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BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Twentieth-Century
Masterpieces 
EMI CLASSICS 2175002 [16 CDs][WH] 
Snap it up before it disappears for ever ... see Full
Review
Adagio:
Let the World Be Still Various
artists Universal Classics
and Jazz 4763377 [75:33 + 75:27][GPu] 
A
real mixed bag of an album … see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH American
Spectrum
Michael DAUGHERTY (b.
1954) Sunset Strip John WILLIAMS
(b. 1932) Escapades Ned ROREM
(b. 1923) Lions (A Dream) Christopher
ROUSE (b. 1949) Friandises
Branford Marsalis (saxophones) North Carolina SO/Grant Llewellyn rec.
2008 BIS BISSACD1644
[75:28]
[DM]
BIS
at their best: inspired programme and top-notch sound ... see Full
Review
Victoria
de Los Angeles Lucero
mío Lullabies and folk songs
Victoria de Los Angeles (soprano)(1-24) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)(9),
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano)(24); rec. 1950 - 1992 Sung texts enclosed
COLUMNA MUSICA 1CM0198
[54:21]
[GF]
The
voice of an angel, indeed! ... see Full
Review
Ataúlfo
Argenta – Zarzuela and Spanish Orchestral Music
Orquesta Nacional de España & Gran Orquesta Sinfónica/Ataúlfo Argenta
rec. 1953-6
MEDICI ARTS MM034-2 [78:43][JS] 
A very worthwhile reissue ... see Full
Review
Daniel
Behle - Lieder by Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828), Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827),
Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907), Benjamin BRITTEN (1813-1976) and Manfred
TROJAHN (b. 1949)
Daniel Behle (tenor); Oliver Schnyder (piano) rec. 2008
PHOENIX EDITION 154 [55:14][GF]
Should
win the young singer hordes of new admirers ... see Full
Review
Frances
Bourne The Truth about Love - Songs by
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976),
Kurt WEILL (1900-1950) and
Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959)
Frances Bourne (mezzo);
James Holmes (piano); Matrix Ensemble/Robert Ziegler rec. 2008
SONY 88697293431 [78.35][RH]
Stylish
and enjoyable ... see Full
Review
The
Brothers Kreisler – Fritz Kreisler Original compositions
and arrangements
Various artists rec. 2001
OK MOZART 001 [74:39][JW]
A
generous lightness of touch ... see Full
Review
The
Celtic Viol Jordi
Savall (treble viols & fiddle); Andrew Lawrence-King (Irish
Harp & Psalterium) rec. 2008 ALIA
VOX AVSA9865 [75:53] [BW]
Enjoyable
but mainly of interest to specialists ... see Full
Review
The
Contest of Apollo and Pan
Apollo & Pan rec. 2004
CHANDOS
CHAN0756 [73:14][JV]
Good
performances but could have been more adventurous ... see Full
Review
Dancer's
Dream: Raymonda
Documentary film (1999) [83:00] Choreography and
stage direction by Rudolf Nureyev Music by Alexander Glazunov
Artists of the Ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris Orchestra
of the Ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris/Alexander Anissimov
Directed by François Roussillon
ARTHAUS
MUSIK 107 015 [83:00]
[RMay]
Why
is Glazunov's Raymonda not better known? ... see Full
Review
Dedications Pehr
Henrik NORDGREN (1944-2008) Solemnity-Euphony Pēteris
VASKS (b.
1946) Musica appassionata Anders ELIASSON (b.
1947) Sinfonia per archi Ostrobothnian
CO/Juha Kangas rec. 2007 ALBA
ABCD245 [70:27] [HC]
Another
feather in Alba’s cap ... see Full
Review
Simone
Dinnerstein - The Berlin Concert: Music
by Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750), Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) and Philip LASSER (b.1963)
Simone Dinnerstein (piano) rec. 2007
TELARC CD80715 [74:37][JFL]
I
will file it under “L”, and regard it highly ... see Full
Review
Divos
and Divas
Juan
Diego Flórez, Plácido Domingo, Bryn Terfel, Roberto Alagna,
José Carreras, Cecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming, Angela
Gheorghiu DECCA 478
1469 [52:15 + 68:39]
[GPu]
A
largely enjoyable miscellany not designed for specialists in opera … see Full
Review
Plácido
Domingo - Live Georges
BIZET (1838-1875) Carmen (1875) Plácido
Domingo (tenor); Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper/Carlos Kleiber rec.
1978 TDK DV-CLOPCAR [154:00] Umberto
GIORDANO (1867-1948) Fedora Plácido
Domingo (tenor); Coro & Orchestra del Teatro alla
Scala/Gianandrea Gavazzeni rec. 1993 TDK
DVWW-OPFED [113:00] Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Il trovatore Plácido
Domingo (tenor); Chor & Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper/Herbert
von Karajan rec. 1978 TDK DV-CLOPIT (2 DVD) [151:00] TDK
DV-GOLDBOX2 (4
DVD)[GF]
No
opera lover is likely to be seriously disappointed with this
... see Full Review
An
English Recital Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
The Lake in the Mountains, Hymn-Tune Prelude on 'Song
12' by Orlando Gibbons, Suite of Six Short Pieces Gustav
HOLST Two Pieces for Piano, Two Northumbrian Folk Tunes John
IRELAND Sonatina Arnold BAX
Allegretto quasi andante Peter
WARLOCK Five Folk-Song Preludes Ernest
John MOERAN Bank holiday Benjamin
BRITTEN Night Piece John
JOUBERT Dance Suite Op.21
John McCabe (piano) rec. St. George the Martyr, Holborn, London, 20
May 1972 and London, 20-22 May 1968 (Britten)
BMS103CDH [70:12]
[HC]
This
beautifully produced release is a timely tribute to John McCabe ...
see Full Review
The
English Stage Jig
The City Waites/Lucie Skeaping rec.
2008
HYPERION CDA67754 [78:17][JS]
I
cannot imagine this being better or more convincingly performed ...
see Full
Review
Evocaciones de España
Joaquin
RODRIGO, Enrique
GRANADOS, Federico
Morena TORROBA, Joaquin NIN, Manuel de FALLA, Isaac ALBENIZ, Hector
VILLA-LOBOS, Paul COLES, Delfín COLOMÉ PUJOL, Satoshi
TANAKA (b.1956)
Jones-Mauri Duo: Agustin Mauri (guitar); Michael Kevin Jones (cello)
rec. 17-19 October, 2007, Santa Eufemia de Cozollos, Olmos de Ojeda,
Palencia (Spain). DDD
EMEC E-075 [78:29]
[GPu]
The
familiar transformed and the altogether unfamiliar … thoroughly
engaging … see Full Review
Walter FELSENSTEIN Edition Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
Fidelio
(1956) Leoš JANÁČEK
Das schlaue Füchslein (1965) Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART Don Giovanni (1966) Giuseppe
VERDI Othello (1969) Jacques
OFFENBACH Hoffmanns Erzählungen
(1970) Jacques OFFENBACH
Ritter Blaubart (1973) Wolfgang Amadeus
MOZART Die Hochzeit des Figaro
(1975/76) Full details at end of reviewARTHAUS
101345 [7 DVD set]
[KJK][JL]
An
unbending will in pursuit of theatrical truth. ... see Full
Review
French
Saxophones – 25 Years Jubilee Album
Aurelia Saxophone Quartet rec. 1990
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72331 [70:16 + 59:09][RB]
A
most entertaining collection ... see Full
Review
Gregorian
Chant from Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral Choir/Stephen Cleobury rec. 1980 GRIFFIN
GCCD4068 [74:14][MS]
Dated
and somewhat unidiomatic ... see Full
Review
Christopher
Herrick - Organ Fireworks XIII
Christopher Herrick (Organ of Västerås Cathedral, Sweden) rec. 2008
HYPERION CDA67734
[78:19][GF]
Magnificent
instrument and excellent playing, but variable music ... see Full
Review
Intimate
Studies Leos
JANÁČEK (1854-1928)
In the Mist, Intimate Studies Pavel
HAAS (1899-1944)Suite
for Piano Op. 13, Allegro Moderato Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890-1959)
Film en Miniature, Spring Josef
SUK (1874-1935) Spring
Lada
Valešová (piano) rec. 2008
AVIE AV2142 [75:43] 
[JW]
A
delightful recital, warmly and sensitively played … see Full
Review
The
Artistry of Emma Kirkby
Emma Kirkby (soprano); various other artists rec.
1999-2007 BIS BIS-CD-1734/35
[4 CDs: 73.19 + 74.30 + 72.36 + 72.07][RH]
Essential
listening for all lovers of vocal music ... see Full
Review
Jiří Kylián & The Netherlands
Dance Theatre
Svadebka, Symphony of Psalms, Torso - Music
by Stravinsky & Takemitsu
rec. 1983/4 ARTHAUS
MUSIK 102115
[68:00]
[J-PJ]
Unclear
who this will appeal to ... see Full Review
Lincolnshire
Posy Percy Aldridge GRAINGER
(1882-1961)
Lincolnshire Posy (completed 1937)1 [14:29] Hill Song
No. 2 (1907)2 [5:50] Vincent PERSICHETTI
(1915-1986) Symphony for Band (Symphony No. 6) (1955-6)2
[17:01] Aram KHACHATURIAN
(1903-1978) Two Armenian Dances (1943)2
[5:58] Walter S. HARTLEY (b. 1927)
Concerto for 23 Winds (1957)2 [16:43] Bernard
ROGERS (1893-1968)
Three Japanese Dances: Dance with Pennons; Mourning Dance; Dance
with Swords (1933, rev.1953)1 [11:01]
Eastman Wind Ensemble/Frederick Fennell rec. Eastman Theater, Rochester,
NY, USA, March 19581; May 19592. ADD.
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 2089 [71:28]
[BW]
An
attractive collection of the familiar and unfamiliar ... 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]
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