HANS PFITZNER
Pfitzner: Lieder Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), Hartmut Höll (Klavier) [ Orfeo / LP - released 1/Jan/1982 ] |
JOHANNES BRAHMS / LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Brahms/Beethoven: Lieder Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), Jörg Demus (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon / CD - released 1/Sep/2011 ] "A moving Brahms Four Serious Songs from a young and physically impassioned Fischer Dieskau...incomparably accompanied." (BBC Music Five Stars) |
BACH / BRAHMS / WOLF / SCHUMANN / BRAHMS / GLUCK / etc
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau: Early recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) with various accompaniments [ Deutsche Grammophon Original Masters / 9 CD Box Set - released 20/Mar/2013 ] "This nine CD set is a valuable commemoration of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's inestimable contribution to song. It is a real and genuine tribute, for it gives a true overview of a remarkable career." (MusicWeb) |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto (complete opera) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Wolfgang Schene, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Tatiana Troyanos / Munchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter [ Deutsche Grammophon Opera House / 4 CD - released 1/Dec/2006 ] 'Tatiana Troyanos copes marvellously well with Cleopatra's essentially soprano part' (Gramophone) |
IGOR STRAVINSKY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Stravinsky: Chamber Works & Rarities (Includes 'Dumbarton Oaks' & the 'Concerto for Two Pianos') Dmitri Ashkenazy (clarinet) Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) / Charles Dutoit / Riccardo Chailly / Ernest Ansermet [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 5/May/2003 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1901-1950) - "In every respect this collection cannot be recommended too highly." - Rosette (highest rating) Penguin Stereo Guide |
BORODIN / RIMSKY-KORSAKOV / TCHAIKOVSKY / RACHMANINOV / VERDI / etc
Dmitri Hvorostovsky - The Philips Recitals Dmitri Hvorostovsky (baritone) with Mikhail Arkadiev (piano) & Olga Borodina (soprano) [ Philips Eloquence / 11 CD Box Set - released 2/Sep/2022 ] The collected Philips recital recordings commemorating the blazing career of baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who would have been 60 in October 2022. "He looked like Elvis and sang like a God" The Times |
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Shostakovich: Golden Mountains / Trilogy About Maxim Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Michail Jurowski [ Capriccio / CD - released 1/Jan/1995 ] Original recordings from 1994 |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Berlioz: Messe solennelle Donna Brown (soprano) Jean-Luc Viala (tenor) / Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner [ Philips 50 / CD - released 31/Dec/2000 ] Philips has the honour of presenting the first ever recording made of this adorable Berlioz mass after its rediscovery in 1991 and showing what a lot of absolutely beautiful surprises it has to offer. |
GOTTFRIED HEINRICH STOLZEL
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Stölzel - Two Serenatas Dorathee Mields (sop) Elisabeth graf (alto) Knut Schoch (ten) Ekkehard Abele (bass) / Telmannisches Collegium Michaelstein, Ludger Remy [ CPO / 2 CD - released 20/Jan/2010 ] Recorded: 28 August - 4 September 2004 Recording Venue: Kirche St. Bonifatius, Ditfurt |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Delicate Delights: Best Loved Classical Mandolin & Lute Music Dorina Frati (mandolin), Piera Dadomo (guitar), Paul O'Dette (mandolin), Elfriede Kunschak (mandolin), Maria Hinterleitner (harpsichord), Konrad Ragos [ Naxos / CD - released 26/Jun/2020 ] For those who are new to an instrument, the first question is often: where to start? The 'Best Loved' series offers an easy answer to that question and a perfect introduction to the wonderful, varied world of classical music. Spotlighting individual... |
JOHANN SIMON MAYR
MAYR: Mass in E flat major Dorota Szczepaska, Johanna Krödel, Markus Schäfer, Daniel Ochoa; Concerto de Bassus, Simon Mayr Chorus, Franz Hauk [ Naxos / CD - released 21/Feb/2020 ] Mayr's great Mass in E flat major is a late work, largely composed in 1843. It conforms to the prevailing Italian messa concertata tradition with its clear divisions into distinct vocal numbers, as opposed to the symphonic Mass which held sway north... |
W. A. MOZART / JOSEF HAYDN
Mozart: Ouverture Spirituelle / Haydn: The Seasons (recorded live in 2012 & 2013) Dorothea Röschmann, Michael Schade Sylvia Schwartz, Elisabeth von Magnus / Vienna Philharmonic, Concentus Musicus, Nicolaus Harnoncourt [ EuroArts / Unitel DVD / 2 DVD Box Set - released 22/Sep/2016 ] "this is a splendid, inspiriting performance of a life-giving work. It's superbly executed by a 60-strong VPO...Boesch is a robust, genial Simon in the earlier parts of the oratorio." (Gramophone on the Haydn) |
J. S. BACH
Bach: Christmas Oratorio, BWV248 Dorothee Mields, Damien Guillon, Thomas Hobbs, Peter Kooij / Collegium Vocale Gent, Philippe Herreweghe [ EuroArts Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 28/Feb/2014 ] "Some of the intimacy derives from the small forces...but it's mainly to do with the relaxed (though never sluggish) tempos...The solo team is outstanding." (BBC Music Magazine, Feb 2014) |
GILBERT and SULLIVAN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Gilbert & Sullivan: The Grand Duke (Complete) / Henry VIII-Incidental Music / Overture di Ballo D'Oyly Carte Opera Company with John Reed, Meston Reid, Kenneth Sandford / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royston Nash [ Decca Records / 2 CD Box Set - released 1/Apr/1993 ] "This represents, perhaps the ideal way to sample Sullivan's least known major score. The recorded performance has both polish and vigour. The recording is characteristically brilliant." *** Three Stars. Penguin Stereo Guide. |
ENGELBURT HUMPERDINCK
Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel (Complete opera recorded live in 2006) Dresden State Opera / Antigone Papoulkas / Anna Gabler / Hans-Joachim Ketelsen / Irmgard Vilsmaier / Iris Vermillon / Michael Hofsletter [ EuroArts / DVD - released 10/May/2007 ] G :- "The staging tells the story clearly and believably but the trendy ideas come too thick and fast for comfort. Singing is generally good if not outstanding. Hansel (Antigone Papoulkas) and Gretel (Anna Gabler) are diminutive figures with... |
WALTER BRAUNFELS
Braunfels: Die Vogel [The Birds] (complete opera recorded in 2009) BLU-RAY Désirée Rancatore / Brandon Jovanovich / James Johnson / Martin Gantner / Los Angeles Opera Orchestra & Chorus / James Conlon [ Arthaus Musik Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 16/Feb/2011 ] "A rare chance to hear Braunfels's lighthearted, tenderly spiritual and little-known fable…" The New York Times "A marvelous performance…the orchestra sounded radiant." Los Angeles Times "Conlon conducted with lustrous élan…We should hear more... |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Ode for St Cecilia's Day Dunedin Consort, John Butt (Director), Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Ian Bostridge (tenor), Polish Radio Choir [ Linn Records / CD - released 12/Oct/2018 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 - Choral |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Brahms: Hungarian Dances & Waltzes for Piano, Four Hands Duo Tal & Groethuysen [ Sony / CD - released 15/Sep/1993 ] Since 1985 tTal and Andreas have been performing worldwide as piano duo and have appeared at musical centers and renowned festivals. |
RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO / PIETRO MASCAGNI
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci / Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana (recorded in 2019) BLU-RAY Dutch National Opera / Anita Rachvelishvili, Ailyn Pérez, Rihab Chaieb, Brian Jagde, Roman Burdenko, Elena Zilio / Lorenzo Viotti (cond) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 9/Apr/2021 ] "Anita Rachvelisvili is the undisputed star of Cav. She sings Santuzza as an unashamed mezzo, and her chest voice is thrilling in this music. Brian Jagde's Turridu is rakish and appealing, never a caricature villain, and he sings with electric energy |
OTTORINO RESPIGHI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: The Essential Respighi [Incls 'Fountains of Rome' & 'The Birds'] Swiss Radio Orchestra, Ernst Ansermet / London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész / Argo Chamber Orchestra, Laszlo Heltay [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 10/Apr/1995 ] "Ansermet, with his ear for detail and orchestral colour, yields up vivid results in the Fountains of Rome...Maazel's Pines of Rome is a strong, direct performance, and memorable in impact." (Penguin Guide) |