Mare, Luna e d’intorni – The
Golden Age of Neapolitan Song 
Luciano Catapano (tenor and guitar); Gino Evangelista (mandolin) rec.
live 2006 CLAVES 502618
[60:42] 
[GPu]
A
quietly beautiful live recital of Neapolitan song, intimate and
without quasi-operatic rhetoric or excessive arrangement … see Full
Review
A
Mother’s Love: Music for Mary The
Sixteen/Harry Christophers Huw Williams (organ)
rec. 2007 UNIVERSAL 476 6295 [73:15] 
[GPu]
Full
of the high-quality music-making one expects from the Sixteen,
this is a thematically-unified sampler of the modern English choral
tradition at its best … see Full
Review
Music for Royal Occasions
Various
composers and artists rec. 1969-2000
SONY BMG 88697142882 [69:20][GMH]
Inherently
disappointing … a hotch-potch of recordings, some from as far back as
1969 ... see Full Review
Opera
Choruses
Ch & O
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Lamberto Gardelli rec. 1969-72
EMI CLASSICS 5090322 [65:57] 
[GF]
The
sound is good and anyone needing a collection of – mainly – standard
opera choruses need look no further ... see Full
Review
Organ
Music from Beverley Minster
Alan Spedding (organ) rec. 1990
PRIORY PRCD5024 [63:11][JF] 
Technically
superb and highly imaginative. A good programme
that balances old with new, English and Continental
music ... see Full
Review
Rolando Panerai
(baritone)
rec. July 1954 (1, 2), March 1953 (3), October
1953 (4-12), March 1954 (13) NIMBUS
Prima voce NI 7949 [72:46]
[GF]
Panerai
in healthy youthful voice at the beginning
of his recording career ... see Full
Review
Poetic Inspirations
August KLUGHARDT
(1847–1902) Schilflieder (Songs of the Reeds) Charles
Martin LOEFFLER (1861–1935) Two Rhapsodies for Oboe, Viola,
and Piano Felix WHITE (1884–1945)
The Nymph’s Complaint for the Death of her Fawn Marco
Aurélio YANO (1963–1991) Modinha Paul
HINDEMITH (1895–1963) Trio for Viola, Heckelphone, and Piano
Alex Klein (oboe); Richard
Young (viola); Ricardo Castro (piano) rec. 2007
ÇEDILLE CDR90000 102 [67:10]
[RB]
A
tangy concert mix ... see Full
Review
Prelude,
Fnugg and Riffs Leonard
BERNSTEIN (1918–1990) Prelude, Fugue and
Riffs Oystein
BAADSVIK (b. 1966)/Svein H.
GISKE (b. 1973) Fnugg Blue Boris
DIEV (b. 1924) Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra Mark
Anthony
TURNAGE (b. 1960) (arr.
Anders Högstedt) A Quick Blast Fredrik
HÖGBERG (b. 1971) Trolltuba Daniel
NELSON (b. 1965) (arr.
Anders Högstedt) Metallephonic Remix Øystein
Baadsvik (tuba) Christian Lindberg (trombone) Swedish Wind Ensemble/Christian
Lindberg rec. 2006 BIS CD1625 [57.33] [RH]
A
disc to enjoy and to challenge ... see Full
Review
Regionals
2008 Eric
BALL (1903-1989) Festival Music Gilbert
VINTER (1909-1969) James Cook – Circumnavigator Kenneth
DOWNIE (b. 1946) Three Part Invention Paul
LOVATT-COOPER The Dark Side of the Moon Rodney
NEWTON (b. 1945) Four Cities Symphony Black
Dyke Band/Dr. Nicholas Childs Cory Band/Dr. Robert Childs Whitburn
Band/Duncan Beckley rec. 2007 DOYEN
DOYCD238 [62:07] [CT]
Five
top-drawer performances of the test pieces that will challenge
bands in this year’s round of Regional Brass Band Championships
... see Full Review
Fritz
Reiner Includes Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891–1953) Peter
and the Wolf Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906–1975) Symphony
6 Claude DEBUSSY (1862–1918) Fetes NBC
SO, New York PO, Chicago SO/Fritz Reiner.
rec. 1943-57 GUILD GHCD2333 [77:37] [BBr]
An
important issue and one not to be missed ... see Full
Review
The Russian Oboe
Ivan Paisov (oboe);
Natalia Shcherbakova (piano) rec. 2006
NAXOS 8.570596 [66:44][JW]
A
pleasant, pleasurable selection very adroitly performed ... see Full
Review
Saint Louis Commissions
Music by Ned ROREM
(b. 1923), Clare MACLEAN (b. 1958),
Judith BINGHAM (b. 1952) and Sasha
JOHNSON MANNING
The Saint Louis Chamber Chorus/Philip Barnes rec. 2006
REGENT REGCD255 [61:26][JQ]
Anyone
who relishes top quality unaccompanied choral singing will find much
to enjoy here ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH
Andrés Segovia: 1950s American Recordings
- Volume 3
Andrés Segovia (guitar)
rec. New York, 1952-56
NAXOS 8.111091 [77:33]
[JW]
Really
first class ... see Full Review
Andrés
Segovia - 1950s American Recordings: Volume
4
Andrés Segovia (guitar) rec. 1952–1957
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111092 [71:06][GF]
Not
up to today’s ideas of performance practice but still valuable documents
from a bygone era ... see Full Review
The
Complete Aksel Schiøtz
Recordings 1933-1946 vols. 1-10
Aksel Schiøtz (tenor) rec. 1933-1946
DANACORD DACOCD 451-460 [11 CDs: 75:18 + 75:21 + 66:00 + 72:18 +
67:57 + 72:41 + 73:38 + 70:09 + 72:22 + 68:45 + 64:48][JW]
A
memorable undertaking, excellently transferred, a lifetime’s reward
... see Full Review
Constantin
Silvestri
Edward ELGAR
(1857-1934)
Cockaigne overture, Symphony 1 Malcolm
ARNOLD (1921-2006) Beckus The Dandipratt Peter
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony 2 Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Jeux Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Four Sea Interludes George
ENESCU (1881-1955) Romanian Rhapsody
Bournemouth SO/Constantin Silvestri rec. 1963-68
BBC LEGENDS BBCL41822 [78.36 + 78.59]
[MG]
Distinctive
performances with a real sense of spontaneity … see Full
Review
Songs
by Great Conductors Hans
von BÜLOW (1830–1894) Bruno
WALTER (1876–1962) & Clemens
KRAUSS (1893–1954) Petra
Lang (soprano) Michael Volle (baritone) Adrian Baianu (piano)
rec. 2004/7 OEHMS
CLASSICS OC808 [58:29] [JPr]
Throughout
all the songs each great conductor’s creativity shines out ...
see Full Review
Sounds of Transparence
The Tribukait/Pettersson/Berg Trio rec. 2006
MUSICA REDIVIVA MRCD102 [76:45][GF]
Accessible modern music that remains honest
and professional ... see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Michael
Studer - The Legacy Michael
Studer (piano)
rec. 1972-90 CLAVES 50-2713-18 [6
CDs: 439:59] [DC]
An
amazing bargain – buy it for the Bach, and become enthralled by
the rest ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH To
Music - An anthology of English 20th century
choral music Chamber
Choir of Birmingham Conservatoire/Paul Spicer, David Saint (organ)
rec. 2007 REGENT
REGCD274 [74:53] [JQ]
This
is a splendid disc in every way and earns a resounding Bravo! ...
see Full Review
Transcriptions
for
guitar quartet
Quatuor de Guitares de Versailles rec. 2007
QUANTUM QM7045 [75.59]
[RH]
Just
sit back and enjoy ... see Full
Review
Maxim
Vengerov – Living the Dream EMI
CLASSICS 
5034029 [71:00]
So,
with batteries recharged, his Sabbatical over, Vengerov hopes
to conquer new mountains with renewed vision ... see Full
Review
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