VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Rediscovered: British Clarinet Concertos by Dolmetsch, Maconchy, Spain-Dunk, Wishart Peter Cigleris (clarinet), Deian Rowlands (harp) / BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Ben Palmer (conductor) [ Signum Classics / CD - released 26/Mar/2021 ] Peter Cigleris performs with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in a programme of four 'rediscovered' clarinet concertante works of the first half of the 20th Century. Composed between 1930 and 1947, the works span a time of change in the musical... |
MINKUS
Don Quixote (complete ballet recorded in 2010) Peter De Jong / Karel De Rooij / Anna Tsygankova / Matthew Golding / Dutch National Ballet / Holland Symfonia / Kevin Rhodes [ Arthaus Musik DVD / DVD - released 1/Jul/2011 ] Don Quichot - an audience favourite of prestigious companies worldwide - is a dazzling display of high spirits, virtuosity and Spanish temperament. The fl amboyant leaps, dizzying pirouettes and crisp pointe work that are standard features of the... |
MINKUS
Don Quixote (complete ballet recorded in 2010) BLU-RAY Peter De Jong / Karel De Rooij / Anna Tsygankova / Matthew Golding / Dutch National Ballet / Holland Symfonia / Kevin Rhodes [ Arthaus Musik Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Jul/2011 ] Don Quichot - an audience favourite of prestigious companies worldwide - is a dazzling display of high spirits, virtuosity and Spanish temperament. The fl amboyant leaps, dizzying pirouettes and crisp pointe work that are standard features of the... |
ARTHUR BLISS
Piano Concerto / Piano Sonata / Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra Peter Donohoe (piano) / Martin Roscoe (piano) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra / David Lloyd-Jones, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 27/Jan/2004 ] "Eager and polished performances that do Bliss absolutely proud." Editor's Choice - Gramophone Magazine (February 2004) |
JOHN GARDNER
Piano Concerto No. 1 / Symphony No. 1 / Midsummer Ale Overture Peter Donohoe (piano) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra / David Lloyd-Jones [ Naxos British Piano Concertos / CD - released 3/Oct/2007 ] This recording should help to re-establish [Gardner's] reputation with two relatively early works written in the post-war years, the Symphony No. 1, "a superbly crafted work... by a subtle and imaginative orchestrator" (Paul... |
JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Première Recordings (1932-34) The Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski, Finnish National Orchestra, Georg Schnéevoigt, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Serge Koussevitzky [ Naxos Historial Great Conductors / CD - released 16/Apr/2013 ] Three historically significant première recordings of Sibelius symphonies are brought together on this reissue for the first time. |
JERRY GOLDSMITH
Goldsmith Conducts Goldsmith: includes The Blue Max, Gremlins & Lionheart The Philharmonic Orchestra / National Philharmonic Orchestra / Jerry Goldsmith [ Silva Screen Records / CD - released 15/Dec/2007 ] "Goldsmith's music has seldom sounded better than in this stunning reissue, which unleashes the unrealised depth and power of the original recording in dazzling surround sound. Superior in both performances and sound to recent releases of Goldsmith's... |
TAKEMITSU
A String Around Autumn / I Hear the Water Dreaming / Riverrun Philip Dukes (viola) / BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Tadaaki Otaka [ BIS / CD - released 1/Sep/2002 ] Editor's Choice - Gramophone Magazine (Jan 2003) |
RICHARD RODNEY BENNET
Letters to Lindbergh Philip Moore & Andrew West (piano) National Youth Choir of Scotland Girls Choir, Christopher Bell [ Signum / CD - released 17/Mar/2013 ] "This debut recording by Christopher Bell's NYCoS National Girls Choir could so easily have been just another recording of Britten's A Ceremony of Carols, but for two things: the wholesome confidence of the choir itself … and the successful... |
CLIFFE / ERLANGER
Violin Concertos Philippe Graffin (violin) / BBC National Orchestra of Wales, David Lloyd-Jones [ Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto Vol 10 / CD - released 20/Feb/2011 ] "Graffin plays superbly, with all the fire and tenderness required, and with glorious tone. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is as attentive and sympathetic as one would expect with David Lloyd-Jones conducting, and the recording is well judged in... |
MICHAEL & LENNOX BERKELEY
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, Op. 30 / Concerto for Orchestra 'seascapes' Philippe Schartz (trumpet) Kathryn Stott, Howard Shelley (pianos) BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Richard Hickox [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 20/Apr/2007 ] "Kathryn Stott and Howard Shelley are the formidable exponents of this 'super-piano', while here in the Michael Berkeley pieces Richard Hickox inspires incisive playing from the members of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales." (BBC Music) |
BARKAUSKAS
Barkauskas-Jeux for violin and orchestra / Partita for violin solo / Two Monologues for viola solo / Duo Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra Phillipe Graffin, violin / Nobuko Imai, viola / Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra / Robertas Servenikas, conductor [ Avie / CD - released 24/Aug/2005 ] |
JACQUES OFFENBACH
Offenbach: Le voyage dans la lune (complete operetta) Violette Polchi, Sheva Tehoval, Matthieu Lécroart, Pierre Derhet / Chœur et Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie, Pierre Dumoussaud [ Bru Zane / 2 CD/Book - released 27/May/2022 ] "With Offenbach's opéra féerie - Le Voyage dans la Lune Bru Zane has come up trumps." MusicWeb |
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande Pierre Dumoussaud; Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine; Stanislas de Barbeyrac; Chiara Skerath; Alexandre Duhamel; Jérôme Varnier; Janina Baechle [ Alpha Classics / 2 CD - released 10/Sep/2021 ] "Alpha's recording may not be filled with star names but it reveals so much more about the work than before. It is particularly worth acquiring for those who wish to really get inside the orchestral details of this opera." MusicWeb Recommended |
BERLIOZ / BIZET / DONIZETTI / MASSENET / etc
The French Collection Piotr Beczala (tenor) / Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon, Alain Altinoglu [ Deutsche Grammophon / CD - released 26/Feb/2015 ] The remarkable Piotr Beczala has just won a prestigious ECHO Klassik award for "Singer of the Year" 2014 - and at the incredible gala event, he performed Massenet's "Pourquoi me réveiller", which will be on his brand new album. Now, this... |
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Adrian Leaper [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Jan/1992 ] "excellent playing from the Polish orchestra enhanced by vivid recording, fresh and clear with plenty of body" Penguin Guide |
KAROL SZYMANOWSKI
Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19 (with Lutoslawski - Livre pour orchestre) Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Liebreich [ Accentus Music / CD - released 20/May/2016 ] "Altogether a superb programme" Gramophone Editor's Choice April 2016 |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony No. 6 in A minor 'Tragic' Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Antoni Wit [ Naxos / 2 CD ] "The excellent quality of the Katowice Orchestra of Polish Radio is impressively demonstrated...it stands comparison with any rival" Penguin Guide |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony No. 5 Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Jan/1992 ] "Nobody could accuse this performance of lacking intensity." Gramophone |
TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony No. 6 'Pathetique' / Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32 Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra / Antoni Wit [ Naxos / CD - released 23/Jun/2010 ] |