BACH / SCHUMANN / SCHUBERT / LISZT / MOZART / BEETHOVEN / etc
Wilhelm Kempff - The Decca Legacy Wilhelm Kempff (piano) with Pablo Casals, Paul Grümmer (cellos) Georg Kulenkampff (violin) [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 13 CD Box Set - released 18/Apr/2022 ] The Decca legacy of WILHELM KEMPFF, one of the last century's greatest keyboard poets. |
SCHUBERT / BRUCKNER / DUKAS / R. STRAUSS / STRAVINSKY / DVORAK
The complete RCA Victor Recordings William Steinberg & Boston Symphony Orchestra [ Sony Classics / 4 CD Box Set - released 5/Apr/2024 ] Including "vital and inspiring performances", here are 4 CD's containing William Steinberg conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which includes some of his "best entries in his discography, and the finest recordings of the works." Mendelssohn's... |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms Cycle [Symphonies, Concertos & Overtures] (recorded in 2015) Yefim Bronfman (piano) Julia Fischer (violin) / The Cleveland Orchestra, Franz Welser-Most [ Belvedere / BBC Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Nov/2017 ] The Cleveland Orchestra is the aristocrat among American orchestras (The Telegraph) and its conductor, Franz Welser-Möst, rules his subjects with a velvet glove. Indeed, velvet and silk keep showing up in descriptions of the Clevelanders sound under... |
JOSEF HAYDN
Haydn: The Creation Yeree Suh (soprano), Tilman Lichdi (tenor), Matthias Winckhler (baritone) / Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall [ Alia Vox SACD / 2 Hybrid SACD - released 19/Nov/2021 ] "The orchestral side of this new recording of Haydn's oratorio "The Creation" brings many other delights, partly because Jordi Savall and his ensemble Le Concert de Nations are vigorous champions of period instruments" Times |
J. S. BACH / ELGAR / DVORAK / TCHAIKOVSKY / HAYDN / SCHUMANN
Yo-Yo Ma Plays Cello Masterworks (8CD box set) Yo-Yo Ma (cello) / various accompaniments [ Sony Classical / 8 CD Box Set - released 1/Apr/2013 ] "The CD gives an absolutely truthful projection of a cello image which in the concert hall can seem too reticent, but here is perfectly balanced with the orchestra." (Gramophone on the Lalo / Saint-Saens) |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Pierre Boulez conducts Berlioz (Incls 'Symphonie fantastique & Les Nuits d'ete) Yvonne Minton (mezzo-soprano) Stuart Burrows (tenor) / New York Philharmonic, London Symphony, BBC Symphony, Pierre Boulez [ Sony Classics / 4 CD Box Set - released 13/Mar/2020 ] Sony Classical is now making available all of their Berlioz recordings conducted by Pierre Boulez. All at a very attractive price. The recordings have all been remastered and remixed, and the box set is available at budget price. |
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF
Rachmaninoff: Complete Piano Music Zlata Chochieva, Lukas Geniušas, Alexander Gavrylyuk, Nikolai Lugansky, Alexander Ghindin, Elisa Tomellini [ Brilliant Classics / 8 CD Box Set - released 12/Mar/2021 ] This 8-CD set contains the works for piano solo by Sergei Rachmaninoff, 20-th century romantic, one of the greatest pianists of all time himself. |
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
Prokofiev: Cinderella (complete ballet recorded in 2003) Zurich Ballet / Karine Seneca / Stanislav Jermakov / Marine Castel / Jozef Varga / Vladimir Fedoseyev (cond) [ Bel Air Classiques / DVD - released 1/Dec/2008 ] G - Heinz Spoerli's Zurich Ballet Cinderella production, filmed as a musical from Hollywood, turned out to be a huge success at its premiere and must rank as one of the most 'dancerly' stagings Prokofiev's popular ballet has ever received. |
ERIK SATIE
Erik Satie - Old Sequins and Ancient Breastplates [Historial Recordings 1926-1961] Aldo Ciccolini, Francis Poulenc, William Masselos, Manuel Rosenthal, Igor Markevitch, Pierre Bernac, etc [ Cherry Red Records / 4 CD Box Set - released 9/Dec/2022 ] A four disc Box set collection of historic Satie recordings, ranging from the 1920's onwards. Including such rarities as Henri Sauguet's 'Socrate' for solo voice and orchestra; piano sets by William Masselos and Aldo Ciccolini. |
Symphonic Highlights For Capriccio's 40 Year Anniversary
[ Capriccio / 10 CD - released 20/May/2022 ] Following Capriccio's founding in 1982 as a producer of LPs and tapes, the label's first recording to turn heads was its pioneering digital Beethoven Symphonies cycle with the Dresden Philharmonic under Herbert Kegel, which was issued on CD two years... |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Oratorios: Messiah, Athalia, Esther and La Resurrezione [8 CD set] Academy of Ancient Music / Emma Kirkby / Joan Sutherland / Aled Jones / David Thomas et al [ Decca / 8 CD Box Set - released 7/Dec/2005 ] Now at budget price! Christopher Hogwood's pioneering period instrument recordings of 4 Handel oratorios. |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel - Marriner: The Decca Legacy Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 19 CD Box Set - released 22/Mar/2024 ] A unique collection of L'Oiseau-Lyre, Argo, Decca and Philips albums in original covers, showcasing both the genius of Handel and the musicianship of the classic ASMF/Marriner pairing at its most stylish. |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Messiah (complete oratorio Live from the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge 2009) Ailish Tynan, Alice Coote, Allan Clayton & Matthew Rose / Choir of King's College, Academy of Ancient Music, Stephen Cleobury [ Warner Classics / 2 CD Box Set - released 10/Mar/2010 ] "The first choral concert transmitted live to 85 cinemas, Stephen Cleobury's interpretation ticks all the boxes, with choir and orchestra impeccably balanced, and soloists glowing." The Independent, 24th April 2009 **** |
FRANZ SCHUBERT
Schubert: String Quartets, Trout Quintet & String Quintet Alban Berg Quartet, Elisabeth Leonskaja (piano), Georg Hörtnagel (double bass) [ Warner Classics / 5 CD Box Set - released 17/Mar/2023 ] The Alban Berg Quartett approach Schubert with classical discipline while vividly conveying the mysterious fervent power that is so instantaneously unique in the composer's works. They capture the quintessentially Viennese spirit of Schubert, as... |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Complete String Quartets Alban Berg Quartett [ Warner Classics / 7 CD Box Set - released 24/Aug/2012 ] "The Alban Berg Quartet possess a wonderfully burnished tone, superbly blended ensemble and unanimity of attack as well as flawless intonation." (Gramophone) |
MODEST MUSSORGSKY
Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov, opera in seven scenes (1869 version) Alexander Tsymbalyuk, Maxim Paster, Mika Kares, Sergei Skorokhodov, Göteborg Opera Chorus [ BIS SACD / 2 CD - released 6/Sep/2019 ] "This new account, based on live performances, is beautifully sung and played, and recorded in surround sound" MusicWeb |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Alexei Lubimov Alexei Lubimov (piano) [ Alpha Classics / 7 CD Box Set - released 13/Mar/2020 ] Composers: Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827) Berg, Alban (1885-1935) Haydn, Franz Joseph (1732-1809) Ives, Charles (1874-1954) Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-91) Satie, Erik Alfred Leslie (1866-1925) Schubert, Franz Peter... |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano variations and Bagatelles Alfred Brendel (piano) [ Brilliant Classics / 5 CD Box Set - released 14/Dec/2006 ] A truly historic document: some 40 years ago Alfred Brendel recorded Beethoven's Bagatellen and Piano variations. Here the eminent pianist already showed his idiosyncratic self. Some people consider his playing dull; others find it refreshingly... |
HANDEL
Belshazzar (complete oratorio) Allan Clayton, Rosemary Joshua, Iestyn Davies / Les Arts Florissants, William Christie [ Les Arts Florissants Editions / 3 CD Box Set - released 20/Jun/2014 ] "The choir of Les Arts Florissants acquit themselves with full honours in Handel's imaginative dramatic narrative choruses" (Gramophone Magazine, December 2013) |
J. S. BACH
Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier Books 1 & 2 Andras Schiff (piano) [ ECM New Series / 4 CD Box Set - released 20/Sep/2012 ] GRAMOPHONE AWARD FINALIST 2013: Instrumental |