J. S. BACH
Glenn Gould - The Bach Box (The Remastered Columbia Recordings) Glenn Gould (piano) [ Sony Classical Masters / 30 CD Box Set - released 7/Aug/2020 ] This stunning set is packed in a cube-shaped box and includes facsimile LP and CD Sleeves, a 240 page hardcover book featuring complete original liner notes (many penned by Gould himself) and an introductory essay by Michael Stegemann. |
J. S. BACH
Glenn Gould - The Complete 1981 Goldberg Sessions Glenn Gould (piano) [ Sony Classical / 11 CD Box Set - released 30/Sep/2022 ] Forty years ago, on September 2, 1982 - the year of Michael Jackson's Thriller - Glenn Gould's legendary second recording of the Goldberg Variations closed a circle that his revolutionary 1955 recording of Bach's masterpiece had opened. |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: The 5 Piano Concertos (LP) Glenn Gould (piano) / Columbia Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Golschmann, Leonard Bernstein, Leopold [ Sony Classical / 5 LP - released 12/Jun/2020 ] The piano, Gould said, "is not an instrument for which I have any great love as such... [but] I have played it all my life, and it is the best vehicle I have to express my ideas." In the case of Bach, Gould noted, "[I] fixed the action in some of the... |
GEORGES BIZET
Bizet: Carmen (complete opera recorded live August 2002) BLU-RAY Glyndebourne Opera / Anne Sofie von Otter, Laurent Naouri, Marcus Haddock, Lisa Milne / Philippe Jordan (cond) [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Dec/2008 ] Blu-Ray - - "(Von Otter's) Carmen has loads of overt sexuality - she languidly glides through the Habanera while sucking on a piece of fruit and then a cigar - and she shows plenty of temperament and fatalism tinged with fear later." (Los Angeles Times) |
MAURICE RAVEL
Ravel: L'Enfant et les Sortilèges / l'Heure Espagnole (complete operas recorded in 2012) BLU-RAY Glyndebourne Opera / Khatouna Gadelia, Elodie Méchain, Paul Gay, Elliot Madore, François Piolino / Kazuki Ono (cond) [ Fra Musica Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Aug/2014 ] GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE AWARD WINNER 2014 - Opera |
STRAVINSKY
The Rake's Progress (Complete opera recorded in 2010) Glyndebourne Opera / Miah Persson, Topi Lehtipuu, Matthew Rose / Vladimir Jurowski (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 20/Apr/2012 ] "The combination of Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra ensures crisp ensemble of the highest quality." (Gramophone) |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel Box Set: Rinaldo / Saul / Giulio Cesare (Recorded live at Glyndebourne Opera House, 2005-2015) BLU-RAY Glyndebourne Opera / Sonia Prina, Anett Fritsch, Sarah Connolly, Danielle de Niese, Christopher Purves, Iestyn Davies / Orchestra of the Age of Enligh [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / 3 Blu-ray Box Set - released 20/Mar/2017 ] "Dantone conducts a strongly characterised performance founded on the alert playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment." (BBC Music on Rinaldo) |
TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony No. 4 / Serenade for Strings in C major Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Jarvi [ BIS SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/May/2008 ] "Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburgers hit their stride and turn in a generally excellent Fifth Symphony. The first-movement exposition takes a few minutes to settle down, largely due to Järvi's somewhat casual approach to rhythm, but once the music gets... |
W. A. MOZART
Paris and Vienna Gottlieb Wallisch (piano) [ Linn SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 9/Jul/2012 ] "Wallisch's reading contain many attractive qualities: immaculately clean fingerwork, fine phrase-characterisation and sense of balance. But this is, of course, much-recorded repertory..the CD is a pleasurable play-through, and recommendable as such" |
Gould
Bach: 2 & 3 Part Inventions [ Sony Classical / CD ] |
JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Piano Works Leif Ove Andsnes (piano) [ Sony Classical / CD - released 7/Sep/2017 ] "These are intriguing works with the wonderful Sibelius qualities we know. I really, really believe in this music and I want people to hear it." - Leif Ove Andsnes |
Gould/Nypo/Bernstein
Brahms: Piano Concerto No 1 [ Sony Classical / CD ] |
FRANCIS POULENC
Poulenc: Complete Chamber Music Graf Mourja (violin), Alexandre Tharaud (piano), Ronald van Spaendonck (clarinet), Francoise Groben (cello) [ Naxos / 5 CD Box Set - released 25/Mar/2022 ] " Acclaim for these recordings can be summed up by the comment 'you simply can't go wrong with any of the discs in this series.' (ClassicsToday.com on their original release) |
MANUEL PONCE
Complete Guitar Music Gérard Abiton (guitar) & Beatrice Martin (harpsichord) Ensemble Orchestral Stringendo, Jean Thorel [ Brilliant Classics / 4 CD Box Set - released 20/Oct/2014 ] Manuel Ponce was one of Mexico's best and most popular composers. His compositions are imbued with the native music and folklore of his beloved Mexico, irresistably lively, sensual and passionate. |
Greenberg
Symphony No 5 [ Sony Classical / CD - released 18/Sep/2006 ] |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini (Complete opera recorded in 2003) Gregory Kunde, Joyce DiDonato, Patrizia Ciofi, Laurent Naouri / Orchestre Nationale de France. John Nelson [ Erato / Warner Classics Home of Opera / 3 CD Box Set - released 15/Sep/2018 ] 'A splendid achievement. Here indeed is the 'verve and vitality' Berlioz always believed he had found.' - Gramophone |
Greta Bradman
Forest of Dreams - Classical Lullabies to Get Lost In [ Sony Music Entertainment / CD - released 16/Aug/2010 ] Australian soprano, Greta Bradman presents a joyous ode to the sweet, gentle art form we know as the 'lullaby' - a musical expression that spans generations. |
EDVARD GREIG
The Best Of Grieg Jenö Jandó (piano) Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Cappella Istropolitana, Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Aug/1997 ] The best bits of Grieg across the vast Naxos catalogue. |
TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony No.1 'Winter Daydreams' / The Snow Maiden, Op.12 / etc Gateborgs Symfoniker / Neeme Jarvi [ BIS SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Aug/2004 ] On the second installment in our series of Tchaikovsky Symphonies with the Gothenburg SO and Neeme Järvi, we go directly from the composer's symphonic testament, Symphony No.6 'Pathétique', to his first attempt at the form. |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: 6 String Quartets dedicated to Haydn / String Quintets Guarneri Quartet, with Ida Kavafian & Kim Kashkashian (violas) [ Sony / RCA Classical Masters / 6 CD Box Set - released 1/Jun/2012 ] "The E flat major Quartet has a high seriousness that the Guarneri rightly bring out without, I think, overloading the music...The Guarneri bring plenty of vigour and weight to the more boisterous Hunt Quartet." (original Gramophone review) |