MAHLER
Symphony No. 1 in D major 'Titan' Baltimore Symphony Orchestra / Marin Alsop [ Naxos / CD - released 20/Nov/2012 ] "Alsop brings a vigorous spring to the music's step...At no point does her Mahler seem anything less than well considered and expertly groomed. But one still wishes she'd take off the leash and let the music run free for a while." (Gramophone) |
DVORAK
Symphony No. 6 in D major, Op. 60 / Scherzo capriccioso, Op. 66 / etc Baltimore Symphony Orchestra / Marin Alsop [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Nov/2010 ] "..the excellent Baltimore players bring their own quietly distinctive personalities to the various dialoguing lines...and there's plenty of energy in both the Scherzo and the finale" Editor's Choice Gramophone Magazine December 2010 |
ENRIQUE GRANADOS
Granados: Danzas Espanolas (orchestrated by Rafael Ferrer) Barcelona Symphony and Cataloni National Orchestra. Salvadoe Brotons [ Naxos Spanish Classics / CD - released 16/Sep/2002 ] Enrique Granados was born in Lérida on 27th July 1867. During his childhood he spent some years in the Canary Islands, a period that he always fondly remembered as a lost paradise. His leaning towards music became apparent at an early age, but he... |
GIACOMO MEYERBEER
Meyerbeer: Ballet Music from the Operas Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, MichaĆ Nesterowicz [ Naxos / CD - released 28/Mar/2014 ] "This is a most entertaining collection with just a few dull moments - Meyerbeer's fault, not Nesterowicz's - and, as expected, the orchestra really enters into the spirit of this music...One or two dull patches can't take the shine off this engaging |
JULES MASSENET
Massenet: Ballet Music [Incls 'El Cid'] Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Patrick Gallois [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Nov/2014 ] Jules Massenet is best known for operas such as Manon and Werther, but his less familiar stage works are also packed with superb intermezzos and ballet music. Evocative scenes bring the mythical story of Bacchus to life, while Hérodiade deals with... |
LEONARDO BALADA
Guernica / Symphony 4 'Lausanne' / etc Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra, Salvador Mas Conde [ Naxos / CD - released 28/Jun/2004 ] |
GLORIA COATES
Symphonies Nos. 1, 7 and 14 Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Munich Chamber Orchestra / Siegerland Orchestra / Jorge Rotter, Christoph Poppen, Olaf Henzold (Conductors) [ Naxos American Classics / CD - released 11/May/2006 ] Coates is something of a classicist among modern composers. She loves symmetry, palindromes, mirrors, and above all, canons. Looking at her scores, it is often possible to quickly tell where a piece is going |
ARNOLD BAX
Bax: Symphony No. 1 / In the Faery Hills / Garden of Fand Royal Scottish National Orchestra, David Lloyd-Jones [ Naxos / CD - released 2/Feb/1998 ] "In the two symphonic poems, more specifically inspired by Irish themes, Lloyd-Jones draws equally warm and sympathetic performances from the Scottish Orchestra, bringing inner clarity to the heaviest scoring. First-rate sound" Penguin Guide |
THE BEST OF LONDON
The Best of London (Incls 'London Transport Suite', The Westminster Waltz', 'London Again Suite' & 'St. Paul's Suite') BBC Concert Orchestra / Royal Philharmonic / Bournemouth Symphony / Royal Artillery / Band Royal Ballet Sinfonia / etc [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 1/Aug/2008 ] A rousing collection of music evoking Britain's capital city in all its pomp and glory. CD 1 takes the listener on a nostalgic journey though British light music from Sullivan to Farnon, whilst CD 2 embraces traditional classical music from all eras. |
EDWARD ELGAR
Very Best of Elgar (The) BBC Philharmonic Orchestra / Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and many more [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 25/Nov/2006 ] From raucous marches to private enigmas, the music of Elgar represents, for many, the ultimate symbol of England in the early 20th century, contrasting royal ceremonies with intimate family gatherings. This 2-CD set features Elgar's most frequently... |
DVORAK
Very Best of Dvorak (The) BBC Philharmonic Orchestra / Capella Istropolitana / Polish National Radio Symphony / Stephen Gunzenhauser (Conductor) and many more [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 25/Nov/2006 ] Extracts and miniature pieces from Dvorak's most popular works. |
EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Symphonies 1 - 3 BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Downes, George Hurst / Bournemouth Symphony, Paul Daniel [ Naxos / 3 CD Box Set - released 20/Nov/2014 ] "This is a real bargain. A first-class, thoughtful performance; exulting, exciting and sensitive with a tremendous breadth and depth of sound" - BBC Music Magazine on Sym No 2 |
Peter MAXWELL DAVIES
Symphony No 1 / Mavis from Las Vegas BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Maxwell Davies [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Dec/2012 ] "very good modern recordings and fine playing...it seems that Naxos are on to another winner...Great fun; a reminder of the composer's relaxed, more genial side." (MusicWeb Int) |
FRANCIS CHAGRIN
Symphonies Nos 1 & 2 BBC Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Feb/2016 ] Francis Chagrin described himself as 'Romanian by birth, British by nationality and cosmopolitan by inclination'. A student of Paul Dukas and Nadia Boulanger, Chagrin wrote prolifically for films but composed for most genres. The two symphonies are... |
EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Symphony No. 2 / Cello Concerto (conducted by Elgar) (1927-28) Beatrice Harrison (cello) / London Symphony Orchestra / New Symphony Orchestra / Edward Elgar [ Naxos Historical Elgar conducts Elgar / CD - released 15/May/2007 ] "These performances are essential listening for Elgarians. Both are flawed in execution, but both are valuable historical documents. The recording of the Second Symphony is more than that. It is a genuinely exciting recording in its own right...Sound... |
DONIZETTI / PUCCINI / VERDI / MASCAGNI / BIZET
Gigli: London, Milan and Rio de Janeiro Recordings (1949, 1951) Beniamino Gigli / Dusolina Giannini / Rina Gigli / Milan Symphony Orchestra / Philharmonia Orchestra / Stanford Robinson (Conductor) [ Naxos Historical Gigli Edition Vol 14 / CD - released 4/Dec/2006 ] By the time the tracks on this penultimate volume of The Naxos Gigli Edition were cut, Gigli had been singing professionally for thirty-five years. |
TIPPETT
Piano Concerto / Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage Benjamin Frith (piano) / BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra / George Hurst, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 15/Feb/2002 ] "Those of you who know little about Tippett should start here, as it is the ideal entry into his sound world, and you don't risk much of the family budget." - Fanfare |
AARON COPLAND
Copland: The Tender Land Suite / Piano Concerto / Old American Songs Benjamin Pasternack (piano) Nathaniel Stampley (baritone) / Elgin Symphony Orchestra / St. Charles Singers / Robert Hanson [ Naxos American Classics / CD - released 1/Jun/2008 ] "Another collection of American classics that deserves the highest praise. With exemplary playing, singing and an acoustic to match this is plainly indispensable." (MusicWeb Bargain of the Month July 2008) |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 [with Bruckner-Symphony No 7] (Furtwangler, Commercial Recordings 1940-50, Vol. 7) Berlin & London Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwangler [ Naxos Historical Great Conductors / CD - released 20/Aug/2008 ] If the most notable trait of this 1948 recording of Brahms' Second Symphony, Furtwängler's only commercial recording of the work, is the extreme variance of tempo, the composer's characteristically restless contrast of dynamism and lyricism is... |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Symphony No 5 / Egmont Overture (with overtures by Rossini & Weber) [rec 1926-1935] Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwangler [ Naxos Historical Great Conductors / CD - released 1/Jul/2008 ] "All in all, then, this is a worthwhile addition to a very useful series. Moreover, at its bargain price it makes more widely available the means to explore and gain a deeper understanding of the development of one of the most fascinating conductors... |