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Mary
and Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey
Music by Christopher
TYE (c.1505-?1572), William
MUNDY (c.1530-before 1591), Thomas
TALLIS (c.1505-1585), John
SHEPPARD (c.1515-1558), William
BYRD (1539/40-1623) and Robert
WHITE (c.1538-1574) 
The Choir of Westminster Abbey/James
O’Donnell rec. 2008
HYPERION CDA67704 [66:42][MG] 
An
illuminating CD of consistently fine performances…
see Full
Review
Josef
Metternich – Rare and
Unreleased Recordings
Josef Metternich (baritone) with various accompanists
rec. 1948-57
GEBHARDT JGCD0064 [3 CDs: 74:42 + 71:41
+ 68:36][JW] 
Admirers
of Metternich have no excuse for passing this
by ... see Full
Review
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
New Music
for Brass Band by Richard
Rodney BENNETT (b. 1935), Kenneth
HESKETH (b. 1968), George
BENJAMIN (b. 1960), Judith
BINGHAM (b. 1952) and Philip
WILBY (b. 1949)
Foden’s Richardson Band/Bramwell Tovey rec.
2008
NMC D142 [72:54][CT]
Contemporary
works, magnificently played by Foden’s ...
see Full Review
Pierre
Monteux Nicolai
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Russian
Easter Festival Overture; Christmas Night
from ‘Christmas Eve’; Capriccio
Espagnol Alexander
BORODIN (1833-1887) Polovtsian
Dances – ‘Prince Igor’ Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Le
Sacre du Printemps
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra & Boston
Symphony Orchestra/Pierre Monteux rec. 1943-57
GUILD GHCD2342 [77:14][JQ] 
Monteux’s
mastery in Russian music is at all times evident
... see Full
Review
Nordic Spell
–
Sharon Bezaly Kalevi
AHO (b. 1949) Concerto
for Flute and Orchestra (2002)* [30:34]
Haukur TÓMASSON
(b. 1960) Flute Concerto No. 2 (2001)**
[21:43] Christian
LINDBERG (b. 1958) The World
of Montuagretta - Concerto for Flute and
Chamber Orchestra (2001-02)† [20:48]
Sharon Bezaly (flute) * Lahti Symphony Orchestra/Osmo
Vänskä ** Iceland Symphony Orchestra/Bernharður
Wilkinson †Swedish Chamber Orchestra/Christian
Lindberg rec. 2003 DDD
BIS-CD-1499 [74:27]
[DM]
Rather
intimate … not major, perhaps, but highly
individual ... see Full
Review
The Palais-Royal
Music by Pierre
GILLIER (1665-after 1713) PHILIPPE,
II DUKE OF ORLÉANS (1674-1723)
Michelle MASCITTI
(1663/4-1760) and Nicolas
BERNIER (1665-1734) ]
Sara Macliver (soprano); Ensemble Battistin
rec. 2006
ABC CLASSICS 4766499 [53:54][JW]
Typically
adept performances ... see Full
Review
Perlman
Plays Klezmer In
the Fiddler’s House; Live
in the Fiddler’s House; DVD Documentary
Itzak Perlman (violin); Various accompanists
rec. 1995-6
EMI CLASSICS 2070942 [2 CDs: 72:16 + 76:29;
55:00][DC] 
A
double feast of superbly played klezmer by
some of the world’s best exponents ... see
Full
Review
Poème
Héroïque:
Works for Organ and Brass Quintet Eugène
GIGOUT (1844-1925) Grand Chœur
Dialogué [5:24] César
FRANCK (1820-1890) Cantabile
(1878) [5:44] Léon
BOËLLMANN (1862-1897) Fantaisie
Dialoguée [7:48] Marcel
DUPRÉ (1886-1971) Poème
Héroique, Op.33 (1935) [7 :29]
Cortège et Litanie, Op.19/2
(1921) [5:38] Félix
Alexandre GUILMANT (1837-1911) Symphonie
nr.1, Op.42 (1874) [22:11] Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Symphonie
nr.3 « avec orgue » :
Finale (1886) [7:47] Arrangements (except
Dupré Poème) by Steven
Verhaert (b. 1969)
Jan Vermeire (Woehl organ, 1993); Ottone Brass
Quintet rec. Sankt Petrikirche, Cuxhaven,
Germany, 23-25 March 2007. DDD. TALENT
RECORDS DOM 2910 108 [62:18]
[BW]
An
attractive and unusual programme for seasoned
collectors of organ recordings ... see Full
Review
Rosa Ponselle
- American Recordings 1939
and 1954 Songs and Arias
Rosa Ponselle (soprano); Various accompanists
rec. 1939, 1954
NAXOS GREAT SINGERS 8.111142-44 [3 CDs:
77:14 + 66:23 + 74:55][ABo]
We
must be grateful for the opportunity to hear
this great soprano ... see Full
Review
Marko Rothmüller
Music by Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791), Richard
WAGNER (1813-83), Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901), Umberto
GIORDANO (1867-1948), Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858-1924), Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) and
Modest MUSSORGSKY
(1839-1881)
Marko Rothmüller (baritone); Various accompanists
rec. 1943-50
PREISER 89705 [77:30][JW]
Fine
transfers complement an intelligent selection
... see Full
Review
Royal
Mezzo
Samuel BARBER (1910–1981)
Andromache’s
Farewell Hector
BERLIOZ (1803–1869) La
mort de Cléopâtre Maurice
RAVEL (1875–1937) Shéherazade
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913–1976) Phaedra
Jennifer Larmore (mezzo) Grant Park O/Carlos
Kalmar rec. 2006/7
CEDILLE RECORDS CDR90000 104 [67.15] [RH]
Will
not disappoint even if they don’t quite inspire
... see Full
Review
Sackbutt
– Trombone in the 17th
and 18th century
Jörgen van
Rijen (trombone); Combattimento
Consort Amsterdam/Jan Willem de Vriend
rec. 2007
CHANNEL CLASSICS CCSSA26708 
[59:35][BBr]
Very
interesting and varied … much to enjoy here
... see Full
Review
Andreas Scholl
– Countertenor
A Portrait by Uli Aumüller and Hanne Kaisik
rec. 2002
ARTHAUS MUSIK 101445
[86:00][JW]
Somewhat
diffident about recommendations ... see
Full Revie
Andrés
Segovia – 1950s American
Recordings - Vol. 6
Andrés Segovia (guitar) rec. New York 1952-6
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111314 [79:19][GF]
A
self-recommending issue ... see Full
Review
Sounds
of Australia – The
National Registry of Recorded Sound
Various composers and artists
ABC CLASSICS 4766812 [62:43][JW]
Kaleidoscopic,
cornucopic ... see Full
Review
Stokowski
Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Fanfare, L’Éventail
de Jeanne César
FRANCK (1822-1890) Symphony
Sergei PROKOFIEV
(1891-1953) Alexander Nevsky
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Leopold
Stokowski rec. 1970
MEDICI ARTS MM026-2 [77:58][RM]
Essential … not just
for Stokowski admirers … required listening
... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH The
Tallis Scholars Sing Tudor Music: Volume
1 CD 1 John
BROWNE (d.1505) Salve regina
I [13:23] Stabat iuxta [12:25]
Stabat mater [15:56] O regina mundi
clara [13:55] O Maria salvatoris [15:39]
William CORNYSH
(d.1523) Gaude virgo mater Christi
[5:30] CD 2 John
TAVERNER (c.1490-1545) Western
Wind Mass [32:23] William
CORNYSH Salve regina [13:53]
Ave Maria, mater Dei [3:13] Christopher
TYE (c.1505-c.1573) Western
Wind Mass [27:19]
The Tallis Scholars/Peter Phillips rec.
Salle Church, Norfolk, 1988 (Cornysh), 1993
(Taverner, Tye), 2005 (Browne). DDD. Booklet
with notes, texts and translations.
GIMELL CDGIM209 [76:42 + 76:50]
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH The Tallis Scholars Sing
Tudor Music: Volume 2 CD 1
John SHEPPARD (c.1515-1558) Media
vita [21:45] Christe redemptor omnium
[4:46] Reges Tharsis [5:04] Sacris
solemniis [7:32] In manus tuas
I [3:28] In manus tuas II [2:56] In
manus tuas III [2:54] Verbum caro
[6:57] Western Wind Mass [20:33] CD
2 Thomas TALLIS
(c.1505-1585) In ieiunio et fletu
[4:44] O salutaris hostia [3:02] O
nata lux [2:06] Robert
WHITE (c.1538-1574) Magnificat
[14:48] Portio mea [7:15] Regina
cæli [3:57] Christe, qui lux
es III [4:55] Christe, qui lux es
IV [5:08] Exaudiat te Dominus [9:46]
Lamentations (5vv.) [22:05]
The Tallis Scholars/Peter Phillips rec.
Salle Church, Norfolk, 1989 (Sheppard, except
Mass), 1992 (Tallis), 1993 (Sheppard Mass),
1995 (White). DDD. Booklet with notes, texts
and translations
GIMELL CDGIM 210 [75:58 + 77:48]
[BW]
Excellent
performances and unbelievable value ... see
Full
Review
The
Jazz Album
London Sinfonietta/Sir Simon
Rattle rec. 1986-7
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 5218602 [73:35][GPu]
An
enjoyable album of jazz-influenced music,
London Sinfonietta on good form … see Full
Review
The Organ
in the Church of the Holy Rude, Stirling
John Kitchen (Rushworth & Dreaper organ)
rec. 2007
DELPHIAN DCD34064 [78.32][BW]
Very
worthwhile, not just as a souvenir of the
Stirling organ ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Un
Frisson Français
- A Century of French Song
Susan Graham (mezzo) Malcolm Martineau (piano)
rec. 2008, DDD French texts and English translations
included
ONYX 4030 [77:34] Trial it: Sale or
Return
[JQ]
This
disc provides unalloyed pleasure and is not
to be missed. ... see Full
Review
Verdi
& Verismo - Fabiana
Bravo (soprano) Music by Giuseppe
VERDI (1813 – 1901), Arrigo
BOITO (1842 – 1918), Alfredo
CATALANI (1854 – 1893), Francesco
CILEA (1866 – 1950), Giacomo
PUCCINI (1858 – 1924) and Umberto
GIORDANO (1867 – 1948)
Fabiana Bravo (soprano); The Concert Choir
and Orchestra of the St. Petersburg National
M.Mussorgsky Opera and Ballet Theatre/Charles
Rosekrans rec. 2006
KLEOS KL5149 [72:32][GF]
A
worthy calling card ... see Full
Review
When
Loves Soft Passion Music by Georg
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759), Antonio
LOTTI (c.1667-1740), Alessandro
SCARLATTI (1660-1725), Johann
Christoph PEPUSCH (1667-1752),
William CROFT
(1678-1727) and Georg
Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767)
Ensemble Musica Poetica rec. 2006
THOROFON CTH2543 [75:58][JW]
Oddities
in recording and performance problems too
substantial to pass over ... see Full
Review
BOOK
REVIEWS
Love
Me Tender –
The Stories behind the world’s best-loved
songs by
Max Cryer. Frances Lincoln Limited. ISBN 978-0-7112-2911-2.
[IL]
An
intriguing little book that would make an
ideal Christmas stocking filler. ... see Full
Review
La
Sala Bianca Della Musica; the White Music
Room Gianluca
La Villa Il Segno dei
Gabrielli Editori 2008 - 220 pp with ill.
and appendices [in Italian and English] ISBN
978 88 6099 043 3 €15 [JW]
A
wealth of information here for those of specialised
tastes ... see Full
Review
Click
for alphabetical listings by composer:
[Part
1 New] [Part
2 A-B] [Part 3
C-L]
[Part 4 M-R] [Part
5 S-Z]
[Part 6 Misc A-L]
[Part 7 Misc M-Z]
[Recommended
recordings]
