J. S. BACH
Bach: Matthäus [St Matthew] Passion / Johannes [St John] Passion Peter Schreier, Theo Adam, Siegfried Vogel, Adele Stolte / Dresdner Kreuzchor, Gewandhausorchester, Rudolf Mauersberger, Erhard Mauersberger [ Brilliant Classics Quintessence / 5 CD Box Set - released 4/Oct/2019 ] "… the excellence of soloists, choir and obbligato instrumentalists (a superb gamba and oboe da caccia) and, above all, the profound understanding shown by the conductor, make this a most moving interpretation." Gramophone |
CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS
Saint-Saens: Christmas Oratorio (with Mendelssohn - "Vom Himmel Hoch") Dresdner Philharmonie / Dresdner Kreuzchor / Martin Flamig [ Capriccio / CD - released 10/Nov/2010 ] Saint-Saëns's Christmas Oratorio (or Oratorio de Noël) was written in 1858 when he was just 23. This piece was originally scored for five Vocal Soloists, Chorus, Harp, String Quartet and Organ. |
CLAUDE BOLLING
Concerto for Classical Guitar and Jazz Piano Trio, Sonate pour Guitare Duilio Meucci (guitar), Claude Quartet [ Brilliant Classics / CD - released 22/Apr/2016 ] Claude Bolling was born in 1930 in Cannes, where he became one of the most popular figures of the French jazz scene. He composed music for over 100 films, and he worked together with Duke Ellington, Juliette Greco, Liza Minelli and... |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Don Giovanni [highlights] (LP) Eberhard Wachter, Joan Sutherland, Luigi Alva, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Giuseppe Taddei / Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus, Carlo Maria Giulini [ Vinyl Passion Classical / LP - released 25/Feb/2018 ] Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London. October & November, 1959 |
Ed Kowalczyk
The Flood And The Mercy [ Bank Austria / Sony Classical / CD - released 7/Feb/2014 ] |
MAX REGER
Reger: The Organ Works [14 CD set] Edgar Krapp (Organ) [ Edel / 14 CD Box Set - released 14/Sep/2016 ] Mastered from the original Mastertapes |
Edward De Souza / Paul Jesson / Simon Harris / Karen Archer / Laura Paton
Classical Love Poetry [ NAXOS AUDIOBOOKS / 2 CD ] An Anthology of Greek and Latin Amorous Verse. |
J. S. BACH
Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 & 2 Edwin Fischer (piano) [ Warner Classics Masters / 3 CD Box Set - released 3/Sep/2012 ] 50 GREATEST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME (No 44) - BBC MUSIC - "His ego-less playing bequeaths some of the most life-affirming Bach on disc." BBC Music Magazine |
PUCCINI / VERDI / HANDEL / DEBUSSY / POULENC / etc
Eileen Farrell - The Complete Columbia Album Collection Eileen Farrell (soprano) with various orchestras, conductors & instrumentalists [ Sony Classical / 16 CD Box Set - released 20/Jul/2020 ] In celebration of the Eileen Farrell's 100th anniversary, Sony Classical is pleased to release a new x16 CD collection of this beloved artist's entire American Columbia discography. This stunning collection displays Farrell's uniquely wide... |
ANDERS HILLBORG
Hillborg: Violin Concerto No. 2 / Liquid Marble Eldbjørg Hemsing (violin) / Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen [ Sony Classical / CD - released 30/Aug/2024 ] At the occasion of the 70th birthday of Swedish contemporary composer Anders Hillborg, the award-winning conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra release an album with some of his most recognizable works. |
DONIZETTI
Donizetti Heroines Elena Mosuc (soprano) / Symphony Orchestra of Croatian Radio-Television, Ivo Lipanovic [ Sony Classical / CD - released 6/May/2014 ] "Mosuc is not found lacking when it comes to surmounting the fioriture of whichever cabaletta is being sung, her technical prowess ensuring admirable results and the voice well honed, with trills and clean articulation in florid stretches." (IRR) |
ANTONIO VIVALDI
The New Four Seasons - Vivaldi Recomposed (LP) Chineke! Orchestra, Elena Urioste (violin), Max Richter [ Deutsche Gramophon / LP - released 10/Jun/2022 ] When Max Richter's Recomposed first exploded into our collective ears almost a decade ago, a 59-minutes-28-seconds sonic starburst, the effect for so many people was total. We hadn't heard anything like that, ever. |
JAAKKO KUUSISTO / JOHN CORIGLIANO
The Red Violin: Concertos Elina Vahala (violin) / Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Jaakko Kuusisto [ BIS SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 31/Jul/2013 ] "When performed like this, and the word 'perfect' comes to mind with Elina Vähälä's playing, and with a recording as sumptuous and detailed as here..you will not regret the purchase. I am glad to be acquainted with this music and will return to it." |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Piano Sonatas / Fantasia in C minor Elisabeth Leonskaja (piano) [ Warner Classics / 6 CD Box Set - released 18/Feb/2022 ] 'Leonskaja always treads the tightrope between prettiness and excessive emphases...Perfection? For me, it's a yes. Can we have the Haydn and even the Beethoven sonatas complete from Leonskaja in good time, please?' BBC Recording of the Month April 20 |
FRANZ SCHUBERT
Schubert: The Complete Piano Sonatas Elisabeth Leonskaja (piano) [ Warner Classics / 8 CD Box Set - released 26/Aug/2022 ] "Olympian interpretation […], a lifetime's wisdom is here, don't miss it." BBC Music magazine |
GIACOMO MEYERBEER
Meyerbeer: L'étoile du nord (complete opera) Elizabeth Futral, Darina Takova, Agnete Munk Rasmussen, Patrizia Cigna, Juan Diego Flórez / National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Vladimir Jurowski [ Naxos / 3 CD Box Set - released 13/May/2022 ] After composing a spectacular series of grand operas for the Paris Opéra, Meyerbeer turned to two comic operas with spoken dialogue. One of these was L'Étoile du Nord ('The North Star'). |
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas [ Capital / CD - released 6/Nov/2006 ] O Holy Night; Joy to the World; We Three Kings; Silent Night; O Come All Ye Faithful, and Away in a Manger join Abide with Me; the Old Rugged Cross; in the Garden, and more enchanting Ella. 27 tracks! |
J. S. BACH
Elly Ameling - Bach Edition Elly Ameling (soprano) with Hermann Prey, Helen Watts, Peter Pears, Marga Höffgen, Fritz Wunderlich ,Werner Krenn, etc [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 20 CD Box Set - released 21/Apr/2023 ] Compiled here for the first time are all of Elly Ameling's Bach recordings for both Decca and Philips: an 'original jackets' treasury of Cantatas, Passions and oratorios which would make a first-rate introduction to the composer's sacred music. |
BACH / VIVALDI / HANDEL / MOZART / SCHUBERT / BRAHMS / WOLF / etc
Elly Ameling - The Philips Recitals Elly Ameling (soprano) with various accompaniments [ Philips Australian Eloquence / 29 CD Box Set - released 21/Apr/2023 ] All of Elly Ameling's recital discs for Philips (together with Schubert trios and quartets she recorded for Deutsche Grammophon) collected for the first time. A glorious celebration of 'the Dutch nightingale': all of Elly Ameling's song-recital... |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: James Levine Conducts Brahms Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, James Levine [ Sony Classical Masters / 4 CD - released 4/Apr/2011 ] "It goes almost without saying that the playing of the Chicago orchestra is superb, and in the outer movements at least Levine's vivid sense of drama and concentrated control of structure are again most compelling." (Gramophone on Symphony No 3) |