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LATEST REVIEWS

Monday February 29th

Nicolaus BRUHNS (1665-1697) Complete Organ Music - Adriano Falcioni (organ) rec. 2013 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94447 [70:10] [JV] Most pieces in the programme are available in better recordings.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Duetti e Terzetti italiani - La Risonanza/Fabio Bonizzoni rec. 2014 GLOSSA GCD921517 [61:10] [BW] The latest volume in a very fine series of recordings of music that ought to be better known.

Michael NYMAN (b. 1948) War Work: Eight Songs with Film - Michael Nyman Band Hilary Summers (contralto) rec. 2014 MN RECORDS MNRCD138 [67:40] [DC] Nyman back at his potent best.

RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) All-night Vigil, The Theotokos - Netherlands Radio Ch/Kaspars Putniņš rec. 2012 BIS BIS2039 SACD [60:20] All-night Vigil - Phoenix & Kansas City Chorales/Charles Bruffy rec. 2014 CHANDOS CHSA5148 SACD [75:34] [DM] The Dutch bring emotional intensity to the Vigil, the Americans weight and beauty; you must hear both.

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Manfred – Münster Concert & Philharmonic Chs, Münster SO/Fabrizio Ventura rec. 2015 ARS PRODUKTION ARS38192 SACD [65:32] [NH] This issue falls a little short of the ideal but has a good deal going for it. No-one buying it is likely to be disappointed.

Amber Songs Kamér Youth Choir/Janis Liepinš rec. 2014 KAMÉR KCD013 [74:19] [JQ] A very fine advertisement for Latvian choral singing.

Five Danish Piano Trios Works by Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Hegaard, Koch, Nielsen & Norholm - Trio Ismena rec. 2013 DACAPO 8.226583 [70.56] [GH] It's good to have a chance to hear all five works so superbly played.

Masterworks and Miniatures Organ and harpsichord music from renaissance Venice - Richard Lester (keyboards) rec. 2014 NIMBUS NI5931 [77:53] Sheet music, DVD & CD - Richard Lester (ed.) NIMBUS MUSIC PUBLISHING NMP1015 [DC] A master-class and entertainment in one.

Napoli Royal Danish Ballet & Ballet School, Det Kongelige Kapel/Graham Bond rec. 2014 OPUS ARTE DVD OA1195D [105:00] [RMay] One of the most enjoyable ballet recordings that I've come across for some time. I can't envisage any ballet fan being anything but fully delighted.

Jascha Spivakovsky (piano) Bach to Bloch Vol. 2 - Works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin & Mozart rec. 1955-67 PRISTINE AUDIO PAKM067 [77:12] [JW] Intriguing but admiration not unmixed. Spivakovsky pushes things sometimes to extremes.

Other reviews
Ennio MORRICONE (b.1928)
The Hateful 8 soundtrack - Czech Ntl SO/Ennio Morricone DECCA 476 9489 [71:08] [MW] Might be presented for home listening in more purely musical terms.

Friday February 26th

George ENESCU (1881-1955) Complete works for piano solo - Raluca Stirbat (piano) rec. 2010/2013 HÄNSSLER CLASSIC CD98.060 [3 CDs:201:19] [SB] For anyone who wants a complete survey of Enescu’s fascinating piano works this will do very well.

Bonifazio GRAZIANI (1604-1664) Adae Oratorium, Fili Prodigi and Five Motets - Consortium Carissimi/Garrick Comeaux rec. 2014 NAXOS 8.573256 [71:20] [JV] This is not a recording to get very excited about but Graziani's oeuvre seems well worth exploring.

Charles IVES (1874-1954) New England Holidays; Central Park in the Dark; Three Places in New England; The Unanswered Question - Melbourne SO/Sir Andrew Davis rec. 2015 CHANDOS CHSA5163 SACD [72:27] [DC] The Answered Question.

Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Pierrot Lunaire & documentary by Matthias Leutzendorffand Christian Meyer - rec. 2011 BELVEDERE DVD 10130 [91:32] [RWe] Captures a very valuable live interpretation and adds a revealing documentary; non-German speakers will need to obtain a text and translation to get full value.

Rain WORTHINGTON (b.1950) Dream Vapors: Selected Works for Orchestra - rec. 2010-2015 NAVONA RECORDS NV6025 [52:58] [MW] Explore this - it is special.

The Britannic Organ Vol. 11 Historic Improvisations by British and German organists OEHMS OC850 [74:40 + 68:22] [JW] Consistently among the best looking productions on the market today.

Easter Day at Hereford Hereford Cathedral Ch/Geraint Bowen rec. 2015 REGENT REGCD478 [77:20] [CRo] A worthwhile snapshot of the sound currently being made by one of the more distinctive English cathedral choirs.

Constantin Silvestri (conductor) Works by Alfvén, Dvořák, Enesco, Rimsky-Korsakov & Tchaikovsky - NHK SO rec. 1964 KING INTERNATIONAL KKC2049/50 [69:15 + 62:55] [SV] Silvestri: given to impulsive accelerations, taking unmarked holds and liberally using agogics to underscore important arrival points.

Thursday February 25th

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Keyboard Concertos - O Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI/Andrea Bacchetti (piano/conductor) rec. 2014 SONY CLASSICAL 88875 184942 [71:31 + 23:01] [DC] Strong enough to leave you wanting more.

Karol BEFFA (b. 1973) Into the Dark - Ens Contraste/Johan Farjot rec. 2013 APARTE AP108 [71:00] [BBa] First impression: too smooth and lacking in spark or fire. A big mistake, that first impression.

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 4 Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Symphony 1 Karol SZYMANOWSKI (1882-1937) Symphony 4 - Jan Ekier (piano) Warsaw PO/Witold Rowicki rec. 1967 ORCHESTRAL CONCERT CDS CD15/2016 [71:46] [JW] Bravura and warmth in the Szymanowski.

Peter Racine FRICKER (1920-1990) The Vision of Judgement, Symphony 5 - Robert Tear (tenor), Dame Gillian Weir (organ), Royal Liverpool PO/Sir Charles Groves, BBC SO/Sir Colin Davis rec. 1976/80 LYRITA REAM.1124 [66:48] [JQ] Another important release from Richard Itter’s treasure trove.

George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Messiah - BBC SO & Ch/Thomas Beecham rec. 1927 PRISTINE AUDIO PACO129 [61:01 + 63:03] [CRo] An early milestone in the recorded history of Messiah and also of interest to Beecham fans.

Moritz MOSZKOWSKI (1854-1925) Works for Violin and Piano - Nazrin Rashidova (violins) Daniel Grimwood (piano) rec. 2014/15 NAXOS 8.573410 [78:26] [PRB] Highly-enjoyable, uncomplicated and decidedly easy-on-the-ear.

Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Violin Sonatas 1 & 2, Sonata for Two Violins, Five Melodies - Natalia Lomeiko (violin); Yuri Zhislin (violin); Olga Sitkovetsky (piano) rec. 2012 ATOLL ACD513 [68.04 + 12.44] [JW] Elegant, refined performances.

Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) The Rite of Spring - MusicAeterna/Teodor Currentzis rec. 2013 SONY CLASSICAL 88875 061412 [34:46] [RWe] A sensational but also sensitive account of this inexhaustible score that is among the very best of recent versions.

Wednesday February 24th

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Sonatas - Stephan Schardt (violin) Philipp Vogler (piano) rec. 2015 MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM SACD 903 1916-6 [56:27] [JW] I can almost guarantee you’ve never heard performances like these.

Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941) Piano Quintet Cyril SCOTT (1879-1970) Piano Quintet 1 - Raphael Terroni (piano) Bingham String Qt rec. 1989 NAXOS 8.571355 [67:05] [PRB] An important reissue with something original to say. Valuable additions to the genre.

Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849) Polonaise-Fantaisie, Waltzes, Ballade 1, Berceuse, Nocturnes - Thierry de Brunhoff (piano) rec. 1961 FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR830 [53:01] [SG] Sensitive, poetic readings of Chopin, by Cortot’s favourite pupil.

Edouard LALO (1823-1892) Symphonie espagnole Pablo DE SARASATE (1844-1908) Zigeunerweisen Max BRUCH (1838-1920) Violin Concerto 1 - Renaud Capuçon (violin) O de Paris/Paavo Järvi rec. 2015 WARNER ERATO 2564 698276 [65:47] [MC] This is a most beautiful release of Romantic music compellingly played.

Alexander SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Preludes Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Sonata 1 - Peter Orth (piano) rec. 2014 CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72684 [76:59] [RWe] A well-filled disc with fine accounts of two major but hardly well known works of the Russian piano literature, in a unique coupling.

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphonies 1-7 - Finnish Radio SO/Hannu Lintu ARTHAUS MUSIK Blu-ray 101797 [3 discs: 565:00] [DBi] A magnificent set of performances to go alongside Okko Kamu's new Lahti set on BIS. Buy both.

Dancing in Daylight Contemporary Piano Trios from Ireland - Fidelio Trio rec. 2015 MÉTIER MSV28556 [52:15] [JF] One of the best modern chamber music records I have heard in a long time if short in playing time.

Melólogos en Honor de Santa Teresa Works by Soto Millan, Novel Samano, Rugeles, Marco, Turina & Cruz de Castro - Marisa Blanes (piano) Manuel Galiana (reciter) rec. 2015 IBS CLASSICAL IBS-62015 [76:37] [MW] Worth hearing - a well-made curiosity, but hardly essential.

Upheld by stillness Music by Byrd, de Monte and contemporary composers - ORA/Suzi Digby rec. HARMONIA MUNDI HMW906102 [78:44] [BW] Byrd’s music and modern compositions inspired by it in fine performances by ORA, who commissioned the new works.  

Tuesday February 23rd

Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788) Cello Concertos - Julian Steckel (cello) Stuttgart CO/Susanne von Gutzeit rec. 2015 HÄNSSLER CLASSIC HC15045 [60.46] Piano Concertos Vol. 4 - Michael Rische (piano) Kammer SO Leipziger rec. 2014/15 HÄNSSLER CLASSIC HC15046 [55.47] [MC] First class and remarkably well recorded.

Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Symphony 9 Leos JANÁČEK (1854-1928) Sinfonietta, Taras Bulba Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony 1 - NHK SO/Václav Neumann rec. 1978 KING INTERNATIONAL KKC2051/2 [48:59 + 71:44] [SV] A memento of the conductor rather than a basic library choice.

Antonín DVOŘÁK (1843-1904) Piano Trio 2 Leoš JANÁČEK (1854-1928) String Quartet 1 Ondřej KUKAL (b.1964) Piano Trio - Petrof Piano Trio rec. 2014/15 ARCO DIVA UP0181-2 131 [69:07] [JW] A delight and the Janáček can give food for speculative thought.

Sir Hubert PARRY (1848-1918) 12 sets of English Lyrics Vol. 1 - Susan Gritton (soprano) James Gilchrist (tenor) Roderick Williams (baritone) Andrew West (piano) rec. 2015 SOMM SOMMCD257 [71.00] [JQ] A very important addition to the Parry discography.

Hans PFITZNER (1869-1949) & Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Orchestral excerpts from operas -  O Deutschen Oper Berlin/Christian Thielemann rec. 1995 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON PRESTO 449571-2 [75.24] [PCG] Simply streets ahead of all other competition.

Domenico SCARLATTI (1685-1757) Keyboard Sonatas - Angela Hewitt (piano) rec. 2015 HYPERION CDA67613 [76:10] [CRo] A lifetime of sensitive reflection, performance and personality.

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Violin Concerto Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Sonata 2 Henryk WIENIAWSKI (1835-1880) Works for violin & piano - Arnold Eidus (violin) O Vienna Orch Soc/Frederick Hummel, Leopold Mittmann, Eileen Flissler (piano) rec. 1952 FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR1121 [77:44] [JW] Eidus’ individuality is in itself interesting and he’s no anodyne practitioner.

Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) Il Cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione - L’Arte dell’Arco/Federico Guglielmo rec. 2014 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 95045 [54:49 + 53:56] [BW] One of the very best recordings of ‘The Four Seasons’ and excellent versions of the other eight Op.8 concertos.

The Clarinotts Ernst, Daniel, Andreas Ottensamer (clarinets) Wiener Virtuosen, Christoph Traxler, František Jánoška (piano) rec. 2014 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4811917 [56:50] [WKL] Impeccable technique … genuine enjoyment in music-making.

 



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