BARTOK / R. STRAUSS / PUCCINI / BEETHOVEN / WAGNER
Birgit Nilsson: The Great Live Recordings [1953-1976] Birgit Nilsson, with, Regina Resnik, Leonie Rysanek, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Jon Vickers, Helen Donath, Walter Berry, etc [ Sony Classics / 31 CD Box Set - released 20/Oct/2018 ] "Many of these live recordings have been remastered, mostly very adequately, from radio broadcasts, and include samples at least of all her major roles...The casts for some of these performances are the stuff of legend now." The Guardian |
J. S. BACH
St Matthew Passion, BWV244 [First version Leipzig 1727] Charles Daniels, Peter Harvey, Bethany Seymour, Helen Neeves, Sally Bruce-Payne, Nancy Cole, Matthew Brook / Yorkshire Baroque Soloists, Peter Seymour [ Signum / 2 CD Box Set - released 25/May/2015 ] "Nancy Cole, a very promising young singer...a musical and coherent performance...some fine singing by many of the singers and lovely playing especially by the strings." (Early Music Review) |
WILLIAM BYRD
The Honour of William Byrd Chelys Consort of Viols, Helen Charlston (mezzo-soprano) [ BIS / CD - released 7/Jul/2023 ] Instrumental and vocal music from the late Renaissance. |
GEORG TINTNER
Tintner: Violin Sonata / Variations on a Theme of Chopin / Piano Sonata / Trauermusik Cho-Liang Lin (violin) / Helen Huang (piano) [ Naxos / CD - released 15/May/2007 ] The Austrian-born Georg Tintner achieved fame as a conductor but considered himself a 'composer who conducts', with an ambition 'to write beautiful music'. His early works are tonal and Romantically influenced, while later music - notably the Violin... |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Rachmaninov: The Bells Op 35 / The Rock Op 7 Ivan Choupenitch (tenor) / Helen Field (soprano) / Oleg Melnikov (bass) / RTE Philharmonic Choir. Choupenitch, Alexander Anissimov [ Naxos / CD - released 2/Apr/2002 ] "Budget or no, these are Bells you ought to hear." |
JOSEF HAYDN
Haydn: Creation Mass Susan Gritton (soprano), Pamela Helen Stephen (mezzo-soprano), Mark Padmore (tenor), Stephen Varcoe (baritone) / Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox [ Chaconne / CD ] "The Creation Mass is no less resplendent or searching than, say, the Nelson Mass or the Harmoniemesse, a glorious affirmation of Haydn's reverent, optimistic yet by no means naive faith. Even by Haydn's standards, the work is startling in its... |
J. S. BACH
Missa (1733) Emiko Iiyama, Helen Watts, Kurt Equiluz, Rotraud Hansmann, Max van Egmond / Wiener Sängerknaben, Chorus Viennensis, Concentus musicus Wien, Nikolaus H [ Warner Das Alte Werk / CD - released 1/Jun/2009 ] "admirable performance and excellent recording … all Bach-lovers must know Harnoncourt's style by now; the buoyant flow of the opening Kyrie, for example, the springy rhythms and lightness of touch." (Gramophone) |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Messiah (Complete Oratorio) Helen Donath, Anna Reynolds, Stuart Burrows, Donald McIntyre, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Richter [ Deutsche Grammophon / 2 CD ] Recorded: 1972-11-07 Recording Venue: Brent Town Hall, Wembley, London |
J. S. BACH
Bach: St Matthew Passion [highlights] Elly Ameling, Julia Hamari, Helen Watts, Peter Pears, Fritz Wunderlich, Walter Berry, Tom Krause / Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Karl Munchinger [ Decca Eloquence / CD - released 20/Nov/2011 ] 'Many will be glad to hear Peter Pears's superb performance of the Evangelist' Gramophone, March 1965 |
J. S. BACH
Elly Ameling - Bach Edition Elly Ameling (soprano) with Hermann Prey, Helen Watts, Peter Pears, Marga Höffgen, Fritz Wunderlich ,Werner Krenn, etc [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 20 CD Box Set - released 21/Apr/2023 ] Compiled here for the first time are all of Elly Ameling's Bach recordings for both Decca and Philips: an 'original jackets' treasury of Cantatas, Passions and oratorios which would make a first-rate introduction to the composer's sacred music. |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphonies Nos 3, 4 & 5 Helen Donath (soprano) / Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Eliahu Inbal [ Brilliant Classics / 15 CD - released 18/Aug/2005 ] "A highly recommendable issue for impecunious Mahler fans." (MusicWeb April 2003 Bargaibn of the Month) |
GERSHWIN / RAVEL
Piano Concertos Helen Grimaud (piano) / Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman [ Warner Classics The Erato Story / CD - released 10/Apr/2014 ] "Those who do take the plunge will be rewarded by one of the most vivid and detailed concerto recordings I've ever heard. The balance between piano and orchestra is close to ideal, the soundstage spacious and realistic, the bass deep and well defined |
ERNESTO HALFFTER
Piano Music Guillermo Gonzalez (piano) / Helen Gonzalez (piano) [ Naxos Spanish Classics / 2 CD - released 5/Sep/2006 ] Halffter's piano works, which he began writing when only thirteen, span his entire career and reflect not only the influence of Scarlatti, but that of the Spanish Renaissance, Stravinsky, Ravel, with whom he studied extensively, and the French... |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Messiah (complete oratorio) Heather Harper, Helen Watts, John Wakefield, John Shirley-Quirk / London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Sir Colin Davis [ Philips / 2 CD - released 2/Feb/1988 ] "You can still enjoy Davis' lively and sympathetic direction, enthusiastic singing and playing by the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, two fabulous female soloists." Arkivmusic |
HANDEL
Judas MacCabeus (recorded in 1971) Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Alexander Young, John Shirley-Quirk / Wandsworth School Boys Choir / English Chamber Orchestra / Johannes Somary [ ALTO / 2 CD - released 1/Jun/2009 ] "The solo singing is excellent with Alexander Young a ringing tenor, and Helen Watts singing the opening aria in Act III exquisitely. Very good recording... the effect is wholly natural - and a sense of commitment throughout from all departments." -... |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C minor 'Resurrection' Heather Harper (sop) Helen Watts (cont) / London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti [ Decca Originals / CD - released 20/Jun/2007 ] "... the new Decca stereo recording has special points of excellence all its own. The most striking thing in the whole performance, for me, is the first movement, in which Solti penetrates to the inner significance of the unusual structure with an... |
GORDON JACOB
Complete Music for Viola and Orchestra Helen Callus (viola) / BBC Concert Orchestra, Stephen Bell [ Dutton Epoch / CD - released 20/Apr/2011 ] Dutton Epoch is delighted to present this ear-opening, pioneering traversal of Gordon Jacob's complete music for viola and orchestra - all world premiere recordings - that covers over fifty years of the composer's life. Here we have the two numbered... |
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS / HOWELLS / WALTON / BOWEN
British Music for Viola and Orchestra Helen Callus (viola) / New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Marc Taddei [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Jun/2018 ] "Helen Callus plays with sumptuous tone matched by flawless intonation" Gramophone |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Isolation Songbook Helen Charlston (mezzo-soprano), Michael Craddock (baritone) / Alexander Soares (piano) [ DELPHIAN / CD - released 26/Mar/2021 ] The feeling which many of us experienced in spring 2020 as, country by country, the world went into lockdown - a sense of life gone into standstill - was especially acute for musicians, deprived suddenly of both their livelihoods and the human... |