VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Holiday Classics: 5 CDs with a distinct holiday flavour National Philharmonic, Richard Bonynge / Montreal Symphony, Charles Dutoit / Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel / Detroit Symphony, Antal Dorati, etc [ Decca / 5 CD Box Set - released 25/Nov/2009 ] A specially priced five CD set featuring a talent of top Decca recording artists like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Julius Katchen, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Dame Joan Sutherland, Willi Boskovsky, Pascal Roge and the Academy of St Martins in the Fields. |
FRANK BRIDGE
Orchestral Works, Volume 3 (Includes Sir Roger de Coverley: A Christmas Dance ) Howard Shelley (piano) / BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Richard Hickox [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 18/Nov/2004 ] 'The performances exhibit commitment and a strong sense of familiarirty with all these works. Hickox is thoroughly persuasive at all times, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales delivers the goods with deserved confidence... Full marks for this... |
PETER DICKINSON
Three Concertos / Merseyside Echoes Howard Shelley (piano) Chloe Hanslip (violin) Jennifer Bate (organ) / BBC Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales [ Heritage / CD - released 20/Aug/2015 ] Heritage presents a brand new recording of a British violin concerto. Chloe Hanslip gives the world premiere recording of Peter Dickinson's Violin Concerto, accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conducted by Clark Rundell. This... |
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) |
DELIUS
Piano Concerto / Paris / Brigg Fair / etc Howard Shelley (piano) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis [ Chandos / Hybrid SACD - released 15/Oct/2012 ] "Sonics are excellent for a standard CD." (AudAud.com) |
MASSENET / AUBER / BALFE / DONIZETTI / MAILLART / BIZET / etc
Richard Bonynge - Undiscovered Recordings (Incls Massenet's Cigale Ballet) Huguette Tourangeau (mezzo) Renata Tebaldi (soprano) / English Chamber. National Philharmonic / L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande / Richard Bonynge. [ ABC Classics / 4 CD - released 6/Nov/2004 ] If every conductor's dream is to record his favourite music, then surely Richard Bonynge's dream came true. His forty years of recordings have left a rich legacy, full of rare and interesting repertoire, his artistic credi stamped on every one of them. |
BARTOK
Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra / Dance Suite / Hungarian Peasant Songs Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra / Zoltan Kocsis [ Hungaroton SACD / SACD - released 20/Apr/2005 ] SADC Surround Sound Requires multi-chanel SADC & compatible surround sound system SADC Stereo requires SACD player. CD Audio can be played on standard CD players |
GRIEG
Piano Concerto / Symphonic Dances / In Autumn Havard Gimse (piano) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Bjarte Engeset, conductor, [ Naxos SACD / SACD - released 7/Jul/2004 ] "Sweep away the glitz that usually surrounds the Grieg concerto, and you have this gorgeous performance from the young Norwegian pianist, Havard Gimse…Delicacy and superb technique” – Yorkshire Post |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 / Introduction and Concert Allegro in D minor, Op. 134 Idil Biret (piano) / Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice); Antoni Wit, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 17/Jul/2003 ] "I have spent hours going through at least ten of my favorite recordings of this concerto, and this one with Idil Biret ranks right up there with the top five" Listener |
OSVALDAS BALAKAUSKAS
Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 Igor Kramarev (trumpet) / Romualdas Staskus (oboe) / Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra / Juozas Domarkas (conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 25/Nov/2005 ] "The playing of the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra is first class, having no doubt played the music more than once. I suspect that the composer has had a say in the matter of interpretation. Sonically the issue can't be faulted and with... |
TEIZO MATSUMURA
Matsumura: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 Ikuyo Kamiya (piano) / RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra / Takuo Yuasa [ Naxos Japanese Classics / CD - released 26/Oct/2011 ] |
MICHAEL JARNEFELT
Jarrell: Orchestral Works Ilya Gringolts (violin), Florent Jodelet (percussion), Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Pascal Rophé [ BIS SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Dec/2023 ] "The excellent Pays de la Loire Orchestra, who accompany the two concertos in exemplary fashion, take centre stage in the album's centrepiece, the Sechs Augenblicke...A very strong recording." Gramophone Editor's Choice Jan 2024 |
BRAHMS / SCHUMANN
Double Concerto / Cello Concerto in A Minor Ilya Kaler (violin) Maria Kliegel (cello) / Ireland National Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Constantine (conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 26/Dec/2005 ] "There are not many versions of the Brahms more warmly appealing than this" - Gramophone |
KAROL SZYMANOWSKI
Szymanowski: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Nocturne and Tarantella Ilya Kaler (violin) / Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra / Antoni Wit [ Naxos / CD - released 15/May/2007 ] "Magic on a budget: Szymanowski's fantasy world is beautifully caught" Editor's Choice Gramophone July 2007 |
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Shostakovich: Violin Concertos Nos 1 & 2 Ilya Kaler (violin) / Polish National Radio Symphony orchestra, Antoni Wit [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Jul/2019 ] "An important recording of landmarks of this century's violin literature. Highest commendation" Fanfare |
BRAHMS
Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 (German Requiem) Inger Dam-Jensen (soprano) Bo Skovhus (baritone) / Danish National Choir/DR / Danish National Symphony Orchestra/DR / Gerd Albrecht [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 2/Jun/2003 ] 'What sets this performance apart from most others are the comparative lightness of its orchestral and choral sonority, transparency of its texture and utter avoidance of stodgy sentimentality… In short this is a warmly recommended release' -... |
GERSHWIN / BERNSTEIN
Concerto in F / The Age of Anxiety Ingrid Jacoby (piano) / Russian National Orchestra / Dmitri Liss [ Ondine / CD - released 12/Oct/2010 ] This CD features two masterpieces of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein, two of the most widely acclaimed American composers of the 20th century. |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 / Prince Rostislav Ireland National Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Maksymiuk [ Naxos / CD ] "This is by any standards a notable achievement." CD Review |
MOROI
Symphony No. 3, Op. 25 / Sinfonietta, Op. 24 / Two Symphonic Movements, Op. 22 Ireland National Symphony Orchestra / Takuo Yuasa, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 19/Sep/2005 ] Saburo Moroi was a pioneer in Japan in the development of abstract music. |
HAVERGAL BRIAN
Symphonies Nos. 11 & 15 Ireland RTE National Symphony Orchestra, Tony Rowe & Adrian Leaper [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Aug/2010 ] Havergal Brian was never a conventional composer, but the three later works on this disc rank among his most unconventional approaches to the symphonic form. |