HOLST
An Introduction to Holst (Incls 'The Planets' & 'Brook Green Suite') Royal Scottish National Orchestra / women's voices of the RSNO Chorus / Sir Alexander Gibson / Richard Hickox [ Chandos Intro / CD - released 1/Aug/2006 ] 'In every respect this latest Holst anthology from Chandos will be hard to beat. The recording is superb - very real indeed…' The Penguin Complete Guide |
FREDERICO de FREITAS
The Silly Girl's Dance Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Álvaro Cassuto [ Naxos / CD - released 25/Feb/2014 ] "Cassuto and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra are obviously on the same wave-length and the orchestra clearly enjoys itself in these colourful, unpretentious but entertaining scores...I have already returned to this lovely disc of refreshingly e |
DUKAS
L'apprenti sorcier / La péri / Symphony in C Major RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Jean-Luc Tingaud [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Nov/2014 ] Paul Dukas is famed for his brilliant, meticulously scored symphonic scherzo The Sorcerer's Apprentice, first performed in 1897, which almost immediately entered the international repertoire. It was subsequently the focus of a ballet and later Walt... |
GEORGES BIZET
Bizet: Roma / Jeux d'enfants (Petite Suite) / etc RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Jean-Luc Tingaud [ Naxos / CD - released 1/May/2015 ] The success of Bizet's opera Carmen has overshadowed the rest of his output, but this fascinating orchestral programme, which includes a number of seldom performed works, reveals more of his talent for writing colourful, atmospheric and melodic... |
LUIS DE FREITAS BLANCO
Orchestral Works Volume 4 RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra / Álvaro Cassuto [ Naxos / CD - released 2/Mar/2011 ] This fourth volume in Naxos's critically acclaimed series of Portuguese composer Luís de Freitas Branco's orchestral music juxtaposes his magnificent Symphonic Poem in the form of variations on an Oriental Theme, Vathek, with Symphony No. 4. As his... |
HAVERGAL BRIAN
In Memoriam / Symphony No 17 / Symphony No 32 / etc RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra/Adrian Leaper [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Feb/2011 ] "The sound quality is outstanding, the playing is convincing and the programme is ultimately satisfying. (MusicWeb January 2011) |
LUIS DE FREITAS BRANCO
Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 - Symphony No. 1 / Scherzo Fantastique / Suite Alentejana No. 1 RTE National Symphony Orchestra / Alvaro Cassuto [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Sep/2011 ] Luís de Freitas Branco was a pre-eminent figure in Portuguese music of the first half of the twentieth century. This first disc of a four-volume series of Freitas Branco's orchestral works features the First Symphony, in which the influence of César... |
LUIS DE FREITAS BRANCO
Branco: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2 - Symphony No. 2 RTE National Symphony Orchestra / Alvaro Cassuto [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Oct/2011 ] "Cassuto, an expert in his native repertoire, conducts fine and nuanced readings of these works, while the Irish musicians are recorded cleanly…A top recommendation." (Fanfare) |
LUIS DE FREITAS BRANCO
Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 - Symphony No. 3 / The Death of Manfred / Suite alentejana No. 2 RTE National Symphony Orchestra / Alvaro Cassuto [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Jun/2010 ] "As with all of the releases in this series so far, Álvaro Cassuto conducts as persuasively as we have any right to expect, and Naxos' sonics are excellent. A very attractive and welcome release." 9/9 ClassicsToday.com |
JOHANN STRAUSS JR
Der Zigeunerbaron [The Gypsy Baron] (Complete Operetta) Rudolf Wasserlof, Zoran Todorovic, Martin Homrich / Chur de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Armin Jordan [ Astree Naive / 2 CD - released 20/Jul/2007 ] "As recordings of Zigeunerbaron have been remarkably sparse over the years, it is easy to welcome one that so warmly blends the frisson of live performance with the precision of carefully considered studio production. Not to be missed." Christopher... |
Russian National Orchestra
Symphony No.15, Hamlet Inciden [ Pentatone / SACD ] |
MUSSORGSKY
Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel) / Night on the Bare Mountain / Khovanshchina / etc Russian National Orchestra / Carlo Ponti [ Pentatone SACD / SACD - released 20/Nov/2008 ] Modest Mussorgsky owes his reputation to three compositions in particular: his opera Boris Godunov, his orchestral fantasy Night on the Bare Mountain and his descriptive collection of solo piano pieces entitled Pictures at an Exhibition. |
PROKOFIEV / KHACHATURIAN / SHOSTAKOVICH
Russian Ballet Suites: Prokofiev / Khachaturian / Shostakovich Russian National Orchestra conducted by Alexander Vedernikov [ Pentatone SACD / SACD - released 12/Apr/2005 ] All Pentatone SACDs are 5.1 stereo sound. Playable on all Compact Disc players |
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Orchestral Suites Russian National Orchestra / Mikhail Pletnev [ Pentatone SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 20/Jul/2010 ] "Pletnev and his virtuoso orchestra make a charming sound picture of the Dance of the Birds, woodwind all a-twitter, and leap with plenty of vigour into the single most popular item, the Dance of the Clowns, or Skomorokhi" Gramophone Magazine, Aug 2010 |
TCHAIKOVSKY
The Sleeping Beauty (The Complete Ballet) Russian National Orchestra / Mikhail Pletnev [ Deutsche Grammophon Duo / 2 CD - released 13/Oct/2011 ] "Hardly a minute passes without one's ear being enchanted by an affective gesture of the utmost precision, poise and sensitivity..." |
SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No. 11 Russian National Orchestra / Mikhail Pletnev [ Pentatone SACD / SACD - released 11/Mar/2006 ] “The Russian National Orchestra is in top form, with its brass department in resplendent form.” --Robert Benson, classicalcdreview.com |
SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No. 15 / Hamlet Op. 32 Russian National Orchestra / Mikhail Pletnev [ Pentatone SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Jun/2009 ] Nothing is as it seems here. And everything seems futile here. Can one say it any more briefly? Shostakovich's Symphony No. 15 remains a complete enigma for the observant listener. |
TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17 'Little Russian' Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev [ Pentatone SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 20/Apr/2013 ] "Here [Pletnev] presents not only the standard version, but also the first movement in its original form, which several of Tchaikovsky's colleagues thought far superior to the revised version...Pletnev's performance of this with the Russian National... |
TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony No. 3 / Coronation March Russian National Orchestra. Mikhail Pletnev [ Pentatone SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 20/Mar/2013 ] This is the penultimate release in the Tchaikovsky Symphonies cycle by the best Russian Orchestra conducted by its Music Director Mikhail Pletnev. The whole series has been critically acclaimed across the globe and this one will be eagerly awaited by... |
TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony No. 4, op. 36 / Romeo and Juliet Russian National Orchestra. Mikhail Pletnev [ Pentatone SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 20/Jun/2011 ] "[Pletnev] is without any quirks or deviations and leads the Russian National Orchestra in passionate and powerful performances, often with tempos quicker than the norm...and conjures compellingly direct accounts that are full-blooded, subtle and... |