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RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Thomas ADÈS (b.
1971) Tevot, Violin Concerto, Three Studies
from Couperin, Powder Her Face 
Berlin
PO/Sir
Simon
Rattle, Anthony Marwood, CO Europe/Thomas Adès
rec. 2007/9 EMI
CLASSICS
4578132 [66:43] [LW]
An
important disc of remarkable contemporary music … see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Motets Bach
Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki rec. 2009 BIS
BISSACD1841 
[75:28] [MC]
Suzuki
provides immaculate performances of the Bach Motets ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) St
Matthew Passion Thomas
Quasthoff (bass) Thomanerchor Leipzig; Tölzer Knabenchor Gewandhaus
O/Riccardo Chailly
rec. 2009 DECCA
478
2194 [80:31 +
79:39] [DC]
Blows
away a few cobwebs - very high quality.... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH York BOWEN (1884-1961)
Piano Works - Vol. 4 Partita, Suite Mignonne, Third Suite, Three
Sketches, Sonatina, Three Novelettes, Polonaise, A Whim
Joop Celis (pno), rec. 2009
CHANDOS CHAN10593 [79:35]
[JF]
A
fantastic CD ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Herbert HOWELLS (1892-1983) St
John's Magnificat and other choral works Ch
St John’s College, Cambridge/Andrew Nethsingha
rec. 2009 CHANDOS
CHAN10587 [75:33] [JF]
There
are at least four excellent reasons why this CD should be at the top
of the list for all Herbert Howells enthusiasts ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Giovanni LEGRENZI (1626-1690) Messa
a 4 Voci e Doi Violini, Vesperae Solemnes de Confessore Oficina
Musicum/Riccardo Favero rec. 2008 DYNAMIC
CDS653 [35:45
+ 67:30] [MS]
Superbly
persuasive … so complete and sheerly lovely that one cannot
wait for more … see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER
(1860-1911) Symphony
2
Yvonne Kenny (soprano); Jard van Nes (mezzo); London PO & Ch/Klaus
Tennstedt rec. live, 1989
LPO LIVE LPO 0044 [25:02 + 67:48]
[JQ]
A
most exciting release. Tennstedt working in a white-hot interpretative
crucible. ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER
(1860-1911)
Symphony 2
Anne Schwanewilms, Lioba Braun, Bayerische SCh, Bamberg SO, Bayerische
Staatsphilharmonie/ Jonathan Nott rec. 2008
TUDOR 7158
[32:53 + 51:24]
[DM]
Not
to be missed ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony 4
Miah Persson (soprano) Budapest Festival O/Iván Fischer rec.
2008
CHANNEL CLASSICS CCS SA 26109
[57:00] [LW]
Fischer’s
Mahler Fourth is tops … see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jules MASSENET (1842-1912) Manon Tamara
Rojo, Carlos Acosta, José Martín, Christopher Saunders, Laura
Morera, Royal Ballet, Orch. of Royal Ballet/Martin Yates, Filmed
2008 DECCA
074 3346 
[117:00
(ballet) + 45:00 (bonus)] [I&GL]
A
truly spellbinding production with superb dancing from Rojo and
Acosta ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Aribert REIMANN
(b.1936) Lear (1978) Soloists
Chor
der Oper Frankfurt, Frankfurter Museumsorchester/Sebastian Weigle rec.
2008, Notes and plot summary in English and German. Libretto in German
only.
OEHMS CLASSICS OC 921 [71:31 + 79:08]
[GPu]
A
striking recording of a modern operatic masterpiece … See Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano Concertos 1-3, Concert
Fantasia
Stephen Hough (piano) Minnesota O/Osmo Vänskä rec. live, 2009
HYPERION
CDA67711/2 [65:39 + 75:31]
[IL]
A
triumph ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Richard WAGNER
(1813-1883)
Götterdämmerung
Jennifer Wilson, Lance Ryan, Franz-Josef
Kapellmann, O de la Comunitat Valenciana/Zubin Mehta
rec. live, 2008
UNITEL CLASSICA 701108
[287:00]
[ST]
A
Ring on DVD to live with and to return to again
and again. ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Kurt WEILL (1900-1950) Kleine
Dreigroschenmusik Ernst TOCH (1887-1964) Egon
und Emilie Erwin SCHULHOFF (1894-1942) H.M.S.
Royal Oak Capella
Amsterdam; Ebony Band/Werner Herbers
rec. 1998-2006 CHANNEL
CLASSICS
CCS25109 [69:24] [DC]
Astounding,
remarkable, wunderbahr! … see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Between
Life and Death:
Songs and arias Christoph
Prégardien (tenor) Michael Gees (piano)
rec. 2008 CHALLENGE
CLASSICS CC72324 [41:50
+ 44:47] [DM]
It’s
quality and not quantity that counts here … see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Diminuito Rolf
Lislevand (lutes, vihuela de mano); Linn Andrea Fuglseth, Anna
Maria Friman (voice)
rec. 2007/8 ECM
NEW SERIES
2088 [58:11] [DC]
Transcendent
music making - and great fun as well ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Visions
of Beyond Late
works by Liszt, Brahms, Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin, Schubert and
Schumann Edward
Rosser (piano)
rec. 2007 CONNOISSEUR
SOCIETY CD4260 [63:49] [BR]
Not
a recital but a great narrative in music … see Full
Review
BARGAINS
OF THE MONTH
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Howard BLAKE
(b.1938) The Passion of Mary, Four Songs of
the Nativity
London Voices, Royal PO/Howard Blake rec. 2009 NAXOS
8.572453 [76:25]
[BB]
Far
too good to miss … see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Frédéric
CHOPIN
(1810-1849)
Kissin Plays Chopin
Evgeny Kissin (piano) rec. 1993-2004
BMG-RCA 88697 625302 [5 CDs: 317:31]
[DC]
Powerful
and sometimes wayward, but not to be avoided ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Gaetano
DONIZETTI (1797-1868) Lucrezia Borgia Montserrat
Caballé, Alfredo Krauss,
RCA Italiana Opera Ch & O/Jonel Perlea
rec. 1966 SONY
OPERA
HOUSE 88697575942 [60.53
+ 73.22] [RJF]
The
preferred choice among CD recordings of this dramatic work from Donizetti’s
pre-Lucia period ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Franz Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) The
Complete String Quartets Kodaly
Qt
rec. 1989-2000 NAXOS
8.502400 [25CDs:
25:42:24] [SA]
The
Kodaly Quartet plays with a shared intelligence that makes for
thrilling listening - nothing could persuade me to live without
it … see Full Review
HISTORICAL
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Richard
STRAUSS (1864 – 1949) Der
Rosenkavalier Lotte
Lehmann (soprano) Richard Mayr (bass) Elisabeth Schumann (soprano)
Vienna State Opera Ch, Vienna PO/Robert
Heger rec. 1933
PRISTINE AUDIO PACO036 [59:46 + 38:40]
[GF]
No
one who loves this music can afford to be without this recording ...
see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Dona
Nobis Pacem, Sancta Civitas Matthew
Brook (baritone); Christina Pier (soprano); Andrew Staples
(tenor) The Bach Ch, Bournemouth SO/David Hill
rec. 2009 NAXOS
8.572424 [64:39] [JQ]
Two
English choral works of great stature in fine new recordings ...
see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH English
Viola Sonatas by Jacob, Ireland, Arnold,
Delius and Berkeley Martin
Outram (viola); Julian Rolton (piano)
rec. 2009 NAXOS
8.572208 [72:04] [BBr]
A
fabulous disk … see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Moviebrass
Leonard
BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) West Side Story Suite Samuel BARBER
(1910-1981) Adagio for Strings John WILLIAMS
(b. 1932), Jerry GOLDSMITH
(1929-2004), James HORNER
(b. 1953) and David ARNOLD (b. 1962)
Space Brass John
WILLIAMS Indiana Jones: Main
Title Theme (arr. Marco Pierobon) [4:27] Danny
ELFMAN (b. 1953)
The Simpsons Theme (arr. Marco Pierobon) [1:38] Franco
MICALIZZI (b. 1939)
and Yuji OHNO (b. 1941) Lupin III:
Main Title Theme (arr. Marco Pierobon) [3:17]
Gomalan Brass Quintet rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.572244 [59:03]
[RB]
Whoop
it up with the Gomalan. ...
see Full Review
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for alphabetical listings by composer:
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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]
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