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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 Georges BIZET (1838 – 1875) Carmen Elina Garanca, Roberto Alagna, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Ch & O/Yannick Nézet-Séguin rec. 2010 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 073 4581 [2 DVDs: 167:00 + 9:00] [GF]

This is a great achievement

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano Concerto 2, Klavierstücke Nicholas Angelich (pno), Frankfurt RSO/Paavo Järvi, rec. 2009 VIRGIN CLASSICS 2663492 [74:37] [JQ]

A performance of the Brahms Second Piano Concerto that deserves to be ranked among the very best.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH William BYRD (1539/40-1623) Infelix ego: The Byrd Edition - Volume 13 The Cardinall’s Musick/Andrew Carwood rec. 2009 HYPERION CDA67779 [61:17] [MG]

Performances of palpable commitment and exceptional quality.

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 AN 2 9966 [61:54] [GPu]

Lovely performances of fine early seventeenth-century songs.

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.

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.

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.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Philip SAWYERS (b.1951) The Gale of Life, Symphonic Music for Strings and Brass, Symphony 1 Grand Rapids Symphony/David Lockington rec. 2002/2004/2008 NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI 6129 [63:38] [NB]

Reflects great credit on all involved – music of instant appeal and enduring quality performed with zealous passion recorded in excellent sound.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jan Dismas ZELENKA (1679 - 1745) Missa votiva Joanne Lunn, Daniel Taylor, Johannes Kaleschke, Thomas E. Bauer, Kammerchor Stuttgart, Barockorchester Stuttgart/Frieder Bernius rec. 2008 CARUS 83.223 [69:15] [JV]

Another masterpiece by Zelenka - the performance displays the Mass in its full glory.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jonas Kaufmann – Verismo Arias Jonas Kaufmann (tenor) Eva-Maria Westbroek (sop) Rosa Feola (soprano) Cristina Reale (mezzo) O dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Roma/Antonio Pappano DECCA 478 2258 [61 :52] [RMo]

Kaufmann just gets better and better.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Milo Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Cello sonata Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941) Cello sonata Mark-Anthony TURNAGE (b.1960) Milo, Sleep On Guy Johnston (cello) Kathryn Stott (piano) rec. 2009 ORCHID CLASSICS ORC100010 [64:17] [EM]

A disc I would recommend to anyone looking for excellent versions of any of these works. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Moonflowers, Baby! Works by Hindemith, Honegger, Milhaud, Francaix, Vaughan Willaims & Kupferman Jonathan Cohler (clarinet) Judith Gordon (piano) rec. 1993 CRYSTAL RECORDS CD733 [62:12] [OL]

Sensitive, subtle, beautiful, refined. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH   Musica Sacra Hungarica Budapesti Monteverdi Kórus/Éva Kollár rec. 2010 CARUS 2.151/99 [68:22] [WH]

A fascinating and lovely collection from a distinguished German publishing house.

 

BARGAINS OF THE MONTH

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Luigi BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) Sonatas for Cello and Piano Fedor Amosov (cello) Jen-Ru Sun (piano) rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.572368 [67:46] [JS]

This has been an exceptionally and unexpectedly enjoyable disc.

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.

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. 

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. 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Krzysztof PENDERECKI (b. 1933) Credo, Cantata in honorem Almć Matris Universitatis Iagellonicć sescentos abhinc annos fundatć Iwona Hossa, Aga Mikolaj (sop.) Ewa Wolak (alto) Rafal Bartminski (ten.) Remigiusz Lukomski (bass) Warsaw Boys’ Ch, Warsaw PO & Ch/Antoni Wit, rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.572032 [56:27] [BW]

Music which matches power and contemplation with performances to match.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH  Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Orchestral and vocal collection rec. 1962-1994 EMI CLASSICS 6 27910 2 [78:47 + 76.51] [TB]

For anyone starting out upon a Vaughan Williams collection, it would be hard to better this EMI compilation of classic recordings reissued at bargain price.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) Bajazet Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, David Daniels, Elina Garanca, Vivica Genaux, Patrizia Ciofi, Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi rec. 2004 VIRGIN CLASSICS 4564592 [73:35 + 72:48] [J-PJ]

The best of the best in terms of Neapolitan-style opera – tuneful, virtuosic and passionate. Virtually every number in this recording is a highlight.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH English Lute Songs Robin Blaze (counter-tenor); Elizabeth Kenny (lute) rec. 1999 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55249 [70:34] [EM]

A superb disc of excellent programme and performance.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Byron Janis Edition - The Legendary Concerto Recordings Moscow PO/Kirill Kondrashin, Moscow Radio SO/Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Minneapolis SO/Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, London SO/Herbert Menges, Antal Dorati, rec. 1960-63 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9182 [4 CDs: 261:56] [RB]

Classic readings without a hint of autopilot. Demands your attention and will reward it with generosity.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Fritz Wunderlich - A Poet among Tenors EMI CLASSICS ICON 6295252 [6 CDs: 533:27] [RMo]

I urge every lover of the tenor to buy this set

 

 


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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