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William
Thomas McKINLEY (b.1934) Passacaglia see GIANNINI
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony 2 
Maria Stader
(soprano); Maureen Forrester (contralto) Westminster Ch, New York P-SO/Bruno
Walter rec. 1957 MUSIC
& ARTS CD-1199 [79:47] 
[JQ]
The
best way to experience Walter’s interpretation of ‘Resurrection’ ...
see Full Review
Joseph
MARX (1882-1964) Orchestral Songs
and Choral Works Christine
Brewer (soprano); Trinity Boys Choir; Apollo Voices; BBC Symphony
Chorus BBC Symphony Orchestra/Jiří Bělohlávek rec. 2008
CHANDOS CHAN10505 [71:33][JW] 
Marx
really does come alive here ... see Full
Review
Joseph
MARX (1882-1964) Eine
Frühlingsmusik, Idylle, Feste Im Herbst Vienna
RSO/Johannes Wildner
rec. 2007 CPO 7773202 [63:06]
[JW]
Good
times for the Marx collector ... see Full
Review
Jules
MASSENET (1842-1912) Meditations see PAGANINI
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Jules MASSENET
(1842–1912) Manon Claude DEBUSSY
(1862-1918) La Demoiselle élue Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Les nuits d’été
Orchestra and Chorus of the Théâtre National de l’Opéra Comique/Pierre
Monteux rec. 1955
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111268-70 [3 CDs: 66.59 + 80.13 + 67.29][RMo]
At
super-bargain price, these three discs are a steal ... see Full
Review
Johann Simon MAYR
(1763-1845)
Fedra
Capuine Chiaudani, Tomasz Zagorski, State Ch & O Braunschweig/Gerd
Schaller rec. live, 2008
OEHMS CLASSICS OC920 [64.28 + 50.46] [RJF]
A
very welcome addition to the sparse recorded catalogue of Mayr’s
operas ... see Full Review
Johann
MATTHESON (1681-1764)
The Twelve Suites of 1714, Harmonisches Denckmal
Colin Booth (harpsichord) rec. 2007
SOUNDBOARD SBCD208 [76:06 + 77:19] [JV] 
Differentiated,
lively, expressive … Mattheson is more than a name in history ...
see Full Review
Alessandro
MELANI (1639-1703) L’Europa,
Requiem, Beatus vir,
Magnificat Das Kleine Konzart/Hermann
Max
rec. D 2008 CPO 777 408-2 [75:45]
[JW]
Fine
sound caps this disc of obscurities ... see Full
Review
Olivier
MESSIAEN (1908-1992) Chamber Works
Matthew Schnellhorn
(piano); soloists of the Philharmonia Orchestra rec. 2008
SIGNUM SIGCD126 [66:38][CR]
Stunning
performances with wonderful sound ... see Full
Review
Otto
MORTENSEN (1907–1986) Songs
Signe
Asmussen (soprano); Jacob Naeslund Madsen (tenor); Christen
Stubbe Teglbjaerg (piano) rec. 2008
DACAPO 8.224704 [63:57][GF]
A
largely attractive acquaintance ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Piano Concertos 17 & 18
Lausanne CO/Christian Zacharias (piano) rec. 2007
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 9401488-6 
[58:15] [MG]
Quite
laid back but well considered … repay repeated listening … see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Zaide
Wiener Akademie/Martin Haselböck
rec. 2006
CPO 777281-2 [44:20 + 49:46][ST]
It
will serve but has
too many inconsistencies ... see Full
Review
Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Operatic
excerpts arranged for wind ensemble Die Zauberflöte, La
Clemenza di Tito Saxonian
Wind Academy
rec. 2006 NAXOS 8.570027 [72:16]
[ST]
This
disc brought me tremendous pleasure ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Concerto
for two pianos, Sinfonia concertante for Violin & viola Håvard
Gimse, Vebjørn Anvik (pianos) Lars Anders Tomter (viola) Norwegian
CO/Iona Brown (violin) rec. 1995/6 CHANDOS
CHAN10507X [53:56] [DC]
A
winner – puts the fon back into Sinfonia, takes the con out of
Concertante ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano
Concertos 20 & 27 Clifford
Curzon (piano) English CO/Benjamin Britten.
rec. 1970 ESOTERIC ESD90014 [65:18]
[JLa]
One
of the most sublime and supreme accomplishments of the recording
angel ... see Full
Review
Carl
NIELSEN
(1865–1931) The
Complete Orchestral Music (vols. 1-4) Symphonies 1-6, Helios Overture,
Paraphrase Nearer, my God, to Thee, Two songs: Silken Shoes
on a Golden Last, ; Bow your Head, Oh Flower, Symphonic Rhapsody,
Cupid & the Poet, Genrebillede, Ariel’s Song,
Christmas at Home, Andante Tranquillo e Scherzo for String
Orchestra Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra/Douglas Bostock
CLASSICO CLASSCD296-299 [4 CDs: 66:40 + 66:27 + 63:54 + 71:37]
[JLa]
Clarity,
authenticity and an energy that does not exist without precision ...
see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Carl August
NIELSEN
(1865 – 1931) The
Symphonies Janáček
Philharmonic Orchestra/Theodore Kuchar rec. 2005 BRILLIANT CLASSICS
92885 [3 CDs: 65:55 + 79:04 + 69:45]
[JL]
Nothing
less than a paradigm shift ... see Full Review
Carl NIELSEN
(1865-1931) Chamber
Music Vol. 2 Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano, Op. 9 (1895) [21:17]
Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano, Op. 35 (1912) [20:39] Prelude,
Theme and Variations for solo violin, Op. 48 (1923) [18:11] Preludio
e Presto for solo violin, Op. 52 (1928) [11:43]
Jon Gjesme (violin) (1-2); Jens Elvekjær (piano) (1-2); Tue Lautrup
(violin) rec. November 2006, March 2007, The Black Diamond, The Royal
Library, Copenhagen, Denmark
DACAPO 8.226065 [71:50]
[DM]
Music
and musicianship of great skill. Investigate at once ... see
Full Review
Carl
NIELSEN (1865-1931) Complete
Piano Music
Christina Bjørkøe (piano) rec. 2007
CPO 7774132 [66:12 + 67:29][DC]
A
pianist with Nielsen under her skin – a real revelation ... see Full
Review
Carl
ORFF (1895-1982) Carmina
Burana Laura
Claycomb (soprano) Barry Banks (tenor) Christopher Maltman
(baritone)
Tiffin Boys’ Choir/Simon Toyne
London Symphony Ch & O/Richard Hickox rec. live, 2007 CHANDOS
CHSA5067 [60:37]
[DM]
What
has gone wrong here? ... see Full
Review
Niccolò PAGANINI (1782-1840) Violin
concerto 1 Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Introduction
and rondo capriccioso Jules
MASSENET (1842-1912) Meditation Mariusz
Patyra (violin) Sinfonia Varsovia/Johannes Wildner
rec. 2004 DUX 0654 [56:18] [RMay]
Breathtaking
virtuosity and real and intelligent musicality ... see Full
Review
Sir
Hubert PARRY (1848-1918) Violin
Sonata etc.
Erich Gruenberg (violin); Roger Vignoles (piano) rec. 1984
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55266 [59:30][EM]
Wonderful
works - music that should be better known ... see Full
Review
Arvo
PÄRT (b. 1953) Music for Unaccompanied
Choir Elora
Festival Singers/Noel Edison rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570239 [57:26][EM]
Luminous
and intense ... see Full Review
Krzysztof PENDERECKI (b.
1933) Symphony No. 2; Sacred Works
Various artists
rec. 1972-83 EMI CLASSICS
GEMINI 2176692 [73:23 + 60:18][DM]
An
enticing programme for newcomers and fans alike ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Francis
POULENC (1899–1963) Tel jour telle nuit, Chansons
villageoises, La Fraicheur et le Feu see FAURÉ
Sergei
PROKOFIEV
(1891-1953) The Love for Three Oranges
Suite, Symphonies 1 & 7 Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The Nutcracker
Suite Philharmonia O/Nicolai
Malko rec. 1955 CLASSICS
FOR PLEASURE 3822292 [80:29]
[SV]
Good
to have these recordings readily available, and in stereo ... see Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI
(1858-1924) Madama
Butterfly (1904) [135.12] Angela Gheorghiu (soprano)
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor)
Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Antonio Pappano
rec.2008. DDD EMI CLASSICS
50999 2 64187 2 8 [62.04 + 73.08]
[RMo]
Cause
for celebration but does not supplant the Karajan ... see Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Manon Lescaut - lyric drama in four acts based
on the novel by Abbé Prévost (1892) Karita Mattila, Marcello Giordani
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,
Chorus and Ballet/James Levine rec. live, Metropolitan Opera, New York,
16 February 2008 EMI
CLASSICS DVD 2 17420 9
[137:00]
[IL]
A
lavish production which I am confident you will enjoy. ... see Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858-1924) Madama Butterfly
Maria Callas (soprano);
Coro & Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala Milano/Herbert von Karajan
rec. 1955 EMI CLASSICS
GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 2127112 [63:39 + 75:03][AS]
One
of the greatest interpretations committed to disk ... see Full
Review
Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858 – 1924) Il trittico
Tito Gobbi, Victoria
de los Angeles, Ch & O Teatro dell’Opera di Roma/Vincenzo Bellezza,
Tullio Serafin, Gabriele Santini rec. 1955-58
EMI CLASSICS GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 2127142 [3 CDs: 51:31
+ 56:08 + 53:00] [GF]
Still
the classic version ... see Full
Review
Jean
Pullois (?-1478)
Flos de spina
see
BUSNOIS
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Henry
PURCELL (1659-1695) Dido and
Aeneas Choir
& Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Steven Devine rec. 2008
CHANDOS CHACONNE CHAN0757
[69:49][MG]
All
round excellence, but the added music is controversial … see Full
Review
Henry PURCELL
(1659 – 1695) Dido
and Aeneas (1689) Kirsten Flagstad (soprano) – Dido; Elisabeth
Schwarzkopf (soprano) – Belinda; The Mermaid Singers and Orchestra/Geraint
Jones rec. 15, 27-28 March 1952, English libretto enclosed Richard
WAGNER (1813 – 1883) Götterdämmerung: Starke Scheite
(Brünnhilde’s Immolation) [19:48]
Kirsten Flagstad (soprano) Philharmonia Orchestra/Wilhelm Furtwängler
rec. 26 March 1948
NIMBUS PRIMA VOCE NI 7956 [76:35]
[GF]
Even
die-hard purists should find a lot to admire in this historic issue
... see Full Review
Einojuhani
RAUTAVAARA
(b. 1928)
Complete Works for Male Choir
YL Male Voice Choir/Matti Hyökki rec. 2007
ONDINE ODE 1125-2D [47:07 + 52:01] [DM]
A
worthy collection rather than an outstanding one ... see Full
Review
Alan
RAWSTHORNE (1905-1971) Piano Concerto
Nos. 1 & 2; Concerto for Two Pianos
Geoffrey Tozer (piano), Tamara Anna Cisłowska (piano); London Philharmonic
Orchestra/Matthias Bamert rec. 1992
CHANDOS CLASSICS CHAN10339X [62:47][EM]
Sparkling
and exuberant ... see Full
Review
Max REGER
(1873-1916) Piano Quartet; String Trio
Aperto Piano Quartet
rec. 2002-7 NAXOS
8.570786 [59:52][CC]
The
more Reger, the better ... see Full Review
Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) La
Primavera, Quattro Liriche su poesie popolari armene, La
Pentola Magica Slovak
PCh, Slovak RSO/Adriano
rec. 1991/4 NAXOS 8.570741 [79:20]
[WK]
A
re-release of two of Respighi’s lesser-known, but most interesting
works ... see Full Review
Ferdinand
RIES (1784-1838) Piano
Sonatas and Sonatinas: Volume 1
Susan Kagan (piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570796 [49:53][CC]
This
is the beginning of what will clearly be a delightful, and useful, series
... see Full Review
Nicolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
(1844-1908)
CD 1 [75:04] Antar – Symphonic Suite, Op. 9 [30:44]
May Night – Overture [8:04] The Tale of Tsar Saltan
– Suite, Op. 57 [20:27] (The Tsar’s Departure and Farewell;
The Tsarina and her son afloat in the cask; The Three Wonders; The Flight
of the Bumblebee - The Tale of Tsar Saltan) Capriccio Espagnol,
Op. 34 [15:16] CD 2 [66:42] Russian Easter Festival Overture,
Op. 36 [14:40] Christmas Eve – Suite [23:42] Dubinushka,
Op. 62 [4:12] Sadko – A Musical Picture, Op. 5 [10:51]
The Snow Maiden – Suite (Introduction; Danses des Oiseaux;
Cortège; Danses des Bouffons) [12:36] Motet de Genève/Jacques Horneffer
(Snow Maiden) L’Orchestre
de la Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet rec. Victoria Hall, Geneva, Switzerland,
October 1952 (Capriccio Espagnol, mono); June 1954 (Antar); November
1956 (May Night, Tale of Tsar Saltan, Russian Easter Festival Overture);
April 1957 (Flight of the Bumblebee, Sadko); May 1957 (Christmas Eve,
Dubinushka); November 1957 (Snow Maiden). ADD.
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0827 [75:04 + 66:42]
Nicolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908)
Sheherazade Op. 35 [41:40]
Le Coq d’Or – Suite (King Dodon in his Palace 9:15; King
Dodon on the Battlefield 4:29; King Dodon with Queen Shemakha 6:41;
Marriage Feast and Lamentable End of King Dodon 6:32)
Pierre Nerini (violin) Paris Conservatoire Orchestra/Ernest Ansermet
1-4 L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet rec. La Maison
de la Mutualité, Paris, France, September 1954 (Sheherazade); Victoria
Hall, Geneva, Switzerland, October 1952 (Le Coq d’Or, mono). ADD
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0081 [68:58]
[RB]
Lower
key Rimsky-Korsakov which may well suit you. Often very nicely recorded.
... see Full Review
Nikolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
(1844-1908) The Golden Cockerel
Yefgeny Nesterenko, Elena Ustinova, All-Union Radio and Television Academic
Grand Ch, Academic SO of Moscow State Philharmonic/Dmitri Kitaenko
MELODIYA MELCD1001398 [57:42 + 65:06] [ST]
An
impressive and enjoyable performance of a very worthy opera ...
see Full Review
Pierre
RODE (1774-1830)
Violin Concertos 7, 10 & 13
Friedemann Eichhorn (violin) South West German RO, Kaiserlautern/Nicolás
Pasquet rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570469 [58:00] [KS]
Light
and breezy for a not so serious mindset ... see Full
Review
Antonio ROSETTI (1750-1792)
Jesus in Gethsemane; Halleluja - cantata; Salve Regina
NDR Chor Mecklenburgisches Barockorchester 'Herzogliche
HofKapelle'/Johannes Moesus rec. 2006
CPO
777254-2 [49:20 + 56:03]
The
hidden side of Rosetti's oeuvre - another CPO winner ... see Full
Review
Gioacchino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) Péchés
de vieillesse - Volume VI
Alessandro Marangoni (piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS
8.570766 [78:00][JS]
Little
more than a stopgap ... see Full
Review
Gioachino
ROSSINI (1792-1868) La gazza
ladra Prague
Chamber Choir; Orchestra Haydn Di Bolzano e Trento/Lu Jia rec. 2007
DYNAMIC 33567
[2DVDs: 201:00][RJF]
Good
singing, but definitely a wacky production ... see Full
Review
Christopher ROUSE
(b. 1949) Iscariot, Clarinet Concerto,
Symphony 1 Martin Fröst
(clarinet) Royal Stockholm PO/Alan Gilbert rec. 2005/6
BIS BISCD1386 [62:35] [HC]
Splendid … a
most welcome addition to Rouse’s growing discography ... see Full
Review
Ludomir RÓŻYCKI (1884-1953)
String Quartet in D minor see SZYMANOWSKI
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