GIOACHINO ROSSINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia [The Barber of Seville] (highlights) Nicolai Gedda, Beverly Sills, Ruggero Raimondi, Sherrill Milnes / London Symphony Orchestra, James Levine [ EMI Classics Red Line / CD - released 1/Jul/2000 ] Original recording from 1975 |
CHARLES IVES
Ives: Symphony No. 3 / Washington's Birthday / etc Northern Sinfonia, James Sinclair [ Naxos American Classics / CD - released 10/May/2008 ] "In short, every aspect of this project has been realized about as well as it can be, and no admirer of Ives will want to miss out on the chance to hear it. 10/10 Artistic Quality, 10/10 Sound Quality" - Classicstoday.com, 6/22/03 |
STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Sondheim: Pacific Overtures Paul Strathearnj & Eric Roberts / English National Opera/Original London Cast, James Holmes [ TER / Thats Entertainment / 2 CD Box Set - released 3/Nov/1989 ] Pacific Overtures is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by John Weidman, with "additional material by" Hugh Wheeler. |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: The Violin Concertos / Rondos Itzhak Perlman (violin) / Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine [ Deutsche Grammophon Duo / 2 CD - released 10/Oct/2011 ] "DG's Mozart concerto cycle with Perlman, Levine and the Vienna Philharmonic, was recorded in the inspirational acoustic setting of Vienna's Musikvereinsaal, between 1982 and 1985. The performances were unanimously and deservedly praised when first r |
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Britten: The Performer - Complete Decca Recordings Peter Pears, John Hahessy, James Bowman, John Shirley-Quirk, Bary Tuckwell, Osian Ellis, Sviatoslav Richter, Benjamin Britten (cond, piano) [ Decca / 27 CD Box Set - released 21/Oct/1990 ] This 27-CD set brings together for the first time Britten's complete Decca recordings as pianist and conductor in which he performs music by other composers - an astonishing variety of music that ranges from large-scale choral works by Bach and... |
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Britten: The Canticles / A Birthday Hansel Peter Pears, John Hahessy, James Bowman, John Shirley-Quirk, with Bary Tuckwell (horn), Osian Ellis (harp) & Benjamin Britten (piano) [ Decca / London / CD - released 21/Oct/1990 ] Written at intervals between 1947 and 1974 Britten's five Canticles are miniature cantatas sharing a spiritual intensity that derives from Britten's own religious belief. |
GUSTAV MAHLER
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mahler: Symphony No 9 Philadelphia Orchestra, James Levine [ RCA / 2 CD Box Set - released 20/Jan/2018 ] "As a Mahler interpreter, his performances are exciting, fabulously played, razor-sharp rhythmically, and sensitive to the myriad details of Mahler's scoring. Perhaps the two standout performances are the Fifth and Ninth, as much for the playing of... |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Puccini: La Boheme (complete opera) Renata Scotto, Alfredo Kraus, Carol Neblett, Sherrill Milnes, Paul Plishka / Ambrosian Opera Chorus / National Philhrmonic / James Levine [ EMI Classics for Pleasure / 2 CD - released 20/Jul/2006 ] "Scotto sings a lovely "Si, mi chiamano Mimi", and her phrasing is always beautiful...no one newly smitten by the opera will find this performance of it disappointing." (Gramophone) |
FRANCESCO CILEA
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur (Complete opera recorded in 1977) Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova, Sherrill Milnes / Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra, James Levine [ Sony Opera House / 2 CD - released 20/Feb/2010 ] "Francesco Cilea's… dramatic balance between light and shade, delicate orchestration and thunderous melodrama, are all superbly served by the Philharmonia and James Levine on top form… Maria Callas could not have outstripped Scotto in this title... |
UMBERTO GIORDANO
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Giordano: Andrea Chenier (Complete opera recorded in 1976 with libretto) Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo, Jean Kraft, Sherrill Milnes / National Philharmonic Orchestra, James Levine [ RCA Opera Series / 2 CD Box Set - released 20/Feb/1977 ] "for Scotto's sake and to a slightly lesser extent for Domingo's, I think I would choose RCA" Gramophone This set is currently unavailable |
UMBERTO GIORDANO
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Giordano: Andrea Chenier (Complete opera recorded in 1976 with libretto) Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo, Jean Kraft, Sherrill Milnes / National Philharmonic Orchestra, James Levine [ RCA Red Seal / 2 CD Box Set - released 20/Feb/1997 ] "for Scotto's sake and to a slightly lesser extent for Domingo's, I think I would choose RCA" Gramophone |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Puccini: Tosca (Highlights from the complete opera) Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo, Renato Bruson / Philharmonia Orchestra. James Levine [ EMI Classics / CD - released 1/Oct/1991 ] Original recording made at Kingsway Hall, London, July, august 1980 |
UMBERTO GIORDANO
Giordano: Andrea Chenier (complete opera) Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo, Jean Kraft, Sherrill Milnes / National Philharmonic Orchestra, James Levine [ Sony Opera House / 2 CD - released 4/Jan/2010 ] "Scotto gives one of her most eloquent and beautiful performances, and Levine has rarely displayed his powers as an urgent and dramatic opera conductor more potently on record." Penguin Stereo Guide |
BOHUSLAV MARTINU
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Martinu: Double Concerto / Concerto for String Quartet / Sinfonietta La Jolla / etc Jean-François Heisser, Alain Planès (pianos), Jean Camosi (timpani), Brandis Quartet, French National Orchestra, James Conlon [ Erato Classics / 2 CD - released 2/Oct/1998 ] "Conlon keeps a tight rein on things, making the most of the edgy ostinati and driving neo-classical allegros...on a purely artistic level these are pretty compelling performances." MusicWeb |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera) BLU-RAY Los Angeles Opera / Renee Flemin, Rolando Villazon, Renato Bruson / James Colon (cond) [ Decca Music Group Limited Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 9/Mar/2009 ] "With the benefit of the latest picture technology, this performance goes to the top of the list for those preferring a traditional production." (Recording of the Month May 2008) |
James Rhodes
The Piano Man [ SBS DVD / DVD - released 12/Apr/2012 ] With childhood abuse, drug addiction and suicide attempts behind him, James is not your typical concert pianist. But with his passion and rock-star aura, he's bringing new audiences to classical piano. In Piano Man, James plays the music of his... |
Robert Donat, Alec Guinness, Laurie Lee & James Mason
Poetry Album [ Alto Take:2 / CD - released 11/Sep/2015 ] 'Great voices always enhance our understanding and enjoyment of classic poetry' |
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Monteverdi: The Sacred Music 2 Carolyn Sampson, Rebecca Outram, James Gilchrist, Charles Daniels / Choir of The King's Consort, Robert King [ Hyperion SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 29/Mar/2004 ] "... there are joys here to melt icebergs ... I want Volume 3 immediately" The Times |
JAMES MacMILLAN
MacMillan: Quickening / Three Interludes from 'The Sacrifice' Robin Blaze (counter-tenor) Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor) Gordon Jones (baritone) / BBC Philharmonic / James MacMillan [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Jan/2009 ] "The three interludes from MacMillan's opera The Sacrifice are more than an interesting filler. The same exuberant invention can be found here as in Quickening... The sound is stunning..." BBC Music Magazine, March 2009 ***** |
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony / The Lark Ascending Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir, James Ehnes (violin), Sarah Fox (soprano), Mark Stone (baritone) [ Onyx / CD - released 30/Nov/2018 ] The penultimate album in the critically acclaimed Vaughan Williams symphony cycle from the RLPO and Andrew Manze is of his 1st Symphony 'A Sea Symphony' set to words by Walt Whitman. Premiered in 1910, the start of this work is one of the most... |