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Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 see FRANCK
Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Pelleas
und Melisande; Erwartung 
Philharmonia Orchestra/Robert Craft rec. 1999-2000
NAXOS 8.557527 [68:59][BW] 
Not
likely to win converts for either work ... see Full
Review
Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Concerto
for Violin and Orchestra, A Survivor from Warsaw, Prelude
to Genesis, Dreimal Tausend Jahre, Psalm
130, De Profundis, Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte Rolf
Schulte (violin); David Wilson-Johnson (narrator); Jeremy Denk
(piano); The Fred Sherry Quartet; Simon Joly Chorale Philharmonia
O/Robert Craft
rec. 1999-2007 NAXOS 8.557528 [71:03]
[EMc]
A
fascinating collection of music by one of the 20th century greats
... see Full Review
Arnold SCHOENBERG (1974–1951)
Ode
to Napoleon see FORD
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) String Quintet;
Lieder Chilingirian
Quartet; Dame Janet Baker; Geoffrey Parsons (piano) rec. 1971-81
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 2282822 [76:42][BW]
A
recommendable bargain but I very slightly prefer the Aeolians ... see
Full Review
William
SCHUMAN (1910-1992) A Song of Orpheus see
PERRY
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Songs
of Love and Loss Gedichte der Königin Maria
Stuart, Liederkreis, Frauenliebe und -leben, Sarah
Connolly (mezzo); Eugene Asti (piano)
rec. 2007 CHANDOS CHAN10492 [65:58]
[TB] 
Connolly’s
is a distinguished addition to the catalogue ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano
Quintet Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano
Quintet Leif Ove
Andsnes (piano); Artemis Quartet
rec. 2006 VIRGIN CLASSICS 3951432 [68:33]
[DJB]
I
was entranced, enraptured and enthralled – you have to have this
one … see Full Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Robert SCHUMANN
(1810-1856) Violin Concerto see BRAHMS
Reinhard Schwarz-Schilling (1904-1985) Introduction
and Fugue, Symphony in C, Sinfonia diatonica Staatskapelle
Weimar/José Serebrier
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570435 [65:40]
[WK]
Sincere
music filling a major gap in our knowledge of post-war German music
... see Full Review
Alexander
Nikolayevich
SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Vers la flamme, Five Preludes,
Sonata 5 see MUSSORGSKY
Bedřich
SMETANA (1824-1884) Má Vlast
Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra/Libor Pešek rec. 1989
VIRGIN CLASSICS 5221292 [76:29][JW] 
Only
a rather limited market for this 1989 Má Vlast
... see Full
Review
Bedřich
SMETANA (1824-1884) Piano Trio see DVOŘÁK
Hugo
STAEHLE (1826-1848) Symphony 1 see BURGMÜLLER
Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD
(1852-1924) Symphony
No. 1 in Bb major (1876) [48:36] Clarinet Concerto Op.80 (1903) [22:03]
Robert Plane (clarinet)
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones rec. 2007. DDD Sir
Charles Villiers Stanford: Symphonies - Volume 4
NAXOS 8.570356 [70:39]
[JF]
Stanford
the consummate craftsman, music that is subtle
and unpredictable ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard
STRAUSS (1864–1949)
Salome (sung in English, translation
from German by Tom Hammond) (1905) Susan Bullock
(soprano) – Salome John Graham-Hall (tenor)
– Herod
Philharmonia Orchestra/Charles Mackerras rec.
2007 Salome’s dance of the Seven Veils
(concert version)
CHANDOS CHAN 3157(2) [61:39 + 52:40]
[DH]
Real
emotional and sonic surge ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864–1949) Lieder Alban
BERG (1885–1935) Sieben frühe Lieder Michiyo
Iida (soprano), David Lutz (piano) rec. 2008 PREISER
RECORDS PR90755 [55:21] [GF]
There
are enough alternatives in the catalogues that are better buys
... see Full Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Don
Juan Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1857) Violin Concerto Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Rückert-Lieder František
Novotný (violin)
Karla Bytnarová (mezzo)
Brno PO/Martin Turnovský rec. live, 2007 ARCO
DIVA UP 0108-2 131 [61:56] [GP-J]
Overall
a firm ‘also-ran’, despite Novotný’s impressive and valuable Korngold
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Igor
STRAVINSKY
(1882-1971) The
Rite of Spring (1911-13, revised 1947)
[34:14] Apollon Musagète (1927-28,
revised 1947) [29:36]
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Jaap
van Zweden rec. 2006
EXTON OVCL 00330 [63:50] 
[DM]
A
very fine Rite indeed. One of my discs of
the year. ... see Full
Review
Karol
SZYMANOWSKI (1882-1937)
Stabat Mater; Veni Creator; Litania
do Marii Panny; Demeter; Penthesilea
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir/Antoni
Wit rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570724 [59:26][MS]
Superb
singing, faultless technique and interpretative
breadth ... see Full
Review
Piotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano
concerto 2Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Piano
concerto 1 Shura
Cherkassky (piano) RIAS SO/Ferenc Fricsay
rec. 1951/2 AUDITE 95.499 [53:53]
[RMAY]
If
the Tchaikovsky is your main point of interest you’ll enjoy this
very much. ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Manfred symphony, The
Voyevoda Royal
Liverpool PO/Vasily Petrenko
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570568 [68:51]
[RMAY]
Exciting
and illuminating ... see Full
Review
Simeon
TEN HOLT (b. 1923) Canto
Ostinato Kees
Wieringa (piano); Polo de Haas (piano)
rec. 2007 ET’CETERA KTC1367 [75.29]
[GH]
Highly
thought-provoking, but I may not play it again ... see Full
Review
Randall
THOMPSON (1899-1984) The
Peaceable Kingdom, Alleluia, The Last
Invocation, Mass of the Holy Spirit, Fare Well Schola
Cantorum of Oxford/James Burton
rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA 67679 [77.02]
[GH]
In
every way a fine CD ... see Full
Review
Virgil THOMSON (1896-1989)
Cello Concerto see PERRY
Sir
Michael Tippett (1905-1998) String
Quartets Vol. 1 Quartets 1, 2 & 4 Tippett
Quartet rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570496 [64:37] [JF]
Will
appeal strongly to all interested in Tippett’s chamber music ...
see Full Review
Ernst TOCH (1887–1964) Violin Sonata No. 2; Burlesken, for piano;
Three Impromptus, for cello; Piano
Quintet
Spectrum Concerts Berlin rec.
2007
NAXOS 8.559324 [68:57][BBr]
Excellent
disk, fine performances and crystal clear recording ... see Full
Review
Joaquín
TURINA (1882-1949) Rapsodia
Sinfónica; Danzas Fantásticas; Sinfonía Sevillana; La Procesión del
Rocio; La Oración del Torero
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mexico City Philharmonic/Enrique Bátiz
rec. 1983 REGIS RRC1299
[71:52][BW]
Colourful
performances, brightly recorded, of attractive
music ... see Full
Review
Edgard VARESE (1883-1965)
Orchestral Works 2 Includes Amériques, Ecuatorial,
Nocturnal, Ionisation
Elizabeth Watts (soprano); Maria Grichiwska (flute); Thomas Bloch (ondes
martenot); Men’s Voices of Camerata Silesia, Polish National RSO/Christopher
Lyndon-Gee (piano and conductor) rec. 2005
NAXOS 8.557882 [67:14] [CR]
This
is unmissable ... see Full Review
Canti
Drammatici Peteris
VASKS (b.1946) Piano
Quartet Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano
Quartet 3 Ensemble
Raro rec. 2007 SOLO
MUSICA SM119 [70:12] [TB]
This
CD should bring long-term rewards ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) and Gustav
HOLST (1874-1934) Choral Folksong Arrangments
London Madrigal Singers/Christopher Bishop; Baccholian Singers of London
rec. 1969-74
EMI CLASSICS 2161552 [78:23][MSJ]
A
favourite LP appears on CD, expanded with extras ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI
(1813–1901)
La Traviata
Angela Gheorghiu, Ramón Vargas, Roberto Frontali, Teatro alla Scala
di Milano O & Ch/Lorin Maazel rec. 2007
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101343 
[134:00] [RMc]
A
towering performance by Gheorghiu ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901)
La
forza del destino (1869 revised version)
Maria Callas (soprano) – Leonora; Richard
Tucker (tenor) – Don Alvaro;
Orchestra of La Scala, Milan/Tullio Serafin
rec. 1954, Teatro alla Scala, Milan Appendix:
Highlights from La forza del destino
Zinka Milanov (soprano) – Leonora;
Jan Peerce (tenor) – Don Alvaro;Robert Shaw
Chorale/Robert Shaw RCA Victor Orchestra/Renato
Cellini (twelve numbers) RCA Victor Orchestra/Jonel
Perlea (three numbers) rec. 1950-55
NAXOS GREAT OPERA RECORDINGS 8.111322-24 [3
CDs: 75:58 + 56:59 + 78:37]
[PB-W]
A
great Callas performance in a wonderful Verdi
opera ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901)
Macbeth
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Children’s
Chorus/James Levine rec. 2008
EMI CLASSICS 2063049
[155:36][ST]
With
stronger casting could well have been a top
contender ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Il
Trovatore Bruno
Preved, Gwyneth Jones,
Covent Garden Opera Ch & O/Carlo Maria Giulini
rec. live, 1964 ROYAL OPERA
HOUSE HERITAGE SERIES ROHS011 [66.39 + 60.29] [RJF]
Three
great Verdi voices are heard in one of the composer’s most vocally
demanding works ... see Full
Review
Antonio VIVALDI
(1678–1741) Sacred Music Vol. 3
Magnificat, Salve Regina, Nisi Dominus, Kyrie,
In fuore iustissimae irae,
Carla Huhtanen (soprano) Lynne McMurtry (mezzo) Eve Rachel McLeod (soprano)
Jennifer Enss Modolo (mezzo) Aradia Ensemble/Kevin Mallon rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570445 [73.51]
[RH]
Mallon’s
soloists are capable but they don’t quite thrill me ... see Full
Review
Georg
Christoph WAGENSEIL (1715–1777) Symphonies
Volume 2 Stuttgarter
Kammerorchester/Johannes Goritzki rec. 2004 CPO
7771122 [54:24] [BBr]
Sprightly
and well thought out music played with some brilliance ... see Full
Review
Carl Maria von WEBER (1786–1826)
Euryanthe
Siegfried Vogel, Nicolai Gedda, Jessye Norman, Tom Krause, Rundfunkchor
Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden/Marek Janowski rec. 1974
BERLIN CLASSICS 0184412BC [3 CDs: 64:53 + 45:20 + 63:59] [GF]
Wholeheartedly
welcomed ... see Full Review
Anton
WEBERN (1883 – 1945) Quartett see BERIO
Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786–1826) Abu Hassan see
CORNELIUS
Michael
WISE (c.1648-1687) Sacred
choral music Christopher
GIBBONS (1615-1676) Verses for organ The
Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge/Geoffrey Webber
rec. 2007 DELPHIAN
DCD34041 [70:15] [JV]
An
important release but the performances are disappointing ... see Full
Review
Ermanno
WOLF-FERRARI (1876–1948) La vedova scaltra
Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro La Fenice, Venice/Karl Martin rec.
2007 NAXOS 8.660225-26
[75:25 + 66:17][GF]
A
far from negligible reading of an attractive opera ... see Full
Review
Eugene
YSAYE
(1858-1931)
Six Sonatas for solo violin, Poème élégiaque, Rêve d’enfant,
Philippe Graffin (violin);
Pascal Devoyon (piano) rec. 1997
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55226 [78:30] [EM]
A
real love and comprehension shines through ... see Full
Review
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1 New] [Part
2 A-B] [Part 3
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[Part 4 M-R] [Part
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