GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E flat major 'Symphony of a Thousand' Christine Brewer, Soile Isokoski, Juliane Banse, Birgit Remmert, Jon Villars, etc / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 25/Jul/2017 ] "A Mahler 8 that seems dutifully fervent against a euphoric Rattle and his forces" - Recording of the Month Gramophone Magazine April 2005 |
FRANZ SCHUBERT
Schubert: Die Schone Mullerin Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) / Gerald Moore (piano) [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Feb/2012 ] "leaves one with the sense of the immortal and inexhaustible beauty" Gramophone |
FRANZ SCHUBERT
Schubert: String Quintet in C D956 Heinrich Schiff (cello) / Alban Berg Quartet [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Dec/2012 ] "unusually vigorous playing and the sound is excitingly real."(Gramophone) |
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony (with Dvorak: Scherzo capriccioso) London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 11/Aug/2017 ] " Instead of trying to barrel through the movement with sheer momentum, Rostropovich gives it space, letting every section make a strong, declamatory impact, which starts to make all "normal" renditions of the movement facile." (MusicWeb on Manfred) |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony No 5 New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 20/Apr/2013 ] "Barbirolli's famous 1969 version on any count is one of the greatest, most warmly affecting performances ever committed to disc, expansive, yet concentrated in feeling: the Adagietto is very moving … A classic version." Rosette (highest rating)... |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique / Overture: 'Le Corsaire' / Royal Hunt and Storm & Trojan March ('Les Troyens') (recorded 1957-59) Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Thomas Beecham [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Feb/2012 ] Rosette Recording (highest rating) Penguin Stereo Guide - 'If you want a genuinely French Symphonie fantastique, wonderfully performed and superbly recorded, go out and get this release before it's snapped up by your neighbour.' (Gramophone) |
GIOACHINO ROSSINI
Rossini: Overtures (Including 'Il barbiere di Siviglia', 'La Cenerentola' & 'L'Italiana in Algeri') Philharmonia Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini (cond) [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Feb/2012 ] "Giulini plays these pieces with plenty of charm, taking full advantage of the brightness of the Philharmonia's violins. The orchestra's sound is sumptuous." (MusicWeb Oct 2008) |
BEDRICH SMETANA
Smetana: Ma Vlast Staatskapelle Dresden, Paavo Berglund [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Jul/2011 ] "Best of the non-Czech Ma vicars, by some considerable distance, is Paavo Berglund's 1978 Staatskapelle Dresden recording for EMI. Berglund's greatest virtue (and he has many) is his attentiveness to the score." (Gramophone) |
CARL ORFF
Orff: Carmina Burana Thomas Allen, Sheila Armstrong, Gerald English / London Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Dec/2017 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1901-1950) - "...a vividly characterised performance" (Gramophone) |
LUDWIB van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos.5 & 7 (Rec 1950 & 1954) Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwangler [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Oct/2013 ] Wilhelm Furtwangler's admiration of Beethoven's music started early. By the age of 12, it is said, he knew much of it by heart - so it is no surprise that he performed the Fifth symphony more than 100 times between 1918 and his death in 1954 with the... |
FELIX MENDELSSOHN / MAX BRUCH
Bruch / Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos Yehudi Menuhin (violin) / Philharmonia Orchestra / Efrem Kurtz, Walter Susskind [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 10/Feb/2011 ] "this coupling is an eminently recommendable one." Gramophone |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Requiem Mass K626 / Exsultate, jubilate, K165 [with Barbara Hendricks] Helen Donath, Christa Ludwig, Robert Tear, Robert Lloyd, Orchestra conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Nov/2010 ] "As one would expect. what Giulini's insight conveys is the rapt quality of such passages as the end of the Tuba mirum and the Benedictus." (Penguin Guide) |
EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Violin Concerto / Introduction and Allegro for strings (Rec 1983 & 1984) Nigel Kennedy (violin) / London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Dec/2017 ] "Kennedy's first recording of the Elgar Concerto is aflame with a young man's passionate inspiration, though never lacking subtler nuance, while Handley simply breathed Elgar like no-one else." BBC Music |
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
Debussy: Preludes Books I & II (recorded in 1953) Walter Gieseking (piano) [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 13/Feb/2012 ] "Gieseking achieves miraculous tonal shadings and half-tints that fully subscribe to Debussy's concept of a piano without hammers." ClassicsToday |
GABRIEL FAURE / MAURICE DURUFLE
Faure / Durufle: Requiems Janet Baker (mezzo) Stephen Roberts (baritone) Robert Chilcott (treble) / King's College Choir Cambridge, Sir Philip Ledger, Sir David Willcocks [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 3/Sep/2012 ] Since the advent of the compact disc, the Requiem in D minor, Op. 48, of Gabriel Fauré and the Requiem, Op. 9, of Maurice Duruflé have frequently been paired, not only because they neatly fit the running time, but also because they are complementary... |
LUDWIG van BEEHOVEN
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6 "Pastorale" Wiener Philharmoniker [Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra], Sir Simon Rattle [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 13/Feb/2012 ] "These are not interpretations set in stone, deeply as Rattle has obviously thought them through; and his encouragement of the brilliant VPO woodwind and horn soloists to challenge each other in imagination and individuality adds to the impression of... |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Symphony No.9 "Choral" Barbara Bonney, Birgit Rammert, Kurt Streit, Thomas Hampson / Wiener Philharmoniker [Vienna Philharmonic], Sir Simon Rattle [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Feb/2012 ] "These discs are history: nine indubitable masterpieces lovingly recorded in gripping reinterpretations of our age." (NZ Herald on the complete set) |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1 - 4 / Quintet for piano & winds Dennis Brain (horn) / Dennis Brain Wind Ensemble / Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 13/Feb/2012 ] 'Truly an all-time classic. Timelessly neat and elegant orchestral playing under Karajan accompanies Dennis Brain's flawless and characterful horn playing.' ('The Gramophone' Good CD Guide, 2005) |
GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Kindertotenlieder + Songs & Arias by Gluck, Greene, Handel, Purcell etc Kathleen Ferrier (contralto) / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruno Walter [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 3/Jul/2000 ] "...outstandingly beautiful, so moving and deeply felt" (Gramophone) |
EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Enigma Variations (with Holst - The Planets) London Symphony Orchestra / London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult [ Warner Classics Masters / CD - released 1/Nov/2010 ] "This is a desirable reissue that cannot be faulted. Wonderful performances of two orchestral masterworks." (MusicWeb Jan 2011) |