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James
MacMILLAN (b.
1959) Fourteen
Little Pictures Franz
Peter SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano Trio in E flat 
Gould
Piano Trio
rec. live, 2008 WIGMORE HALL
LIVE WHLIVE0026 [73:42] 
[CC]
A
worthwhile release, and a stimulating coupling ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH James MacMILLAN (b.
1959) St.
John Passion Christopher
Maltman (baritone)
London SO & Ch/Sir Colin Davis
rec. 2008 LSO LIVE LSO0671 
[54:14
+ 36:06] 
[JQ]
A
very unsettling and deeply moving experience. An unqualified triumph
... see Full Review
Albéric MAGNARD (1865-1914)
Symphonies 1-4 BBC Scottish
SO/Jean-Yves Ossonce rec. 1997
HYPERION DYAD CDD22068 [67:17 + 73:18]
[RB]
Ossonce,
the BBC Scottish and Hyperion sweep the board ... see Full
Review
Gustav MAHLER (1860–1911)
Symphony 3 Elena Zaremba
(contralto) Warsaw PCh/Henryk Wojnarowski, Warsaw Boys’ Ch/Krzysztof
Kusiel-Moroz, Sinfonia Varsovia/Jerzy Semkow rec. live, 2004
DUX 0664/5 [60:49 + 36:49]
[AS]
A
good addition to any record library ... see Full
Review
Artur
MALAWSKI (1904-1957) Piano
Trio in C sharp minor Krzysztof
MEYER (b. 1943) Piano Trio
Altenberg Trio Wien rec. 2005
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72310 [59:33][BBr] 
Too
good to have to wait for ... see Full
Review
Bohuslav
MARTINŮ (1890–1959)
Complete Piano Music Vol. 5 Six Polkas, Five
Waltzes, Giorgio Koukl
(piano) rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.572175 [50:44] 
[BBr]
Bohemian
music in the lighter style ... see Full
Review
Joseph
MARX (1882-1964)
Orchestral Songs and Choral Works
Christine Brewer (soprano);
BBC Symphony Chorus& Orchestra/Jiří
Bělohlávek rec. 2008
CHANDOS CHAN10505 [71:33][WK]
World
premiere recordings - a must for all Marx devotees ... see Full
Review
William
MATHIAS (1934-1992) Celtic Dances see VAUGHAN
WILLIAMS
André MATHIEU (1929-1968) Piano
Concerto 4, Scčnes de Ballet,
Four Songs Alain Lefčvre (piano)
Tucson SCh & O/George Hanson
rec. live, 2008 ANALEKTA AN29281 [74.26] [PSh]
A
box of candy for Rachmaninov fans ... see Full
Review
Nikolai
MEDTNER (1880-1951) Complete
works for violin and piano - Volume 2
Laurence Kayaleh (violin); Paul Stewart (piano) rec.
2007
NAXOS 8.570299 [79:10][BBr]
Simply
very fine music ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Felix
MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847)
Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 (1844) [25:49] Piano Trio No.1
in D Minor, Op.48 (1839) [27:41] Violin Sonata in F Major (1838) [24:02]
Anne-Sophie Mutter
(violin); Lynn Harrell (cello); André Previn (piano) Gewandhausorchester
Leipzig/Kurt Masur rec. March 2008, Leipzig, Gewandhaus (Concerto);
September 2008, Vienna, Musikverein, Brahms-Saal (Sonata, Trio)
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON CD + DVD 
4778001
[76:92 + 101:58]
[PL]
A
revelation ... see Full Review
Felix
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY
(1809-1847) Complete
Sacred Choral Music
Various vocal soloists, Kammerchor Stuttgart, Ensemble '76 Stuttgart,
Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Klassische Philharmonie
Stuttgart, Mitglieder der Bamberger Symphoniker, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester,
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen/Frieder Bernius Full tracklisting
and performer details at end of review. rec. 1983-2007 Collection
only available as individual volumes
CARUS [12 Volumes]
[MC]
Something
truly special has been achieved by Carus, Bernius and his forces ...
see Full Review
Krzysztof
MEYER (b. 1943) Piano Trio see
MALAWSKI
Silvina
MILSTEIN
(b. 1956)
Chamber works
Alison Wells (mezzo); Caroline Balding (violin) Lontano/Odaline de
la Martinez rec. 2008
LORELT LNT129 [72:14]
[BBr]
Dour … they
never smile ... see Full Review
Leopold
MOZART (1719-1787) Sinfonias Toronto
CO/Kevin Mallon rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570499 [69:15] [GPu]
An
enjoyable CD which offers glimpses of the considerable talents
of Mozart senior … see Full
Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791)
Symphonies No. 28, 29, 32, 34, Serenata Notturna
Hugh Maguire, Neville Marriner (violins); Simon Streatfield (viola);
Stuart Knussen (double-bass); Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, London
Symphony Orchestra/Peter Maag rec. mono: 1950/51/59, ADD
DECCA ELOQUENCE 476 9692 [75:49]
[MG]
Zest,
wit and charm but strident recordings … see Full
Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Sinfonia
concertante; Violin Concerto Nos. 2 & 4
Maxim Vengerov (violin); UBS Verbier Festival
Chamber Orchestra/Maxim Vengerov rec. 2006
EMI
CLASSICS 3783742 [78:52][SV]
Mushy
in lyrical passages, finicky and under-projected elsewhere ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Arrangements
for Wind Ensemble Saxonian
Wind Academy rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570027 [72:16][CR]
Excellent
playing … highly enjoyable ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano
Sonatas (complete)
Maria-Joăo Pires (piano) rec. 1974
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 92733/1-5 [5 CDs: 59:09 + 63:37 + 66:10 + 65:56
+ 66:35][JL]
These
original recordings melt the heart ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Cosi
fan Tutte (1790) [177:40] Soile Isokoski (soprano) –
Fiordiligi Monica Groop (mezzo) – Dorabella
La Petite Bande Orchestra and Chorus/Sigiswald Kuijken rec. 1992
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93925 [3 CDs: 71:39 + 56:21 + 49:40]
[ST]
Could
come close to being a prime choice ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Marcia
alla Francese,
Symphony K133 Georg Christoph WAGENSEIL (1715-1777) Fortepiano
Concertos 4 & 5 I Suoni Assaggiati/Roderick
E. Simpson,
Sand Hollow Idaho Trio INITIUM
CDA009 [75:35]
Clever
performances, sometimes imperfect yet tantalising ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Requiem Agnčs
Giebel (soprano); Vera Soukoupova (alto); Georg Jelden (tenor);
Heinz Rehfuss (bass)
Czech PO & Ch/Karel Ančerl rec. 1966 TAHRA
TAH660 [54:33] [JW]
A
worthy in memoriam for Ančerl ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Masonic
Music (Complete) Heo
Young-Hoon (tenor) Kassel State Opera Ch, Kassel Spohr CO/Roberto
Paternostro
rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570897 [65:49] [BW]
Not ‘essential’ Mozart
but attractive performances ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Clarinet
Concerto,
Clarinet Quintet Paul Dean (clarinet)
Queensland O/Guillaume Tourniaire, Grainger Qt
rec. 2008 MELBA MR301122 [58:42] [JS]
Thoughtfully
and vividly characterised ... see Full
Review
Carl
NIELSEN (1865-1931) String
Quartets Vol. 2 Young
Danish String Qt rec. 2007 DACAPO
6.220522 [63:59] [DS]
Superb
performances in glorious SACD sound ... see Full
Review
Jacques
OFFENBACH (1819–1880) Les
Contes d’Hoffmann (excerpts) Róbert
Ilosfalvy, Hungarian Radio & Television Ch & O/Miklós
Erdélyi HUNGAROTON
HCD12444 [56:22] [GF]
A
worthy memorial to one of Hungary’s finest tenors ... see Full
Review
C.
Hubert PARRY (1848-1918) Fantasia and Fugue in G, Op.188
see Romantic
and Virtuoso Works for Organ
Charles
Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918) Shulbrede
Tunes see English
Piano Works
Tobias
PICKER (b.1954) Four
Etudes for Ursula, Old and Lost Rivers, Three
Pieces for Piano, Where the Rivers Go, …when
soft voices die…, The Blue Hula, Keys to the
City Ursula
Oppens, Tobias Picker (pianos) rec. 2007 WERGO
WER66952 [72:09] [BBr]
Picker
- a significant talent ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Thomas PITFIELD (1903-1999) Concerto Lirico see
CREITH
John
PITTS (b. 1976) Toccata,
Fantasias & Airs Steven
Kings (piano)
rec. 2008 CD.TP/IPM 08 [77:49] [JF]
Stunning
and seriously impressive ... see Full
Review
David
POPPER (1843–1913) High
School of Cello Playing (Forty Etudes) Dmitry
Yablonsky (cello) rec. 2004/6 NAXOS
8.557718/9 [40:52 + 49:27] [BBr]
This
is quite a find ... see Full Review
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Piano Sonatas 2 & 8, Légende,
Visions fugitives see HAYDN
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Giacomo
PUCCINI
(1858-1924) Tosca
(1900) [68:36] Maria Callas (soprano) - Tosca; Giuseppe Di Stefano
(tenor) - Cavaradossi; Tito Gobbi (baritone) - Scarpia; Orchestra
del Teatro alla Scala, Milan/Victor de Sabata rec. 1953, . ADD
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93927 [66:22 + 62:14]
[MS]
Splendid
… not to be missed ... see Full Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858–1924) La
bohčme (1896) Giuseppe
Di Stefano, Maria Callas,
Ch & O La Scala, Milan/Antonino Votto
rec. 1956 NAXOS 8.111332-33 [79:02
+ 76:23] [GF]
Swings
and roundabouts ... see Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858 – 1924) Turandot Maria
Callas, Eugenio Fernandi, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Ch & O
La Scala, Milan/Tullio Serafin
rec. 1957 NAXOS 8.111334-35 [77:26
+ 41:16] [GF]
A
worthy addition to any collection ... see Full
Review
Henry
PURCELL (1659-1695) Dido and
Aeneas
John Alldis Choir; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Sir Colin Davis
rec. 1970 PHILIPS
ELOQUENCE 4428334 [57:55][MG]
Good
in parts but not completely successful … see Full
Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOV
(1873-1943)
The Symphonies L'Orchestre
de la Suisse Romande (1), London Philharmonic Orchestra (2, 3)/Walter
Weller rec. 1972-4
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0824 [76:48 + 69:18]
[SV]
Unfailingly
commands attention ... see Full
Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOV
(1873-1943)
Symphony 2, Vocalise
Singapore SO/Lan Shui rec. 2008
BIS BIS-SACD-1712
[68:05]
[DM]
If
you like your vodka neat, look elsewhere ... see Full
Review
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873–1943)
Complete Songs Joan
Rodgers (soprano); Maria Popescu (mezzo); Alexandre Naoumenko (tenor);
Sergei Leiferkus (bass) Howard Shelley (piano) rec. 1994/5
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 8531 [3 CDs: 76:01 + 71:54 + 68:00]
[RB]
Einojuhani
RAUTAVAARA (b. 1928) The Eight
Symphonies
National Orchestra of Belgium/Mikko Franck; Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra/Max
Pommer; Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/Max Pommer, Leif Segerstam rec.
1990-2005 ONDINE ODE1145-2Q
[4 CDs: 49:04 + 49:09 + 73:43 + 67:10][RB]
Lambent
originality leading from dissonance to lyrical awe ... see Full
Review
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Orchestral Music
Various artists
rec. 1957-86 EMI CLASSICS
2376712 [71.00 + 77.57][WH]
Four
superb performances in a rather hit and miss collection … see Full
Review
Maurice
RAVEL
(1875-1937) L'enfant et les sortilčges (1925)
[44:22] Ma Mčre L’Oye [28:29]
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2008, Philharmonie,
Berlin EMI CLASSICS
2 64197 2 [72:58]
Maurice RAVEL
(1875-1937) L'enfant et les sortilčges (1925) [45:49]
Shéhérazade (1903) [18:30]
Nashville Symphony Orchestra/Alastair Willis
Julie Boulianne (mezzo) (Shéhérazade) rec. 2006, 2007
NAXOS 8.660215 [64:19]
A
battle of the labels, but will either win in the end? ... see Full
Review
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
The Complete Piano Works, Vol. 2
Artur Pizarro (piano) rec. 2008
LINN CKD315
[75:08][MSJ]
Distinctive
piano sound sheds light on Ravel ... see Full
Review
Alan RAWSTHORNE
(1905-1971)
Bagatelles (1938) Sonatina (1949) Four Romantic Pieces (1953) Bernard
STEVENS (1916-1983) Five Inventions Op.14 (1950) Ballad Op.17
(1951) Fantasia on ‘Giles Farnaby’s Dreame’ Op.22 (1953) Sonata in One
Movement Op.25 (1954)
James Gibb (piano) rec. 1958 and 1959. mono. ADD
LYRITA REAM.1107 [75:08]
[JW]
An
undersung pianist and one of the most admirable ... see Full
Review
Max
REGER (1873–1916) Organ
Works - Volume 8
Martin Welzel (organ) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570455 [75:38][BBr]
Music
which cannot and should not be ignored ... see Full
Review
Ottorino
RESPIGHI (1879-1936) La primavera;
Quattro liriche su parole di poeti armeni; La pentola magica
Slovak Philharmonic Chorus; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Adriano
rec. 1991-4 NAXOS 8.570741
[79:20][BW]
Attractive
– but don’t begin a Respighi collection here ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Il
Tramonto, Roman trilogy, Gli Uccelli, Trittico Botticelliano,
La
Sensitiva Christine Rice,
Janet Baker, O
dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome/Antonio Pappano, Philadelphia
O/Riccardo Muti, ASMF/Sir Neville Marriner, City of London Sinfonia/Richard Hickox
rec. 1976-2007 EMI CLASSICS
2376762 [77:36
+ 69:23] [ST]
Why
hesitate? ... see Full Review
Emil
Nikolaus von REZNICEK (1860-1945)
Symphony 1, Four Songs
Marina Prudenskaja (mezzo) Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt/Frank
Beermann rec. 2006 CPO
777 223-2 [68:50]
[RB]
These
performances carry great conviction ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
RIHM
(b. 1952) Symphonies 1 & 2, Nachtwach,
Vers une symphonie fleuve III, Raumauge
SWR Stuttgart RSO/Jonathan Stockhammer, Markus Creed, Gianluigi Gelmetti,
Rupert Huber rec. 1994-2007
HÄNSSLER CLASSIC CD 93.227 [65:11]
[HC]
Early
and later works of contrasted character ... see Full
Review
Frédéric
van ROSSUM
(b. 1939) Divertimento, Ricercare Festivo, Epitaphe,
Catharsis, Sinfonietta
Choeur de Chambre de Bruxelles; Muhiddin D. Demiriz, Eugčne Galand (pianos) ;
Ensemble Orchestral de Bruxelles/Jacques Vanherentals
PAVANE ADW7499 [68:53]
[HC]
A
step in the right direction ... see Full
Review
Albert
ROUSSEL (1869 – 1937) Flemish Rhapsody, op.56 see
Flemish Rhapsodies
Edwin
ROXBURGH
(b. 1937)
Oboe Music Study 1, Aulodie, Images, Eclissi,
Antares, Elegy, Cantilena
Christopher Redgate (oboe, oboe d’amore); Stephen Robbings (piano) Ensemble
Exposé/Roger Redgate rec. 2008
METIER MSV28508 [66:08]
[JW]
Music
that taxes expressive and technical demands equally ... see Full
Review
Miklós
RÓZSA (1907-1995) Orchestral
Works Vol. 1 Overture to a Symphony Concert, Three Hungarian
Sketches,
Tripartita,
Hungarian Serenade BBC Phil/Rumon
Gamba
rec. 2008 CHANDOS CHAN10488 [74:46] [RB]
More
please and soon ... see Full Review
Miklós
RÓZSA (1907-1995)
Sinfonia Concertante, Notturno Ungherese, Tripartita
András Agoston (violin)
Lászlo Fenjö (cello) Philharmonia Hungarica/Werner Andreas Albert rec.
2000 CPO 999 839-2
[63:42]
[RB]
A
nicely done less obvious Rózsa orchestral mix ... see Full
Review
Miklós
RÓZSA (1907-1995) Viola
Concerto,
Hungarian Serenade Gilad Karni
(viola)
Budapest Concert O MÁV/Mariusz Smolij rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570925 [60:41] [SA]
A
master composer whose reputation should not be confined to cinema
... see Full Review
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