RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO / PIETRO MASCAGNI
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci / Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana (recorded in 2019) BLU-RAY Dutch National Opera / Anita Rachvelishvili, Ailyn Pérez, Rihab Chaieb, Brian Jagde, Roman Burdenko, Elena Zilio / Lorenzo Viotti (cond) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 9/Apr/2021 ] "Anita Rachvelisvili is the undisputed star of Cav. She sings Santuzza as an unashamed mezzo, and her chest voice is thrilling in this music. Brian Jagde's Turridu is rakish and appealing, never a caricature villain, and he sings with electric energy |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: Tosca (complete opera recorded in 2022) BLU-RAY Dutch National Opera / Malin Byström, Joshua Guerrero, Gevorg Hakobyan / Lorenzo Viotti (cond) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 14/Apr/2023 ] "...this must be one of the bloodiest Toscas shown on stage, in a world where the characters' Christian faith is clearly a personal defence against the horror of the tyranny under which they live." Gramophone Editor's Choice July 2023 |
SAMUEL BARBER
Barber: Vanessa (complete opera) Ellen Chickering (soprano) / Andrea Matthews (soprano) / Marion Dry (contralto) / Ray Bauwens, tenor / Ukranian National Capella Dumka / Gil Rose [ Naxos American Opera Classics / 2 CD - released 1/Jan/2007 ] "...the all-American cast of a recent Boston revival is vocally more than adequate and dramatically convincing, while the conductor of that revival draws full-blooded playing from the excellent Ukranian orchestra...this set is a valuable account of... |
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 |
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... |
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 |
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 |
HENRI SAUGUET / JULES MASSENET / JACQUES IBERT
French Music For Ballet Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi [ Chandos / CD - released 10/Mar/2019 ] In this fascinating recording the legendary Neeme Järvi explores two lesser-known French ballets by Sauguet and Ibert, complemented by the Ballet Suite from Massenet's opera HérodiadeLes Forains. Sauget's wide-ranging influences, notably the... |
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 |
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. |
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 |
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... |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Violin Concertos 3 & 4 Francesa Dego (violin), Francesca Leonardi (piano), Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Roger Norrington (conductor) [ Chandos / CD - released 21/Sep/2021 ] "These performances capture the very essence of Mozart's Salzburg style best, setting up, meticulously matching and weaving in and out of the solo line with captivating suppleness and alertness." Five Stars BBC Music Recording of the Month Nov 21 |
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. |
GRIEG / BARBER / MORRICONE / DVORAK / PROKOFIEV / etc
Gautier Capuçon: Sensations Gautier Capuçon (cello) Jerome Ducros (piano) / Orchestre national de Bretagne, Johanna Malangré [ Erato Classics / CD - released 18/Nov/2022 ] The follow-up to Intuition (2018) and Emotions (2020), Sensations is a collection of 20 peices from cellist extraordinaire Gautier Capuçon, working alongside regular arranger and pianist Jerome Ducros. Remarkably, Capuçon sounds every bit as... |
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) |
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 |
JOSE SEREBRIER
José Serebrier - Composer & Conductor Sharon Bezaly, Alexandre Kantorow, Australian Chamber Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra José Serebrier, Richard Tognetti (conductors) [ BIS SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 31/Jan/2020 ] "Substantial concertos and stunning musicianship" MusicWeb Feb 2020 |
ENNIO MORRICONE / BERNARD HERRMANN / SONNY BONO / NINO ROTO
The Morricone Duel - The most dangerous concert ever [Recorded live in Copenhagen, 2018] BLU-RAY Hans Ulrik (saxophone) Tuva Semmingsen (mezzo) Christine Nonbo Andersen (soprano) / Danish National Symphony, Sarah Hicks [ EuroArts Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 9/Nov/2018 ] The Wild West meets the soulful sound of Italy. Fearless New York gangsters meet cowboys from the dusty prairie. Godfather meets Taxi Driver. And the magic of cinema meets the rich sound of a first-class symphony orchestra. This exclusive live... |