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Paul
SCHOENFIELD (b.1947) Four Parables
for piano and orchestra; Four Souvenirs for violin
and piano; Café Music for piano trio 
Andrew Russo (piano); James Ehnes (violin); Edward Aaron (cello); Prague
Philharmonia/Joann Falletta rec. 2007
BLACK BOX BBM1109 [53:46][JQ] 
Entertaining
and unusual music, expertly performed ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN OF
THE MONTH Franz
SCHUBERT (1797 – 1828) Romantic Poets - Volume 4 Florian
Boesch (baritone); Burkhard Kehring (piano) rec. Radiostudio
Zurich, DRS Zurich, Switzerland, 16-19 November 2006. Sung texts
and English translations can be found at www.naxos.com/libretti/570067.htm NAXOS
8.570067 [58:47] 
[GF]
Some
unknown masterpieces and a superb new Lieder singer ... see Full
Review
Franz SCHUBERT (1897–1828)
The Wanderer – Lieder and Fragments Ian Bostridge (tenor)
Leif Ove Andsnes (piano), Timothy Brown (horn) rec. 2001-6 EMI CLASSICS
5164432 [62:57 + 56:26] [GF] 
Deep
involvement and an intelligent approach ... see Full
Review
Ervin
SCHULHOFF (1894-1942) Sextet see MARTINŮ
Andrew SCHULTZ (b.
1960) Suspended
Preludes – Chamber Music Volume 2
Various artists rec.
2004-5 TALL
POPPIES TP171 [73:41][BBr]
A
real success and well worth investigating ... see Full
Review
William
SCHUMAN
(1910–1992)
Violin Concerto Leonard BERNSTEIN
(1918–1990) Serenade
Robert McDuffie (violin) Saint Louis SO/Leonard Slatkin rec. 1989
EMI AMERICAN CLASSICS 2066112 [64.02] [RH]
Poised
and lyrical, capable and musical, without quite setting me afire ...
see Full Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Symphonies
2 & 3 Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Symphonies
3 & 4 London
PO/Franz
Welser-Möst
rec. 1991/2 EMI CLASSICS 5209542 [73:36
+ 66:27] [MSJ]
An
opportunity to revisit some of Welser-Möst’s earlier recordings
... see Full Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Five Pieces in Folk Style see
BRAHMS
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 & 3
Nikolai Demidenko (piano) rec. 1996
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55300 [67:17][PBW]
Will
win many admirers for this richly characterful music ... see Full
Review
José SEREBRIER (b. 1938) Symphony 3 see MUSSORGSKY
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphonies Nos.
3 & 15 Beethoven
Orchester Bonn/Roman Kofman rec. 2005
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 93712106 [75:21][DC]
Has
many fine qualities, but is not a real winner ... see Full
Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906–1975) Cello
Concerto No.1 in E flat, op.107 (1959) [30:54] Cello Concerto
No.2, op.126 (1966) [36:58] Dimitri
Maslennikov (cello) NDR Sinfonieorchester/Christoph Eschenbach
rec. 29 June – 1 July 2006, Rolf-Liebermann Studio, NDR Hamburg
DDD PHOENIX EDITION
128 [67:52] [BBr]
Excellent
playing …magnificent direction ... see Full
Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906–1975) Dances
of the Dolls, Ten Aphorisms,
Piano Sonatas 1 & 2 Melvin
Chen
rec. 2006 BRIDGE 9238 [67:17]
[BBr]
Edifying,
enlightening, terrifying and entertaining ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906–1975) Symphonies
1 & 7 Chicago
SO/Leonard Bernstein
rec. live 1988 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
477 7587 [66:43
+ 53:11] [BBr]
Passion
and searing, white hot, insight and intensity ... see Full
Review
Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphony 2 see PROKOFIEV
Thomas
SIMAKU (b.
1958) String Quartets 2 & 3, Due
Sollo-Voci, Soliloquies I-III Kreutzer
Quartet rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570428 [74:34] [HC]
A
very fine release that is well worth investigating ... see Full
Review
Fernando
SOR (1778-1839) Twelve
Studies, Fantaisie,
Six Divertimenti, Introduction et Variations sur une Thčme de Mozart Goran
Krivokapić (guitar) rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570502 [66:02] [ZT]
Nice
playing - some interpretations won’t suit all ... see Full
Review
Works
for Violin and Viola Louis
SPOHR (1784-1859) Duo in
E minor Alessandro
ROLLA (1757-1841) Duo Concertant in
C minor Johann
Wenzel KALLIWODA (1801-1866) Duet
in C major
Vaughan Jones (violin); Reiad Chibah (viola)
rec. 2008
MANOR HOUSE MUSIC 001 [61:55][JW] 
Energetic and pliantly
authoritative playing ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS
(1864-1949) Salome
(1905) [112:00] Nadja Michael (soprano) –
Salome Orchestra
of the Royal Opera House/Philippe Jordan
rec. live, Royal Opera House Covent Garden,
March 2008 Director: David McVicar
David McVicar: A Work in Progress (ITV
Documentary on McVicar and work on Salome)
[51:00] Region Code: 0; Aspect Ratio: 16:9;
LPCM Stereo; DTS 5.1 Surround 
OPUS ARTE OA0996 D [2 DVDs: 163:00]
[ST]
I’ll
be coming back to this again and again ...
see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864–1949)
Salome (Original French version)
Orchestra
Internazionale D’Italia/Massimilano Caldi
rec. 2007
DYNAMIC CDS572/1-2 [56:01 + 38:57][DH]
Caldi's
eschews the lurid for the lucid but is still alive to the drama ...
see Full Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Symphonia Domestica see
MOZART
Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky – The Original Jacket Collection
rec. 1946-1965 SONY-BMG
SX9K64136 [9 CDs: 31:34 + 43:57 + 48:44 + 53:29 + 46:59 + 53:29
+ 43:45 + 52:16 + 39:35][RB]
Wonderfully
evocative of the LP era and of the discovery of the many facets of
Stravinsky in the 1960s ... see Full
Review
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Symphony in Three Movements, Symphony of Psalms, Symphony in C
Rundfunkchor Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2007
EMI CLASSICS 2076300 [75:39] [JQ]
A
very successful collection of three major orchestral works by Stravinsky ...
see Full Review
Jan Pieterszoon SWEELINCK
(1562-1621) Choral
Works – Volume 3 Willem
Bremer (cornett, bass dulcian); René van Laken (tenor shawm,
tenor dulcian); Harry Ries (alto sackbut); Wim Bécu (tenor, bass sackbuts))
Nederlands Kamerkoor/Paul van Nevel rec. 1989/90
ETCETERA KTC1320 [53:32] [DC]
Still
among the best available recordings anywhere
... see Full
Review
Karol SZYMANOWSKI
(1882-1937)
Symphony
No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19 (1911) [34:38]
Symphony No. 3, Op. 27 (Song of the Night)
(1916) [26:10]
Ryszard Minkiewicz (tenor) Ewa Marczyk (solo
violin) Warsaw Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra/Antoni
Wit rec. Philharmonic Hall, Warsaw, Poland,
16-19 April 2007
NAXOS 8.570721 [60:48]
[KS]
Harmonically
interesting music performed with a great deal
of aplomb. ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Complete Symphonies
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Mstislav Rostropovich rec. 1976-7
EMI CLASSICS 5194932 [5 CDs: 70:47 + 72:32 + 76:43 + 79:09 + 78:34][MSJ]
A
welcome and engaging set, priced very nicely ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony
No. 4; Serenade for Strings; Elegy in memory of I.V. Samarin
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Jarvi rec. 2003-5
BIS BISSACD1458 
[80:23][MG]
Well
played, glowingly recorded and generous in playing time … see Full
Review
Piotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
The Sleeping Beauty
Alina Cojocaru, Federico Bonelli, The Royal Ballet Royal Opera House
O/Valeriy Ovsyanikov rec. live 2006
OPUS ARTE OA0995D
[135:00] [RM]
Full
of character and spirit ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Swan Lake
Maya Plisetskaya,
Alexander Bogatirev, Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Theatre O/Algis Zhuraitis
rec. live 1976 VAI 4446
[141:00]
Pyotr Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Swan Lake Nina
Ananiashvili, Alexei Fadeyechev, Tchaikovsky Perm State Ballet Shinsei Nihon
SO/Alexander Sotnikov rec. live 1992 VAI
4450 [131:00]
[RM]
These
are two performances well worth unearthing ... see Full
Review
Georg
Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) Wind
Concertos Vol. 2 La
Stagione Frankfurt, Camerata Köln/Michael Schneider
rec. 2005/6 CPO 777 267-2 [54:37]
[BW]
A
very good place to embark on discovering the
delights of Telemann ... see Full
Review
Oboe
d’Amore Concertos Georg
Philipp TELEMANN (1681–1767) Concertos
in G & A Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685–1750) Concertos in A & D Thomas
Stacey (oboe d’amore) Toronto CO/Kevin Mallon
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570735 [74:05]
[BBr]
Lovely
works … bright and sprightly ... see Full
Review
Tippett,
Hamilton and Wordsworth
piano music played by Margaret Kitchin CD
1 Michael TIPPETT
(1905-1998) Piano
Sonata No. 1 (1937 rev.1954) [21:42] Iain
HAMILTON (1922-2000) Piano Sonata
Op. 13 (1951) [19:29] CD 2 William
WORDSWORTH (1908-1988) Piano Sonata
in D Minor Op. 13 (1939) [28:14] Cheesecombe
Suite Op. 27 (1945) [14:03] Ballade
Op. 41 (1949) [9:14]
Margaret Kitchin (piano) rec. mono, July 1958
(Tippett, Hamilton); April 1959, July 1960
(Wordsworth). ADD Originally from LPs:
Tippett, Hamilton: RCS5; Wordsworth:
RCS13 Mid Price Double AD
LYRITA REAM.2106 [41:21 + 51:34]
[RB]
Special
insights in pioneering recordings from the
1960s... see Full
Review
Ernst
TOCH (1887-1964) Violin
Sonata 2, Burlesken, Three Impromptus for Cello,
Piano quintet Spectrum Concerts
Berlin
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.559324 [68:57] [JW]
Strong,
potent and sensitive … realised by committed forces in fine sound
... see Full Review
Piotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony
No.6 Sinfonie Orchester
Wuppertal/Toshiyuki Kamioka rec. 2007
TDK TDKMA301 [48:33][RM]
It
may not be too long before Kamioka’s name is more widely known ... see
Full Review
Veljo
TORMIS (b. 1930) Two
Songs to words by Ernst Enno, Three Estonian game songs, Three
songs from the epic ‘Kalev’s Son’, Livonian Heritage, Singing
aboard ship, Autumn Landscapes, Four Estonian
Lullabies, Childhood memory Holst
Singers/Stephen Layton
rec. 2007 HYPERION CDA67601 [71.50]
[RH]
An
excellent introduction to Tormis’s art ... see Full
Review
Federico
Moreno TORROBA (1891-1982) Luisa
Fernanda
Plácido Domingo (baritone); Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real
Madrid/Jesús López Cobos rec. 2006
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4765825 [75:29][GPu]
A
splendid recording sure to appeal to all lovers of zarzuela … see Full
Review
František Ignác
TŮMA (1704-1774) Lytaniae
Lauretanae; Partita in C minor; Stabat Mater Samuel
CAPRICORNUS (1628-1665) Dixit Dominus; Justorum Animae;
Magnificat Prague
Madrigalists/Pavel Baxa rec. 1993
STUDIO MATOUS MK08012931 [61:34][GPu]
A
valuable and enjoyable CD, throwing light on two neglected Bohemian
composers … see Full Review
František
Ignác Antonín TŮMA (1704-1777)
Partite, Sonate e Sinfonie
Concerto Italiano/Rinaldo Alessandrini rec. 2006
NAĎVE OP30436 [70:25][GPu]
As
much for admirers of Alessandrini as for those interested in Tůma
… see Full Review
Johann Baptist VAŇHAL
(1739-1813) Symphonies
- Vol. 4
Toronto Chamber Orchestra/Kevin Mallon rec.
2006
NAXOS 8.570280 [66:12][TP]
Little
to complain about on this album and much to
enjoy ... see Full
Review
Pēteris
VASKS
(b. 1946) Musica
adventus (1995, arr. 1996) [27:16] Viatore
(2001) [16:35] Concerto per corno inglese
ed orchestra (1989)a [22:50]
Normunds Šnē (cor anglais)a
Sinfonietta Riga/Normunds Šnē rec.
Riga Recording Company, Studio A, 4-9 June
2007
WERGO WER67052 [67:03]
[HC]
Magnificent
and beautifully produced … never fails to
convince with honesty and sincerity. ... see
Full
Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) On
Wenlock Edge; Piano Quintet; Romance and Pastorale
Mark Padmore (tenor);
Schubert Ensemble rec. 2007
CHANDOS CHAN10465 [60:17][JQ]
An
outstanding release ... see Full
Review
Ralph VAUGHAN
WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Mass in G minor
etc.
Laudibus/Mike Brewer rec. 2008
DELPHIAN DCD34074 [64:00][NH]
Truly
superlative - a fine blend of the ascetic and mellifluous ... see Full
Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) A
Cappella choral works
Laudibus/Mike Brewer rec. 2008
DELPHIAN DCD34074 [64:00][JF]
A
fine introduction and essential to all who are already smitten ... see
Full Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872–1958) Choral Works
Various artists
rec. 1990-3 HYPERION
CDS44321/4 [4 CDs: 68:16 + 76:26 + 64:00 + 72:57][EM]
I
can hardly see how this set could be bettered!
... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901)
Simon
Boccanegra (1857, 1881) Simon Boccanegra
- Roberto Frontali; Amelia Grimaldi - Carmen
Giannattasio;
Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna/Michele
Mariotti
ARTHAUS
MUSIK NTSC 101 307 [140:00]
[NdV]
Emotionally
gripping ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe VERDI
(1813-1901) Messa
da Requiem
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Owain Arwel Hughes
rec. 1994 Gioacchino ROSSINI (1792-1868)
Stabat Mater
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Karl Forster
rec. 1960
EMI CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 3759362 [66:33
+ 71:46][SV]
So
- a souvenir Verdi, and an almost-right Rossini ... see Full
Review
Louis
VIERNE
(1870-1937) Symphonies 3 & 5
Samuel Kummer (Kern organ, Frauenkirche Dresden) rec. 2007
CARUS 83.405
[66:40] [BW]
Challenges
existing recommendations ... see Full
Review
Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741)
Amor sacro - Motets
Simone Kermes (soprano); Venice Baroque Orchestra/Andrea
Marcon rec. 2004
ARCHIV 4775980 [67:06]
Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741)
Amor profano - Arias
Simone Kermes (soprano); Venice Baroque Orchestra/Andrea
Marcon rec. 2006
ARCHIV 4776618 [71:36][JV]
'Amor
sacro': disappointing, lacks expression, 'Amor profano' much better
... see Full Review
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) The
Four Seasons Enrico
Onofri (violin) Il Giardino Armonico/Giovanni Antonini rec. 1994 WARNER
50-51442-7865-2-1 [DVD: 42:00 + CD: 42:13] [DC]
Unlikely
to disappoint, even 14 years on ... see Full
Review
Antonio Vivaldi
(1678-1741) Chamber Concertos
Marion Verbruggen (recorder) Paul Goodwin (oboe) John Holloway (violin)
Dennis Godburn (bassoon) John Toll (harpsichord) Sebastian Comberti
(cello) HARMONIA MUNDI
CLASSICAL EXPRESS HCX395 7046 [64:11] [BW]
Some
of Vivaldi’s best music, very well performed and recorded ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard
WAGNER
(1813-1883) Tannhäuser
(Paris Version) Spas Wenkoff (tenor) – Tannhäuser
Gwyneth Jones (soprano) – Venus/Elisabeth
Bernd Weikl (baritone) – Wolfram von Eschenbach
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bayreuth Festival/Colin
Davis rec. live, Bayreuth Festival, July 1978
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 073 4446 [2
DVDs, 64:24 + 123:43]
[ST]
Essential
for anyone interested in the power of the
theatre ... see
Full Review
Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Die
Meistersinger von Nürnberg prelude see MUSSORGSKY
William
WALTON
(1902-83) Henry V
Christopher Plummer (speaker) ASMF & Ch/Sir Neville Marriner rec.
1990 CHANDOS CHAN10437X
[67:11] [BW]
A
welcome reissue ... see Full
Review
Felix
WEINGARTNER (1863-1942) String
Quartets Nos 1 & 3
Sarastro Quartett rec. 2006
CPO 7772512 [68:38][JFL]
A
smiling soul and his Austrian charm shines through ... see Full
Review
Silvius
Leopold WEISS (1687-1750) The Silesian Master of Lute
Jakob Lindberg (lute) rec. 2006
DUX 0581 [64:12][GPu]
A
fine recital, bringing out the emotional variety of Weiss’s music ...
see Full Review
Ermanno
WOLF-FERRARI (1876–1948)
La vedova scaltra
Anne-Lise Sollied, Maurizio Muraro, Ch & O Teatro La Fenice, Venice/Karl
Martin rec. 2007 NAXOS
2.110234-35
[2 DVDs: 142:00] [RW]
Certainly
pleasant but not inspired ... see Full
Review
Tippett,
Hamilton and Wordsworth
piano
music played by Margaret Kitchin
Charles
WUORINEN
(b. 1938) Tashi, Percussion Quartet,
Fortune Group
for Contemporary Music, New Jersey Percussion Ensemble rec. 1993/6
NAXOS 8.559321 [67:44] [BB]
Wuorinen
continues the tradition of modernist composing techniques ... 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
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