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Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No. 9 
BBC Philharmonic/Kurt Sanderling rec. 1982
BBC LEGENDS BBCL42322 [79:42][JQ] 
A
fine achievement and I’m delighted to see
it restored to general circulation ... see
Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER (1860-1811) Symphony
10 Wiener
Philharmoniker/Daniel Harding
rec. 2007 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
4777347 [78.00] [AOz]
A
truly distinctive Mahler 10, to challenge and stimulate ... see Full
Review
William
MATHIAS (1934-1992) Symphony
No.1 Op.31 (1966) [31:00] Symphony No.2 (Summer Music)
Op.90 (1983) [28:17] 
BBC
Welsh Symphony Orchestra/William Mathias rec.1990. DDD NIMBUS
NI 5260 [59.25] [RB]
William
MATHIAS (1934-1992) Helios, Op. 76 (1977)
[15.02] Oboe Concerto (1989) [16:26] Requiescat, Op.
79 (1977) [8.51] Symphony No. 3 (1991) [31:24] David
Cowley (oboe) BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra/Grant Llewellyn
rec. 1991/1992. DDD NIMBUS
NI 5343 [72.22] [RB]
Bell-haunted
spells, enchanted coinage and sturdy Celtic magic ... see Full
Review
Felix MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847)
String
Quintet No. 2 in B flat, Op. 87 [31:57] String
Quintet No. 1 in A, Op. 18 [33:02] Menuetto
(original 3rd movement of Quintet
No. 1) [5:26]
Fine Arts Quartet (Ralph Evans (violin); Efim
Boico (violin); Yuri Gandelsmam (viola); Wolfgang
Laufer (cello)); Danilo Rossi (viola) rec.
Il Bagno, Steinfurt, Germany, 21-24 March
2007. DDD
NAXOS 8.570488 [70:23] [ST] 
One
can hardly imagine these works being given
a more sympathetic reading ... see
Full Review
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. 1969/1971 ADD
LYRITA SRCD.299 [60:25] [EMc] 
Occasional
insight and affectionate phrasing set at naught
by sub-standard playing ... see Full
Review
Ernest John
MOERAN (1894-1950)
Irish
Love Song (1926) [3:29] Theme and Variations
(1926) [12:18] On a May Morning (1921)
[2:52] Three Fancies (Windmills;
Elegy; Burlesque) (1922) [6:50]
Summer Valley (1925) [5:20] Three
Piano Pieces (The Lake Island;
Autumn Woods; At the Horse Fair)
(1919) [10:00] Gordon
JACOB (1895-1984) Piano
Sonata (1957) [19:23]
Iris Loveridge (piano) rec. The Music Room,
July 1958, May 1959 (Moeran); 26 June 1958
(Jacob). Mono. ADD. first issued on LP as
RCS 3 (Moeran); RCS 2 (Jacob).
LYRITA REAM.1103 [60:12]
[RB]
Radiant
heat and total absorption despite mono sound
and tape hiss ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Requiem;
Die Mauerfreude; Masonic Funeral Music; Little Masonic Cantata
rec. 1965-8
DECCA ELOQUENCE 4769781 [79:33][ST]
The
Decca machine in its golden age … fantastic value for money. ... see
Full Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Overtures: Le Nozze
di Figaro, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Serenade “Eine
Kleine Nachtmusik” see Furtwängler
Nikolai
MYASKOVSKY (1881-1950) Symphonies
Nos. 15 & 27
Russian Federation Academic Symphony Orchestra/Evgeny Svetlanov
rec. 1991-93, ALTO ALC1021
(Olympia OCD 741) [72:48]
Nikolai MYASKOVSKY (1881-1950)
Symphonies Nos. 16 & 19
Russian Federation Academic Symphony Orchestra/Evgeny Svetlanov
rec. 1970 & 1993
ALTO ALC1022 (Olympia OCD 742) [70:42][RB]
Fine
recordings of fascinating unique repertoire
at bargain price ... see Full
Review
Johann Gottlieb NAUMANN
(1741-1801) Betulia
Liberata - oratorio in two parts (1796)
Nele Gramß, Salomé Haller (sopranos);
Hans Jörg Mammel, Markus Schäfer
(tenors); Harry van der Kamp (bass); Rheinische
Kantorei, Das Kleine Konzert/Hermann Max rec.
April 2004, Studio Stolbergstrasse, Cologne,
Germany. DDD
CPO 777 063-2 [47:21 + 48:10]
A
very late specimen of a Metastasio-based oratorio
- Max directs a strong cast ... see Full
Review
Carl
NIELSEN (1865-1931) Symphonies Nos.
1 & 6 Danish National Radio
Symphony Orchestra/Michael Schønwandt rec. 2000
NAXOS 8.570737 [67:47][DM]
Schønwandt
brings an air of authority to this music that’s impossible to ignore
... see Full Review
Hans OTTE
(1926-2007) Stundenbuch (Book
of Hours)
Roger Woodward (piano) rec. 2006
CELESTIAL HARMONIES 13259 [57:06][JW]
Arrested
time, a profoundly involving sense of spiritual density ... see Full
Review
Niccolò PAGANINI (1782-1840) Violin
Concertos 2 & 4 Michael
Jelden, Vogtland-Philharmonie, Greiz-Reichenbach/Stefan Fraas rec.
2004 EDITION HERA
HERA02115 [60:02] [SV]
Full,
firm-bowed … melodies really sing … a nice swing and lilt ... see Full
Review
Giovanni
PAISIELLO (1740–1816) La
Serva Padrona Tiziano
Bracci, Gabriella Colecchia, O del Teatro Massimo Bellini di
Catania/Zuccarini rec. 2004 FABULA
CLASSICA FAB602 
[69.00] [RMc]
A
modest price for this appealing performance ... see Full
Review
Jean
PAPINEAU-COUTURE (1916-2000)
Fantaisie pour quintette à vent see Petite
Suite Maritime
Giovanni Pierluigi de PALESTRINA
(c.1525-1594) Missa Benedicta
es; Missa nasce la gioja mia see Josquin
des PRÉS
Lorenzo
PALOMO (b.1938) Cantos del alma;
Sinfonía a Granada
City of Granada Orchestra/Jean-Jacques Kantorow rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570420 [57:59][GPu]
Sinfonía
a Granada never less than colourful, Cantos des alma genuinely moving
… see Full Review
Paul
PATTERSON (b. 1947) Duologue for oboe and piano
see From
Hafiz to Firewing (and Beyond)
William
PERRY (b.1930) Music for
Mark Twain films
Various Orchestras/William Perry rec. 1980–1986
NAXOS 8.570200 [70:16][BBr]
Small
beer indeed ... see Full
Review
Alina
PIECHOWSKA-PASCAL (b. 1958?) Musique
pour la Paix (“Music for Peace”) Alina
Piechowska-Pascal (piano, voice, Tibetan singing bowls); Florence
Angelloz de la Gauthiere (piccolo, soprano flute, alto flute,
bass flute); Barbara Marcinkowska (cello) rec.
1995 QUANTUM
QM6956 [64:32][MJ]
Ascension
from relentless gestural to graceful and meaningful ... see Full
Review
Ildebrando
PIZZETTI (1880–1968)
Assassinio
nella cattedrale (Murder in the
Cathedral) (1958)
Ruggero Raimondi (bass) – The Archbishop
(Thomas Becket)Coro di voci bianche del Conservatorio
Piccinni di Bari; Orchestra Sinfonica della
Provincia di Bari/Piergiorgio Morandi Filmed
in the Basilica di San Nicola, Bari,2006
DECCA 074 3253
[84:00] [GF]
A
harsh but fascinating opera and here a worthy
tribute to Raimondi ... see Full
Review
Vicente
PRADAL (b.
1957) El Diván del Tamarit (Lorca
songs) Vicente
Pradal (voice); Servane Solana (voice); Alberto García (voice);
Rafael Pradal (piano); Emmanuel Joussemet (cello); Hélène Arntzen
(saxophone); Renaud
García-Fons (double-bass); Edouard Coquard (percussion); Paloma Pradal (voice);
Luis Rigou (kena)
rec. 2008 VIRGIN CLASSICS 5190332 [44:36] [RB]
The
music glowers with an unwavering stare reaching across the centuries
... see Full Review
Plainchant: Benedicta
es Josquin
des PRÉS (c.1440-1521) Benedicta es
Giovanni Pierluigi de PALESTRINA (c.1525-1594) Missa
Benedicta es; Missa nasce la gioja mia
The Tallis Scholars/Peter Phillips rec. 1981-6
GIMELL gImse402
[75:28][BW] 
A
recommendable alternative to purchasing these
excellent performances on CD ... see
Full Review
Francis
POULENC ( 1899-1963) Litanies
à la Vierge Noire see Salve
Regina
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Josquin des PRÉS
(c.1440-1521) Missa Sine Nomine; Missa ad Fugam
The Tallis Scholars/Peter
Phillips rec. 2007
GIMELL CD and DOWNLOAD CDGIM039
[69:12][BW]
Superb
performances of little-known but splendid works ... see Full
Review
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Piano
Concerto No. 2 Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Piano Concerto
Yundi Li (piano); Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Seiji Ozawa rec. 2007
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
4776593 [51:14][MC]
A
performer thoroughly inside the music providing excitement, drama and
affecting emotion ... see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Giacomo PUCCINI
(1858–1924) Popular Puccini:
Tosca, Boheme, Butterfly
- films of Puccini’s most popular Operas in one box
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 073 4417
[363:00][AB]
Classic
films which despite minor faults are up with the best ... see Full
Review
Henry
PURCELL (1659-1695)
Theatre Music - Volume 1 Amphytrion, Sir Barnaby Whigg,
The Gordian Knot Unty’d, Circe
Aradia Ensemble/Kevin Mallon rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570149 [59:32]
[MG]
Lively
performances of a good cross-section of Purcell’s
theatre music … see Full
Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOV
(1873-1943) Piano
Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 (1900-1)
[32:26] Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op.
30 (1909) [38:23]
Stephen Hough (piano) Dallas Symphony Orchestra/Andrew
Litton rec. in concert, McDermott Concert
Hall, Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, April-May
2004
HYPERION CDA 67649 [70:54] [SV]
Hough's
indelible pianism earns this disc a library
niche ... see Full
Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) Piano
Concerto “no.5” (Symphony no.2, arr. Alexander Warenberg)
Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy (piano); Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra/Theodor
Kuchar rec. 2007 BRILLIANT
CLASSICS 8900 [42:24][RM]
I
hate oysters – but I loved this disc! ... see Full
Review
Joseph
Joachim RAFF (1822-1882) La fée
d’amour, morceau caractéristique; Suite for solo violin and
orchestra; Violin Concerto No. 1
Tobias Ringborg (violin); Symphony Orchestra of Norrlands Opera/Andrea
Quinn rec. 2007 STERLING
CDS10752 [76:52][RB]
Delicacy,
dash and romantic fluency in the Bruch-Mendelssohn heritage ... see
Full Review
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Piano
Concerto see PROKOFIEV
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Piano Concerto see
Scherchen
Alan
RAWSTHORNE (1905-1971) Quartet for clarinet, violin, viola
and cello see BERKELEY
Ottorino
RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Pini
di Roma, La Boutique Fantasque, Impressioni brasiliane Philharmonia
O/Alceo Galliera rec. 1955-59 MEDICI MM0222 [73:19] [CH]
The
ubiquitous “accompanying conductor” emerges on his own account
as a skilled but slightly anonymous practitioner ... see Full
Review
Knudage
RIISAGER (1897-1974) Benzin;
Til Apollon, Lysets Gud; Archaeopteryx Danish
National SO/Owain Arwel Hughes
rec. 2007 DACAPO 6.220527 [70:23] [RB]
The
evocation of primeval sounds ... see Full
Review
Nikolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Piano Concerto see KABALEVSKY
Julius RÖNTGEN (1855-1932)
Chamber Music: Right through the Bone
Artists of the Royal Conservatory of Canada rec. 2007
BMG-RCA RED SEAL 88697158372 [73.12][GH]
Wonderfully
warm, committed and utterly convincing. A
fascinating disc ... see Full
Review
Ned
ROREM (b.
1923) Piano Concerto 2,
Cello Concerto Simon Mulligan
(piano); Wen-Sinn Yang (cello)
Royal Scottish Ntl O/José Serebrier
rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.559315 [59:18] [JQ]
Be
stimulated and entertained by these two fine works ... see Full
Review
Gioacchino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) L’Italiana in Algeri:
Sinfonia see BEETHOVEN
Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868)
Complete Piano Music - Vol. 1 Péchés de
vieillesse, Vols VII & IX
Alessandro Marangoni (piano) rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570590-91 [57:58 + 64:59]
[DC]
Start
collecting Rossini’s ‘Sins’ right here ... see Full
Review
Gioacchino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) La Cambiale
Di Matrimonio Orchestra
Haydn Di Bolzano E Trento/Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli rec. 2006
NAXOS 2.110228
[83:13][RJF]
Naxos
carries its tradition of Rossini recordings onto DVD ... see Full
Review
Christopher
ROUSE (b.
1949) Symphony
No. 2 (1994) [26:52] Flute Concerto (1993) [31:15] Phaethon (1986)
[8:00] Carol Wincenc (flute)
Houston Symphony/Christoph Eschenbach rec. Jones Symphony Hall, Houston,
Texas, 24 September, 1 October 1996. DDD
TELARC CD-80452 [65:29] [RB]
Rhythmic
adrenaline ... a lyric reflective melancholia
... 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]
iametric opposites: with my tongue
ever-so-slightly in my cheek, I could say
that Partch
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