ERIC COATES
The Merrymakers Overture / Summer Days Suite / From Meadow to Mayfair Suite / The Three Elizabeths Suite / The Three Bears Phantasy / etc New Philharmonia Orchestra / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult (conductor) [ Lyrita / CD - released 1/Apr/2007 ] “This is one of those albums for when one is depressed. It cannot help but lift the spirits and bring a smile to the face. What made Boult’s conducting so convincing in lighter English music is that he was affectionate but not sentimental. He always... |
MUSSORGSKY / STRAVINSKY
Mackerras conducts Mussorgsky & Stravinsky New Philharmonia Orchestra & London Symphony Orchestra, Charles Mackerras [ Alto / CD - released 25/Mar/2015 ] "Mackerras brings the same degree of visceral excitement and aural fantasy to these Russian orchestral showpieces as in his Janacek interpretations. The LSO's playing is superbly incisive" (Five Stars BBC Music) |
50 BEST BALLET
50 Best Ballet (music from Swan Lake, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Nutcracker, etc) New Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, etc [ EMI Classics / 3 CD Box Set - released 28/Mar/2011 ] This 3 CD set contains an unrivalled collection of 50 favourite Ballet Classics, performed by some of the world's leading artists. Includes excerpts from 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Swan Lake', 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Coppelia' & 'Spartacus'. |
SZYMANOWSKI / SAINT-SAENS / CHAUSSON / MASSENET / BRAHMS / JOHN TAVENER
Violin Works Nicola Benedetti, violin, London Symphony Orchestra. Daniel Harding [ Deutsche Grammophon / CD - released 25/Sep/2005 ] Editor's Choice Gramophone Magazine June 2005 "Technically superb, this brilliant debut shows a fine artist in the making" |
ELLIOTT CARTER
Dialogues / Boston Concerto / Cello Concerto / ASKO Concerto Nicolas Hodges (piano) Fred Sherry (cello) / London Sinfonietta / BBC Symphony / Oliver Knussen [ Bridge Records / CD - released 1/Apr/2010 ] London Sinfonietta & BBC Symphony Orchestra, Oliver Knussen |
THOMAS ADES / COLON NANCARROW
In Seven Days / Studies Nos 6 & 7 (with bonus DVD) Nicolas Hodges (piano) / London Sinfonietta, Thomas Ades [ Signum CD/DVD / 2 CD/DVD - released 1/Jan/2012 ] "Evocative without being merely descriptive, In Seven Days is a highly cohesive work that understatedly fulfils its intention. The piano-writing is expertly integrated into the ensemble, Nicolas Hodges amply exploiting the judicious range of timbral... |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Soprano (Aria Recital) Nicole Cabell (soprano) / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Andrew Davis [ Decca / CD - released 12/Mar/2007 ] "For pure singing she is full-fledged already. Indeed it is a remarkable voice and I am already longing to hear more from her – why not a complete opera?" (Recording of the Month MusicWeb April 2007) |
EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Violin Concerto / Introduction and Allegro for strings (Rec 1983 & 1984) Nigel Kennedy (violin) / London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Dec/2017 ] "Kennedy's first recording of the Elgar Concerto is aflame with a young man's passionate inspiration, though never lacking subtler nuance, while Handley simply breathed Elgar like no-one else." BBC Music |
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos 1, 4 & 5 Nikolai Demidenko (piano) / The London Philharmonic Orchestra / Alexander Lazarev [ Hyperion / CD - released 23/Sep/2007 ] 'Dazzlingly virtuosic accounts of the youthful D flat, the left hand and the brilliant G major. Outstanding accompaniments ... put these performances in the class of the celebrated Ashkenazy/Previn set.' (The Sunday Times) |
PROKOFIEV
Piano Concertos Nos 2 & 3 Nikolai Demidenko (piano) / The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexander Lazarev [ Hyperion Helios / CD - released 10/Mar/2015 ] 'Demidenko is breathtaking in his virtuosity. The orchestra is with him all the way and so is the Hyperion production team who have, as usual, created the perfect sonic setting' (BBC Music Magazine) |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos / Piano Works / Symphonies / Orchestral Works Nikolai Lugansky (piano) Alexander Kniazev (cello) / City of Birmingham Symphony, Sakari Oramo / London Symphony, Andre Previn [ Warner Classics / 8 CD Box Set - released 1/Mar/2017 ] "…a glorious example of Russian romantic virtuosity" Gramophone |
MICHAEL TIPPETT
King Priam (complete opera) Norman Bailey, Heather Harper, Thomas Allen / London Sinfonietta, David Atherton [ Chandos Classics / 2 CD Box Set - released 20/Sep/2012 ] |
Ogdon/Ceccato/London S.O
Mendelssohn/Ireland/Scott [ Testament / CD - released 18/Nov/2002 ] |
CYRIL SCOTT
Scott: Piano Concertos 1 & 2 John Ogden, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Herrmann [ Lyrita / CD - released 8/Jan/2007 ] |
OLA GJEILO
Ola Gjeilo: Voices - Piano - Strings Ola Gjeilo (piano) Thomas Gould (violin) Ciaran McCabe (violin) Jon Thorne (viola) Matthew Sharp (cello) / Voces 8 / Chamber Orchestra of London [ Decca / CD - released 15/May/2016 ] A rising composer's debut release on a major label, Gjeilo's album on Decca is an important release of heavenly, bewitching, eternal new choral music for our time. Ethereal yet tangible, this is music with wide appeal; music of purity and beauty;... |
STRAVINSKY
The Rite of Spring / The Nightingale Olga Trifonova (soprano) / Robert Tear (tenor) / Paul Whelan (bass-baritone) / London Symphony Orchestra / Philharmonia Orchestra / Robert Craft [ Naxos Stravinsky Edition Vol 3 / CD - released 9/Nov/2005 ] “Composing The Rite, I had only my ear to help me. I heard and I wrote what I heard.” — Igor Stravinsky |
ALEXANDER GOEHR
Goehr: Marching to Carcassonne Oliver Knussen / BBC Symphony Orchestra / Peter Serkin (piano), London Sinfonietta [ NAXOS / CD - released 13/Feb/2013 ] Alexander Goehr is a central fi gure of the post-war Manchester School of composers with Birtwistle and Maxwell Davies. His work is recognized today for its assimilation of intellectual rigour with transparent expressiveness and richly haunting... |
JULIAN SLADE
The Boyfriend / Salad Days Orginal London Casts 1954 [ Naxos Nostalgia Musicals / CD - released 30/Jul/2013 ] "Sandy Wilson's pastiche of a 1920s musical comedy and Julian Slade's whimsical fantasy of student life were both huge hits in the 1950s. Their charm and period flavour are recalled on these original cast recordings." (BBC Music) |
Original 1976 London Studio Cast
Evita: An Opera Based on the Life Story of Eva Peron [20th Anniversary Edition] (2CD) [ MCA Records / 2 CD Box Set - released 5/Jul/2015 ] This is the 25th Anniversary Edition double disc set of 'Evita', and features Tony Christie, Paul Jones, Julie Covington, etc. |
ROGERS and HAMMERSTEIN
The King And I (recorded 1951 & 1954) Original Broadway Cast / Original London Cast (Yul Brynner, Valerie Hobson, Robert Merrill, Gertrude Lawrence, Herbert Lom & others [ Naxos Nostalgia Musicals / CD - released 11/May/2006 ] This disc also features selections from an RCA 'cover' recording made with popular vocalists of the period, released before the show opened on Broadway and features an Overture that was put together expressly for the purpose. |