NAXOS CD OF THE MONTH | 8570482 | CD | 747313048274
Haydn Trumpet Concerto, Horn Concerto No 1 and other works
Harpsichord Concerto in D major, Double Concerto in F major for Violin and Fortepiano

Dmitri Babanov (horn), Harald Hoeren (harpsichord, fortepiano), Ariadne Daskalakis (violin), Jurgen Schuster (trumpet), Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Helmut Muller-Bruhl (conductor)

• Popular and entertaining Haydn concertos
• Excellent soloists play with panache
• Cologne Chamber Orchestra has dozens of top-selling titles on Naxos. It won a Cannes Classical Award for Telemann’s Darmstadt Overtures (Naxos 8554244) and recently recorded violin concertos by the Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Naxos 8555040)

Haydn was a composer whose music never fails to delight. His popular Trumpet Concerto is best known for its thrilling first movement cadenza and brilliant and inventive Rondo finale. The Horn Concerto No 1 is also notable for the technical demands made on the soloist, not least the large octave leaps in the lower range of the instrument. The Harpsichord Concerto in D major is one of a group of such works apparently designed initially for the organ. The relatively extended and rarely recorded Double Concerto for Harpsichord, Violin and Strings is Haydn’s only surviving concerto for two solo instruments.

NAXOS EDUCATIONAL TITLE OF THE MONTH | 855820809 | CD2 | 636943820827
Discover The Symphony
Includes music by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz, Brahms, Mahler, Sibelius, Elgar, Shostakovich, Lutoslawski and others

Various Performers

• Excellent introduction to the history and repertoire of the symphony from the 18th Century to today
• Well conceived and thorough educational resource (2 CDs plus extensive booklet)
• Includes ‘Discover the Symphony’ essay by Andrew Huth; 250 Years of the Symphony Timeline relating the music with history, science and technology, art and architecture, and literature; The Make-up of the Orchestra ; Glossary
• Music by GB Sammartini, J Stamitz, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz, Brahms, Borodin, Mahler, Sibelius, Elgar, Shostakovich, Copland and Lutoslawski

From modest beginnings in18th-century Italy, the symphony soon developed into the highest form of western instrumental music at the hands of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. The symphony became a big, public form that used the community of the orchestra to address the community of the audience. After two and a half centuries of the most varied masterpieces, the symphony still remains an ideal means for the individual voice to convey a world of ideas and feelings to a wide audience. Discover the Symphony, comprising two CDs and a 100-page booklet, traces the colourful and exciting story of a musical form that has expressed the most intimate emotions of the greatest composers and at the same time reflected the fascinating and often turbulent state of the world in which they lived.

NAXOS AUDIOBOOK OF THE MONTH | 392912 | CD3 | 9789626349298
Othello
by William Shakespeare. Includes original incidental music.

read by Chiwetel Ejiofor (Othello), Ewan McGregor (Iago), Kelly Reilly (Desdemona) and Cast of the Donmar production 2007-8

• Ewan McGregor on Naxos AudioBooks!
• Critically acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s tale of jealousy and murder
• BONUS DVD of interviews with the cast
• Superb resource for both school and home

Ejiofor and McGregor…it’s a mouthwatering combination that doesn’t disappoint' (Sunday Telegraph) 'An extraordinarily fresh and newminted production' (Independent). Shakespeare’s Othello is one of his finest and most famous tragedies. This highly acclaimed performance, which ran between November 2007 and February 2008 at the Donmar Warehouse in London, features Chiwetel Ejiofor as the Moor Othello, Ewan McGregor as the scheming Iago, and Kelly Reilly as the gentle Desdemona. This recording features music written specifically for the stage production which enjoyed huge success – each performance was a sell-out. Includes a free DVD containing interviews with the cast.

CHANDOS CD OF THE MONTH | CHAN10479 | CD | 095115147924
Marx Piano Works
Rhapsodie, Praeludium and Fuga, Carneval, Albumblatt, Arabeske, Ballade, Humoreske, Herbst - Legende, Nachtstucke, Canzone, Die Flur Der Engel

AUSTRALIAN ARTIST Tonya Lemoh (piano)

• Prize-winning young Australian pianist debuts on Chandos
• Luscious Romantic/Impressionist piano music, includes world premieres
• Visit her website for more: http://tonyalemoh.com/

Young Australian pianist Tonya Lemoh won first prize in the International Competition of Young Performers, Denmark 2003, and a Diplom d'Honneur at the 2002 International Grieg Piano Competition in Norway. Acclaimed as 'a pianist of virtuosity and sensivity' (Danish Music Journal), Tonya Lemoh 'is totally in command, and the music flows with great natural force. Very impressive' (Classical Music on the Web). For her debut Chandos recording she has chosen the music of Joseph Marx (1882-1964), a 'romantic impressionist' whose style recalls those of Richard Strauss, Korngold and Reger. Several pieces here receive their world premiere on record, while others are not otherwise readily available.

NIMBUS TITLE OF THE MONTH | NI77212 | CD2 | 0710357772122
Paco Pena - A Compas

Paco Pena Flamenco Dance Company

• Flaming Flamenco passion from the master, Paco Pena
• Soundtrack to his highly successful recent Australian tour
• A Compas! To The Rhythm is receiving much airplay around the country
• 2 CDs for the price of 1!

Hot on the heels of their recent Australian tour comes the soundtrack of their latest show: A Compas! To The Rhythm. First performed with huge success in Sadler's Wells in London, A compas! Was nominated for the UK Theatre Awards. The energy and finesse of the performers shines through this passionate recording, which, as always with this amazing artist, conveys his continual striving for excellence and the reinvention of the living tradition of flamenco. 'I want to give audiences flamenco that has passion and art. Above all, it must have truth', he has said. Song, superb playing and - yes, even on CD - the sheer excitement of flamenco dance combine to make this an unforgettable double album.

AMBROISIE | AM167 | CD | 822186001677
Les Grandes Eaux Musicales de Versailles
Rameau Overtures to Nais, Zais, Acante et Cephise, Lully Roland overture and extracts, Persee extracts, Desmarest Venus et Adonis extracts Gluck Tempesta from Bauci e Filemone, Porpora Alto Giove from Polifemo
Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset (conductor)
The spectacular gardens and fountains of the Sun King's palace of Versailles (the 'grandes eaux' of this disc's title) are the stimulus for this ravishing recording of overtures, chaconnes, dances and passacailles by leading French Baroque composers. Hearing them performed with ardent conviction by Les Talens Lyriques, it's as if the many statues adorning the royal park come to life once again, recreating the pleasures of the 'enchanted isle' that was Versailles in its heyday.

BIS | BISCD174042 | CD8 | 7318591740421
Grieg Complete Orchestral Music
8 CDs FOR THE PRICE OF 3
Soloists, Ole Ruud, Noriko Ogawa (piano), Bergen Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra
With more than 8 hours of music, this tremendous 8-CD Set 'will make you fall in love with the music all over again', as American Record Review wrote of the recording of Grieg's Piano Concerto that is only one of the many treasures to be brought together here. Alongside other beloved works such as the Incidental Music to Peer Gynt and the two Suites, the Lyric Suite, Norwegian Dances, Holberg Suite and Symphonic Dances, there are many lesser-known but equally wonderful works to be discovered. 'Bergen musicians have lived with these scores since their creation and all the performances here have a relaxed, idiomatic naturalness in their virtuosity' (Gramophone). 'A fabulous complete cycle, admirably served by the splendid recording technique' (Classica-Repertoire). This is 'music that you'd have to be either deaf or dead not to love' wrote one reviewer. The same goes for the unbeatable price - 8 CDs FOR THE PRICE OF 3!

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951062 | CD | 794881869626
Brahms Piano Quartet Op 25, Violin Sonata Op 108
Jean-Claude Pennetier (piano), Regis Pasquier (violin), Bruno Pasquier (viola), Roland Pidoux (cello)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951186 | CD | 794881869725
Visee Guitar Suites
Rafael Andia (baroque guitar)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951364 | CD | 794881869824
Ravel Works for Violin and Piano
Regis Pasquier (violin), Brigitte Engerer (piano)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951381 | CD | 794881869923
Rameau Pygmalion, Nelee et Myrthis
Les Arts Florissants, William Christie (director)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951475 | CD | 794881870028
Beethoven Piano Trio Op 1 No 3, Gassenhauer Trio Op 11
Patrick Cohen (piano), Erich Hobarth (violin), Christophe Coin (cello), Wolfgang Meyer (clarinet)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951500 | CD | 794881870127
Gerhard Cancionero de Pedrell
Pandora, Alegrias, Sept Haiku
Josep Benet, Orquestra de Cambra Teatre de Lliure, Josep Pons (conductor)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951642 | CD | 794881870226
R Strauss Piano Sonata Op 5
5 Piano Pieces Op 3, Stimmungsbilder Op 9
Frank Braley (piano)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951692 | CD | 794881869329
Renie Harp Trio, Works for Solo Harp
Xavier de Maistre (harp), Ingolf Turban (violin), Win-Sinn Yang (cello)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951710 | CD | 794881870325
20th Century Solo Flute
Works by Boulez, Messiaen, Jolivet, Dutilleux, Varese
Philippe Bernold (flute), Alexandre Tharaud (piano)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951741 | CD | 794881869220
Faure Violin Sonatas
Isabelle Faust (violin), Florent Boffard (piano)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA1951755 | CD | 794881869428
Schubert Piano Sonatas D958, D784
Paul Lewis (piano)

HARMONIA MUNDI MUSIQUE D'ABORD | HMA195957 | CD | 794881869527
Debussy Works for Two Pianos and Piano Four-hands
Claude Helffer, Haakon Austbo (pianos)

HYPERION | CDA676512 | CD2 | 034571176512
Bowen Complete Music for Viola and Piano
Lawrence Power (viola), Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano) AUSTRALIAN TOURING ARTIST
Touring this June-July with violinist Pekka Kuusisto for Musica Viva Australia, Simon Crawford-Phillips here partners violist Lawrence Power, who has been praised as 'a latter-day Orpheus, an expression of music’s power to disarm, encourage, soothe and serenade' (Financial Times). Crawford-Phillips himself has gained critical acclaim and has worked with Truls Mork, the Leopold String Trio, Yggdrasil String Quartet, Nash Ensemble and is a member of the Kungsbacka Piano Trio. This new releases presents works by York Bowen (1884–1961), whose Romantic style led many to refer to him as 'The English Rachmaninov'. Saint-Saens described him 'as the most remarkable of the young British composers'.

PHOENIX | 111PHOENIX | CD | 811691011110
Kraus Amphitryon
L'Arte del Mondo, Werner Ehrhardt
More than a century after Moliere's play Amphitryon premiered, Martin Kraus composed four interludes and a divertimento for performance at the Swedish Court in 1797. This playful, fiery, joyful and pleasing music then had to wait until 2007 to be heard again. L'Arte del Mondo specialises in world premiers and rediscovered orchestral works, operas, and oratorios and are ideal interpreters of this diverting instrumental music. 'The sure sense of style and the vivacious display of the baroque spirit were captivating.' (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)

BEL AIR | BAC036 | DVD | 3760115300361
Minkus Don Quixote
from the original version by Marius Petipa and Alexandre Gorsky
Viengsay Valdes, Romel Frometa, Dayron Vera, Javier Sanchez, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Great Theatre of Havanna Orchestra, Giovanni Duarte (conductor)
A veritable artistic miracle, the Cuban National Ballet was founded in 1948 by Alicia Alonso, who remains its director to this day. Her passion for dance has found eager audiences, not only in Cuba but around the world. Minkus' Don Quixote, premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre Moscow in 1869 (where the composer worked), and later toured widely. It is one of the most exciting and festive ballets in the repertoire, beloved for its colourful costumes, exuberantly expressive choreography and joyful music. This new DVD is a must for all lovers of ballet.

OPUS ARTE | OA0995D | DVD | 809478009955
Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty
Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Valeriy Ovsyanikov (conductor)
The Sleeping Beauty is one of Tchaikovsky's best-loved ballets, an enchanting work widely regarded as the composer's finest ballet score. This DVD presents the colourful 2006 revival of The Royal Ballet's full-length 1946 production, which celebrated the company's 75th Anniversary. Originally choreographed by Marius Petipa, it was a triumphant success at the time and has lost none of its brilliance today. Gorgeous costumes and luscious stage designs weave magic around the music. 'Alina Cojocaru's Aurora was the ballet's radiant centrepiece, charming, in control and filled with a palpable delight in every pretty step.' (The Times).

MIRARE | MIR070 | CD+DVD | 3760127220701
Rachmaninov Two-piano Suites Op 5, Op 17
Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty excerpts
Brigitte Engerer, Boris Berezovsky (pianos)
Rachmaninov's First Suite for Two Pianos Op 5 is based on four poems (Barcarolle, Night…Love, Tears, and Easter), while the Second Op 17, also in four movements (Introduction, Valse, Romance, and Tarantelle), draws on musical rather than literary inspiration. While the Suite No 1 shows the influence of Chopin, Liszt and Tchaikovsky, it is no mere imitation of their music. Written while Rachmaninov was working on his Second Piano Concerto, the Suite No 2 represents his maturer idiom. Engerer and Berezovsky are a formidable duo, bringing both passion and elegance to these great works.

DUTTON | CDLK4371 | CD | 765387437121
Nine Days to Rama and The Lion
Original Soundtrack Recording, Malcolm Arnold (conductor)
Malcolm Arnold’s score to the 1963 British film Nine Days to Rama is heard on this Vocalion release. Starring Horst Buchholz, Jose Ferrer and Robert Morley, Nine Days to Rama depicts the life of Nathuram Godse (Horst Buchholz), the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. Filmed almost entirely on location in India, Arnold’s superb score underlines perfectly the film’s tension and drama as well as capturing India’s mystique. Also included is the equally rare Decca EP of selections from Arnold’s score for the film The Lion (1962) starring Trevor Howard, William Holden and Capucine. Remastered from the original analogue tapes.

TESTAMENT | SBT21420 | CD2 | 749677142025
Anna Moffo - A Portrait, Great Love Duets
Excerpts from Manon (Massenet), Manon Lescault (Puccini), La Traviata (Verdi), Madama Butterfly (Puccini), Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti), La Boheme (Puccini)
Anna Moffo (soprano) with Giuseppe di Stefano, Richard Tucker and many others, RCA Italiana Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Rome opera Orchestra, Rene Leibowitz, Georges Pretre, Fernando Previtali, Erich Leinsdorf (conductors)
Born in Pennsylvania to Italian parents, Anna Moffo was revered as on of the most beautiful divas of her time in the USA and abroad. She also boasted a voice of great purity and radiant warmth, particularly during the 1950s and '60s, the period from which these recordings date. Here she sings with Robert Kerns, Giuseppe di Stefano, Alberta Alberti, Maria Casula, Anna di Stasio, Flavianno Labo, Manilo Rocchi, Mario Rinaudo, Enzo Titta, Richard Tucker, Cesare Valetti, Rosalind Elias and Carlo Bergonzi. This 2-CD Set is essential for every opera lover.

DUTTON | CDNJT5306 | CD | 765387530624
Operation Jam Session, Tribute to Benny Carter & Introducing the Don Harper Quintet
Kenny Baker and The Jazz Today Unit, Bertie King Jazz Group, Don Harper Quintet
The superlative trumpet playing of Kenny Baker is one of the main attractions on this Vocalion release. Produced by Denis Preston, side one of the original LP was taken up by an elongated medley of jazz standards including On the Alamo, What’s New? and Sweet and Lovely. With many of the same personnel as Operation Jam Session (1955), Tribute to Benny Carter (1955) is a tribute to the famous American alto saxophonist. It features The Jazz Today Unit as well The Bertie King Jazz Group. The Jazz Today Unit perform Carter’s ten-minutes-plus Symphony in Riffs, while Bertie King’s Jazz Group swings its way through five Benny Carter compositions including Blues in My Heart, Skip It and Lazy Afternoon. The last four tracks are from a rare 1957 EP by the quintet of Australian-born violinist and composer Don Harper. Introducing the Don Harper Quintet was his debut UK recording.

CORO | COR16061 | CD | 828021606120
Acoustic World - China
Wu Man (pipa), Lin Youren (qin zither), Li Jinwen (guanzi, percussion), Xuan Ke, Dayan Ancient Music Association
The second release from Coro's Acoustic World Series takes us to China, where four leading exponents of Chinese classical act as musical guides for the listener. Wu Man, one of China's most famous musicians, now resides in New York where she enriches traditional Chinese repertoire with contemporary compositions. Master of the qin zither, Lin Youren pays tribute to the excitement of soccer fans whom he overheard singing in a pub while watching the World Cup. Xuan Ke and the Dayan Ancient Music Association perform music from ritual music festivals, while Li Jinwen leads a group performing sheng-guan music for wind and percussion. It all makes for a marvellous mix of old and new.

MARABI | MRB468272 | CD | 794881890422
The Rhythms of the Desert
Vieux Farka Toure, Tinariwen, Malouma, el Hadje N'Diaye, Djelimady Tounkara, Boubacar Traore, Mamar Kassey, Abdel Gadar Salim and others
From the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, the shores of Senegal to the Sudan, the Sahel borders the immense Sahara Desert. At the crossroads of civilizations, the Sahel is home to many cultures where musical cross-fertilisation has yielded immense riches. Gifted instrumentalists and singers explore the rhythms of the desert in a musical mosaic that brings together legendary names from the diverse traditions that are to be found in Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Chad, Niger, Sudan and Algeria. Despite the advance of the desert sands, the toll taken by drought and the incursion of the modern world, these musicians celebrate their living cultures in haunting and passionate music.

WORLD VILLAGE | WV450005 | CD | 794881886722
Ana Hina
Natacha Atlas, The Mazeeka Ensemble
Middle Eastern music icon Natacha Atlas makes her debut on the World Village label with Ana Hina, an eclectic album that has already excited the musical media around the world. 'A joyful collaboration' (Q Magazine), 'Her most subtle and affecting [album] for some time, evoking vintage Middle Eastern movies...enchanting' (The Metro), 'Ana Hina is set to be one of the year's finest albums' (BBC Music), 4 STARS (The Guardian). Backed by an instrumental and vocal ensemble that includes accordion, strings, percussion, bass, dharabucka, riq and douf, Natacha Atlas embraces the listener with her intimate vocals. SEE AND HEAR HER ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtNnhXxHr7A