BERG
7 Early Songs / Altenberg Lieder and other songs Jessye Norman (soprano) / London Symphony Orchestra / Pierre Boulez [ Sony Classical / CD - released 1/Dec/1995 ] |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E flat major 'Symphony of the Thousand' (recorded live in 1991) Júlia Várady, Jane Eaglen, Trudeliese Schmidt, Jadwiga Rappé, Kenneth Riegel, Hans Sotin / London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt [ LPO Live / 2 CD - released 22/Jun/2011 ] "...Tennstedt is overwhelming. Try topping the orchestral peroration, offstage trumpets stretching the "Veni, Creator Spiritus" motif from the interval of a fifth beyond the octave to a heaven-storming ninth." Gramophone Top Ten Mahler Symphonies |
ELGAR
Symphonies 1 & 2 London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult [ Lyrita / 2 CD - released 21/Jun/2007 ] Elgar's two symphonies have a special place in English musical history. When they were first played they towered head and shoulders - in sheer technique, let alone content - above previous symphonic offerings by British composers. Today when we have... |
WEBER / VERDI / ROSSINI / LEONCAVALLO / MEYERBEER / BALFE / etc
Joan Sutherland: Command Performance Joan Sutherland (soprano) / London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Bonynge [ Decca Eloquence / 2 CD - released 5/Aug/2015 ] The first complete issue (outside of a limited edition box set collection) of a celebrated 2LP set recorded by Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge in 1962. The songs, arias and ballads were selected to make up the kind of program which, as... |
VINCENZO BELLINI
Bellini: I Puritani (complete opera) Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Piero Cappuccilli, Nicolai Ghiaurov / Royal Opera House Covent Garden / London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Bonyng [ Decca / 3 CD - released 10/Aug/2006 ] 1001 Classical recordings to hear before you die (1801-1850) -- Building a Library First Choice - January 2005 |
ROSSINI
Semiramide (complete opera) Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, John Serge, Joseph Rouleau / London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Bonynge [ Decca Classic Opera / 3 CD - released 1/Oct/2006 ] Joan Sutherland reigns supreme as the Queen Of Babylon in this definitive recording of Rossini's great bel canto showpiece. |
HANDEL
Acis and Galatea (opera recorded in 1959) Joan Sutherland / Peter Pears / Owen Brannigan / Philomusica of London / Sir Adrian Boult [ Chandos / CD - released 1/Nov/2007 ] Originally released on LP by Decca in 1960, this vintage recording, representing a rare collaboration of Peter Pears and Joan Sutherland, has been out of the catalogue for many years and is sure to make a renewed impact in all its remastered glory. |
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
Britten: Piano Concerto / Johnson Over Jordan Suite Joanna MacGregor, piano / English Chamber Orchestra / London Symphony Orchestra / Steuart Bedford, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 29/May/2005 ] "This is probably the finest version of the Britten Piano Concerto available, notwithstanding Britten's own justly revered rendition with Sviatoslav Richter on Decca" |
JOHN RUTTER
Mass for the Children and other sacred works by John Rutter Joanne Lunn (soprano) Roderick Williams (baritone) Cantate Youth Choir, The Cambridge Singers / City of London Sinfonia directed by John Rutter [ Collegium / CD - released 20/Nov/2003 ] John Rutter's Mass of the Children, for adult and children's choir with orchestra, is premiered here with a recital of eight of his recent anthems. |
BRAHMS
Piano Concerto No 2 / Three Intermezzi Op 117 (concert recorded in 2009) [with documentary] Joaquin Achucarro (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra / Colin Davis [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 1/Jun/2010 ] "Achúcarro's approach is unorthodox in today's stick-to-theletter-of-the-score, mechanically perfect musical world. His rubati seem excessive to some; to others, like a throwback to a Golden Age." Washington Post |
MICHAEL HURD
Pop Cantatas John Addison (narrator) / Alexander Wells (piano) / Members of the New London Orchestra / New London Children’s Choir / Ronald Corp [ Naxos / CD - released 4/May/2011 ] "The works on this Naxos disc are lightly jazzy and must have turned generations of children on to concert music. They make confident and fearless communion with West End show-time, dance-band drum-kit and light Radio 2 style middle-of-the-road... |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
An Olde English Christmas (Incls 'Hark, the Herald Angels Sing' & 'We Three Kings of Orient Are') John Alldis Choir / London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis [ Decca / CD - released 9/Nov/2007 ] "The ideal Christmas collection of 18 popular carols. Originally released by Decca in 1980, An Olde English Christmas presents 18 Christmas carols in opulent arrangements that should appeal to anyone who enjoys a "light classics" approach to the season." |
JOHN IRELAND
These Things Shall Be / Piano Concerto / Overture: Satyricon / etc John Carol Case (baritone) Eric Parkin (piano) / London Philharmonic Choir & Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult (conductor) [ Lyrita / CD - released 1/Jun/2007 ] "The 1970s origins of many of Lyrita’s too long delayed CD revivals need hold no fears for any purchaser. The forty plus year old sound remains an object lesson taught by the analogue tradition to the digital era. Not the essential Ireland apart from... |
ERNEST JOHN MOERAN
Moeran: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra / Rhapsody in F sharp for Piano and Orchestra / Rhapsody No. 2 John Georgiadis (violin) John McCabe (piano) / London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult / London Symphony Orchestra, Vernon Handley [ Lyrita / CD - released 1/Jun/2007 ] "A fine coupling including some classic Moeran in enduringly rewarding performances and recordings." (MusicWeb June 2007) |
MONTEVERDI
Monteverdi - L'Orfeo (Complete opera) John Mark Ainsley - Catherine Bott - Andrew King - Tessa Bonner - Julia Gooding. New London Consort. Philip Pickett [ Decca Critics' Choice / 3 CD - released 25/Jul/2005 ] 'A wonderfully vital account ... Pickett directs with great flair.' (Gramophone) |
BRITTEN
Billy Budd (complete opera recorded in 2010) John Mark Ainsley / Jacques Imbrailo / Phillip Ens / Glyndebourne Chorus / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Mark Elder [ Opus Arte DVD / 2 DVD - released 8/Aug/2011 ] "[Elder paces] the developing tragedy with airily lyrical detail and brooding, ominous power. John Mark Ainsley' s plangent, dark-toned tenor and intense diction show us a more neurotic Vere than usual, ridden with doubts and anxieties" (The Times) |
BEETHOVEN
Piano Concerto Nos 1, 3 & 4 John O'Conor (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra / Andreas Delfs [ Telarc / 2 CD - released 1/Apr/2009 ] '… in an overcrowded Beethoven concerto market these distinctive and excellently engineered performances are well worth hearing…….Beethoven's Second and Fifth concertos make for an uncommon yet attractively contrasted CD coupling. More importantly,... |
BEETHOVEN
Piano Concerto Nos 2 & 5 Emperor John O'Conor (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra / Andreas Delfs [ Telarc / CD - released 28/Sep/2007 ] John O'Conor returns to Telarc with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op.19 and No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, "Emperor" under the baton of Andreas Delfs and the London Symphony Orchestra. |
CYRIL SCOTT
Piano Concerto Nos. 1 & 2 / Early One Morning John Ogdon (piano) / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Bernard Herrmann (conductor) [ Lyrita / CD - released 1/Apr/2007 ] "A generously timed disc presenting Scott’s subtly beguiling piano concertos with the first being the more instantly captivating of the two. Superbly done" (MusicWeb February 2007) |
GIACOMO MEYERBEER
Meyerbeer: Le Prophète John Osborn, Elizabeth DeShong Mané Galoyan, Edwin Crossley-Mercer / London Symphony Orchestra, Lyon Opera Chorus, Sir Mark Elder [ LSO Live SACD / 3 Hybrid SACD - released 28/Jun/2024 ] Recorded live in concert at Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in 2023, this album sees the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor Sir Mark Elder join forces with Lyon Opera Chorus, Maîtrise des Bouches-du-Rhône, the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra, and an... |