AARON ZIGMAN
Zigman: Émigré Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Lanzhou Concert Hall Choir, Members of the New York Philharmonic Chorus, Long Yu [ Deutsche Grammophon / 2 CD - released 2/Aug/2024 ] 'Émigré', an oratorio in two acts with music by Aaron Zigman, which was carefully developed over a period of five years, deals with a little-known chapter of the Second World War: the reception of Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe by the inhabitants... |
ANTONIO VIVALDI
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons / Flute Concertos Jean-Pierre Rampal (flute) / Members of the Orchestre National de France, I Soloisti Veneti, Lorin Maazel (violin/director), Claudio Scimone [ Sony Classical Masters / CD - released 4/Apr/2011 ] Vivaldi's most popular work is accompanied by three Flute Concertos performed by Jean-Pierre Rampal. |
MOZART / SCHUMANN / CHOPIN / RACHMANINOV / etc
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Great Pianists of the 20th Century - Jozef & Rosina Lhevinne Jozef & Rosina Lhevinne (piano) with Juilliard Orchestra, Members of the National Orchestra Assiociation [ Philips Great Pianists Of The 20th Century Vol. 64 / 2 CD - released 1/Jun/2000 ] "These discs celebrate both an incomparable partnership and two Moscow Gold Medallists who achieved a legendary status in their separate careers." Gramophone |
CHARLES STROUSE
Strouse: Rags Julia Migenes & Larry Kert / Members of the Original Broadway Cast [ Columbia Broadway Masterworks / CD - released 12/Jul/1991 ] Rags is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein (with revisions by David Thompson), lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and music by Charles Strouse. |
KARL JENKINS
Jenkins: Stella Natalis Kate Royal (soprano), Alison Balsom (trumpet) Alice Halstead (soprano) / Ethic Percussion Orchestra, Tenebrae Choir & Members of Adiemus, Karl Jenkins [ Universal Classics / CD - released 3/Dec/2019 ] "Karl Jenkins is a rarity among contemporary composers, balancing popularity with innovation." (The Independent) |
GEORGE GERSHWIN
Gershwin: Girl Crazy Mary Martin & Jan Clayton / Members of the Original Broadway Cast [ Prism Leisure / CD - released 1/Jun/1998 ] Girl Crazy is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in the first production and co-lead Ginger Rogers became an overnight star. |
The Members
Uprhythm Downbeat [ Captain Oi Records / CD - released 24/Apr/2006 ] This U.K. impoerted disc is digitally remastered and expanded. |
ALFRED JANSON
The Wind Blows: Music For Choir by Alfred Janson Norwegian Soloists' Choir (Det Norske Solistkor) / Grete Pedersen, Alfred Janson (melodica), Members of the Oslo Sinfonietta [ BIS / CD - released 10/Aug/2018 ] Works by Norwegian composer Alfred Janson spanning several genres and four decades. |
BACH FAMILY / WASSENAER / COUPERIN / VIVALDI / etc
Karl Munchinger - The Baroque Legacy Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Members of L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Karl Munchinger, with Jean-Pierre Rampal, flute [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 8 CD Box Set - released 1/Nov/2019 ] A newly remastered treasury of Baroque ensemble music from Gabrieli to Haydn, including several recordings receiving their first international CD release. The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra was founded by Karl Münchinger in 1946, and it was only... |
DVORAK / SMETANA / WAGNER / LISZT / STRAUSS / etc
Anneleen Lenaerts - Vienna Stories Anneleen Lenaerts (harp) with members of the Vienna Philharmonic [ Warner Classics / CD - released 19/Nov/2021 ] "The worlds of opera and symphony merge perfectly in daily life in Vienna, and with this album, I'm hoping to take the listener on a wonderful orchestral journey with my harp." - Anneleen Lenaerts |
VARIOUS
Spirituals George London (bass-baritone) / Singgemeinschaft Rudolf Lamy / Members of the Orchestra of the Bavarian State Radio Rhythm Section [ DG Spotlight / CD - released 24/Aug/2006 ] The sensation of the first batch of Spotlights: a previously unreleased LP of the great bass-baritone George London singing Spirituals to amazing effect! |
J.S. BACH
Cantatas (BWV 56, 173, 82 & 158) Thomas Quasthoff (baritone) Members of the RIAS-Kammerchor. Berliner Barocksolisten. Rainer Kussmaul [ DG SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Dec/2004 ] On Super Audio Hybrid/SACD Playable on all CD players - "Grand, thoughtful, deeply affecting performances." Editor's Choice Gramophone Magazine January 2005 |
KRIEGER / HAMMERSCHMID / DEDEKIND / ALBERT / ERLEBACH / KINDERMANN
German Baroque Lieder Annette Dasch (soprano) / Members of Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin [ Harmonia Mundi Gold / CD - released 20/May/2011 ] "Annette Dasch is a young German soprano who is picking off the formative stage-posts of professional opportunity with a special interest in period performance. This surprisingly esoteric debut disc of 17th century German song draws on this penchant... |
W.A. MOZART
Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622 (with Brahms - Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115) Bernard Walton (clarinet) / Philharmonia Orchestra / Herbert von Karajan / Members of the Music Group of London [ Testament / CD - released 11/Apr/2006 ] Bernard Walton (1917-72) was one of the finest orchestral musicians of his age. Though barely known to the public at large – he shunned the kind of media exposure won by his contemporary Jack Brymer (1915-2003) and made few solo recordings – he... |
JOHN RUTTER
The Sprig of Thyme: A cycle of folk song settings for mixed choir The Cambridge Singers with members of the City of London Sinfonia / John Rutter [ Collegium / CD - released 18/Oct/2005 ] This is a lovely disc; one to head my list of Christmas presents for musical friends. (Gramophone) |
MODEST PETROVICH MUSSORGSKY
Mussorgsky: Sorochintsï Fair & Salammbô Suite Carina Schmieger, Tair Tazhi, Opernchor des Theater Freiburg, members [ Naxos / CD - released 27/Sep/2024 ] Modest Mussorgsky's operatic output is dominated by the epic Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina, but of his notable unfinished works Sorochintsï Fair is the most prominent example |
BERTALI / BIBER / CASTELLO / CESARE / FRESCOBALDI / etc
Christian Lindberg - The Baroque Trombone Christian Lindberg (trombone / sackbut) Neal Peres Da Costa (harpsichord / organ) / Members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra [ BIS / CD - released 1/Sep/2009 ] Christian Lindberg, who has done more than anyone to establish the modern trombone as a solo instrument, bought his first sackbut 30 years ago, and already then dreamed of recording a baroque programme. |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Dreamtime David Aaron Carpenter (viola) Members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra [ Ondine / CD - released 15/Jan/2014 ] The autumnal mood transfers effectively to an all-string ensemble; the playing is both fluent and sensitively shaped...and Carpenter's blend of mellowness and deftness is colourfully applied to Robert Mann's occasionally Bartokian Dreamtime. |
CARL REINECKE
Octet / Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe (From the Cradle to the Grave) / Sextet Fenwick Smith (flute) Hugh Hinton (piano) / Boston Symphony Orchestra, members [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Jul/2008 ] Chamber music purely for wind ensembles was largely overlooked by Romantic composers and as a result Carl Reinecke's genial Sextet and Octet for wind loom rather large in a sparse landscape. |
GIOVANNI PLATTI
Platti: Cello Sonatas Francesco Galligioni (cello) / Members of L'Arte dell'Arco [ Brilliant Classics / 2 CD - released 1/Aug/2019 ] "What this set confirms is that Platti was not just another run-of-the-mill Baroque composer churning out reasonably well-wrought but formulaic pieces on deadlines, but a figure with a distinctive creative imagination" Fanfare |