Juan, Tod und Verklärung,
Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils, Der Rosenkavalier Suite
New York Philharmonic/Lorin
Maazel rec. 2005 DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 4776435 [73:24]
[SV]
The
applause suggests that New York enjoyed this considerably more
than I did ... see Full Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864–1949) Arabella
Wiener Staatsopernchor;
Wiener Philharmoniker/Sir Georg Solti rec. 1977
DECCA 0743255
2DVDs [189:00][RM]
A
film production to revisit many times ... see Full
Review
Isotaro SUGATA
(1907-1952) Orchestral works
Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra/Kazuhiko Komatsu rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570319 [55.28][GH]
A
pleasurable and fascinating hour’s worth of orchestral music. Well worth
exploring ... see Full Review
Karol
SZYMANOWSKI
(1882-1937)
Symphonies 2 & 3 Warsaw
National PO & Ch/Antoni Wit rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570721 [60:48]
[DM]
Another
triumph for Maestro Wit and his busy Warsaw band ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Toru TAKEMITSU (1930-1996)
To the Edge of Dream see RODRIGO
Sergei
Taneyev
(1856-1915)
Symphonies 1 & 3 Novosibirsk
Academic SO/Thomas Sanderling rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570336 [75:50]
[WK]
Considerable
performances of works by a composer finally
receiving his due in the West ... see Full
Review
Deems
TAYLOR (1885-1966) Ramuntcho
– Introduction and Ballet Music, Act III
(1942) [8:12] see
Stokowski
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphonies
4-6, Romeo and Juliet, Francesca da Rimini, 1812 Overture Philadelphia
O/Riccardo Muti
rec. 1981-91 EMI CLASSICS 5094352 [3
CDs: 63:58 + 72:37 + 63:23] [MC]
These
are splendid Tchaikovsky performances ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893) Complete
Songs - Volume 5 Ljuba
Kazarnovskaya
(soprano), Ljuba Orfenova (piano) rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570438 [72:56] [GF]
A
treasure trove of rarely heard songs but the singing gives little
pleasure ... see Full
Review
Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767)
Zerschmettert die Götzen – Cantatas
Accademia Daniel/Shalev Ad-El rec. 2006
CPO 7772492 [71:49][JV]
Telemann's astonishing creativity and freshness
- soloists and ensemble give captivating performances ... see Full
Review
Boris TISCHENKO (b. 1939) Symphony
No. 1; The Blockade Chronicle Symphony
Leningrad PO/Edward Serov; Andrey Chistiakov rec. 1970-85
NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA9942 [78:14][RB]
Red-blooded
performances of two uncompromising yet accessible and grown-up symphonies
... see Full Review
Boris TISCHENKO
(b. 1939) Symphony No. 6
USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra/Gennady Rozhdestvensky
rec. 1989 NORTHERN FLOWERS
NF/PMA9947 [78:14][RB]
A
concert performance of extraordinary burning intensity ... see Full
Review
Will
TODD (b. 1970) Mass in Blue
etc. Bethany
Halliday (soprano); Will Todd (piano); Vasari Singers/Jeremy Backhouse
rec. 2006 SIGNUM SIGCD083
[64.19][JQ]
Will
Todd’s music receives the strongest possible advocacy on this CD ...
see Full Review
Chinary
UNG (b. 1942) Inner Voices see HARRISON
Fartein VALEN (1887-1952)
Pastorale; Sonetto di Michelangelo; Cantico di Ringraziament;
Symphony No. 1; Violin Concerto
Elise Bĺtnes (violin); Stavanger Symphony Orchestra/Christian Eggen
rec. 2005-6 BIS CD1522
[58:06][RB]
Norwegian
lyricism meets dissonance in delicate yet durable scores ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Un giorno di
regno
Wiener Symphoniker, Wiener Staatsopernchor/Piero Bellugi rec. 1974
GALA GL100793 [79:25 + 78:52][GPu] 
An
engaged, feisty performance of a minor Verdi work well worth getting
to know … see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Giuseppe VERDI
(1813-1901)
La Traviata
Renée Fleming, Rolando Villazón, Los Angeles Opera O & Ch/James
Conlon rec. live, 2006
DECCA 0743215
[141:00]
[RJF]
With
the benefit of the latest picture technology, this performance goes
to the top of the list for those preferring a traditional production
... see Full Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Un ballo in
Maschera Metropolitan
Opera Orchestra and Chorus, New York/Giuseppe Patane rec. 1980
DECCA 0743227
[2DVDs: 145:00 + 25:00 (interviews)][RJF]
The
best justification for buying this issue is to see and hear Pavarotti
nearer to his vocal peak in a role which his strong lyric voice and
clear diction is ideally suited ... see Full
Review
William
WALTON (1902-1983) Violin
Concerto Bjarne BRUSTAD (1895-1978) Violin
Concerto 4 Camilla
Wicks (violin) Oslo PO/Juri Simonov, Herbert Blomstedt rec.
1968-85 SIMAX
PSC1185 [59:50] [JW]
Another
diverting release, one that will strongly appeal to Wicks’ many
admirers ... see Full Review
Judith WEIR
(b. 1954) The Welcome Arrival of Rain, Natural
History, Moon and Star, Forest, Heroic Strokes of the Bow
Ailish Tynan (soprano); BBC Singers; BBC SO/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2007
NMC D137 [75:52]
[HC]
Honest,
sincere, quite beautiful, strongly communicative and utterly accessible
... see Full Review
Charles
WOOD (1866-1926) St.
Mark Passion Edward BAIRSTOW (1874-1946) Organ Voluntary The
Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge/Daniel Hyde
rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.570561 [61:46] [MC]
Lovers
of sacred choral music will be delighted with this quite superbly
sung and recorded version of Charles Wood’s St. Mark Passion on
Naxos ... see Full Review
Kósçak (Kōsaku)
YAMADA (1886-1965) Nagauta Symphony
‘Tsurukame’; Sinfonia ‘Inno Meiji’; Choreographic
Symphony ‘Maria Magdalena’
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra/Takuo Yuasa rec. 2005
NAXOS JAPANESE CLASSICS 8.557971 [51:31][DW]
A
fascinating snapshot of the work of this important ‘early’ Japanese
composer just don’t expect any earth-shattering discoveries … see Full
Review
Jan
Dismas ZELENKA (1679-1745) Sacred Music
Fiori Musicali
Choir and Orchestra, Members of His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts/Penelope
Rapson rec. 2007 METRONOME
METCD1082 [66:16][JV]
A
fairly good impression of Zelenka's style of composing, but the performances
are largely disappointing ... see Full
Review
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