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ENRIQUE GRANADOS
Granados: María del Carmen (complete opera) Diana Veronese, Jesus Suaste, Larisa Kostyuk / Wexford Festival Opera Chorus, Belarussian National Philharmonic, Bragado-Darman [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 28/Sep/2016 ] María del Carmen was Enrique Granados' first great operatic success and the stage work he held in highest regard. It was received with great acclaim at its première in 1898, admired for its refined and brilliant orchestral writing and for its... |
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MODEST MUSSORGSKY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mussorgsky: Khovanshchina (complete opera recorded in 1978) Dimiter Petrov, Todor Kostov, Nicola Ghiuselev / Sofia National Opera Orchestra, Atanas Margaritov [ Brilliant Classics Opera Collection / 3 CD Box Set - released 11/Sep/2011 ] Khovanschina occupied the composer during 1872, as Boris was being 'adjusted' to suit the theatre authorities ahead of the premier. |
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
plays Shostakovich (Piano Concertos, Three Fantastic Dances, 5 Preludes and Fugues Op 87) (Recorded 1959) Dimitri Shostakovich (piano) / French National Radio Orchestra / Andre Cluytens [ EMI Great Recordings of the Century / CD - released 20/Dec/2003 ] Orchestral 1001 Classical Recordings you must hear before you die (1951-present) - |
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
An introduction to Shostakovich (Incls 'Piano Concerto No 2' & 'Symphony No 5') Dmitri Shostakovich Jnr (piano) / I Musici de Montreal / Scottish National Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi / Maxim Shostakovich [ Chandos Intro / CD - released 1/Aug/2006 ] 'Neeme Järvi's understanding of the bleak world inhabited by Shostakovich's symphonies continues to impress. Chandos's sound is superb as always.' American Recird Guide |
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MODEST MUSSORGSKY
Mussorgsky: Khovanshchina (complete opera recorded in 1969) Drago Starc, Dušan Popović, Miroslav Čangalović, Melanija Bugarinović / Belgrade National Opera Chorus, Kreshimir Baranovich [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 3 CD Box Set - released 20/Aug/2018 ] A first release on CD for the first recording in stereo (and entirely complete) of Mussorgsky's tragic chronicle of faith, rebellion and repression in 17th-century Russia. |
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GOUNOD / PUCCINI / STEIBELT / MASSENET / MOZART / ROSSINI / etc
Miroir(s): Opera Arias Elsa Dreisig (soprano), Orchestre National Montpellier Occitanie Pyrénées Méditerranée, Michael Schønwandt [ Erato Warner Classics / CD - released 20/Mar/2019 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION 2019 TOP THREE - Recital |
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ALWYN / BERKELEY / POULENC / DOVE
British Flute Concertos Emily Beynon (flute) / BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Bramwell Tovey [ Chandos / CD - released 10/Apr/2012 ] The Welsh flautist Emily Beynon plays a selection of British flute concertos, accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Bramwell Tovey. Beynon is the Principal Flute of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. Equally at home in... |
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ALEXANDRE DESPLAT
Airlines Emmanuel Pahud (flute) / Orchestre National de France, Florentino Calvo, Myriam Lafargue, Alexandre Desplat [ Warner Classics / CD - released 28/Aug/2020 ] "Desplat's ability to capture the heart of film stories is made clear, and they are stories he retells here with great flair and abundant musicality." BBC Music Five Stars. Screen Choice. Dec 2020 |
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BENJAMIN BRITTEN
The Rape of Lucretia (complete opera recorded in 2013) BLU-RAY English National Opera / Sarah Connolly, Christopher Maltman, Catherine Wyn-Rogers / Paul Daniel (conductor) [ Opus Arte Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 25/Nov/2013 ] "The main cast delivers a superlative response from start to finish, headed by baritone Christopher Maltman's bull-like Tarquinius and mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly's harrowingly intense Lucretia." BBC Music |
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ARTUE KAPP / ARTUR LEMBA / MIKEL LUDIG
Kapp / Lemba / Ludig: Orchestral Works Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi [ Chandos / CD - released 7/Feb/2020 ] "Anyone a little hesitant about straying outside the well-known should not be concerned with this release: it invites exploration." MusicWeb |
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SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Rachmaninov: All-Night Vigil, Op. 37, Vespers Eugen Antoni, tenor / Raisa Palmu, soprano / Erja Wimeri, contralto / Finnish National Opera Chorus / Eric-Olof Soderstrom, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 6/Dec/2004 ] Sergey Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was born into a wealthy estate-owner's family near Novgorod. His father squandered the family property, which had to be sold in 1880. The family moved to St Petersburg. |
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RICHARD STRAUSS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Strauss, (R.): Also Sprach Zarathustra / Don Juan / 2 songs Felicity Lott (soprano) / Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi [ Chandos / CD - released 14/Apr/1987 ] '..the skilled Chandos engineering ensures that the orchestral layout is very believable, heard within a natural perspective.' - The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs |
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SEBASTIAN FAGERLUND
Fagerlund: Höstsonaten (Autumn Sonata), an opera Finnish National Opera Chorus, Anne Sofie von Otter, Tommi Hakala, Helena Juntunen, Finnish National Opera Orchestra [ BIS / CD - released 28/Sep/2018 ] Sebastian Fagerlund has made a name for himself primarily through his concertos and orchestral works. As demonstrated on previous recordings, his music displays a huge range of colours and an uncommon rhythmic vitality, as well as a sure feel for... |
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W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Violin Concertos, Vol. 2 Francesca Dego (violin) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Roger Norrington [ Chandos / CD - released 14/Oct/2022 ] Following their critically acclaimed first volume of Mozart's violin concertos (CHAN 20234), Francesca Dego and Sir Roger Norrington complete the set, once again with outstanding support from a reduced Royal Scottish National Orchestra. |
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FRANCK / FAURE / d'INDY
French Music for Piano and Orchestra Francois-Joel Thiollier (piano) / Ireland National Symphony Orchestra / Antonio de Almeida (conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 26/Dec/2005 ] "Thiollier shows imagination and sensitivity in Fauré's lovely Ballade" - Penguin Guide |
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CHARLES VILLIERS STANFORD
Stanford: Songs of the Fleet / Songs of the Sea / A Ballad of the Fleet Gerald Finley (baritone) / BBC National Chorus of Wales / BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Richard Hickox [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/May/2006 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1901-1950) - GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE AWARD WINNER 2006: Choral Recording - "An out-and-out winner, with Finley on top form - heartily recommended!" (Recording of the Month Gramophone July 2006) |
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CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS
Saint-Saens: Orchestral Works [Incls 'Suite algerienne'] Guillermo Pastrana (cello) / Basque National Orchestra, Jun Märkl [ Naxos / CD - released 5/Mar/2017 ] "Guillermo Pastrana performs the cello solos with fine musicianship and Jun Märkl conducts with taste, avoiding any sort of bombast. The Basque National Orchestra plays beautifully for him and the sound is of a high calibre." MusicWeb |
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FRANZ LISZT
Liszt: Symphonic Poems, Vol. 1 [Incls 'Les Preludes'] Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Michael Halasz [ Naxos / CD - released 2/Feb/1992 ] "The recording is spacious, with full natural string-textures, but it is the resounding brass one remembers most." Four Stars Penguin Guide (Key recording) |
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GEIRR TVEITT
Tveitt: Piano Concerto No.4 / Variations on a Folksong from Hardanger for two pianos and orchestra Havard Gimse, Gunilla Sussmann (pianos) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra Bjarte Engeset, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 8/Dec/2002 ] "The performances, as with those on the coupling of the First and Fifth Concertos, are again superb. Marvellous" (Gramophone) |