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        RECORDINGS
        OF THE MONTH           
        
RECORDING
                OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian
                BACH (1685-1750)  Goldberg
                Variations,  Chaconne (arr. Busoni) 
 DongHyek
                Lim (piano)
rec. 2008 
 EMI CLASSICS 2159782 [65:35]
[DC] 
        A 
          must for piano collectors ... see Full 
          Review 
        
RECORDING
                OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian
                BACH (1685-1750) Jauchzet
                Gott in allen Landen BWV51, Ich habe genug BWV82a, Mein
                Herze schwimmt im Blut BWV199 
 Natalie
                Dessay (soprano) Le Concert d’Astrée/Emmanuelle
                Haďm  rec. 2008 (includes bonus DVD from recording sessions) 
 VIRGIN
        CLASSICS 5193142 [63.55; DVD: 52:00] [MM-B] 
        A
              mature artist who patently comprehends the beauty and purity of
              the music ... see Full Review 
        
HISTORICAL
                 RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ludwig
                 van BEETHOVEN 
          (1770-1827) Symphony
          3, Leonore Overtures 1 & 3 
 
          Philharmonia O/Otto Klemperer rec. 1954/5 
 
          NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111303 [71:33] 
 
          [CC]
        An 
          interpretation of giant stature and nobility ... see Full 
          Review 
        
RECORDING 
          OF THE MONTH Vincenzo BELLINI 
          (1801-1835) La 
          Sonnambula Melodramma in two acts (2004 Critical Edition by 
          Alessandro Roccataglia and Luca Zappelli) (1831) Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo); 
          
          Juan Diego Florez (tenor); Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (bass); Liliana Nikitenau 
          (mezzo); Gemma Bertagnolli (soprano); Peter Kálman (bass) 
 
          Chorus of Zurich Opera House; Orchestra La Scintilla/Alessandro De Marchi 
          rec. June-July 2007, September 2008, Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirchemeinde 
          Zurich-Oberstrass. DDD 
 
          DECCA 478 1087 DH02 Limited Edition [59:10 + 75:01] 
 
          [RJF]
        Bellini’s 
          lovely melodies into a new perspective. ... see Full 
          Review 
        
RECORDING
                  OF THE MONTH Johannes
                  BRAHMS (1833-1897) Sonatas
                  and trios for viola 
 Maxim
                  Rysanov (viola); Katya Apekisheva (piano) Boris Brovtsyn (violin)
                  Jacob Katsnelson (piano); Kristine Blaumane (cello) rec. 2007/8 
 ONYX
          4033 [77:35 + 47:09] [PB-W] 
 
        Completely
              inspired music-making ... see Full
              Review 
        
          
RECORDING
                  OF THE MONTH Johannes BRAHMS (1833–1897)  Eight
                  Songs Robert SCHUMANN (1810–1856)  Four
                  Lieder from Goethe’s Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, Frauenliebe
                  und –leben, Claude
                  DEBUSSY (1862–1918) Fantoches George
                  Frideric HANDEL (1685– 1759)  Angels, ever bright
                  and fair  
 Lorraine
                  Hunt Lieberson (mezzo) Julius Drake (piano) rec. live, 1999 
 WIGMORE
                  HALL LIVE WHLIVE0024 [69:31] [JQ] 
          Demands
                to be heard by all who prize great singing ... see Full
                Review 
          
RECORDING
                  OF THE MONTH Johannes
                  BRAHMS (1833-1897)  Alto
                  Rhapsody,
Symphony 2 Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)  Gesang
der Geister über den Wassern, Gruppe aus dem Tartarus,
An Schwager Kronos 
 Nathalie
Stutzmann (contralto) Monteverdi Ch,
O Révolutionnaire et Romantique/Sir John Eliot Gardiner
rec. live, 2007 
 SOLI DEO GLORIA
SDG703 [73:59]
[JQ] 
          As
                provocative, perceptive and exciting as its predecessor ... see Full
                Review 
          
RECORDING
                  OF THE MONTH William Byrd (1539/40-1623) The
                  Cardinall’s Musick Byrd Edition: Vols 10 & 11
                  - Laudibus in sanctis  & Hodie Simon Petrus 
 The
                  Cardinall’s Musick/Andrew Carwood
rec. 2006/7 
 HYPERION CDA67568 [68:20]  CDA67653 [67:47]
[BW] 
          If
                you already have Byrd’s Masses, these are the next priority purchases
                ... see Full Review 
         
        
RECORDING 
          OF THE MONTH Josef HAYDN 
          (1732-1809) Complete Piano Trios 
 
          Haydn Trio Eisenstadt 
 
          PHOENIX EDITION 161 [8 CDs: 9:40:00][ST] 
        
Endless 
          pleasure ... see Full Review
        
RECORDING
                OF THE MONTH Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)  La
                Forza del Destino (1869 version) 
 Violetta
                Urmana, Marcello Giordani, Carlo Guelfi, Ch & O Maggio Musicale
                Fiorentino/Zubin Mehta rec. live, 2007 
 TDK
                DVWW-OPFORZA 
 [189:00]
        [ST] 
        Now
              leads the field … one of the great Verdi DVDs ... see Full
              Review 
        
 RECORDING
                OF THE MONTH Cello
                Diverse Igor
                STRAVINSKY (1882–1972)  Suite
                Italienne Claude DEBUSSY (1862–1918)  Cello
                Sonata Johannes BRAHMS (1833–1897)  Cello
                Sonata 2 Ennio MORRICONE (b.
                1928)  Gabriel’s Oboe 
 Suzanne
                Beer (cello); Garth Hancock (piano) 
 DIVINE
                ART DDV25068 [61:09]
[BBr] 
        Some
              of the finest, most purposeful, cello playing I’ve heard in a long
              time ... see Full Review
          
        
BARGAINS 
          OF THE MONTH 
        
BARGAIN
                 OF THE MONTH Felix
                 MENDELSSOHN 
          (1809-1847) 
          Complete Symphonies New Philharmonia Chorus, Helen Donath
           (soprano), Rotraud Hansmann (soprano), Waldemar Kmentt (tenor) New
          Philharmonia 
          Orchestra and Chorus,Wolfgang Sawallisch rec. 1967 Licensed from Decca 
          Complete String Symphonies 
 
          Amsterdam Sinfonietta/Lev Markiz rec. 1994-1996, Licensed from BIS 
 
          BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93777 [7:32:00] 
 
          [ST]
        
Unmissable. 
          Invest with confidence. ... see 
          Full Review 
        
BARGAIN
              OF THE MONTH Henry
              Purcell (1659-1695)  Complete
              Sacred Music – Anthems, Services and Devotional Songs Full
              contents at the end of the review Booklet with notes and texts. 
 HYPERION
              CDS44141-51 [11 CDs: 738:56] 
 [BW]
        
An
                essential purchase for Purcell year and well beyond ... see Full
                Review 
                 
        
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