GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDI
Frescobaldi: Complete Unpublished Works for Harpsichord and Organ Roberto Loreggian (harpsichord/organ) [ Brilliant Classics / 6 CD Box Set - released 10/Dec/2021 ] Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583- 1643) was one of the most important and influential composers for the keyboard in the early 17th century. He embraced the late renaissance style in his early output, and by the end of his life had contributed some of the... |
J. S. BACH
Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 & 2 Rosalyn Tureck (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon / 4 CD Box Set - released 10/May/2012 ] Rosalyn Tureck |
FERDINAND HEROLD / PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY / ADOLPHE ADAM
The Art of Natalia Osipova: La Fille mal gardée / Swan Lake / Giselle / Force of Nature BLU-RAY Royal Ballet, Covent Garden / Natalia Osipova, with Steven McRae, Philip Mosley, Christopher Saunders, Matthew Golding, Elizabeth McGorian & others [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / 4 Blu-ray Box Set - released 25/Sep/2020 ] Russian dance superstar Natalia Osipova joined The Royal Ballet as a Principal in 2013 and has since filled each of her leading roles with an unforgettable passion, fiery energy and technical prowess. |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Top 100 Favourite Classical Melodies [5 CD set] Royal Philharmonic, London Baroque Ensemble, Choir of St. John's College Cambridge, Consort of London and others [ Brilliant Classics / 5 CD Box Set - released 1/Sep/2010 ] This set is newly compiled, choosing the 100 very best tracks in the best available performances, including London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Carl Davis, London Baroque Ensemble, Choir of St. John's College Cambridge,... |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Orchestral Favourites Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Choral Society, Owain Arwel Hughes, Philip Ellis, Nick Davies, with soloists [ Brilliant Classics / 4 CD Box Set - released 20/Nov/2020 ] Classical hits from one of the world's great orchestras: a fabulous introduction to the world of music at a super-budget price. |
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Complete Ballets [Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker] Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Nicolae Moldoveanu, Barry Wordsworth & David Maninov [ Brilliant Classics Quintessence / 5 CD Box Set - released 22/Jan/2021 ] All three ballets by Tchaikovsky in one release! Tchaikovsky's ballets, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, are by far the most popular ballet music ever written, and count among the master's most famous works. |
HUGO ALFVEN
Alfven: Complete Symphonies, Suites & Rhapsodies Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Niklas Willen [ Naxos / 7 CD Box Set - released 25/Nov/2022 ] The music of Hugo Alfvén has always been close to the hearts of the Swedish people. He is regarded as representing the spirit of the country, partly owing to his intimate knowledge of Swedish folk music. |
ANTON BRUCKNER
The Complete Bruckner Symphonies Royal Scottish National Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Georg Tintner, conductor [ Naxos / 12 CD Box Set - released 22/Dec/2015 ] "The pattern of the later symphonies is set here, emotional slow movement, galumphing scherzo and all. But there are moments of almost Sullivanesque sparkle. Tintner's account is wonderfully cohesive and fresh." - The Sunday Times (Paul Driver), May |
ALBERT ROUSSEL
Roussel: The Complete Symphonies [4 CD set] Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Stéphane Denève [ Naxos / 4 CD Box Set - released 6/Dec/2010 ] "an excellent disc, splendidly and idiomatically performed and a superb advertisement for composer, conductor and orchestra. Highly recommended." Gramophone Magazine on Symphony No 4 |
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Shakeseare: Three Tragedies: Hamlet / King Lear / Othello (recorded live in 2015 - 2016) BLU-RAY Royal Shakespeare Company / Paapa Essiedu, Natalie Simpson, Antony Sher, Kelly Williams, Hugh Quarshie, Lucian Msamati, Joanna Vanderham, etc [ Opus Arte Blu-ray / 3 Blu-ray Box Set - released 28/Nov/2016 ] Three of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies are presented here as a 3 disc set. |
MUSSORGSKY / RAVEL / BRAHMS / BEETHOVEN / JANÁČEK / FRANCK / etc
Rudolf Firkusny Edition Rudolf Firkušný (piano), with Erica Morini (violin) & Pierre Fournier (cello) [ Deutsche Grammophon / Eloquence / 12 CD Box Set - released 5/Jul/2024 ] "Firkušný is a sensitive, intellectual pianist, and his refined musical playing falls very pleasantly on the ear. He plays [Pictures] remarkably well … The Ravel pieces are beautifully done too, and as the recording quality is quite outstandingly." |
LUGWIG van BEETHOVEN / W. A. MOZART / JOHANNES BRAHMS
The Rudolf Serkin Edition Rudolf Serkin (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Claudio Abbado, with Mstislav Rostropovich (cello) [ Deutche Grammophon / 9 CD Box Set - released 19/Jun/2020 ] "Serkin was an artist who shaped the world's conceptions of the "Viennese school," and there's much to be gained by tracing the evolution of his style over his long life.' (AllMusic.com) |
J. S. BACH / BARTOK / MESSIAEN / MOZART / STRAVINSKY / etc
Rudolf Serkin: The Complete RCA Album Collection Rudolf Serkin (piano) with Peter Serkin, Ruth Laredo, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Pablo Casals, etc [ Sony Classical Masters / 35 CD Box Set - released 20/Jul/2020 ] a "brilliant instrumentalist, sensitive, original interpreter and performer of uncommon vitality" (Michael Steinberg) |
BEETHOVEN
Rudolf Serkin Plays Beethoven [11 CD set] Rudolf Serkin (piano) with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy & others [ Sony Classical Masters / 11 CD Box Set - released 1/Nov/2012 ] "It goes without saying that this is among the finest of current versions, for Serkin as a master pianist has the power to convince one against initial preconceptions." (Gramophone on Beethoven Piano Concerto No 2) |
CHOPIN / LISZT / SAINT-SAENS / SCHUMANN / VILLA-LOBOS / BARTÓK / etc
Ruth Slenczynska - Complete American Decca Recordings Ruth Slenczynska (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon Eloquence / 10 CD Box Set - released 20/Nov/2020 ] A debut on CD for the American Decca legacy of Ruth Slenczynska, a prodigious Romantic-age keyboard lioness. 'Slenczynska has technique to burn, has it under complete control, and uses it with masculine vigour and shrewd musicianship' HighFidelity |
FRANZ SCHUBERT
Schubert: Complete Secular Choral Works Ruth Ziesak, Angelika Kirchschlager, Christoph Prégardien, Robert Holl / Wiener Concert-Verein, Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Erwin Ortner, with András Sch [ Warner Classics / 7 CD Box Set - released 19/Mar/2021 ] A voyage of discovery through a lesser-known area of Schubert's rich and prolific output, this collection comprises seven themed CDs: Transience; Love; Eternity; Heroism; Nature; Celebrations, and Circle of Friends. |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Russian Orthodox Choral Music Rybin Male Choir, Dumka Choir, Yurlov Academic Choir [ Brilliant Classics / 6 CD Box Set - released 22/Jan/2021 ] A history of Russian Orthodox sacred music from the 'Moscow Baroque' to the present day, including many rare and long unavailable recordings. |
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
Prokofiev: Complete Symphonies (Nos 1-7) Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi [ Chandos Classics / 4 CD Box Set - released 20/Nov/2008 ] "The recorded sound is great, the Scottish National Orchestra plays like a world class band. All in all, this is not only a set to complete your Prokofiev collection, it's also the one to start it - if you haven't yet." (MusicWeb bargain of the... |
SEGEI RUDNEV
Rudnev: Music for Guitar Sergei Rudnov, Aynur Begutov, Anton Baranov, Rovshan Mamedkuliev, Vladimir Mityakov (guitars) [ Brilliant Classics / 3 CD Box Set - released 25/Feb/2022 ] Russian guitarist and composer Sergei Ivanovich Rudnev was born in 1955 in Tula. In 1975 he graduated in the accordion and balalaika class of Tula's "Dargomyzhsky" Conservatory, and while attending this school he studied guitar. |
CARL MARIA von WEBER
Weber: Der Freischütz Sharon Sweet, Ruth Ziesak, Peter Seiffert, Andreas Schmidt, Kurt Rydl, Roman Trekel / Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Marek Janowski [ Sony RCA Classical Opera / 2 CD Box Set - released 20/Feb/2017 ] This memorable version of Weber's Der Freischütz from 1994 returns to the catalogue. It offers some outstanding vocal contributions, opined BBC Music Magazine, "sung with a genuine feeling for melodic shape and verbal emphasis: Peter Seiffert's... |