GIOACCHINO ROSSINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rossini: The Barber of Seville [Il Barbiere di Siviglia] (Complete Opera recorded in 1983) Francisco Araiza, Agnes Baltsa, Thomas Allen, Robert Lloyd / Academy St Martins / Neville Marriner [ Decca Opera! / 2 CD - released 10/Mar/2011 ] Sir Neville Marriner makes one of his rare appearances as an opera conductor and the combination of a superb cast and stylish orchestral playing combine to make a magnificent recording of Rossini's comic masterpiece. |
W. A. MOZART
Cosi fan Tutte (Complete Opera recorded in 1990) Karita Mattila, Anne Sofie von Otter, Thomas Allen, Francisco Araiza / Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner [ Decca Classic Opera / 3 CD Box Set - released 1/Sep/2008 ] "A strikingly light, fresh Così with a truly superb ensemble, idiomatic and characterful; the voices are large, but only Mattila sounds a little weighty." (Five Stars BBC Music) |
W. A. MOZART
Cosi Fan Tutte (complete opera recorded in 1990) Karita Mattila, Anne Sofie von Otter, Thomas Allen, Francisco Araiza / Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner [ Decca Classic Opera / 3 CD Box Set - released 1/Jun/2009 ] "A strikingly light, fresh Così with a truly superb ensemble, idiomatic and characterful; the voices are large, but only Mattila sounds a little weighty." (Five Stars BBC Music) |
HOIBY / SOWERBY / NESWICK / ROREM / FRIEDELL / DIRKSEN
Great Cathedral Anthems Vol.11 The Choir of St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York, USA / Judith Hancock [ Priory / CD - released 21/Aug/2006 ] The Choir of St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue |
GABRIEL FAURE
Faure: Requiem (with Mozart-Ave verum corpus, K618, etc) Elin Manahan Thomas, Roderick Williams, Ruth Massey, Mark Dobell / The Sixteen / Academy of St Martin in the Fields / Harry Christophers [ Coro Live / CD - released 1/Apr/2008 ] The result of a brand new collaboration between two of the finest modern day exponents of classical music, this exquisite disc brings fresh life to Fauré's peerless Requiem and injects imaginative invention and poetic phrasing into two of Mozart's... |
GERRE HANCOCK
The Music of Gerre Hancock Jeremy Filsell (organ) The Choir of St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York, Saint Thomas Brass [ Signum Classics / CD - released 23/Apr/2021 ] The renowned Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys record a fitting tribute to their former Choirmaster and Organist Gerre Hancock (1934-2012). In this post for over 30 years, he was a pivotal figure in the choir's rejuvenation and created a wealth of... |
HENRY PURCELL
Dido and Aeneas (complete opera) Jospehine Veasey / John Shirley-Quirk / Helen Donath / Thomas Allen / Academy of St. Martin in the Fields / Sir Colin Davis [ Philips Eloquence / CD - released 1/Nov/2007 ] "fresh and enjoyable" Penguin Guide to CDs |
MENDELSSOHN
Organ Works: Mendelssohn in London Leo van Doeselaar (Thomas Hill Organ, St. Pieterskerk Leiden) [ MDG SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 16/Aug/2014 ] When Mendelssohn first played the organ in England, he surprised his public with his virtuosity, which was completely unknown to the British on this instrument. His pedal playing was particularly impressive, and as a consequence England's extremely... |
St Thomas
Hey Harmony [ Spunk! Records / CD - released 4/Aug/2003 ] Great pop tunes, adorned by a delicate falsetto recalling Neil Young at his most affecting |
GABRIEL FAURE
Faure: Requiem / Pelleas et Melisande Suite / Pavane / etc Sylvia McNair, Thomas Allen / Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner [ Decca Australian Eloquence / CD - released 1/Jun/2019 ] "Marriner's pacing is ideal, and the clean choral attack is matched by superb singing from Sylvia McNair and Thomas Allen." (Three Stars Penguin Guide) |