SERGE PROKOFIEV
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Prokoviev: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Lydia Mordkovitch (violin) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi [ Chandos / CD - released 23/Jan/1989 ] Recorded in Glasgow City Hall, September 1988 |
ALEXANDER GLAZUNOV
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Glazunov: Complete Concertos Rachel Barton Pine (violin) Alexander Romanovsky (piano) Wen-Sinn Yang (cello) Marc Chisson (saxophone) / Russian National Orchestra, Jose Serebrier [ Warner Classics / 2 CD - released 21/Feb/2011 ] "there's little doubt that both Serebrier and his soloists, supported by warmly idiomatic playing from the Russian National Orchestra and a beautifully clear recording, make a highly persuasive case for the reappraisal of these works." BBC Music |
LIONEL SAINSBURY / JOHN FOULDS
Sainsbury/Foulds: Cello Concertos Raphael Wallfisch (cello) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates [ Dutton Epoch / CD - released 1/Apr/2012 ] "One really could not ask Messrs Wallfisch and Yates and both orchestras for more persuasive world premieres of two concertos that already seem like old friends." Gramophone Editor's Choice July 2012) |
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) |
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
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 |
BRUNO MANTOVANI / PASCAL DUSAPIN / WOLFGANG RIHM
Renaud Capuçon plays Three Modern Concertos Renaud Capucon (violin) / Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung-Whun Chung, Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris, Philippe Jordan [ Erato / Warner Classics / CD - released 17/Nov/2016 ] "All three of these violin concertos were composed expressly for Renaud Capuçon, and all take his fiercely impassioned lyrical playing as their starting point." Guardian |
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 |
MOZART / DONIZETTI / LEHAR / DVORAK & OTHERS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Renee and Bryn - Under the Stars Renee Fleming, Bryn Terfel / The Orchestra of Welsh National Opera / Gareth Jones / Paul Gemignani [ Decca DVD / DVD - released 24/Mar/2003 ] Filmed 'live' in the magical mountains of Wales at Bryn Terfel's Faenol Festival, this exclusive 'Under The Stars' DVD is released to co-incide with the CD of the same title. |
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY / FREDERIC CHOPIN
Nicolai Orloff - The Decca Recordings Nicolai Orloff (piano) / The National Symphony Orchestra, Anatole Fistoulari [ Eloquence / Decca / CD - released 10/Feb/2019 ] 'Beautifully played and recorded with all fit gentleness … The player's feathery lightness in the studies, and his ease of rhythm - no hurry or flurry - please me keenly. I like the scale of things.' Gramophone, April 1948 (Chopin) |
GILBERT and SULLIVAN
Gilbert & Sullivan: The Mikado (Complete Opera) Richard Suart, Donald Adams, Marie Mclaughlin, Anthony Rolfe Johnson / Welsh National Opera, Charles Mackerras [ Telarc Records / CD - released 7/Jul/2000 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1851-1900) Rosette (highest rating) Penguin Stereo Guide |
CARL MARIA von WEBER
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Weber, completed Mahler: Die Drei Pintos (The Three Pintos) [complete opera] Robert Holzer, Sophie Marilley, Peter Furlon / Wexford Festival Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestra of Belarus Paolo Arrivabeni [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 1/Mar/2004 ] Recorded: 22, 25, 28 & 31 October 2003 Recording Venue: Theatre Royal, High Street, Wexford, Ireland |
FRANCIS POULENC
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Poulenc: Concertos / Choral Works / Orchestral Works Pascal Roge (piano/harpsichord) Sylviane Deferne (piano) Peter Hurford (organ) / Orchestre National de France, Philharmonia Orchestra, Charles Dutoit [ Decca / 5 CD Box Set - released 14/May/2007 ] "The excellence of the performances is matched by first-rate and meticulously balanced Decca sound." Penguin Guide |
MIKLOS ROZSA
Rozsa: Ben Hur, Julius Caesar & Quo Vadis Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Miklos Rozsa & Bernard Herrmann [ Decca SBS Australian Eloquence / 2 CD - released 20/Dec/2010 ] "The whole disc is brilliantly played and as brilliantly recorded" (Gramophone on Ben Hur) |
RICHARD ARNELL
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Arnell: The Unnumbered Symphonies Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Martin Yates, with Catherine Edwards (piano) [ Dutton / CD - released 12/Nov/2012 ] "The Overture 1940 is given a suitably tense outing...a rewarding programme. It helps us once again to re-set our musical and historical compasses while at the same time providing stimulating musical experiences." MusicWeb |
ARTHUR BUTTERWORTH
Butterworth: Symphony No. 5 / Three Nocturnes / The Quiet Turn / etc Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Arthur Butterworth [ Dutton Epoch / CD - released 30/Aug/2010 ] "Throughout, Butterworth's confident orchestral touch never deserts him...the RSNO turns in an eminently respectable set of performances under the 86-year-old composer's sprightly baton. The extremely vivid engineering pulls no punches" Gramophone |
ARNOLD BAX
Bax: Tintagel / Symphony No. 7 Royal Scottish National Orchestra, David Lloyd-Jones, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 20/Jan/2004 ] "From a purely artistic viewpoint, however, no one will regret snapping up this final issue in what has been a highly commendable series." - Gramophone |
GUSTAVO DIAZ-JEREZ
Maghek: Seven Symphonic Poems about the Canaries Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Eduardo Portal [ Signum / 2 CD - released 13/Mar/2020 ] " The entire package represents a real triumph for the adventurous folk at Signum Records" MusicWeb Recommended June 2020 |
ANTON BRUCKNER
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 [original 1885 version] Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Georg Tintner [ Naxos / CD - released 8/Jan/2005 ] "Like his other Bruckner recording for Naxos, Tintner's account of No. 7 brings a performance both subtle and refined...An outstanding bargain to rival any version." Penguin Guide |
RAUTAVAARA
Symphony No.7, Angel of Light / Angels and Visitations Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Hannu Koivula (conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 16/Mar/2003 ] Einojuhani Rautavaara was born in Helsinki on 9th October, 1928. Graduating from Helsinki University in 1952, he studied at the Sibelius Academy with Aarre Merikanto until 1955, and, after receiving a Koussevitzky Foundation fellowship in 1955, in... |