|
|
NAXOS CD OF THE MONTH |
8557990
| CD | 747313299027
MAHLER
SYMPHONY NO 5
London Symphony Orchestra, James DePriest (conductor)
- Marks the first time London’s best orchestra has recorded for Naxos
- Recorded at Abbey Road, next to the studio where the Beatles recorded
- The Adagietto is one of the most popular symphonic slow movements of all time
- The dynamic range of this recording will test out any hi-fi system
|
|
A POWERFUL NEW RECORDING, WORLD FAMOUS ORCHESTRA, GREAT AMERICAN CONDUCTOR The second most recorded of Mahler’s symphonies, the Fifth includes the ravishing 'Adagietto', a love-poem for the beautiful Alma Schindler, his future wife, which was subsequently made famous by its use in Visconti’s film 'Death in Venice'. Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, a work of huge emotional and structural range, was his first purely orchestral work since the First Symphony of 1888, and his first orchestral work to dispense with both the human voice and overtly programmatic elements.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS JAZZ LEGENDS |
8120812
| CD | 636943281222
BLUE ABANDON
DUKE ELLINGTON VOL 12
Cat Anderson, Lawrence Brown, Harry Carney, Duke Ellington, Leonard Feather, Sonny Greer, Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, Tricky Sam Nanton, Oscar Pettiford, Al Sears, Duke Ellington Orchestra
- 14 hard-to-get tracks together on 1 great disc
- Duke Ellington remains a top-selling performer
- Notes and full recording details for each track
- Features great artists, including Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Cat Anderson and many more
|
|
RARE RADIO TRANSCRIPTIONS BY A JAZZ LEGEND
By 1946 Ellington had not only survived the Depression, the Swing era and World War II, but had thrived during each period. In addition to his commercially available recordings, Ellington also made a series of transcriptions specifically to be played on the radio. It is from that treasure trove that the first fourteen tracks of this collection are drawn (Crosstown, Magenta Haze, The Eighth Veil, Blue Abandon, Sono, Tip Toe Topic, Hey Baby, Fickle Fling, The Unbooted Character, The Suburbanite, Moon Mist, Double Ruff, A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing, The Mooche) while Deep South Suite was recorded in Carnegie Hall.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS NOSTALGIA |
8120836
| CD | 636943283622
BOB HOPE
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
Ken Carpenter, Bing Crosby, W. C Fields, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Shirley Ross, Jane Russell, Veola Vonn, Margaret Whiting, Andrews Sisters, Clark Sisters, Foys, Starlighters, Billy May Orchestra, Harry Sosnik Orchestra, Joseph Lilley Orchestra, Paramount Studio Orchestra, Paul Weston Orchestra, Studio Orchestra, Vic Schoen Orchestra, Joseph Lilley (conductor)
- 19 unforgettable tracks (1938-55)
- Bob Hope's humour and professionalism shine through every moment
- Features a roll-call of star guest artists
|
|
FAVOURITE SONGS, RARE RADIO BROADCASTS
Bob Hope (1903–2003) was the most famous entertainer of the 20th century. He was everywhere: on radio, television, in films, on records and in personal appearances at home and abroad. What made Hope 'spring eternal' was that he was the hardest working entertainer in show business, knew his audience and, above all, knew his craft. This disc brings together Put It There Pal (from Road to Utopia), Road to Morocco, The Lady's In Love With You (from Some Like It Hot), My Favorite Brunette, Sonny Boy (from Radio's Biggest Show broadcast, 1946), Buttons and Bows (from The Paleface), Lucky Us (from The Great Lover), Blind Date, Home Cookin' (from Fancy Pants), Anchorage Monologue, Wing Ding (from Son of Paleface), Nobody, I'm Tired & Chinatown, My Chinatown (from The Seven Little Foys), and several broadcasts the American Troops.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS NOSTALGIA |
812086364
| CD2 | 0636943286326
THE ULTIMATE VOCAL COLLECTION
Various artists including Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Dinah Shore, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, The Andrew Sisters, Doris Day, Fred Astaire, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Al Jolson, Guy Mitchell, Mario Lanza, and many more
- New title in the Naxos best-selling 'Ultimate Nostalgia' series
- SBS TV advertised
- Product will ship from 15 January 2007
|
|
Tracks include The Trolley Song, Someone To Watch Over Me, Goody Goody, Blueberry Hill, When You Wish Upon A Star, God Bless The Child, Suzy Snowflake, Chica Chica Boom Chic, The Way You Look Tonight, Pittsburg Pennsylvannia, Swanee, I’ve Got The World On A String, Easy To Love and many more. Other titles include 'The Ultimate Nostalgia Collection (812085253), 'The Ultimate Nostalgia Collection Vol 2' (812085657), 'The Ultimate Musicals Collection' (812085455) and 'The Ultimate Big Bands Collection' (812086162).
|
|
|
|
BBC LEGENDS |
ROHS003
| CD3 | 5024545368628
VERDI
DON CARLO
Boris Christoff, Jon Vickers, Tito Gobbi, Michael Langdon, Joseph Rouleau, Gre Brouwenstijn, Fedora Barbieri, Jeannette Sinclair, Ava June, Margaret Lensky, Edgar Evans, Robert Allman, Covent Garden Opera Chorus & Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini (conductor)
- One of Verdi's most dramatic operas in a path-breaking production
- All-star cast, brilliant chorus, orchestra & conductor
- BONUS: Lord Harewood in conversation about the performance
|
|
GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE, DECEMBER 2006
'One of Covent Garden's legendary nights, when a classic cast…in an inspired Visconti production restored a great opera to the international repertoire. Every bar of this recording [from May 1958] oozes theatricality and the irresistible sense of a once-in-a-lifetime occasion.' (Gramophone) 'It does much to recapture the excitement of being there in 1958 and of demonstrating in a realisation at once scrupulous and impassioned a great opera that had been for too long undervalued.' (Andrew Porter, Introductory Essay to the set)
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISSACD1591
| SACD | 7318599915913
GRIEG
PEER GYNT SUITES
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Ole Kristian Ruud (conductor)
- Latest release in an acclaimed series
- Includes favourites such as both Peer Gynt Suites
- Superbly engineered recording
|
|
DEFINITIVE GRIEG RECORDINGS!
BIS's Grieg Series has been gathering the most extravagant praise, both for the committed performances – by Grieg's 'own' orchestra – and for the sound quality, which has been held up as a model for Surround Sound recordings. Of a previous release, MusicWeb International wrote: 'The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra give exemplary performances under Ole Kristian Ruud...these discs provide a wonderfully refreshing view of Grieg’s music, in fine idiomatic performances.' Peer Gynt Suites Nos 1 & 2; Funeral March: Rikard Nordraak in memoriam (version for wind band); Old Norwegian Romance with Variations, Op. 51' Bell Ringing, Op. 54, No. 6
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISSACD1616
| SACD | 7318599916163
BEETHOVEN
SYMPHONY NO 9
Helena Juntunen (soprano), Katarina Karnéus (mezzo-soprano), Daniel Norman (tenor), Neal Davies (bass-baritone), Minnesota Orchestra & Chorale, Osmo Vanska (conductor)
- Beethoven's greatest symphony - the Ninth - superbly performed
- Features the immortal Ode to Joy choral final movement
- Third disc in Osmo Vänskä & Minnesota Orchestra’s astounding Beethoven series
- Recorded using DSD (direct stream digital) technology
|
|
ACCLAIMED NEW RECORDING!
This stunning new album is part of a five-year, five-disc series of the complete Beethoven symphonies. '10/10 rating for artistic and sound quality...what Vanska achieves here is a Ninth built on a human scale, but one never lacking in depth of feeling.' (ClassicsToday.com) The two previous discs in this series have been greeted with great acclaim: '…this is something special...these are great interpretations and a true 21st century take on the music...' (Classic FM Magazine of BISSACD1516) 'I choose my words carefully when I say this is the best recording of Beethoven symphonies since Carlos Kleiber's with the Vienna Philharmonic a generation ago.' (The Financial Times)
|
|
|
|
DRG |
DRGCD32970
| CD2 | 021471297027
ENNIO MORRICONE LIVE
Various Orchestras, Ennio Morricone (conductor)
- Deluxe packaged double album with rare photographs
- Morricone’s music sells millions of copies world-wide
- Includes both best-known scores and valuable rarities
|
|
A FILM-MUSIC LEGEND
Ennio Morricone is consistently placed among the finest soundtrack composers, indeed, among the finest contemporary composers of any kind. He has composed the scores of more than 500 films and TV series. This 2-CD set features Morricone conducting live performances from around the world, with extensive liner notes and rare photographs. Tracks include Once Upon A Time In America Theme, Musashi, The Legend of 1900, Canone Inverso/Making Love, Cinema Paradiso, music from The Good The Bad And The Ugly, Once Upon A Time In The West, A Fistful Of Dynamite, Battle of Algiers, Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion, Pereira Declares, H2S, Casualities Of War, The Red Tent, Vatel, The Good Pope, Addio Monti, The Working Class Goes To Heaven, Burn, Richard III+ The Desert Of The Tartars, Garfield's Oboe, The Mission and In Earth As In Heaven.
|
|
|
|
GIMELL |
CDGIM041
| CD | 755138104129
ALLEGRI: MISERERE; PALESTRINA: MISSA PAPAE MARCELLI, STABAT MATER
The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips (director)
- New title released to coincide with The Tallis Scholars' 2007 Australian tour
- Features 2 versions of Allegri’s famous Miserere
- Major promotions on ABC Classic FM
|
|
TIMELESS MASTERPIECES COMPOSED FOR THE SISTINE CHAPEL
This ‘must-have’ new recording presents two versions of Allegri’s Miserere – the first is the ‘standard version’ with the soprano’s spine-tingling high notes; the second featuring the entrancing vocal embellishments developed over the many years The Tallis Scholars have performed this much-loved work, the score of which the Vatican jealously guarded for many centuries. Palestrina’s Mass for Pope Marcellus II is a grand masterpiece of Renaissance music, while his Stabat Mater expresses the grief of Christ’s mother at the foot of the cross with unparalleled emotional impact.
|
|
|
|
GIMELL |
CDGIM207
| CD2 | 755138120723
RENAISSANCE GIANTS
MUSIC BY BYRD, DES PRES, PALESTRINA, TALLIS, TAVERNER & VICTORIA
The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips (director)
- New release - 2 CDs for the price of 1
- Features Tallis’s immense 40-part motet Spem in alium
- A marvellous survey of unaccompanied choral classics
- No excerpts – all works performed complete
|
|
TOWERING WORKS FROM THE RENAISSANCE
Tallis: Spem in alium; Taverner: Western Wind Mass; Des Pres: Missa Pange lingua; Palestrina: Missa Brevis; Byrd: Mass for Four Voices; Victoria: Requiem. The Renaissance is well known for its cultural giants. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and, above all, Michelangelo epitomise a period when the human spirit seemed to grow and gain in confidence. This collection of complete works celebrates the musical geniuses who contributed to this astonishing period in European history. From the overwhelming power of Tallis’s 40-part motet Spem in alium to the radiant beauty of Victoria’s Requiem, this double album delivers sheer bliss and is an excellent introduction to some of the most beautiful choral music ever composed.
|
|
|
|
GIMELL |
GIMDP901
| DVD | 0755138190108
BYRD
PLAYING ELIZABETH'S TUNE
The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips (director)
- The Tallis Scholars are living legends of unaccompanied singing
- Australian Tour during January & February 2007
- Great visuals and superb sound on this DVD
- BONUS AUDIO TRACKS – The Tallis Scholars sing 2 Masses by Byrd
|
|
DVD OF THE TALLIS SCHOLARS’ PERFORMANCE IN TEWKESBURY ABBEY
Peter Phillips directs The Tallis Scholars in sacred music by William Byrd, Queen Elizabeth I’s favourite composer, filmed by candlelight in Tewkesbury Abbey with genuine surround sound. Charles Hazlewood explores the life and music of William Byrd, Catholic Composer for a Protestant Queen, and the troubled times that produced some of the most intimate and passionate sacred music ever written. Includes excerpts from the musical performances. Byrd: Mass for Four Voices; Ave verum corpus; Diffusa est gratia; Magnificat from The Great Service; Ne irascaris; Nunc dimittis (Gradualia); O Lord, make thy Servant, Elizabeth; Prevent Us, O Lord; Tristitia et anxietas; Vigilate
AUDIO BONUS – The Tallis Scholars sing William Byrd in Merton College Chapel,Oxford. Byrd: Mass for Five Voices; Mass for Three Voices; Tribue Domine
|
|
|
|
HARMONIA MUNDI CD OF THE MONTH |
HMX290831416
| CD2 | 794881818020
RENE JACOBS BY HIMSELF
MUSIC BY BACH, BLOW, BUXTEHUDE, CALDARA, CAVALLI, CESTI, CHARPENTIER, COUPERIN, GLUCK, HANDEL, HAYDN, KEISER, MONTEVERDI, MOZART, PERGOLESI, PURCELL, SCARLATTI, SCHUTZ, TELEMANN & OTHERS
Leading artists, including Judith Nelson, Sebastian Hennig, Christina Hogman, Maria Christina Kiehr, Maria Bayo, Patrizia Ciofi, Inga Kalna, Vivica Geneaux, Dorothea Roschmann (soprano), Helge Muller Molinari, Jennifer Larmore, Bernarda Fink (mezzo-soprano), Andreas Scholl, Derek Lee Ragin, Dominique Visse, Laurence Zazzo (counter-tenor), Christophe Pregardien, Werner Gura (tenor), Simon Keenlyside, James Rutherford (baritone), Antonio Abete, Lorenzo Regazzo (bass), Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin, Choir of Clare College, Concerto Vocale, Concerto Koln, Ensemble 415 and many more!
- Rene Jacobs is a leading light of Baroque and Classical music
- A personal selection of Jacob’s recording highlights
- Bonus DVD exploring Jacob’s artistic life
- Includes 135-page illustrated booklet & 31-page complete discography
|
|
2-CD SET CELEBRATING RENE JACOBS' 30-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH HARMONIA MUNDI
With more than 2 1/2 hours of music personally selected by Rene Jacobs himself, this is a landmark survey of some of the highlights of Jacobs 70 recordings, in chronological order from Charpentier's Lecons de Tenebres to Haydn's The Seasons. BONUS DVD 'BETWEEN RIGOUR AND IMAGINATION' Pierre Barre reports on Rene Jacobs and his many activities, from recording studio to opera stage; includes a visit to Ghent, the scene of his early training.
|
|
|
|
LIVING ERA |
CDAJA5648
| CD | 743625564822
MY FUNNY VALENTINE
VINTAGE SONGS OF LOVE
Fred Astaire, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Tony Martin, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan and many more legendary artists
- Perfect St Valentine's Day gift
- 24 original mono recordings (1932-56)
- The greatest love songs from the golden era of nostalgia
|
|
EACH SONG AN EVERGREEN, EACH INTERPRETATION SUPREME
For all lovers (of any age!) who appreciate the cream of romantic ballads, this is simply the best way to say 'I love you'. Features classic songs such as Night And Day, Embraceable You, True Love, I Only Have Eyes For You, These Foolish Things, All The Things You Are, Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye, The Nearness Of You, Body And Soul, You Go To My Head and many more.
|
|
[back to top] | [back to priorities]
naxos
naxos |
naxos historical |
naxos audiobooks
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8555849
| CD | 747313584925 |
BRAHMS
FOUR HAND PIANO MUSIC VOL 17
Silke-Thora-Matthies, Christian Kohn (piano duo)
|
|
An accomplished pianist whose piano output spanned his entire life, Brahms made four-hand piano arrangements of many of his orchestral, chamber and vocal scores. The monumental First Piano Concerto was originally conceived as a sonata for two pianos. In this recording we hear this version. The other, for one piano, four hands, can be heard on Naxos 8554116.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS | 8559205 | CD | 636943920527
CRUMB
CHAMBER MUSIC
New Music Concerts Ensemble, Robert Aitken (conductor)
|
|
George Crumb’s hauntingly beautiful scores have made him one of the most frequently performed composers today. He has won numerous awards and prizes, including the Pulitzer, and a 2004 Musical America ‘Composer of the Year’ laurel. Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale) was inspired by a tape recording of whale songs that the composer had heard. Federico’s Little Songs for Children originated in Lorca’s Canciones para ninos.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8559294
| CD | 636943929421
HOVHANESS
KHRIMIAN HAIRIG, GUITAR CONCERTO, SYMPHONY NO 60 'TO THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS'
David Leisner (guitar), Lars Ranch (trumpet), Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz (conductor)
|
|
American composer Alan Hovhaness was a trend-setting pioneer who absorbed a variety of archaic and modern influences from East and West. Described by the composer’s wife as his ‘true masterpiece’, Khrimian Hairig, with its trumpet solo, recalls the heroic Armenian priest of the title. Hovhaness’ Guitar Concerto is virtuosic and romantic, while the Symphony No. 60 ‘To the Appalachian Mountains’, expresses the composer’s love of the music and folk poetry of the Appalachians.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8559298
| CD | 636943929827
HIGDON
PIANO TRIO, VOICES, IMPRESSIONS
Cypress String Quartet and other artists
|
|
Jennifer Higdon’s philosophy is to make sure her music communicates, both to professional performers and to audiences, from the first-time listener to the most sophisticated connoisseur. In her Piano Trio, Higdon explores the relationship between sound and color, and the potential for such elements to convey different moods. Voices depicts contrasting states of mind, from highly agitated to serene. In Impressions, the composer uses impressionist painting as her inspiration.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8559316
| CD | 636943931622
ROREM
DOUBLE CONCERTO & AFTER READING SHAKESPEARE
Jaime Laredo (violin), Sharon Robinson (cello), IRIS Orchestra, Michael Stern (conductor)
|
|
Ned Rorem's music is conceived largely in accordance with traditional, tonal norms, treated with originality and immense inventiveness. He has long known both soloists, who, he says 'came to exemplify for me the ideal string players', resulting in the Double Concerto. Rorem suggests that the two instruments 'are born on stage, emerging from the womb of the orchestra'. After Reading Shakespeare for solo cello brings out the rich-sound of this instrument.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8559317
| CD | 636943931721
WILLIAM SCHUMAN
SYMPHONIES NOS 3 & 5, JUDITH
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz (conductor)
|
|
American William Schuman juggled many careers in his full, productive life: teacher, administrator, conductor and composer of ten symphonies as well as music in other genres. His two-movement Symphony No 3 (1941), derives from Baroque models. Known as Symphony No 5 is remarkable for its contrapuntal mastery and irresistible rhythmic elan. Judith (1949) was based on the ancient Hebrew tale of the Jewish widow who saved her people by seducing and beheading the despotic general Holofernes.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8559445
| CD | 636943944523
PSALMS OF SORROW & JOY
VARIOUS COMPOSERS INCLUDING PHILIP GLASS
Various artists, including BBC Singers, Barcelona Symphony, Catalonia National Orchestra, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
|
|
Unique among liturgies in their singular blend of majestic grandeur, lofty sentiments, and poignant simplicity, the Psalms embrace virtually every basic human emotion and mood, always in the context of faith. George Rochberg: 3 Psalms (excerpts); Jacob Druckman: Psalm 93; Ursula Mamlok: Cantata based on Psalm 1; Yehudi Wyner: Ma Tovu & Shiru Ladonai (Psalm 96); Miriam Gideon: Ma Tovu & Adonai Malakh (Psalm 93); Martin Kalmanoff: The Lord is My Shepherd (Psalm 23); Philip Glass: Psalm 126; Donald Waxman: Psalms and Supplications (excerpts); Ralph Shapey: Psalm II; Robert Strassburg: Psalm 117; Heinrich Schalit: The 23rd Psalm; Zavel Zilberts: Psalm 137 (Al Naharot Bavel).
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
866018788
| CD2 | 730099618724
CAVALLI
GLI AMORI D'APOLLO E DI DAFNE
Soloists, Galicia Youth Symphony Orchestra, Alberto Zedda (conductor)
|
|
A chorister at St Mark's in Venice under Monteverdi, Cavalli won a reputation as a leading composer for the city's new commercial opera houses. The pastoral Gli amori d'Apollo e di Dafne (The Loves of Apollo and of Daphne), Cavalli's second opera, set a libretto by Busenello, who later provided the text for Monteverdi's final opera, L'incoronazione di Poppea. Cavalli's opera deals with the god Apollo's amorous pursuit of the chaste Daphne, who finds refuge in metamorphosis into a laurel tree, to her lover's distress.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8570144
| CD | 747313014477
ALWYN
ELIZABETHAN DANCES, CONCERTO FOR OBOE HARP & STRINGS, THE INNUMERABLE DANCE & OTHER ORCHESTRAL MUSIC
Jonathon Small (oboe), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, David Lloyd-Jones (conductor)
|
|
Volume 5 of William Alwyn's complete orchestral works features the popular Elizabethan Dances, which contrast ancient and modern dance rhythms from the courts of Elizabeths I and II. The atmospheric The Magic Island was inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The Innumerable Dance is a perfect evocation of Spring. This and the exquisite miniature Aphrodite in Aulis here receive their first recording. The Oboe Concerto expresses the composer’s yearning for the peace and beauty of the English countryside.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8570148
| CD | 747313014873
WILLIAM HARRIS
CHORAL MUSIC
Soloists, St George's Chapel Choir Windsor, Tim Byram-Wigfield (conductor)
|
|
During his tenure as Organist at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, William Henry Harris composed much music for choir and for organ solo as well as larger pieces for the Three Choirs Festival and two premieres at the London Proms. In addition to music previously unrecorded, this disc includes Harris’ two best known works: Faire is the heav’n, and Bring us O Lord God, both pinnacles of 20th-century English Church Music, recorded in the Chapel by the Choir of boys and men with which he was associated for almost thirty years.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8570151
| CD | 747313015177
SCHUMANN
STRING QUARTETS NOS 1-3
Fine Arts Quartet
|
|
In 1842, a veritable ‘Year of Chamber Music’, Schumann composed the Three String Quartets Op 41, the Piano Quintet Op 44 and the Piano Quartet Op 47. Influenced by the late quartets of Beethoven and the quartets of Haydn and Mozart, Schumann’s string quartets are masterpieces in their own right, filled with musical inventiveness, youthful exuberance and intense poetic feeling.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8570180
| CD | 747313018079
GOMBERT
MOTETS, CHANSONS & MAGNIFICAT
Capella Alamire, Woodman Consort of Viols, Peter Urquhart (director)
|
|
Nicholas Gombert served for much of his life in the musical establishment of the Emperor Charles V. He was among the leading composers of the generation between Josquin (who may have been his teacher) and Palestrina, demonstrating a complete command of the techniques and musical idioms of the period in his liturgical settings and in his secular chansons, both of which are represented here.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8570198
| CD | 747313019878
DITTERSDORF
SINFONIAS
Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, Alvaro Cassuto (conductor)
|
|
Baron von Dittersdorf’s attractive personality and inventiveness as a composer shines through in every movement of the three charming symphonies featured on this world première recording. Composed in the 1780s around the time of his famous ‘Ovid’ Symphonies, the three symphonies included here abound in brilliant orchestral writing and quirky, infectious melodies.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8557245
| CD | 747313224524
BUSONI
SONGS
Martin Bruns (baritone), Ulrich Eisenlohr (piano)
|
|
Most of Busoni’s 40 or so songs were composed during his childhood and adolescence, up to 1885. Atmospheric, sentimental and well-crafted, and with challenging piano parts, the early songs belong in spirit to the late romantic tradition. Thirty years later, Busoni returned to the genre with his ground-breaking Goethe-Lieder, declamatory songs with sparse textures, motoric rhythms and piano parts closely interwoven with the voice. Six of the songs on this disc are world première recordings.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8557423
| CD | 747313242320
RACHMANINOV
PIANO TRIOS NOS 1 & 2
Valeri Grohovski (piano), Eduard Wulfson (violin), Dmitry Yablonsky (cello)
|
|
Although written before Rachmaninov turned 21, his two elegiac Piano Trios are wholly characteristic works. With their challenging piano parts and radiant melodies they clearly show the direction Rachmaninov would take as a mature composer. Cast in a single, sonata-form movement, the first Trio seems not to have been inspired by any particular melancholy event. Headed ‘In Memory of a Great Artist', the second Trio was written in response to Tchaikovsky's tragic death in 1893.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8557565
| CD | 747313256525
ERNST
CONCERTO PATHETIQUE & OTHER MUSIC FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO
Ilya Grubert (violin), Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitry Yablonsky (conductor)
|
|
Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst was in his day considered by no less an authority than Joseph Joachim to be the greatest living violinist. He was compared favourably with Paganini, whose style he emulated and with whom he played in concert, and for most of his adult life gave concerts all over Europe, playing his own and other virtuoso concertos and chamber music. The award-winning soloist on this recording, Ilya Grubert, plays a 1740 Guarnieri violin once owned by Henryk Wieniawski.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8557710
| CD | 747313271023
ELGAR
SEA PICTURES & THE MUSIC MAKERS
Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano), Bournemouth Symphony Chorus & Orchestra, Simon Wright (conductor)
|
|
ELGAR 150TH ANNIVERSARY DISC Elgar identifed intensely with the sentiments of Arthur O'Shaughnessy's ode The Music Makers, which proposed that artists are the real creators and inspiration for mankind. Sea Pictures followed in the wake of the triumphant first performance of the Enigma Variations, which turned Elgar into a composer of national repute. The work was premiered by a young contralto - Clara Butt - who, Elgar wrote to a friend, had 'dressed like a mermaid' for the occasion.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8557713
| CD | 747313271320
RICHARD STRAUSS
PIANO MUSIC
Stefan Veselka (piano)
|
|
Best known as a composer of symphonic poems, operas and songs, Richard Strauss was also a proficient pianist. Composed during his final years at school, and at university, the piano works included on this recording reflect the influences of Mendelssohn, Brahms and Schumann. That Strauss was to become a significant composer of Lieder with piano accompaniment can be heard in the lush harmonies of some of these works.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8557839
| CD | 747313278398
OHKI
SYMPHONY NO 5 'HIROSHIMA', JAPANESE RHAPSODY
New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Takuo Yuasa (conductor)
|
|
The pieces on this disc are world premiere recordings, although they have been performed regularly; no less than Stokowski giving the premiere of the 'Hiroshima' Symphony. This work was Okhi's personal attempt to come to terms with what the atomic bombing meant. Ohki’s earlier Japanese Rhapsody was written in 1938, at the height of the Japanese war against China. Its confident handling of 'Russian' mainstream influences and Japanese traditional style, seems to belong to another era.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8557862
| CD | 747313286225
DOWLAND'S TEARS
LUTE MUSIC VOL 2
Nigel North (lute)
|
|
The pre-eminent lutenist of his day, John Dowland was a contemporary of Shakespeare. This 2nd volume of his complete lute music (Volume One is Naxos 8557586) includes perhaps his best-known work, the Lachrimae Pavan. This melancholic work became the most popular pavan of its age, gaining a central piece in the Elizabethan lute repertoire. The closing pavan based on the composer’s motto Semper Dowland Semper Dolens (Dowland is always doleful) is full of exquisitely restless harmonies and quotations from the composer’s songs.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS |
8557958
| CD2 | 747313295821
MAYR
L'ARMONIA & CANTATA FOR THE DEATH OF BEETHOVEN
Anne Borchers, Angelika Huber, Miriam Galonska, Valer Georg, Barna Sabadus, Bastian Ziegler, Christian Eberl, Ivan Orescanin, Talia Or (soprano), Altin Piriù (tenor) & Nikolay Borchev (bass), Ingolstadt Georgian Chamber Orchestra & Simon Mayr Choir, Franz Hauk (conductor)
|
|
Simon Mayr, a contemporary of Haydn, Beethoven and Rossini, was one of the most famous opera composers at the beginning of the 19th century. Centres like Rome, Milan, London, Paris, Vienna and Lisbon performed his works. Regarded as 'the father of the Italian opera', his most famous disciple was Gaetano Donizetti. 'Mayr had significant melodic gifts…The orchestra under Franz Hauk play the music capably.' (MusicWeb International)
|
|
|
|
NAXOS HISTORICAL |
811106163
| CD3 | 747313306121
JS BACH
THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER BOOK 2
Wanda Landowska (harpsichord)
|
|
Wanda Landowska was the greatest harpsichordist of the first half of the 20th century, famous for her vitality, musical integrity and total commitment to the music she is playing. Her heartfelt interpretations are best summed up in her own words: ‘When Bach writes of sorrow, it never crushes us. Perhaps because there is no trace of bitterness. This music, even if it describes rebellion or anguish, fortifies us.’ Landowska’s recording of Book I is available on Naxos 811031415.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS HISTORICAL |
8111100
| CD | 747313310029
MOZART & VIENNESE OPERETTA ARIAS
Elizabeth Schumann (soprano)
|
|
A star member of the Vienna State Opera from 1919 to 1938, Elisabeth Schumann’s roles ranged widely from Mozart to Wagner, Richard Strauss and Viennese operetta. Her pure, silvery voice and innate gift for communicating with audiences were legendary. Full of vitality and exuberance, warmth and tenderness, she was an artist born to sing in the Viennese style. Also featured are excerpts from lesser-known works by Zeller, Ziehrer and Berté, and the disc closes with nostalgic Viennese popular songs.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS HISTORICAL |
811113234
| CD3 | 747313313228
VERDI
DON CARLO
Boris Christoff, Mario Filippeschi, Tito Gobbi, Antonietta Stella, Elena Nicolai, Giulio Neri, Rome Opera House Chorus & Orchestra, Gabriele Santini (conductor)
|
|
This 1954 recording, the first studio realisation of the four-act 1884 version of Don Carlo, did much to introduce a wider public to the majesty of Verdi’s score. 'Gobbi goes from strength to strength…some of the loveliest baritone singing I have ever heard on record…for the contributions of Gobbi and Christoff, the bloom of Stella’s voice and for the sublime ultra-Verdian splendours of this score, lovingly handled by Santini, the set will repay attention.' (Gramophone , November 1955)
|
|
|
|
NAXOS HISTORICAL |
8111135
| CD | 747313313525
MOZART: VIOLIN CONCERTO NO 3;
PAGANINI: VIOLIN CONCERTO NO 1; CHAUSSON: POEME
Yehudi Menuhin (violin), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Paris Symphony Orchestra, Adrian Boult, George Enescu, Pierre Monteux (conductors)
|
|
When the 18-year-old Yehudi Menuhin recorded Paganini’s 1st Concerto in Paris in May 1934 he changed the public perception of the music and its composer. Backed by Monteux, the young violinist turned out a highly musical performance, both carefree and scholarly. His 1935 recording of Mozart's 3rd Concerto is best seen as a staging post towards his mastery of Mozart’s style. Here also is the first CD re-issue of his 1952 recording of Chausson’s Poeme, made with Boult, one of the violinist’s favourite conductors.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS AUDIOBOOKS |
44312
| CD4 | 9789626344323 | ISBN97896263443
MURAKAMI
AFTER THE QUAKE (UNABRIDGED)
Read by Rupert Degas, Teresa Gallagher & Adam Sims
|
|
JAPANESE AUTHOR HARUKI MURAKAMI IS A CULT FIGURE In 1995, the massive Kobe earthquake claimed almost 6,000 lives. After The Quake was Murakami's imaginative response: these six stories, each dealing with the wider seismic effect it had on the emotional lives of people many miles away, have become his most popular short story collection.
|
|
|
|
NAXOS AUDIOBOOKS |
245412
| CD2 | 9789626344545 | ISBN97896263445
WILLIAMS
WHALE NATION
Read by Heathcote Williams with Harry Burton and Caroline Webster
|
|
A CLASSIC 'GREEN' POEM * WINNER OF THE SPOKEN WORD AWARD FOR POETRY Read with natural resonance by its author, Whale Nation never fails to strike a chord in the hearts of those concerned with the abuse of our planet. It is a hymn to the beauty, intelligence and majesty of the largest mammals on earth. On the second CD is a fascinating account of whale history.
|
|
|
[back to top] | [back to naxos]
classical
aeon |
ambronay |
bis |
calliope |
cpo |
da capo |
eloquentia |
harmonia mundi |
k617 |
ligia |
mandala |
marco polo |
mirare |
naive classique |
pentatone |
praga digitals |
radio france |
resonance |
zig zag
|
|
|
AEON |
AE0644
| CD | 3760058366448
SCARLATTI
SONATAS TRANSCRIBED FOR VIOLIN
Tedi Papavrami (violin)
|
|
Playing a brand new instrument and using an early 19th-century bow, Tedi Papavrami achieves the apparently impossible: performing 12 of Domenico Scarlatti's virtuosic keyboard sonatas on solo violin! Himself the transcriber, Papavrami fuses musical imagination with technical discipline to give Scarlatti's inspired miniatures a new voice.
|
|
|
|
AMBRONAY |
AMY008
| CD | 3760135100088
LISZT & WAGNER
SONATA IN B MINOR, THE FUNERAL GONDOLA, ISOLDE'S LIEBESTOD
Thomas Hitzlberger (piano)
|
|
RECORDED ON LISZT'S OWN PIANO Franz Liszt, Wagner's son-in-law, was a pioneer whose significance is still being felt to this day. His revolutionary single-movement B Minor Sonata has been described as 'a kind of cosmic self-portrait'. Liszt's transcription of the famous Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde complements his own composition, The Funeral Gondola, which mourns Wagner's death in Venice in 1883.
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISCD1281
| CD | 7318590012819
EXPOSED THROAT: TRUMPET RECITAL
MUSIC BY GRUBER, BORTZ, RUDERS, HENDERSON & HOLLOWAY
Harkan Hardenberger (trumpet)
|
|
CHOC DU MONDE DE LA MUSIQUE An unforgettable recital for solo trumpet of contemporary music, much of it composed for Hardenberger himself. These dazzling performances which reveal the trumpet's full expressive range - from emblematic trumpet fanfares and thrilling polyphony to ravishingly songlike passages of breathtaking beauty.
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISCD1400
| CD | 7318590014004
VILLA-LOBOS
BACHIANAS BRASILEIRAS NOS 7, 8 & 9
Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra & Choir, Roberto Minczuk (conductor)
|
|
In the composer's own words, 'Bachianas Brasileiras is the name of a genre of musical composition based on the continuous intimacy with the great oeuvre of JS Bach. In terms of harmonic, polyphonic and melodic mood it also shows a spontaneous affinity with one of the main forms of folkloric music of the north-east of Brazil.'
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISCD1444
| CD | 7318590014448
NIELSEN
EARLY CHAMBER MUSIC
Georgios Demertzis (violin), Maria Asteriadou (piano), New Hellenic Quartet
|
|
These works by Denmark's most renowned composer show the joy of a budding artist putting his musical ideas to the test. Violin Sonata No 1 in G major; Duet No 1 in A major for two violins; Romance Op 2; Quartet No 1 in D minor; Four Quartet Movements; Romance in D major for violin and piano; Two Quartet movements.
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISCD1470
| CD | 7318590014707
SAINT-SAENS
VIOLIN CONCERTO NO 3 & WORKS FOR SOLO INSTRUMENT AND ORCHESTRA
Jean-Jacques Kantorow (violin), Heini Karkkainen (piano), Tapiola Sinfonietta, Kees Bakels (conductor)
|
|
His music elegant, technically flawless and abounding in melody, Saint-Saens remarked that he produced music 'as an apple tree produces apples'. Violin Concerto No 3 in B minor Op 61; Etude en forme de valse Op 52 No 6 (arr. Ysaÿe); Caprice andalou, Op. 122; Prelude to Le Deluge Op 45; Wedding Cake - Valse-Caprice for piano & strings Op 76; Allegro appassionato for piano & orchestra Op 70
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISCD1614
| CD | 7318590016145
SWEELINCK
PSALMS FROM GENEVA
Masaaki Suzuki (organ)
|
|
Best known as the inspired leader of Bach Collegium Japan, currently undertaking a complete cycle of Bach's cantatas for BIS, Suzuki has also received much praise for his keyboard recordings. This attractively varied program alternates secular music for the organ (toccatas, fantasias) with Sweelinck's settings of Psalms from the Genevan Psalter.
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISCD158182
| CD3 | 7318591581826
DANZI
COMPLETE WIND QUINTETS
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, Love Derwinger (piano)
|
|
3 CDs FOR THE PRICE OF 2 Franz Danzi is one of the parents of the Wind Quintet. '...great charm and polish, enhanced by the persuasive craftsmanship of its scoring.' (Gramophone) '...luminous: alternately flowing and spirited, dreamy and boisterous; of an exhilarating virtuosity, tinged with poetry and in full gala dress.' (Repertoire)
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BICD162628
| CD12 | 7318591626282
GRIEG
COMPLETE SOLO PIANO MUSIC
Eva Knardahl, Kjell Ingebretsen, Love Derwinger (piano), Royal Philharmonic & Norrkoping Symphony Orchestras, Kjell Ingebretsen, Jun'ichi Hirokami (conductors)
|
|
12 CDs FOR THE PRICE OF 3 From the delightful Lyric Pieces to the ever-popular Piano Concerto (in both its original and revised versions), here is everything Grieg wrote for single piano, including the pieces unpublished during his lifetime. Enjoy 13 hours of music guided by a 4-page essay. Dedicated to the memory of Eva Knardahl (1927-2006).
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISCD16971700
| CD15 | 7318591697008
THE ESSENTIAL SIBELIUS
COMPLETE SYMPHONIES, VIOLIN CONCERTO, TONE POEMS, THEARE MUSIC, SONGS, CHORAL PIECES, CHAMBER WORKS & PIANO MUSIC
Various artists, including Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Osmo Vanska (conductor), Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Neme Jarvi (conductor), Anne Sofie von Otter, Monica Groop, Helsinki University Choir, Tempera Quartet, Jaakko Kuusisto, and many more
|
|
15 CDs FOR THE PRICE OF 4 The ultimate Sibelius collection, including all his most famous works as well as world premiere recordings and previously unreleased material interpreted by some of the world's greatest artists. Osmo Vanska and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra have been hailed as 'the pre-eminent Sibelius interpreters of our day', while the Gothenberg Symphony Orchestra under Neeme Jarvi have also attracted the highest praise. 132-page booklet includes introductory essay, sung texts and translations.
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISSACD1523
| SACD | 7318599915234
WEBER
CLARINET CONCERTOS & QUINTET
Martin Frost (clarinet), Tapiola Sinfonietta, Jean-Jacques Kantorow (conductor)
|
|
Weber's many works for clarinet are among his most performed works and were inspired by an outstanding contemporary player, Heinrich Baermann. '[Martin Frost's] smooth, even tone is deliciously seductive, and he can darken or lighten the sound at will, from velvet warmth with a sensitively applied vibrato, to a soaring clarity that never goes louder than lovely.' (BBC Radio 3)
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISSACD1531
| SACD | 7318599915319
GRIEG
ORCHESTRAL SONGS
Solveig Kringelborn, Marita Solberg (soprano), Ingebjorg Kosmo (mezzo-soprano), Trond Halstein Moe (baritone), Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Kor Vest Bergen Vocal ensemble, Voci Nobili, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Ole Kristian Ruud (conductor)
|
|
Eminent soloists and outstanding performers bring to life Grieg's lyrical and at times dramatic vocal/orchestral works. 'Bergen musicians have lived with these scores since their creation and all performances have a relaxed, idiomatic naturalness in their virtuosity.' (Gramophone) 'The engineering...is exemplary in every way, conveying the warm acoustic of Bergen's Grieg Hall with thrilling presence.' (BBC Music Magazine)
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISSACD1541
| SACD | 7318599915418
JS BACH
CANTATAS VOL 33
Yukari Nonoshita (soprano), Robin Blaze (counter-tenor), Jan Kobow (tenor), Dominik Worner (bass), Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki (conductor)
|
|
CRITICALLY PRAISED BACH CANTATA SERIES 'Consistently outstanding performances, musical beyond belief, and worthy of any collection.' (MusicWeb International) Volume 33 opens with Bach's jubilant New Year cantata Jesu, nun sei gepreistet BWV 41, continues with Ich hab in gottes Herz und Sinn BWV 92 and concludes with the Michaelmas cantata Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir BWV 130.
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISSACD1559
| SACD | 7318599915593
BRIDGE ACROSS THE PYRENEES
FLUTE CONCERTOS BY RODRIGO, BORNE & IBERT
Sharon Bezaly (flute), Sao Paolo Symphony Orchestra, John Neschling (conductor)
|
|
Separated by the Pyrenees, Spain and France nonetheless have many close musical links. Born's concerto, titled 'Fantaisie brillante on Songs from Carmen', is a case in point. Rodrigo's Concierto pastorale and Ibert's Flute Concerto round off this scintillating disc by Sharon Bezaly, who has been hailed as 'God's gift to the flute'.
|
|
|
|
BIS |
BISSACD1681
| SACD | 7318599916811
GRUBER
ROUGH MUSIC, TIME SHADOW, PERPETUUM MOBILE & CHARIVARI
Martin Grubinger (percussion), HK Gruber (singer), Tonkunstler Orchewstra, Kristjan Jarvi (conductor)
|
|
ALL WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS Viennese composer Heiz Karl Gruber is no avant-guardist, yet his music is startlingly new, with jazzy inflections unfolding in a stream into which the listener is drawn. This seriously witty music, performed with panache, is recorded with astonishing clarity by top-class musicians including the composer himself.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL5673
| CD | 794881732524
CELLO SONATAS
MUSIC BY BOCCHERINI, DE FALLA, GRANADOS, LOCATELLI, VALENTINI & NIN
Andre Navarra (cello), Erika Kilcher (piano)
|
|
In his youth, Andre Navarra was an athlete as well as a cellist, being an expert middle-weight boxer and swimmer. Naturally, this disc of Cello Sonatas showcases his musical talents! 'His playing offered a potent mixture of elegance and passion', is the assessment of Classics Today.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL5854
| CD | 794881732722
THE SWAN
MUSIC BY SAINT-SAENS, CHOPIN, FAURE & BOELLMANN
Andre Navarra (cello), Annie D'Arco, Erika Kilcher (piano)
|
|
Two marvellous yet relatively neglected Cello Sonatas, by Boellmann and Chopin, stand beside a selection of other beautiful French chamber works: Saint-Saens' The Swan and Allegro appassionato, and Faure's After a Dream, Elegy, Serenade, Romance and Butterfly.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL6306
| CD | 794881741724
BEETHOVEN
PIANO SONATAS
Inger Sodergren (piano)
|
|
Composed during his 'heroic period', during the early decades of the Nineteenth Century, Beethoven's Waldstein, Les Adieux and Sonata op 90 express all of the turmoil and heightened emotions of the Napoleonic Era. Swedish pianist Inger Sodergren has won numerous awards, including Choc du Monde de la musique, ffff de Telerama, Diapason d'Or and Grand Prix du Disque.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL6221
| CD | 794881793129
BRAHMS
PIANO SONATA NO 3, FANTASIES OP 116, PIANO PIECES OP 119
Inger Sodergren (piano)
|
|
At once progressive and deeply respectful of tradition, technically demanding yet capable of the subtlest nuances, Brahms expressed many of his most memorable musical thoughts in his piano music. His final piano pieces represent perhaps his finest utterances, by turns intimate and extrovert, virtuosic and delicate. Sodergren meets their challenges with persuasively stylish interpretations.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL9356
| CD | 794881807727
PERGOLESI & VIVALDI
STABAT MATER
Claire Pichon (soprano), Alix Le Saux (mezzo-soprano), Paris National Opera Childrens Choir, Gael Darchen (conductor)
|
|
These two settings of the Stabat Mater provide fascinating contrasts: Vivaldi's being composed for solo voice, Pergolesi's for two voices; the former still little known, the latter one of the few works for which Pergolesi remains famous to this day. Each, however, expresses Mary's grief at the foot of the Cross with utterly Baroque sensitivity.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL9528
| CD | 794881807826
LE COUR MANGE
L'Itineraire Medieval, Katia Care (director)
|
|
The Medieval legend of 'the eaten heart' tells the story of a jealous husband who unknowingly eats the heart of his lover. The most famous victim of this ghoulish tale of love, the trouvere known as the Chatelain of Coucy, is the subject of this recording by the group l'Itineraire Medieval, who tell the tale in modern French while singing in the Medieval tongue.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL5259
| CD | 794881814022
RACHMANINOV
PIANO SONATAS NOS 1 & 2
Yakov Kasman (piano)
|
|
Rachmaninov's Piano sonatas take the instrument to the limits of its capabilities, demanding exceptional virtuosity from those who dare to perform them. Yakov Kasman, who has also recorded the complete Prokofiev Sonatas, is unfazed by the challenge, delivering powerful readings of these late Romantic peaks.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL5722
| CD | 794881814121
JS BACH
TE DEUM
Coeli & Terra and Metamorphoses vocal ensembles, Andre Isoir (organ)
|
|
While not on the same immense scale as his Magnificat or Passions, JS Bach's Te Deum is nonetheless a luminous document of Lutheran sacred music. Under Andre Isoir's hands, the organ's fluid and contrasting sonorities seem to build a bridge between earth and heaven. Isoir plays on the organ of St Thomas d'Aquin.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL5240
| CD | 794881814220
HAYDN
SIX PIANO SONATAS
Yakov Kasman (piano)
|
|
Although somewhat overshadowed by those of Beethoven and Mozart, Haydn's piano sonatas are increasingly being recognised for their imaginative wit and depth of invention as works of great value, important in themselves. Leading pianist Yakov Kasman here presents Haydn's Sonatas nos 12, 33, 46, 47, 54 and 55.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL5922
| CD | 794881814329
WIDOR: TOCCATA
& OTHER ORGAN WORKS BY PIERNE, GUILMANT, BOELY, LEFEBURE-WELY & ROPARTZ
Andre Isoir (organ)
|
|
Andre Isoir blends technical perfection with musical profundity in this recital of works brimming with instrumental colour which accentuates their spiritual dimension, whether or not ther were composed with liturgical use in mind. Widor's magesterial Toccata is, of course, a barn-storming organ favourite!
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL9391
| CD | 794881829125
BERNSTEIN: TROUBLE IN TAHITI
COPLAND: QUIET CITY
Letitia Singleton (Dinah), Sebastien Lemoine (Sam), Celine Victoires-Benavente, Philippe Do, Vincent Ordonneau (vocal trio), David Guerrier (trumpet), Anne Clement (cor anglais), Orchestre de Picardie, Pascal Verrot (conductor)
|
|
Bernstein's 40-minute 'opera' Trouble in Tahiti shows the banal reverse side to the enchanted dreams of Broadway and Hollywood; the cast consists of two characters and a vocal trio which functions like the chorus in an Ancient Greek play. It's elegant jazzy passages are echoed in Copland's haunting orchestral work.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL9358
| CD | 794881829224
BEETHOVEN
VIOLIN CONCERTO
Regis Pasquier (violin), Baltic Chamber Orchestra, Emmanuel Leducq-Barome (conductor)
|
|
Beethoven's was the first of the four great violin concertos of the 19th Century, opening the way for Mendelssohn's, Brahms' and Tchaikovsky's, and is one of the composer's rare 'love poems'. This performance brings out the still amazing modernity of Beethoven's writing, its humanity and the interrelation between soloist and orchestra.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL9364
| CD | 79488182923
BARTOK: VIOLA CONCERTO, MARTINU: RHAPSODIE-CONCERTO,
HINDEMITH: TRAUERMUSIK
Vladimir Bukac (viola), Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Valek (conductor)
|
|
Three works for viola by three poet-composers, which tell of their lives and personal dramas. Discreet but tragic, these compositions show the refinement that characterises the late writing of these great 20th-century composers while bearing a message of hope for future generations.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL9357
| CD | 794881829422
KALLIWODA
STRING QUARTETS
Talich Quartet
|
|
Early 19th-century Czech composer Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda is perhaps best known for his larger orchestral works yet his rarely-heard String Quartets share the beauty and intimate interrelationships between the instruments of Mozart's compositions, with their fresh melodies and mastery of counterpoint.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL9365
| CD | 794881829521
MOZART
VIOLIN CONCERTOS NOS 1 & 3, TWO RONDOS & ADAGIO
Jan Talich (violin), Talich Chamber Orchestra
|
|
Formed in 1992 and led by Jan Talich, great nephew of the legendary Czech conductor Vaclav Talich, the Talich Chamber Orchestra has won numerous awards at home and abroad. This top-ranking ensemble whose members are graduates of the Prague Academy of Performing Arts interprets Mozart's music in masterly fashion.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL9898
| CD | 794881829620
MESSIAEN
QUARTET FOR END OF TIME
Yuriko Naganuma (violin), Jean-Louis Sajot (clarinet), Paul Broutin (cello), Anne-Lise Gastaldi (piano)
|
|
Composed under appalling conditions in a concentration camp during World War II, Messiaen's Quartet utterly transcends it origins as a masterpiece with a message of hope and love. Few chamber works of the 20th Century can claim equal power to move listeners, even today, when its significance approaches the universal and timeless.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL37167
| CD2 | 794881831425
JS BACH
COMPLETE LEIPZIG CHORALES
Andre Isoir (organ)
|
|
JS Bach's organs chorales are among the most exquisite and varied instrumental miniatures ever composed, each a flawless and multi-faceted jewel. Andre Isoir's Bach performances have been much awarded in France. His playing is immaculate, beautifully phrased and clearly articulated to bring out the spiritual character of each setting.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL32445
| CD2 | 794881831524
MOZART
PRUSSIAN' QUARTETS
Talich Quartet
|
|
These quartets are Mozart's last, and the Talich Quartet bring to them a gravity of utterance that may seem appropriate, even if there is no evidence that the composer was aware of penning any kind of testament...This is affectionate playing from a fine ensemble. It is a prime recommendation.' (Gramophone)
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL38912
| CD2 | 794881831623
D'INDY
COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS & SEXTET
Joachim Quartet
|
|
D'Indy's String Quartets are near-perfect examples of Bel Epoque chamber music, influenced by late Beethoven, Franck and Wagner yet uniquely French in their allusive, seductive power. 'The Joachim Quartet seems to have studied the music deeply; it's all played very much con amore, with the flux of emotions presented strongly and flexibly.' (Gramophone)
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL33313
| CD3 | 794881831920
EIGHT CZECH STRING QUARTETS
BY DVORAK, JANACEK, SCHULHOFF, SMETANA & FIBICH
Talich Quartet
|
|
This Talich Quartet is the successor to the original Talich Quartet founded by Jan Talich snr, whose son (Jan jnr) is the vibrant first violinist. Their readings bristle with life, tempos are marginally faster than usual, and ensemble is razor-sharp, rhythmically buoyant, and richly detailed.' (Classic Today)
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL36067
| CD2 | 79488183227
PROKOFIEV
COMPLETE PIANO STAS
Yakov Kasman (piano)
|
|
Prokofiev's Piano Sonatas are less well known than they deserve to be. 'A whirlwind of virtuosity…The intelligence of Kasman resides in his ability to instill enthusiasm and dynamisn into these pages thanks to his prodigious technique, without sacrificing the moments of great poetry. A magnificent record!' (International Record Review)
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL37156
| CD2 | 79488183326
JS BACH
ORGAN MASS & CLAVIER-UBUNG EXCERPTS
Andre Isoir (organ)
|
|
Master musician Andre Isoir performs JS Bach's Organ Mass with his customary subtlety and flair. Of his recording of The Art of Fugue (CAL 3719), Organist's Review remarked 'his plyying is immaculate and truly musical, beautifully phrased and neatly articulated', while Record Review praises his 'playing of marvelous discipline and freedom'.
|
|
|
|
CALLIOPE |
CAL9367
| CD | 794881830824
NEAPOLITAN TRADITIONAL SONGS
Neapolis Ensemble
|
|
This disc is virtually a history of Naples throughout the centuries in terms of that great city's popular music - songs from the street, of love and battles, of triumph and defeat, villanelles and tarentellas. Among the instruments involved are the chiraroone, flutes, classical 12-string guitar, mandolin, cello and percussion.
|
|
|
|
CPO |
CPO7770932
| CD | 761203709328
PROKOFIEV
PIANO TRANSCRIPTIONS OF THE PRODIGAL SON & ON THE DNIEPER
Maria Ivanova (piano)
|
|
In addition to his three famous full-scale ballets, Prokofiev also wrote shorter ballets that are rarely heard. Here two of these feature in Prokofiev’s own piano transcriptions: the intimate biblical story of The Prodigal Son and On the Dnieper, the age-old love story of a peasant girl and a soldier who is spurned because her father has chosen another husband for her.
|
|
|
|
CPO |
CPO7771612
| CD | 761203716128
OFFENBACH
PIANO WORKS VOL 2
Marco Sollini (piano)
|
|
Famed as a composer of brilliant theatrical works, Offenbach also composed for the piano. The sixteen characterful pieces featured on this disc are witty, sparkling and imbued in every bar with the spirit of the dance. Here are engaging waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and galops given lively, committed and obviously affectionate performances.
|
|
|
|
CPO |
CPO7771622
| CD2 | 761203716227
MILHAUD
COMPLETE WORKS FOR PIANO & ORCHESTRA
Michael Korstick (piano), SWR Radio Orchestra Kaiserlauten, Alun Francis (conductor)
|
|
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS Darius Milhaud’s compositions for piano and orchestra (including five concertos) occupy a special place both in his oeuvre and in French music. From the famous Carnaval d’Aix to the Piano Concerto No 5, these works impressively show the strengths of his music. Michael Korstick rises to the challenge with outstanding virtuosity and musicality.
|
|
|
|
CPO |
CPO7771802
| CD | 761203718023
LOTTI
VESPER PSALMS
Barbara Christina Steude, Annekathrin Laabs (soprano), David Erler (alto), Tobias Berndt (bass), Saechsisches Vocalensemble, Batzdorfer Hofkapelle, Matthias Jung (conductor)
|
|
During the first third of the eighteenth century Antonio Lotti numbered among the most important Italian composers. Sacred music formed his compositional focus, for example, his Dixit Dominus, which ranges from the highest emotional intensity to the most filigree tenderness. This is the discovery of one of the greatest of the great masters of the 18th Century.
|
|
|
|
CPO |
CPO7771992
| CD | 761203719921
PETTERSSON
VIOLIN CONCERTO NO 2
Isabelle van Keulen (violin), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard (conductor)
|
|
'In this nocturnal landscape...a song is heard, played by a violin with a noble tone, a song bearing the fingerprints of a human being, of a lonely being seeking deliverance from the threatening outer collective,' wrote Allan Pettersson of his 2nd Violin Concerto, which he revised after the premiere. This recording with documents the premiere of this second version.
|
|
|
|
CPO |
CPO7772142
| CD | 761203721429
BENDA
VIOLIN SONATAS
Anton Steck (violin), Christian Rieger (harpsichord)
|
|
Franz Benda ranked as the most highly esteemed violinist of the 18th Century. These wonderful sonatas, full of galant passages, rococo ornamentations and expressiveness are interpreted by Anton Steck, an outstanding interpreter on the baroque violin, with Christian Rieger at the harpsichord.
|
|
|
|
CPO |
CPO7772472
| CD12 | 761203724727
PETTERSSON
COMPLETE SYMPHONIES
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra, German Symphony Orchestra, NDR Radio Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Choir & Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Alun Francis, Manfred Trojahn, Gerd Albrecht, Thomas Sanderling, Manfred Honeck, Johan Arnell, Peter Ruzicka (conductors),
|
|
SPECIAL LOW PRICE The highly acclaimed and award-winning edition of Allan Pettersson’s symphonies is now available in a boxed set. 'A magnificent interpretive feat!' (FonoForum) 'The music is spectacular and the performance is almost unbelievable.' (Fanfare). Petterssonn has been hailed as 'among the most compelling composers of our century' by Frankfurt Review.
|
|
|
|
DA CAPO |
8226029
| CD | 636943602928
JENSEN
FLUTE DUETS
Marcelo Barboza, Rune Most (flutes)
|
|
Niels Peter Jensen (1802-1846) is a fascinating figure from the Danish Golden Age. Though blind, he became a highly respected teacher, and his pupils included the national composer J.P.E. Hartmann. This is the first CD of Niels Peter Jensen´s music - charming, delightful and very melodious flute duets.
|
|
|
|
DA CAPO |
6220517
| SACD | 747313151789
LANGGAARD
SYMPHONIES NOS 12, 13 & 14
Danish National Choir & Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard (conductor)
|
|
Rued Langgaard's 16 symphonies are a thought-provoking, original contribution to the history of the symphony. The three on this CD were written between 1946-48, although their tonal language revitalises Romantic aesthetics in a simple, yet emphatically insistent manner.
|
|
|
|
ELOQUENTIA |
EL0608
| CD | 3760107400086
PASION
MUSIC BY OBRADORS, GRANADOS, TURINA, FALLA & MONTSALVATGE
Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano), Julius Drake (piano)
|
|
NEW RELEASE FROM THE 'MEZZO OF THE MOMENT'! Pasion presents some of the America singer's first loves - pieces that fueled her passion for music and her choice to become an opera singer. This is a joyous and energetic tribute to 20th-century Spanish repertoire in partnership with outstanding pianist Julius Drake.
|
|
|
|
HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMC901942
| CD | 794881818525
MOZART
PIANO CONCERTOS NOS 21 & 24, FANTASIA IN D MINOR, RONDO IN D MAJOR
Stefan Vladar (piano & direction), Camerata Salzburg
|
|
From the sombre Fantasia to the dazzling Rondo, the pathos of the 24th Concerto to the light-fingered brilliance of the 21st, Stefan Vladar explores Mozart's rich musical world in this marvellous recording with the Salzburg Camerata, musical heirs from Mozart's birthplace.
|
|
|
|
HARMONIA MUNDI |
HML590161415
| CD2 | 794881818822
| | |