RAVEL
The Best Of Ravel (Incls Bolero, Gaspard de la Nuit & Piano Concerto in G) Helene Grimaud, Paul Crossley (piano)/ Orchestre National de France under Eliahu Inbal / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Jesus Lopez-Cobos [ Brilliant Classics / 2 CD - released 26/Apr/2007 ] Ravel’s Boléro has become an evergreen. These 2 CD’s provide material for those who would like to hear more by this typically French composer. |
KHACHATURIAN / LYAPUNOV
Violin Concerto & Rhapsody Hideko Udagawa (violin) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Alan Buribayev [ Signum Records / CD - released 1/Mar/2013 ] "the [Lyapunov] concerto's rather grand manner suits Udagawa's noble style and steely tone wonderfully well. I prefer a warmer sound in Khachaturian, though there's no mistaking the commitment and dexterity she brings to both works." The Guardian,... |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 / Tragic Overture Horacio Guiterrez (piano) /Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Andre Previn [ Telarc Classics / CD - released 11/Aug/2003 ] "The richly enjoyable performance benefits from an aural frame in which the piano and orchestra are especially well balanced, and the overall sound quality equalsthe finest yet achieved on this label." -Stereo |
MENDELSSOHN
An introduction to Mendelssohn (Incls Piano Concerto No. 1 & Symphony No. 4 'Italian') Howard Shelley (piano) / London Mozart Players / Scottish National Orchestra / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Philharmonia Orchestra [ Chandos Intro / CD - released 1/Aug/2006 ] "Howard Shelley offers marvellous playing in every respect; fresh, sparkling and dashing in the fast movements, poetic and touching in the slower ones." (Penguin Guide Rosette recording for Piano Concertos) |
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Piano Concerto [with John Foulds-Dynamic Triptych] Howard Shelley (piano) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Vernon Handley [ Lyrita / CD - released 1/Apr/2007 ] "In sum, a work that definitely deserves more frequent hearings. As in the concerto Shelly plays like a demon and an angel with Vernon Handley and the RPO providing superb support. Excelletn CD transfers. An altogether outstanding reissue" Michael... |
SCRIABIN
Orchestral Music (3 CDs for the price of 2) Inger Blom (mezzo) Lars Magnusson (tenor) / Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir / Leif Segerstam / with Roland Pantinen (piano) [ BIS / 3 CD - released 1/Sep/2007 ] This boxed set spans from Scriabin's first large-scale orchestral work, his Piano Concerto (1897), to Prometheus (1909-10), his last completed piece (which incidentally also features an important part for solo piano). |
PHILIP CANON
Philip Canon: Lord of Light, Sting Quartet & Cinq Chansons de Femme Iris Dell'Acqua (soprano), Kenneth Bowen (tenor), Graham Titus (bass), Margaret Price (soprano), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ Lyrita / CD - released 7/Jul/2017 ] Philip Cannon's catalogue embraces a broad range of genres from operas and symphonies to songs and keyboard works. His first significant pieces were written whilst he was still a student at the RCM. Musicologist Rollo Myers wrote of Philip Cannon,... |
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 (with Rihm: Time Chant) Jaap van Zweden (violin) / Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra [ Naxos / CD - released 9/Jan/2014 ] "Van Sweden's virtuosity as a violinist…is here shown to be of the highest class, in an account of the great Shostakovich Concerto that holds its own with the finest." Musical Opinion |
DVORAK / IBERT
Cello Concerto / Concerto for Cello and Wind Instruments (Rec 1969) Jacqueline Du Pre (cello) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Charles Groves / Michael Krein Orchestra / Michael Krein [ BBC Legends / CD - released 17/Nov/2004 ] "A stunning performance and up there with the classic Rostropovich/Karajan . An absolute must buy!" (Amazon.co.uk) |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Violin Concerto, Romances (with Schubert: Rondo in A) James Ehnes (violin), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Manze [ Onyx Classics / CD - released 20/Oct/2017 ] "Technically, Ehnes's playing is a marvel...But, really, it's his - and Manze's - thoughtfulness and patience that make this recording so satisfying." Gramphone Editor's Choice November 2017 |
GLAZUNOV / PROKOFIEV / TCHAIKOVSKY
Works for cello & orchestra Jamie Walton (cello) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Okko Kamu [ Signum Classics / CD - released 20/Aug/2015 ] "Walton performs it splendidly with a light touch that the Royal Philharmonic under Okko Kamu accompany hand-in-glove. They capture the neo-classical essence of the piece very well, and the recording is vibrant." (MusicWeb Sept 2015) |
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Hodie / Fantasia on Christmas Carols Janice Watson (soprano) Peter Hoare (tenor) Stephen Gadd (baritone) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Hilary Davan Wetton [ Naxos / CD - released 22/Nov/2007 ] "The performances are distinctive and good. That Naxos chose two of the composer's works which are not so popular or well known today is to be applauded." (MusicWeb Dec 2007) |
RAVEL
Piano music (Incls 'Sonatine' & 'Le Tombeau de Couperin') Jean Yves Thibaudet (piano) with Helen Grimaud and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ Portrait Classics / CD - released 1/Sep/2009 ] Highly acclaimed performances, licensed from Denon. Thibaudet recordings unavailable since the late 1990s |
NED ROREM
Violin Concerto / Flute Concerto / Pilgrims Jeffrey Khaner (Flute) Philippe Quint (Violin) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Jose Serebrier (Conductor) [ Naxos American Classics / CD - released 17/Jun/2006 ] "A classic album. Satisfying and beautiful music that has about it a rippling current of vitality." (MusicWeb May 2006) |
JACQUES OFFENBACH / GIUSEPPE VERDI / VINCENZO BELLINI
Darwin: Song for a City [Recorded Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, UK, January 1975] Joan Sutherland, Heather Begg Tom McDonnell, Clifford Grant, Louis Quilico, Margreta Elkins / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Bonynge [ Decca SBS Australian Eloquence / CD - released 10/Apr/2012 ] Christmas Eve 1974 was a nightmare for the inhabitants of Darwin when it was destroyed by a violent cyclone. A Darwin Appeal Fund was launched and a month later, on 25 January 1975, Richard Bonynge conducted a fund-raising concert at the Royal Opera. |
HANDEL
Messiah (highlights) Joanne Lunn, Melanie Marshall, James Gilchrist, Christopher Purves / Cambridge Singers / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / John Rutter [ Collegium / CD - released 23/Nov/2007 ] John Rutter was born in London in 1945 and received his first musical education as a chorister at Highgate School. He went on to study music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he wrote his first published compositions and conducted his first... |
HANDEL
Messiah (complete) Joanne Lunn, Melanie Marshall, James Gilchrist, Christopher Purves / Cambridge Singers / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / John Rutter [ Collegium / 2 CD - released 29/Nov/2007 ] John Rutter was born in London in 1945 and received his first musical education as a chorister at Highgate School. He went on to study music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he wrote his first published compositions and conducted his first... |
GERALD FINZI
Music for Love's Labour's Lost / Let Us Garlands Bring / etc John Carol Case (baritone) Ian Partridge (tenor) Jane Mannin (soprano) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / New Philharmonia Orchestra / Vernon Handley [ Lyrita / CD ] In 1946 Noel Iliff was to produce Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost for the BBC Home Service His wife, Simona Pakenham, was adapting it. She was musician enough to be writing a book on Vaughan Williams, and to have recognized Finzi's gifts. He... |
GERALD FINZI
Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra Op. 31 / Concerto for Cello and Orchestra Op.40 John Denman (clarinet) New Philharmonia Orchestra / Yo-Yo Ma (cello) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Vernon Handley [ Lyrita / CD - released 1/Jul/2007 ] "These recordings - sounding handsome still - derive from two Lyrita Recorded Edition LPs issued 1976-79. The Clarinet Concerto comes from SRCS 92 where it was alongside the two piano-and-orchestra works already used as fillers for SRCD... |