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Alphabetical Listing

Recommendations

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]
[last 5 days] [Recommended recordings]

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RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Amy BEACH (1867-1944) Piano Music Vol. 2: The Turn of the Century Includes Variations on Balkan Themes, Children’s Album, Eskimos Kirsten Johnson (piano) rec. 2007/8 GUILD GMCD7329 [60:48] [DM]

Heart-warming, grace and character. A hidden gem ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Guirne CREITH (1907-1996) Violin Concerto Thomas PITFIELD (1903-1999) Concerto Lirico Richard ARNELL (b.1917) Violin Concerto Lorraine McAslan (violin); Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Martin Yates rec. 2008 DUTTON EPOCH CDLX7221 [63:42][RB] 

McAslan triumphs again in these unknown violin concertos ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH John IRELAND (1879-1962) Piano Concerto Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941) Phantasm William WALTON (1902-1983) Sinfonia Concertante Kathryn Stott (piano) Royal PO/Vernon Handley rec. 1989 DUTTON CDLX7223 [70:01] [RB]

An old friend returns wearing new clothes ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Charles LEVENS (1689 - 1764) Te Deum [41:24] Deus noster refugium [25:54] Sophie Landy, Sophie Pattey (soprano), Vincent Lièvre-Picard (haute-contre); Sébastien Obrecht (tenor); Sébastien Brohier, Marduk Serrano (baritone); Marcos Loureiro de Sà (bass) Members of l'Ensemble baroque Orfeo and the Groupe Vocal Arpège, Les Passions/Michel Laplénierec. 8-11 November 2007, Chapelle de la Miséricorde, Bordeaux, France. DDD ÉDITIONS HORTUS 060 [67:29] [JV]

Levens had a great sense of drama and text expression ... 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

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

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Rodion SHCHEDRIN (b. 1932) The Sealed Angel Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge/Geoffrey Webber; Choir of King’s College, London/David Trendall rec. 2008 DELPHIAN DCD34067 [54:42][JQ]

A work of great beauty and profundity, splendidly performed ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Peter Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony No.5 in E Minor, Op.64 [48:04] Francesca da Rimini, Op.32 [25:33]  Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela; Gustavo Dudamel rec. 2008, DDD  DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4778022 [73:37]   [PL]

Filled with dynamism, introspection and heart-lifting emotional surges ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Manfred Symphony; Romeo and Juliet State TV and Radio Grand Symphony Orchestra/Konstantin Symeonov rec. 1960 VISTA VERA VVCD-00150 [79:33][RB]

A great Manfred ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jacobus Vaet (c1529-1567) Missa Ego flos campi Cinquecento Renaissance Vokal rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA67733 [75:21] [BW]

The best recording yet in Cinquecento’s very fine series ...  see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Eva Podleś (contralto) Songs by Chopin, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky & Szymanowski Garrick Ohlsson (piano) rec. live, 2008 WIGMORE HALL LIVE WHLIVE0027 [78:47] [GF]

One of the finest and most captivating song recitals for a long time ... see Full Review


BARGAINS OF THE MONTH

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) String Quartet 1, String Quintet 2 Belcea Qt, Thomas Kakushka (viola) rec. 2003 EMI CLASSICS ENCORE 2357122 [62:19] [CC]

Do not hesitate ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Arthur BUTTERWORTH (b. 1923) Symphonies 1 & 4, Viola Concerto, Talk by composerArthur Butterworth Royal Scottish Ntl O/Arthur Butterworth, Hallé O/Sir John Barbirolli rec. 1958/2008 DUTTON EPOCH CDLX 7212 [70:40 + 73:07] [RB][PC]

Butterworth’s music casts a potent spell that looks to the North. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Girolamo FRESCOBALDI (1583-1643) Keyboard Music from Manuscript Sources Martha Folts (harpsichord) rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570717 [73:03] [GPu]

Deserves the highest praise … see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Giacomo 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

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

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Night Ride and Sunrise etc. New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Pietari Inkinen rec. 2007 NAXOS 8.570763 [64:34][LW] 

One terrific disc! ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Thomas TALLIS (1505-1585) The Complete Works Chapelle du Roi/Alistair Dixon, Charivari Agréable rec. 1996-2004 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93612 [10 CDs: 657:34] [EM]

Wonderful music … exquisite music-making... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Victoria de los Angeles The Voice of an Angel The Early Recordings, Great Italian Operas, Great French Operas, Popular Songs & Zarzuela Arias, Chants d’Auvergne, Art Songs & Lieder, Songs of Spain rec. 1948-74 EMI CLASSICS ICON 2173082 [7 CDs: 533:27] [GF]

A treasure-trove to last a lifetime ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Stokowski/Bach Transcriptions Vol. 2 With works by Boccherini, Byrd, Clarke, Haydn, Mattheson & Palestrina Bournemouth SO/José Serebrier rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.572050 [64:59] [BBr]

Fabulous ... 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]
[last 5 days] [Recommended recordings]


 



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