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NAXOS CD OF THE MONTH |
8557991
| CD | 747313299126
GRIEG
SYMPHONY IN C MINOR, OLD NORWEGIAN ROMANCE WITH VARIATIONS
Malmo Symphony Orchestra, Bjarte Engeset (conductor)
- 2007 is the 100th Anniversary Year of Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
- Great performance of Grieg’s youthful Symphony
- Founded in 1925, the Malmo Symphony Orchestra is a highly regarded orchestra with many fine recordings
- Conductor Bjarte Engeset studied with Seiji Ozawa, Gustav Meier, Simon Rattle, Marek Janowski and others
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GRIEG'S 'FORBIDDEN' SYMPHONY The 20-year-old Grieg’s Symphony in C minor - of which the composer himself wrote, on the score, ‘must never be performed’ - with its links to Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann and the Danish composer Niels Gade, is a remarkably assured work filled with positive, youthful energy, and many fresh musical ideas. The popular orchestral suite Three Orchestral Pieces from ‘Sigurd Jorsalfar’ Op 56, derived from the incidental music of the same name, was often taken by Grieg on his concert tours abroad. The concluding Homage March, a symphonic poem in itself, develops into a brilliant, almost barbaric festive march.
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NAXOS |
8557613
| CD | 747313261321
DVORAK: SONATINA IN G MAJOR 100
ORR: A CARMEN FANTASY, DANZI: DON GIOVANNI VARIATIONS
Maria Kliegel (cello), Nina Tichman (piano)
- Stravidarius’s beautiful ‘Ex Genrdon’ cello played by Maria Kliegel is named after the famous French cellist Maurice Gendron
- This disc features both popular and appealing yet rarely-heard works
- Maria Kliegel has a large, critically-acclaimed discography on Naxos
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VIRTUOSO CELLO SHOWPIECES Maria Kliegel is one of the leading cello virtuosi of our time. She plays the legendary 'Ex Gendron' cello made by Stradivarius in 1693. For more than thirty years it was owned by Maurice Gendron and was eventually placed at her disposal by the Stiftung fur Kunst und Kultur in North Rhine Westphalia. Nina Tichman is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where she was awarded the Eduard-Steuermann-Prize for outstanding musical achievement. This beautiful new release also includes Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Figaro Variations from Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Cassado's Lamento de Boabdil, and Dvorak's Rondo in G minor Op 94 and Silent Woods (From the Bohemian Forest No 5).
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NAXOS |
857011011
| CD2 | 747313011070
KORNGOLD
THE SEA HAWK & DECEPTION
Irina Romishevskaya (soprano), Alexander Zagorinsky (cello), Moscow Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, William Stromberg (conductor)
- After ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ (Naxos 8225268), ‘The Sea Hawke’ has been the most requested Korngold score by film music aficionados
- Often compared to Mozart, Korngold was one of the most gifted composing child-prodigies in musical history
- His film and concert music is enjoying an enormous resurgence in interest – it is passionate, melodious and richly orchestrated
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FIRST COMPLETE RECORDING OF THE SCORE for the 1940 classic film 'The Sea Hawk' - newly recorded and including music omitted from the final release version of the film. In addition, also for the first time, the complete Korngold score to the 1946 Bette Davis drama, 'Deception', includes Korngold’s Cello Concerto as presented in the film rather than the concert hall version. This 2-CD set also includes the original trailer music for both films. Score restoration by John Morgan. Includes a 24-page booklet written by Korngold authorities Brendan Carroll, Rudy Behlmer and John Morgan.
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ARTHAUS DVD OF THE MONTH |
K100075
| DVD | 807280007596
BEETHOVEN
FIDELIO
Gabriela Benackova, Josef Protschka, Neill Archer, Marie McLaughlin, Robert Lloyd, Monte Pederson, Hans Tschammer, Lynton Atkinson, Mark Beesley, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Christoph von Dohnanyi (conductor)
- Beethoven’s only opera has tremendous dramatic power in this great Covent Garden production
- Star soprano Gabriela Benackova has worked with leading conductors, including Abbado, Mackerras, Neumann, Rilling & Sawallish
- Adolf Dresen’s production conveys Beethoven’s theme - the triumph of love and freedom over the forces of evil and oppression - with a natural, unadorned simplicity
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1991 RECORDING OF ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION 'Those in search of a thoroughly teutonic Fidelio should speed to Covent Garden. The new production, comes via the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels. It moves swiftly and surely, is powerfully cast and is conducted with fine muscular authority by Christoph von Dohnanyi.' (The Times) NTSC format.
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CHANDOS CD OF THE MONTH |
CHAN0743
| CD | 095115074329
FLAMING ROSE
HANDEL: ARIAS & TRIO SONATAS
Julianne Baird (soprano), Tempesta di Mare
- The entire Chandos range is now available through Select Audio-Visual Distribution (other new release titles also feature in this Newsletter)
- ‘Baird makes an impressive case for authenticity in Baroque music by simply singing so beautifully.’ (The Washington Times)
- Philadelphia-based Baroque orchestra and chamber ensemble, Tempesta di Mare, is becoming known for its dramatic power
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HANDEL IN PEAK FORM American soprano 'Julianne Baird is a vocal phenomenon…a rare and wondrous voice guided by an extraordinary musical intelligence.' (Fanfare) 'The players of Tempesta di Mare supply a lovely, understated accompaniment that is historically informed but without any ornamental gimmickry.' (American Record Guide) This new release also features Handel's Trio Sonatas in B minor Op 2 No 1and in F major Op 2 No 4.
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HARMONIA MUNDI CD OF THE MONTH |
HMX2951693
| CD | 794881835829
ROSSINI:STABAT MATER
WITH MUSIQUE D'ABORD CATALOGUE
Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano), Petra Lang (mezzo-soprano), Bruce Fowler (tenor), Daniel Borowski (bass), RIAS Chamber Choir, Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin, Marcus Creed (conductor)
- All-stops-out operatic-style Rossini sacred masterpiece in its definitive version
- Includes the famous movement ‘Inflammatus’ for soprano and choir
- Conductor Marcus Creed is perfectly in tune with the expressive requirements of this thrilling work
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SIMPLY STUNNING RECORDING Rossini's setting of the Latin poem on the suffering of Mary at the foot of the Cross is one of his most powerful non-operatic works, vividly portraying the holy mother's emotions in a highly dramatic style that prefigured Verdi and provoked a commotion when it was premiered in 1833. The soloists fully meet Rossini's considerable vocal demands and Creed marshalls his forces to thrilling effect in this recording of Rossini's definitive 1838 revision of the original score.
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HYPERION CD OF THE MONTH |
CDA67627
| CD | 034571176277
HANDEL
NINE GERMAN ARIAS & OBOE SONATAS IN F & B-FLAT MAJOR & C MINOR
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Alexandra Bellamy (oboe), The King's Consort
- 'Carolyn Sampson, now the best British early music soprano by quite some distance' (Gramophone)
- The King’s Consort has more than 90 recordings to its credit with sales in excess of 1 million, and is critically acclaimed the world over
- ‘Carolyn Sampson comes across spectacularly well on disc…The ensemble consists of Jonathan Cohen on cello, Lynda Sayce on theorbo and Robert King on harpsichord and chamber organ, with outstanding violin accompaniment for the arias by Stephanie-Marie Degand. The oboe solo is beautifully played by Alexandra Bellamy throughout the sonatas. ‘ (MusicOMH.com)
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JOYOUS & PROFOUND Carolyn Sampson's ravishing, silvery tones shine in her interpretation of Handel's Nine German Arias, which set sacred poems by his contemporary Barthold Heinrich Brockes. Expressive, articulate melodies for soprano and violin solo help to achieve great expressive effects. The three Oboe Sonatas provide delightful counterparts to the arias.
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MICHAEL NYMAN CD OF THE MONTH |
MNRCD107
| CD | 5060099970054
NYMAN
THE PIANO
The Michael Nyman Band
- Spectacularly successful film and best-selling soundtrack
- FURTHER MICHAEL NYMAN TITLES are listed in the Classical CD & SACD section
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MULTI-MILLION SELLING TITLE Michael Nyman's score for Jane Campion's 1993 film The Piano is one of the most successful film soundtracks of all time. The soundtrack CD of the film became a multi-million seller, while the concert suite also became a staple of the band's concert repertoire and has been performed all over the world with the composer taking the roles of pianist and conductor.
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NAÏVE CD OF THE MONTH |
V5097
| CD | 822186050972
CLASSIQUE & ZEN
PEACEFUL MUSIC BY VIVALDI, SCHUBERT, MOZART, MAHLER, CHOPIN, DEBUSSY, HAHN, MONTEVERDI, RAVEL, BACH & BEETHOVEN
Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor), Ensemble Matheus, Jean-Christophe Spinosi (conductor), Anne Gastinel (cello), Claire Desert (piano), Noel Lee (piano), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (contralto), Daniel Blumenthal (piano), Ensemble Kapsberger, Rolf Lislevand (dir
- Beautiful compilation of serene and sublime music from the 18th, 19th & 20th centuries
- Top-selling artists, including Philippe Jaroussky (who performs in Australia during July) and Hopkinson Smith (who visited Australia in March)
- Naïve recordings are imaginatively programmed, superbly engineered and beautifully packaged
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MORE THAN AN HOUR OF BLISS This disc presents best-loved works by famous composers, including the Larghetto from Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, the Adagio from his Piano Concerto No 23, transcriptions of Schubert songs, arias from Vivaldi operas, the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th Symphony transcribed for voices, with beautiful piano works by Debussy, Beethoven, Chopin and Ravel, specially selected to create a tranquil mood - in all, 70 minutes of great classics.
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WORLD VILLAGE CD OF THE MONTH |
WV468070
| CD | 713746807023
GYPSY CARAVAN
MUSIC FROM & INSPIRED BY THE FILM 'WHEN THE ROAD BENDS/GYPSY CARAVAN'
Taraf de Haidouks, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Maharaja, Antonio el Pipa Flamenco Co., Esma Redzepova
- ‘A groundswell of attention for Gypsy music has built slowly over the last few years. Ethnomusicologists have always been fascinated by Roma, but the public has only recently caught the fever.’ (rootsworld.com)
- Features Esma Redzepova, one of the candidates for the Peace Nobel Prize for 2002, whose 40-year career has made her a superstar. Her album Gypsy Carpet (WN495116) is also available.
- Fanfare Ciocarlia won the BBC3 World Music Award 2006
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YOU CANNOT WALK STRAIGHT WHEN THE ROAD BENDS Here is the glorious soundtrack with more than 20 songs from a film celebration of the Gypsy life. With leading performers from India, Spain, Macedonia and Romania, this has been described as 'The Buena Vista Social Club for Gypsy music. It captures the spirit of an amazing musical culture and the heart of the musicians and singers who express it.' (Cinematic Intelligence Agency). 'Across the globe, Gypsy music rears its melodious head...featuring fierce fans of the form (including Johnny Depp), the film is a gorgeous surround-sound celebration of misery and oppression turned into music.' (Vancouver Film Fest)
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naxos
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NAXOS |
855531213
| CD2 | 747313531226
MONTEVERDI
MADRIGALS BOOK 6
Delitiae Musicae, Marco Longhini (conductor)
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FOND FAREWELLS Monteverdi’s 6th Book of Madrigals, conceived as his final contribution to the 'old style' of vocal writing, contains two particular masterpieces: the Sestina, a heartrending tribute to his wife, who had died in 1607, and the Lamento d’Arianna. The 1623 solo version of the Lamento is also on this album, as well as twelve rarely performed madrigals published between 1593-1634.
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NAXOS |
8557374
| CD | 747313237425
BERG: STRING QUARTET & LYRIC SUITE
WOLF: ITALIAN SERENADE
New Zealand String Quartet
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PASSIONATE MUSICAL AFFAIRS Alban Berg’s String Quartet of 1910 is both a graduation exercise and the composer’s first extended foray into atonality, while the highly expressive Lyric Suite was inspired by his love-affair with the wife of a family friend. Hugo Wolf’s Italian Serenade is a lighthearted piece later orchestrated as the first movement of a larger suite.
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NAXOS |
8557508
| CD | 747313250820
STRAVINSKY
VIOLIN CONCERTO, THE STAR-FACED ONE, SYMPHONIES OF WIND INSTRUMENTS & THE RITE OF SPRING
Jennifer Frautschi (violin), Philharmonia Orchestra, St Luke's Orchestra, Twentieth Century Classics Ensemble, Gregg Smith Singers, Robert Craft (conductor)
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125th ANNIVERSARY ALBUM This new recording of the 1967 edition of The Rite of Spring is released in celebration of the 125th anniversary of Stravinsky's birth. The Violin Concerto is widely considered his most perfect orchestral work. The Symphonies of Wind Instruments was the last of his pre-neoclassic creations. The Star-Faced One was dedicated to Debussy.
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NAXOS |
8557695
| CD | 747313269525
CLEMENTI
EARLY FORTEPIANO SONATAS VOL 2
Susan Alexander-Max (fortepiano)
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EXPRESSIVE KEYBOARD SONATAS Famous throughout his lifetime as both a composer and virtuoso performer, Clementi wrote more than a hundred immensely popular and influential keyboard sonatas. Those on this CD, composed in the early 1780s, have a strong emotional impact, with their cantabile legato lines and exciting use of octaves, fortissimos and sforzandos.
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NAXOS |
8557818
| CD | 747313281824
RICHTER
GRANDES SYMPHONIES VOL 1
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, Aapo Hakkinen (conductor)
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CLASSICAL SYMPHONIES Dating from 1744, Franz Xavier Richter's first set of Grandes Symphonies comprises Nos 63 in B flat major, 40 in F major, 13 in C minor, 34 in F major, 36 in F major and 64 in B flat major. He was choirmaster of Strasburg cathedral, a colleague of Johann Stamitz and a follower of the dramatic Mannheim School of composition.
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NAXOS |
8557848
| CD | 747313284825
BUSONI
VIOLIN SONATAS NOS 1 & 2, BAGATELLES
Joseph Lin (violin), Benjamin Loeb (piano)
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LYRICAL CHAMBER MUSIC Ferruccio Busoni composed the majority of his chamber works between 1878-90, when he was fast emerging as a formidable pianist of the younger generation. The Violin Sonatas are strikingly assured works, in the second of which the composer found his true voice. The Four Bagatelles draw on popular German melodies.
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NAXOS |
8557902
| CD | 747313290222
MORENO TORROBA
GUITAR MUSIC VOL 1
Ana Vidovic (guitar)
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'FIRST PRIZE WINNER OF THE TARREGA COMPETITION in Spain in 1998 at the age of 18 was Croatian guitarist Ana Vidovic. To comment on an international competition winner's technique seems a bit unnecessary - of course it's fabulous.' (American Record Guide) This CD presents Castillos de Espana (Castles of Spain), Las Puertas de Madrid (Gates of Madrid), Preludio, Vieja Leyenda and Jaranera.
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NAXOS |
8557904
| CD | 747313290420
LISZT
VERDI OPERA TRANSCRIPTIONS
Alexandre Dossin (piano)
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LISZT PAYS TRIBUTE TO VERDI Liszt's concert paraphrases are more than mere transcriptions, offering a re-interpretation based on thematic material drawn from their sources. Rigoletto Paraphrase de Concert, Aida Danza Sacra e Duetto Final, Il Trovatore Miserere, I Lombardi Salve Maria de Jerusalem, Don Carlos Coro di Festa e Marcia Funebre, Reminiscences de Boccanegra and Ernani Paraphrase de Concert.
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NAXOS |
8559305
| CD | 636943930526
PORTER
STRING QUARTETS NOS 1-4
Ives Quartet
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AFFIRMATIVE & ASSURED American composer Quincy Porter, a contemporary of Roger Sessions, Howard Hanson and Roy Harris, played a significant role in shaping and directing American musical culture in the mid-20th century. His music is by turns highly chromatic, neo-classical, folk-inflected and characterised by his gift for melody and powerful rhythmic sense.
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NAXOS |
8559314
| CD | 636943931424
CLASSIC AMERICAN LOVE SONGS
BY ARLEN, GERSHWIN, WEILL & SCHWARTZ
Carole Farley (soprano), John Constable (piano)
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SOME OF THE GREATEST AMERICAN LOVE SONGS EVER WRITTEN 'It was exhilarating to find unknown songs by Kurt Weill, and record them for the first time...As Thomas Z Shepard indicates in his notes, “these songs, created from the 1920s through the 1950s, represent the quintessential sophistication and elegance of an idealized world”' (Carole Farley)
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NAXOS |
8559320
| CD | 636943932025
GOTTSCHALK
COMPLETE ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Soloists, Hot Springs Music Festival Symphony Orchestra, Richard Rosenberg (conductor)
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FROM THE SUNNY SOUTH Louis Moreau Gottschalk was one of the most colourful characters in American music. Dubbed ‘the Chopin of the Creoles’, he was the first to capture the syncopated music of South Louisiana and the Caribbean in works that anticipate ragtime and jazz by half a century. Includes the world premiere recording of La Casa del Joven Enrique.
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NAXOS |
8559321
| CD | 636943932124
WUORINEN
TASHI, PERCUSSION QUARTET, FORTUNE
New Jersey Percussion Ensemble, The Group for Contemporary Music
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VIRTUOSIC MODERN MUSIC Wuorinen has a profound desire to engage with the listener, and essential to this engagement is a spirit of adventure and fun. Both Tashi and Fortune were written for the ensemble Tashi. He seems especially in his element when writing for percussion instruments, as demonstrated here by the rhythmically exciting Percussion Quartet.
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NAXOS |
8559342
| CD | 636943934227
BERGER
STRING QUARTET WORKS
Livia Sohn (violon), St Lawrence String Quartet
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SOPHISTICATED MUSIC AT PLAY Jonathan Berger, Associate Professor of Music at Stanford University, has said 'I enjoy golf, because similar to music, you can never master it. I guess I like limitless challenges.' St Lawrence String Quartet has toured Australia to critical acclaim for Musica Viva. This CD presents Eli Eli, Sink or Swim, Miracles and Mud, for amos & Doubles.
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NAXOS |
8570026
| CD | 747313002672
TURINA
PIANO MUSIC VOL 4
Jordi Maso (piano)
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SPANISH PIANO MUSIC Multi-award-winner Jordi Maso is piano professor at the Granollers Conservatory and at the High Music School of Catalonia, and features on many Naxos recordings. This new CD in Naxos' Complete Turina Piano Music series features Ninerias (Petite Suite) Series 1 Op 21 & Series 2 Op 56, Miniaturas Op 52 and Jardin de ninos (Jardins d'enfants) Op 63.
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NAXOS |
857013941
| CD3 | 747313013975
BYRD
MY LADY NEVELLS BOOKE (COMPLETE)
Elizabeth Farr (harpsichord)
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GREAT KEYBOARD COLLECTION William Byrd was undoubtedly the greatest English composer of the Elizabethan era. My Ladye Nevells Booke contains 42 keyboard pieces, six not found in any other manuscript or collection. It includes grounds (variations on a bass pattern or melody), variation sets, dance pieces, contrapuntal works and battaglia medleys.
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NAXOS |
8570259
| CD | 747313025978
BLOCH
FOUR EPISODES, TWO POEMS, CONCERTINO & SUITE MODALE
Noam Buchman (flute), Yuri Gandelsman (viola), Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Members, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Atlas Camerata Orchestra, Dalia Atlas (conductor)
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AN INDIVIDUAL COMPOSER Many of Ernest Bloch's most characteristic compositions draw inspiration from his Jewish heritage, although his music sometimes also has a neo-classical aspect. The diverse works on this disc showcase some of his lesser-known compositions for chamber orchestra and date from various times in his long and fruitful career.
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NAXOS |
8570292
| CD | 747313029273
SOLER
HARPSICHORD SONATAS VOL 13
Gilbert Rowland (harpsichord)
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VIVACIOUS SPANISH KEYBOARD MUSIC A student of Domencio Scarlatti, Antonio Soler is principally known for his 120 or so keyboard sonatas, which feature typical Spanish rhythms and turns of phrase. Gilbert Rowland's many recordings of works by Soler, Fischer and Scarlatti recordings have received considerable acclaim from the musical press.
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NAXOS |
8570347
| CD | 747313034772
BEATA MOON
PIANO WORKS
Beata Moon (piano)
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MEET BEATA MOON Korean-American Beata Moon creates completely idiomatic music informed by a wide view of music history. In her Piano Sonata, she maintains a characteristic buoyancy, while Submerged recalls the pyrotechnics of Scriabin. In Transit is a short suite of delightful miniatures about New York City. This CD is a fine introduction to her piano compositions.
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NAXOS |
8570352
| CD | 747313035274
HOWELLS
SIR PATRICK SPENS & HYMNUS PARADISI
Soloists, Bach Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, David Hill (conductor)
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MUSIC OF CONSOLATION Herbert Howells was one of the finest English composers of church music. Sir Patrick Spens, his first large-scale choral work, received only one known performance until this recording. Hymnus Paradisi was composed under heart-breaking circumstances following the death of his son. Howells’ command of choral and orchestral polyphony is masterly.
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NAXOS |
8570401
| CD | 747313034970
HINDEMITH/BERG/HARTMANN: PIANO SONATAS
SCHOENBERG: 3 PIANO PIECES
Allison Brewster Franzetti (piano)
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CONVINCING ADVOCACY A multiple Grammy nominee, pianist Allison Brewster Franzetti has received international acclaim from critics and audiences alike for her stunning virtuosity and musicality, both as a soloist and chamber musician. On this disc she presents seldom heard 20th-century masterpieces with elegant proficiency, crystal clarity and great enthusiasm.
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NAXOS |
8570410
| CD | 747313041077
SS WESLEY
ORGAN WORKS
Jamie McVinnie (organ0
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A TOWERING FIGURE Son of the organist Samuel and grandson of Charles Wesley, Samuel Sebastian held various positions as organist in English cathedrals. His organ music, inevitably influenced by J S Bach, after whom he had been christened, and by Mendelssohn, paved the way for the late 19th- and early 20th-century revival of organ music.
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NAXOS |
8570414
| CD | 747313041473
FINZI
YOUNG MAN'S EXHORTATION, TILL EARTH OUTWEARS, OH FAIR TO SEE
John Mark Ainsley (tenor), Iain Burnside (piano)
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PRECIOUS DREAMS Gerald Finzi made an unrivalled contribution to British 20th-century song, especially in his settings of Thomas Hardy, his favourite poet. This 3rd and final volume of Finzi songs includes two Hardy settings, A Young Man’s Exhortation and Till Earth Outwears.The posthumously published Oh Fair To See draws on various authors, from Christina Rossetti to Blunden and Bridges. Vols 1 & 2 on Naxos 8557644 & 8557963.
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NAXOS |
8570506
| CD | 747313050673
BRIAN
SYMPHONY NO 2 & FESTIVAL FANFARE
Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Tony Rowe (conductor)
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HIGH MUSICAL DRAMA While his 1st Symphony, The Gothic, had confronted the challenge of the post-Beethovenian choral symphony, his 2nd was Havergal Brian's first serious essay in the classical four-movement form, expanded through the Romantic aesthetic and modified by the impact of Wagnerian music-drama. The Festival Fanfare is his only extant composition for brass ensemble.
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NAXOS |
8570600
| CD | 747313060078
SI CONG MA
VIOLIN & PIANO MUSIC
Hsiao-Mei Ku (violin), Ning Lu (piano)
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CHINESE CHAMBER MUSIC Born in Southern China, Si Cong Ma studied in France, held important musical posts in the People's Republic of China and also worked in the USA. This CD presents Dragon Lantern Dance, Mountain Song, Madrigal, Suiyuan Suite (Inner Mongolia Suite), Lullaby, Lantern Festival Dance, Amei Suite, Rondo No 1 & Tone Poem of Tibet.
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NAXOS |
866901415
| CD2 | 730099691420
HARTKE
THE GREATER GOOD
Soloists, Glimmerglass Opera Orchestra, Stewart Robertson (conductor)
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WORLD PREMIERE Commissioned by Glimmerglass Opera, The Greater Good is a strikingly original composition based on a short story by Maupassant set in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War. With sure-footed dramatic pacing, its astute use of different musical techniques and musical styles portray the characters in a variety of moods and situations.
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classical cd & sacd
ambroisie |
bis |
black box music |
chandos |
children's group |
cpo |
globe |
haenssler classics |
harmonia mundi |
helios |
hyperion |
k617 |
ligia |
lyrita |
melodyia |
michael nyman |
mirare |
ondine |
orfeo |
praga digitals |
prima voce |
profil |
resonance |
sanctuary |
supraphon |
tahra |
testament |
zig zag
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AMBROISIE |
AM127
| CD2 | 822186001271
DESMAREST
VENUS AND ADONIS
Karine Deshayes (mezzo-soprano), Anna-Maria Panzarella (soprano), Ingrid Perruche (soprano), Sebastien Droy (tenor), Henk Neven (baritone), Jean Teitgen (bass), Anders J Dahlin (countertenor), Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset (conductor)
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WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING Between the death of Lully and the rise of Rameau, French Baroque opera thrived with a host of lesser-known composers including Henry Desmarest, who continued the great tradition founded by the Sun King's favourite composer with major works such as Venus and Adonis. This live recording has the sound quality of a studio-made CD and features an enthusiastic, talented cast.
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BIS |
BISCD1466
| CD | 7318590014660
SIBELIUS
STRING QUARTETS
Tempera Quartet
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STRING QUARTETS BY A GREAT SYMPHONIST This CD includes the world premiere recording of the preliminary ending of the famous Quartet in D minor 'Voces intimae', as well as the Quartet in B-flat major Op 4, Adagio in D minor and Andante Festivo of 1922. The Tempera Quartet has been praised for its 'great beauty and surprisingly clasical balance' (Classica-Repertoire).
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BIS |
BISCD1555
| CD | 7318590015551
ARIOSTI
STOCKHOLM SONATAS VOL 2
Thomas Georgi (viola d'amore), Lucas Harris (archlute, baroque guitar), Mime Yamahiro Brinkmann (cello)
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THE AMOROUS VIOLA The manuscripts of Attilio Ariosti's Sonatas Nos 8-14 preserved in Stockholm are the basis of this truly delightful recording, the second in BIS's ongoing series. Vol 1 (BISCD1535) received critical acclaim - 'beautiful, well-shaped and authentically-aware performances' (MusicWeb International) - and Vol 3 will present the remaining sonatas from the Stockholm collection.
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BIS |
BISCD1629
| CD | 7318590016299
BUTTERFLIES & ILLUSIONS
GRIEG'S LYRIC PIECES ON THE ACCORDION
Mie Miki (accordion)
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REFRESHING APPROACH TO GRIEG Mie Miki has chosen 24 of her favourite miniatures from Grieg's Lyric Pieces, as well as Anitra's Dance and The Death of Ase from Peer Gynt, and interpreted them on her own instrument, giving these lovely works a new life. 'Here I myself become the butterfly and regard the landscape from a butterfly's perspective,' she says. 'On the piano just the opposite would be true.'
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BIS |
BISSACD1339
| SACD | 7318599913391
PULKKIS
ENCHANTED GARDEN
Jaakko Kuusisto (violin), Sharon Bezaly (flute), Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Susanna Malkki (conductor)
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NEW MUSIC FROM FINLAND Born in 1975, the prize-winning Finnish composer Uljas Pulkkis is already hot property. His Enchanted Garden (2000) is 'a musical fairy-tale' set during the course of a single day. The Flute Concerto (2001) was compsoed for acclaimed soloist Sharon Bezaly, while Symphonic Dali (2002) comprises three paintings for orchestra: The Colossus of Rhodes, Shades of Night Descending and Dawn.
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BIS |
BISSACD1572
| SACD | 7318599915722
BEETHOVEN
PIANO WORKS VOL 5
Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano)
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OUTSTANDING BEETHOVEN SONATA CYCLE Few series of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas have met with such unanimous acclaim as Brautigam's: 'a stylistic paradigm shift' (Fanfare), 'another milestone in his discography and in the history of Beethoven interpretation' (klassik.com). Vol 5 presents the Sonatas No 16 Op 31 No 1, No 17 Op 31 No 2 'The Storm', and No 18 Op 31 No 3, relatively serene works from a period of emotional turmoil for the composer.
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BLACK BOX MUSIC |
BBM1108
| CD | 680125110824
MELLITS
PARANOID CHEESE
Mellits Consort
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THE ULTIMATE IN CONTEMPORARY COOL Quirky contemporary American composer, Marc Mellits, a pupil of Steve Reich, was influenced as much by rock and dance music as by Reich and Glass, and all are on display here! Mellit’s music crosses many boundaries and appeals to contemporary classical audiences and lovers of trance, dance, chill-out and electronica.
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CHANDOS |
CHAN10431X
| CD | 095115143124
KORNGOLD
SONGS OF FAREWELL OP 14 & SYMPHONY IN F-SHARP MAJOR OP 40
Linda Finnie (contralto), BBC Philharmonic, Sir Edward Downes (conductor)
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GRAMOPHONE CRITIC'S CHOICE Korngold's rarely-heard Symphony in F-sharp major is a work of real imaginative power and ranks alongside the major symphonic works of Mahler and Bruckner; with a powerful and deeply felt slow movement of grandiose character. His four orchestral Songs of Farewell recall those of Richard Strauss, Mahler and Zemlinsky.
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CHANDOS |
CHAN10432X
| CD | 095115143223
KORNGOLD
SURSUM CORDA OP 13 & SINFONIETTA OP 5
BBC Philharmonic, Matthias Bamert (conductor)
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GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE Bamert's interpretations of these compelling examples of Korngold's early orchestral works were well received by critics on their original release: 'beautiful, sensitive and sympathetic, never overstated but always full-blooded' (BBC Music Magazine) 'The Chandos recording is altogether superb' (Penguin Guide - 3 STARS)
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CHANDOS |
CHAN10433X
| CD | 095115143322
KORNGOLD
MILITARY MARCH, CELLO CONCERTO OP 37, SYMPHONIC SERENADE FOR STRING ORCHESTRA OP 39 & PIANO CONCERTO IN C-SHARP (FOR LEFT HAND) OP 17
Peter Dixon (cello), Howard Shelley (piano), BBC Philharmonic, Matthias Bamert (conductor)
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INVENTIVE & ELOQUENT Four works from different periods of Korngold's career, including the Cello Concerto (adapted from the film score of Deception), which Peter Dixon performs with elegance and lyrical understatement. Shelley's performance in the Piano Concerto has a radiant panache. 'First-rate playing and opulent, well-balanced recording.' (Penguin Guide - 3 STARS)
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CHANDOS |
CHAN10434X
| CD | 095115143421
KORNGOLD
SCHAUSPEIL OVERTURE OP 4, SEVEN FAIRYTALE PICTURES OP 3, EXCERPTS FROM VIOLANTA OP 8 & THE SNOWMAN
BBC Philharmonic, Matthias Bamert (conductor)
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YOUTHFUL KORNGOLD WORKS When this disc was originally released it presented the premiere recording of The Seven Fairytale Pictures. Together with the other three albums, it is being reissued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the composer's death, and features some of his most sumptuous orchestrations. 'Exemplary performances' (The Times)
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CHANDOS |
CHSA5050
| SACD | 095115505021
REGES TERRAE - MUSIC FROM TIME OF CHARLES V
BY MANCHICOURT, MORALES, CLEMENS NON PAPA, GUERRERO & GOMBERT
Nordic Voices
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RICH RENAISSANCE REPERTOIRE The six-voice Norwegian a cappella ensemble Nordic Voices has recently signed with Chandos. This debut release features premiere recordings of music by Clemens Non Papa and Manchicourt. 'Intonation? Impeccable. Ensemble? Unfailing precision in phrasing, dynamics, color - everything finely tuned.' (Washington Post)
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CHILDREN'S GROUP |
843272
| CD | 6847843272
PIGMANIA
ONCE UPON A TUNE VOL 1
Judy & David
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A SAX-WIELDING MAMA PIG tells her three not-so-little pigs, Frankie, Woody and Brainella, that it's time to leave home and start a life of their own. Frankie, Woody and Brainella learn that wisdom, good planning and hard work pay off when a sixties-throw-back Big Bad Wolf grooves onto the scene, BBQ sauce in hand...a fun musical education disc.
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CHILDREN'S GROUP |
843292
| CD | 6847843292
GOLDIROCKS
ONCE UPON A TUNE VOL 2
Judy & David
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GOLDIROCKS PLAYS HER ELECTRIC GUITAR so loudly and so often that she is constantly in trouble with her family and friends. When her mother threatens to take it away, Goldie runs to the forest where she finds a tiny log cabin, which is the home of the Three Bears. The story unfolds and Goldie quickly discovers there's more to life than rock 'n roll...
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CHILDREN'S GROUP |
843612
| CD | 6847843612
BEANSTOCK
ONCE UPON A TUNE VOL 3
Judy & David
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JACK MEETS GEORGINA WIZARD and trades the family cow for a bag of magical, musical beans. The groovy adventure begins when Jack climbs a gigantic beanstalk, meets a jazz-loving giant and restores his family's fortune. The beans celebrate with the biggest concert this side of Woodstock!
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CHILDREN'S GROUP |
843622
| CD | 6847843622
REDS IN THE HOOD
ONCE UPON A TUNE VOL 4
Judy & David
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LITTLE RED IS SENT WITH A BASKET OF COOKIES for Granny, a motorcycle-riding go-go-dancing hip-hopping senior, when she veers off the path and is chased by B.B. Wolf, a cookie-loving rap star. The wolf's vanity is his ultimate undoing when he unwittingly finds himself in the middle of a cool dance party, clad only in Granny's pink pajamas.
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CHILDREN'S GROUP |
844212
| CD | 068478442128
PEGGY'S VIOLIN
A BUTTERFLY IN TIME
Peggy McGuire Hills, Adrian Anantawan, Angela Fusco
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JUNO AWARD NOMINATION FOR CHILDREN'S ALBUM OF THE YEAR This marvellous music education CD tells the story of the Butterfly Violin, from its creation in 1702 up to the present day, with 18 tracks of music by Bach, Pachelbel, Marcello, Saraste, Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Elgar, Gilbert & Sullivan, Tchaikovsky, Ravel and others.
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CHILDREN'S GROUP |
844232
| CD | 068478442326
THE STORYTELLER'S BAG
Peggy McGuire Hills, Lorne Cardinal, Cheri Maracle-Cardinal
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INSPIRED BY LEGENDS OF THE OJIBWAY PEOPLE of Ontario, The Storyteller's Bag features stories illustrated by music: The Storyteller's Bag Overture, Muskrat's Dive, How The Loon Got Its Necklace, The Star Lily and Falling Stars Children's Songs. An imaginative mix of tales and chamber music, performed by respected North American artists and educators.
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CPO |
CPO7770492
| CD | 761203704927
WEINGARTNER
SEXTET OP 33, OCTET OP 73
Olivier Triendl (piano), Ensemble Acht
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CHAMBER MUSIC BY AN OLYMPIAN CONDUCTOR Renowned as a conductor, Felix Weingartner is much less well known as a composer, yet he wrote more than a hundred works. The Sextet of 1904 and the Octet of 1924 reveal Weingartner as a Romantic composer of sensitivity with his own unique style, grounded in Classicism, and astonishingly expressive.
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CPO |
CPO7771972
| CD | 761203719723
BUXTEHUDE
DAS JUENGSTE GERICHT
Ulrike Hofbauer, Monika Mauch, Margret Hunter, Harry van der Kamp, Henning Voss, Hans-Joerg Mammel, Olfa Tetampel, Joerg Jacobi, Wesser-Renaissance Bremen, Manfred Cordes
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BUXTEHUDE 300th ANNIVERSARY Admired during his own lifetime by no lesser figures than Bach and Handel, Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707) is enjoying renewed interest in the tercentennary year of his death. This disc presents highlights from his grand dramatic cantata Wacht! Euch zum Streit.
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CPO |
CPO7772252
| CD | 761203722525
GEMINIANI
VIOLIN SONATAS OP 5
Anton Steck (violin), Christian Rieger (harpsichord), Markus Moellenbeck (cello)
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EXPRESSIVE, IMAGINATIVE, STIMULATING Originally composed for the cello, Geminiani's Violin Sonatas Op 5 are rewarding practical examples of the virtuosic technique he espoused in his famous publication The Art of Playing on the Violin, which is a foundational document of modern string technique.
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CPO |
CPO7772402
| CD3 | 761203724024
LULLY
THESEE
Howard Crook, Laura Pudwell, Ellen Hargis, Harry van der Kamp, Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF) Orchestra & Chorus, Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs
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TRIUMPH OF WISDOM OVER LOVE Hailed by The Times, London, as 'the leading festival of early music', the BEMF brings together a superb cast to present one of Lully's pivotal operas, which tells the tale of Theseus and the vengeful Medea. BEMF's 2005 recording of Conradi's opera Ariadne (CPO7770732) was nominated for a Grammy, and Thesee deserves no lesser acknowledgment for the grand scale of its achievement.
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CPO |
CPO9997732
| CD | 761203977321
KARG-ELERT
PIANO WORKS VOL 4
Ernst Breidenbach (piano)
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ECCENTRIC & EFFECTIVE Although virtually forgotten today, Sigfrid Karg-Elert was regarded as Leipzig's greatest composer after Max Reger. His piano works, exquisitely coloured, highly characterful and sometimes exotically themed, comprise a wonderful collection of concert etudes and musical impressions. The previous three volumes on CPO have proved revelatory.
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CPO |
CPO9998892
| CD | 761203988921
FESCA
SYMPHONY NO 1 & OVERTURES
NDR Radiophilharmonie, Frank Beermann (conductor)
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AN ORIGINAL YOUNG ROMANTIC Friedrich Ernst Fesca (1789-1826) scored a hit with his 1st Symphony of 1812, but his life was tragically cut short at the age of 37. The blend of vibrant energy and charming elegance that characterises his music provides some recompense for his early demise, while making us regret all the more keenly his untimely fate.
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GLOBE |
GLO5211
| CD | 8711525521100
TELEMANN
SEVEN RECORDER SONATAS
Saskia Coolen (recorder), Margriet Tindemans (viola da gamba), Peter Watchorn (harpsichord)
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18th-CENTURY RECORDER MUSIC One of the most prolific and respected composers of the German Baroque, Georg Philipp Telemann has only recently emerged from the shadows of JS Bach and Handel to enjoy renewed popularity. The seven suave, witty and lyrical Recorder Sonatas presented here are largely drawn from his collections The True Music Master and Musical Exercises.
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GLOBE |
GLO6009
| CD | 8711525600904
TCHAIKOVSKY
SYMPHONY NO 6 & THE NUTCRACKER HIGHLIGHTS
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin (conductor)
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LIGHT & SHADOW These two works, among Tchaikovsky's most popular, show completely different aspects to his complex personality. The sparkling score of The Nutcracker, which brims with unforgettable dance melodies and brilliant orchestration, contrasts with the darkly passionate mood of the 6th Symphony, his symphonic swansong.
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GLOBE |
GLO6034
| CD | 8711525603400
RAVEL: MA MERE L'OYE (MOTHER GOOSE)
& WORKS BY DEBUSSY, SCHUMANN & CHABRIER
European Chamber Orchestra Per Musica, Julian Reynolds (conductor)
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RAVEL'S MAGICAL ORCHESTRA Ravel originally wrote Ma Mere l'Oye as a piano duet, subsequently expanding it into the full ballet presented here. Also on this disc are Debussy's Sarabande & Danse (Tarantelle Styrienne), excerpts from Schumann's Carnaval, and Chabrier's Menuet Pompeux, each in Ravel's exquisite orchestrations.
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GLOBE |
GLO7001
| CD | 8711525700109
MOZART
VARIATION WORKS FOR PIANO
Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano)
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MOZART SHOWING OFF Brautigam interprets six of Mozart's sets of variations, including the famous Twelve Variations in C major on 'Ah, vous dirai je, Maman' K 265 on a fortepiano by Paul McNulty, Amsterdam 1990, after Anton Walter, Vienna c.1785, a perfect instrument for these delightful displays of shameless keyboard virtuosity.
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HAENSLER CLASSICS |
CD93166
| SACD | 4010276019824
MAHLER
SYMPHONY NO 2 'RESURRECTION'
Sibylla Rubens (soprano), Iris Vermillion (mezzosoprano), MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Roger Norrington (conductor)
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MAHLER TO THE LETTER 'This is the fourth in our series of live recordings of the Mahler symphonies, and we try as hard as ever to recreate the sound world which Mahler might have expected…nothing is left to chance...I am constantly struck by the importance of following Mahler's score to the letter.' Sir Roger Norrington
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HAENSLER CLASSICS |
CD93206
| CD | 401027601954
BRAHMS & FUCHS: CELLO SONATAS NO 2
ZEMLINSKY: CELLO SONATA IN A MINOR
Johannes Moser (cello), Paul Rivinius (piano)
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THE HERITAGE OF BRAHMS This important new release brings together music by Brahms, Brahms' pupil Robert Fuchs and Fuch's student Alexander von Zemlinsky, an impressive musical dynasty by any reckoning. Johannes Moser is a prize-winning young cellist who has been described as 'heroic' (Chicago Tribune).
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HAENSLER CLASSICS |
CD98207
| CD | 4010276017172
BEETHOVEN
PIANO SONATAS VOL 7
Gerhard Oppitz (piano)
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OPPITZ COMPLETES HIS BEETHOVEN CYCLE Gerhard Oppitz, who recently visited Australia, concludes his critically acclaimed Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycle with No 22 in F Op 54, No 24 in F-sharp minor Op 78 and No 29 in B-flat Op 106 'Hammerklavier', works which look both back towards Haydn and forward to the future of Romanticism.
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HAENSLER CLASSICS |
CD98229
| CD | 4010276017974
SILVESTROV
PIANO WORKS
Jenny Lin (piano)
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DUETS WITH SILENCE Valentin Silvestrov's deceptively simple music subtlely creates an intimate link between the performer and the listener. His remark that 'the most important lesson of the avant-garde is to be free of all conceived ideas, particularly those of the avant-garde' perfectly captures the paradox of his sensitive and seductive music, where silence can be as articulate as sound.
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HAENSLER CLASSICS |
CD98260
| CD | 4010276019107
ITALIAN BAROQUE LUTE MUSIC
BY PICCININI, GALILEI, KAPSBERGER & CASTALDI
Joachim Held (lute), Carsten Lohff (organ)
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BIRTH OF THE BAROQUE Around the turn of the 17th Century a musical sea-change was taking place as Renaissance counterpoint became displaced by a newly expressive melodic style of composition that would blossom into the Baroque. The works on this disc are a treasure trove from this time and include pieces composed by Galileo's brother Michelagnolo Galilei.
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HAENSLER CLASSICS |
CD98295
| CD | 4010276020080
GRADVAL
WORKS FOR OBOE
Lajos Lencses (oboe), Ulrike Sonntag (soprano), Libor Sima (bassoon), Francois Killian (piano), Budapest Strings, SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, Andrey Boreyko (conductor)
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WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS Clemence de Grandval studied with Chopin, Flotow and Saint-Saens, becoming a prolific and frequently performed composer. This new release presents world premiere recordings of a number of her works, revealing a magical Romantic imagination. 'Lajos Lencses is one of the greatest oboists of our time' (Diapason)
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
CSO901701
| CD2 | 810449017015
MAHLER
SYMPHONY NO 3
Michelle DeYoung (mezzo-soprano), Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Women of CSO Chorus, Chicago Children's Choir, Bernard Haitink (conductor)
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IMPORTANT NEW RELEASE ON NEW LABEL Dubbed by the Chicago Sun-Times 'one for the history books', Haitink's interpretation of Mahler's mighty 3rd Symphony innaugurated his period as Principal Conductor of the CSO in October 2006. This 2-CD album is the first release on the CSO Resound label and was recorded live in the Symphony Center's Orchestra Hall.
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1951303
| CD | 794881835928
DELALANDE
SYMPHONIES
La Simphonie du Marais, Hugo Reyne (director)
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SYMPHONIES FOR THE SUN KING In October 1990, Hugo Reyne presented the first complete recording of the Symphonies pour les soupers du Roy with his ensemble La Simphonie du Marais, founded three years previously. Here are the highlights of this recording which rehabilitated Delalande's music with full historical accuracy.
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1951422
| CD | 794881836024
WEILL
BERLIN REQUIEM
Alexandre Laiter, Peter Kooy, Elisabeth Glab, La Chapelle Royale, Ensemble Musique Oblique, Philippe Herreweghe (conductor)
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A MOVING COMMEMORATION Weill's Berlin Requiem was commisioned by the Frankfurt Radio to marki the 10th anniversary of the end of WW1 and completed in 1929. 'The performances of these moving laments over man's inhumanity are excellent, and the recording captures all the brilliant, sharp, sonorities of Weill's wind-and-percussion orchestra.' (Classic CD)
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1951441
| CD | 794881836123
OCKEGHEM
REQUIEM
Ensemble Organum, Marcel Peres (conductor)
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15TH-CENTURY CHORAL MASTERPIECE In 1461 at the dawn of the Renaissance, Ockeghem composed the first polyphonic Requiem to have come down to us. In restoring the plainchant which would have accompanied it, Marcel Peres adds further glory to a monument of purity and piety.
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1951667
| CD | 794881836222
BIBER
LITANY OF ST JOSEPH
Cantus Colln, Concerto Palatino, Konrad Junghanel (director)
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SALZBURG BAROQUE The prince-archbishops of Salzburg encouraged the creation of an extremely rich output of religious music, the compositions of Biber and Muffat ranking among the summits of the genre, not only in the wealth of their vocal and instrumental forces, but also in their sumptuous sonorities.
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1951672
| CD | 794881836321
SONGS & PSALMS OF THE REFORMATION
Ensemble Clement Janequin, Dominique Visse
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AWAKENING OF PROTESTANT MUSIC The Reformation aimed at returning sacred music to the congregation of the faithful, and Psalms could be heard sung in the streets, shops and homes of those who practised domestic polyphonic music. By simply changing the words, popular Renaissance secular chanson melodies gained a new life.
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1951675
| CD | 794881836420
BIZET
L'ARLESIENNE INCIDENTAL MUSIC & SYMPHONY IN C
Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Josep Pons (conductor)
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TRIUMPH & TRAGEDY Written by the 17-year old Bizet, the totally classical Symphony in C major is a delicious, perfectly balanced work whose themes recall Mozart and Rossini. Twenty years later, he wrote orchestral incidental music for Alphonse Daudet's famous play, L'Arlésienne, depicting the characters of the tragedy with subtlety and skill.
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1951703
| CD | 794881836529
GERMAN CANTATAS
BY TUNDER, KUHNAU, BRUHNS & GRAUPNER
Collegium Vocale Gent, Philippe Herreweghe (conductor)
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HOLY GERMAN MUSICAL HERITAGE The vocal music produced in Germany between the 1650s (after Schutz) and 1710 (the beginning of JS Bach's career) is here revealed as an inexhaustible treasure trove of admirably constructed and deeply expressive works that have lost none of their pristine charm of effectiveness.
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1951708
| CD | 794881836628
SCHUBERT
DIE SCHONE MULLERIN
Werner Gura (tenor), Jan Schultsz (piano)
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ACCLAIMED LIEDER INTERPRETATION Schubert's immortal 1824 song cycle of disappointed love rarely sounded so fresh as on this recording. 'The tenor Werner Gura is also outstanding for hypersensitive response to verbal inflexion dissolved into so liquid a line.' (Gramophone) 'Gura is admirably elegant.' (Classic CD)
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1951776
| CD | 794881836727
ROSSINI
STRING SONATAS
Ensemble Explorations, Roel Dieltiens (director)
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SPARKLING STRING SONATAS Rossini was only twelve when he composed his Sonate a quattro in 1804. Although the galant spirit of the 18th century is still present in them, the future operatic composer already asserts himself in these youthful works. Despite their youthful provenance, they nonetheless never fail to provide refined entertainment.
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1957009
| CD | 8427592000898
TURINA
PIANO WORKS
Albert Guinovart (piano)
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SPANISH MASTER OF THE PIANO Joaquin Turina was one of the most important Spanish composers of the first half of the 20th century, raising the reputation of Spanish music to a highly regarded level. Himself a professional pianist, he composed assuredly for this instrument. This disc presents a selection of characteristic piano works composed between 1912 and 1935.
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMA1957026
| CD | 8427592000966
PUERTA DE VELUNTAD
LITURGY & MYSTICISM IN HISPANO-JEWISH MUSIC
Alla Musica, Miguel Sanchez (conductor)
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AWARD-WINNING ALBUM This CD presents poems from Yehuda Halevi and Salomon aben Gabirol, two of the greatest Hispano-Jewish poets of the Middle Ages, as well as verses of the Song of Songs, in a beautifully evocative testimony to the Spanish-Jewish musical tradition. Awards from ClassicsToday.com, Diapason d'or & Goldberg: '5' Excellent.
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HARMONIA MUNDI |
HMU90714648
| CD3 | 093046714628
HANDEL
ARIODANTE
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (mezzo-soprano), Juliana Gondek (soprano), Lisa Saffer (soprano), Jennifer Lane (mezzo-soprano), Freiburger Barockorchester, Nicholas McGegan (conductor)
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OPERA OF SPANISH INTRIGUE The late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (1954-2006) leads a stellar cast on this re-released complete recording of Handel's Ariodante, one of the most popular and widely performed of all Handel’s operas. 'McGegan encourages an energy and verve that never slips from the highest standard of style and refinement." 5 STARS from Classic CD.
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HELIOS |
CDH55229
| CD | 034571152295
MASTERPIECES OF PORTUGUESE POLYPHONY
BY CARDOSO, REBELO, DE CRISTO & FERNANDEZ
Westminster Cathedral Choir, James O'Donnell (master of music)
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THE PORTUGUESE RENAISSANCE During the sixty years 1580-1640 Portugal was a province of Spain, and Portuguese polyphony reached its creative peak. Cardoso, arguably the best known of the composers, is represented here by his Lamentations for Maundy Thursday and other motets, alongside sumptuous music by Joao Lourenco Rebelo, Pedro de Cristo and Aires Fernandez.
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HELIOS |
CDH55234
| CD | 034571152349
GEMINIANI
LA FOLIA, SONATAS & CONCERTOS
The Purcell Quartet, The Purcell Band
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INFLUENTIAL BAROQUE COMPOSER A student of Alessandro Scarlatti and Corelli, Francesco Geminiani was a great 18th-century violinist whose music proved influential for its virtuosity and sophisticated style. This disc presents a nice survey of his Trio Sonatas, plus two Concerti Grossi, one based on Corelli's music. 'The Purcell Quartet play with dedication and spirit.' (Penguin Guide)
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HELIOS |
CDH55241
| CD | 034571152417
DOWLAND
AWAKE SWEET LOVE & OTHER SONGS
James Bowman (countertenor), David Miller (lute), viols of The King's Consort
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PENSIVE PANGS OF LOVE An Australian music writer once described John Dowland as 'the Leonard Cohen of the English Renaissance', which captures his melancholic sensibility rather well! Here are 23 tracks (including several by his contemporaries) that meditate upon love, life and death, with some excursions into the more light-hearted regions of love's pleasures, songs and dances.
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HELIOS |
CDH55269
| CD | 034571152691
BACH & TELEMANN
OBOE & OBOE D'AMORE CONCERTOS
Paul Goodwin (oboe, oboe d'amore), The King's Consort
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BEAUTIFUL BAROQUE CONCERTOS Paul Goodwin is widely regarded as the foremost baroque oboist of his generation. 'A winner all the way…exemplary from start to finish.' (Hi-Fi News) 'These are winning performances, with recording to match.' (Fanfare) 'Sheer delight.' (BBC Record Review)
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HELIOS |
CDH55277
| CD | 034571152776
BRUCKNER
MASS IN E MINOR
Corydon Singers, English Chamber Orchestra Wind Ensemble, Matthew Best (conductor)
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A TESTAMENT TO FAITH Though perhaps better known today for his immense Romantic symphonies, Bruckner's sacred music lies at the very heart of his compositional output. The Mass in E minor for voices and winds is among his most heartfelt works. 'One of the most beautiful recordings of a choral masterpiece I have ever heard.' (The Sunday Times)
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HELIOS |
CDH55289
| CD | 034571152899
THE GARDEN OF ZEPHIRUS
15TH-CENTURY COURTLY SONGS
Gothic Voices, Christopher Page (director)
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LOVE CURES NOT SADNESS Dufay and Landini are recognised as masters of their time. No less accomplished, however, were the less familiar composers also featured on this highly praised disc. 'I believe this is the finest record of Medieval polyphonic song yet produced.' (Gramophone) 'I don't know a finer record of such fascinating material. Beautifully done.' (BBC Record Review)
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HYPERION |
CDA67497
| CD | 034571174976
BAIRSTOW
CHORAL MUSIC
Roderick Williams (baritone), The Choir of St John's College Cambridge, Britten Sinfonia, Paul Provost (organ), David Hill (director of music)
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BRITISH CATHEDRAL MUSIC Edward Bairstow set his texts 'with a beauty which makes one never able to think of the words without recalling the music', as the Dean of York wrote in tribute to this doyen of British music. Classic works are presented alongside rarities, including Five Poems of the Spirit, and the Evening Services in D and G.
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HYPERION |
CDA67564
| CD | 034571175645
TSONTAKIS: MAN OF SORROWS & SARABESQUE
& WORKS BY SCHOENBERG, BERG & WEBERN
Stephen Hough (piano), Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton (conductor)
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SERENE RELIGIOUS MUSIC George Tsontakis has been acclaimed as a giant on the American contemporary music scene. He wrote Man of Sorrows, a six-movement meditation on the suffering of Christ, especially for Stephen Hough, from whose premiere performance in 2005 this recording is taken. Iconic piano works from the Second Viennese School round off this stunning new release. Hough tours for Musica Viva Australia later this year.
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HYPERION |
CDA67587
| CD | 034571175874
WALTON: VIOLA CONCERTO (ORIGINAL 1928 VERSION)
RUBBRA: VIOLA CONCERTO & MEDITATIONS ON A BYZANTINE HYMN
Lawrence Power (viola), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov (conductor)
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MAJOR WORKS FOR VIOLA William Walton's Viola Concerto is one of his greatest works, suffused with vigour and dazzling brilliance. His exact contemporary, Edmund Rubbra, shows his indebtedness to Tchaikovsky and Sibelius in his own Viola Concerto. 'Power is a latter-day Orpheus, an expression of music's power to disarm, encourage, soothe and serenade.' (Financial Times)
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HYPERION |
CDA67599
| CD | 034571175997
SCHMITT
PSALM XLVII, SUITE SANS ESPRIT DE SUITE & LA TRAGEDIE DE SALOME
Christine Buffle (soprano), BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thierry Fischer (conductor)
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EXOTIC, ORIENTALIST FRENCH MUSIC Florent Schmitt represents the unbridled, Dionysian strain in early 20th-century French music and was influenced by such radicals as Richard Strauss and the modern Russians. Salome is his most famous ballet (choreographed by Diaghilev), while his Psalm 47 is a savage paean of barbaric splendour.
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HYPERION |
CDA67634
| CD | 034571176345
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE
TROUBADOUR & TROUVERE SONGS
Duo Trobairitz
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L'AMOUR, TOUJOURS L'AMOUR Faye Newton (soprano, symphonie) and Hazel Brooks (vielle) celebrate the music of courtly love - the pleasures of Spring, the sorrow of foiled seduction, the cruelty of husbands and the devotion of chivalric knights in service to their ladies. This is Duo Trobairitz's debut CD and a delightful introduction to 12th- and 13th-century art music.
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HYPERION |
CDS442413
| CD3 | 034571142418
VERACINI
SONATE ACCADEMICHE OP 2
The Locatelli Trio
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VERACINI THE VIOLIN VIRTUOSO Elizabeth Wallfisch (violin), Richard Tunnicliffe (cello) and Paul Nicholson (harpsichord, organ) present Veracini's 12 Academic Sonatas, which are 'fascinatingly inventive works, showing their little-known composer as a great deal more than a historical figure. The recording is vividly real and immediate.' (Penguin Guide)
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