September New Releases

Postal Address: PO Box 691, Brookvale NSW 2099 | Phone: 02 9948 1811| Fax: 02 9948 5085 | Email: orders@savd.com.au

NAXOS CD OF THE MONTH | 8570293 | CD | 747313029372
WAGNER
OPERA ARRANGEMENTS
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Jose Serebrier (conductor)

All the best bits! Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla, Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act 1, Liebesnacht & Liebestod, Parsifal: Symphonic Synthesis from Act III, Die Walkure: Magic Fire Music & Ride of the Valkyries
Ideal introduction for the beginner, excellent highlights disc for the Wagnerphile
Serebrier, who often worked with Stokowski, brings unique insights to his own interpretations of these ravishing symphonic arrangements

WAGNER FOR THE CONCERT HALL Wagner's music remained close to Leopold Stokowski's heart throughout his illustrious career. In the early days, he introduced Wagner to a wide public with extended orchestral excerpts woven together as richly conceived tone poems and given the title Symphonic Syntheses. In these performances by Jose Serebrier and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, these tone poems have a uniquely sumptuous sound.

NAXOS | 8557993 | CD | 747313299324
RAMEAU
OPERA ARIAS
Jean-Paul Fouchecourt (tenor), Opera Lafayette, Ryan Brown (director)

French opera from the time of Louis XV – mythical, magical, romantic and even satirical
Tenor Jean-Paul Fouchecourt has worked top Baroque opera conductors William Christie, Marc Minkowski, Rene Jacobs, Philippe Herreweghe, Trevor Pinnock and Christophe Rousset
His performances ‘left every listener in awe...sheer elegance’ (Washington Post)
Opera Lafayette’s performances of Gluck’s Orphee et Euridice (866018586) and Sacchini’s Oedipe a Colone (866019697) are ‘absolutely gorgeous’ and ‘outstanding’ (Washington Post)

GO FOR BAROQUE This fabulous recording of airs from Rameau’s heroic ballets and lyric tragedies features the renowned tenor Jean-Paul Fouchecourt, one of the main exponents of the French Baroque repertoire for the last decade. In these excerpts from Platée, La Guirlande de fleurs, Castor et Pollux, Naïs, Les Festes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour, Dardanus and Zoroastre, Rameau’s colourful palette of musical characterisation traverses a wide range of emotion, from the profoundly moving to the witty and imaginative.

NAXOS | 8570187 | CD | 747313018772
NEWMAN
ALL ABOUT EVE SUITE, BEAU GESTE & THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
Moscow Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, William Stromberg (conductor)

Newly restored and reconstructed film scores from the golden age of Hollywood
Veteran film composer, conductor and film archivist William Stromberg has conducted many film music albums for Naxos, including Korngold’s The Sea Hawk (857011011)
Lush performances by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra

CLASSIC AMERICAN MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS Alfred Newman was one of the most powerful, influential and insightful Hollywood film composers, setting the tone for classic movies with such unforgettable soundtracks as the three presented her. Today, he ranks alongside Korngold and Max Steiner in the triumvirate of great golden-age film composers in the symphonic style. The informative 12-page booklet provides ample background to his marvellous film scores.

NAXOS | 8570523 | CD | 747313052370
PIAZZOLLA
LIBERTANGO, MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES SUITE & OTHER GREAT TANGOS
Versus Ensemble, Enrique Moratalla (vocals), Maria Rey-Joly (soprano), Horacio Ferrer (reciter)

Astor Piazzolla - THE most popular modern tango composer, whose music features on countless best-selling discs
Jazz, classical and full-blooded tango make a heady mixture in his sensuous music
Horacio Ferrer, who wrote the libretto for Piazzolla’s opera Maria de Buenos Aires, performs on this unique title
Versus Ensemble, specialists in Piazzolla’s music, has won many awards and toured around the world

THE THRILL OF TANGO By creating Nuevo Tango (‘new tango’), Argentinian bandoneon-player and composer Astor Piazzolla brought the popular dance form into the concert hall. His own experience as a performer and studies with Nadia Boulanger and Ginastera allowed him to create a new synthesis, including the operatic Maria de Buenos Aires, from which the Suite is drawn. Six further Piazzolla pieces, including the titles track, round off an album of passionate dance music.

NAXOS NOSTALGIA | 812086566 | CD2 | 0636943286524
VINTAGE COMEDY CLASSICS

Gracie Fields, Stanley Holloway, Laurel and Hardy, Noel Coward, Florence Foster Jenkins and many more!

Follows on the runaway success of other locally-produced Naxos titles such as The Ultimate Nostalgia Collections & Experience the Classics
Fills an important gap in the discography
Specially produced for the Australian market
Includes tracks that are genuine comedy classics and some real whoppers, too!

BOOM BOOM! Here's a great 2-CD album of the greatest old-time comedy songs and monologues from performers such as Gracie Fields, Stanley Holloway, Laurel and Hardy, Noel Coward and Florence Foster Jenkins. Compiled and produced in Australia.

ARTHAUS DVD OF THE MONTH | K101437 | DVD | 807280143799
R STRAUSS: AN ALPINE SYMPHONY
KENT NAGANO CONDUCTS CLASSICAL MASTERPIECES VOL VI
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Kent Nagano (conductor)

Ideal for students, teachers and the general music lover
Superb combination of documentary, rehearsal and concert performance
6th Volume in an outstanding series featuring one of the world’s great orchestras and conductors
Other volumes also available: Mozart Symphony No 41 (K101427), Beethoven Eroica Symphony (K101429), Schumann Symphony No 3 (K101431), Brahms Symphony No 4 (K101433) & Bruckner Symphony no 8 (K101435)

FIRST-CLASS MUSICAL DOCUMENTARY Interviews with Kent Nagano are combined with footage of the orchestra in rehearsal and a technically and visually outstanding concert recording made in the Philharmonic Hall, Berlin. Animated sequences portray episodes from Strauss's life. Altogether, this DVD offers fascinating insights into the working relationship between conductor and orchestra, and the life of one of the 20th century's greatest composers.

CHANDOS CD OF MONTH | CHSA5054 | SACD | 095115505427
TANSMAN
SYMPHONIES NOS 7, 8 & 9
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Oleg Caetani (conductor)

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in splendid form!
Oleg Caetani conducts the MSO during July-August & November-December this year: ‘Caetani focuses on the making of music everything else is secondary.’ (The Age)
Premiere recordings (Symphonies Nos 7 & 9)
Spectacularly-engineered surround sound hybrid SACD

PREMIERE RECORDINGS The music of Polish-born, Paris-based Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986) was championed by Stokowski and Ormandy, before he fled to America during the Second World War, where he was a friend of Charlie Chaplin and George Gershwin. Neoclassical in style, his powerful symphonies draw together influences from Polish folkmusic, and contemporaries such as Ravel, Scriabin and Stravinsky. 'Tansman's time has come...there's no need to hesitate over Oleg Caetani's performances' (International Record Review)

EUROARTS | 2055868 | DVD | 880242558688
TANGO ARGENTINA

Leopoldo Federico (Bandoneon), Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra, Tipica Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim (conductor)

Fascinating to watch and exciting to listen to – not just for tango aficionados!
Enchanting new arrangements of works by Astor Piazzola, Carlos Gardel, Julio de Caro, Alberto Ginastera and Horacio Salgan
Performances by the leading tango dancers Mora Godoy and Junior Cervila from Buenos Aires
English subtitles & no region coding

A TANGO EXTRAVAGANZA led by the great Argentinian-born Daniel Barenboim and recorded live in Buenos Aires on 31st December 2006. In a seamless fusion of classical and traditional music, the Orquesta Filarmonica de Buenos Aires presented an extraordinary show to a crowd of 10,000 in a free open-air concert at the Plaza de la Republica. Enchanting new arrangements of works by the Argentinian artists Astor Piazzola, Carlos Gardel, Julio de Caro, Alberto Ginastera and Horacio Salgan and performances by the leading tango dancers Mora Godoy and Junior Cervila from Buenos Aires added to the atmosphere of a night of Tangos sinfonicos.

HARMONIA MUNDI CD OF MONTH | HMC90196466 | CD3 | 794881847969
MOZART
DON GIOVANNI
Johannes Weisser (baritone), Lorenzo Regazzo (bass), Alexandrina Pendatchanska (soprano), Olga Pasichnyk (soprano), Kenneth Tarver (tenor), Sunhae Im (soprano), Nikolay Borchev (bass), Alessandro Guerzoni (bass), RIAS Kammerchor, Freiburger Barockorcheste

Mozart’s darkest opera is here revealed as a true black comedy
‘Could a Baroque ensemble do full justice to the work? The answer after yesterday’s performance is an unqualified yes…This was from start to finish a reading of authority, dramatic and full of life.’ (Concertonet.com)

MUCH-ANTICIPATED NEW RECORDING Premiered at the 2006 Innesbruck Festival and recorded shortly afterwards, Rene Jacobs' invigorating interpretation approaches Don Giovanni with the same freshness and musical sophistication that made his recordings of La clemenza di Tito (HMC90192324 – CD, HMC80192324 – SACD), Le nozze di Figaro ( HMC90181820) and Cosi fan tutte ( HMC90166365) so successful. A young cast brings to life Mozart's dramatic and genre-busting score with brilliant effectiveness. Includes music from both the Prague 1787 and Vienna 1788 versions. also available on SACD (HMC80196466).

HARMONIA MUNDI | HMC901983 | CD | 794881847723
THE ELFIN KNIGHT
BALLADS & DANCES FROM RENAISSANCE ENGLAND
Joel Frederikson (bass & lute), Ensemble Phoenix Munich

Folky and fresh – this disc has wide appeal to early and folk music fans alike
‘Outstanding bass Joel Frederiksen brings a bedroom voice to love songs’ (The Boston Globe) ‘He warms the heart’ (South German Times)
He sings songs as if telling the oldest tales for the very first time, drawing the listener into a magical realm
Includes Greensleeves and other ballads both popular and of rare worth

STORYTELLER IN SONG Joel Frederiksen's rich bass voice transports us into another world - of chivalry, love lost and won, high drama and low life - in this remarkable recording that combines English and American ballads from the 16th and 17th centuries. Greensleeves is given a complete make-over, popular songs rub shoulders with magical folktales, such as that of the Elfin Knight - the result is very special indeed. Frederiksen is 'sonorous elegance personified' (Fanfare), 'an impeccable madrigalist and crooner' (Le Monde).

HARMONIA MUNDI DVD OF MONTH | HMD990900809 | DVD2 | 794881848690
HANDEL
GIULIO CESARE IN EGITTO
Andreas Scholl, Inger Dam-Jensen, Concerto Copenhagen, Lars Ulrik Mortensen (conductor)

Brand new recording of the best-loved opera by the composer of Messiah tells the classic love story of Caesar and Cleopatra
Title role sung by Andreas Scholl, beloved by Australian audiences, whose recordings are best-sellers, whose concerts sell out worldwide
Sung in Italian and fully subtitled; NTSC format; no regional coding
An absolute must-have for opera lovers!

MAGNIFICENT MODERN BAROQUE OPERA This stunning production by the Royal Danish Theatre of one of Handel's most lavish and popular operas is set in a modern war-torn world. 'Scholl was phenomenal…he achieved a dazzling ebb and flow in his performance, almost cinematic in its subtlety…His Caesar was a smooth talker...always ready to flirt with Cleopatra...unlikely to be bettered in its musical daring and emotional depth.' (Operanews) Francisco Negrin's direction is compelling, Anthony Baker's contemporary designs are refined.

HYPERION CD OF THE MONTH | CDS442713 | CD3 | 034571142715
HANDEL
OPERA ARIAS
Emma Kirkby (soprano), Catherine Bott (soprano), The Brandenburg Consort, Roy Goodman (director)

Brings together three best-selling titles: Arias & Overtures 1704-26, The Rival Queens, Arias & Overtures 1729-41
Dame Emma Kirkby is peerless in this appealing repertoire, which features highlights from 23 of Handel’s operas
Highly acclaimed by Gramophone, Hi-Fi News, Classic CD, BBC Music Magazine, Goldberg, Fanfare & International Record Review – what a winner!
”It is difficult to pick out a particular highlight, there are so many of them’ (Classic CD)
Excellent introduction to the splendours of Baroque opera; marvellous ‘best of’ set for aficionados

A CLASSIC OPERATIC COLLECTION Amazing 3-CD set with the very best arias and duets from Handel's immensely popular operas. Spanning his entire operatic career, from 1704 to 1741, these recordings have been praised to the heavens: 'A right royal feast!' (Classic CD) 'a delight...singing of brilliance' (Fanfare), 'brilliant coloratura...dramatic urgency...compelling interpretation' (International Record Review). Almost 4 hours of extravagant listening pleasure.

HYPERION | CDS443015 | CD5 | 034571143019
BEETHOVEN:SYMPHONIES 1-9
LIVE FROM THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL 2006
Janice Watson (soprano), Catherine Wyn-Rogers (mezzo-soprano), Stuart Skelton (tenor), Detlef Roth (bass), Edinburgh Festival Chorus, Scottish Chamber Orchestra (Nos 1-8), Philharmonia Orchestra (No 9), Sir Charles Mackerras (conductor)

Beethoven’s symphonies are the very heart of classical orchestral music, each a unique dramatic masterpiece of enduring impact and appeal
Australian conductor Sir Charles Mackerras is a living legend, renowned for his gripping performances – he tours Australia in October & November
‘There is no more subtle conductor…the whole was a thrilling emotional roller coaster’ (Review of the 9th Symphony, Guardian)
Energetic, flawless, totally committed live performances: if you only buy one set of Beethoven’s symphonies, make it this one!

BRILLIANT BEETHOVEN SYMPHONIES Live from the 2006 Edinburgh Festival, Beethoven's nine symphonies have rarely sounded so thrilling! 'A decisive interpretation...totally committed...energy and vitality,' exclaimed the Glasgow Herald. Mackerras' confidence and love of the music is palpable, and the performers respond with gripping performances 'suffused with the shock of the new'. More than 5 1/2 hours of music as shining fresh as a brilliantly restored painting.

OPUS ARTE DVD OF MONTH | OA0978D | DVD | 809478009788
MOZART: SYMPHONY NO 39
SCHUBERT: SYMPHONY NO 2
RAI Turin Symphony Orchestra, Sergiu Celibidache (conductor)

Digitally remastered, historic performances: ‘finely balanced and deeply felt interpretations’ (All Music Guide)
32-page booklet, including essay on the legendary conductor and the music
BONUS TRACK Cherubini’s Overture to Il portatore d’acqua (‘The Water-carrier’) - a rare treat!

IMPORTANT HISTORIC TITLE Conducting from memory, Sergiu Celibidache mesmerised orchestras with his intensity and brilliance. Mozart's third last Symphony and Schubert's youthful work feature in this historic DVD release of rare footage from a 1969 TV performance. 'One of the greatest names in twentieth century orchestral conducting' (All Music Guide) 'Celibidache is the supreme genius' (Classical Notes.net)

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naxos
classical | soundtracks

	NAXOS \| 855744041 \| CD2 \| 747313244027 LECLAIR COMPLETE FLUTE CHAMBER MUSIC Fenwick Smith (flute), John Gibbons (harpsichord), Laura Blustein (cello), with Laura Jeppesen (viola da gamba), Christopher Krueger (flute)
MUSIC FROM THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT Leclair is today more commonly remembered as the founder of the French school of violin writing, yet his flute compositions brilliantly exploit that instrument's technical and expressive resources. Of particular note is his magisterial Chaconne, described by John Solum (author of The Early Flute) as ‘one of the greatest movements ever conceived for flute’.

	NAXOS \| 8557498 \| CD \| 747313249824 KRAUS THE FISHERMEN & OTHER BALLETS Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Petter Sundkvist (conductor)
CLASSICAL BALLET Joseph Martin Kraus's extraordinary talent caused Haydn to proclaim him one of only two ‘geniuses’ he knew (Mozart being the other). This disc couples Kraus’s two earliest surviving ballets and impromptu insertions for Gluck’s opera Armide with his most important ballet, Fiskarena, a dramatic and forward-looking masterpiece.

NAXOS | 8557844 | CD | 747313284429
RIES
SWEDISH NATIONAL AIRS WITH VARIATIONS OP 52, INTRODUCTION & POLONAISE OP 174, PIANO CONCERTO IN C SHARP MINOR OP 55
Christopher Hinterhuber (piano), Gavle Symphony Orchestra, Uwe Grodd (conductor)

VIRTUOSO ROMANTIC CONCERTO One of the greatest pianists in Europe and an exceptional composer, Ferdinand Ries (1784–1838) deserves contemporary recognition. His piano concertos are intensely lyrical yet display a rugged Beethovenian power. The Piano Concerto in C sharp minor (composed in Russia in 1812) is a striking work full of spirit and boundless invention. The other pieces combine dazzling virtuosity with exceptional lyrical beauty.

NAXOS | 8557971 | CD | 747313297122
YAMADA
NAGAUTA SYMPHONY 'TSURUKAME', SINFONIA 'INNO MEIJI', CHOREOGRAPHIC SYMPHONY 'MARIA MAGDALENA'
Vocalists, shamisen players, hayashi musicians, Yumiko Mizoiri (hichiriki), Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Takuo Yuasa (conductor)

JAPANESE SYMPHONIC MASTERPIECES After studies with Max Bruch and under the influence of Richard Strauss, Koscak Yamada was the first great composer to emerge from Japan after it began to accept western classical music. Nagauta Symphony is an epoch-making work that combines western music and Japanese traditional vocal and instrumental music. Sinfonia ‘Inno Meiji’ is a symphonic poem which juxtaposes orchestra with Asian instruments.

NAXOS | 8557980 | CD | 747313298020
PENDERECKI
TE DEUM, HYMN AN DEN HEILIGEN DANIEL, POLYMORPHIA, POLISH REQUIEM: CHACONNE
Izabela Klosinska (soprano), Agnieszka Rehlis (mezzo-soprano), Adam Zdunikowski (tenor), Piotr Nowacki (bass), Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra), Antoni Wit (conductor)

MUSIC FOR A POLISH POPE Penderecki enjoys an international reputation for music blending direct emotional appeal with contemporary techniques. The neo-Romantic Te Deum was inspired by the anointing of Karol Wojtyla as the first Polish Pope. Hymne an den heiligen Daniel is a more compact choral piece. This disc closes with two works for strings: the experimental Polymorphia and the expressive Chaconne, written as a tribute to the late Pope John Paul II.

NAXOS | 8559315 | CD | 6369431523
ROREM
PIANO CONCERTO NO 2 & CELLO CONCERTO
Simon Mulligan (piano), Wen-Sinn Yang (cello), Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Jose Serebrier (conductor)

GREAT AMERICAN COMPOSER Championed by Leonard Bernstein and named Musical America's Composer of the Year in 1998, Ned Rorem has written a significant body of orchestral music, including Symphonies (Naxos 8559149), Violin Concerto and Flute Concerto (Naxos 8559278). His 2nd Piano Concerto is a tour de force, with jazzy rhythms and an exhilarating conclusion. The Cello Concerto was composed in 2002.

NAXOS | 8570118 | CD | 747313011872
SCHUBERT:UNFINISHED SONATAS
PIANO SONATAS NOS 1, 8 & 15 ‘RELIQUIE'
Gottlieb Wallisch (piano)

A COMPOSER'S WORKSHOP Schubert’s unfinished piano sonatas come from 1815 to 1823 and are among his most innovative and puzzling works, compositional experiments that offer fascinating insight into his creative process. This disc presents his first sonata, three fragments from his middle period and his last sonata fragment, which looks forward to the expressive world of Beethoven and Bruckner. Wallisch’s first recording of Schubert's sonata fragments is available on Naxos 8557189.

NAXOS | 8570190 | CD | 747313019076
ROZSA
MUSIC FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO
Philippe Quint (violin), William Wolfram (piano)

OSCAR-WINNING COMPOSER One of the pre-eminent composers of Hollywood’s Golden Age (Spellbound, A Double Life, Ben Hur), Miklos Rozsa also wrote for the concert hall. The Hungarian Variations and Peasant Songs and Dances use actual folk melodies. His Sonata for Solo Violin is the most complex and challenging of his late works. Also includes the Duo for Violin and Piano Op 7. Philip Quint performed in Australia in august this year.

NAXOS | 8570233 | CD | 747313025374
BRAHMS
SYMPHONY NO 4, HUNGARIAN DANCES
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Marin Alsop (conductor)

ALSOP COMPLETES HER BRAHMS SYMPHONIES The fourth and final release in the major new Naxos cycle of Brahms Symphonies presents the 4th, which won immediate success at the time of its 1885 premiere, coupled with seven of Brahms’s Hungarian Dances imaginatively orchestrated by Peter Breiner in a special Naxos commission for this recording. Also available Symphonies Nos 1 (8557428), 2 (8557429) & 3 (8557430).

	NAXOS \| 8570261 \| CD \| 747313026173 TAKEMITSU PIANO MUSIC Kotaro Fukuma (piano)
IMPRESSIONISTIC MAGIC This selection of Toru Takemitsu's piano music, spanning 43 years, offers an overview of his development from Romance (1949), his earliest surviving piano work, to the hypnotic Rain Tree Sketch II (1992), his last solo piano work. Pause ininterrompue shows the influence of Debussy, Scriabin and Messiaen, while the meditative For Away was inspired by Indonesian gamelan music.

	NAXOS \| 8570311 \| CD \| 747313031177 BUXTEHUDE ORGAN MUSIC VOL 6 Julia Brown (organ)
PATHBREAKING BAROQUE ORGAN MASTER A key figure in North German organ music, Buxtehude spent the greater part of his long career in Lubeck, where the young Handel and Bach admired his legendary performances. This sixth volume of his complete organ music includes four influential Praeludia and compositions based on chorale melodies.

NAXOS | 8570350 | CD | 747313035076
ROZSA
VIOLIN CONCERTO, SINFONIA CONCERTANTE
Anastasia Khitruk (violin), Andrey Tchekmazov (cello), Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitry Yablonsky (conductor)

FROM CONCERT HALL TO THE BIG SCREEN Combining dazzling virtuosity with Hungarian-tinged lyricism, Rozsa's Violin Concerto, written for Jascha Heifetz in just six weeks, is one of his finest works, later to be adapted for Billy Wilder's film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. The Sinfonia Concertante, written alongside the score for Ben Hur, is rich in reminders of the composer’s Hungarian origins.

NAXOS | 8570351 | CD | 747313035175
SULLIVAN
IRISH SYMPHONY
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, David Lloyd-Jones (conductor)

FROM SONG TO DANCE Sir Charles Mackerras, who arranged ‘the eminently danceable tunes’ of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas into the ballet score Pineapple Poll also wrote the notes for this delightful disc. Sullivan was of partly Irish descent and his fluent and melodic 'Irish' Symphony originated during a holiday in Northern Ireland. Mackerras visits Australia in October-November this year.

	NAXOS \| 8570413 \| CD \| 747313041374 BAX PIANO MUSIC VOL 4 Ashley Wass, Martin Roscoe (pianos)
CELTIC ROMANCE Best known for his symphonic poems and symphonies, Bax also wrote prolifically for his own instrument, the piano. The two-piano music on this disc was written mostly in the 1920s and encompasses captivating miniatures such as The Poisoned Fountain, the impressionistic Moy Mell and Hardanger. The large-scale Sonata for Two Pianos evokes an ancient Celtic world.

	NAXOS \| 8570456 \| CD \| 747313045679 SCHUMANN BALLADS & ROMANCES Aquarius, Marc Michael De Smet (director), with Marc Legros (flute), Pieter Martens (horn)
THE ROMANCE OF SONG Schumann regarded 1849 as one of the most fruitful in his career, his compositions including a wealth of choral music, written principally for the choral society he had established in Dresden, both for mixed choir and for female voices. Includes Romances & Ballads I Op 67, II Op 75, III Op 145 & IV Op 146 and the Romances I Op. 69 & II Op 91.

	NAXOS \| 8570500 \| CD \| 747313050079 RITTER BASSOON QUARTETS OP 1 Paolo Carlini (bassoon), Virtuosi Italiani String Trio
MUSIC BY MOZART'S FRIEND Georg Wenzel Ritter was among the leading bassoonists of his time. He served in the famous Mannheim orchestra before working for King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, at a generous salary reflecting the high esteem in which he was held. These six quartets are testimony to his skills both as a composer and a player.

	NAXOS \| 8570510 \| CD \| 747313051076 GUITAR RECITAL 2006 GUITAR FOUNDATION OF AMERICA COMPETITION WINNER Thomas Viloteau (guitar)
BRILLIANT YOUNG GUITARIST Thomas Viloteau studied at the Barcelona Conservatorio Superior de Musica and at the Ecole Normale in Paris. In this fascinating recital he presents some of the finest music for guitar, by Alexandre Tansman, Alberto Ginastera, Leo Brouwer and French-Tunisian Roland Dyens, with whom Viloteau studied.

	NAXOS \| 8570553 \| CD \| 747313055371 ALBENIZ PIANO MUSIC VOL 2 Guillermo Gonzalez (piano)
VIVA ESPANA! Albeniz helped to create a national Spanish style of composition. This second volume of his piano music combines the early, romantic Recuerdos de viaje, with works composed during the composer’s Parisian period. In his early works Albeniz borrows tunes from native Spanish folk-lore, while his Parisian works are bolder, more experimental with new sonorities. Vol 1on Naxos 855431112.

	NAXOS \| 8570184 \| CD \| 747313018475 STEINER ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO & A STOLEN LIFE Moscow Symphony Orchestra and Choir, William Stromberg (conductor)
MUSIC FROM BETTE DAVIS CLASSICS Conductor William Stromberg has remarked 'Steiner had a way of composing through scenes effortlessly with every note perfectly placed. The way in which he smoothly utilized memorable themes throughout his scores was unmatched. Steiner was easily the best composer who could mimic the action on the screen, yet still keep it musical.'

	NAXOS \| 8570185 \| CD \| 747313018574 STEINER THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE Moscow Symphony Orchestra and Choir, William Stromberg (conductor)
A GOLDEN FILM SCORE B Traven’s most famous novel, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, is a study of human greed and how it affects three gold prospectors in Mexico. At the time of the picture’s release the score was universally hailed, earning Max Steiner the Vienna Cinema Exhibition Award. It glistens with menace, suspense and dramatic brilliance even today.

	NAXOS \| 8570188 \| CD \| 74731301887 SALTER HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN Moscow Symphony Orchestra, William Stromberg (conductor)
CLASSIC HORROR FILM SOUNDTRACK Of all the rousing scores Hans J Salter contributed for Universal’s horror films, House of Frankenstein (1944) proved not only the most colourful but also the most significant. It is a none-too-serious, rollicking addition to the Frankenstein saga. The entire score works extremely well, even when heard independently of the film.

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	AEON \| AE0751 \| CD \| 3760058367513 L COUPERIN HARPSICHORD WORKS Jovanka Marville (harpsichord)
FRENCH FINESSE Performing on an exquisite Louis Denis harpsichord from 1658, perfectly suited to this refined and intimate music, Jovanka Marville plays with a poetic passion born of her love of 17th century keyboard music. In fact, Couperin himself may even have played on this very beautifully decorated instrument. This is a rare treasure of a recording.

	AMBROISIE \| AM129 \| CD \| 0822186001295 EL FUEGO ('FIRE') SPANISH RENAISSANCE SONGS Les Sacqueboutiers
FANTASY, FIRE & FUN The most beautiful ensaladas (Spanish allegorical songs, literally 'salads') are sophisticated vocal compositions of madrigal-like power with poetic fancy. Les Sacqueboutiers has earned a place among the most accomplished early music ensembles, winning many awards.

BIS | BISCD190002 | CD5 | 7318591900023
THE SIBELIUS EDITION
COMPLETE TONE POEMS
Helena Juntiunen (soprano), Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Osmo Vanska (conductor), Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi (conductor)

FIVE CDs FOR THE PRICE OF THREE! Thirty years in the making, The Sibelius Edition is a stunning 13-volume set of the great Finnish composer's complete works – symphonies, tone poems, chamber works, songs, choral works and instrumental pieces – elegantly packaged to create a unique collectors edition. Vol 1 presents En saga, The Wood-Nymph, Lemminkainen Suite including The Swan of Tuonela, Finlandia, Pohjola’s Daughter, Night Ride and Sunrise, and many more orchestral tone poems.

BIS | BISCD190305 | CD6 | 7318591903055
THE SIBELIUS EDITION
CHAMBER MUSIC
Tempera Quartet, Jaakko Kuusisto (violin), Satu Vanska (violin), Marko Ylonen, Taneli Turunen (cello), Folke Grasbeck, Peter Lonnqvist (piano), Harri Viitanen (harmonium)

SIX CDs FOR THE PRICE OF THREE! Vol 2 of The Sibelius Edition brings together a veritable Who's Who of Nordic chamber musicians to perform the composer's complete string quartets, piano trios and piano quartets - more than 7 hours of music, much of which remains to be discovered and enjoyed by Australian music lovers. Authoritative liner notes by Sibelius biographer Andrew Barnett, photographs from the Sibelius Museum in Finland and elsewhere, and essays on his achievements make The Sibelius Edition a pathbreaking enterprise.

	BIS \| BISCD1419 \| CD \| 7318590014196 TOMASSON FLUTE CONCERTOS NOS 1 & 2, SKIMA (CONCERTO FOR 2 DOUBLE BASSES) Sharon Bezaly (flute), Valur Palsson, Havarour Tryggvason (double bass), Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Bernharour Wilkinson (conductor)
HAUNTING ORCHESTRAL SOUNDSCAPES One of Iceland's leading composers, Hauker Tomasson has said 'My aim is to create something that's beautiful - something that has the power to touch an audience…that lifts it off the ground…some kind of magic.' These three concertos certainly achieve that aim, and they're beautifully performed and recorded, as is always the case with BIS recordings.

	BIS \| BISCD1548 \| CD \| 7318590015483 NORDIC TRUMPETCONCERTOS BY WESSMAN, BYSTROM, JANSON & LINDBERG Ole Edvard Antonsen (trumpet), Nordic Chamber Orchestra, Christian Lindberg (conductor)
THRILLING TRUMPET CONCERTOS Top-ranking musician Christian Lindberg is well-known to Australian music lovers. Ole Edvard Antonsen is one of the world’s leading trumpet players. These concertos are by turns expressive, lyrical, at times jazzy, radiantly melodic and dramatic - well worth discovering, even if the composers are not household names in this country!

	BIS \| BISSACD1530 \| SACD \| 7318599915302 LISZT PIANO CONCERTOS NOS 1 & 2, TOTENTANZ Arnaldo Cohen (piano), Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra, John Neschling (conductor)
ROMANTIC VIRTUOSITY & LYRICISM Liszt's Piano Concertos and Totentanz are among his most popular and virtuosic works. Brazilian-born soloist Arnaldo Cohen has gained Gramophone Editor's Choice (for Liszt Piano Works BISCD1253), and on this recording performs with vigour and brilliance. Neschling's stylish interpretations, and superb recorded sound, make this hybrid SACD a real winner.

	CHANDOS \| CHAN10405 \| CD \| 095115140529 JANACEK & SZYMANOWSKI STRING QUARTETS NOS 1 & 2 Schoenberg Quartet
BENCHMARK CHAMBER MUSIC RECORDING Grammy Award nominees, the Schoenberg Quartet have said 'We love and care about these for works very much', while Gramophone remarks that their 'emotional daring…makes all the differences in the world. Outstanding.' These Eastern European chamber masterpieces share a passionate, ecstatic spirit - yearning, sensuous, and deeply personal.

	CHANDOS \| CHAN10413 \| CD \| 095115141328 SMETANA RICHARD III, WALLENSTEIN'S CAMP, HAKON JARL, PRAGUE CARNIVAL, THE PEASANT WOMAN, FESTIVE OVERTURE, MARCH FOR THE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, SHAKESPEARE FANFARES & THE FISHERMAN BBC Philharmonic, Gianandrea Noseda (conductor)
SYMPHONIC POEMS Smetana's My Country has overshadowed his other beautiful orchestral music, such as the symphonic poems and other nationalistic pieces on this disc. Masterfully performed, they confirm Smetana's status as one of the greatest Czech composers of the 19th century, whether inspired by Shakespeare, his native land or contemporaries such as Liszt.

	CHANDOS \| CHAN10423 \| CD \| 095115142325 RUBBRA TWO MASSES & TWO CAROLS St Margaret's Westminster Singers, Richard Hickox (conductor)
DEFINITIVE & UTTERLY COMPELLING CHORAL MUSIC Conductor Richard Hickox says 'The Masses, and particularly the two carols, are perhaps the most personal music in Rubbra's output. As…the last session was completed, I went down to the recording room to find Edmund in the corner with tears running down his cheeks.' This disc will surely inspire singers, conductors and listeners alike.

	CHANDOS \| CHAN10444 \| CD2 \| 095115144428 VOICES OPERA, OPERETTA, ORATORIO, LIEDER, SONGS FROM MUSICALS Inga Nielsen (soprano)
WONDERFUL DANISH SOPRANO This 2-CD album pays tribute to the 55-year career of Inga Nielsen with a special selection of live and studio recordings spanning 1952 - 2007. She is an extraordinary singing actress worthy of comparison with Nilsson. Includes tracks with Placido Domingo, Antonio Pappano, Lamberto Gardelli and Gustav Kuhn.

	CHANDOS \| CHANCAT07 \| CD \| 095115000724 VERDI:REQUIEM PLUS CHANDOS CATALOGUE 2007 Michele Crider (soprano), Markella Hatziano (mezzo-soprano), Gabriel Sade (tenor), Robert Lloyd (bass), London Symphony & Orchestra, Richard Hickox (conductor)
GET THE CHANDOS 2007 CATALOGUE This award-winning recording rated 3 stars in the Penguin Guide and now comes with the new Chandos Catalogue at a great low price. This was the first digital recording of Verdi's Requiem to fit onto a single CD, though it became famous for its all-round excellence rather than the economy of its packaging!

	CHANDOS \| CHSA5051 \| SACD3 \| 095115505120 BANTOCK OMAR KHAYYAM Catherine Wyn-Rogers (mezzo-soprano), Toby Spence (tenor), Roderick Williams (bass), BBC Symphony Chorus & Orchestra, Vernon Handley (conductor)
PREMIER RECORDING OF BANTOK'S FINEST WORK Omar Khayyam, Sir Granville Bantock's choral masterpiece, is based on the famous Rubaiyat by the famous 11th-century Persian astronomer, mathematician and poet. This recording fulfils the dream of the composer's grandson and moved the performers deeply, as it will listeners, with its evocative and sumptuous scoring.

	CPO \| CPO7771502 \| CD \| 761203715022 JCF FISCHER ORCHESTRAL SUITES L'Orfeo Baroque Orchestra, Michi Gaigg (conductor)
GLORIOUS ORCHESTRAL SUITES Though little is known of his Life, Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer was an important German composer whose orchestral suites influenced JS Bach to compose his Well-Tempered Clavier. Fischer's magnificent Orchestral Suites combine French dance music with German compositional style - perhaps they also influenced Bach's own Orchestral Suites.

	CPO \| CPO7771572 \| CD \| 761203715725 WOLF-FERRARI COMPLETE WIND CONCERTOS Diego Dini-Ciacci (oboe & cor anglais), Paolo Carlini (bassoon), Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Zsolt Hamar (conductor0
UNIQUELY CHARMING CONCERTOS The serene, almost carefree mood of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's Idillio Concertino (Oboe Concerto) beautifully complements his Bassoon Concerto, with its air of musical fantasy. The elegiac character of his Cor Anglais Concerto accentuates the melancholy tone of the solo instrument. booklet written by well-known German writer Herbert Rosendorfer.

	CPO \| CPO7772122 \| CD \| 761203721221 JS BACH ORGAN WORKS VOL 20 Gerhard Weinberger (organ)
BY BACH OR NOT BY BACH? Nearing completion, CPO's highly acclaimed edition of Bach's complete organ music presents a fascinating selection of compositions of doubtful authenticity which nonetheless are of sufficient quality to warrant serious consideration for inclusion in Bach's oeuvre. Preludes and Fugues, Chorales and the great setting of In Dulci Jubilo BWV751 are presented here.

	CPO \| CPO7772492 \| CD \| 761203724925 TELEMANN CANTATAS Dorothee Mields (soprano), Klaus Martens (bass baritone), Accademia Daniel, Shalev Ad-El (conductor)
FESTIVE BAROQUE SACRED MUSIC Telemann had just celebrated his 80th birthday when in 1751 he wrote the cantata 'Smash the Idols' for the consecration of a newly-built church. Such occasional works often include some of his very best music, brimming with imaginative ideas. Two early cantatas, equally lovely, complement this late masterpiece.

	CPO \| CPO7772732 \| CD2 \| 761203727322 MOZART COMPLETE PIANO TRIOS Trio Stradivari
ACCLAIMED NEW CHAMBER ENSEMBLE The first duo ever to win the Premio Vittorio Gui in Florence, violinist Federico Guglielmo and pianist Jolanda Violante later joined cellist Pietro Bosna to form Trio Stradivari, hailed by Yehudi Menuhin as 'one of the best chamber ensemble that I have heard in a long time'. They perform Mozart's Piano Trios on period instruments.

	CPO \| CPO7773032 \| CD2 \| 761203730322 LEHAR THE LAND OF SMILES (COMPLETE) Camilla Nylund, Julia Bauer, Piotr Beczala, Alexander Kaimbacher, Alfred Berg, Theodor Weimer, Bavarian Radio Choir, Munich Radio Orchestra, Ulf Schirmer (conductor)
GREAT ROMANTIC OPERETTA Lehar's The Land of Smiles, set in China and bursting with unforgettable melodies, is rarely performed complete with its splendid ballet music, wedding procession and three full operatic finales. This marvellous recording reveals Lehar's mastery of drama and orchestral colour. Piotr Beczala is a captivating Sou-Chong.

	DA CAPO \| 8226012 \| CD \| 636943601228 NIELSEN SERENADES & ROMANCES Ditte Hojgaard Andersen (soprano), Mathias Hedegaard (tenor), Danish Radio Sinfonietta, Holmens Kirkes Kantori, Adam Fischer (conductor)
SING ME A SONG OF LOVE Danish music is full of serenades and love songs. It is rarely a matter of life or death - more often simply of the girl next door - else the mere dream of love. In these interpretations by young tenor Mathias Hedegaard and The Danish Radio Sinfonietta, you can hear how the beautiful these Romantic songs and serenades are.

	DA CAPO \| 8226524 \| CD \| 636943652428 G BERG ECLATEMENTS Erik Kaltoft (piano)
DANISH AVANT GARDE Gunnar Berg (1919-1989) pioneered serialist music in Denmark. This CD features Gunnar Berg's work Eclatements, which is both colourful, complex and full of explosive energy. Berg never managed to complete his work, which is presented in its full length for the first time on this release.

	DA CAPO \| 8226541 \| CD \| 636943654125 WOODWORKS MUSIC BY ABRAHAMSEN, BRANDT, BUCK, KAYSER, NYORD & NORHOLM Wood'n'Flutes
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS The Danish recorder ensemble Wood'n'Flutes’ innovative use of instrumentation pushes past the traditional limitations of the instrument. Combining classical and contemporary musical idioms, this CD offers the listener a well deserved introduction to these previously unrecorded works.

	ETCETERA \| KTC1339 \| CD \| 8711801101682 ROTTERDAM STRING QUARTETS MUSIC BY DE VRIES, DE KEMP, VAN DILLEN, KRUISSELBRINK, TOP & KOOLMEES Doelen Quartet, Wilbert Grootenboer (percussion), Asa Olsson (mezzo-soprano)
ART INFLUENCES ART Rotterdam composers have often been influenced by the other arts, giving their music an extra dimension of interest for the listener. This disc features a major work influenced by three Edvard Munch paintings - Astrid Kruisselbrink's String Quartet. The Doelman Quartet are passionate advocates of new music.

	GIMELL \| GIMSE403 \| CD \| 755138140325 ENGLISH MADRIGALS BY WEELKES, MORLEY, VAUTOR, GIBBONS, BYRD, FARNABY 7 MORE The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips (director)
GIMELL 25th ANNIVERSARY TITLE Originally released on the Classic for Pleasure label, this release makes available for the first time in more than 20 years twelve classic English madrigals by the best-selling Tallis Scholars. BONUS TRACKS Seven anthems by Thomas Tomkins. It's a winner. Happy Anniversary, Gimell!

	HAENSSLER CLASSIC \| CD98208 \| CD \| 4010276017189 BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATAS NOS 25 - 28 Gerhard Oppitz (piano)
BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATAS VOL 8 Four of Beethoven's late piano sonatas, including the famous 'Les Adieux' (No 26) performed by the leading German pianist who visited Australia recently for the Sydney Symphony's Beethoven Festival. Oppitz's interpretations have been praised for their 'sheer inspiration and commitment' (Classics Today).

HAENSSLER CLASSIC | CD98261 | CD | 4010276019114
SIBELIUS
PIANO TRANSCRIPTIONS
Henri Sigfridsson (piano)

SIBELIUS'S OWN TRANSCRIPTIONS OF FAVOURITE WORKS Pelleas et Melisande, King Kristian II Suite, Belshazzar's Feast (excerpts), Valse Triste, Karelia Suite and Finlandia are here played in the composer's own transcriptions for piano. Henri Sigfridsson has been praised for his 'communicative intelligence', 'true, scintillating sound' and 'highly developed level of virtuosity' (Geza Anda Competition 2003).

	HAENSSLER CLASSIC \| CD98290 \| CD \| 4010276020004 KLANG DER STILLE (SOUND OF SILENCE) MUSIC BY HAYDN, JS BACH, SCHUMANN, CHOPIN, PACHELBEL, BEETHOVEN, DITTERSDORF & MENDELSSOHN Various Artists, including Isabelle Faust, Iona Brown, Helmuth Rilling, Gerhard Oppitz, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and many more
CALM INSTRUMENTAL CLASSICS From Pachelbel's famous Canon to Puccini's string quartet 'Chrysanthemums', the Aria from the Goldberg Variations to Schumann's Romance Op 94, here is a delightful disc of gentle and uplifting music, instrumental, chamber and orchestral.

	HAENSSLER CLASSIC \| CD98291 \| CD \| 4010276020097 IMAGES FROM THE SOUTH MUSIC FOR 2 GUITARS BY CASTELNUOVO TEDESCA, GARCIA, MONTES, VILLA-LOBOS & OTHERS Amadeus Guitar Duo
OUTSTANDING GUITAR DUO Canadian Dale Kavanagh and German Thomas Kirchoff have given more than 850 concerts together around the world, attracting the highest acclamations: 'Classical guitar playing at its absolute best' (Ensemble Magazine). This disc presents music from Italy and Spain, Brazil and Venezuela and Britain (Garcia's Lorca Fantasy is based on Spanish melodies).

	HAENSSLER CLASSIC \| SACD93198 \| SAC2 \| 4010276019862 SCHOENBERG GURRELIEDER Melanie Diener (soprano), Yvonne Naef (mezzo-soprano), Robert Dean Smith, Gerhard Siegel (tenor), Ralf Lukas (baritone), Andreas Schmidt (speaker), Bavarian Radio Choir, MDR Radio Orchestra Leipzig, SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden & Freiberg, Michael G
SCHOENBERG THE ROMANTIC Schoenberg's monumental song cycle, Gurrelieder, tells the tale of a medieval Danish King Waldemar, his love for the young Tove and the jealousy of Queen Helvig with some of his most lushly-scored and beautiful music, reminiscent of Wagner, Richard Strauss and Mahler. Schoenberg's pupil Berg described the work as an 'elemental force of nature'.

	HARMONIA MUNDI \| HMC80196466 \| SACD3 \| 794881847969 MOZART DON GIOVANNI Johannes Weisser (baritone), Lorenzo Regazzo (bass), Alexandrina Pendatchanska (soprano), Olga Pasichnyk (soprano), Kenneth Tarver (tenor), Sunhae Im (soprano), Nikolay Borchev (bass), Alessandro Guerzoni (bass), RIAS Kammerchor, Freiburger Barockorcheste
MUCH-ANTICIPATED NEW RECORDING This is the hybrid SACD version of the CD featured in the Priorities section of this newsletter (HMC90196466). The sound is fresh and rich, allowing subtle nuances of expression as well as wide dynamic range. These studio recordings retain the immediacy of the Innesbruck Festival performances which preceded them.

	HARMONIA MUNDI \| HMC290148488 \| CD5 \| 794881848324 BUXTEHUDE ORGAN WORKS Rene Saorgin (organ)
CLASSIC SET ON HISTORIC ORGANS Beautifully packaged with a 56-page colour booklet and 5 CDs designed as replica LPs, this set of recordings was originally made between 1967 and 1970, yet remains an important survey of Buxtehude's imaginative oeuvre for organ. Saorgin plays with authority and a love of the many timbres available on historic organs from the Netherlands and Switzerland.

	HARMONIA MUNDI \| HMC901945 \| CD \| 794881848522 BRAHMS LIEBESLIEDER WALTZES Marlis Petersen (soprano), Stella Doufexis (alto), Werner Gura (tenor), Konrad Jarnot (bass baritone), Christopher Berner, Camillo Radicke (piano)
CLASSIC CHARMING LOVE SONGS Brahms's 'Love-song Waltzes' run the gamut from cheerful flirtation to brokenhearted despair in the two sets of Liebeslieder Waltzes Op 52 & Op 65, presented here by an outstanding vocal quartet. They quickly proved successful in the Viennese salons of Brahms's time and have remained much loved ever since.

	HARMONIA MUNDI \| HMC901975 \| CD \| 794881848225 VIVALDI DOUBLE CONCERTOS & CONCERTI GROSSI Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin
VENETIAN VIRTUOSITY Vivaldi gives pride of place to virtuosity in these concertos, whether for two solo instruments (RV522 & 531), in the Concerti Grossi RV156 & 574 or the Violin Concerto No 12. The Berlin Academy of Ancient Music has been awarded several international prizes (Diapason d’Or, Gramophone Award, Cannes Classical Award, Edison Award, Deutscher Schallplatten-Preis).

	HARMONIA MUNDI \| HML590822425 \| CD2 \| 794881819027 LES PLAISIRS DU PALAIS DELUXE EDITION Ensemble Clement Janequin, Dominique Visse
EAT, DRINK, SING & BE MERRY! As the title of this now classic (1994) recording suggests, The Pleasures of the Palace await the listener in this sumptuous feast of Rabelaisian verses set to vibrant music by leading French chanson composers. Ensemble Clement Janequin has visited Australia to great acclaim for Musica Viva. Booklet includes 15 Renaissance recipes!

	HARMONIA MUNDI \| HML590823536 \| CD2 \| 794881848928 VIVALDI CELLO CONCERTOS Roel Dieltiens (cello), Ensemble Explorations
FOREGROUNDING THE BAROQUE CELLO Packaged in a full-colour illustrated 84-page booklet, this releases presents 14 Cello Concertos in which the Red Priest demands as much virtuosity and lyricism from the soloist as he does in his most flamboyant violin concertos. These were pioneering works in their time, and still manage to astonish listeners even today.

	HARMONIA MUNDI \| HMU807408 \| SACD \| 093046740863 STOCKHAUSEN STIMMUNG Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier (director)
INNER WORLD OF SPEECH & SONG In 1968, Karlheinz Stockhausen redefined the very notion of vocal music with his composition STIMMUNG, which is built entirely from the musical frequencies of a deep B-flat. This hardly does justice to the sheer mystery and magical atmosphere which this modern classic generates - at once ambient, atavistic & avant garde.

	HARMONIA MUNDI \| HMU907392 \| CD \| 093046739225 BRAHMS VARIATIONS ON A HUNGARIAN SONG OP 21, VARIATIONS & FUGUE ON A THEME BY HANDEL OP 24, PAGANINI VARIATIONS OP 35 Olga Kern (piano)
BRAHMS AT PLAY Variations lie at the heart of much of Brahms's music. Whether inspired by folksong or themes by Handle or Paganini, Brahms creates virtuoso soundworlds that explore the piano's many sonorities and test the performer to the limit. '[Olga Kern's] playing is brilliant, glassy, supremely aggressive and dazzlingly virtuosic in the Horowitz manner' (The Washington Post)

	HARMONIA MUNDI \| HMU907440 \| CD \| 093046744021 BYRD SECOND SERVICE & ANTHEMS Stefan Roberts (treble), Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor), Choir of Magdalen College Oxford, Ryan Leonard (organ), Fretwork, Bill Ives (director)
MUSIC FOR VOICES & VIOLS The highlight of this gorgeously recorded disc is a new reconstruction of William Byrd's Second Service by David Skinner. The other anthems include much-admired works such as 'Prevent Us O Lord' and a verse anthem, almost lost, in praise of Queen Elizabeth I, interspersed with chamber works for organ, viols and solo tenor.

	HELIOS \| CDH55235 \| CD \| 034571152356 MARAIS LA FOLIA & OTHER MUSIC FOR VIOLA DA GAMBA AND VIOLINS William Hunt (viola da gamba), The Purcell Quartet
FRESH DANCE SUITES FOR STRINGS Marais's Suites in C and D major and in E minor precede the famous Les Folies d'Espagne ('La Folia'), one of the most popular melodies of the Baroque era. 'Marais' music is full of interest and the strong contrasting characters of the individual movements are well served by The Purcell Quartet' (Which CD)

	HELIOS \| CDH55301 \| CD \| 034571153018 ELGAR PIANO QUINTET & VIOLIN SONATA The Nash Ensemble
EXQUISITE ELGAR CHAMBER MUSIC On its first release, this disc excited the critics: 'By any standards this is a major Elgar recording. I cannot recommend it too highly' (The Elgar Society Journal) 'My top recommendation' (BBC Music Magazine) 'Consummate refinement and total dedication…heartwarmingly eloquent' (Gramophone)

	HYPERION \| CDA67547 \| CD \| 034571175478 HARTMANN CONCERTO FUNEBRE, COMPLETE SONATAS & SUITES FOR SOLO VIOLIN Alina Ibragimova (violin), Britten Sinfonia
MUSIC OF HOPE Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1905-63) remained in Germany during WWII while refusing to become a cultural ornament for the Nazi regime. His Concerto Funebre, Hartmann's response to the invasion of Czechoslovakia, carries a message of hope for troubled times. The two Sonatas and two Suites are majestic works on a grand scale.

	HYPERION \| CDA67569 \| CD \| 034571175690 ALKAN CONCERTO FOR SOLO PIANO OP 39 & THIRD BOOK OF SONGS OP 65 Marc-Andre Hamelin (piano)
ROMANTIC PIANO MUSIC PAR EXCELLENCE Admired by Liszt himself, and as original as Chopin, virtuoso pianist-composer Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-88) wrote music that requires a surpassing technique and the soul of a poet on the performer's part. Such a transcendent interpreter is Hamelin: 'the greatest living exponent of Alkan's music' (International Record Review)

	HYPERION \| CDA67614 \| CD \| 034571176147 GOMBERT TRIBULATIO ET ANGUSTIA The Brabant Ensemble, Stephen Rice (director)
FOUR & FIVE-PART MOTETS Music in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary contrasts with penitential motets by one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance, Nicholas Gombert (c1495-1560). This is vocal music of fiery drama and intense emotionalism, wonderfully sung by an ensemble praised for its 'fluency and rhythmic clarity' (The Guardian)

	HYPERION \| CDA67616 \| CD \| 034571176161 SPOHR SYMPHONIES NOS 1 & 2 Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Howard Shelly (conductor)
LEADING GERMAN ROMANTIC Louis Spohr's Symphonies were his most celebrated works, ranked with those of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. The performers on this new disc make an excellent case for rescuing these stylish, highly individual works from the obscurity into which they have lapsed. Includes premiere recording of Grand Concert Overture in F major.

HYPERION | CDA67643 | CD | 034571176437
THE FEAST OF ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS
MUSIC FOR MATINS, EUCHARIST & EVENSONG
Choir of Westminster Abbey, Robert Quinney (organ), James O'Donnell (conductor)

MUSIC FOR A WAR IN HEAVEN The Feast of Michaelmas, which falls on 29 September, requires uniquely dramatic music to celebrate the Archangel Michael, victorious leader of the angelic host in its battle against the rebellious Lucifer. Composers include Alcock, Britten, Dering, Harvey, Howells, Langlais Stanford, Tippett and Vaughan Williams. The Choir tours Australia for Musica Viva from 18-30 October this year.

HYPERION | CDS442914 | CD4 | 034571142913
BACH
THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER (48 PRELUDES & FUGUES)
Angela Hewitt (piano)

GRAMOPHONE CRITIC'S CHOICE, BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE BEST OF YEAR PENGUIN GUIDE ROSETTE Angela Hewitt's 4-CD Hyperion set is held by many to be the definitive recording of 'The 48' on piano. This limited edition box set includes a 64-page booklet with uniquely insightful notes about each Prelude & Fugue by Hewitt herself. 'Benchmark recording' (BBC Music Magazine) 'A delight to both ear and mind' (Gramophone) 'Irresistible' (Sunday Times)

	LYRITA \| SRCD2258 \| CD3 \| 5020926225825 LLOYD SYMPHONIES NOS 4, 5 & 8 Philharmonia Orchestra, Edward Downes (conductor)
LEGENDARY RECORDINGS NOW ON CD There is an earthy, unmistakably English quality to Lloyd's music, which by the late 30s had made the young composer a phenomenon. The three great symphonies presented here date from after WWII and evoke moods of storm and darkness, light and distant peace, quicksilver dances and good humour.

	LYRITA \| SRCD2271 \| CD3 \| 5020926227126 IRELAND SEXTET, TRIOS & SONATAS Emmanuel Hurwitz, Ivor MacMahon (violin), Cecil Aronwitz (viola), Terence Weil (cello), Gervase de Peyer (clarinet), Neill Sanders (horn), Andre Navarra (cello), Yfrah Neaman (violin), Julian Lloyd Webber (cello), Eric Parkin (piano)
FIRST TIME ON CD This 3-CD set presents John Ireland's Phantasie Trio, Piano Trios 2 & 3, Sextet, and Sonatas for Cello, Clarinet and Violin with leading performers. Each is a valuable gem of a work from the composer's relatively small output, and well worth discovering. They combine elements of English Impressionism with influences from French and Russian music.

	LYRITA \| SRCD253 \| CD \| 5020926025326 MUSGRAVE CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA, CLARINET CONCERTO, HORN CONCERTO, MONOLOGUE FOR SOLO PIANO, EXCURSIONS: EIGHT PIANO DUETS Gervase de Peyer (clarinet), Barry Tuckwell (horn), Thea Musgrave, Malcolm Williamson (piano), Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson, Thea Musgrave (conductor), London Symphony Orchestra, Norman Del Mar (conductor)
THE DRAMA OF THE CONCERTO Rich and powerful musical language and a strong sense of drama have made Scottish-American composer Thea Musgrave one of today's most respected and exciting composers. These works explore the concerto in imaginative ways. She has wryly remarked: 'Yes, I am a woman; and I am a composer. But rarely at the same time.'

	LYRITA \| SRCD289 \| CD \| 5020926028921 LEIGH OVERTURE 'AGINCOURT', HARPSICHORD CONCERTINO, MUSIC FOR STRING ORCHESTRA, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM SUITE, THE FROGS & JOLLY ROGER OVERTURE Trevor Pinnock (harpsichord), London Philharmonic Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Nicholas Braithwaite (conductor)
ELEGANT AND CONCISE Walter Leigh, born in 1905 and killed in action near Tobruk in 1942, was a craftsman-composer who wrote with his performers very much in mind. Leigh is most famous for his Concertino for harpsichord and string orchestra. Other famous works include the overture Agincourt and The Frogs of Aristophanes. Conductor Nicholas Braithwaite lives in the hills outside Adelaide.

	LYRITA \| SRCD296 \| CD \| 5020926029621 BAX SYMPHONY NO 6 & OTHER ORCHESTRAL WORKS New Philharmonia Orchestra, Norman Del Mar (conductor), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley (conductor)
ELGAR'S SUCCESSOR Considered to be his finest, Bax's 6th Symphony combines a fiery first movement, idyllic second movement and extended finale into a tightly-woven classical masterpiece. The other, shorter works on this disc display his typically colourful orchestration: Rogues Comedy Overture, Overture to Adventure & Overture: Work In Progress.

	LYRITA \| SRCD321 \| CD \| 5020926032126 STANFORD PIANO CONCERTO NO 3 & CELLO CONCERTO Malcolm Binns (piano), Alexander Baillie (cello), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Nicholas Braithwaite (conductor)
AN ENGLISH ROMANTIC The music of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford is gaining renewed recognition, and with high-calibre performers such as those on this disc, its easy to hear why. Influenced by Schumann and Brahms, he taught Holst, Vaughan Williams and Howells, and his music is worthy to stand beside theirs. Conductor Nicholas Braithwaite lives in the hills outside Adelaide.

	MELODYIA \| MELCD1000190 \| CD \| 4600317001903 SCRIABIN SYMPHONY NO 3 OP 43 'DIVINE POEM', SYMPHONY NO 5 'PROMETHEUS (POEM OF FIRE)' OP 60 Svyatoslav Richter (piano), TV & Radio Large Chorus, USSR Symphony Orchestra, Evgeni Svetlanov (conductor)
FAR-REACHING SYMPHONIES The shaping of the human spirit as it breaks free of its past and forges towards a universal state of freedom and unity forms the basis of these spiritual symphonies. For Scriabin, Prometheus represented 'fire, light, life, fight, effort, thought', and his richly orchestrated music expresses such philosophical strivings to stunning effect.

	MELODYIA \| MELCD1000195 \| CD \| 4600317001958 TCHAIKOVSKY SYMPHONY NO 3, ROMEO AND JULIET FANTASY OVERTURE USSR Symphony Orchestra, Evgeni Svetlanov (conductor)
A MIS-NAMED SYMPHONY Nicknamed the 'Polish' after the folktunes that appear in its final movement, but nowhere else in the work, Tchaikovsky's 3rd Symphony is actually Russian through and through. Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare's play, his Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture is one of his most popular orchestral works. Recorded in 1967 and 1970 respectively.

	MELODYIA \| MELCD1000990 \| CD \| 4600317009909 MENDELSSOHN: VIOLIN CONCERTO OP 64 WIENIAWSKI: VIOLIN CONCERTO NO 1 OP 14; HELLER: VIOLIN CONCERTO Victor Pikaizen (violin), All-Union State Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (conductor), Estonian State Symphony Orchestra, P Lilje (conductor)
ROMANTIC VIOLIN CONCERTOS Recorded in 1969, '70 and '85, respectively, here are three Romantic yet highly contrasted violin concertos; Mendelssohn's beloved masterpiece, Wieniawski's pyrotechnical and seldom-performed 1st Violin Concerto and the B minor Concerto of Heino Heller (also spelled Eller), the 'father of Estonian classical music'.