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Due
to mail strikes, we are only presenting 5 reviews per
day
so that we do not run out. We will return to normal on
Monday November 1.
FRIDAY
October 30th
Tomaso
ALBINONI (1672-1751) Concerto
a Cinque Op.10 
Harmonices
Mundi/Claudio Astronio rec. 2004 ARTS
47747-8 
[72:12][DC] 
A
desirable collection … see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The
Bach Cantata Pilgrimage - Volume 9 Cantatas for the
Seventeenth & Eighteenth Sundays after Trinity The
Monteverdi Choir; English Baroque Soloists/Sir John Eliot Gardiner
rec. 2000 SOLI
DEO GLORIA SDG159 [2 CDs:
70:22 + 68:19][JQ] 
Performances
that often penetrate to the heart of this music ... see Full
Review
Max
BRUCH (1838-1920) Symphonies
Nos. 1 & 2 Staatskapelle
Weimar/Michael Halasz rec. 2008 NAXOS
DIGITAL 8.570994 
[61:32][BR] 
Dull
symphonies lacking character, drama or melody … see Full
Review
George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Chaconne;
Suites Nos. 2 & 8 Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Sonatas Hob XVII:6 & Hob
XVI:52 Angela
Hewitt (piano) rec. 2009 HYPERION
CDA67736 [67:25][BW]
Excellent – even
harpsichord lovers will appreciate the Handel ... see Full
Review
Nikolai
MEDTNER (1880-1951) Two Pieces
Op. 58 Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Suite
No. 2; Russian Rhapsody; Symphonic Dances Dmitri
Alexeev, Nikolai Demidenko (piano) rec. 1993 HYPERION
HELIOS CDH55337 [78:11][OL] 
Formidable
playing … fast and furious ... see Full
Review
THURSDAY
October 29th
Erwin
SCHULHOFF (1894-1942) String
Quartets 1 & 2 Aviv
Qt rec. 2008 NAXOS
DIGITAL 8.570965 [50:55][BR]
An
overlooked modernist thrills, chills and dances … see Full
Review
John
TAVENER (b.1944) The
Hidden Treasure Arvo
PÄRT (b.1935) Summa, Fratres Winchester
Cathedral Ch/David Hill, Chilingirian Qt rec.
1993-4 VIRGIN
CLASSICS 6932332 [62:40 + 72:12] [BBr]
Compelling
in a strange kind of way… see Full
Review
David
Oistrakh Piano Trios by Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) & Bedřich
SMETANA (1824-1884) David
Oistrakh (violin) Sviatoslav Knushevitzky (cello) Lev Oborin
(piano) rec. 1950-2 DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 4778537 [52:43 + 62:43][JW]
These
performances sweep aside all objections ... see Full
Review
Picking
Strings - The Golden Age of Light
Music rec.
1947-58 GUILD
GLCD5156 [78:53][BBr]
Another
winner from Guild … see Full
Review
The
Russian Trumpet Jouko
Harjanne (trumpet); Kari Hänninen (piano) rec. 2007-8 ALBA
ABCD276 [68.12][SP]
A
harsh representation of Harjanne’s playing ... see Full
Review
WEDNESDAY
October 28th
Arthur
HARTMANN
(1881-1956) Miniatures
for violin and piano and
Transcriptions
Solomia Soroka (violin) Arthur Greene (piano) rec. May 2007, Hart Recital
Hall, Lansing, Michigan
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0089 [71:58]
[JW]
Warm,
sympathetic and very well recorded ... see Full
Review
Alun
HODDINOTT
(1929-2008)
Four Welsh Dances, Overture, Jack Straw, Concerto Grosso No. 2,
Investiture Dances, Welsh Dances, Set 2 William
MATHIAS (1934-1992) Celtic Dances Daniel
JONES (1912-1993) Dance Fantasy
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra /Charles Groves, Philharmonia Orchestra
/Charles Groves, National Youth Orchestra of Wales /Arthur Davison,
BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra /Bryden Thomson rec. 1972-75 ADD/DDD
LYRITA SRCD.334 [64.31]
[JW]
Great
spirit and sensitivity - a welcome restoration ... see Full
Review
Alexander
PRIOR
(b.1995) Velesslavitsa
- Concerto for Piano, Two Violins and Cello and orchestra (2008)
[46:35] Zhang Xiao Ming
(piano); Simone Porter (violin); Michael Province (violin); Nathan Chan
(cello); Northern Sinfonia/Alexander Prior rec. live, The Sage, Gateshead,
29 April 2009. DDD
TOCCATA TOCC0109 [46:35]
[RB]
Smoking
fervour and volatile tension ... see Full
Review
Philip
SPRATLEY (b.1942)
Music
for string orchestra Sinfonietta op. 6 (1987) [26:30] Clarinet Concertino
- Byard's Leap op. 27 (1980s) [16:16] Recorder Concertino - A
Gallery of Cats op. 26 (1983 rev. 2008) [13:00] In Outlaw Country
- Suite for Harp, Strings and Trumpet (1971 rev. 2007?) [15:52]
Linda Merrick (clarinet);
John Turner (recorder); Tracey Redfern (trumpet); Eira Lynn Jones (harp)
Royal Ballet Sinfonia/Barry Wordsworth Manchester Sinfonia/Philip Spratley
rec. 16 March 2007, Angel Studios, London; 15 September 2008, St Thomas’
Church, Hillgate, Stockport.
TOCCATA TOCC0088 [71:11]
[RB]
Warmly
and lyrically complex ... see Full Review
The
Russian Piano Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1973
- 1943) Prelude in C sharp minor, op.3/2 (1892) [4:10] Mily
BALAKIEV (1947 - 1910) Piano Sonata in Bb minor (1860s -
1905) [26:54] Alexander SCRIABIN (1872
- 1915) Nocturne in A, op.5/2 (1890) [3:12] Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891 -
1953) Piano Sonata No.4 in C minor, d’après des vieux
cahiers, op.29 (1917) [18:19] Julian
Hellaby (piano) rec. 17-18 March 2008, St Francis Hall, Hollywood, Birmingham.
DDD CAMPION CAMEO 2081
[53:03] [BBr]
Will
give much pleasure … see Full
Review
TUESDAY
October 27th
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Middle
String Quartets CD 1 String Quartet No.7 in F, Op.59/1 (1806) [39:58]
String Quartet in F, Op.14/1 (arr. of Piano Sonata No.9, 1798-9) [13:03]
CD 2 String Quartet No.8 in e minor, Op.59/2 (1806) [34:37] String Quartet
No.9 in C, Op.59/3 (1806) [30:38] CD 3 String Quartet No.10 in E-flat,
Op.74, ‘Harp’ (1809) [30:44] String Quartet No.11 in f minor,
Op.95, ‘Serioso’ (1810) [21:01]
Wihan Quartet rec. live, Convent of St Agnes, Prague, 18 October 2007,
8 November 2007, 6 December 2007, 17 January 2008 and 7 February2008.
DDD. NIMBUS ALLIANCE
NI 6109 [3 CDs: 54:04 + 65:26 + 51:47]
[BW]
Not
quite top flight but very good value ... see Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827)
Septet in E-flat, Op.20 (1799-1800) [40:01] Serenade in D, Op.25 (1801)
[24:32] Ensemble 360
(Sara Bittloch (violin); Martin Saving (violin); Marie Bittloch (cello);
Laurène Durantel (double-bass); Guy Eshed (flute); Matthew Hunt
(clarinet); Peter Whelan (bassoon); Naomi Atherton (French horn)) rec.
Potton Hall, Suffolk, UK, 28-31 May 2007. DDD.
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6112 [65:06]
[BW]
Fine
performances of Beethoven at his most delightful ... see Full
Review
Ferdinando
CARULLI (1770-1841)
Gustavo CARULLI (1801-1876) Music
for Guitar and Piano: 2
Franz Halász (guitar), Deborah Halász (piano) rec. 19-22
September, 2007, Studio 2, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich
NAXOS 8.570588 [75:33]
[GPu]
Enjoyable
music, well played, but it cries out for period instruments …
see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Franz Joseph HAYDN (1732
- 1809)
String Quartet in G, op.54/1 (1788) [19:09] String Quartet in C, op.54/2
(1788) [20:19] String Quartet in E, op.54/3 (1788) [23:40]
Sacconi Quartet (Ben Hancox, Hannah Dawson (violins); Robin Ashwell
(viola); Cara Berridge (cello)) rec. 21 - 22 July and 4 August 2008,
The Music Room, Champs Hill, Sussex, DDD
SACCONI RECORDS no serial number [63:13]
[BBr]
A
most exciting issue…see Full Review
John JOUBERT
(b. 1927) CHORAL MUSIC O
Praise God in his Holiness Op.52 (1967)a [1:49] Pro
Pace Motets (1955/9) [21:29] How are my Foes Increased, Lord!
Op.61 (1969)a [6:45] Sleep Canticle Op.81 (1974)b
[9:45] Three Hymns to St Oswald Op.74 (1972)a [22:04]
Nowell Op.58 (1968)a [3:23]
Jean Knibbs (soprano)b; Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor)b;
Martin Neary (organ)a The Louis Halsey Singers/Louis Halsey
rec. St Giles, Cripplegate, London, February 1979
BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY BMS 102CDH [65:30]
[NB]
Melodic
flair, tonal beauty and formal control ... see Full
Review
MONDAY
October 26th
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Percy
GRAINGER (1882-1961) Lincolnshire
Posy Dallas
Wind Symphony/Jerry Junkin rec. 2008 REFERENCE
RECORDINGS RR-117 [73:43][BM]
A
beautiful, exceptional recording, full of joy … see Full
Review
English
18th-century Keyboard Concertos by George
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759), Thomas
ROSEINGRAVE (1688-1766), Thomas
CHILCOT (c1700-1766), James
NARES (1715-1783), Philip
HAYES (1738-1797) and James
HOOK (1746-1827) The
Parley of Instruments/Paul Nicholson (organ, harpsichord, fortepiano)
rec. 1993 HYPERION
HELIOS CDH55341 [76:06][JV]
A
good recording despite the largely speculative reconstructions
... see Full Review
Hypnos Music
by Philippe SCHOELLER (b.1957), Pierre HAMON (b.1956), Guillaume
de MACHAUT (1300-1377) and Mario LAVISTA (b.1943) Pierre
Hamon (flutes) rec. 2007 ZIG-ZAG
TERRITOIRES ZZT090101 [61:15][CR]
Far
from stereotypical … full of soulful melodies and wonderful variety ...
see Full Review
Let’s
Come To An Arrangement Andrew
Wilson (organ) rec. 2009 REGENT
REGCD325 [73:54][ST]
A
very successful disc ... see Full
Review
Rarities
of Piano Music at Schloss vor Husum Volume
20 from the 2008 Festival Various
artists rec. 2008 DANACORD
DACOCD689 [74:21][JF]
An
excellent CD for all enthusiasts of romantic piano music ... see Full
Review
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