Outstanding in the December 2013 edition

Brahms New
Piano Concertos – No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15; No. 2 in B flat, Op. 83.
Stephen Hough (piano); Mozarteumorchester Salzburg/Mark Wigglesworth.
Hyperion CDA67961 (medium price, two discs, 1 hour 38 minutes). Website www.hyperion-records.co.uk Producer Andrew Keener. Engineer Simon Eadon. Dates January 11th-15th, 2013.

 

 

Mahler New CD/SACD
Symphony No. 8 in E flat, ‘Symphony of a Thousand’.
Manuela Uhl, Michaela Kaune, Marisol Montalvo (sopranos); Lioba Braun, Janina Baechle (mezzos); Stefan Vinke (tenor); Michael Nagy (baritone); Albert Dohmen (bass-baritone); Czech Philharmonic Chorus Brünn; Windsbacher Knabenchor; Chor der Bamberger Symphoniker; Bamberger Symphoniker/Jonathan Nott.
Tudor 7192 (full price, 1 hour 19 minutes). German/Latin texts and English/French/German translations included. Producer Bernhard Albrecht. Engineer Peter Collmann. Dates Live performances at the Joseph-Keilberth-Sall, Bamberg on July 21st-26th, 2010.

 

de Visée Confidences Galantes. New
Suites de Pièces de théorbe – B minor; D; E minor; G minor. 
F. Couperin Pièces de clavecin – Les Sylvains; La Voluptueuse (both arr. de Visée).
Fred Jacobs (French theorbo).
Metronome METCD1089 (medium price, 1 hour 6 minutes). Website www.metronome.co.uk. Producer/Engineer John Taylor. Producer Fred Jacobs. Dates April and May 2013.

 

 

Night Sessions New
The Dowland Project Corpus Christi. First descent. First triage. Hortus ignotus. I sing of a maiden. Man in the moon. Menino Jesus à Lapa. Mystery play. Second descent. Second triage. Swart mekerd smethes. Theoleptus 22. Whistling in the dark. Attaignant Prélude. Dalza. Recercar. Solage Fumeux fume. de Ventadorn Can vei la lauzeta mover. 
The Dowland Project (John Potter, tenor; Stephen Stubbs, lute/chitarrone/Baroque guitar/ vihuela; John Surman, saxophones/bass clarinet/percussion; Maya Homburger, violin; Miloš Valent, violin/viola; Barry Guy, double bass).
ECM New Series 476 5968 (full price, 1 hour 12 minutes). Website www.ecmrecords.com  Producer Manfred Eicher. Engineer Markus Heiland. Dates September 2001, January 2006.

 

Porpora Arias for Farinelli. New
Arianna e Teseo – Mira in cielo. Ifigenia in Aulide – Le limpid’onde; Nel già bramoso petto. Mitridate – La gioia ch’io sento^a. Orfeo – Dall’amor più sventurato; Sente del mio martir. Polifemo – Placidetti zeffiretti^a; Alto Giove; Nell’attendere il mio bene. Semiramide Regina dell’Assiria – Come nave in ria tempesta. Semiramide Riconosciuta – Si pietoso il tuo labbro. 
Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor); Venice Baroque Orchestra/Andrea Marcon with ^aCecilia Bartoli (mezzo).
Erato 9 34130-2 (full price, 1 hour 10 minutes). Italian texts and English/French/German translations included. Website www.emiclassics.com  Producer Markus Heiland. Engineer Andreas Neubronner. Dates August 14th-15th, September 30th and October 1st-7th, 2012.

 

This appears on page 13 of the ‘Albums for Christmas’ feature by Robert Matthew-Walker:
‘A new DVD of three Bach cantatas – Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV61), Christen, ätzet diesen Tag (BWV63) and Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage (BWV248) – is superb. Recorded live in the wonderful acoustics of the Marktkirche Hannover, this features the excellent Knabenchor of Hannover (surely one of the great boys’ choirs of the world), with the Barockorchester L’Arco under Jörg Breiding, with four fine soloists – Antonia Bourvé (soprano), Claudia Erdmann (alto), Markus Schäfer (tenor) and Michael Jäckel (bass). The camerawork is excellent, as is the recording quality, and the performances are simply wonderful. This is a great choir, and boys’ voices are so much more to be preferred in this music. This is a wholly admirable issue of music from Advent to Christmas Day and I enjoyed it immensely' (Rondeau ROP5003-DVD, 1 hour 14 minutes).’

 

Outstanding in the November 2013 edition

Bruckner New CD/SACD
Symphony No. 6 in A (ed. Nowak).
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/ Jaap van Zweden.
Challenge Classics CC72552 (full price, 57 minutes). Website www.challengerecords.com. Producer/Engineer Bert van der Wolf. Dates June 11th-14th, 2012.

 

 

Hindemith New CD/SACD
Complete Viola Works, Volume 1.
Kammermusik No. 5, Op. 36/4. Konzertmusik, Op. 48 (original version). Der Schwanendreher. Trauermusik.
Tabea Zimmermann (viola); Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Hans Graf.
Myrios Classics MYR010 (full price, 1 hour 20 minutes). Website www.myriosmusic.com. Producer Stephan Cahen. Date August 2012.

 

Musto New
Piano Concertos – No. 1^a; No. 2^b. Five Concert Rags – Regrets; In Stride^c.
John Musto (piano); ^aOdense Symphony Orchestra/Scott Yoo; ^bGreeley Philharmonic Orchestra/Glen Cortese.
Bridge BRIDGE9399 (full price, 1 hour 8 minutes). Website www.bridgerecords.com  Producer/Engineer ^bAdam Abeshouse. Producer ^acDavid Starobin. Engineer ^bcViggo Mangor. Dates ^bMarch 10th-13th, 2010, ^acMay 1st and 2nd, 2012.

 

Epifania New CD/SACD
Meriläinen Summer Concerto, ‘Summer Night’s Dream’. Salmenhaara Canzonetta. Tiensuu Sulci. Tulve L’ombre derrière toi. Vasks Epifania.
Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra/Juha Kangas.
Alba ABCD355 (full price, 1 hour 7 minutes). Website www.alba.fi. Producer/Engineer Simon Fox-Gál. Dates May 21st-25th, 2012.

 

 

J. S. Bach New
Der Ewigkeit saphirnes Haus.
Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BWV5 – Ergieße dich reichlich. Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV12 – Sinfonia. O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV20 – Ewigkeit, du machst mir bange. Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV21 – Sinfonia. Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV76 – Sinfonia. Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden, BWV88 – Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden. Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn, BWV132 – Christi Glieder, ach, bedenket. Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV147 – Jesu bleibet meine Freude. Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl, BWV198 – Der Ewigkeit saphirnes Haus. Trio Sonata No. 6 in G, BWV530. Orgelbüchlein, BWV599-644 – Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV639. Six Schübler Chorales, BWV645-50 – Meine Seele erhebet den Herren, BWV648. Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B flat, BWV1051 (all transcr. C. Lesaulnier and N. Lesaulnier).
Le Petit Concert Baroque (Chani Lesaulnier, Nadja Lesaulnier, harpsichord duo).
Fra Bernardo FB1205172 (full price, 1 hour 9 minutes). Website www.frabernardo.com. Production/Engineering Fra Bernardo Studios. Date Live performance at the Kartause, Mauerbach.

 

Beethoven New
The Late Piano Sonatas.
Piano Sonatas – No. 28 in A, Op. 101; No. 29 in B flat, Op. 106, ‘Hammerklavier’; No. 30 in E, Op. 109; No. 31 in A flat, Op.110; No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111.
Igor Levit (piano).
Sony Classical 88883 70387-2 (medium price, two discs, 2 hours 9 minutes). Website www.sonymasterworks.com  Producer/Engineer Stephan Schellmann. Dates January 2nd-5th and February 3rd-5th, 2013.

 

Fauré New
Ballade in F sharp minor, Op. 19. Nocturnes – No. 5 in B flat, Op, 37; No. 6 in D flat, Op. 63; No. 13 in B minor, Op. 119. Thème et Variations in C sharp minor, Op. 73. Valse-caprices – No. 1 in A, Op. 30; No. 2 in D flat, Op. 38.
Angela Hewitt (piano).
Hyperion CDA67875 (full price, 1 hour 13 minutes). Website www.hyperion-records.com  Producer/Engineer Ludger Böckenhoff. Dates August 11th-14th, 2012.

 

Liszt at the opera New
Valse de l'opéra Faust (Gounod), S407. Réminiscences de Don Juan, S418 (Mozart). Rigoletto. Paraphrase de concert (Verdi), S434. Spinnerlied aus Der fliegende Holländer (Wagner), S440. Ouvertüre zu Tannhäuser (Wagner), S442. O du mein holder Abendstern (Wagner), S444. Isoldens Liebestod (Wagner), S447. 
Wagner Tristan und Isolde – Prelude (transcr. Lortie)
Louis Lortie (piano).
Chandos CHAN10793 (full price, 1 hour 18 minutes). Website www.chandos.net Producer/Engineer Ralph Couzens. Engineer Jonathan Cooper. Dates March 3rd and 4th, 2013.

 

Stanford New
Complete Organ Works, Volume 1.
Fantasia and Toccata in D minor, Op. 57. Six Preludes, Op. 88. Organ Sonatas – No. 1 in F, Op. 149; No. 2 in G minor, Op. 151, ‘Eroica’.
Daniel Cook (organ).
Priory PRCD1095 (full price, 1 hour 20 minutes). Played on the Willis organ of Salisbury Cathedral. Website www.priory.records.co.uk  Producer Andrew Post. Engineer Neil Collier. Dates August 28th-30th, 2012

 

Verdi Otello
[This is part of the Tutto Verdi feature on pages 21 & 22]
"The Salzburg Festival production under Riccardo Muti … There are many excellent filmed performances of Otello out there (many of them starring Domingo in the title role) but this one is up there with the best. Muti conducts a passionate, driven account, the Vienna Philharmonic responding with a performance every inch as glorious as its 1961 Decca recording for Herbert von Karajan. Giuseppe Di Iorio’s lighting is fabulous and the close-up camerawork (video director Peter Schönhofer) is incredibly detailed. A vivid, outstanding performance in every way." 
C Major Blu-ray 725104/
DVD 725008, 2 hours 23 minutes.

   

 

Outstanding in the October 2013 edition

Mahler New CD/SACD
Symphony No. 7 in E minor.
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln/Markus Stenz.
Oehms Classics OC652 (full price, 1 hour 14 minutes). Website www.oehmsclassics.de  Producer/Engineer Jens Schünemann. Dates Live performances at the Philharmonie, Cologne on June 23rd-27th, 2012.

 

 

Taylor New
Symphony No. 2, Op. 10^a. Viola Concerto, Op. 41, ‘Humoreskes’^b.
^bSarah-Jane Bradley (viola); BBC Symphony Orchestra/Garry Walker.
Toccata Classics TOCC0175 (full price, 59 minutes). Website www.toccataclassics.com  Producer Ann McKay. Engineer Neil Pemberton. Dates Live performances at the BBC Maida Vale Studio 1, London on ^aJanuary 23rd, 2009, ^bJanuary 24th, 2013.

 

Flute and Orchestra New CD/SACD
Chaminade Flute Concertino, Op. 107. Griffes Poem. Nielsen Flute Concerto, FS119^a. Poulenc Flute Sonata, FP164 (orch. Lennox Berkeley). Reinecke Flute Concerto in D, Op. 283. Rimsky-Korsakov The Tale of Tsar Saltan – Flight of the bumble-bee (arr. Kalevi Aho). Tchaikovsky Largo and Allegro (arr. Ernest Sauter).
Sharon Bezaly (flute); Residentie Orkest Den Haag/Neeme Järvi.
BIS 1679SACD (full price, 1 hour 9 minutes). Website www.bis.se  Producer Robert Suff. Engineer Fabian Frank. Dates April 2007, ^aJune 2008.

 

Piano Quintets New
Arensky Piano Quintet in D, Op. 51.
Taneyev Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 30.
Piers Lane (piano); Goldner String Quartet (Dene Olding, Dimity Hall, violins; Irina Morozova, viola; Julian Smiles, cello).
Hyperion CDA67965 (full price, 1 hour 9 minutes). Website www.hyperion-records.co.uk  Producer Jeremy Hayes. Engineer Ben Connellan. Dates December 17th-19th, 2012.

 

Debussy New
Études, Book 2. Images, Series 1. Estampes. L’Isle joyeuse.
Nelson Goerner (piano).
Zig-Zag Territoires ZZT326 (full price, 1 hour 2 minutes). Website www.outhere-music.com. Producer Virgile Hermelin Engineer Franck Jaffrès. Dates April 13th-16th, 2013.

 

 

Schubert New
Piano Sonatas – No. 19 in C minor, D958; No. 20 in A, D959. Impromptu in G flat, D899 No. 3.
Inon Barnatan (piano).
Avie AV2283 (full price, 1 hour 12 minutes). Website www.avie-records.com  Producer/Engineer Adam Abeshouse. Engineer Andy Ryder. Dates October 18th-21st, 2012.

 

 

Piers Lane goes to town New
J. S. Bach Jesu, joy of man’s desiring (arr. Myra Hess). A. Benjamin Jamaican Rumba. Confrey Dizzy Fingers. Delibes La Source, ou Naila – Naila Waltz (arr. Ernö Dohnányi). Doheny Toccata for Piers Lane. Grainger Irish Tune from County Derry. Hopkins Variations on a well-known theme. Ireland Ballerina. Karg-Elert Arabesque No. 1 in G flat, Op. 5, ‘Filigran’. Keane Save the Animals Suite – No. 3, The Tiger Tango. A. Lane Toccata. Mayerl Marigold. D. Moore Beethoven Parody: ‘And the same to you’. Parker Four Musical Sketches for Piano – No. 2, Down Longford Way. Poulenc Nocturne No. 4 in C minor, P56 No. 4, ‘Bal fantôme’. Rachmaninov Daisies, Op. 38 No. 3. Saya Barcarolles. Sherwin A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square (arr. Regis Danillon). Templeton Bach Goes to Town.
Piers Lane (piano).
Hyperion CDA67967 (full price, 1 hour 16 minutes). Website www.hyperion-records.co.uk  Producer Rachel Smith. Engineer Ben Connellan. Dates June 6th-8th, 2012.

 

Anonymous DVD
Judith: Une histoire biblique de la Croatie renaissante.
Ensemble Dialogos (Albrecht Maurer, Norbert Rodenkirchen, viols/flutes/narrators)/Katarina Livljani´c (narrator).
Alpha ALPHA702 (1 hour 6 minutes). Includes bonus CD containing the soundtrack and a ‘Making of’ feature. Subtitles in Croatian/English/French/German. Website www.outhere-music.com. PAL. Region 0. Staging Sanda Herzic. Film Director Radislav Jovanov Gonzo. Audio Producer/Engineer Jean-Marc Laisné. Date September 2010.

 

 

Charpentier New
Motets for the House of Guise.
Litanies de la Vierge, H83. Miserere des Jésuits, H193. Annuntiate superi, narrate coeli, H333. Antienne, H526. Ouverture pour le sacre d’un évêque, H536.
Ensemble Correspondances/Sébastien Daucé.
Harmonia Mundi HMC902169 (full price, 1 hour 1 minute). French texts and English translations included. Website www.harmoniamundi.com  Producer/Engineer Alban Moraud. Date January 2013.

 

Adès DVD
The Tempest.
Simon Keenlyside (baritone) Prospero; Audrey Luna (soprano) Ariel; Alan Oke (tenor) Caliban; Isabel Leonard (mezzo) Miranda; Alek Shrader (tenor) Ferdinand; William Burden (tenor) King of Naples; Kevin Burdette (bass) Stefano; Iestyn Davies (countertenor) Trinculo; Toby Spence (tenor) Antonio; Christopher Feigum (baritone) Sebastian; John Del Carlo (bass-baritone) Gonzalo; Chorus, Orchestra and Ballet of the Metropolitan Opera, New York/Thomas Adès.
DG 073 4932 (1 hour 26 minutes). Includes ‘The Tempest – A Roundtable Discussion with Thomas Adès, Meredith Oakes, Robert Lepage and Peter Gelb’ and ‘Backstage at the Met with Deborah Voigt’ (11 minutes). Subtitles in English/French/German/Korean/Spanish. Website www.deutschegrammophon.com. High Definition. NTSC. 16:9. Region 0. PCM Stereo. DTS 5.1. Stage Director Robert Lepage. DVD Director Gary Halvorson. DVD Producers Louisa Briccetti, Victoria Warivonchik. Music Producer Jay David Saks. Date Live performance at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York on November 10th, 2012.

 

Outstanding in the September 2013 edition

Bartók New
Violin Concertos – No. 1, BB48a; No. 2 in B minor, BB117.
Isabelle Faust (violin); Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Daniel Harding.
Harmonia Mundi HMC902146 (full price, 58 minutes). Website www.harmoniamundi.com  Producers Martin Sauer, Julian Schwenkner. Engineer Tobias Lehmann. Date April 2012.

 

 

Hindemith New CD/SACD
Violin Concerto^a. Violin Sonatas^b – E flat, Op. 11/1; E; C. Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 31/2.
Frank Peter Zimmermann (violin); ^bEnrico Pace (piano); ^aFrankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Järvi.
BIS BIS2024SACD (full price, 1 hour 8 minutes). Website www.bis.se  Producer/Engineer Hans Kipfer. Producer ^aUdo Wüstendörfer. Engineer ^aRüdiger Orth, Hans Kipfer. Dates ^aSeptember 2009, May 2012.

 

R. Strauss Tone Poems 1. New
Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24^a. Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40^b.
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg/François-Xavier Roth.
Hänssler Classic CD93.299 (full price, 1 hour 9 minutes). Website www.haenssler-classic.de. Producer Reinhard Oechsler. Engineers ^aNorbert Vossen, ^bUte Hesse. Dates ^aJune 26th-28th and ^bNovember 7th-8th, 2012.

 

Esprit des Balkans New CD/SACD
Balkan Spirit.
Traditional music from Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey; traditional Gypsy, Kurdish and Sephardic music.
Mihailo Blam, Vilmos Csikós (double basses); Gyula Csík (cimbalom); Valeri Dimchev (tambura); Bora Dugic (frula); Tcha Limberger (violin); Nedyalko Nedyalkov (kaval); Slobodan Prodanovic (accordion); Dimitri Psonis (lafta); Moslem Rahal (ney); Zacharias Spyridakis (lira); Hespèrion XXI/Jordi Savall.
Alia Vox AVSA9898 (full price, 1 hour 19 minutes). Website www.alia-vox.com. Producer/Engineer Manuel Mohino. Dates October and December 2012, January and February 2013.

 

Obras de Musica New
A. de Cabezón Anchor che col partire (after de Rore). Ardente miei sospiri (after Verdelot). Diferencias sobre el canto de La Dama le demanda. Diferencias sobre el canto del cavallero. Diferencias sobre el Gallarda Milanesa. Dormendo un giorno (after Verdelot). Duuinsela (Dont vient cela). Je prens en gre la dure mort I (after Crecquillon). Je prens en gre la douce mort II (after Crecquillon). Pour un plaisir (after Crecquillon). Prenez pitié (after Crecquillon). Qui la dira la peine de mon coeur (after Willaert). Susanne ung jour. Ultimi miei sospiri (after Verdelot). Un gay bergier (after Crecquillon). 
H. de Cabezón Doulce mémoire (after Sandrin). Crecquillon Je prens en gre la dure mort I. Prenez pitié. Lassus Susanne ung jour. de Sermisy Dont vient cela. Verdelot Ultimi miei sospiri. Willaert Qui la dira la peine de mon coeur.
Doulce Mémoire/Denis Raisin Dadre (soprano recorder/alto bassoon).
Ricercar RIC335 (full price, 1 hour 4 minutes). French and Italian texts included. Website www.outhere-music.com. Producer/Engineer Jérôme Lejeune. Date October 2011.

 

Beethoven New
Symphonies – No. 1 in C, Op. 21; No. 7 in A, Op. 92 (both transcr. Liszt).
Yury Martynov (piano).
Zig-Zag Territoires ZZT317 (full price, 1 hour 6 minutes). Website www.outhere-music.com. Producer Franck Jaffrès. Engineer Virgile Hermelin. Dates September 17th-21st, 2012.

 

 

Mompou New
Charmes – No. 6, ... pour appeler la joie. Damunt de tu només les flors (transcr. Volodos). Dialogues I and II. Hoy la tierra y los cielos me sonríen (transcr. Volodos). Musica callada Nos. 1, 2, 6, 11, 15, 16, 21, 22, 24-27. Paisajes – No. 2, El lago. Préludes – No. 7, Palmier d’étoiles; No. 12, Scènes d’enfants.
Arcadi Volodos (piano).
Sony Classical 88765 43326-2 (full price, 1 hour 3 minutes). Website www.sonymasterworks.com  Producer Friedemann Engelbrecht. Engineer Tobias Lehmann. Dates October 25th-28th and December 17th-19th, 2012.

 

The Phoenix Rising New CD/SACD
Byrd Mass for Five Voices. Ave verum corpus. Gibbons Almighty and everlasting God. O clap your hands. Morley Nolo mortem peccatoris. Tallis In ieiunio et fletu. Salvator mundi I. Taverner O splendor gloriae. White Christe qui lux es et dies IV. Portio mea, Domine.
Stile Antico.
Harmonia Mundi USA HMU807572 (full price, 1 hour 15 minutes). English/Latin texts and English translations included. Website www.harmoniamundi.com  Producer Robina G. Young. Engineer Brad Michel. Date November 2012.

 

The Eton Choirbook New
J. Browne Stabat mater a 6. Horwood Magnificat a 5. Sturton Gaude virgo mater Christi a 6. Sutton Salve regina a 7. Wylkynson Salve regina a 9.
Huelgas Ensemble/Paul Van Nevel.
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 88765 40885-2 (full price, 1 hour 9 minutes). Latin texts and English/German translations included. Website www.sonymasterworks.com  Producer/Engineer Markus Heiland. Dates July 18th and 19th, 2011.

 

Choirs of Angels New
Music from the Eton Choirbook, Volume 2.
J. Browne O Maria Salvatoris mater a 8. Cornysh Ave Maria mater Dei a 4. Davy Salve Jesu mater vera a 5. Lambe O Maria plena gratia a 6. Wylkynson Salve regina a 9.
Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford/ Stephen Darlington.
Avie AV2184 (full price, 1 hour 14 minutes). Latin texts and English translations included. Website www. avierecords.com  Producer David Trendell. Engineer Simon Fox-Gál. Dates September 11th-14th, 2012.

 

Bel raggio New
Rossini L’assedio di Corinto – L’ora fatal s’appressa … Giusto ciel! Il barbiere di Siviglia^a – Dunque io son … tu non m’inganni?. Elisabetta, Regina d’Inghilterra – Sento un’interna voce. Guglielmo Tell – S’allontanana alfine! …  Selva opaca, deserta brughiera. Matilde di Shabran – Ami alfine? E chi non ama? … Tace la tromba altera. Semiramide – Bel raggio lusinghier. Sigismondo – O tranquillo soggiorno! … Oggetto amabile. Tancredi – Gran Dio! Deh! tu proteggi il mio prode campion … Giusto Dio che umile adoro. Il turco in Italia^a – I vostri cenci vi mando … Squallida veste, e bruna … Caro padre, madre amata.
Aleksandra Kurzak (soprano); Warsaw Chamber Choir; Sinfonia Varsovia/Pier Giorgio Morandi with ^aArtur Rucinski (bass-baritone).
Decca 478 3553 (full price, 1 hour 8 minutes). Italian texts and English/French/German translations included. Website www.deccaclassics.com  Producer Christopher Alder. Engineers Philip Siney, Ewa Guziołek-Tubelewicz. Dates July 16th-20th, 2012.

 

Outstanding in the July/August 2013 edition

d’Erlanger New
Andante symphonique, Op. 18^a. Ballade^a. Concerto symphonique^b. Prélude romantique. Sursum Corda!.
^aGuy Johnston (cello); ^bVictor Sangiorgio (piano); BBC Concert Orchestra/Johannes Wildner.
Dutton Epoch CDLX7300 (medium price, 1 hour 19 minutes). Website www.duttonvocalion.co.uk. Producer Neil Varley. Engineers Dexter Newman, Dillon Gallagher. Dates March 27th-29th, 2012.

 

Mozart
Cassation in G, K63. Symphony No. 29 in A, K201/K186a. Divertimento No. 11 in D, K251.
European Union Chamber Orchestra/Hans-Peter Hofmann (violin).
Barn Cottage Records BCR011 (full price, 1 hour 19 minutes). Website www.barncottagerecords.co.uk. Producer/Engineer Robin Bigwood. Dates September 26th and 27th, 2012.

 

 

Beethoven New
Complete String Trios. String Trio in E flat, Op. 3. Serenade in D, Op. 8. String Trios, Op. 9 – No. 1 in G; No. 2 in D; No. 3 in C minor.
Lendvai String Trio (Nadia Wijzenbeek, violin; Ylvali Zilliacus, viola; Marie Macleod, cello).
Stone Records 5060192780239 (medium price, two discs, 2 hours 30 minutes). Website www.stonerecords.co.uk  Producer John Fraser. Engineer Arne Akselberg. Dates February 11th-15th, 2012.

 

Schubert New
String Quartets – No. 12 in C minor, D703; No. 15 in G, D887.
Wihan Quartet (Leoš Cepický, Jan Schulmeister, violins; Jiří Zigmund, viola; Aleš Kaspřík, cello).
Nimbus Alliance NI6221 (full price, 1 hour 2 minutes). Website www.wyastone.co.uk. Producer Jaroslav Rybář. Engineer Ondřej Urban. Dates June 20th and 21st, 2012.

 

 

Tabakova String Paths. New
Insight^abc. Concerto for Cello and Strings^bcd. Frozen River Flows^aef. Suite in Old Style^bdg. Such different paths^bhijklmn.
^aRoman Mints, ^hJanine Jansen, ⁱJulia-Maria Kretz (violins); ^jAmihai Grosz (viola); ^kTorleif Thedéen, ^cKristina Blaumane, ^lBoris Andrianov (cellos); ^fDonatas Bagurskas, ^mStacey Watton (double basses); ^eRaimondas Sviackevičius (accordion); ^gVaiva Eidukaityte-Storastiene (harpsichord); ^dLithuanian Chamber Orchestra/Maxim Rysanov (^bviola).
ECM New Series 476 4826 (full price, 1 hour 12 minutes). Website www.ecmrecords.com  Producers/Engineers Laura Jurgelionyte, Valdemaras Kiršys. Producer ⁿMarkus Heiland. Engineers ⁿManfred Eicher, ⁿJan Erik Kongshaug, ⁿDobrinka Tabakova. Dates March, April and ⁿJune 2011.

 

Debussy New
Piano Music, Volume 2.
Préludes, Book 2. Berceuse héroïque. La boîte à joujoux. Élégie. Page d’album. Le petit nègre.
Michael Korstick (piano).
Hänssler Classic CD93.300 (full price, 1 hour 14 minutes). Website www.haenssler-classic.de. Producer Roland Rublé. Engineer Friedemann Trumpp. Dates July 9th-12th, 2012.

 

Francesco da Milano Il divino. New
Fantasias – Nos. 3, 16, 20, 21, 28, 30, 31a, 33, 34 ‘La compagna’, 38, 39, 40, 41, 56, 58, 63, 64, 66 and 83. Ricercars Nos. 4, 5, 8, 10, 13 and 51. 
Anonymous Mon pere si mon marie. Pourquoy allez vous seullette. Ribera 
O bone Jesu. Arcadelt Quand’io penso al martire. Sermisy Las je m’y plains. Tu discois que je mourroye. Vignon vignetta. Garnier Reveillez moy. Josquin Desprez Que voulez vous dire de moi. Richafort De mon triste desplaisir.
Paul O’Dette (lute).
Harmonia Mundi USA HMU907557 (full price, 1 hour 17 minutes). Website www.harmonia mundi.com  Producer/Engineer Brad Michel. Engineer Andres Villalta. Date August 2011.

 

Art nouveau New
Ravel Ballade de la reine morte d’aimer. Manteau de fleurs. Cinq Mélodies populaires grecques. Rêves. Tripatos. Respighi Deità silvane, P107. R. Strauss Mädchenblumen, Op. 22. Drei Lieder der Ophelia, Op. 67 Nos. 1-3. Zemlinsky Walzer-Gesänge, Op. 6.
Teodora Gheorghiu (soprano); Jonathan Aner (piano).
Aparté AP054 (full price, 59 minutes). French/ German/Italian texts and English translations included. Website www.aparte.fr. Producer/Engineer Emilie Ruby. Producer Nicolas Bartholomée. Date December 2012.

 

Outstanding in the June 2013 edition

Britten New
Piano Concerto, Op. 13 (with original and revised third movements)^a. Violin Concerto, Op. 15^b.
^bTasmin Little (violin); ^aHoward Shelley (piano); BBC Philharmonic/Edward Gardner.
Chandos CHAN10764 (full price, 1 hour 16 minutes). Website www.chandos.net  Producers Brian Pidgeon, Mike George. Engineers Stephen Rinker, Denise Else. Dates September 10th, 11th and 13th, 2012.

 

Holmboe New CD/SACD
Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 139^a. Viola Concerto, Op. 189^b. Concerto for Orchestra.
^aErik Heide (violin); ^bLars Anders Tomter (viola); Norrköping Symphony Orchestra/ Dima Slobodeniouk.
Dacapo 6.220599 (full price, 59 minutes). Website www.dacapo-records.dk  Producer/Engineer Preben Iwan. Dates June 13th-17th, 2011.

 

 

Alkan New
Grande Sonate, Op. 33, ‘Les quatre âges’. Nocturne in B, Op. 22. Chanson de la folle au bord de la mer, Op. 31 No. 8. Barcarolle, Op. 65 No. 6. Esquisses, Op. 63  – Premier Livre.
Pascal Amoyel (piano).
La Dolce Volta LDV11 (full price, 1 hour 7 minutes). Website www.ladolcevolta.com. Producer François Eckert. Engineer Alice Legros. Dates May 26th-28th, 2012.

 

 

Chopin New
Ballades – No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23; No. 2 in F, Op. 38; No. 3 in A flat, Op. 47; No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52. Scherzos  – No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20; No. 2 in B flat minor/D flat, Op. 31; No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39; No. 4 in E, Op. 54. Sonatas – No. 1 in C minor, Op. 4; No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35; No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58.
Vassily Primakov (piano).
LP Classics 1009A/B (medium price, two discs, 2 hours 35 minutes). Website www.lpclassics.net. Producer Natalia Lavrova. Engineer Glenn W. Suyker. Dates May 14th-17th, 2012.

 

Debussy New
Préludes, Books 1 and 2. Les soirs illuminés par l’ardeur du charbon.
Craig Sheppard (piano).
Roméo Records 7297 (full price, 1 hour 20 minutes). Website www.romeorecords.com  Producer/Engineer Dmitriy Lipay. Producer Ron Mannarino. Date Live performances at The Meany Theater, Seattle in 2012.

 

 

Britten New
Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo , Op. 22^a. Winter Words, Op. 52^a. Songs from the Chinese, Op. 58^b. Six Hölderlin Fragments, Op. 61^a. Who are these Children?, Op. 84^a – No. 3, Nightmare; No. 6, Slaughter; No. 9, Who are these Children?; No. 11, The Children.
Ian Bostridge (tenor); ^bXuefei Yang (guitar); ^aAntonio Pappano (piano).
EMI Classics 4 33430-2 (full price, 1 hour 10 minutes). English/German/Italian texts and English/ French translations included. Website www.emiclassics.com Producer John Fraser. Engineer Arne Akselberg. Dates January ^a25th-27th and ^b31st, 2013.

 

Mozart New CD/SACD
Requiem in D minor, K626 (ed. Franz Xaver Süssmayr). Realisations – Amen (Richard Maunder); Sanctus (Robert Levin/Franz Beyer); Benedictus (Duncan Druce); Cum sanctis tuis (Levin); Lacrimosa (Michael Finnissy). Mozart’s Requiem: An Audio Documentary, written by Cliff Eisen. Read by Elin Manahan Thomas, with additional dialogue from Andy Doe, Kate Caro, Simon Kiln, Duncan Druce and Michael Finnissy^a.
Elin Manahan Thomas (soprano); Christine Rice (mezzo); James Gilchrist (tenor); Christopher Purves (bass-baritone); Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; Academy of Ancient Music/Stephen Cleobury.
Choir of King’s College, Cambridge KGS0002 (medium price, one SACD and one CD, 1 hour 2 minutes and 1 hour 6 minutes). ^aCD comprises Mozart’s Requiem: An Audio Documentary’. Latin texts and English translation included. Website www.kings.cam.ac.uk. Producers Simon Kiln, ^aAndy Doe. Engineers Arne Akselberg, Richard Hale, ^aTeitur Arnason. Dates Live performances at King’s College, Cambridge on June 26th-27th and September 27th, 2011, ^aSeptember 2011 and August, September and November 2012.

 

Handel - Hidden Handel. New
Admeto, HWV22 – Non lagrimate, o mie seguace … Farò, così più bella. Alessandro, HWV21 – Solitudini amate. Amadigi, HWV11 – Lusinga questo cor. Berenice, HWV38 – Le vicende della sorte. Muzio Scevola, HWV13 – Io d’altro regno … Dimmi, crudele Amore. Ottone, HWV15 – Vinto è l’Amor da sdegno e gelosia. Rinaldo, HWV7a – La crudele lontananza; Vieni, o caro, che senza il tuo core. Teseo, HWV9 – Sa perché pena il cor. Sento prima le procelle; No, non così severe; Vieni, o cara, e lieta in petto (insert arias for A. Scarlatti’s Il Pirro e Demetrio). Aria for Winds in F, HWV410. Hornpipe in C minor, HWV355. Marches – F, HWV346; D, HWV416; G, HWV418.
Ann Hallenberg (mezzo); Il Complesso Barocco/Alan Curtis.
Naïve V5326 (full price, 1 hour 11 minutes). Italian texts and English/French translations included. Website www.naive.fr  Producer/Engineer Laurence Heym. Producer Giulio d’Alessio. Dates June and July 2010.

 

Pergolesi Blu-ray
Il Flaminio.
Juan Francisco Gatell (tenor) Polidoro; Laura Polverelli (mezzo) Flaminio; Marina De Liso (mezzo) Giustina; Sonya Yoncheva (soprano) Agata; Serena Malfi (mezzo) Ferdinando; Laura Cherici (soprano) Checca; Vito Priante (bass-baritone) Vastiano; Accademia Bizantina/ Ottavio Dantone.
Arthaus Musik Blu-ray 108 067/also available on DVD 101 653 (one Blu-ray, two DVDs, 3 hours 3 minutes). Subtitles in English/French/German/Italian/Korean/Spanish. NTSC. 16:9. DVD 5 and 9. Region 0. Dolby Digital 5.1. Stage Director Michal Znaniecki. Video Director Tiziano Mancini. Date Live performance at the Teatro Valeria Moriconi, Jesi in 2010.

 

 

Outstanding in the May 2013 edition

Pickard New
Piano Concerto^a. Sea-Change^b. Tenebrae^b.
^aFredrik Ullén (piano); Norrköping Symphony Orchestra/Martyn Brabbins.
BIS BIS1873 (full price, 1 hour 14 minutes). Website www.bis.se  Producer Thore Brinkmann. Engineer Matthias Spitzbarth. Dates ^bMarch 2010, ^aDecember 2011.

 

 

Shostakovich New
Symphony No. 7 in C, Op. 60, ‘Leningrad’.
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/ Vasily Petrenko.
Naxos 8.573057 (budget price, 1 hour 19 minutes). Website www.naxos.com  Producer Andrew Walton. Engineers Mike Clements. Dates June 1st-3rd, 2012.

 

 

British Opera Overtures New
Balfe Le Puits d’Amour. The Siege of Rochelle. Barnett The Mountain Sylph. Benedict The Lily of Killarney. Loder The Night Dancers. Macfarren She Stoops to Conquer. Thomas The Golden Web. Wallace The Amber Witch. Love’s Triumph. Lurline.
Victorian Opera Orchestra/Richard Bonynge.
Somm Céleste SOMMCD0123 (medium price, 1 hour 15 minutes). Website www.somm-recordings. com  Producer David Ellis. Engineer Richard A. Scott. Dates July 16th and 17th, 2011.   

 

Janáček  DVD
The Cunning Little Vixen, JW 1/9.
Lucy Crowe (soprano) Vixen; Sergei Leiferkus (baritone) Forester; Emma Bell (soprano) Fox; Adrian Thompson (tenor) Schoolmaster/
Mosquito; Mischa Schelomianski (bass) Badger/Priest; William Dazeley (baritone) Harašta; Jean Rigby (mezzo) Forester’s Wife/Owl; Colin Judson (tenor) Innkeeper; Sarah Pring (soprano) Innkeeper’s Wife; Lucie Spičková (mezzo) Dog; Sebastian Davies (treble) Cricket; Beatrice Watkins (soprano) Grasshopper; Orlando Woscholski (treble) Frog; Louise Moseley (soprano) Young Vixen; Stefan Leadbeater (treble) Pepík; Joshua Richardson (treble) Frantík; Kirsty Stokes (soprano) Cockerel; Thomasin Trezise (mezzo) Hen; Eimear Collins (soprano) Jay; Mae Heydorn (mezzo) Woodpecker; Glyndebourne Chorus; London Philharmonic Orchestra/Vladimir Jurowski.
Opus Arte OA1101D (1 hour 37 minutes). Includes feature, ‘Creating Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen. Subtitles in English/French/German/Korean. Website www.opusarte.com. High Definition. NTSC. 16:9 Anamorphic. DVD 9. Region 0. LPCM 2.0. DTS Digital Surround. Stage Director Melly Still. Film Director Thomas Grimm. DVD Producer James Whitbourn. Date Live performances at Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes in June 2012.

 

Stevenson
L’Art nouveau du chant appliqué au piano, Volumes 1 and 2. Canonic caprice on ‘The Bat’. Three Contrapuntal Studies on Chopin Waltzes. Three Elizabethan Pieces after John Bull. Etudette d’après Korsakov et Chopin. Le Festin d’Alkan. Fugue on a Fragment of Chopin. Little Jazz Variations on Purcell’s ‘New Scotch Tune’. Melody on a Ground of Glazunov. Two Music Portraits. Norse Elegy for Ella Nygaard. Pensées sur des Préludes de Chopin. Prelude and Chorale (an Easter Offering). Ricordanza di San Romerio. Three Scottish Ballads – No. 1, ‘Lord Randal’. J. S. Bach Komm, süsser Tod, BWV478. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K466 – Romanza. Fantasy in F minor, K608. Purcell Three Grounds. Hornpipe. The Queen’s Dolour (A farewell). Toccata. Ysaÿe  Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27 – No. 1 in G minor; No. 2 in A minor (all transcr. Stevenson).
Divine Art dda21372, three discs, 3 hours 37 minutes.
This is a feature starting on page 30 by Calum MacDonald.

 

Verdi   DVD
Rigoletto.  
C Major Entertainment Blu-ray 723304/DVD 723208 (2 hours 20 minutes).
This is part of a feature, which starts on page 24, ‘Verdi bicentenary – Tutto Verdi: emerging from the galley years’ by Mark Pullinger.

 

 

 

 

Outstanding in the April 2013 edition

J. S. Bach New
Violin Concertos^a  – A minor, BWV1041; E, BWV1042. Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV1043^b. Concerto for Three Violins in D, BWV1064R^c.
^bcPetra Müllejans, ^cAnne Katherina Schreiber (violins); Freiburger Barockorchester/ Gottfried von der Goltz (violin).
Harmonia Mundi HMC902145 (full price, 1 hour 2 minutes). Website www.harmoniamundi.com  Producer Tobias Lehmann. Engineer Alexander Feucht. Date April 2012.

Dutilleux New
Correspondances^a. ‘Tout un monde lointain … ’^b. The Shadows of Time^c.
^aBarbara Hannigan (soprano); ^bAnssi Karttunen (cello); ^csoloists from Maîtrise de Radio France; Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France/Esa-Pekka Salonen.
DG 479 1180 (full price, 1 hour 7 minutes). French texts and English/German translations included. Website www.deutschegrammphon.com  Producers ^abPaul Malinowski, ^cÉtienne Pipard. Engineer Cyril Bécue. Dates ^abDecember 2011, ^cSeptember 2012.

 

Martin Le conte de Cendrillon. New
Orchestre de la Haute école de musique de Genève/Gábor Takács-Nagy with Clémence Tilquin (soprano); Alexandra Hewson (mezzo); Varduhi Khachatryan (contralto); David Hernandez Anfruns (tenor).
Claves 50-1202 (full price, 1 hour 8 minutes). German texts included. Website www.claves.ch. Producer Luc Terrapon. Engineer Jean-Claude Renou. Dates September 6th-8th, 2010.

 

Hindemith New
Viola Sonatas^a – Op. 11 No. 4; 1939. Solo Viola Sonata, Op. 25 No. 1. Capriccio, Op. 8 No. 1 (arr. Gandelsman)^a.
Yuri Gandelsman (viola); ^aRalph Votapek (piano).
Blue Griffin BGR277 (full price, 59 minutes). Website www.bluegriffin.com. Producer/Engineer Sergei Kvitko. Dates May 19th and 20th, 2012. 
   

 

String Quartets New
Lutosławski String Quartet.
Penderecki String Quartets – No. 1; No. 2; No. 3, ‘Leaves of an Unwritten Diary’^a.
Royal String Quartet (Izabella Szałaj-Zimak, Elwira Przybyłowska, violins; Marek Czech, viola; Michał Pepol, cello).
Hyperion CDA67943 (full price, 59 minutes). Website www.hyperion-records.co.uk  

 

 

Beethoven Volume 2. New
Piano Sonatas – No. 4 in E flat, Op. 7; No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2, ‘Moonlight’; No. 24 in F sharp, Op. 78. Fantasie in G minor, Op. 77.
Jonathan Biss (piano).
Onyx Classics ONYX4094 (full price, 1 hour 11 minutes). Website www.onyxclassics.com  Producer/Engineer David Frost. Engineers Silas Brown, Doron Schachter. Dates May 23rd-25th, 2012

 

Julia Lezhneva Alleluia. New
Handel Saeviat tellus inter rigores, HWV240.
Mozart Exsultate, jubilate, K165/K158a.
Porpora In caelo stelle clare fulgescant.
Vivaldi In furore iustissimae irae, RV626.
Julia Lezhneva (soprano); Il Giardino Armonico/Giovanni Antonini.
Decca 478 5242 (full price, 1 hour 1 minute). Italian/Latin texts and English/French/German translations included. Website www.deccaclassics.com  Producer Mark Brown. Engineer Jonathan Stokes. Dates October 12th-17th, 2012.

 

Poulenc New
Stabat mater, FP148^a. Les Biches, FP36.
^aMarlis Petersen (soprano); ^aSWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart; ^aNDR Chor; Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR/Stéphane Denève.
Hänssler Classic CD93.297 (full price, 1 hour 5 minutes). Latin text and English/German translations included. Website www.haenssler-classic.de. Producer Felix Fischer. Engineers ^aBurkhard Pitzer-Landeck, Martin Vögele. Dates March 12th-15th and ^a23rd, 2012.

 

Wagner New
Lohengrin – In fernem Land (original version)^ab. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – Am stillen Herd. Rienzi – Allmächt’ger Vater, blick herab!. Siegfried – Dass der mein Vater nicht ist … Du holdes Vöglein. Tannhäuser – Inbrunst im Herzen^a. Die Walküre – Ein Schwert verhiess mir der Vater. Wesendonck-Lieder (orch. Felix Mottl).
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor); ^bChor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin/Donald Runnicles with ^aMarkus Brück (bass-baritone).
Decca 478 5189 (full price, 1 hour 14 minutes). German texts and English/French translations included. Website www.deccaclassics.com  Producer David Groves. Engineers Philip Siney, Daniel Kemper, Tim Tautorat. Dates September 17th-22nd, 2012.

 

Outstanding in the March 2013 edition