NICOLO PAGANINI
Paganini: Violin Concerto Nos. 3 & 4 Erno Rozsa (violin) / Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Michael Dittrich [ Naxos / CD - released 4/Dec/2000 ] "Packed with risk-taking solo playing and complemented by good, detailed sound, this release makes for an unmissable addition to anyone's basic violin library." - Classics Today |
GEORGE ROCHBERG
Rochberg: Symphony No 1 Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Lyndon-Gee [ Naxos American Classics / CD - released 21/Oct/2007 ] MusicWeb - Recording of the Year 2008 |
HENRY PURCELL
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Purcell: Sonatas in Three & Four Parts Slovak Radio Quartet [ Discover / CD - released 10/Feb/2013 ] Current selling for $66 on Amazon (US) |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 Idil Biret (piano) Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice); Antoni Wit [ Naxos / CD ] "In sum, this beautifully engineered disc tells much about these oft-recorded works we think we know better than we actually do." ClassicsToday |
XAVER SCHARWENKA
Scharwenka: Piano Concertos Nos 2 & 3 Seta Tanyel (piano) / Radio Philharmonie Hannover des NDR, Tadeusz Strugala conductor [ Hyperion Romantic Piano Concertos Vol 33 / CD - released 21/Jul/2003 ] 'Seta Tanyel's outstanding performances are suffused with the very epitome of the romantic soul' (American Record Guide) |
JOHANN STRAUSS
Strauss, (J): Der Zigeunerbaron [The Gipsy Baron] (complete operetta filmed in 1975) Siegfried Jerusalem, Ellen Shade, Ivan Rebroff, Martha Modl / Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart / Kurt Eichhorn [ Universal Classics / Deutsche Grammophon DVD / DVD - released 7/Apr/2008 ] "Beautifully filmed on location in Hungary with a fine cast of singers, this production is a delight." (MusicWeb August 2008) |
ANTONIN DVORAK
Dvorak: Svatební Kosile, Op. 69 [The Spectre's Bride] Simona Šaturová (soprano), Pavol Breslik (tenor) & Adam Plachetka (bass-baritone) / Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Cornelius Meister [ Capriccio / CD - released 20/Mar/2017 ] "[Meister] tends to emphasise the lyrical aspects of Dvořák's score. But there are shapely solo contributions from the ORF orchestra, and certainly some very fine expressive singing from soprano Simona Šaturová as the girl and tenor Pavol Breslik as |
BERG / R. STRAUSS / DUPARC / POULENC
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Sine Bundgaard - Songs with Orchestra Sine Bundgaard (soprano) / Danish Radio Sinfonietta, Matthias Pintscher [ EMI Classics / CD - released 15/Apr/2005 ] Sine Bundgaard is one of her generations leading scandinavias sopranos. She has an ongoing international carreer in leading european operahouses and is especially in demand as an excellent Mozart-singer. |
ZOLTAN KODALY / BELA BARTOK / LEO WEINER
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Sir Georg Solti - The Last Recording (Limited Edition Souvenir Booklet) Sir Georg Solti, conducting the Budapest Festival Orchestra & Choir of Hungarian Radio & TV [ Decca / CD - released 20/Oct/1998 ] This disc was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Awards for "Best Classical Album" and "Best Choral Performance." A portion of the proceeds from sales of this disc will be given to the Solti Foundation.. |
ROBERT FARNON
Farnon: The Westminster Waltz / Colditz March / State Occasion / Jumping Bean Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Adrian Leaper [ Naxos / CD - released 8/Jul/2022 ] Frank Sinatra dubbed Robert Farnon 'The Guv'nor' in 1962 when the two men first came together in London to work on an album. This summed up Farnon's reputation as being synonymous with the highest standards of craftsmanship across the widest spectrum... |
JOSEF FOERSTER
Foerster: Symphony No. 4 / Festival Overture / My Youth Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lance Friedel (Conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 12/Apr/2006 ] Josef Bohuslav Foerster was born in Prague in 1859. He studied at the Prague Organ School, and upon graduation he was appointed organist at St Vojtĕch Church, taking over the post from no less a figure than Antonín Dvořák. In these years Foerster... |
ANTON RUBINSTEIN
Rubinstein: Symphony No. 3 / Eroica Fantasia Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Robert Stankovsky [ Naxos / CD - released 30/Apr/2006 ] The Symphony No. 3 in A major Op. 56 (1855) makes a useful introduction to Anton Rubinstein's complete set of six. It's less inflated and rhetorical than its siblings, having a directness to its thematic material that's immediately appealing. |
ERKKI MELARTIN
Melartin: Traumgesicht, Marjatta & The Blue Pearl Soile Isokoski (soprano) / Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu [ Ondine / CD - released 8/Jul/2016 ] "[Traumgesicht] gets a darkly glowing performance here…[Marjatta is] gloriously sung by soprano Soile Isokoski. It may not be as gripping in its sweep as Sibelius's work, but it is beautifully evocative." the Guardian |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: The Piano Concertos Stephen Hough (piano), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Hannu Lintu [ Hyperion / 3 CD - released 1/May/2020 ] "The performances have been captured in lovely clean and clear sound with just the right amount of hall ambience. The balance between the Bösendorfer piano and the orchestra is excellent as, indeed, is the internal orchestral balance." MusicWeb |
TCHAIKOSVKY / BORODIN / DARGOMYZHSKY / GLAZUNOV / LIADOV / PROKOFIEV / SHOSTAKOVICH / etc
Sviatoslav Richter plays Russian Composers (recorded 1945-1963) Sviatoslav Richter (piano) with Nina Dorliak (soprano) / Brno Radio Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Leningrad Philharmonic, Moscow Youth Symph [ Hanssler Profil / 13 CD Box Set - released 3/Sep/2021 ] "Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter was born on March 20, 1915 (Julian: March 7) in Zhitomir in present-day Ukraine. His father Teofil (Theophilus) came from a German commercial family. The famous Russian piano teacher Heinrich Neuhaus (of German origin)... |
BRAHMS
Mass & Motets Swedish Radio Choir, Peter Dijkstra [ Channel Classics SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 15/Dec/2014 ] This programme features highlights of German Romanticism and one of the most familiar and frequently performed composers: Johannes Brahms. More particularly, Brahms's choral music 'in all its pureness', the genre that made him so well-known and... |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony no.5 Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, cond. Daniel Harding [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 11/Jan/2019 ] "In a market where modern rivals sound pedestrian or perfumed with finesse by comparison, this Fifth raises high hopes for what the graphic cover artwork implies may become a complete cycle." Gramophone |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony No. 9 Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 9/Feb/2019 ] "An impressive achievement...utterly coherent and never overwrought" The Guardian |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: Romeo et Juliette Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra & Swedish Radio Choir [ Linn / 2 CD - released 14/Oct/2016 ] Robin Ticciati's deserved reputation as one of the great Berliozian's of our age is evident on this, his second recording with the award-winning Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Ticciati has previously recorded Symphonie Fantastique, Les nuits... |