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LATEST CD & DVD REVIEWS

Monday November 28th

230 reviews completed so far this month

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Johannes BRAHMS Symphonies 1-4 Tonhalle O Zurich/David Zinman rec. 2010 SONY/RCA RED SEAL [ST] Traditional Brahms … excellent, rich and bloomy. 

Frédéric CHOPIN Fantasy, Ballade, Nocturnes, Mazurkas, Sonata 2, Polonaise Marek Szlezer (piano) rec. 2010 DUX [GA] This is a generous and impressive Chopin recital that gives as good a sampling of this composer’s genius as any single disc possibly could. 

Claude DEBUSSY Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, La Mer, Jeux, Khamma Suisse Romande O/Ernest Ansermet  rec. 1957-64 NEWTON CLASSICS [RB] Gorgeous - a well calculated balance between diaphanous clarity and translucent warmth.  

Frederick DELIUS A Delius Collection of Rare Historic Recordings Sir John Barbirolli, Sir Eugène Goossens, Constant Lambert, Isobel Baillie and Heddle Nash rec. 1929-55 DANACORD [JF] An outstanding disc … an essential addition to the collections of all Delius cognoscenti. 

Franz LISZT Piano concertos 1 & 2, Fantasy on Hungarian Folk Tunes, Totentanz György Cziffra (piano) Torino SO della RAI/Fulvio Vernizzi, Bernhard Conz, Teatro la Fenice di Venezia O/Umberto Cattini rec. 1958-60 IDIS [SA] I fear that this is only for Cziffra fans who must own every recording he made. 

Giuseppe MARTUCCI Complete Orchestral Music - vol. 3 Gesualdo Coggi (piano) Silvia Pasini (mezzo) Roma SO/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2007/8 NAXOS [SV] This issue can be recommended as it stands - I just wish the singing was better.

Maurice RAVEL La Valse, Daphnis et Chloé Suite 2 Gabriel FAURÉ Pavane George GERSHWIN Songs Dianne Reeves (vocals) Berlin PO/Simon Rattle rec. 2003 EUROARTS [IL] Glorious Ravel but does Gershwin have to be so buttoned up?

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Arnold SCHOENBERG Accompanying Music to a Film Scene, Chamber Symphony 1, Brahms' piano Quartet 1 (orch. Schoenberg) Berlin PO/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2009 EMI CLASSICS [MC] Without doubt, this release will be a strong contender for my Recordings of the Year.

Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD Cello Concerto, Rondo, Ballata and Ballabile, Irish Rhapsody 3 Gemma Rosefield (cello) BBC Scottish SO/Andrew Manze rec. 2011 HYPERION [MC] Lovers of the late-Romantic should not hesitate with this Hyperion release. 

Christmas Goes Baroque A Musical Tour of Switzerland, Germany & Belgium Slovak State Phil/Peter Breiner rec. 1989 NAXOS [Byz] Inoffensive family-friendly viewing, more than can be said of most Christmas TV nowadays. 

 

Musicweb's Recordings of the Month Click here Musicweb's Bargains of the Month Click here

NEW and RECENT ARTICLES

Masterwork Index: Debussy's La Mer

Robin Milford: A biography and a List of Works by Peter Hunter

November Download Roundup #2 by Brian Wilson

 

NOTICES

Maurice Chevalier Louise - 1927-1958 RETROSPECTIVE RTR 4188 £7 postage paid

Priory Records have launched an internet radio station, playing their recordings 24/7 free

St Paul Chamber Orchestra - an archive of more than 150 performances, free for streaming online

New York Philharmonic digital archives - documents from the orchestra's history

Of interest to all lovers of English music: Gustav Holst's The Coming of Christ, Two Psalms, Nunc Dimmitis & I love my love conducted by Hilary Davan Wetton. Available for £12 post-free from Musicweb. Click here.

Discs received for review A new feature; updated monthly

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Advice for Windows Vista Users wishing to play sound samples from reviews

MUSICWEB Special Offer We had great success with selling the Haydn Symphonies as mp3 files put onto CD (see review). This time we offer the complete organ works of J.S.Bach played by Kevin Bowyer on 8CDs containing 320 kbps mp3 files and a complete set of notes as a pdf file. You can buy these through MusicWeb for just £23 post-free here. Reviews by Brian Wilson and Kirk McElhearn Same Price: Complete Haydn Symphonies on mp3 CDs review NOTE: These sets cannot be played on a normal CD player. You will need one of the following: a computer; a portable MP3 device (like an iPod, but not limited to iPods) a DVD player; the latest generation of in-car disc players.

 

MUSICWEB EXCLUSIVE Celebrating Fifty Years devoted to British Music 4CD sets £18 post free world-wide EXCLUSIVE Buy both sets for just £28 post free world-wide See Review

Arkivmusic has over 4000 ArkivCDs which are digital remakes of out-of-print CDs available nowhere else. New issues now contain full booklet notes link

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