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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]



RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Symphonie fantastique, Béatrice et Bénédict Scottish CO/Robin Ticciati rec. 2011 LINN CKD 400 [63:12] [DM]

Palate-cleansing, ear-pricking performances. Not to be missed.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Pierre BOULEZ (b. 1925) Mémoriale, Dérive 1 & 2 Fabrice Jünger (flute) Ens Orchestral Contemporain/Daniel Kawka rec. 2011 NAĎVE MO782183 [63.10] [GH]

This is great music but undoubtedly challenging. Important and of lasting value.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 9 Berlin PO/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2012 EMI CLASSICS 9529692 [82:10] [RMo]

Massive solidity … rich sonority … magical. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1848) L’Elisir d’Amore Roberta Peters (soprano) Carlo Bergonzi (tenor) Metropolitan Op Ch/O/Thomas Schippers rec. 1966 SONY CLASSICAL 88691 90991 2 [64:28 + 49:26] [JS]

Well worth hearing – a splendid cast caught at their best … captures the spirit of this most delightful of operas.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1848) Anna Bolena Anna Netrebko, Elina Garanca, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Francesco Meli, Wiener Staatsoper/Evelino Pidň rec. 2011 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 073 4725 [193:00 + 4:00 bonus] [RJF]

No lover of Donizetti’s operas should do without this outstanding performance.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Antonín DVOŘÁK (1840-1904) Cello Concerto, The Water Goblin, In Nature’s Realm Zuill Bailey (cello) Indianapolis SO/Jun Märkl rec. 2011 TELARC TEL-32927-02 [75:30] [LW]

Bailey’s new account of the Dvořák concerto is among the best in recent years. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Alexander GLAZUNOV (1865-1936) Complete Symphonies and Concertos Rachel Barton-Pine (violin), Alexander Romanovsky (piano), Wen-Sinn Yang (cello), Marc Chisson (saxophone), Alexey Serov (horn)  Russian National Orchestra/Jose Serebrier  rec. 2004-2010 DDD  Full contents list at end of review WARNER CLASSICS 2564 66467 4 [8 CDs: c. 520:00] [RB]

This set goes straight to the top of the recommended versions of the symphonies and concertos.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Henryk GÓRECKI (1933-2010) Totus Tuus - Choral Music Euntes ibant et flebant, Lobgesang, Totus Tuus, Salve, Sidus Polonorum, Amen Natl Youth Ch of GB/Mike Brewer rec. 2010-2011 DELPHIAN DCD34054 [61:47] [JQ]

Another formidable achievement by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and Mike Brewer.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Howard HANSON (1896-1981) Symphonies 4 & 5, Elegy in Memory of Serge Koussevitzky, Dies Natalis Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1990/92 NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559703 [69:45] [DM]

Works of strength and subtlety, supremely well played.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Complete Symphonies Mozart Akademie Amsterdam/Jaap ter Linden
rec. 2001-2002 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94295 [11 CDs: 67:20 + 64:45 + 63:44 +61:42 + 62:54 + 78:05 + 66:12 + 63:59 + 77:43 + 65:13 + 63:41][BW]

A superb bargain for all lovers of Mozart, not just for period-instrument devotees… see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Pablo SARASATE (1844-1908) Music for Violin and Piano - Volume 3 Tianwa Yang (violin); Markus Hadulla (piano) rec. 2007, 2010 NAXOS 8.570893 [78:55] [JWh]

An amazing violinist does wonders with Sarasate.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony 8 Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Rienzi: Overture Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils Royal Concertgebouw O/Andris Nelsons rec. 2011 C MAJOR UNITEL CLASSICA 709908 [100:00] [JQ]

A remarkable concert, splendidly captured on DVD. 

DOWNLOAD OF THE MONTH Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (1895-1896) [29:56] Gustav HOLST (1874-2934) The Planets, Op. 32/H.125 (1914-1916) [45:58] Boston Symphony Orchestra/William Steinberg rec. 1970-1971, MP3, 16-bit lossless and 24-bit Studio Master Pdf cover art; no booklet LINN/UNIVERSAL UNI016 Download [75:54] [DM]

A fine Zarathustra and a distinguished Planets, presented in analogue sound of rare subtlety and presence.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Complete Symphonies Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Yuri Simonov, Vladimir Fedoseyev rec.1983-98 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94307 [7 CDs: 442:00] [RMo]

A bargain box of extraordinary quality and desirability … could hardly be bettered.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Macbeth Simon Keenlyside, Liudmyla Monastyrska, Raymond Aceto; Ch & O Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Antonio Pappano rec. 2011 OPUS ARTE OA1063D [170:00] [ST]

An excellent release, altogether, and something that any fan of the opera would enjoy.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Complete Ballet Music from the Operas Bournemouth SO/José Serebrier NAXOS 8.572818-19 [54:09 + 61:13] [DM]

Two hours of pure, unadulterated pleasure.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Rienzi: Overture Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony 8 Royal Concertg O/Andris Nelsons rec. 2011 C-MAJOR UNITEL 710004 Blu-ray [100:00] [DMo]

Fine Wagner, good Strauss, inspired Shostakovich.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Die Walküre – music-drama in three acts (1870) The Hallé/Sir Mark Elder rec.2011 DDD. Booklet with synopsis included. Text and translation on CD5. HALLÉ CDHLD7531 [4 CDs: 71:32 + 68:13 + 30:59 + 77:13 + CD 5: libretto and translation] [BW]

A very welcome alternative to existing recordings – and at a competitive price.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  French Impressions Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Violin Sonata 1 César FRANCK (1822-1890) Violin Sonata Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Violin Sonata Joshua Bell (violin) Jeremy Denk (piano) rec. 2010 SONY CLASSICAL 88697891822 [67:19] [LW]

Winning accounts of French violin/piano sonatas warmly recorded.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Gulfstream Chamber works by Larsen, Lieuwen, Schickele & Copland enhake; Corinne Stillwell (violin) Pamela Ryan (viola) rec. 2010 NAXOS 8.559692 [55:01] [BR]

Four excellent, brief chamber in a sort of tasting menu of delights from the past 75 years.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  A Song of Farewell Music of Mourning and Consolation The Gabrieli Consort/Paul McCreesh rec. 2009 SIGNUM RECORDS SIGCD281 [75:56] [NB]

A disc of the year without doubt.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Günter Wand - The Munich Phil Recordings Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphonies 4, 5, 6, 8 & 9 Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Symphonies 8 & 9 Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 1 Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony 1 Munich PO/Günter Wand rec. 1993-2001 PROFIL EDITION PH06013 [8 CDs: 512:43] [MC]

Indispensable gems in performances that lovers of Austro-German Romantic repertoire will certainly relish.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Los Pajaros Perdidos - The South-American Project Raquel Andueza, Lucilla Galeazzi (soprano) Philippe Jaroussky (counter-tenor) Luciana Mancini (mezzo) Vincenzo Capezzuto (alto) L’Arpeggiata/Christina Pluhar (harp) rec. 2011 VIRGIN CLASSICS 6785162 or 0709502 [75:23] [BW]

Sheer musical enjoyment.


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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