
IRR Outstanding
Selected recordings are highlighted with the accolade IRR OUTSTANDING. The identification of such recordings has been made by individual reviewers. The selected release is illustrated in the review with a reproduction of the sleeve and the IRR OUTSTANDING logo.
Outstanding in the July/August 2010 edition
Gershwin by Grofé New
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue (original 1924 ‘jazz-band’ version, orch. Ferde Grofé). Variations on ‘I Got Rhythm’ (composer’s original orch). Song arrangements (all orch. Grofé) – Fascinating Rhythm (from ‘Lady Be Good’); I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise (‘George White’s Scandals’, 1922); The Man I Love (revised arr., 1938, ‘Strike Up the Band’ and ‘Rosalie’); Somebody Loves Me (‘George White’s Scandals’, 1924); Summertime (‘Porgy and Bess’); Sweet and Low-Down; That Certain Feeling (both from ‘Tip-Toes’); The Yankee Doodle Blues (‘Spice of 1922’, digital version and one acoustic version, recorded on a 1909 Edison Fireside Phonograph on wax cylinder with acoustic horn).
Al Gallodoro (clarinets/saxophone); Lincoln Mayorga (piano); Harmonie Ensemble/New York/Steven Richman.
Harmonia Mundi HMU907492 (full price, 54 minutes). Website www.harmoniamundi.com. Producer/Engineer Adam Abeshouse, Producer Steven Richman. Engineer Andy Ryder. Dates April 2004, April 2006, May 2007.

Stravinsky New CD/SACD
Transformation New

Music for the Prix de Rome New


Outstanding in the June 2010 edition
Beethoven New
Piano Concertos – No. 1 in C, Op. 15; No. 2 in B flat, Op. 19.
Ensemble Cristofori/Arthur Schoonderwoerd (fortepiano).
Alpha 155 (full price, 59 minutes). Website www.outhere-music.com Producer Hein Laabs. Engineer Harry de Winde. Date May 2008.

Corelli Mr Corelli in London. New
Violin Sonatas, Op. 5 – No. 4 in F (arr. Johann Christoph Pez); No. 5 in G minor – Giga (arr. Cateni/Robert Valentine); No. 7 in D minor – complete (arr. Pietro Castrucci after Francesco Geminiani); Sarabanda (arrangement previously attrib. Geminiani); No. 8 in E minor (arr. attrib. Castrucci after Geminiani); No. 10 in F (arr. attrib. Willam Babell after Geminiani, with Gavotta arr. Michel Blavet); No. 12 in D minor, ‘La Follia’ (arr. Geminiani).
Maurice Steger (recorders); The English Concert/Laurence Cummings (harpsichord).
Harmonia Mundi USA HMU907523 (full price, 1 hour 11 minutes). Website www.harmoniamundi.com Producer Christian Sager. Engineer Brad Michel. Date July 2009.

Beethoven Volume 1. New
Violin Sonatas – No. 1 in D, Op. 12 No. 1; No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23; No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30 No. 2; No. 8 in G, Op. 30 No. 3.
Alina Ibragimova (violin); Cédric Tiberghien (piano).
Wigmore Hall Live WHLive0036 (medium price, 1 hour 22 minutes). Website www.wigmore-hall.org.uk. Producer Andrew Keener. Engineers Simon Eadon, Dave Rowell. Date Live performances at the Wigmore Hall, London on October 27th, 2009.

Mendelssohn New
String Quartets – No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44 No. 2a; No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80. Capriccio in E minor, Op. 81 No. 3.
Zemlinsky Quartet (Frantisek Soucek, Petr Strízek, violins; Petr Holman, viola; Vladimír Fortin, cello).
Praga Digitals PRD/DSD250 267 (full price, 57 minutes). Website www.pragadigitals.com. Producer Jirí Gemrot. Engineers Jan Lzicar, Karel Soukeník. Dates aSeptember 2nd and December 15th, 2009.

Telemann New
Sonatas à 5 – E minor, TWV44:5;
F, TWV44:11; F minor, TWV44:32;
G minor, TWV44:33; B flat, TWV44:34. Sonata Discortato à 4 in A, TWV43:A7. Concerto à 4 in A minor, TWV43:a3. Quartet in G, TWV43:G12.
Rebel (Matthias Maute, transverse flute/treble recorder; Karen Marie Marmer, violin; Risa Browder, Stephen Creswell, violas; John Moran, cello; Dongsok Shin, harpsichord)/Jörg-Michael Schwarz (violin).
Dorian Sono Luminus DSL90912 (full price, 1 hour 10 minutes). Website www.dorian.com. Producer Ann-Marie Barker-Schwartz. Engineer Michael P. Hesse. Dates October 6th-12th, 2008.

J. S. Bach New
Organ Masterworks, Volume 1.
Schmücke dich, O liebe Seele, BWV654. Partite diverse sopra ‘Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig’, BWV768. Preludes and Fugues – A, BWV536/536a; A minor, BWV543; E minor, BWV548. Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, BWV731. Ach, was ist doch unser Leben, BWV743 (spurious). Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord No. 3 in E, BWV1016 – Adagio (transcr. Koito). Sonata for Viola da gamba No. 1 in G, BWV1027 – Trio (transcr. Bach)/BWV1027a (transcr. Koito).
Kei Koito (organ).
Claves 50-2908 (full price, 1 hour 15 minutes). Played on the organ of the Martinikerk, Groningen. Website www.claves.ch. Producer/Engineer Jean-Claude Gaberel. Engineer Jacques Dessane. Dates June 21st-23rd, 2009.

Beethoven New
Piano Sonatas – No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, ‘Pathétique’; No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2, ‘Moonlight’; No. 21 in C, Op. 53, ‘Waldstein’; No. 25 in G, Op. 79.
Steven Osborne (piano).
Hyperion CDA67662 (full price, 1 hour 1 minutes). Website www.hyperion-records.co.uk Producer Andrew Keener. Engineer Simon Eadon. Dates September 13th-15th, 2008.

Sances Dulcis Amor Iesu. New
Ave maris stellaabd. Domine ne memineris iniquitatum nostrarumab. Dulcis amor Iesue. Iste confessor domini colentesab. Iubilent in caelisce. Laudemus viros gloriosos. Magnificemus in canticoabd. O Iesu mi dulcissimeab. Salve Reginaabde. Salvum me faccd. Stabat matere. Vulnerasti cor meumad.
Kapsberger Toccata prima.
L. Rossi Ritornello.
M. Rossi Toccata settima.
aMarie de Roy, bCéline Vieslet (sopranos); cReinoud Van Mechelen (tenor); dOlivier Berten (baritone); Scherzi Musicali/Nicolas Achten (ebaritone/theorbo/harpsichord/triple harp).
Ricercar RIC292 (full price, 1 hour 13 minutes). Latin texts and English/French/German translations included. Website www.outhere-music.com. Producer/Engineer Manuel Mohino. Dates June
9th-12th, 2009.
Outstanding in the May 2010 edition
Dvorák NewViolin Concerto in A minor, B108a. Legends, B122.
aRichard Tognetti (violin); Nordic Chamber Orchestra/Christian Lindberg.
BIS CD1708 (full price, 1 hour 10 minutes). Website www.bis.se Producer Jens Braun. Engineer Hans Kipfer. Date January 2009.
Mahler New
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, ‘Resurrection’.
Yvonne Kenny (soprano); Jard van Nes (mezzo); London Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra/Klaus Tennstedt.
LPO 0044 (medium price, two discs, 1 hour 34 minutes). Website www.lpo.org.uk. Remastering Engineers Tony Faulkner, Andrew Lang. Date Live performance at the Royal Festival Hall, London on February 20th, 1989.
Mahler New
Symphony No. 9 in D.
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR/ Roger Norrington.
Hänssler Classic CD93.244 (full price, 1 hour
12 minutes). Website www.haenssler-classic.de. Producer Dietmar Wolf. Engineer Friedemann Trumpp. Date Live performance at the Liederhalle, Stuttgart on September 5th, 2009.
D. Matthews New
Symphonies – No. 2, Op. 17; No. 6, Op. 100.
BBC National Orchestra of Wales/ Jac van Steen.
Dutton Epoch CDLX7234 (medium price, 1 hour 14 minutes). Website www.duttonvocalion.co.uk. Producer Michael Ponder. Engineers Dexter Newman, Dillon Gallagher. Dates February 12th-14th, 2009.

J. S. Bach New CD/SACD
Goldberg Variations, D988. Aria Variata, BWV989. Sarabanda con Partita, BWV990.
Matthew Halls (harpsichord).
Linn Records CKD356 (full price, two discs, 2 hours 10 minutes). Website www.linnrecords.com Producer/Engineer François Eckert. Dates June 4th-6th, 2007 9th-13th, 2009

Liszt New
Piano Sonata in B minor, S178a. Années de pelerinage – Venezia e Napoli, S162. Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S514. Harmonies du soir, S139 No. 11.
Chopin Waltz in A flat, Op. 42 (arr. Liszt).
Boris Berezovsky (piano).
Mirare MIR099 (full price, 1 hour). Website www. mirare.fr. Producer Anna Barry. Engineers aJonathan Stokes, Philippe Engel. Dates Live performances at the Royal Festival Hall, London on aMarch 15th and Grange de Meslay Festival, Tours on June 26th, 2009
J. S. Bach New CD/SACD
St Matthew Passion, BWV244.
Christoph Genz (tenor) Evangelist; Jan Van der Crabben (bass) Christus; Marcus Niedermeyr (bass) Judas; Gerlinde Sämann, Marie Kuijken (sopranos); Petra Noskaiová, Patrizia Hardt (contraltos); Bernhard Hunziker (tenor);
La Petite Bande/Sigiswald Kuijken (violin).
Challenge Classics CC72357 (full price, three discs, 2 hours 38 minutes). German texts and English/French translations included. Website www.challenge.nl. Producer/Engineer Bert van der Wolf. Engineer Fir Suidema. Dates April 5th-9th, 2009.

Patricia Petibon Rosso. New
Handel Rinaldo, HWV7 – Lascia ch’io pianga. Giulio Cesare, HWV17 – Piangerò la sorte mia. Ariodante, HWV33 – Volate, amori; Neghittosi, or voi che fate?. Alcina, HWV34 – Tornami a vagheggiar; Ah! mio cor, schernito sei!. Marcello Arianna – Come mai puoi vedermi piangere?. Porpora Lucio Papirio – Morte amara. Sartorio Giulio Cesare in Egitto – Quando voglio. L’Orfeo – Orfeo, tu dormi. A. Scarlatti Griselda – Se il mio dolor t’offende. Il Sedecia, re di Gerusalemme – Caldo sangue. Stradella San Giovanni Battista – Queste lagrime e sospiri. Vivaldi L’Olimpiade, RV725 – Siam navi all’onde algenti.
Patricia Petibon (soprano); Venice Baroque Orchestra/Andrea Marcon.
DG 477 8763 (full price, 1 hour 12 minutes). Italian texts and English/French/German texts included. Website www.deutschegrammophon.com Producer Arend Prohmann. Engineers Ulrich Vette, Jürgen Bulgrin. Date September 2009.
Outstanding in the April 2010 edition

Achúcarro DVD
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat, Op. 83a. Three Intermezzos, Op. 117.
Albéniz Iberia, Op. 47 – No. 2, El puerto in D flat.
Chopin 24 Preludes, Op. 28 – No. 15 in D flat; No. 16 in B flat minor.
Scriabin Two Pieces for the Left Hand, Op. 9.
Joaquín Achúcarro (piano); aLondon Symphony Orchestra/Colin Davis.
Opus Arte OA1022D (2 hours 11 minutes).
Bonus feature, ‘Joaquín Achúcarro: 50 years on’,
a documentary including interviews with Plácido Domingo, Simon Rattle and Zubin Mehta (41 minutes). WebsiteFilm Director Robin Lough. Film/DVD Producer Angela Alvarez Rilla. Music Producer James Whitbourn. Dates May 26th-28th, 2009. www.opusarte.com. NTSC. 16:9 Anamorphic. LPCM Stereo. DTS Digital Surround. Region 0.
Stravinsky New
La baiser de la fée. Scènes de ballet.
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Ilan Volkov.
Hyperion CDA67697 (full price, 58 minutes). Website www.hyperion-records.co.uk Producer Andrew Keener. Engineer Simon Eadon. Dates November 15th and 16th, 2008.

Chopin New
Nocturnes Nos. 1-20.
Nelson Freire (piano).
Decca 478 2182 (two discs for the price of one,
1 hour 42 minutes). Website www.deccaclassics.com Producer Dominic Fyfe. Engineer Philip Siney. Dates December 14th-21st, 2009.
Handel Duets. New
Agrippina, HWV6 – No, no, ch’io non apprezzo. Radamisto, HWV12a – Se teco vive il cor. Ottone, re di Germania, HWV15 – Notte cara!. Giulio Cesare, HWV17 – Caro! Bella!. Tamerlano, HWV18 – Vivo in te. Rodelinda, HWV19 – Io t’abbraccio. Sosarme, re di Media, HWV30 – Per la porte del tormento. Ariodante, HWV33 – Bramo haver mille vite. Belshazzar, HWV61 – Great victor, at your feet I bow. Solomon, HWV67 – Welcome as the dawn of day. Theodora, HWV68 – Streams of pleasure ever flowing; Thither let our hearts aspire; To thee, thou glorious son of worth.
Rosemary Joshua (soprano); Sarah Connolly (mezzo); The English Concert/Harry Bicket (harpsichord/organ).
Chandos Chaconne CHAN0767 (full price, 1 hour 3 minutes). English/Italian texts and English translations included. Website Producer Rachel Smith. Engineers Jonathan Cooper, Paul Quilter. Dates July 20th-23rd, 2009. www.chandos.net 
Zelenka New
Il Diamante, ZWV177.Roberta Mameli (soprano) Giunone; Marie Fajtová (soprano) Amore; Gabriela Eibenová (soprano) Venere; Hana BlaΩíková (soprano) Terra; Kai Wessel (countertenor) Imeneo; Ensemble Inégal; Prague Baroque Soloists/
Adam Viktora.
Nibiru 0152232 (full price, two discs, 1 hour 37 minutes). Italian libretto and English/German/Czech/French translations included. Website www.nibiru-publishers.com. Producer Petr Reznícek. Engineer Ales Dvorák. Dates September 9th-13th, 2009.
Outstanding in the March 2010 edition

Haydn New
‘London’ Symphonies, Hob. I/93-104.
Symphonies – No. 93 in D; No. 94 in G, ‘Surprise’; No. 95 in C minor; No. 96 in D, ‘Miracle’; No. 97 in C; No. 98 in B flat; No. 99 in E flat; No. 100 in G, ‘Military’; No. 101 in D, ‘Clock’; No. 102 in B flat; No. 103 in E flat, ‘Drum-Roll’; No. 104 in D, ‘London’.
SWR Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart/ Roger Norrington.
Hänssler Classic CD93.252 (medium price, four discs, 4 hours 57 minutes). Website www.haenssler-classic.de. Producers Andreas Priemer, Dietmar Wolf. Engineers Burkhard Pitzer-Landeck, Friedemann Trumpp. Dates Live performances at the Liederhalle, Stuttgart on September 7th-12th, 2009.
Mozart Volume 2. New CD/SACD
Symphonies – No. 29 in A, K201/K186a; No. 31 in D, K297/K300a, ‘Paris’; No. 32 in G, K318; No. 35 in D, K385, ‘Haffner’; No. 36 in C, K425, ‘Linz’.
Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Charles Mackerras.
Linn Records CKD350 (full price, two discs, 1 hour 57 minutes). Website www.linnrecords.com Producer James Mallinson. Engineer Philip Hobbs. Dates July 11th-17th, 2009.
Vilde Frang New
Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 19.
Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47. Humoresques, Op. 87 – No. 1 in D minor; No. 2 in D; No. 5 in E flat.
Vilde Frang (violin); WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln/Thomas Søndergård.
EMI Classics 6 84413-2 (full price, 1 hour 4 minutes). Website www.emiclassics.com Producer Stephan Hahn. Engineers Reiner Kühl, Enrique Foedtke. Dates March 11th-13th, 2009.
Telemann New CD/SACD
Ouverture in E minor, TWV55:e3. Concertos – F, TWV52:F4; B flat, TWV53:B2; D, TWV53:D6; G, TWV54:G1.
Alexis Kossenko (flute); Jane Gower (bassoon); Alfredo Bernardini (oboe); Holland Baroque Society/Alexis Kossenko (recorder/transverse flute).
Channel Classics CCSSA28409 (full price, 1 hour 17 minutes). Website www.channelclassics.com. Producer/Engineer C. Jared Sacks. Engineer Hein Dekker. Dates February 11th-15th, 2009.
Ceremony and Devotion New
Byrd Domine, praestolamur. Haec dies. Infelix ego. Laudibus in sanctis.
Sheppard Media vita in morte sumus. Sacris solemniiis iuncta sint gaudia.
Tallis Iam Christus astra ascenderat. Jesu Salvator saeculi, Verbum Patris. Miserere nostri.
Anonymous Veni, Creator Spiritus.
The Sixteen/Harry Christophers.
Coro COR16077 (full price, 1 hour 16 minutes). Latin texts and English translations included. Website www.thesixteen.com Producer Mark Brown. Engineer Mike Hatch. Date October 2009.
Taverner Sacred Choral Music. New
Missa Corona spinea. Dum transisset Sabbatum I and II. Leroy Kyrie. O splendor glorie.
Choir of St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh/ Duncan Ferguson.
Delphian DCD34023 (full price, 58 minutes). Latin texts and English translations included. Website www.delphianrecords.co.uk Producer/Engineer Paul Baxter. Engineer Adam Binks. Dates September 14th-17th, 2009.
Outstanding in the February 2010 edition

Byrd Infelix ego. New
Afflicti pro peccatis nostris. Beati mundo corde. Cantate Domino. Cunctis diebus. Deo gratias. Domine, non sum dignus. Domine, salva nos. Gaudeamus omnes … Sanctorum omnium. Haec dies. Infelix ego. Iustorum animae. Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes. Timete Dominum – Venite ad me. Venite, exsultemus Domino. Visita quaesumus, Domine.
The Cardinall’s Musick/Andrew Carwood.
Hyperion CDA67779 (full price, 1 hour 1 minute). Latin texts and English translations included. Website www.hyperion-records.co.uk Producer Jonathan Freeman-Attwood. Engineers Martin Haskell, Iestyn Rees. Dates April 27th-29th, 2009.
Mahler New
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.
Lieder aus ‘Des knaben Wunderhorn’ – No. 4, Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?; No. 5, Das irdische Leben; No. 7, Rheinlegendchen; No. 9, Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen; No. 12, Urlicht. Lieder und Gesänge – No. 1, Frühlingsmorgen; No. 5, Phantasie aus Don Juan; No. 7, Ich ging mit Lust; No. 10, Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz; No. 11, Ablösung im Sommer; No. 13, Nicht wiedersehen. Rückert-Lieder.
Christian Gerhaher (baritone); Gerold Huber (piano).
RCA Red Seal 88697 56773-2 (full price, 1 hour 16 minutes). German texts and English translations included. Website www.sonymasterworks.com Producer Wilhelm Meister. Engineers Christian Böhm, Andreas Fischer. Dates January 3rd and 4th, April 13th and 14th, 2009.
Rorem New CD/SACD
On an Echoing Road.
Alleluiad. Are you the new person drawn toward me?a. Catullus: On the burial of his brotherd. Comment on Warab. Do I love you more than a day?c. Do not love too longc. Early in the morninge. For Susand. Full of life nowa. Hymn for Eveningacde. I strolled across an open fielde. I will always love youb. Jeanie with the light brown haire. Little Elegya. Look down, fair moonb. Now sleeps the crimson petala. On an echoing roadac. On a singing girld. Orchidsb. Rain in Springc. The Rainbowbde. Requiescatace. The Serpentd. Sometimes with one I lovec. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eveningb. That shadow, my likenessc. Their lonely bettersa. To a young girla. What if some little painc.
The Prince Consort (aAnna Leese, soprano; bJennifer Johnston, mezzo; cTim Mead, countertenor; dAndrew Staples, tenor; eJacques Imbrailo, baritone; Alisdair Hogarth, piano).
Linn CKD342 (full price, 57 minutes). English texts included. Website www.linnrecords.com Producer John Fraser. Engineer Philip Hobbs. Dates February 10th-13th, 2009.
Outstanding in the January 2010 edition

Mendelssohn Volume 5. 
J. S. Bach
Schubert HeliopolisOutstanding in 2009 |HERE|