J. S. BACH
Bach: St Matthew Passion [highlights] Elly Ameling, Julia Hamari, Helen Watts, Peter Pears, Fritz Wunderlich, Walter Berry, Tom Krause / Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Karl Munchinger [ Decca Eloquence / CD - released 20/Nov/2011 ] 'Many will be glad to hear Peter Pears's superb performance of the Evangelist' Gramophone, March 1965 |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: German Requiem (Ein deutsches Requiem) Wolfgang Brendel (baritone), Lucia Popp (soprano) / Prague Philh. Choir. Sinopoli [ Deutsche Grammophon Eloquence / CD - released 30/May/2001 ] A warm, sumptuous and grand reading of Brahms' intensely moving German Requiem with the heavenly soprano of Popp and the imposing baritone of Brendel under the direction of Sinopoli |
EDWARD ELGAR / ARTHUR BLISS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Elgar: Violin Concerto / Bliss: Theme and Cadenza / Introduction & Allegro Alfredo Campoli (violin) / London Philharmonic Orchestra, Adian Boult, Arthur Bliss [ Decca Australian Eloquence / CD - released 1/Feb/2000 ] One of the most significant violinists in gramophone history, Alfredo Campoli enjoyed tremendous success in the 1930s as a purveyor of light music, both in concerts with his own salon orchestra and on Decca. Edward Elgar dedicated his Violin... |
J. S. BACH
Bach: Keyboard Concertos Nos 1, 3, 4, 5 & 7 Andras Schiff, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Olli Mustonen, Alicia de Larrocha, pianos, London Symphony Orchestra. Deutsche Kamerphilharmonie / etc [ Decca ABC Eloquence / CD - released 1/May/2005 ] 'Mustonen is typically dynamic and Alicia de Larrocha's interpretation is strongly controlled but obviously heartfelt' Sydney Star Observer |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Violin Concerto / Symphony No.2 Arthur Grumiaux (violin) / Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam / Eduard van Beinum [ Philips ABC Eloquence / CD - released 1/May/2009 ] Peerless performances of Grumiaux's wonderful 1957 performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Concertgebouw and Eduard van Beinum, coupled with the first release on CD of Van Beinum's recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 2. Two radiant... |
JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Tone Poems (Incls Pohjola's Daughter & Karelia Suite) Boston Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis [ Philips ABC Eloquence / CD - released 1/May/2005 ] 'In short, what you have here are Sibelius' three greatest tone poems (En Saga, Pohjola's Daughter, and Tapiola) in outstanding interpretations and great sound, along with two popular favorites done every bit as well. Need I say more?' 10/10... |
J.S. BACH
A Bach Christmas: Magnificat, BWV 243a / Cantata: Christen, atzet diesen Tag / etc Catherine Bott & Elizabeth Scholl (sopranos) Christopher Robson (countertenor) Paul Agnew & Andrew King (tenors) / New London Consort / Philip Pickett [ ABC Philips Eloquence / CD - released 1/Dec/2005 ] "Marvellous life-enhancing music ... can be enjoyed at any time of the year, not just at Christmas" (MusicWeb Feb 2006) |
BENJAMIN BRITTEN / RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
A Boy was Born Choir of King's College, Cambridge. London Symphony Orchestra, Stephen Cleobury. [ Decca Eloquence / CD - released 1/Nov/2019 ] 'For multitudes of listeners… these performances… have become the representative interpretations… reproduced here in vibrant if occasionally saturated sonics.' Classics Today (Britten) |
TRADITIONAL
Christmas at Westminster Abbey Choir of Westminster Abbey, Simon Preston, with Christopher Herrick, organ [ Deutsche Grammophon Eloquence / CD - released 10/Dec/2017 ] "The Choir of Westminster Abbey is on its toes in a lively mixture of old and new, familiar and less so." Gramophone |
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS / HOWELLS / WARLOCK / IRELAND / FINZI / etc
Christmas Fantasy Choir of Westminster Cathedral, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, David Hill [ Decca Eloquence / CD - released 1/Nov/2012 ] |
ANTONIN DVORAK
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 / Cello Concerto Heinrich Schiff (cello) / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis-Antal Dorati [ Philips Eloquence / CD - released 24/Aug/2006 ] 'Schiff ... matches the superb accompaniment of Sir Colin Davis in combining a measure of individual poetry with a generally fresh and direct approach.' (Gramophone) |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique Hungarian Radio & Television Orchestra. Charles Munch [ ABC Eloquence / CD - released 20/Sep/2005 ] The rarest amongst Charles Munch's many traversals of Symphonie fantastique (including those with the Boston and Paris Orchestras), this is an extraordinarily spacious reading of the first movement in particular, and will be much sought after by... |
MAHLER
Symphony No.5 Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Zubim Mehta [ Decca Eloquence / CD - released 6/Sep/2003 ] Eloquence - the budget label from Decca |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 / Overtures Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra / Zubin Mehta [ Decca SBS Eloquence / CD - released 1/Jun/2010 ] "This is a characteristically thrustful and dramatic reading (the brashness of the horns in the coda of the finale may be too much for some), but one which presents Beethoven's dance rhythms in full freshness and urgency. They are bright exciting... |
BEETHOVEN / ROSSINI / VERDI / SUPPE
Solti Overtures London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti [ Decca Australian Eloquence / CD - released 16/Oct/2016 ] This collection of overtures - many of them appearing internationally on Decca CD for the first time - comes from the very start of Georg Solti's recording career. That for Beethoven's Egmont was, in fact, his first recording as conductor, issued as... |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Song Cycles: Rackert-Lieder / Kindertotenlieder / Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen Marilyn Horne (mezzo-soprano) / Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ Decca Australian Eloquence / CD - released 1/Dec/2006 ] Marilyn Horne's plum-tinged mezzo and the music of Mahler are inseparable. So far, only the Fahrenden Gesellen songs and the Kindertotenlieder have made their way to CD (now deleted), so it is appropriate to collect on a single CD, the three... |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
The Royal Brass Music of King James I / English Baroque Trumpet Music Maurice André, Jean Pirot (trumpets), Thurston Dart (harpsichord) Philomusica of London [ Decca Australian Eloquence / CD - released 6/Sep/2019 ] 'If, like me, you find brass choirs irresistible, you should enjoy dipping into this collection.' High Fidelity, October 1961 (Royal Brass Music) |
SHOSTAKOVICH / PROKOFIEV / SEIBER
Shostakovich / Prokofiev / Seiber: Chamber Music Melos Ensemble of London, with Peter Pears (narrator) & the Dorian Singers [ Decca ABC Eloquence / CD - released 20/May/2010 ] "(Shostakovich) We all know that the Melos Ensemble is a virtuoso group, but I have never heard them give a clearer demonstration of sheer musicality than this." (Gramophone) |
PUCCINI / DONIZETTI / MOZART / VERDI / etc
An Evening with Montserrat Caballe Montserrat Caballa, soprano, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent garden, new Philharmonia Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, London Sympho [ Philips Eloquence / CD - released 25/Jan/2003 ] Eloquence - the specially priced quality label from Europe |
TCHAIKOVSKY / SHOSTAKOVICH / GLAZUNOV
Tchaikovsky / Shostakovich / Glazunov: Cello Works Mstislav Rostropovich (cello) / Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Leningrad Philharmonic [ Deutsche Grammophon Eloquence / CD - released 1/Sep/2013 ] "charismatic accompaniments by the splendid Leningrad Philharmonic under Gennadi Rozhdestvensky. Rostropovich is nothing if not a larger-than-life cellist … The sound is excellent" (Gramophone) |