BIZET / MASSENET / ROSSINI / BELLINI
Aigul Akhmetshina - Aigul Aigul Akhmetshina (mezzo), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniele Rustioni; with Freddie De Tommaso (tenor), Elisabeth Boudreault (soprano), Kezia Bien [ Decca / CD - released 16/Aug/2024 ] "She has a superb voice, no question, warm and even in tone, admirably agile, with a full, effortless top, and a tangy lower register...It all adds up to a fine recital, and a most auspicious debut." Gramophone September 2024 Editor's Choice |
OLIVER DAVIS
Davis: Blue Beth & Flo (Pianos / Piano Four Hands), Grace Davidson and Julia Doyle (sopranos), Joshua Davidson (treble), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ Signum / CD - released 6/Oct/2023 ] This is Oliver Davis' first album dedicated to the piano, and specifically two pianists, Dutch piano duo Beth & Flo. The album features this dynamic duo playing four hands piano and also on two pianos with full orchestra. The song cycle 'Siren Songs'... |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Rondo, WoO 6 Boris Giltburg (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Nov/2019 ] "Here's a very promising start to what I assume will be a new Beethoven piano concerto cycle...Fine playing, fine conducting, fine engineering-in short, a really fine release generally." ClassicsToday |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos 3 & 4 Boris Giltburg (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Feb/2023 ] For 19th-century audiences Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 was the most loved of all his piano concertos, a work in which the balancing of high drama, tenderness, lyricism and humour is most pronounced and in which a coda resolves inner tensions... |
DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH
Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 / etc Boris Giltburg (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko [ Naxos / CD - released 17/Dec/2016 ] "Much of the credit for this belongs to Vasily Petrenko as well, who continues his series of top-notch Shostakovich recordings for Naxos." 10 / 10 ClassicsToday Jan 2017 |
ALEXANDER BORODIN
Essential Borodin (Includes Symphonies 1-3 & In the Steppes of Central Asia) Borodin Quartet / Nicolai Ghiaurov / London Symphony Orchestra / Suisse Romande Orchestra / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / etc [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 2/Jun/2004 ] "Ashkenazy's (1st) many delights come richly, thanks not only to the quality of the RPO playing but also to the warm (1992) digital recording." (Penguin Guide) |
DANNY ELFMAN
Danny Elfman: Percussion Concerto / Wunderkammer Colin Currie (percussion) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta [ Sony Classical / CD - released 17/May/2024 ] " After 115-plus movies Elfman can't help but make pictures of sound and the fabulous engineering here certainly makes them pop." Gramophone |
CLARA SCHUMANN
Romance: The Piano Music of Clara Schumann Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Holly Mathieson [ Decca / CD - released 19/Jul/2019 ] "it is the performances of the two song transcriptions that show what a gifted musician Kanneh-Mason is." Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice August 2019 |
MOZART / DOHNANYI / DEBUSSY / SCHUMANN
Isata Kanneh-Mason - Childhood Tales Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Domingo Hindoyan [ Decca / CD - released 13/Aug/2023 ] "It makes for a delightful programme that will appeal to those of riper years as much as it will to children...It is so good to see someone of Isata Kanneh-Mason's generation championing this once-popular work [Dohnányi's Variations]." Gramophone |
SZYMANOWSKI / RAVEL / YSAYE / LUTOSLAWSKI
Janusz Wawrowski - Phoenix Janusz Wawrowski (violin), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Grzegorz Nowak [ Warner Classics / CD - released 12/Mar/2021 ] Janusz Wawrowski's new album, Phoenix, could be subtitled 'Hidden Concerto'. It pairs violin concertos by Tchaikovsky and the 20th century Polish composer Ludomir Różycki. |
KARL JENKINS
Jenkins: Stravaganza Jess Gillam (soprano saxophone), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Jenkins [ Decca / CD - released 8/Nov/2024 ] "The catchy opening movement, Perambulation, has a dotted motif reminiscent of Mancini's theme for The Pink Panther, with the soprano saxophone melodies matched by fairground-frenzied accompaniment." BBC Music |
GIOACCHINO ROSSINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE - Rossini: Heros and Heroines Marilyn Horne (mezzo soprano) / L'Orchestre de la Suisse romande / Royal Philharmonic Orchetra / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden [ Decca Opera Gala / CD - released 20/Jun/1998 ] 'Marilyn Horne's generously filled recital disc brings us one of the most cherishable among all Rossini aria records ever issued. The voice is in glorious condition, rich and firm throughout its spectacular range, and is consistently used with... |
SCHUMANN / SAINT-SAENS / GLIERE
Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra Markus Maskuniitty (horn), Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor) [ Ondine / CD - released 2/Aug/2019 ] "The playing of Maskuniitty and his three colleagues is simply superb, with exemplary balance between them and the thrilling arpeggio swoops in the last movement" BBC Music Award Finalist - Concerto 2020 |
FERDINAND HEROLD / CHARLES LECOCQ
Herold: La Fille Mal Gardee / Lecocq: Mam'zelle Angot (Complete Ballets) Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, John Lanchbery / National Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Bonynge [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 2 CD - released 20/May/2007 ] "Here, with sound of spectacular Decca digital fidelity, Lanchbery conducts a highly seductive account of the complete ballet with an orchestra long familiar with playing it in the theatre." (Rosette Penguin Stereo Guide) |
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Vaughan Williams: Job / Old King Cole / The Running Set Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Manze [ ONYX / CD - released 30/Jun/2023 ] "Scrupulously prepared and boasting some superbly coordinated, infectiously dedicated playing from the RLPO, it's a thoroughly absorbing interpretation [of *Job*]...Overall, this is unquestionably a very fine achievement." Gramophone Awards Finalist |
ANTONIN DVORAK
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Dvorak: Symphony No 3 in E flat, Op.10 / Scherzo Capriccioso / Carnival Overture Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Libor Pesek [ Virgin Classics / 2 CD - released 1/Oct/2005 ] Recording: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, October 1988. |
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOSVKY
Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony / The Voyevoda Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Dec/2008 ] Gramophone Award WINNER 2009: Orchestral - "This is top-quality sound and playing - at bargain price, too." BBC Music Magazine, November 2008 **** |
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Shostakovich: Symphonies, Vol 9: Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op. 43 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Nov/2013 ] "the Liverpool players get around the enormous technical challenges with great verve, and the self-destructive climaxes are never shirked. But there's a brittleness to how Petrenko treats some of the episodes. Much of his reading, though, is spot-on" |
OLIVER DAVIS
Davis: Air Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Bateman [ Signum / CD - released 6/May/2022 ] Similarly to his previous album SOLACE, AIR was written during lockdown and draws on themes of nature, environment and the natural world. Davis's previous albums with Signum have reached the top 10 on both iTunes Classical and UK Specialist Classical... |
MALCOLM ARNOLD
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Arnold - Symphony No. 6 / Fantasy on a Theme of John Field / etc Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley, with John Lill (piano) [ Conifer / CD - released 20/May/1993 ] "As his Symphony No. 6, completed in the summer of 1967, shows, Arnold was as great a symphonist as Tippet or Walton, but he was a harder, tougher, and sharper composer than them." AllMusic.com |