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RACHMANINOV
Rachmaninov: Symphonies Nos 1-3, Symphonic Dances London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev [ LSO Live / 4 CD Box Set - released 27/Apr/2018 ] Recorded live at the Barbican Hall, London September 2008 - February 2015 This highly anticipated box set brings together Valery Gergiev's acclaimed cycle of the complete Rachmaninov symphonies, which were recorded alongside the London Symphony... |
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SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Rachmaninov: Symphony No 3 (with Balakirev - Russia) London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev [ LSO Live SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 20/Aug/2015 ] "Gergiev and the LSO capture the score's expressive beauty, and also the sense of its transience as chill winter encroaches" BBC Music |
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GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: Il Trittico (complete operas) Carlo Guelfi, Maria Guleghina, Neil Shicoff, Ricardo Cassinelli, Jose van Dam, Angela Gheorghiu / London Voices, London Symphony, Antonio Pappano [ Warner Classics / 3 CD Box Set - released 4/Jun/2012 ] The dark, dangerous drama of Il tabarro… The heart-wrenching pathos of Suor Angelica… The merciless comedy (leavened with youthful romance) of Gianni Schicchi… Puccini's scores for his triptych of one-act operas are as compelling for their subtlety... |
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NICOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Rimsky-Korsakov: The Golden Cockerel (complete opera recorded in 2021) l'Opéra National de Lyon / Nina Minasyan, Margarita Neksarova, Andrey Popov, Dmitry Ulyanov / Daniele Rustioni (cond) [ Naxos DVD / DVD - released 12/Aug/2022 ] In the autumn of 1906, at a time when he was saying he didn't want to write anything further, Rimsky-Korsakov had the idea of starting an opera based on The Tale of the Golden Cockerel, the last of Pushkin's folk tales in verse, written in 1834. |
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NICOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Rimsky-Korsakov: The Golden Cockerel (complete opera recorded in 2021) Blu-ray l'Opéra National de Lyon / Nina Minasyan, Margarita Neksarova, Andrey Popov, Dmitry Ulyanov / Daniele Rustioni (cond) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 12/Aug/2022 ] In the autumn of 1906, at a time when he was saying he didn't want to write anything further, Rimsky-Korsakov had the idea of starting an opera based on The Tale of the Golden Cockerel, the last of Pushkin's folk tales in verse, written in 1834.... |
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BEETHOVEN / SCHUBERT / RACHMANINOV / MENDELSSOHN / TCHAIKOVSKY / BERLIOZ / etc
Lorin Maazel - The Complete deutsche Grammophon Recordings Lorin Maazel (conductor) with Jane Berbie, Jean Giraudeau, Gabriel Bacquier, Placido Domingo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Gidon Kremer, Elena Obraztsova [ Deutsche Grammophon / 39 CD Box Set - released 19/May/2023 ] At the age of 9, he made his conducting debut with the LA Philharmonic, and at 11 Toscanini invited him to conduct the NBC Symphony Orchestra: Lorin Maazel is undoubtedly one of the greatest conductors of his century. His first album with Deutsche... |
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GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Semele (complete musical drama) Louise Alder, Hugo Hymas, Lucile Richardot, Carlo Vistoli, etc / The English Baroque Soloists, Sir John Eliot Gardiner [ SDG / 3 CD Box Set - released 2/Oct/2020 ] "A new recording is always welcome, especially when it comes from someone who knows his dramatical business as John Eliot Gardiner does." Gramophone Editor's Choice Sept 2020 |
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GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Semele (complete opera recorded in 2019) BLU-RAY Louise Alder, Hugo Hymas, Lucile Richardot / Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Sir John Eliot Gardiner [ EuroArts Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 29/Jan/2021 ] In Spring 2019, the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, led by John Eliot Gardiner, presented a critically-acclaimed European tour of Handel's opera 'Semele', including Alexandra Palace Theatre in London. |
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VARIOUS COMPOSERS
A Christmas Concert With Robert Shaw Louise Seidel (soprano), Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Robert Shaw [ Vox Classics / CD - released 20/Oct/2023 ] |
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VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Quays Luca Manghi, flute, David Kelly, piano [ Atoll Records New Zealand / CD - released 20/Sep/2012 ] These mainly unrecorded 20th c. Italian and 21st c. NZ pieces reveal Manghi as an exceptional musician. |
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ANTON BRUCKNER
Bruckner: Symphony No.1 (LP) Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado [ Accentus / LP - released 14/Mar/2016 ] "Abbado uncovered the radical nature of the work with its fascinating accumulations of intensity and abrupt interruptions … Long and enthusiastic standing ovations at the end for the conductor and orchestra." (Die Welt) - The audience experienced... |
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JOSEF HAYDN
Haydn: The Creation (recorded in 1990) Lucia Popp, Francisco Araiza, Samuel Ramey, Olaf Bär & Iris Vermillion Wiener Philharmoniker & Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Riccardo Mut [ Arthaus Musik DVD / DVD - released 1/Jul/2010 ] "There is plenty of glamour, and Muti is excitingly dramatic." BBC Music |
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THREE TENORS
The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 in Los Angeles Luciano Pavarotti / Jose Carreras / Placido Domingo / Zubin Mehta [ Warner Classics / 2 LP - released 21/Jun/2024 ] On Saturday July 16, 1994, The 3 Tenors performed a concert in Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium that was acknowledged as "probably the biggest single musical event in history" with an estimated worldwide audience of more than one billion viewers. This... |
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LUDOVICO EINAUDI
Einaudi: Undiscovered (LP) Ludovico Einaudi (piano) [ Decca / 2 LP - released 25/Feb/2022 ] A new collection of songs, personally selected by the world's biggest streaming "classical artist" - Ludovico Einaudi, from across more than 25 years of music making. |
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J. S. BACH
Bach, (J.S.): Guitar Music (LP) Luigi Attademo (guitar) [ Brilliant Classics / LP - released 1/Sep/2023 ] A newly recorded collection of highlights from Bach's great corpus of instrumental writing, in transcriptions by Luigi Attademo himself. |
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Shostakovich: Complete Songs 1 Victoria Evtodieva (soprano), Natalia Biryukova (mezzo-soprano), Fyodor Kuznetsov (bass), Mikhail Lukonin (baritone), Yuri Serov (piano) [ Delos / CD - released 1/Oct/2019 ] "Here are two CDs dedicated to some of the finest and most under-recorded song repertoire of the 20th century. Yury Serov is the presiding spirit; his sharply characterised piano playing radiating musical and cultural understanding, and his singers... |
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ROSS HARRIS
Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3 Madeleine Pierard (soprano) / Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Marko Letonja [ Naxos / CD - released 20/Mar/2012 ] Described as "often beautiful and sometimes frightening" (NZ Listener), Ross Harris's Symphony No 2 is a setting of poems on the subject of New Zealand soldiers shot for desertion in World War One. |
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GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: Tosca (complete opera recorded in 2003) Madrid Teatro Real / Daniela Dessi, Fabio Armiliato, Ruggero Raimondi / Maurizio Benini (cond) [ Opus Arte Essential Opera Collection DVD / DVD - released 20/Oct/2013 ] "...An absolutely magnificent cast of voices." EL MUNDO, Madrid |
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TRADITIONAL
Christmas Carols From Oxford Magdalen College Choir, John Harper, conductor [ Alto / CD - released 1/Dec/2014 ] "..Magdalen College Oxford played an important part in the Victorian revival of the celebration of Christmas and especially of carol singing.. key figure.. J R Bloxam, Fellow of Magdalen.. first held a musical entertainment for Magdalen choristers.. |
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RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Vaughan Williams: Phantasy Quintet / String Quartets Nos.1 & 2 Maggini String Quartet [ Naxos / CD - released 1/May/2001 ] 2001 GRAMOPHONE AWARD WINNER: Chamber - Rosette [highest rating] - Penguin Stereo Guide |