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Concerto Ehnes,
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recital Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Strauss
None but the Lonely Heart; SHOSTAKOVICH Piano
Trio No 1, 5 pieces for two violins, Piano
Quintet
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Lord The Durham Concerto. It is anticipated
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review
with 
sound
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complete works for Violin and Piano, Andreas
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Latest
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single Gordon Crosse Opera
in one
act: Purgatory
BOOK
REVIEWS
Isolde Ahlgrim,
Vienna and the Early Music Revival
by Peter Watchorn. Ashgate
Publishing Limited, (2007) 264pp., hardback.
Includes 32 b&w illustrations and 23 music
examples. £55.
A
very interesting account of a neglected exponent
of authentic performances of Early Music ...
see Full Review
LATEST
CD REVIEWS
FRIDAY
February 29th
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano
Sonatas 28 & 29 
Mitsuko
Uchida rec. 2007 PHILIPS
4758662 [CC]
A
mixed reception. Never less than fascinating, but these readings
cannot sit in the pantheon of the greats ... see Full
Review
Ferruccio
BUSONI (1866-1924) Seven
Elegies Johann Sebastian BACH (1685–1750) Chaconne
(arr. for piano Busoni) David
Rubinstein rec. 2007 MUSICUS
1001 [BBr]
Busoni’s
most approachable piano works in the modern style in performances
worthy of the music. ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH John DOWLAND (1563-1626) Lute Songs Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Nocturnal
after John Dowland Mark
Padmore (tenor), Elizabeth Kenny (lute), Craig Ogden (guitar) rec. 2007 HYPERION
CDA67648 [MG]
A
terrific disc which demonstrates how flexibly Dowland’s line can
be treated in expressing the nuances of the texts … see Full
Review
Joseph
Martin KRAUS (1756-1792) Violin
Concerto, Olympie - incidental music, Azire -
ballet music Takako
Nishizaki (violin) New Zealand SO/Uwe Grodd rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570334 [JW]
Restores
some worthwhile and valuable music to public audition ... see Full
Review
Klaus
LANG (b.
1971) Missa Beati Pauperes Spiritu Peter
Gerwig Romirer (cantor) Natalia Pschenitschnikova (voice) Roland
Dahinden (trombone) Gunter Meinhardt (percussion) Thomas Musil
and IEM Graz (live electronics) Trio RGB rec. live 2005 COL
LEGNO WWE1CD 20271 [DB]
An
interesting and extremely understated piece recommended for fans
of Feldman and Eno … see Full Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Divertimento
for violin, viola and cello Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) The Four Seasons David
Nadien (violin) Kapp Sinfonietta/Emanuel Vardi rec. 1960/61 CEMBAL
D’AMOUR CD125 [JW]
Nadien’s
is a name worth celebrating and this disc does just that ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813–1901) La
traviata Antonietta
Stella, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, La Scala, Milan Ch & O/Tullio
Serafin rec. 1955 NAXOS
8.111272-73 [GF]
In
spite of the less than attractive sound, a far from negligible
set and Di Stefano admirers should definitely add it to their collections
... see Full Review
Dedicated
to Barrère -
Volume Two Includes Philippe
GAUBERT (1879-1941) Sonatine quasi Fantasia Christiaan
KRIENS (1881-1934) La Nymphe Bocagère Wallingford
RIEGGER (1885-1961) Suite for flute alone Charles
Tomlinson GRIFFES (1884-1920) Poème Marion
BAUER (1882-1955) Forgotten Modes Leone
Buyse (flute) Martin Amlin (piano) Paula Page (harp) rec. 2004-07 CRYSTAL
RECORDS CD716 [JW]
A
wide and eloquently expressive palette ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Arie
di bravura - Diana
Damrau Arias by Salieri, Mozart
and Righini Diana
Damrau (soprano) Le Cercle de l’Harmonie/Jérémie Rhorer rec.
2006 VIRGIN
CLASSICS 3952502 [GF]
This
disc is superb in all respects and the repertoire is un-hackneyed!
... see Full Review
Opera
Fantasies for Violin Includes Jenö HUBAY (1858-1937) Fantasie
brillante on Bizet's "Carmen" Joseph
Joachim RAFF (1822-1882) Duo on themes from Wagner’s
Lohengrin Oswald GOLIJOV (b.1960) Ainadamar:
Desde mi ventana Stephen
PRUTSMAN (b.1960) Fantasy Extract on Themes from
Richard Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier" Niccolò PAGANINI (1782-1840) " I
Palpiti" - Introduction and Variations on “Di tanti Palpiti” from
Rossini's Tancredi Livia
Sohn (violin) Benjamin Loeb (piano) Geoff Nuttall (violin,
viola) rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570202 [JW]
Cannily
selected and little heard pieces, played with flair and no little
virtuosity ... see Full
Review
THURSDAY February 28th
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Sonatas
for viola da gamba and harpsichord BWV1027-29, Trios BWV583-4,
Keyboard Sonatas BWV963 & 967 Mikko
Perkola (viola da gamba),
Aapo Häkkinen (harpsichord) rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570210 [JS]
Not
a “safe” option; too idiosyncratic for that ... see Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Violin
Concerto Max BRUCH (1838
- 1920) Violin Concerto 1 Kyung-Wha
Chung, Concertgebouw O, (Beethoven), London PO (Bruch)/Klaus
Tennstedt rec. 1989/90 EMI
CLASSICS 5034102 [JW]
Lacking
the ultimate in romantic allure ... see Full
Review
Frydéryk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Nocturne Cello
Sonata, Introduction et Polonaise brillante & transcriptions Truls
Mørk (cello) Kathryn Stott (piano) rec. 2006 VIRGIN
CLASSICS 3857842 [JW]
Naturalness
is all in this refined and splendidly elegant recital ... see Full
Review
John
DOWLAND (1563-1626) Lute
Music -Volume 3: Pavans, Galliards and Almains Nigel
North rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570449 [JW]
The
high standards set in this series have been outstandingly maintained
here ... see Full Review
Vernon
DUKE (Vladimir Dukelsky) (1903-1969) Piano
Concerto, Cello Concerto, Homage to Boston Scott
Dunn (piano), Sam Magill (cello) Russian PO/Dimitry Yablonsky
rec. 2006/7 NAXOS
8.559286 [BBr]
One
of the very best, and, for me, most interesting, releases in Naxos’s
American Classics series ... see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759) Arias Danielle
de Niese (soprano) Les Arts Florissants/William Christie DECCA
475 8746 [GF]
In
spite of some reservations this is an endearing disc, with wonderful
music and not a dull moment ... see Full
Review
Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Complete
Piano Music - Volume 4 Includes Seven Czech Dances, Les
ritournelles, Rujana Giorgio
Koukl rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570215 [JW] [BBr]
Koukl
has cast his net wisely and well, mixing established classics with
works that none but a manuscript editor would have heard [JW]
I made the mistake of judging the book by its cover and dismissing the contents
of this CD without playing it. Under no circumstances must you make the same
idiotic mistake [BBr] ... see Full Review
Henry
PURCELL (1659-1695) Dido
and Aeneas Susan
Graham, Ian Bostridge, European Voices, Le Concert d’Astrée/Emmanuelle
Haïm rec. 2003 VIRGIN
CLASSICS 5034222 [JW]
A
warm welcome back to a first class recording ... see Full
Review
Ottorino
RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Humoreske for
violin and orchestra, Leggenda for violin and orchestra, Sei
piccoli pezzi (orch. Adriano), Rossiniana Marco
Rogliano (violin) Sassari SO/Roberto Diem Tigani INEDITA
PI2632 [IL]
A
rare treat for Respighi fans. Engaging performances in very good
sound ... see Full Review
Sergei
TANEYEV (1856-1915) Complete
String Quartets – Volume 1 Quartets 1 & 3 Carpe
Diem String Quartet rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570437 [JW]
A
welcome offering that shows Taneyev in emphatic and questing compositional
form ... see Full Review
WEDNESDAY
February 27th
Komei
ABE
(1911-2006) Symphony
No.1 (1957) [18:54] Divertimento for alto
saxophone and orchestra (1951 orch. 1960)
[19:58] Sinfonietta (1964) [25:43]
Aleksey Volkov (alto saxophone) Russian Philharmonic
Orchestra/Dmitry Yablonsky rec. 2005
NAXOS 8.557987 [64:35] [JW]
Exciting
music energetically performed, not always
subtle but torridly lyric ... see Full
Review
Johann Sebastian
BACH
(1685-1750)
Italian Concerto in F major BWV971 (1735)
[12:56] Toccata in C minor BWV 911 (1710s)[11:39]
Four Duets BWV 802-805 [11:00] English Suite
No.6 in D minor BWV 811 (c.1722) [26:03]
Angela Hewitt (piano) rec. Le Chaux-de-Fonds,
Switzerland, October 1985
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON ELOQUENCE 442 9446
[62:01] [JW]
This
DG has strong claims of its own ... see Full
Review
Erik CHISHOLM
(1904-1965) Music for
Piano - Volume 3 Piobaireachd
[14:17] Sonatina No.1 [7:20] Sonatina No.2
[7:03] Two Piobaireachd Laments [13:44] Cornish
Dance Sonata (1926) [33:58]
Murray McLachlan (piano) rec.2006
DUNELM RECORDS DRD 0224 [76:37] [JW]
A
progressive absorption of diverse influences:
Gaelic folk music and Bartók prominent
among them ... see Full
Review
Engelbert
HUMPERDINCK (1854–1921)
Hänsel
und Gretel (1893)
Theo Adam (bass) – Peter, a broom-maker; Gisela
Schröter (mezzo) – Gertrud, his wife;
Ingeborg Springer (contralto) – Hänsel,
their son; Renate Hoff (soprano) – Gretel,
their daughter; Peter Schreier (tenor) – Witch;
Renate Krahmer (soprano) – Sandman/Dew Fairy;
Members of Dresdner Kreuzchor; Staatskapelle
Dresden/Otmar Suitner rec. Lukaskirche, Dresden,
1969 German libretto enclosed
BERLIN CLASSICS 0184182BC [54:23 + 40:37]
[GF]
Several
other sets are more recommendable but Suitner’s
big-boned reading shouldn’t be overlooked
– and Peter Schreier’s witch cries out to
be heard ... see Full
Review
Sergei Vasilievich
RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
Olga Rusina Plays Rachmaninoff
Olga Rusina (piano) rec. 2002/2006
DUX 0565 [63:32] [WK]
A
disc of sometimes vibrant, sometimes eccentric
Rachmaninoff - worth catching for certain
of the performances. ... see Full
Review
Steve
REICH
(b. 1936) Music
for 18 Musicians (1976) [61:21]
Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble/Bill
Ryan rec. No date given, Royce Auditorium,
St. Cecilia’s Music Center, Grand Rapids,
MI. USA.
INNOVA 678 [61:21] [KMc]
An
excellent recording of the seminal work of
minimalism ... see Full
Review
Thomas
WEELKES
(c.1576-1623) Ninth Service,
Evening Service and Anthems
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford/Stephen
Darlington rec. 1988. DDD. Texts included.
NIMBUS NI5125 [50:42] [BW]
Good
performances of a neglected composer; if you
want his most extended composition, the Ninth
Service, there is no alternative ... see Full
Review
The City
Waites - Lusty
Songs and Country Dances
Douglas Wootton (voice, lute cittern); Roderick
Skeaping (violin, bass viol, voice); Michael
Brain (curtal, recorders, voice); Mike Sargeant
(bagpipes); Dave Chatterley (hurdy-gurdy);
Robin Jeffrey (lute); Ian Gammie (violone);
Lucie Skeaping (director, voice, violin) rec.
1992/1995
REGIS RRC 1275 [70:42] [PG]
Plausibly
sounds as if it could have been plucked from
a tavern 350 years ago ... nearly flawless
… see Full
Review
English Piano
Sonatas CD 1 [74:26]
Arnold BAX
(1883-1953), John IRELAND
(1879-1962), CD 2 [72:32] Frank
BRIDGE (1879-1941) Arnold
BAX (1883-1953)
Malcolm Binns (piano) rec. 2007, notes in
English only. BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY
BMS434-435CD [72:32 + 74:26] [HC]
A
magnificent collection of impressive and substantial
British piano sonatas ... see Full
Review
A Piano
Odyssey
Trevor Barnard (piano) rec.1978. DIVERSIONS
DDV 24125 [JW]
A
rather bipartite affair - an enjoyable if
not quite Homeric journey. ... see Full
Review
TUESDAY
February 26th
Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) Recuerdos
de viaje; Espagne (Souvenirs); Azulejos; La Vega, ‘Fantaisie
espagnole’; Navarra
Guillermo González (piano) rec. 2004
NAXOS SPANISH CLASSICS 8.570553 [72:35][GPu]
An
interesting juxtaposition of fairly early and (very) late works by Albéniz
… see Full Review
John DOWLAND
(1563-1626) Lute Music Volume 3: Pavans, Galliards
and Almains
Nigel North (nine-course lute) rec. 2005
NAXOS 8.570449 [66:22][BW]
Another excellent recording in this thoroughly
recommendable series … see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH John
Herbert FOULDS (1880-1939) A
World Requiem
BBC SCh & O/Leon Botstein rec. 2007
CHANDOS CHSA5058 
[45:08
+ 44:50] [PCW]
Ventures
like this give one hope for the future of recorded music … see Full
Review
Johann Nepomuk HUMMEL (1778-1837)
Selected Masterpieces
Various artists rec. 1994-2000
DYNAMIC CDS 554/1-6 [71:39 + 68:35 + 57:08 + 64:33 + 57:32 + 76:06][MS]
A selection of some of Hummel’s most enticing
and satisfying music … real value for money though the level of inspiration
may be bettered elsewhere ... see Full
Review
HISTORICAL
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ruggiero LEONCAVALLO
(1858-1919) Chatterton
Chorus and orchestra of Teatro alla Scala/Ruggiero Leoncavallo rec.
1908 Pagliacci Giuseppe Rosci Chorus and orchestra of
Teatro alla Scala/Ruggiero Leoncavallo (as stated on labels; possibly
Carlo Sabajno) rec. 1907
MARSTON 52016-2 [79.04 + 78:14][JW]
An
amazing rarity transferred with care, presented with authority, and
made universally available ... see Full
Review
Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Donizetti - Operatic
Reminiscences and Transcriptions
William Wolfram (piano) rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570137 [65:57][DM]
There’s
nothing modest about the pianistic talents of William Wolfram ... see
Full Review
Ferdinand
RIES (1784-1838) Flute Quartets
John Herrick Littlefield
(flute); Aaron Boyd (violin); Ah Ling Neu (viola); Yari Bond (cello)
rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570330
[56:33][BW]
Attractive
music – not top-flight but certainly worth getting to know – well performed
and recorded ... see Full Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797–1828) Romantic
Poets - Vol. 2
Markus Schäfer (tenor), Ulrich Eisenlohr (piano) rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.557831 [68:27][GF]
Expressive
readings but the singing style may not be to everyone’s taste ... see
Full Review
Julius Baker (flute) - A Flutist’s
Favorites
Julius Baker (flute); Boris Barere (piano) CEMBAL
D’AMOUR CD 127 [63:20][JW]
A
valuable and worthy tribute to a rare artist ... see Full
Review
Singers of the Century –
40 Greats of the twentieth century
rec. 1948–1957
REGIS RRC2078 [77:28 + 78:27][GF]
Gems
a-plenty and technical limitations are not serious enough to diminish
listening pleasure ... see Full Review
MONDAY February 25th
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750)
The Well Tempered Clavier
- Books I and II
Edwin Fischer (piano) rec.
1933-36 EMI CLASSICS
3919582 [3 CDs: 79:30 + 81:41 + 76:37][JW]
A
tonally diffused, unrepresentative approximation of Fischer’s playing
... see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano Concerto
No.2 Stephen
Hough (piano); BBC Symphony Orchestra/Andrew Davis rec. 1990
VIRGIN CLASSICS 3913662 [51:01][JW]
Not
really a contender ... see Full Review
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) String
Quartet Op.51/2 Felix Otto
DESSOFF (1835-1892) String
Quartet Op.7
Mandelring Quartett rec. 1998
AUDITE 97505 [60:21][JFL]
Worth
a strong recommendation for Brahms A minor alone and the Dessoff is
immediately and lastingly enjoyable ... see Full
Review
George
Frederick HANDEL (1685-1759)
Solomon
Winchester Cathedral Choir; Göttingen Festival
Orchestra/Nicholas McGegan rec. 2007
CARUS 83.242
[3 CDs: 60:20 + 49:15 + 47:04][JW]
Doesn’t
really alter the balance of power in the discography stakes ... see
Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Philippus (Philippe) de MONTE
(1521-1603) Motets, Madrigals and Chansons
Ensemble Orlando Fribourg; In Echo/Laurent Gendre rec. 2007
CLAVES 502712 [51:17][BW]
An
unjustly neglected composer brought to life in very good performances,
well recorded ... see Full Review
Pyotr Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra
Oleg Marshev (piano); Aalborg Symphony Orchestra/Owain Arwel Hughes
rec. 2001-2
DANACORD DACOCD586-7 [78:49 + 75:49][PSe]
Good
recordings, solid dependability, imaginative interpretations, and intriguing
“new” pieces ... see Full Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813–1901) Il trovatore
(highlights)
Rome Opera House Chorus and Orchestra/Thomas Schippers rec. 1964
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 3933752 [70:37][GF]
Primarily
for diehard admirers of one or other of the singers here ... see Full
Review
4
– The Soundtrack Music by Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741), George GERSHWIN
(1898-1937), Nora BAYES and Jack NORWORTH
Sayaka Shoji (violin) and the Kioi Sinfonietta, Tokyo
ABC CLASSICS 4429963 [57:08][JW]
Soundtrack to a seasonal travelogue illuminated
by the local musics of the visited countries ... see Full
Review
The
Kite Runner – film score (2007) Music by Alberto
IGLESIAS (b.1955), Ehsan AMAN
(b.1959), Sami YUSUF (b.1980)
and Bara KHERIGI
Hollywood Studios Symphony/Michael Nowak
EDGE MUSIC 477 7333 [62:47][RM]
If
not immediately memorable, the score is certainly atmospheric and undeniably
skilful ... see Full Review
Itzhak
Perlman - Virtuoso Violinist
Christopher Nupen (director)
ALLEGRO FILMS A08CND 
[169:00][AOz]
Reveals
how an ordinary human being can achieve great things through integrity
and faith … and talent and hard work ... see Full
Review
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