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RECORDINGS
OF THE MONTH
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Goldberg
Variations 
Burkard Schliessmann (piano) rec. 2007
BAYER RECORDS BR100326 
[38:06 + 45:00][MSJ]
For
those adventurous enough to enjoy hearing an old favourite transformed
into something new ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Matthew Passion
Dunedin Consort & Players/John
Butt rec. 2007 LINN
RECORDS CKD313 [3 CDs: 67:41 + 50:24 + 43:11]
[PB]
A
deeply satisfying and superbly recorded one-to-a-part recording
of Bach’s ‘Great Passion’ ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Béla BARTÓK
(1881-1945) Duke Bluebeard’s Castle Kolos
Kováts (bass); Sylvia Sass (soprano); London Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir
Georg Solti rec. 1981
DECCA 0743254 
[56:00][DM]
This
Bluebeard is as gripping as it gets ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Arnold BAX (1883-1953) Tone
Poems - Vol. 2 Northern Ballads 1 & 2,
Prelude for a Solemn Occasion, Nympholept, Red Autumn, The Happy
Forest, Into the Twilight BBC
PO/Vernon Handley rec. 2006/7 CHANDOS
CHAN10446 [76:44] [RB]
Into
the Twilight reflects Bax's almost life-long love affair with the
poetry of W.B. Yeats ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) The Nine Symphonies
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras
rec. 2006 HYPERION CDS44301/5
[5 CDs: 59:28 + 78:40 + 71:33 + 64:40 + 61:34][OW]
A
Beethoven cycle for our times ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ludwig van
BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Missa
Solemnis, Violin Concerto Jussi
Björling, Zinka Milanov, Alexander Kipnis, Jascha Heifetz, Westminster
Ch, NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini rec. 1940 GUILD
GHCD2248/9 [66:04
+ 55:24] [JW]
One
of the greatest, if not the greatest accounts of the Miss Solmenis
ever committed to disc ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Vincenzo
BELLINI (1801-1835) I
Puritani Valerian
Ruminski, Anna Netrebko, Eric Cutler, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,
Chorus and Ballet/Patrick Summers rec. live 2007 DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 0734421 [2
DVDs: 149:00 + 22:00] [RJF]
Anna
Netrebko’s acted and sung interpretation of one of bel canto’s
most demanding roles in a traditional production is a must for
all lovers of the genre ... see Full
Review
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-3 moderntimes_1800
rec. 2006 CHALLENGE
CLASSICS CC72194 [64:08][TP]
Korol
and Grigorieva give us the best that HIP can bring to Brahms’ violin
sonatas ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Benjamin DALE (1885-1943)
Music for Viola
Roger Chase (viola); Michiko Otaki (piano) rec. 2007
DUTTON EPOCH CDLX7204 [67:43][MC]
Outstandingly
performed and recorded … richly rewarding scores that deserve to be
heard ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Sigmund von HAUSEGGER (1872-1948) Natursymphonie
WDR Rundfunkchor Köln; WDR Sinfonieorchester
Köln/Ari Rasilainen
rec. 2005
CPO 7772372
[56:37][RB]
A
full-blown philosophical symphony alive in grandeur and Mahlerian
magnificence ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Frank MARTIN (1890-1974) Polyptyque,
Maria-Triptychon, Passacaille Muriel
Cantoreggi (violin) Juliane Banse (soprano) German RPO/Christoph
Poppen rec. 2006 ECM
2015 (173 3930) [57:57] [DC]
Looking
for that elusive ‘tingle factor’? ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Lionel MONKTON (1861-1924) Songs from the Shows
Catherine Bott (soprano); Richard Suart (baritone); New
London Light Opera Chorus; New London Orchestra/Ronald Corp
rec. 2007
HYPERION CDA67654 [77:31][IL]
A
wonderful old-fashioned treat ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor K491 (1786)
[30:42] Piano Concerto No 25 in C K503 (1786)
[32:25] Fantasia in D minor K397 (1782) [6:22]
Imogen Cooper (piano & director)/Northern
Sinfonia; Bradley Creswick rec. 2007
AVIE AV2175 [70:00]
[JS]
One
of my favourite discs of these concertos ...
see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Franz SCHMIDT (1874-1939)
Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln
Wiener Singverein; Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich/Kristjan Järvi
rec. 2005 CHANDOS
CHSA5061(2)
[64:04 + 48:55][RB]
Stunning
as a work, as a performance and as a recording. For all practical purposes
the leading version of Schmidt's masterpiece ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) En
Saga, Tapiola, Finlandia, Valse Triste,
Violin Concerto, Four Lemminkainen Legends Jan
Damen (violin), Concertgebouw O, London PO/Eduard van Beinum,
Danish RO/Thomas Jensen
rec. 1952-57 DECCA ELOQUENCE
442 9487 [50:28 + 75:38] [RB]
A
box of delights and discoveries for Sibelians ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Giuseppe VERDI
(1813-1901)
La Traviata
Renée Fleming, Rolando Villazón, Los Angeles Opera O & Ch/James
Conlon rec. live, 2006
DECCA 0743215
[141:00]
[RJF]
With
the benefit of the latest picture technology, this performance
goes to the top of the list for those preferring a traditional
production ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH The
Feast of the Ascension at Westminster Abbey Choir
of Westminster Abbey/James
O’Donnell
rec. 2007 HYPERION CDA67680 [66:18] [JQ]
Everything
about this disc is first class ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Fiesta
REVUELTAS Sensemayá
CARREÑO
Margariteña ESTÉVEZ
Mediodia en el Llano MÁRQUEZ
Danzón No.2 ROMERO
Fuga con Pajarillo
GINASTERA
Estancia
CASTELLANOS Santa Cruz de Pacairigua
BERNSTEIN West Side Story --
Mambo
Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra
of Venezuela/Gustavo Dudamel rec.2008,
DG 477 7457 [75:57]
[DM]
An
utterly irresistible programme ... see Full
Review
BARGAINS
OF THE MONTH
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH George GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Rhapsody
in Blue, Songbook, Piano Concerto Peter
Donohoe (piano) London Sinfonietta, City of Birmingham SO/Simon
Rattle.
rec. 1986-90 EMI ENCORE
5089952 [67:02] [OW]
A
fantastic bargain … all-round exceptional
performances, beautifully recorded ... see
Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Olivier
MESSIAEN (1908-1992)
Boxed set La Transfiguration de Notre
Seigneur Jésus-Christ (1965-1969)
Visions de l’Amen (1943) Des
canyons aux étoiles .. etc.
NAÏVE
- DISQUES MONTAIGNE MO 782179 6CDs
[531:07]
[DC]
Some
of Messiaen’s biggest and best, brilliantly
performed, at bargain price. ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Carl NIELSEN (1865-1931) The
Collector’s Edition: Symphonies, Concertos, Overtures,
Choral works and piano solos EMI
CLASSICS COLLECTORS EDITION
5194292 [7 CDs: 521:07] [RB]
Go
for it: splendid performances radiating an aptly wild and woolly
imagination coupled with great attention to mood and instrumental
detail ... see Full Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Joaquín RODRIGO (1902-1999)
Concierto de Aranjuez Toru
TAKEMITSU (1930-1996) To the Edge of Dream
Malcolm ARNOLD (1931-2006) Guitar
Concerto Julian
Bream (guitar); City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Simon Rattle rec.
1990-2 EMI CLASSICS
CDC 7546612 
[58:16][OW]
Bream’s
input pushes this disc way into the category of ‘sublime’... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Edmund Rubbra (1901-1986) Song
of the Soul, Four Mediæval Latin Lyrics, Inscape, Veni, creator Spiritus, Advent
Cantata Stephen
Varcoe, ASMF Ch, City of London Sinfonia/Richard Hickox rec.
1999 CHANDOS
DOWNLOAD 
(CHAN9847) [56:21] [BW]
Even
if you have never yet downloaded anything, do make the effort to
obtain this wonderful recording ... see Full
Review
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7 Misc M-Z]
[Recommended
recordings]
An excellent reissue by Hyperion on their Helios
label, this disc opens with that astonishing work Rejoice in the
Lamb. The piece was commissioned by St Matthew’s, Northampton, to
celebrate the church’s fiftieth anniversary. Britten chose words by
Smart, an eccentric eighteenth century mystical poet, who wrote his
Jubilate Agno - which includes the famous “For I shall consider
my Cat Jeoffrey” - in a mental asylum. Most of the words are heavily
concerned with animals and nature and music or instruments. The resulting
combination of rather odd but intriguing text and stunning music is
completely unique. There is nothing else like this amazing work!
All
the soloists here are of the highest standard. Soprano Mary Seers has
a very pure voice, quite boy-like and crystalline, with almost no vibrato.
This is an excellent choice as her voice works perfectly for this sort
of music, and is very beautiful. All other soloists – Michael Chance,
Philip Salmon and Quentin Hayes - are similarly well-suited to their
roles, and perform with great clarity and beauty of voice. Even the
sopranos in the Corydon Singers are wonderfully pure-toned, resulting
in a performance that is incredibly clear and fine. Yet although the
singing is quite delicate at times, the performers are able to invest
it with spirit and fire when necessary: listen to the incredibly dramatic,
chilling and effective rendition of For I am under the same accusation
with my Saviour.
On
the whole, this is a very fine performance. It is fairly measured –
possibly even a little on the slow side, but we consequently get the
full benefit of the beautiful singing and good enunciation. The resonant
acoustic of St Albans Church in Holborn conveys an ethereal quality,
yet does not detract from the clarity of the sound.
The
Wedding Cantata was composed to celebrate the wedding of the
Earl of Harewood to Marion Stein, both of whom were friends of Britten.
The words were written for the occasion by Ronald Duncan. Again, the
soprano, Janet Coxwell this time, has a very pure and clear voice that
suits the music, and the piece is given a wonderfully joyful performance.
The Festival Te Deum follows, with some radiant singing. The
disc then concludes with A Boy
