Musicweb International wishes all our readers a very happy and safe New Year. In 2015, we published more than 2,700 reviews taking our total to around 43,000.

NEW & RECENT ARTICLES

[New] Kurt Masur - An Obituary by John Quinn and Colin Clarke

Giacomo Meyerbeer: A Listening Guide by Nick Fuller

Piano Trio Survey - End of 2015 Update by David Barker

Download News 2015/11 by Brian Wilson

Reviews of Christmas recordings

MWI Recommends: The works of Alexander Scriabin.

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Publishing schedule
Monday: Other reviews (nostalgia, books, other music); Wednesday: MWI Recommends; Friday: Articles.
Live performance reviews posted daily at Seen and Heard
Jazz reviews posted weekly

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LATEST REVIEWS

Thursday December 31st

Alberto GINASTERA (1916-1983) Pampeana No. 3, Ollantay, Estancia - BBC Philharmonic/Juanjo Mena rec. 2014 CHANDOS CHAN10884 [65:03] [DM] Mena's performances are pretty decent, but his predecessors outflank him at every turn; the older recordings even sound better.

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Finlandia, The Swan of Tuonela, Violin Concerto, Symphony 7 - Jascha Heifetz (violin) Philadelphia O, All-American Youth O/Leopold Stokowski rec. 1929/40 GUILD GHCD2428 [73:22] [SG] A release that offers much compelling music-making. For me, the Violin Concerto is the biggest draw.

European Light Music Classics New London O/Ronald Corp rec. 1997 HYPERION HELIOS CDH55477 [74:31] [JW] This reissue is still well worth revisiting.

The Ninth Symphony A ballet by Maurice Bejart - Ballet Bejart Lausanne, Israel PO/Zubin Mehta rec. 2014 EUROARTS Blu-ray 2060874 [88:00] [RMay] This high quality performance certainly deserves more than an occasional outing.

Wednesday December 30th

Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1957) Piano Quintet, Suite - Schubert Ens London, Claire McFarlane, Jan Schmolk (violins) rec. 1998 ASV PRESTO CD CDDCA1047 [69.16] [IL] An attractive album with undoubted appeal to Korngold fans.  

Brazilian Adventures Ex Cathedra/Jeffrey Skidmore rec. 2014 HYPERION CDA68114 [77:46] [JWh] Crammed with melody, quite magical, often romantic and always meltingly beautiful.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Identity Violin sonatas by Debussy, Janáček, Schulhoff & Szymanowski - Noé Inui (violin) Mario Häring (piano) rec. 2015 ARS PRODUKTION ARS38189 SACD [78:29] [SG] An imaginative and exciting programme. These persuasive accounts set the bar high.

The Tudors Courtly Pastimes – Songs and Dances from Henry VIII’s Book - St. George's Canzona/John Sothcott rec. 1972 DECCA ELOQUENCE 4804865 [53:11] [BW] A very welcome reissue of performances as fresh as when they were set down over forty years ago.

Tuesday December 29th

Robert SCHUMANN (1810–1856) Frauenliebe und Leben, Liederkreis - Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo) Irwin Gage (piano) rec. 1984 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON PRESTO CD 415519-2 [56:48] [RMo] Fassbaender has a gift for finding the emotional heart of every song she sings.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphonies 1-7 - Berlin PO/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2014/15 BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER RECORDINGS BPHR150071 [4 CDs + BD-A + BD-V] [JQ] Very fine performances indeed. A lavish and distinguished tribute to Sibelius in his 150th anniversary year.

Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) Complete Music for Piano Solo Vol. 2 -Christopher Howell (piano) rrec. 2013/14 SHEVA SH125 [74.23 + 72:32] [JF] A wonderful experience.

Carols from King’s - 60th Anniversary Edition Ch King's College, Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury rec. 2014 KING’S COLLEGE KGS0013 DVD [74.30 + 58.55] [RJF] An insight into a world that many, atheist or devout or other faiths, will have joined and enjoyed via the BBC, on Christmas Eve.

Monday December 28th

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Aaron COPLAND (1900-1990) An Outdoor Overture, Billy the Kid, El Salón México, Rodeo - Colorado Symphony/Andrew Litton rec. 2014 BIS BIS-2164 SACD [77:26] [JQ] Andrew Litton brings the Great American West vividly to life.

Enrique GRANADOS (1867-1916) & Joaquín TURINA (1882-1949) Piano Quintets - Quiroga Qt, Javier Perianes (piano) rec. 2015 HARMONIA MUNDI HMC902226 [51:20] [JW] A unique coupling. I enjoyed these performances very much.

Music for Winds Works by Barber, Hindemith, Janáček, Ligeti & Nielsen - London Winds rec. 2015 CHANDOS CHAN10876 [80:13] [LW] The London Winds deliver vibrant performances in outstanding sound of some of the past century’s finest works for winds.

Other reviews
Eve Boswell Pickin’ A Chicken - Her 56 Finest 1949-1958 RETROSPECTIVE RTS4277 [79:21 + 79:13] [BMC] A wide selection of Eve’s recordings.

Friday December 25th

Fernando LOPES-GRAÇA (1906–1994) Piano Quartet, Fourteen Annotations, String Quartet 2 - Olga Prats (piano) Quarteto Lopes-Graça rec. 2013 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0254 [51:10] [GH] If it takes your fancy then go for it but I think I would investigate Volume 1 before making a final decision.

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Rückert Lieder, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Kindertotenlieder - Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo) Deutsches SO/Ricardo Chailly rec. 1988/89 DECCA PRESTO CD 425790-2 [70:44] [RMo] One of the supreme exponents of the Lied as an art form.

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Kreisleriana, Études Symphoniques - Nick van Bloss (piano) rec. 2014/15 NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6318 [71:21] [DC] Another very fine recording from Nick van Bloss.