NAXOS CD OF THE MONTH | 8570716 | CD | 747313071678
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition, Liszt Piano Concerto No 1

Peng Peng, Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Leonard Slatkin (conductor)

• A fresh take on this ever-popular Russian classic
• Orchestral arrangements of various movements by 15 musical luminaries, including Leopold Stokowski, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Sir Henry Wood
• Chinese piano prodigy Peng Peng gives a radiant performance of Liszt’s famous piano concerto
• Leonard Slatkin is one of the USA's most dynamic conductors and appears on several Naxos recordings

An increasing number of recordings (Stokowski’s characteristically daring transcription is available on Naxos 8557645) now feature orchestrations of Mussorgsky’s Pictures other than Ravel’s popular warhorse. Leonard Slatkin’s eclectic selection, some more outlandish than others, invites us to bask in the high spirits and ingenuity of no fewer than fifteen different composers. The Chinese pianist Peng Peng, who was fourteen at the time of this recording, has won many competitions, including first prize in the 2002 China National Youth Piano Competition.

NAXOS | 8570321 | CD | 747313032174
Brahms, Schumann Violin Concertos
Brahms Violin Concerto in D Major, Schumann Violin Concerto in D minor

Ilya Kaler (violin), Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Pietari Inkinen (conductor)

• Brahms' Violin Concerto is a great Romantic masterpiece
• Ilya Kaler’s consummate skill has been likened to that of Perlman and Heifetz
• American Record Guide has praised his 'perfection, passion, and phrase-sculpting'
• Conductor Pietari Inkinen recently performed in Australia

One of the most popular concertos in the repertoire, Brahms’ Violin Concerto was completed in 1878 and dedicated to his friend Joseph Joachim, whose cadenza is heard on this recording. An essentially lyrical work, the Concerto includes a slow movement of great beauty, which gives way to a Hungarian-style finale of mounting excitement. Schumann’s thoughtful and poetic Violin Concerto was not performed until 1937. In spite of the enthusiastic advocacy of Yehudi Menuhin, who saw in the Concerto a link between Beethoven and Brahms, it remains to this day an underrated work with many passages of great beauty.

NAXOS | 8570800 | CD | 747313080076
Bazzini Works for Violin and Piano
Etudes, Calabrese, Morceaux, La Ronde des Lutins

Chloe Hanslip (violin), Caspar Frantz (piano)

• Intimate Romantic salon music of dazzling virtuosity
• Just 20 years old, Chloe Hanslip plays on other outstanding Naxos albums (8570554 Godard Violin Concerto, 8559302 Adams/Corigliano Violin Concertos)
• 'She is likely to become the greatest violinist of her generation' – Limelight

Antonio Bazzini, born in Brescia in 1818, was one of the great violinist-composers of the 19th century. After encouragement from Paganini following an encounter in 1836, he lived the life of a touring virtuoso for many years. He is best remembered as the composer of numerous salon pieces for violin and piano, the most famous being La Ronde des lutins (The Dance of the Goblins), but also including many character pieces of various descriptions. As director of the Milan Conservatory, he was a teacher of Mascagni and Puccini.

NAXOS | 8572033 | CD | 747313203376
Petrit Ceku Guitar Recital
Bach Sonata No 2 BWV1003, Regondi Etudes, Asencio Suite Valenciana, Rodrigo Homage To The Guitar

Petrit Ceku (guitar)

• This young star guitarist won First Prize in the prestigious Michele Pittaluga Competition in Italy, 2007
• A mixture of famous and lesser-known works, all appealling
• Classical Guitar albums sell very well to people of all ages
• Watch Petrit Ceku on YouTube

This recital by one of the leading guitarists of the younger generation, the Croatian Petrit Ceku, begins with an ambitious transcription of one of J.S. Bach’s most demanding solo works. Studies from the 19th century master, Giulio Regondi, and Vicente Asencios’s Suite Valencia, reveal the expressive and technical heights to which the classical guitar aspires.

BIS | BISSACD1671 | SACD | 7318599916712
JS Bach Cantatas Vol 40
Lobe den Herren den Machtigen Konig der Ehren BWV137, Tue Rechnung Donnerwort BWV168, Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild BWV79, Ihr die Ihr Euch von Christo Nennet BWV164
Yukari Nonoshita (soprano), Robin Blaze (counter-tenor), Makoto Sakurada (tenor), Peter Kooji (bass), Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki (conductor)
With its triumphant 40th volume of J.S. Bach's church cantatas, Bach Collegium Japan has reached a milestone in this ambitious ongoing series. The consistent quality across the project's releases has garnered a loyal fan base and critical acclaim. Director Masaaki Suzuki coaxes a crisp, intimate vocal sound from his ensemble and sterling soloists, sensitively accompanied on period instruments. In one of the most compelling recent journeys through this magnificent body of work, BCJ has brought Bach's cantatas to the attention of Japanese audiences, and has brought remarkable Japanese performers into the international spotlight.

CANARY CLASSICS | CC05 | CD | 892118001051
Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor Op 50
Gil Shaham (violin), Truls Mork (cello), Yefim Bronfman (piano)
In 1880, Tchaikovsky's patron asked him to write a work for her 'house' trio (which included the young Debussy), a request he initially refused. However, after the death of famed conductor Nicolai Rubenstein in 1881, Tchaikovsky returned to the idea of a trio to pay tribute to his colleague and friend. This recording features an established trio each with high-profile international careers. Pianist Yefim Bronfman has won widespread praise for his solo, chamber and orchestral recordings. Truls Mork's reputation as a cellist of fierce intensity and grace has been built on performances throughout the world, while violinist Gil Shaham is recognised as one of today's most virtuosic and engaging artists.

CBC RECORDS | SMCD52452 | CD2 | 059582524527
Bruch Violin Concertos Nos 1-3, Scottish Fantasy
James Ehnes (violin), Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, Mario Bernardi (conductor)
James Ehnes is widely considered one of the most dynamic and exciting violinists of his generation. A prolific and multi-award winning recording artist, James’ discography boasts some 20 recordings, 3 of those Juno Award winners, and one recently winning a coveted Grammy Award. It is to two of those recordings that this new box set turns, comprising the complete works for violin and orchestra by Max Bruch. The soaring folk melodies and epic grandeur of his Scottish Fantasy, in particular, have made the work an enduring classic. CD 1 features international superstar conductor Charles Dutoit, and CD 2 is led by one of Canada’s most celebrated conductors, Mario Bernardi.

CHANDOS | CHAN10491 | CD | 095115149126
Taneyev Suite de Concert
Concert Suite for Violin and Orchestra, Rimsky-Korsakov Fantasy on Russian Themes
Lydia Mordkovitch (violin), Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi (conductor)
Lydia Mordkovitch, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Neeme Jarvi have won a Gramophone Award for their bold interpretations of Russian repertoire for Chandos, including music by Prokofiev, Khachaturian and Shostakovich. They return with two seldom heard works by Taneyev and Rimsky-Korsakov. A formidable display piece, the Suite de Concert is the only work for violin and orchestra by Taneyev, a student of Tchaikovsky and close friend of Rimsky-Korsakov. It was designed to show off the technique of a violinist of the highest calibre, evident from the soloist's first entry with a brilliant cadenza-like passage. Rimsky-Korsakov's Fantasy on Russian Themes is his only substantial work for violin and orchestra. This performance is sure to garner interest from all Russian music enthusiasts.

CHANDOS | CHSA5065 | SACD | 095115506523
Tansman Symphonies Vol 3
Symphony in A minor No 2, Symphonie Concertante (Symphony No 3), Four Movements for Orchestra
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Oleg Caetani (conductor)
Oleg Caetani and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra continue to champion the orchestral music of Alexandre Tansman, a protege of Stravinsky influenced by Poulenc’s playful neo-classicism and Gershwin’s orchestrated jazz. International Record Review wrote of Volume 1, "After hearing this spectacularly engineered new SA-CD, I really do believe that Tansman's time has come...there's no need to hesitate over Caetani's performances." On this latest addition to the series, the composer's Second and Third symphonies receive exciting premiere recordings.

COLLEGIUM | COLCD133 | CD | 040888013327
Rutter A Christmas Festival
The Cambridge Singers, Farnham Youth Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, John Rutter (director)
No living composer has come to be more closely associated with Christmas than John Rutter: for more than 30 years, his carols and other seasonal choral music have been an indispensible feature of Yuletide celebrations worldwide. Inspired by the success of his much-loved annual Christmas concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, London, this major new recording features premieres of over a dozen brand new compositions and arrangements for Christmas by John Rutter.

GLYNDEBOURNE | GFOCD00162 | CD3 | 878280000016
Mozart Marriage of Figaro
Mirella Freni, Heinz Blankenburg, Gabriel Bacquier, Leyla Gencer, Edith Mathis, Carlo Cava, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Glyndebourne Chorus, Silvio Varviso
The Marriage of Figaro has been Glyndebourne's 'signature' opera since the company was founded in 1934. To the social satire of Beaumarchais's original play da Ponte added the sparkling bustle of Italian intrigue, and Mozart a miraculous, fizzing score whose music rings variations on the pains, pleasures and follies of the human heart. This recording of the 1962 Glyndebourne production features a vintage cast with Heinz Blankenburg in the title role and Mirella Freni as Susanna, who had made her international breakthrough at Glyndebourne the previous summer. Silvio Varviso conducts and his 'elegant touch for opera' (New York Times) is much in evidence.

HARMONIA MUNDI | HMC902015 | CD | 794881898220
Brahms Hungarian Dances, Piano Pieces Op 76, Waltzes Op 39
Cedric Tiberghien (piano)
The product of close study of Gypsy folklore, the Hungarian Dances were originally destined for piano four hands; they were subsequently orchestrated, but Brahms himself also made a reduction for piano solo. Cedric Tiberghien has chosen to complete his programme with the eight Piano Pieces Op.76, and the 16 Waltzes Op.39, which offer a highly personal vision of the genre in the tradition of Schubert and Schumann.

HYPERION | CDA67674 | CD | 034571176741
Martinu Complete Music for Violin and Orchestra Vol 4
Violin Concerto No 1, Violin Concerto No 2
Bohuslav Matousek (violin), Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Christopher Hogwood (conductor)
Martinu's Violin Concerto No 1 was written for the celebrated Polish-born American Samuel Dushkin. The score was lost during World War II when Martinu was forced to flee to the USA. Rediscovered in 1968, this is a dazzling virtuoso work revealing the influence of Dushkin's liking for technical display. The Violin Concerto No 2 was commissioned by Mishca Elman, a famous American violinist of Ukrainian origin. It embraces his preference for noble and elegant melodies, love of slow tempos, and his exceptional feeling for the sonority of his instrument. Soloist Bohuslav Matousek demonstrates his great versatility in idiomatic performances of these works.

PENTATONE | PTC5186097 | SACD | 827949009761
Mozart March in D K249, Serenade in D K250 'Haffner'
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Gordan Nikolic (conductor)
This new Mozart album features the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra in popular Mozart repertoire. This is the same orchestra as was used by PentaTone for the accompaniment of Julia Fischer's Mozart violin concertos, an internationally award-winning title. The orchestra also won a Grammy nomination for an album of dynamic 20th-century repertoire: works by Hartmann, Bartok and Britten (PTC5186056). As always with PentaTone releases, these first-class performances of Mozart delights has been engineered in surround sound.

CHANDOS | CHAN10499 | CD | 095115149928
Brideshead Revisited
Johnston, Adrian
Adrian Johnston (original score), Chris Garrick (violin), John Etheridge (guitar), Peter Dixon (cello), Jonathan Scott (piano), BBC Philharmonic, Terry Davies (conductor)
Chandos is delighted to release the original sound track album for the new film Brideshead Revisited, the first such recording on the Chandos Movies label. Adrian Johnston has developed an impressive career in television and film over the years, his scores having won him both BAFTA and Emmy Awards. With a screenplay by Jeremy Brock and Andrew Davies, Brideshead Revisited is the first film adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s novel, with a cast that includes Emma Thompson, an Academy-Award-winner, and Michael Gambon, best known as Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, together with the relative newcomers Matthew Goode, Hayley Atwell and Ben Wishaw. The BBC Philharmonic is conducted by Terry Davies whose previous film credits include Shakespeare in Love and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

For more information and audio samples: Click Here

DUTTON | CDEA6146 | CD | 765387614621
Music From The Movies British Films 1937-57
Walton Spitfire Fugue (from The First of the Few 1942), Alwyn Calypso Music (from The Rake's Progress 1945), Theme Music from 'Cure For Love', Vaughan Williams Prelude from '49th Parallel' 1941, Incidental Music from 'The Loves of Joanna Godden' 1947
Laurance Turner (violin solo), Sidney Crook (piano), Halle Orchestra, William Walton (conductor), London Symphony Orchestra, Muir Mathieson (conductor)
This release celebrates the wonderful music written for British films during the 1930s, 40s and 50s by composers better known for their works in the classical realm and for the concert hall. Vaughan Williams’s rousing music from the films ‘The Loves of Joanna Godden’ and ‘49th Parallel’ is heard, as is William Walton’s famous Spitfire Fugue from ‘The First of the Few’. Gordon Jacob is represented with his theme and an underscore from ‘Esther Waters’, while John Ireland’s incidental music from ‘The Overlanders’ is on offer, as is some of William Alwyn’s music from ‘The Rake’s Progress’ and ‘Cure for Love’. In some cases these composers’ music was better than the films it was written for, and much of the material heard here is lovingly restored for its first appearance on CD.

TESTAMENT | SBT1427 | CD | 749677142728
Jussi Bjorling in Song
Leoncavallo Mattinata (in Swedish), Bizet Je Crois Entendre Encore (Pearlfishers), Sibelius Svarta rosor Op 36 No 1, Arthur Today (Swedish), Brahms Die Mainacht Op 43 No 2, Richard Strauss Standchen Op 17 No 2, Korling Vita rosor, Tosti Ideale, Rachmanino
Jussi Bjorling (tenor), Frederick Schauwecker (piano), Nils Grevillius (conductor)
This CD release of little known material by one of the truly great tenors of the twentieth century finds Bjorling in particularly glorious voice. Based on original recordings, the disc showcases Bjorling as a vocal phenomenon, whose precocious development as a tenor was perhaps the most remarkable aspect of his talent. Historic Masters Ltd (vinyl records from original metal masters) is delighted to have contributed to this CD, helping to perpetuate the vocal legacy of one of the giants of the past.

DRG | DRGCD19503 | CD | 021471950328
Odetta Sings Dylan
Songs by Bob Dylan
Odetta
"It all started out with Odetta: The first thing that turned me on to folk singing was Odetta. I heard a record of hers in a record store…in '58 or something like that. Right then and there, I went out and traded my electric guitar and amplifier for an acoustical guitar, a flat-top Gibson". This is how Bob Dylan characterised his switch from Little Ritchard-style rock n' roll to the folk music that made him the eternal legend of the 1960s. When Odetta Sings Dylan was released in 1965 for RCA, she was already a dynamic force in the American folk music scene. It became a best-seller for the label and an instant classic.

NAXOS AUDIOBOOKS | 190012 | CD | 9789626349007
The Great Poets - Gerard Manley Hopkins
read by Jeremy Northam
A collection of the best-known poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889). One of the Victorian era’s greatest writers, Hopkins’ reputation has continued to grow since his death. Naxos AudioBooks' Great Poets series, launched in 2007, offers many of the best-loved poems by popular poets in an inexpensive 1-CD collection, well read by leading actors. This anthology of works by one of English poetry’s most daring innovators will undoubtedly become a best-seller. The collection includes The Windhover, The Caged Skylark, Carrion Comfort, Spring and Fall and Inversnaid.

PUTUMAYO | PUT241 | CD | 790248024127
Latin Lounge
Roberto Poveda, Deepak Chopra, Alacran, Various
A revolution is taking place in Latin music these days, as electronica and remixing meet the more traditional rhythms of Argentinean tango, Afro-Cuban son, Brazilian bossa nova and Colombian cumbia. Latin Lounge proves there can be a magical blend of modern musical trends and traditional Latin styles. On the Putumayo collection Latin Groove, we explored the upbeat side of this trend. Latin Lounge continues the journey, this time uniting tracks with a chill-out vibe. This is the latest in a series of successful Putumayo releases focusing on exciting new directions in down-tempo electronica and world music that includes the collections World Lounge, Euro Lounge and Sahara Lounge.

WORLD VILLAGE | WV479021 | CD | 794881898428
Gracias
Omara Portuondo (voice), Roberto Fonseca (guitar), Andres Coayo and Trilok Gurtu (percussion), Avishai Cohen (bass)
At 78 years young, Omara Portuondo still possesses a rich, soulful voice that instantly transports listeners to sultry 1950s Havana. Gracias is her latest tropical cocktail of breezy jazz and infectious bossa nova, featuring a duet with celebrated Brazilian crooner, Chico Buarque.