Price
symbols (used in reviews from Friday 14th onwards)
Superbudget £5.99
or less 
Budget £6-7.99 
Medium £8-10.99 
Full
price £11+
James
MacMILLAN (b. 1959) Tenebrae -
New Choral Music of James MacMillan: Strathclyde
Motets; Tenebrae Responses; Missa Brevis 
Capella
Nova/Alan Tavener rec. 2007 LINN
CKD301 
[70.19][GH]
A
real joy and full of expression with a superbly
balanced rich, creamy quality ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Elizabeth MACONCHY
(1907–1994) Music for Voices
BBC Singers/Odaline de la Martinez rec. 2007
LORELT LNT127 [79:57][HC]
Dedication
and immaculate singing of these fine, demanding and rewarding works
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER
(1860–1911) Symphony No.6
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra/Mark Wigglesworth rec.
2006
ABC CLASSICS 4766220 [2 CDs: 82:14][BBr]
A
great conductor. Power, insight and intelligence show in this performance
... see Full Review
John
MARSH (1752-1828) Symphonies
Nos. 2, 6-8; Conversation Symphony
London Mozart Players/Matthias Bamert rec.
2006
CHANDOS CHAN10458 [64:05][JS]
With
such rich colours to play with Marsh is able to produce wonderfully
imaginative effects ... see Full Review
Bohuslav MARTINŮ
(1890-1959) Symphony No. 4; Estampes;
Le Départ
National Orchestra of Belgium/Walter Weller rec. 2007
FUGA LIBERA FUG531 [61:46][DC]
A
refreshing view on these works ... see Full
Review
Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890-1959)
Complete works for violin and orchestra - Vol.2 Concerto
da camera H285 (1941) [26:16] Concerto for violin, piano and orchestra
H342 (1953) [27:46] Czech Rhapsody H307A (1945) [10:28]
Bohuslav (violin) Karel Košárek (piano) Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Christopher
Hogwood rec. 2004 HYPERION
CDA67672 [64:35] [DC]
This
release comes highly recommended to Martinů
fans and enthusiasts for good music everywhere.
... see Full
Review
Jules
MASSENET (1842-1912) Scènes
Alsaciennes (1881) see Paysages
Jules
MASSENET (1842–1912) Manon
Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Gran Teatre
del Liceu/Victor Pablo Pérez rec. 2007
VIRGIN CLASSICS 50506897 
(2 DVDs) [175:00][GF]
A
lavish period costume production, superb acting and singing ... see
Full Review
Jules
MASSENET (1842-1912)
Manon Angela
Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Ch & O Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels/Antonio
Pappano rec. 2000 EMI
CLASSICS 3818422 [3 CDs]
[ED]
Brings
out passion without losing sight of the Gallic roots ... see Full
Review
Felix MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847) Symphonies
Nos. 3-5; Overtures
New Philharmonia Orchestra/Riccardo Muti, Moshe Atzmon rec.
1974-9
EMI CLASSICS GEMINI 3817882 [76:27 + 74:52][SV]
Even
at "twofer" pricing, I can't see
anyone getting the present set just for four
overtures ... see Full
Review
Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Violin Concerto see BRAHMS
Claudio MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
Fire and Ashes Includes Lagrime
d'amante al sepolcro dell'amata, Tirsi e Clori
I Fagiolini/Robert Hollingworth rec. 2007
CHANDOS CHACONNE CHAN0749 [78:55]
[MS]
A
practised yet relaxed polish to a pleasing cross-section of Monteverdi’s
secular madrigals ... see Full
Review
David
MORGAN
Violin Concerto see FRICKER
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Symphony No. 29 in A major K201 [21:16] William
ALWYN (1905-1985) Symphony No.
3 (1956) [31:09] Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907) Symphonic
Dances [24:57]
BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sir Thomas Beecham
(Mozart; Alwyn) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir
Thomas Beecham (Grieg) rec. Royal Festival
Hall, London, 10 Oct 1956 (Mozart; Alwyn);
Studio 1, Maida Vale, 25 Dec 1955 (Grieg).
mono. ADD
SOMM-BEECHAM 23 [77:47] [RB]
The
most broodingly intense and splenetic Alwyn
3 I have heard. Not to be missed ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Violin Concerto No. 3
Violin Masterclass: Maxim Vengerov (violin),
Márta Déak (violin student), Tadashi Imai
(piano) rec. 2007
MMF 005
[48.00][MM-B]
Illustrates
the difficulty of becoming a concert violinist and how much hard work
and effort are involved ... see Full Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Complete
Piano Trios
Trio Stradivari rec. 2005/6
CPO 7772732 [69:38
+ 54:26] [JFL]
An
element of honest rawness that might be found gripping and intimate
... see Full Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Nine Variations on a Minuet
by Duport see TCHAIKOVSKY
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791) Complete
songs
Sophie Karthäuser (soprano), Stephan Loges (baritone), Eugene Asti (piano)
rec. 2007 CYPRES CYP1650
[41:07 + 40:30][GF]
Don’t
throw away your old Schwarzkopf, Seefried, Streich or Ameling
records but try this as a superbly youthful and fresh alternative.
... see Full Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Requiem KV
626 Maria Stader,
Chicago SO & Ch/Bruno Walter
rec. live 1958 ISTITUTO DISCOGRAFICO
ITALIANO
IDIS6533 [JS]
Certainly
worth sampling even if in the end you may not be convinced ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Die Entführung aus dem
Serail
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Thomas Beecham rec 1956
EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 3932612 [77:10 + 69:02][CC]
At
this price, it seems inconceivable not to snap it up ... see Full
Review
Carl
NIELSEN (1865–1931)
Maskarade
Stephen Milling, Susanne Resmark, Niels Jörgen Riis, Royal Danish Opera
Ch & O/Michael Schønwandt rec. live 2006
DACAPO 2.110407
[GF]
One
of the finest 20th century operas and this production
is one of the most hilarious comedies I have seen ... see Full
Review
Niccolò PAGANINI (1782-1840)
Complete Chamber Music rec. 1992-2007
DYNAMIC CDS 553/1-10 [10 CDs] [MC]
These
rarely encountered chamber music scores on this splendid set are
certainly worthy of investigation ... see Full
Review
Giovanni PAISIELLO
(1740-1816) La
Passione di Gesù Cristo
Coro della Radio Svizzeria, I Barocchisti/Diego Fasolis rec.
2001 CPO 7772572
[57:23 + 38:40][JV]
An
opera with a religious subject rather than
an oratorio - this performance reveals this
work's strengths in a most convincing way
... see Full
Review
Robert
PARSONS
(c.1530–1572) First
Great Service
Voces Cantabiles/Barnaby Smith rec. 8 Feb
2007, St. Jude on the Hill, Hampstead; 9 Feb
2007, All Hallows Church, Gospel Oak
NAXOS 8.570451 [69.44][RH]
Enthusiasm,
lively vividness and fine musicality ... see
Full Review
Giovanni Benedetto PLATTI
(1697-1763)
Sonata
No.1 in D major (1742) [13:15] Sonata No.2
in C major (1742) [15:21] Sonata No.3 in F
major (1742) [13:17] Sonata No.4 in G minor
(1742) [13:28] Sonata No.5 in C minor (1742)
[15:31]
Filippo Emanuele Ravizza (harpsichord) rec.
Spring 2006, Studio Bartok, Bernareggio, Milan
CONCERTO CD 2026 [71:04] [GPu]
Platti
is a composer worth getting to know and here
are some dashing (if uneven) sonatas, played
with passion and handsomely recorded … see
Full Review
POLDOWSKI (Régine
WIENIAWSKI) (1879–1932) Mélodies Élise
Gäbele (soprano),
Philippe Riga (piano) rec. 2006 MUSIQUE
EN WALLONIE
MEW0741 [GF]
Well
crafted and agreeable but hardly forgotten masterpieces; pleasing
enough for listeners with a liking for impressionism” ... see Full
Review
Francis
POULENC (1899-1963)
Gloria, Salve regina, Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence, Quatre
motets pour le temps de Noël, Exultate Deo
Susan Gritton (soprano), Polyphony, Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge,
Britten Sinfonia/Stephen Layton rec. 2007
HYPERION CDA67623 [54:37]
[BBr]
A
success from start to finish ... see Full
Review
John POWELL
(1882-1963) Early Piano
Works
Nicholas Ross (piano) rec. 3-4 January 2006,
Louisiana State University Recital Hall, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana Text by the performer included
CENTAUR RECORDS CRC 2828 [65:23] [WK]
Rediscovered
works from a major figure of the early days
of American music, excellently revived. ...
see Full Review
Sergey
Sergeyevich PROKOFIEV (1881-1953)
Symphony 5, Lieutenant Kijé suite
Cincinnati SO/Paavo Järvi rec. 2007
TELARC CD-80683 [64:25]
[DM]
This
simply isn’t a front runner ... see Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858–1924)
Toscanini: Complete Puccini Recordings La Bohème,
Manon Lescaut
Jan Peerce, Licia Albanese, Mafalda Favero, NBC SO & Ch, La Scala
Ch & O/Arturo Toscanini rec. 1946-49
ISTITUTO DISCOGRAFICO ITALIANO IDIS 6530/31 [2 CDs] [GF]
Interesting
as an historical document but hardly a first
choice for a library recording ... see Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI
(1858-1924)
Turandot (1926)
Callas, Fernandi, Schwarzkopf /Tullio Serafin
rec. 1957,
EMI GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 5096832
[77:18 + 41:11] [EMc]
Dynamically
paced and thoroughly idiomatic ... see
Full Revie
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Caprice Bohémien, Symphonies 1-3, Mélodie, Polichinelle
Ntl SO Ireland/Alexander
Anissimov rec. 1996/7
NAXOS 8.503191 [3 CDs] [IB]
Naxos
are up against it in the Rachmaninov symphony stakes ... see Full
Review
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Ma
mère l’Oye; Les
Sites auriculaires; Boléro Maurice
RAVEL, attributed to F
Dante Pilade “Fermo” Marchetti (1876–1940)
arranged by Anthony
Goldstone Fascination
(Valse tzigane) see
GERSHWIN
Alan RAWSTHORNE
(1905-1971) Quartet for Clarinet, Violin,
Viola and Cello see
BERKELEY
Igor
RAYKHELSON (b.
1961) Little
Symphony for Strings in G minor (2005) [18:27];
Reflections for Violin, Viola and Strings
(2003) [9:53] Adagio for Viola and Strings
(2002) [5:58]; Jazz Suite for Viola, Saxophone
and Orchestra (1989) [31:38]
Yuri Bashmet (viola, conductor); Elena Revich
(violin); Igor Butman (saxophone); Igor Raykhelson
(piano); Yuro Golubev (double bass); Eduard
Zizak (drums); Moscow Soloists rec. 2005-2007
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0055 [66:58] [CR]
An
interesting disc, with some lovely moments
… worthy of exploration ... see Full
Review
Ottorino
RESPIGHI
(1879-1936) Vetrate
di chiesa (Church Windows) (1925) [24:59] Impressioni brasiliane
(Brazilian Impressions) (1927-28) [19:06] Rossiniana: Suite
for Orchestra (1925) [21:06]
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra/JoAnn Falletta rec. Kleinhans Music Hall,
Buffalo, New York, 20-21 March 2006
NAXOS 8.557711 [65:26] [CT]
A
delightful exploration of three of Respighi’s
lesser-known orchestral works, performed
with consummate artistry ... see Full
Review
Joseph
Gabriel RHEINBERGER (1839-1901) Organ
Works - Volume 6 Sonatas 14-16 Wolfgang
Rübsam
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570313 [BW]
Well
considered performances of music which needs and receives time
to make its point ... see Full
Review
Joaquín RODRIGO
(1901-1999)
Concierto de Aranjuez, Sones en la Giralda, Concierto para una fiesta
Kaori Muraji (guitar) Galicia
SO/Victor Pablo Perez rec. 2007
DECCA 4780076 [63:33]
[ZT]
A
very good recording slightly compromised by the sonic recording
quality of the soloist ... see Full
Review
Gioacchino
ROSSINI (1792–1868)
Il
barbiere di Siviglia (1816) Luigi
Alva (tenor) – Conte d’Almaviva; Melchiorre
Luise (bass) – Bartolo; Maria Callas (soprano)
– Rosina; Tito Gobbi (baritone) – Figaro;
Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (bass) – Basilio; Pierluigi
Latinucci (bass) – Fiorello); Anna Maria
Canali (soprano) – Berta; Giuseppe Nessi
(tenor) – Un Ufficiale Orchestra e Coro
del Teatro alla Scala/Carlo Maria Giulini
rec. live, 1956 HÄNSSLER
PROFIL PHO 8015 [72:58
+ 67:43] [GF]
There
is really little positive to say about it
but inveterate Callas fans will still want
it, I suppose ... see Full
Review
Gioacchino
ROSSINI (1792–1868) La
Donna del Lago Prague
Chamber Choir; Tubingen Festival Band; SWR Radio Orchestra
Kaiserslautern/Alberto Zedda rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.660235-36 [73.29 + 73.26][RH]
At
Naxos prices you can afford to experiment and this is a good
set with which to experiment ... see Full
Review
Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) Mosè in
Egitto San
Pietro a Majella Chorus, Naples; Wildbad Wind Band; Württemburg Philharmonic
Orchestra/Antonino Fogliani rec. 2006
NAXOS OPERA CLASSICS 8.660220-221 [75.44 + 60.54][RJF]
Although
never less than adequate, this bargain priced version from Naxos does
not compete with the 1991 Philips recording at mid-price ... see Full
Review
Gioachino ROSSINI
(1792-1868)
Mose in Egitto Wurttemberg Philharmonic Orchestra/Antonio Fogliani rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.660220-21 [75:44
+ 60:54][NdV]
A
wide range of vocal color and varied dynamics embodied in a rich vocal
style that would delight Rossini ... see Full
Review
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