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FERDINAND RIES
Ries: Piano and Orchestra Works (complete) Christopher Hinterhuber (piano) / Gavle Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Uwe Grodd [ Naxos / 5 CD Box Set - released 28/Jan/2022 ] Ferdinand Ries' works for piano and orchestra stand alongside those of Hummel as the finest and most important of their kind from the early decades of the 19th century. |
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W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Don Giovanni (complete opera recorded in 2023) Robert Gleadow, Riccardo Novaro, Florie Valiquette, Arianna Vendittelli Chœur & Orchestre de l'Opéra Royal; Gaétan Jarry [ Château de Versailles Spectacles DVD / Blu-ray / 2 Blu-ray Disc/DVD - released 23/Aug/2024 ] "Robert Gleadow's fast-thinking Giovanni summons up boundless vocal and physical energy...Musically, the period instrumentalists of the Orchestre de L'Opéra Royal offer excellent, amply scaled playing." BBC Music Five Stars |
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VARIOUS COMPOSERS
The NMC Songbook (4 CD set) Claire Booth, Ailish Tynan, Elizabeth Atherton, Susan Bickley, Loré Lixenberg, Jean Rigby, Andrew Kennedy, Daniel Norman, Benjamin Hulett, etc [ NMC / 4 CD Box Set - released 20/Oct/2009 ] Gramophone Award WINNER 2009: Contemporary - "…anyone listening to these discs will find many things to savour… It is, inevitably an eclectic mix, but, as in any well-planned song recital, the progressions and juxtapositions are continually... |
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BERLIOZ / DEBUSSY / RAVEL / POULENC
Berlioz, Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc Claire Chevalier (piano), Claire Chevallier (piano) & Jos van Immerseel (piano), Katerina Chrobokova & Jos van Immerseel (harpsichord) Anima Eterna Br [ Alpha / 5 CD Box Set - released 16/Oct/2015 ] Happy Birthday, Mister Jos! Jos Van Immerseel is celebrating his 70th birthday with three important releases that will punctuate the end of the year at Alpha: a symphonic programme (Janacek, Dvorak), a chamber music programme (Schubert) and a set... |
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DENIS LAVAILLAT
Lavaillat: La Petite Danseuse De Degas (from The Opéra Garnier, Paris 2010) BLU-RAY Clairemarie Osta / Dorothée Gilbert / Mathieu Ganio / Corps De Ballet & Orchestre De L'Opéra National De Paris / Koen Kessels [ ArtHaus Musik Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 8/Aug/2011 ] "An inspired and visually ravishing creation. This ballet deserves to go from success to success." (recording of the Month MusicWeb Aug 2011) |
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RICHARD STRAUSS
Feuersnot, Op. 50 (Complete opera recorded in 2014) BLU-RAY Teatro Massimo Palermo / Nicola Beller Carbone, Dietrich Henschel, Alex Wawiloff / Gabriele Ferro (cond) [ ArtHaus Musik Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Jul/2015 ] Feuersnot is Strauss's second opera and made up for the failure of his first when its 1902 Dresden premiere was a resounding success. It is a lively one-act drama about the ancient Bavarian tradition of celebrating midsummer night with bonfires. |
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Classical
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 1 [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Jan/2001 ] |
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ARNE
Artaxerxes Classical Opera Company / Ian Page [ LINN / CD - released 10/May/2011 ] "The very fine cast enters with spirit into the text's convoluted scenario of love and betrayal in ancient Persia and delivering [sic] the notes with assurance. Ian Page conducts the period-instrument forces with conviction and the sound is... |
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MOZART
Mozart: Apollo et Hyacinthus Classical Opera, Ian Page [ Signum / CD - released 11/Oct/2019 ] Following its successful full length opera, Artaxerxes, Classical Opera return with the first in an epic series of Mozart operas, Apollo et Hyacinthus. Named in The Guardian as one of 'The Best Classical albums of 2012'. |
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GIOACHINO ROSSINI
Rossini: La Scala di Seta [The Silken Ladder] (complete opera) Claudia Urru, Meagan Sill (sopranos) Michele Angelini, Remy Burnens (tenors) Emmanuel Franco (baritone) Eugenio Di Lieto (bass) / Kraków Philharmonic [ Naxos Opera / 2 CD Box Set - released 10/Jun/2022 ] Gioachino Rossini was only 20 when he was commissioned to compose La scala di seta. It is one of four farsa comica operas which fed popular demand for this genre in Venice in the early 19th century and was wildly successful. |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: 12 Piano Sonatas / 5 Piano Concertos Claudio Arrau (piano) / Philharmonia Orchestra, Alceo Galliera [ Warner Classics / 12 CD - released 14/Mar/2025 ] The pianist Claudio Arrau fully deserves the epithet "legendary": a sovereign technical command, a deep patience and a gravitation towards weighty matters, enriched by his study with 'philosopher pianists' such as Busoni and Martin Krause. |
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JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Piano Concerto No 1 (LP) Claudio Arrau (piano) / Philharmonia Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini [ Warner Classics Vinyl / LP - released 26/Aug/2020 ] The LP benefits from a new remastering in 192htz/24 bit done in 2022 from original tapes by Art & Son Studio, Annecy. |
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BEETHOVEN / BRAHMS / CHOPIN / DEBUSSY / SCHUMANN/ LISZT / GRIEG
Claudio Arrau - The Complete Warner Classics Recordings Claudio Arrau (piano), Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, Philharmonia Orchestra, Alceo Galliera, Andreas Weissgerber (violin) [ Warner Classics / 24 CD Box Set - released 14/Oct/2022 ] Claudio Arrau (1903-1991) is a pianist fully deserving of the epithet 'legendary'. His rigorous intellect and sense of the sublime found expression in his transcendent technique and sumptuous, yet lucid sonorities. The recordings in this 24CD... |
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FRANZ SCHUBERT
Schubert: Symphony No. 9 "The Great" (LP) The Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell [ Warner Classics Vinyl / LP - released 26/May/2023 ] George Szell's commitment to musical truth made him an intimidating figure - even among the other formidable conductors of the 20th century. His uncompromising quest for perfection drew performances of exalted quality from soloists and orchestras. |
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IGOR STRAVINSKY
Stravinsky: Petrouchka; Le Sacre du Printemps (LP) Cleveland Orchestra, Pierre Boulez [ Deutsche Grammophon Vinyl / 2 LP - released 16/Apr/2021 ] Originally recorded in 1992 |
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HOOK / J C BACH / JOHN MAHON
English Classical Clarinet Concertos Colin Lawson, Michael Harris (clarinets, basset horns) / The Parley of Instruments / Peter Holman [ Hyperion Helios / CD - released 1/Dec/2006 ] 'This is a really delightful collection of pieces. Both Lawson and Harris play superbly throughout, blending well together and displaying immaculate intonation' (BBC Music Magazine) |
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JEAN PHILIPPE RAMEAU
Rameau: Les Boréades Collegium 1704, Václav Luks [ Château de Versailles Spectacles / 3 CD - released 11/Sep/2020 ] "a splendid performance of a splendid work, one that can be readily recommended to those interested in the composer or the French Baroque in general. For those not yet captured by the glories of Rameau, it would be a fine introduction to them." Fanf |
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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Bach: Motetten BWV 225-230 (Double Gatefold LP) Collegium Vocale Gent, Philippe Herreweghe [ Phi / 2 LP - released 24/Feb/2017 ] To launch Philippe Herreweghe's birthday year, we turn the spotlight once more on one of his most accomplished recordings: Bach's Motets BWV 225-230. Recorded in 2011 in the splendid acoustics of the Jesus-Christus-Kirche in Berlin, this... |
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HELLENDAAL / WASSENAER / FESCH / SCHICKHARDT / SOLNITZ / GRONEMAN / HURLEBUSCH
Baroque Concerti from The Netherlands Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, Jan Willem de Vriend, Musica Ad Rhenum, Jed Went [ Brilliant Classics / 4 CD Box Set - released 1/Apr/2021 ] Excellent performances in Historically Informed Performance style by Dutch groups Combattimento Consort conducted by Jan Willem de Vriend and Musica Ad Rhenum, conducted by Jed Wentz, who is also a traverso soloist. |
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J. S. BACH
Bach Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1 - 6 (LP) Concentuis Musicus Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt [ Warner Classics / 2 LP - released 11/Jun/2021 ] Nikolaus Harnoncourt remains a beacon for performing Bach's works. Most of his recordings are true milestones of the discography. |