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SAMUEL BARBER
Eternal Barber (Incls 'Adagio for Strings') Stephen Prutsman, Daniel Pollack (pianos) / Ormond College Choir / Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Oct/2008 ] Samuel Barber is widely known for his famous Adagio for Strings, the slow movement of a string quartet he wrote in 1936. Born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1910, he was one of the first students at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where he... |
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TARIK O'REGAN
Acallam na Senorach (Tales of the Elders) Stewart French (guitar) / National Chamber Choir of Ireland, Paul Hillier [ Harmonia Mundi SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 12/Dec/2011 ] "Led by Paul Hillier, the National Chamber Choir of Ireland negotiates dissonance and harmony with drama and nobility, never endangering the piece through pomposity - a delicate balance aided by the sparseness of the guitar." (The Independent) |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos 1 - 5 Stewart Goodyear (piano) / BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Andrew Constantine [ Orchid / 3 CD Box Set - released 20/Mar/2020 ] "Glorious, life-embracing performances, very well recorded; surely a high point of the composer's birthday year (or any other, for that matter)." MusicWeb Recommended May 2020 |
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CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS
Saint-Saens: Music for Wind Instruments Stéphane Lemelin (piano) / Canada's National Arts Centre Wind Quintet [ Naxos / CD - released 2/Mar/2011 ] "The unifying feature of this programme is the excellently judged piano playing of Stéphane Lemelin, who adds a discerning range of colour and spirit to the performances" Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice - March 2011 |
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RICHARD STRAUSS
Don Quixote / Romance for cello & orchestra in F major Alexander Rudin (cello) / Ireland National Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Markson [ naxos / CD - released 25/Apr/2010 ] "The Naxos sound, too, is commendable for its smooth reliability...comfortable listening...now that I think about it, that's quite a bargain itself!" - John Puccio Sensible Sound August/September 2001 |
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MENDELSSOHN
Paulus (St Paul) Op.36 Susan Gritton / Jean Rigby / Barry Banks / Peter Coleman-Wright / BBC National Chorus & Orchestra of Wales / Richard Hickox [ Chandos / 2 CD - released 1/May/2009 ] 'Another superb performance from Hickox, who gets a quartet of tremendous soloists and a first-rate orchestra and chorus… One of this year's musts.' (Cathedral Music) |
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RACHMANINOV
The Bells / Vocalise / Dances from 'Aleko' / Capriccio bohemien Suzanne Murphy (soprano) Keith Lewis (tenor) David Wilson-Johnson (baritone) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Philharmonia Orchestra Neeme Jarvi [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 12/Jul/2005 ] Rachmaninov, one of the twentieth-century's most enduringly popular composers, is represented here with acclaimed performances of some of his greatest compositions. |
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SCHUMANN / TCHAIKOVSKY
Piano Concertos Sviatoslav Richter (piano) Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra & Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Stanislav Wislocki & Herbert von Karajan [ ALTO / CD - released 17/Mar/2013 ] (Schumann): "lacks no style" (Tchaikovsky): "The element of struggle for which this work is famous is all too clear: these two musical giants did not always agree" (Penguin Guide) |
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SCHUMANN
Piano Concerto / Introduction and Allegro / Toccata / Waldszenen Sviatoslav Richter (piano) / Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra / Witold Rowicki [ Deutsche Grammophon Originals / CD - released 11/Jan/2008 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1801-1850) - "Sviatoslav Richter captures the essential intimacy of Schumann's concerto without neglecting its grander gestures. His reading of the first movemnet is among the most volatile on... |
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EMIL TABAKOV
Tabakov: Complete Symphonies, Volume 5 Symphony Orchestra of Bulgarian National Radio, Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra, Emil Tabakov [ Toccata / CD - released 5/Jun/2020 ] The music of the Bulgarian composer-conductor Emil Tabakov (b. 1947) explores the darker side of the human spirit in epic scores as austere as they are powerful. |
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EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Violin Concerto / Polonia / Crown of India: Interlude Tasmin Little (violin) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Nov/2010 ] "Little...finds an element of wit in the fast-moving figuration [of the finale], leading to a more tender treatment of the lyrical contrasting sections." Editor's Choice Gramophone Magazine Dec 2010 |
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TCHAIKOVSKY
Hamlet (incidental music) / Romeo and Juliet (original version) Tatiana Monogarova (soprano) Maxim Mikhailov (bass) / Russian National Orchestra / Vladimir Jurowski [ Pentatone SACD / SACD - released 26/Jan/2009 ] MARBECKS STAFF PICK: CD OF THE YEAR 2009 - "Two Shakspearean fantasy overtures - but, excitingly, not as we know them." - Gramophone Recording of the Month March 2009 |
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SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No. 9 Op.70 / The Adventures of Korzinkina / Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 35 / etc Tatiana Polyanskaya (piano) Vladimir Goncharov (trumpet) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 10/Aug/2007 ] 'This CD centres on the lighter side of Shostakovich - or, more accurately, his lighter sides, since the styles range from the pointed neo-Classical wit of the Ninth Symphony to the Keystone Kops mayhem of the First Piano Concerto to the more genial... |
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Thibaudet/Lyon National Orch/M
Debussy: Fantaisie For Piano & [ Naxos / CD - released 21/Nov/2011 ] |
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WILLIAM SHELLER / RICHARD GALLIANO / MICHEL COLOMBIER
3eme Souffle - works for trumpet and orchestra Thierry Caens (trumpet) / Orchestre National de Lyon / Michel Plasson (direction) / with Richard Galliano (accordion) [ ETCETERA / CD ] |
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JULES MASSENET
Massenet: Werther (complete opera recorded in 1931) Paul Milliet, Edouard Blau, Georges Hartmann / Paris National Opera Orchestra & Chorus, Elie Cohen [ Naxos Great Opera Recordings / 2 CD - released 6/Nov/2000 ] "This first recording of Werther is still the best. There have been many others in up-to-date stereo sound with starry international casts, but none so idiomatic, well conducted, and beautifully sung." ClassicsToday |
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SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Finlandia Thomas Søndergård, BBC National Orchestra of Wales [ Linn / CD - released 22/Jun/2018 ] Described as 'one of the great new Sibelian teams' (The Herald), Thomas Søndergård and BBC National Orchestra of Wales continue their shared fascination with the orchestral music of Sibelius. Released one month after BBC NOW celebrates its ninetieth... |
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JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Symphonies 2 & 7 Thomas Søndergård BBC National Orchestra of Wales [ Linn / CD - released 22/Jun/2018 ] Since Thomas Søndergård's opening concert with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, this partnership has cultivated a special relationship with the music of Sibelius, resulting in three recordings of the composer's music. In 2017 they performed... |
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JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Symphonies 2 & 7 BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thomas Søndergård [ Linn SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 20/May/2015 ] "The playing of BBC NOW, in line with its conductor's evident vision, is astonishing in its sophistication. Their flawless performance of the Seventh Symphony, if you love this music, will break your heart." The Herald (Glasgow), March 2015 |
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RICHARD STRAUSS
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Der Rosenkavalier Suite Thomas Søndergård, Royal Scottish National Orchestra [ Linn / CD - released 12/Apr/2019 ] This recording is the first in a new series with Thomas Søndergård and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. The programme features music by Richard Strauss: the concert suite from Der Rosenkavalier and Ein Heldenleben, a work they have performed... |