Edward MACDOWELL (1860-1908)
Piano Concertos 1 & 2, New England Idylls 
Donna Amato (piano) London PO/Paul Freeman rec. 1985-2007
ALTO ALC1012 [75:56] 
[DB]
A
well-performed rerelease from the 1980s, along with newly-recorded
miniatures ... see Full Review
Gustav MAHLER
(1860-1911) Symphony No. 10 (ed. Cooke)
BBC Philharmonic/Gianandrea
Noseda rec. 2007 CHANDOS
CHAN10456 [78:24][JQ] 
Though
this Chandos newcomer has many merits the hegemony of Rattle’s Berlin
recording is not challenged ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony
4 Luba Orgonášová,
Tonhalle O Zurich/David Zinman rec. 2006 RCA-BMG
88697 168522 
[57:21] [DM]
A
performance full of wonder from a Mahlerian of real stature ...
see Full Review
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No.
5 Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra/Yoel Levi rec. 1995
TELARC CD80394 [72:38][JFL] 
Too
much high octane competition for a Mahler record to succeed on sonics
alone ... see Full Review
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Das
klagende Lied Marina
Shaguch (soprano); Michelle DeYoung (mezzo); Thomas Moser (tenor);
Sergei Leiferkus (baritone)
San Francisco Symphony & Chorus/Michael Tilson Thomas rec. live 1996 SAN
FRANCISCO SYMPHONY 821936-0017-2 [67:12] [JWi]
Excellent
playing and recording. MTT is an excellent Mahlerian ... see Full
Review
Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Piano Quartet Alfred SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) Piano Quartet Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano Quartet 1
Avery Ensemble rec. 2007
ZEPHYR 001-B [62:16]
[JWi]
Intelligent
and interesting programming with a special attraction for Mahlerites
... see Full Review
Frank
MARTIN (1890-1974) Concerto for
Cello and Orchestra; Ballade for Cello and Piano; 8 Preludes for Piano
Christian Poltéra
(cello); Kathryn Stott (piano); Malmö Symphony Orchestra/Tuomas Ollila-Hannikainen
rec. 2006-7 BIS BISCD1637
[65:32][LW]
Will
not disappoint anyone new to Frank Martin or anyone with an interest
in twentieth-century music ... see Full
Review
Frank
MARTIN (1890-1974) Trois
Danses pour Hautbois, Harpe, Quintette Solo et Orchesra à Cordes
Witold LUTOSŁAWSKI
(1913-1994) Double Concerto for Oboe, Harp and Chamber Orchestra
Jacques IBERT (1890–1962)
Symphonie Concertante pour Hautbois et Orchestre à Cordes
Margit-Anna
Süss (harp); Hansjörg Schellenberger (oboe) Franz Liszt-Kammerorkester
Budapest/Zoltán Peskó rec. 1996
CAMPANELLA MUSICA C130045 [65:06][DC]
A
fascinating trilogy of rare concertos ... see Full
Review
Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959)
Piano Quintet 2 see SCHUMANN
Jules
MASSENET (1842–1912) Manon Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) La Demoiselle élue Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Les nuits d’été
Orchestra and Chorus of the Théâtre National de l’Opéra Comique/Pierre
Monteux rec. 1955 NAXOS
HISTORICAL 8.111268-70 [3 CDs: 66.59 + 80.13 + 67.29][RH]
A
precious record of a vanished performance style ... see Full
Review
Nicholas
MAW (b. 1935) Violin Concerto
Joshua Bell (violin);
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Roger Norrington rec. 1996
SONY CLASSICAL SK62856 [41:48][JW]
Embraces
its historical lineage … luminous and pulsing ... see Full
Review
Nikolai
MEDTNER (1880-1951) The sonatas
and other piano music
Hamish Milne (piano) rec. 1975-88
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 8851 [7 CDs: 54:56 + 60:12 + 68:22 + 64:05 +
69:18 + 65:18 + 69:49][RB]
A
lifetime's study, reflection and poetry at a magnetically attractive
price ... see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Felix MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847)
Symphony 4 Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Symphony 9 Berlin PO/Klaus
Tennstedt rec. 1980/83
EMI CLASSICS ENCORE 5090222 [77:01]
[TP]
Tennstedt’s
fans will be glad to be able to snap this disc up ... see Full
Review
Olivier
MESSIAEN (1908-1992) Organ
Works Livre d'Orgue, Monodie, Méditations sur le mystère
de la Sainte Trinité Michael
Bonaventure
rec. 2005/7 DELPHIAN DCD34016 [72:02
+ 61:12] [JWi]
Serious
enthusiasts will want to add this award-winning disc to their collection
... see Full Review
John METCALF
(b. 1946) Mapping
Wales (2000, rev. 2001)a [18:31] Plain Chants (2001)b
[13:45] Cello Symphony (2004)c [35:25]
Catrin Finch (harp)a; Raphael Wallfisch (cello)c;
Cardiff Ardwyn Singersb; Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra Orpheusa;
English Symphony Orchestrac; Raicho Christova,
Helena Braithwaiteb, William Boughton rec. 2004
NIMBUS NI 5746 [67:41] [HC]
Attractive,
communicative and often beautiful … too good
to be ignored ... see Full
Review
Nikolai
MIASKOVSKY (1881-1950) Cello Concerto see ELGAR
Ernest
John MOERAN
(1894-1950) Cello
Concerto (1945) [30:30] Cello Sonata in A
minor (1948) [25:11] Prelude for cello and
piano (1944) [4:40]
Peers Coetmore (cello) Eric Parkin (piano)
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult
rec. February 1969, Walthamstow Assembly Hall
(concerto); January 1969, Decca Studio 3,
London (sonata and prelude). ADD. originally
issued on LP as SRCS42 (cello and piano);
SRCS43 (Cello Concerto) with Rhapsody No.
2 and Overture for a Masque
LYRITA SRCD.299 [60.25] [RB]
Very
old friends, flawed but held in affection
… it is good to welcome them back ... see
Full Review
From
Kindersinfonie to Bauernhochzeit Leopold
Mozart (1719–1787)
Die Bauernhochzeit; Cassatio
ex G Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart
(1756–1791)
Fugue K32; Twelve Variations K 265; Symphony
No.1 K 16
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra/Ton Koopman
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72189 [58:48][BW]
Very
enjoyable music, performances and recording, but presentation is not
up to Challenge’s usual standards ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Symphony
29 William Alwyn (1905-1985) Symphony
3 Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) Symphonic
Dances BBC SO,
Royal PO/Sir Thomas Beecham rec. 1955/56 SOMM
BEECHAM23 [77:57] 
[JF]
The
raison d’être of this CD is the William Alwyn symphony ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang Amadeus
MOZART (1756-1791) Symphonies Nos.
38-41
Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras rec. 2007
LINN CKD308
[66:49 + 72:29][TH]
A
set worthy to stand as a benchmark for our time ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791)
Operatic and Sacred Arias
Lucia Popp (soprano) Münchner Rundfunk-O/Leonard Slatkin, English CO/Georg
Fischer rec. 1967-83
EMI CLASSICS GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 5096802 [77:24]
[GF]
One
of the loveliest sopranos of later decades and one of her best
achievements ... see Full Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756–1791)
Don Giovanni
Simon Keenlyside, Eva Mei, Ch & O Zurich Opera House/Franz Welser-Möst
rec. live 2006 EMI CLASSICS
DVB5009709 
[2 DVDs: 185:00]
[RM]
A
production that interweaves thought provocation and fun ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Complete Songs for voice and piano
Sophie Karthauser (soprano); Stephen Loges (baritone); Eugene Asti (piano)
rec. 2007 CYPRES CYP1650
[41:07 + 40:30]
[GMH]
Certainly
something well worth a look ... see Full
Review
Modest
MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Boris
Godunov
Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra/Jerzy Semkow
rec. 1976
EMI CLASSICS 5091782 [3 CDs: 73:55 + 73:38 + 75:58][JS]
An
undeniably worthy attempt at recording one of opera’s great masterpieces
but no text! ... see Full Review
Carl
NIELSEN (1865-1931) Symphonies
1-6 Kirsten
Schulz (sop); Peter Rasmussen (ten) Danish RSO/Herbert Blomstedt
rec. 1973-76 EMI
CLASSICS TRIPLE 5008292 [3
CDs] [CR]
A
clear musical vision and dramatic accounts of the symphonies. Most
enjoyable ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Luigi NONO
(1924-1990) Prometeo,
Tragedia dell’ascolto (1984-6) Petra Hoffman, Monika Baer (sopranos);
Susanne Otto, Noa Frankel (altos); Hubert Meyer (tenor); Sigrun Schell,
Gregor Dalal (speakers)
Solistenchor, Freiburg; Ensemble Recherche; Solistenensemble des Philharmonischen
Orchesters Freiburg; Solistenensemble des SWR Sinfonieorchesters Baden-Baden
und Freiburg; xperimentalstudio für akustische Kunst; former Experimentalstudio
der Heinrich-Stobel-Stiftung des Südwestrundfunks; Andre Richard
(director); Peter Hirsch, (conductor 1); Kwame Ryan, (conductor 2) rec.
16-19 May 2003, Konzerthaus Freiburg.
COL LEGNO
WWE 2SACD 20605 [66:38 + 64:54] [AO]
The
thieves who stole 1000 copies of this disc certainly had excellent taste!
... see Full Review
Pavel PABST (1854-1897)
Piano Concerto Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Piano Concerto Alexander SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Piano Concerto
Oleg Marshev (piano);
South Jutland Symphony Orchestra/Vladimir Ziva rec. 2007
DANACORD DACOCD660 [73:52][RB]
Granitic
determination and polished grandeur of tone
... see Full
Review
Niccolò PAGANINI
(1782-1840) Duetto No.1 for violin and
cello (c.1801-04) ... see
Cello Duos
Johann
Gottfried Wilhelm PALSCHAU (c.1741–1815)
Concertos for harpsichord and strings Nos. 1 & 2 Johann Abraham Peter SCHULZ (1747–1800)
Six diverses pièces pour le Clavecin ou le Piano Forte
Concerto Copenhagen/Lars
Ulrik Mortensen (harpsichord) rec. 2007
DACAPO 8.226040 [67:08][JV]
Splendid
performances of unjustly neglected music by
two German-born, Danish-based composers ...
see Full Review
Peter
PHILIPS (1560/61-1628) Complete
Keyboard Works - Volumes 1 & 2 Siegbert
Rampe (clavichord, virginals, harpsichord, organ) rec. 2004 MUSIKPRODUKTION
DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 3411257-2 (V1) [71:27] MDG3411435-2 (V2)
[73:24] [JV]
Keyboard
music by Peter Philips played on six different instruments of superb
quality ... see Full Review
John
PICKARD (b.
1963) The Flight of Icarus, The Spindle of
Necessity, Channel Firing
Christian Lindberg (trombone) Norrköping SO/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2006/7
BIS CD1578 [66:24]
[RB]
Well
worth exploring ... see Full
Review
Serge
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Cinq
Mélodies Op.35 (1920) (transcr.
for cello and orchestra) [15:20] Concertino
Op.132 (orch.) [19:43] Classical Symphony
Op.25 (1926) [14:32] Rodion
SHCHEDRIN (b.1932) Parabola
Concertante for cello, strings and timpani
(2001) [16:27]
Raphael Wallfisch (cello) Southbank Sinfonia/Simon
Over rec. 2007
NIMBUS RECORDS NI 5816 [66:05] [DC] 
Interesting
programme, and well worth a punt. ... see
Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858-1924) Tosca
Renata Scotto (soprano); Placido Domingo (tenor); Philharmonia Orchestra/James
Levine rec. 1980
Classics For Pleasure 3932712 [46:08 + 70:11][GPu]
Placido
Domingo is the star of a decent, but not great interpretation of the
“shabby little shocker” … see Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Turandot
Monserrat Caballé, José Carreras, Mirella Freni, Choeurs de l’Opéra
du Rhin, Strasbourg PO/Alain Lombard rec. 1977
EMI CLASSICS 5091732 [54:34 + 64:22]
[JS]
The
pleasure that Caballé’s beautiful tone and imaginative approach
gives is enormous ... see Full
Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873–1943) Piano
Trio 1 Anton ARENSKY (1861–1906) Piano
Trio Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH Piano
Trio 2 Trio
Nota Bene rec. 2006 CLAVES
RECORDS 50-2720 [69:45] [BBr]
So
much to enjoy here that you’ll find yourself returning to this
disk again and again ... see Full
Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Francesca
da Rimini
BBC Singers; BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/Gianandrea
Noseda rec. 2007
CHANDOS CHAN10442 [64:46][IB]
There
have been other versions but I would have to nominate this issue as
my current favourite. Noseda is definitely a man to watch ... see Full
Review
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937)
Daphnis et Chloé: Suite No.2, Rapsodie espagnole Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Le Chant du Rossignol, L’Oiseau
de feu: Suite New York
Philharmonic/Lorin Maazel rec. live 2006/7
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 7175 [79:59]
[DC]
Holds
up in just about every regard – a very fine release ... see Full
Review
Maurice
RAVEL (1875–1937) Favourite
Flavours
Piano Duo Genova and Dimitrov rec. 2006
CPO
7772832 [52:52][BBr]
A
most definite must-have. You won’t be disappointed ... see Full
Review
Steve
REICH (b. 1936) Sextet; Piano
Phase; Eight Lines
The London Steve Reich Ensemble/Kevin Griffiths rec. 2006
CPO 7773372 [57.12][KM]
A
fine recording of three Reich works by a new ensemble dedicated to his
music ... see Full Review
Ferdinand
RIES (1784-1838)
String Quartets - Volume 2 String Quartets
2 & 20 Schuppanzigh
Quartett rec. 2005 CPO
777227-2 [60:13]
[KS]
Music
of great charm, played with excellent craftsmanship by a taut,
fine ensemble ... see Full Review
Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908)
Sheherazade, The Legend of Tsar Saltan
USSR State Academic Bolshoi Theatre O, The Great SO of the Radio-Information
Committee/Nikolai Golovanov rec. 1950/2
BOHEME CDBMR GOLO6 [62:52]
[RB]
Virile,
thunderous, majestically swelling and stompingly accented ... see Full
Review
Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Piano Concerto
see PABST
Gioachino
ROSSINI
(1792-1868) Complete
Piano Edition - Vol. 2
Marco Sollini (piano) rec. 2000
CHANDOS CHAN10319 [63:48][DM]
Spirited
playing and fine recording - a feast of good music ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Gioachino ROSSINI
(1792-1868) La donna del lago
Maxim Miranov, Sonia Ganassi,
Prague Chamber Ch, SWR Radio O Kaiserslautern/Alberto Zedda rec. live
2004 NAXOS OPERA CLASSICS
8.660235-36 [73.29 + 73.26]
[RJF]
This
recording should allow newcomers to enjoy this most melodic and
romantic of Rossini’s opera seria ... see Full
Review
Frederic RZEWSKI
(b. 1938) The People United Will
Never Be Defeated!; Four North American Ballads: No.4. Winnsboro
Cotton Mill Blues
Ralph van Raat (piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.559360 [73:05][DC]
Seminal 20th century piano work, and needing to be snapped
up ... see Full Review
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