HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: Grande Messe des Morts [Requiem Mass] Ronald Dowd (tenor) / Wandsworth School Boys Choir / London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus / Sir Colin Davis [ Pentatone SACD / 2 Hybrid SACD - released 10/Aug/2008 ] "AT LONG LAST! WE GET TO HEAR THE FIRST REALLY GOOD RECORDING OF THE BERLIOZ REQUIEM THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE HEARD!!!" (SA-CD.net *****) |
HAYDN / BEETHOVEN
Haydn: Symphonies Nos 88 & 99 / Beethoven: Symphony No 1 in C Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis [ Pentatone SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 12/Apr/2005 ] "With its warmth, exuberance and pungency of detail, this is modern-instrument Haydn as its finest." Richard Wigmore, Daily Telegraph |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) (complete opera recorded in 2003) Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Simon Keenlyside / Dorothea Roschmann / Will Hartmann / Diana Damrau / Franz-Josef Selig / Sir Colin Davis (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 24/Oct/2003 ] G :- "This production by David McVicar has been rightly lauded, and with such a cast of singers and sound quality to match, I urge you to take advantage of a first-rate venture." -CLASSICWEB |
JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Symphony No 1 / Karelia Suite / Swan of Tuonela / Finlandia Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Alexander Gibson [ ALTO / CD - released 10/Nov/2012 ] "Gibson was a much under-recorded conductor, so this reissue of his tight-reined, yet sweepingly intense way with early Sibelius is especially welcome. The RPO responds to him in classy style." (BBC Music) |
DANIEL JONES
Symphony No.6 / Symphony No.9 / The Country Beyond the Stars Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra / Sir Charles Groves & Bryden Thomson [ Lyrita / CD - released 30/Aug/2008 ] "I have no doubt that there are those who will find this disc (or at the very least parts of it) nothing short of revelatory." (MusicWeb March 2004) |
SIBELIUS
Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Halle Orchestra / Sir John Barbirolli [ Testament / CD - released 1/May/2010 ] "Barbirolli's October 1962 account of the Second Symphony with the RPO… finds Sir John at his inspirational best in a reading which marries outsize but never wilful temperament to edge-of-seat spontaneity and keen poetic instinct." (Gramophone) |
DANIEL JONES
Symphonies Nos 4, 7 & 8 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Charles Groves / BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra / Bryden Thomson [ Lyrita / CD - released 12/Oct/2007 ] "A good introduction to a distinctive Welsh voice" (MusicWeb Sept 2007) |
BERLIOZ
Symphonie Fantastique / Le Carnaval Romain Overture Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Charles Mackerras [ Royal Philharmonic / SACD - released 10/Oct/2008 ] Digitally recorded in 1994 and now released on SACD sourround sound. |
TCHAIKOVSKY
Swan Lake & The Sleeping Beauty Suites Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Charles Mackerras [ Telarc Classics / CD - released 6/Dec/2004 ] "Mackerras brings every section to life with an appealing lilt and plenty of high spirits. The reproduction is superb." -Fanfare |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique / Overtures Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Charles Mackerras, Yuri Simonov / Alexander Gibson [overtures] [ ALTO / CD - released 1/Mar/2010 ] The incomparable Sir Charles Mackerras leads the Royal Philharmonic in a supercharged recording of Berlioz's most popular work. Also includes Berlioz's most popular short works conducted by Yuri Simonov and Alexander Gibson |
FREDERICK DELIUS
Delius: 11 Favourites Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham [ Alto / CD - released 20/Feb/2019 ] "Beecham's championship of the Bradford-born master yields a generous treasury, with some contrast (e.g. 'Sleigh Ride') to break the reveries. There may be silkier-sounding recordings, but none so characterful." BBC Music Four Stars |
HAYDN / MOZART / BEETHOVEN / BRAHMS / WAGNER / LISZT
Sir Thomas Beecham: BBC Recordings [1954, 1956 & 1959] Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham, with Alexander Young (tenor) [ ICA Classics / 4 CD Box Set - released 5/May/2018 ] This release has been sourced from the Richard Itter archive. The collection is very important for collectors because it has never been released before onto the market. Beecham caught 'live' often showed the mercurial side of his character and no... |
GILBERT and SULLIVAN
Gilbert & Sullivan: Overtures & Choruses [2 CD set] Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & various orchestras, Isidore Godfrey, Royston Nash, Sir Charles Mackerras, James Walker & Sir Malcolm Sargent [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 2 CD - released 1/Nov/2010 ] "This is a marvellous and well-presented double disc compilation consisting of all of Sullivan's overtures as well as popular choruses from a wide variety of the most well known operettas." (Bargain of the Month MusicWeb Feb 2011) |
DUKAS / SAINT-SAENS / ROSSINI-RESPIGHI
The Sorcerer`s Apprentice / Danse macabre, Op.40 / La Boutique fantasque Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Sir Alexander Gibson [ Chandos / CD - released 1/Sep/1990 ] Collect - the midprice Chandos label |
SIBELIUS
Lemminkainen Suite / Luonnotar / etc Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Sir Alexander Gibson [ Chandos / CD - released 1/Aug/1992 ] |
BERLIOZ
Overtures (Includes 'Le Carnaval Romain' & 'Le Corsaire') Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Sir Alexander Gibson [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 28/Apr/2002 ] "This is music-making with plenty of character, unflagging gusto, and a forthright sensibility" Fanfare |
HOLST
An Introduction to Holst (Incls 'The Planets' & 'Brook Green Suite') Royal Scottish National Orchestra / women's voices of the RSNO Chorus / Sir Alexander Gibson / Richard Hickox [ Chandos Intro / CD - released 1/Aug/2006 ] 'In every respect this latest Holst anthology from Chandos will be hard to beat. The recording is superb - very real indeed…' The Penguin Complete Guide |
EDVARD GREIG
Grieg: Peer Gynt / Symphonic Dance No.2 / In Autumn / etc. Ilse Hollweg (soprano) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham [ Warner Classics / CD - released 13/Feb/2012 ] "Beecham showed a very special feeling for this score and to hear (these excerpts) under his baton is a uniquely rewarding experience. Ilse Hollweg makes an excellent soloist." Rosette - Penguin Stereo Guide |
J. S. BACH
Cantatas Nos BWV140 & BWV147 Ruth Holton (soprano) Michael Chance (alto) Anthony Rolfe Johnson (tenor) / English Baroque Soloists / Sir John Elliot Gardiner [ DG Archiv / CD - released 21/Oct/2000 ] "The solo singing is by and large excellent. I very much enjoyed the unpretentious vocal quality of Ruth Holton" (Gramophone) |
JOSEF HAYDN
Die Schopfung (The Creation) [complete] Sally Matthews (soprano) Ian Bostridge (tenor) Dietrich Henschel (baritone) / London Symphony chorus & orchestra / Sir Colin Davis [ LSO Live SACD / 2 Hybrid SACD - released 1/Aug/2009 ] "What is offered here is an unapologetically opulent-sounding large-scale performance." Sunday Times, 21st June 2009 *** |