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          RECORDINGS 
          OF THE MONTH 
          
        
RECORDING 
          OF THE MONTH Vincenzo BELLINI 
          (1801-1835) I Capuleti e I Montecchi 
 
          Elina Garanca (mezzo); Anna Netrebko (soprano); Wiener Symphoniker/Fabio 
          Luisi rec. 
          2008 
 DEUTSCHE 
          GRAMMOPHON 4778031 [76.10 + 51.26][RJF] 
          
        It 
          will be a long time before this recording is bettered ... see Full 
          Review
        
RECORDING
              OF THE MONTH  Gabriel
              FAURÉ (1845–1924) L’Horizon
              Chimérique, Poême d’un jour, Mirages Francis
              POULENC (1899–1963) Tel jour telle nuit, Chansons
              villageoises, La Fraicheur et le Feu 
 Thomas
              Oliemans (baritone) Malcolm Martineau (piano)
rec. 2008 
 ETCETERA KTC1366 [62:04] 
 [GF]
        The
              natural heir to Gerard Souzay ... see Full
              Review 
        
RECORDING 
          OF THE MONTH George Frideric HANDEL 
          (1685-1759)  Twelve Concerti grossi, Op. 
          6 
 Il Giardino 
          Armonico/Giovanni Antonini rec. 2008 
 
          L’OISEAU LYRE 4780319 [3 CDs: 64:00 + 59:29 + 45:00][MG] 
 
          
        Handel 
          outside the comfort zone. Tremendously stimulating … see Full 
          Review
        
RECORDING 
          OF THE MONTH Kara KARAYEV (1918-1982) 
          Symphony No. 3; Leyla and Mejnun; Don Quixote (Symphonic Engravings) 
          
 Russian Philharmonic 
          Orchestra/Dmitri Yablonsky. rec. 2008 
 
          NAXOS 8.570720 [58:10][CC] 
 
        
A 
          disc that gives hope in this recession-torn world ... 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
        
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 
        
RECORDING 
          OF THE MONTH Fernando 
          SOR (1778-1839) Fantasias y Estudios 
 
          Manuel Babiloni (guitar) rec. 2008 
 
          EDITS E.G. TABELET 1017 [65:52][ZT] 
        
No 
          finer recording of this Sor repertory is available ... see Full 
          Review  
        
RECORDING 
          OF THE MONTH Igor STRAVINSKY 
          (1882-1971) Canticum Sacrum; Agon; 
          Requiem Canticles 
 
          SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart; SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg/Michael 
          Gielen rec. 2004-7 
 HÄNSSLER 
          CLASSIC CD93226 [57:52][DC] 
 
           
        Not 
          sure about late Stravinsky? This is the path to enlightenment ... see 
          Full Review 
        
HISTORICAL 
          RECORDING OF THE MONTH The 
          Dawn of Recording: 
          The Julius Block Cylinders 
          Full track-list at end of review 
 
          MARSTON 53011-12 [3 CDs: 78:12 + 76:03 + 79:09] 
 
          [JW] 
        
No 
          praise can be too high ... see Full 
          Review 
         
        BARGAINS 
          OF THE MONTH 
        
BARGAIN
                OF THE MONTH John FIELD (1782-1837) The
                Piano Concertos 
 Miceal
                O'Rourke (piano) London Mozart Players/Matthias Bamert
rec. 1994-96 
 CHANDOS CHAN10468(4)X [4
CDs: 249:13] [EM] 
        
A
              glorious sense of joy … lively and exciting ... see Full
              Review 
        
BARGAIN 
          OF THE MONTH Joseph HAYDN 
          (1732-1809) The Complete Symphonies - MP3 Edition 
           
Austro-Hungarian 
          Haydn Orchestra/Adam Fischer rec.1989-2001 
NIMBUS 
          NI 1722 [8 CDs: approx. 37:00:00] 
 
          DC 
        
A 
          very worthwhile experiment and a truly excellent set: meet Mr. Haydn! 
          ... see Full Review 
        
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
        
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
        
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 
                 
        
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