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RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Francesca and Giulio CACCINI
(1587-c.1640)
O vive rose and other songs 
Shannon Mercer (soprano), Luc Beauséjour (harpsichord, organ), Sylvain
Bergeron (guitar, theorbo), Amanda Keesmaat (cello) rec. 2009
ANALEKTA AN29966 [61:54]
[GPu]
Lovely
performances of fine early seventeenth-century songs.
John
CAGE (1912-1992)
Six Melodies, Thirteen Harmonies
Annelie Gahl (violin) Klaus Lang (keyboard) rec. 2009
COL LEGNO WWE 1CD 20292 [55:55]
[MS]
A
pair of Cagean works performed in true Cagean style.
John
CAGE (1912-1992)
Piano Music
Giancarlo Simonacci (piano) rec. June 2009
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9176 [3 CDs: 69:20 + 60:17 + 67:37] 
[MC]
Will
present numerous challenges yet will never fail to fascinate and perplex;
and often reward.
John
CAGE (1912-1992) String Quartet in 4 Parts see
LUTOSLAWSKI
Alfredo
CASELLA (1883-1947)
Symphony 1, Concerto for Strings, Piano, Timpani and Percussion
Desirée Scuccuglia (piano), Antonio Ceravolo (percussion) Roma
SO/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2008/9
NAXOS 8.572413 [66:22]
[DM]
Nice
one, Naxos.
Alfredo
CASELLA
(1883-1947) Symphony
2, A notte alta
Sun Hee You (piano) SO di Roma/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2009
NAXOS ITALIAN CLASSICS 8.572414 [76:55]
[DM]
La
Vecchia’s world premiere recording really does deserve the winner’s
pennant.
Gustave
CHARPENTIER (1860-1956) Impressions d'Italie
Henri RABAUD (1873-1949) Marouf
sauvetier du Caire, La procession nocturne Philippe
GAUBERT (1879-1941) Les chants de la mer
Unidentified symphony orchestras rec. 1920s-40s
VAI AUDIO VAIA1075 [74:38]
[RB]
Romantic
grandeur and delicately amorous fantasy.
Luigi
CHERUBINI (1760-1842) String Quartet 1 see
VERDI
Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Piano sonatas 1-3
Louis Demetrius Alvanis (piano)
MERIDIAN CDE84537 [77:22]
[DC]
A
worthwhile contribution.
The
Art of Chopin
Directed by Gérald Caillat & Garrick Ohlsson plays the Chopin
Concertos Directed by Sébastian Glas
Garrick Ohlsson (piano) Warsaw PO/Antoni Wit rec. 2009.
IDEALEAUDIENCE 
3078948
[53:00 + 97:00]
[KM]
A
sketchy introduction to a great composer, coupled with a good filmed
concert of his piano concertos.
Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano works see Masters
of Chopin
Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Scherzos, Nocturnes see Moiseiwitsch
Francesco
CILEA (1866-1950) Adriana Lecouvreur
Micaela Carosi; Marcelo Alvarez; Marianne Cornetti, Ch & O Teatro
Regio, Turin/Renato Palumbo rec. 2009
ARTHAUS 101497 [151:00]
[ST]
If
you really need a DVD then this one will do, but beware Carosi!
Michel
CORRETTE (1707-1795) Les Délices de la Solitude
Bassorum
Vox rec. 2009
COVIELLO CLASSICS COV 21001 [61:05]
[GP]
Assured
and sensitive performances of some lovely music.
Laurence
CRANE
(b.1961) Organ works see Contemporary
British Organ Music
Bernhard
Henrik CRUSELL (1775-1838) Bassoon Concertino see
Bassoon concertos
Benjamin
DALE (1885–1943) Piano Sonata William
HURLSTONE (1876–1906) Piano Sonata
Mark Bebbington (pno), rec. 2006
SOMM SOMMCD 097 [79:30] 
[BBr]
Fabulous
pianism.
Ferdinand
DAVID (1810-1873)
Violin Concertos 4 & 5, Andante and Scherzo capriccioso
Hagai Shaham (violin) BBC Scottish SO/Martyn Brabbyns rec. 2009
HYPERION CDA67807 [59:35]
[GD]
Ferdinand
David is not a first-rate composer, but he is a first-rate second-rate
composer.
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp see
SHOSTAKOVICH
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) En blanc et noir see
MESSIAEN
Richard
DERING (c.1580-1630)
Motets from Cantica Sacra
Ch Clare College Chapel, Cambridge/Timothy Brown
REGIS RRC1355 [57:06]
[BW]
Plugs
an important gap at a modest price.
Jonathan
DOVE
(b. 1959) Choral
Music
Wells Cathedral Ch/Matthew Owens rec. 2009
HYPERION CDA67768 [70:25]
[JQ]
This
first rate disc can only enhance further the reputations of Wells Cathedral
Choir and of Jonathan Dove.
Sebastián
DURÓN (1660-1716) Salir el Amor del Mundo
El Mundo/Richard Savino rec. 2009
DORIAN DSL 92107 [62:27]
[GP]
A
delightful early zarzuela, sung and played with attractive vivacity.
Joys,
Mournings and Battles
Maurice DURUFLÉ
(1902-1986) Suite, Prelude and Fugue on the name of A.L.A.I.N
Jehan ALAIN (1911-1940) Three
Dances
Christopher Houlihan (organ) rec. 2010
TOWER HILL RECORDINGS TH-72025 [63.45]
[BW]
Nothing
much wrong, but the competition is too fierce for a recommendation.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Henri
DUTILLEUX (b. 1916) D’Ombre et de silence -
Complete Piano Music
Robert Levin, Ya-Fei Chuang (pno) rec. 2008
ECM NEW SERIES 2105 (4763653) [75.31]
[GH]
A
fascinating disc with two masterpieces most beautifully played and recorded.
Antonín
DVORÁK (1841-1904)
String Quartets 9 & 14
Wihan Qt
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6115 [67:30]
[BW]
Fully
competitive in a strongly competitive field.
Antonín
DVOŘÁK
(1841-1904)
Slavonic Dances
Budapest Festival O/Iván Fischer rec. 1999
CHANNEL CLASSICS CCSSA90210 
[70:28] [DM]
Plenty
of fine music in these collections, much of it revealed to me as never
before.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Sir Edward
ELGAR (1857-1934)
The Kingdom
Clare Rutter, Susan Bickley, John Hudson, Iain Paterson, Hallé
Ch & O/Sir Mark Elder rec. live, 2009
HALLÉ CDHLD7526 [57:49 + 36:28]
[JQ]
Elder
and the Hallé offer the pre-eminent digital account of Elgar’s
last oratorio.
Sir
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) Violin Sonata Arnold
BAX (1883-1945) Violin Sonata 2
Tasmin Little (violin); Martin Roscoe (piano) rec. 1999
DAL SEGNO DSPRCD047 [60:10] 
[GD] [RB]
Impassioned
and intense, but also perfectly controlled and structured. Just as Elgar
would have liked it I suspect [GD] Delicacy
with ardour, gentle yet always passionate [RB]
Sir
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) Songs and Piano Music
- Played on Elgar’s 1844 Broadwood square piano
Amanda Pitt; Mark Wilde; Peter Savidge; David Owen Norris (piano) rec.
2007
AVIE AV2129 [76:54 + 62:41]
[JW]
Valuable
but give this a listen before you buy, to see if you can take the Broadwood.
Sebastian
FAGERLUND (b.1972) Döbeln
West Coast Kokkola Opera/Sakari Oramo rec. 2009
BIS BIS-SACD-1780 [59:00]
[GD]
Time,
once again, to hail yet another obscenely talented young musician from
Finland.
Jonathan
FEBLAND
(b. 1954) Piano
Colours
Louis Demetrius Alvanis (piano)
MERIDIAN CDE84538 [73:09]
[WH]
Very
fine piano playing, but the music is disappointing.
Gerald
FINZI (1901-1956) Earth and Air and Rain, Till
Earth outwears, I Said to Love, A Young Man's Exhortation,
Before and After Summer
Stephen Varcoe; Martyn Hill; Clifford Benson rec. 1984
HYPERION DYAD CDD22070 [59:58 + 60:00]
[EM]
You
can’t go wrong with this recording of these immensely beautiful
and brilliantly-crafted songs.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Girolamo FRESCOBALDI
(1583-1643) Frescobaldi Edition - Vols 3 & 4
Stagione
Armonica, Schola Gregoriana/Sergio Balestracci, Dom Nicola M. Bellinazzo
rec. 2006/8
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93780/1 [64:04 + 78:04]
[JV]
Two
great volumes in a major project of Brilliant Classics.
Hans
GÁL
(1890-1987)
Concertante works for Violin: Violin Concerto, Triptych,
Concertino for Violin
Annette-Barbara Vogel (violin) Northern Sinf/Kenneth Woods
AVIE AV 2146 [70.14]
[GH]
A
serious sense of purpose without dourness, harmonic variety without
abstruseness, rhythmic vitality without being overly complex and immediate
impact yet worthy of greater study.
Carlo
Giorgio GAROFALO (1896-1962)
Violin Concerto, Romantic Symphony
Sergei Stadler (violin) New Moscow SO/Joel Spiegelman rec. 1999
NAXOS 8.570877 [70:28]
[BBr]
To
be missed at all costs.
Philippe GAUBERT (1879-1941)
Les chants de la mer see CHARPENTIER
Umberto
GIORDANO (1867 – 1948) Andrea Chenier
Violeta Urmana, Andrea Bocelli, Lucio Gallo, Ch & SO Milano Giuseppe
Verdi/Marco Armiliato, rec. 2007
DECCA 478 2382 [59:03 + 59:21]
[GF]
There
are several far more preferable sets.
Philip
GLASS (b.
1937) String Quartets 1-4
Carducci String Qt rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.559636 [64:16]
[DC]
A
very fine disc indeed.
Alexander
GLAZUNOV (1865-1936) String Quintet see
St Petersburg
Mikhail
GLINKA (1804-1857) Trio pathétique see
St Petersburg
Paul
GRAENER (1872-1944) Wiener Sinfonie, Die Flöte
von Sanssouci, Turmwächterlied, Flute Concerto
Andrea
Knoop (flute); Cornelia Grohmann (flute) Altenburg-Gera PO/Eric Solén
rec. 2009
STERLING CDS10902 [72:34]
[RB]
Gravely
impressive music with a tendency to density of texture and some complacency.
Bernhard
Joachim HAGEN (1720-1787)
Sonatas for Lute and Strings
John Schneiderman (lute), Elizabeth Blumenstock (violin), William Skeen
(cello)
DORIAN DSL-90907 [72:38]
[JV]
First-rate
chamber music, eloquently performed by three fine musicians.
Daron
HAGEN (b. 1961) Complete Piano Trios
Finisterra Trio rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.559657 [71:48]
[KS]
Four
works with an infinite variety of color and contrast, performed quite
convincingly by the Finisterra trio. Well worth a listen!
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685 – 1759) Berenice, Regina
d’Egitto
Klara Ek, Ingela Bohlin, Franco Fagioli, Il Complesso Barocco/Alan Curtis,
rec. 2009
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6285362 [3 CDs: 60.29 + 51.14 + 54.52]
[RH]
Plenty
of interest here. An intelligently balanced performance which certainly
does the piece justice.
Georg
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759)
Coronation Anthems
Joan Rodgers (soprano); Catherine Denley (alto); Anthony Rolfe Johnson
(tenor); Robert Dean (bass) ASMF & Ch/Sir Neville Marriner rec.
1984
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802016 [43:04]
[JS]
High
quality outweighs small quantity. It would be hard to equal the panache
and delicacy of these recordings.
Lou
HARRISON
(1917-2003) Music for Orchestra, Chamber Groups and Gamelan
Brooklyn
PO, Cabrillo Music Festival O/Dennis Russell Davies; Jody Diamond and
Lou Harrison Gamelan Group, Berkshire Chamber Players rec. 1998-2001
NIMBUS
NI 2571/74 [4 CDs: 75:51 + 74:08 + 61:20 + 68:12]
Lou
Harrison gives the listener cause to smile.
Lou
HARRISON
Scenes from Cavafy
NEW WORLD 80710-2 [72:35]
Piano Concerto
NEW WORLD RECORDS 803662 [50:53]
Chamber And Gamelan Works
NEW WORLD 806432 [66:14]
In Retrospect
NEW WORLD RECORDS 806662 [63:31]
[RB]
New
World focuses on the ringing attractive gamelan-inflected works of Pacific
Rim composer, Lou Harrison.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Joseph HAYDN
(1732-1809)
Masses - Volume 3 Missa Sancti Nicolai, Missa
in angustiis
Ann Hoyt (soprano) Trinity Ch, Rebel Baroque O/J. Owen Burdick rec.
2002/7
NAXOS 8.572123 [64:46]
[BW]
Challenges
even the best - a bargain alternative to Trevor Pinnock.
Peter
Arnold HEISE
(1830 – 1879) Songs
see Love
Songs
Paul
HINDEMITH (1895-1963)
Violin Concerto
see Art of Ivry Gitlis
Alun
HODDINOTT
(1929–2008) Songs
Claire
Booth (soprano) Nicky Spence (tenor) Jeremy Huw Williams (baritone)
Andrew Matthews-Owen, Michael Pollock (piano) rec. 2009/10
BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY BMS437CD [60:07]
[JF]
Works
which demand our attention.
Joseph
HOLBROOKE (1878-1958) The Pit and the Pendulum,
Symphony 4, Cello Concerto, Pandora
Raphael Wallfisch (cello) Royal Liverpool PO, Royal Scottish Ntl O/George
Vass rec. 2010
DUTTON EPOCH CDLX7251 [74:57]
[RB]
This
is a completely enjoyable disc.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Arthur HONEGGER
(1892-1955) Les Aventures du Roi Pausole
Mattijs van de Woerd, Opera Trionfo, Nieuw Ens/Ed Spanjaard rec. 2008
BRILLIANT
CLASSICS 9152 [72:05]
[RB]
One
wonders why this work has not become more popular. A winner.
Engelbert
HUMPERDINCK
(1854-1921) Overtures & other orchestral music
Bamberger Symphoniker/Karl Anton Rickenbacher rec. 1990
VIRGIN 6285842 [55:32]
[JS]
The
sheer companionability of the music, together with its craftsmanship
and humanity, make it very worthwhile hearing.
William
HURLSTONE (1876–1906) Piano Sonata see DALE
Gabriel
JACKSON
(b.1962) Organ
works see Contemporary
British Organ Music
Gordon
JACOB
(1895 – 1984)
Chamber music with recorder
Annabel Knight, Fontanella (recorders) Robin Bigwood (harpsichord, piano),
Maggini Qt, rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572364 [75:10]
[BBr]
It’s
far too good and enjoyable to miss!
Salomon
JADASSOHN
(1831-1902)
Piano Trios
Syrius Trio rec. 2009
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0107 [62.02]
[GH]
The
performances are quite beautiful and the disc’s presentation clear and
helpful.
Maurice
JARRE (1924-2009)
Lawrence of Arabia, The Music of Maurice Jarre – A
Personal Choice (of Producer, James Fitzpatrick)
Crouch End Festival Ch, City of Prague PO/Nic Raine rec. 2010
TADLOW TADLOW012 [77:34 + 71:04]
[IL]
This
time around we have the full, unadulterated, undiluted score with material
that was originally dialled out of the soundtrack.
André
JOLIVET (1905-1974)
Épithalame, Madrigal, Missa Uxor Tua
SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart/Marcus Creed rec. 2005-9
CARUS 83.455 [59.24]
[GH]
Altogether
a fine and thought-provoking release.
Tolga
KASHIF (b. 1962) The
Genesis Suite
Freddy Kempf (piano); Tomo Keller (violin); Caroline Dale (cello) London
SO/Tolga Kashif rec. 2010
LIGHTSONG MEDIA GROUP LMGRCD1 [72:58]
[RB]
This
is another lavishly enjoyable and sentimental extravaganza taking pop
music classics as point of launch rather than root structure.
Tolga
KASHIF (b. 1962) The Queen Symphony
London Oratory Boys' Ch, London Voices, John Lenehan (piano) Nicola
Loud (violin) Francois Rive (cello) Royal PO/Tolga Kashif rec. 2002
EMI
CLASSICS 5573952 [57:43]
[RB]
Grandly
lavish – a little over-inflated and sprawling at times but most effective.
Erich
Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1957)
String Quartets 1-3
Doric String Qt rec. 2010
CHANDOS CHAN10611 [79:57]
[RB]
Stylish
and emotionally adroit recordings of Korngold’s three quartets.
Go for it!
Conradin
KREUTZER (1780-1849) Fantasie for Bassoon
and Orchestra see
Bassoon concertos
Peter
Erasmus LANGE-MÜLLER
(1850–1926) Songs
see Love
Songs
Edwin
LEMARE (1866-1934) Organ Works - Volume 1
Lars
Rosenlund Nørremark (organ) rec. 2009, 2010
CDKLASSISK-DK CDK209 [46:26]
[BBr]
I
can hardly wait for volume 2.
Antonio
LOLLI (1725-1802)
Sonatas for violin and bass continuo
Luca Fanfoni (violin) Marianne Chen (cello) Paula Del Giudice (harpsichord)
Erich Galliani (guitar) Antonella Tanetti (violin) rec.2009
DYNAMIC CDS 660 [77:12]
[DC]
Not
terribly exciting, but good to have a Lolli in the listings.
Arthur
LOURIÉ (1892-1966) Songs and choruses
Natalia Gerassimova (soprano) Vladimir Talanov (violin) Alexandre Talanov
(violin) Alexandre Roudine (cello) Vladimir Skanavi (piano) Igor Bogouslavsky
(alto) Olga Boulanova (alto) Russian Chamber Ch/Tamara Piliptchuk rec.
1994
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9175 [57:33]
[RB]
A
very satisfying and challengingly pleasing disc.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Hans Christian LUMBYE
(1810-1874)
The Best Of
Tivoli SO/Giordano Bellincampi, David Riddell, Tamás Vetö
rec. 1998-2005
NAXOS 8.556843 [71:21]
[BW]
Joins
my select list of music for cheering up.
Witold
LUTOSLAWSKI (b.1913-1994) String Quartet Krzysztof
PENDERECKI (b.1933) Quartetto per Archi Toshiro
MAYUZUMI (b. 1929) Prelude John
CAGE (1912-1992) String Quartet in 4 Parts
Lasalle Qt rec. 1967/72
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9187 [63:23]
[RB]
Elite
music-making from the Lasalle in three quartets of the 1960s and one
written in the 1950s by a visionary.
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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