Superbudget £5.99 or less 
Budget £6-7.99 
Medium £8-10.99 
Full
price £11+ 
Download
Instruments
from the Rodger Mirrey Collection 
John Kitchen (keyboards) rec. 2008-10
DELPHIAN DCD34057 [75:48]
[JV]
A
fine demonstration of instruments from a unique collection of historical
instruments.
Charles
Munch conducts a Treasury of French Music
Works by Berlioz, Ravel, Debussy, Milhaud, Franck, Roussel,
d'Indy & Fauré
Boston SO/Charles Munch rec. 1954-58
WEST HILL RADIO ARCHIVES WHRA6027 [6 CDs: 410:25]
[JW]
There’s
something here even for those with an extensive collection of Munch’s
recordings. The previously unreleased items are the obvious draw.
Music
from the English Courts HANDEL, DOWLAND,
PURCELL, LOCKE,
JOHNSON,
GIBBONS, LANIER, ADSON,
HENRY VIII
ANONYMOUS
The
Fine Arts Brass Ensemble with Tristram Fry (percussion) rec. 1994,
NIMBUS NI 5546 [58:46]
[JW]
Whilst
this recital has its jaunty moments, it also has very serious ones too.
Gustav
Neidlinger (bass-baritone)
Arias by Verdi, Mozart, Wagner & Strauss
rec. 1950-57
PREISER 93475 [79:34]
[JW]
This
disc’s necessarily uneven pleasures provide a measure of justice.
Paradise
on Earth
James Bowman (counter-tenor) Oxford Liedertafel rec. 2010
MAPROOM MR0071 [46.59]
[RH]
Oxford
Liedertafel is a talented group of singers and this disc will undoubtedly
appeal to all their admirers.
The
Great Pas de Deux
EMI
CLASSICS 6486352 [77:21 + 78:14]
[RMay]
This
set offers more than 2½ hours of music that passes by in less
than half the time and provides a great deal of pleasure.
Per
Flauto - Italian Recorder Music of the 17th Century
Ganassi-Consort, rec. 1988
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 308 0301-2 [58:10]
[JV]
Despite
having been recorded more than 20 years ago this disc makes for great
listening.
Phonetasy
Anders
NILSSON (b.1956) Phonetasy Niklas
BREMAN (b.1966) Dinkum Thinkum II Gunnar
JANSSON (b.1944) Saxophone Quartet 1 Fredrik
SÖDERBERG (b.1966) Ocellatus Marie
SAMUELSSON (b.1956) Siren Jan
LEVANDER (b.1959) Nisse
Swedish Saxophone Qt 'Rollin' Phones' rec. 2009/10
PHONO SUECIA PSCD187 [70:11]
[Byz]
A
wealth of intriguing, sometimes excellent music.
Prague
Brass Ensemble
BUDČE, ČERNOHORSKÝ,
OTTO, PACHELBEL,
TELEMANN, VERDI, ORFF,
BARTÓK, JANÁČEK,
JEŽEK,
KOZEL
Prague Brass Ensemble rec. National Theatre, Prague. No date given.
DDD
ARCODIVA UP0131-2 131 [64:06] 
[Byz]
The
Prague Brass Ensemble perform well enough on this CD, but the programme
is hardly profound or difficult.
Rare
French works for violin and orchestra Gabriel
FAURÉ (1845-1924) Violin Concerto Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Morceau de concert
Ernest GUIRAUD (1837-1892) Caprice Joseph
CANTELOUBE (1879-1957) Počme
Philippe Graffin (violin) Ulster O/Thierry Fischer rec. 2001
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55396 [71:11]
[RB]
Lavish
deep-pile rarities from the long-sustained Gallic-romantic sunset.
Reiner
Rarities Felix MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847) A Midsummer Night’s Dream Christoph
Willibald von GLUCK (1714-1787) Dance of the Blessed
Spirits Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Totentanz Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Waltzes
Robin Hood Dell O Philadelphia, RCA Victor SO/Fritz Reiner rec. 1950-53
PRISTINE
AUDIO PASC235 [78:37]
[JW]
Not
an especially intellectually demanding programme but rarity is invariably
a boon for the specialist collector.
Santiago
a cappella Polyphony from Spain’s Golden Age by de Montserrat,
Guerrero, Lobo, John IV, Victoria, Cardoso & Rogier
Monteverdi Ch/Sir John Eliot Gardiner rec. 2004
SOLI DEO GLORIA SDG710 [66:36]
[JQ]
A
perceptively planned and superbly executed programme of music from the
Golden Age of Iberian polyphony.
Scotland
the Brave —
A celebration of Scotland in music and dance
Queensland Pops Ch & O/Sean O’Boyle rec. 2010
ABC CLASSICS 
076 2795 [116:00] 476 4130 [49:08 + 56:02] [JW]
Left
the audience pleased, and excited.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH The Spirits of
England and France - Vol. 5
Missa Veterem hominem
Gothic Voices/Christopher Page rec. 1996
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55285 [65.23]
[GH]
My
original impression was not especially favourable but I have become
quite excited about the Mass and about the singing - it’s a revelation.
Stylems
Italian
Music from the Trecento
Ensemble Syntagma/Alexandre Danilevski rec. 2007
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72195 [58:13]
[JV]
Good
performances of highly sophisticated repertoire from 14th-century Italy.
Joan
Sutherland – Art of the Prima Donna
Joan Sutherland (soprano) Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden/Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
rec. 1960. ADD. Stereo Taken from a 2 CD set entitled Joan Sutherland
- Art of Prima Donna Decca Legends - Legendary Performances 4671152
ALTO
ALC 1125 [75:40]
[DBe]
An
historic recital from the start of a legendary career.
Toscanini
Broadcast Series - Gala Concert 1945 Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Symphony 101 Ottorino
RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Pini di Roma Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) The Swan of Tuonela Richard
WAGNER (1813-1883) Siegfried’s Funeral Music Carl
Maria von WEBER (1786-1826) Euryanthe overture
New York P-SO/Arturo Toscanini rec.1945
GUILD GHCD 2368 [78:32]
[JW]
The
musical virtues of this disc are manifold, and even those jaded by the
Toscanini Question will find much to enjoy here.
The
Creators of Verismo–
Vol. 1
Bellincioni, Pandolfini, and the Siberia creator-recordings
rec.
1902-5
MARSTON 52062-2 [70:50 + 79:37]
[JW]
The
claims of verismo are superbly documented in this engrossing set.
Viva
Domingo!
Plácido
Domingo (tenor)
EMI CLASSICS 6487572 [4 CDs: 307:11]
[RJF]
This
diverse collection is good in parts.
Vivat
Leo! Music
for a Medici Pope - Works by De Silva, Willaert, Josquin,
Mouton & Festa
Cappella Pratensis/Joshua Rifkin rec. 2010
CHALLENGE CLASSICS 
CC72366 [64:56] [JV]
A
fine and interesting recording with a good mixture of well-known and
lesser-known pieces.
Mikhail
Vysotsky
and the Gypsies of Moscow Songs and Arrangements
Talisman ensemble rec. 2007
HANSSLER PROFIL PH10027 [60:47]
[RB]
A
vivid doorway opened into Moscow's infatuation with gypsy music.
World
Class Marches of The Salvation Army Vol. II
Black Dyke Band/Dr Nicholas Childs rec. 2010
DOYEN DOY CD223 [TP]
There
really is a lot of terrific music here.
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]
EXPLORE
MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL 
