Superbudget £5.99 or less 
Budget £6-7.99 
Medium £8-10.99 
Full price £11+ 
Download
RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Carl
Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788) Hamburger Quartalsmusiken
Nun danket alle Gott, Herr lehr uns tun, Siehe! Ich
begehre deiner Befehle, Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe 
Himlische Cantorey, Les Amis de Philippe/Ludger Rémy rec. 2009
CPO 777 594-2 [48:03 + 51:27]
[JV]
Compelling
performances of first-rate sacred cantatas by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Missa Solemnis
Krassimira
Stoyanova (soprano) Elina Garanca (mezzo) Michael Schade (tenor) Franz-Josef
Selig (bass) Sächischer Staatsopernchor, Dresden Staatskapelle/Christian
Thielemann rec. 2010
UNITEL CLASSICA 705408 
[90:00]
[ST]
An
undeniably big-boned approach. A performance of real stature.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Arthur BLISS
(1891-1975)
Sonata for Piano and Violin* [11:00] Henry
WALFORD DAVIES (1869-1941) Sonata in A Major for Violin and
Piano* (1893 rev 1895) [21:56] York BOWEN (1884-1961)
Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 112 [20:10]
Rupert Luck (violin); Matthew Rickard (piano) rec. 2010 *world première
recordings
EM RECORDS EMR CD001 [53:06] 
[RB]
This
is magnificent impassioned music-making in works of real and dazzling
substance. We must hope to hear much more of Luck and Rickard.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Walter BRAUNFELS
(1882-1954)
Die Vögel
Désirée Rancatore (soprano) Brandon Jovanovich (tenor) Los Angeles Opera
Ch & O/James Conlon rec. 2009,
ARTHAUS MUSIK 
101530
101529 [138:54]
[RC]
A
superb recording that merits the highest praise!
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 5
Berlin PO/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. live, 1942
PRISTINE AUDIO XR PASC 255 [69:33]
[MC]
Spacious
and eminently noble … quite splendid playing.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841–1904) String Quartets
12 & 13
Pavel Haas Qt rec. 2010
SUPRAPHON SU40382 [63:08]
[BR]
Just
right to these ears.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Hans-Leo HASSLER
(1564-1612) Sacred and secular music
Currende/Erik Van Nevel, rec. 1999-2000
ET'CETERA KTC1409 [75:14 + 67:11]
[JV]
This
production underlines Hassler's importance and the variety and quality
of his output.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Joseph HAYDN
(1732-1809)
Missa Sanctae Caeciliae
Lucia Popp (soprano) Doris Soffel (contralto) Horst Laubenthal (tenor)
Kurt Moll (bass) Bavarian RSO & Ch/Rafael Kubelik rec. 1982
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101533
[73:00]
[DBi]
A
great performance of great music in a beautiful German abbey.
RECORD
OF THE MONTH Rued LANGGAARD
(1893-1952) Music of the Spheres
Danish Ntl Ch, Vocal Ensemble & SO/Thomas Dausgaard rec. 2009-10
DACAPO
6.220535 [71:53] 
[DM]
A
real cracker. Absolutely not to be missed.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gustav MAHLER
(1860-1911) Symphony 5
Lucerne Fest O/Claudio Abbado rec. 2004
EUROARTS 2054074
[74:00] [DBi]
An
essential purchase that places itself firmly with the top few of a long
list of Mahler Fives.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Claudio MONTEVERDI
(1567-1643) Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Exultent caeli
O of Age of Enlightenment/Robert Howarth rec. 2010
SIGNUM SIGCD237 [49:08 + 47:59]
[JS]
In
a word: magnificent.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Sergei PROKOFIEV
(1891-1953)
Piano Concerto 2 Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Piano Concerto
Anna Vinnitskaya (piano) Deutsches SO Berlin/Gilbert Varga rec. 2010
NAÏVE
V5238 [54:30] [GD]
I
can't wait to hear some more.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Sergei RACHMANINOV
(1873-1943)
Piano Concerto 2 Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Liebestraum 3, Mephisto 1, Hungarian Rhapsody 2
Nobuyuki Tsujii (piano) Deutsches SO Berlin/Yutaka Sado rec. 2007/8
CHALLENGE
CLASSICS CC72371 [59:50]
[MC]
Tsujii
is a force to be reckoned with.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Gioachino ROSSINI
(1792-1868) Petite Messe Solennelle
Gewandhaus Ch & O/Riccardo Chailly rec. 2008
EUROARTS 2057428 [85:00]
[RJF]
This
performance not only elevates this rarely heard work to stand alongside
the composer’s better-known Stabat Mater, but also the great
Mass by his fellow Italian opera composer, Verdi.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann Christoph ROTHE
(1653-1700) St Matthew Passion
Cantus Thuringia, Capella Thuringia/Bernhard Klapprott rec. 2009
CPO 777 554-2 [63:05 + 34:07]
[JV]
This
St Matthew Passion is a major discovery - the performance fully explores
its expressive qualities.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Domenico SCARLATTI
(1685-1757) Keyboard Sonatas
Alexandre Tharaud (piano) rec. 2010
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6420160 [70.45]
[RBe]
Absolutely
superb … a glorious addition to the Scarlatti discography.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Erwin SCHULHOFF
(1894-1942)
Suite, Sonatas 1 & 2, Sonata for solo violin
Tanja Becker-Bender (violin) Markus Becker (piano) rec. 2010
HYPERION CDA67833 [67:10]
[DC]
Can
only be described in superlatives.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Humoreske, Studien Fur Den
Pedalflugel, Gesänge der Frühe
Piotr Anderszewski (piano) rec. 2010
VIRGIN CLASSICS 9486252 [63.31]
[RBe]
This
is a really wonderful Schumann recital and one of the most moving piano
recitals I have ever heard.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano Concerti 1-3
Viktoria Postnikova (piano) Wiener SO/Gennady Rozhdestvensky rec. 1982
NEWTON
CLASSICS 8802027 [56:23 + 49:50]
[RB]
Bold
as brass, red-blooded, wide-stage and almost luridly exciting in the
grandest Decca FFRR tradition.
BARGAINS
OF THE MONTH
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Leonard BERNSTEIN
(1918–1990) Mass
Jubilant Sykes (tenor) Morgan State U Ch, Peabody Children’s Ch,
Baltimore SO/Marin Alsop rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.559622-23 [64:53 + 38:35]
[BR]
An
artistic, sonic, historical and musicological milestone.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Frederic CHOPIN
(1810-1849) Piano msuic
Leon McCawley (piano) rec. 2010
SOMM SOMMCD0103 [70.27]
[RBe]
An
outstanding recital.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Bernard HERRMANN
(1911-1975) Film Classics
National PO, London PO/Bernard Herrmann rec. 1970-5
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 3784 [72:04 + 68:11]
[RB]
Do
not miss this rich sampling of Herrmann’s extraordinarily imaginative
and enjoyable film music.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Felix
MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Sextet Conradin
KREUTZER (1780-1849) Grand Septet Franz
BERWALD (1796-1868) Grand Septet Alexander
BORODIN (1833-1887) Piano Quintet Nikolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Piano Quintet
Wiener Oktett rec. 1968/72
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 2397 [63:31 + 77:07]
[BR]
Tickets
to chamber music heaven.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Giovanni PACINI
(1796-1867)
Il convitato di pietra
Leonardo Cortellazzi (tenor) Geraldine Chauvet (mezzo) Transylvania
State PCh, Cluj Südwestdeutsches CO Pforzheim/Daniele Ferrari rec.
live, 2008
NAXOS OPERA CLASSICS 8.660282-83 [44.55 + 47.28]
[RJF]
A
different take on a well-known story is accompanied by a Pacini’s
sure composition and an enjoyable first public performance.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
(1844-1908) Scheherazade, Tale of Tsar Saltan
Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.572693 [66:37]
[BR]
I
put the disc on expecting ‘decent.’ But it’s not decent: it’s spectacular!
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Miklos ROZSA
(1907-1995) Ben Hur, Quo Vadis, Julius Caesar
- filmscores
National PO & Ch, Royal PO & Ch/Miklos Rozsa, Bernard Herrmann
rec. 1974-77
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 3790 [47:10 + 52:47]
[RB]
Magnificent
performances and recordings.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Symphonies 2 & 3
Large SO Ministry of Culture, Russian Federation/Gennadi Rozhdestvensky
rec. 1988-89
ALTO ALC 1103 [78:03]
[RB]
Powerhouse
performances and recordings to win converts to these wallflowers. Not
to be missed.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Tomás
Luis de VICTORIA (1548-1611) The Victoria Collection
Tenebrae Responses; Lamentations of Jeremiah; Requiem; Taedet animam
meam; Versa est in luctum
The Tallis Scholars/Peter Phillips
GIMELL GIMBX304 [3 CDs: 177:00]
[JQ]
A
self-recommending collection of excellent recordings of music by one
of the great masters of polyphony.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Espana Antigua
- Spanish Secular Music 1200-1700
Montserrat Figueras (soprano) Hespèrion XX/Jordi Savall
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6488012 [8 CDs: 418:54]
[GH]
Five
hundred years of music, wonderfully played and recorded - a real bible
of early Spanish musical art which at the bargain price offered is well
worth its weight in gold.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH The Floating
City - Sonatas, canzonas and dances by Cestello & Pichi
His Majesty’s Sagbutts & Cornetts rec. 1997
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55320 [GH]
A
very fine recording. Not only is the music fascinating but the performances
are special. Buy it
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.
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 
