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RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann
Sebastian BACH (1650-1750) Keyboard
Concerto, Preludes & Fugues 
Hélène
Grimaud (piano) Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen rec. 2008 DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 477 7978 [76:03] [CC]
A
major release. Future releases eagerly awaited. ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Leonard BERNSTEIN (1914-1990) Mass Randall
Scarlata,
Tölzer Knabenchor, Chorus sine nomine, Absolute Ensemble
Tonkünstler O Niederösterreich/Kristjan Järvi
rec. 2006 CHANDOS CHSA5070 
[42:15
+ 64:52] 
[DM]
Bravo
and thrice-triple bravo! Bernstein’s flower child finally comes
of age ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Frank BRIDGE
(1879-1941)
Piano Quintet H49a (1905) [28:16] Three Idylls H67 (1907) [13:32]
String Quartet No.4 H188 (1937) [23:00]
Goldner String Quartet (Dene Olding (violin); Dimity Hall (violin);
Irina Morozova (viola); Julian Smiles (cello)) Piers Lane (piano)
rec.
2008, HYPERION CDA67726
[65:19] 
[JF]
All
Bridge enthusiasts will want to have this recording ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1848) Maria
Stuarda Laura
Polverelli, Maria Pia Piscitelli, Roberto De Basio, Ch & O
Filarmonica Marchigiana/Riccardo Frizza rec. 2007 NAXOS
OPERA 2.110268 
[122:00] [RF]
Another
well cast and sung production full of drama and superb music
... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH George Frideric
HANDEL (1685–1759) Alcina Joyce
DiDonato, Maite Beaumont, Karina Gauvin, Il Complesso Barocco/Alan
Curtis rec. 2007 ARCHIV
PRODUKTION 477 7374 [3
CDs: 203:16] [ST]
The
best introduction to Handel’s operatic world ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Das
Lied von der Erde Klaus
Florian Vogt, Christian Gerhaher, Montréal SO/Kent
Nagano rec. 2009 SONY
CLASSICAL 88697508212 [61:28] [PPLL]
One
of the quintessential recordings … full expressive power ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH David MATTHEWS (b.
1943) The
Music of Dawn, Concerto in Azzurro, A Vision
and a Journey Guy
Johnston (cello) BBC PO/Rumon Gamba
rec. 2007 CHANDOS CHAN10487 [70:53] [HC]
Vital,
carefully prepared and fully committed ... see Full
Review
RECORDING OF
THE MONTH Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) & Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Clarinet Quintets Karl-Heinz
Steffens (clarinet) Guy Baunnstein, Christoph Streuli (violins)
Ulrich Knörzer (viola) Richard Duven (cello) rec. 2005/6 TUDOR
7137 [70:44] [KS]
Don’t
walk, run to add this nearly perfect disc to your collection.
... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Robert
SCHUMANN (1810 – 1856)
Heinrich Heine Lieder Florian
Boesch (baritone); Malcolm Martineau (piano) rec. 2007 ONYX
4041 [59:58] [GF]
A
superb disc in every respect ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony
11 Royal Liverpool
PO/Vasily Petrenko
rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.572082 [57:37] [BBr]
An
essential disk for all collections ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Cantigas
de Amigo Martin
CODAX (13th
century) Seven Cantigas de amigo [59.36] Estéváo
RAIMOND (13th century) Amigo, se bien [3.18] Bernal
DE BONAVAL (13th century) Fremosa a Deus grado [5.18]
Roi Fernandez DE SANTIAGO (13th century)
Quand’eu vejo las ondas (6.12)
Fin’ Amor (Carole Matras (voice and harp); Bernard Mouton (recorder);
Michael Grébil (oud and viele); Thomas Baeté (viele); Vincent Libert
(percussion) rec. 17-19 May 2003, Church of Saint-Rémy de Franc-Waret,
Belgium MUSICA FICTA
MF 8002 [73.24]
[GH]
I
am full of admiration for these performances ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH The
NMC Songbook rec.
2008 NMC D150 [4
CDs: 299:25] 
[CR]
A
stunning anthology ... see Full
Review
BARGAINS
OF THE MONTH
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH John Dowland (1563-1626) Lute
Music Volume 4: The Queen’s Galliard Nigel
North (lute)
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570284 [60:18] 
[BW]
A
crowning conclusion to an excellent series ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) String
Quartets 11-16 Colorado
Qt rec. 2004-6 PARNASSUS
PACD96042/4 [3
CDs: 215:41] [CC]
An
admirable set in almost every way ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Jacques IBERT (1890-1962) Divertissement, Symphonie
Marine, Bacchanale, Louisville Concerto, Bostoniana,
Flute Concerto, Ouverture de Fête, Escales, Tropismes
pour des amours imaginaires, Quatres Chansons de Don Quichotte Emmanuel
Pahud (flute), José Van
Dam (baritone)
CBSO/Louis
Frémaux; Tonhalle O Zurich/David Zinman; l'ORTF Ntl O/Jean Martinon; O
de l'Opéra de Lyon/Kent Nagano
rec. 1973-2002 EMI CLASSICS
GEMINI 5176392 [75:32
+ 68:17] [RB]
Interested
in Ibert? Sorted ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Violin
Sonatas Jaap
Schröder (violin); Lambert
Orkis (fortepiano)
rec. 1989/90 VIRGIN VERITAS
693 2182 [73:59
+ 72:06] [CC]
A
lovely set of discs ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Maurice RAVEL
(1875-1937) Daphnis
et Chloé (1912) [55:49] Shéhérazade - ouverture de féerie
(1899) [15:33] MDR Rundfunkchor,
Lyon Ntl O/Jun Märkel rec. 2008. DDD
NAXOS 8.570992 [71:37]
[JPJ]
Does
not disappoint … see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Violin Concerto Carl
NIELSEN (1865-1931) Violin Concerto Maxim
Vengerov, Chicago SO/Daniel Barenboim rec. 1996 WARNER
CLASSICS 2564693673 [69:36][RB]
Such
great artistry ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Peter
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Songs
Joan Rodgers (soprano); Roger Vignoles (piano) rec. 1992
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55331 [64:52][GF]
At
Helios price Rodgers is irresistible ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH
Hans Hotter The Great
Bass Baritone
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Ich habe genug
& Lieder and operatic scenes by Brahms, Schubert, Grieg, Schumann,
Loewe, R Strauss, Pfitzner, Wolf, Orff and Wagner.
rec. 1948-58 EMI CLASSICS
ICON 2649012 [6 CDs: 443:00]
[ST]
One
of the most authoritative and beautiful voices in gramophone history
... see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH André
Previn - The Great Recordings - The LSO Years: 1971-1980
rec. 1971-80. Stereo/ADD Full details at end of review 
EMI CLASSICS 50999 2679692 [10 CDs: circa 13:00:00] 
[RB]
Magnificent
Previn recordings as fresh as proverbial paint ... see Full
Review
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2 A-B] [Part 3 C-L]
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