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EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Symphony No.1 / Imperial March BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, George Hurst [ Naxos / CD - released 26/Jul/1999 ] "Masterly with Elgarian rubato, he [George Hurst] refreshingly chooses speeds faster than have become the norm, closer to those of Elgar himself." The Guardian |
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JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43 / The Tempest, Suite No. 1, Op. 109 Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Petri Sakari [ Naxos / CD - released 3/Mar/1999 ] "Maestro Petri Sakari and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra handle the first movement especially well, conveying a proper, shivery introduction leading up to a probing major subject." Classical Candor |
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JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3 Iceland Symphony Orchestra / Petri Sakari (conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 30/Jun/2003 ] The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius was born in 1865, the son of a doctor, in a small town in the south of Finland. The language and culture of his family, as with others of their class and background at the time, was Swedish |
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JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Tone Poems: En Saga / Pohjola's Daughter / Oceanide / The Bard Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Petri Sakari (conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 16/Mar/2003 ] In Finland once more, Sibelius won almost immediate success in 1892 with a symphonic poem, Kullervo, based on an episode from the Finnish epic, the Kalevala. |
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JEAN SIBELIUS
The Very Best of Sibelius Iceland Symphony Orchestra / Sinfonia Finlandia / Patrick Gallois (Conductor) and many more [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 25/Nov/2006 ] Jean Sibelius is considered the greatest Finnish composer and from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, defined Finnish music, becoming the nationalist voice of his country. |
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MICHAEL DAUGHERTY
Fire and Blood / MotorCity Triptych / Raise the Roof Ida Kafavian (violin) / Brian Jones / Detroit Symphony Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi [ Naxos American Classics / CD - released 1/Sep/2009 ] "Michael Daugherty is a wonderful composer, and these three pieces make splendid listening. Fire and Blood is a violin concerto, and a damn fine one....Great sonics too." (10/10 ClassicsToday.com) |
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BEETHOVEN
Piano Concertos, Vol. 1 Idil Biret (piano) / Bilkent Symphony Orchestra / Antoni Wit [ Naxos Idil Biret Beethoven Edition / CD - released 5/Mar/2009 ] "Biret grasps the size of Beethoven's style. The polyphony is laid out in a relaxed way with little indulgence in point making. She keeps the big line and yet is thankfully sparing in her use of fortissimos. The piano tone is sumptuous. Biret's... |
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TCHAIKOVSKY
Piano Concerto No. 2 / Concert Fantasy (Idil Biret Concerto Edition - Volume 5) Idil Biret (piano) / Bilkent Symphony Orchestra / Emil Tabakov / José Serebrier [ Naxos Idil Biret Collector's Edition / CD - released 20/Oct/2010 ] "Idil Biret was one of the greatest (child) prodigies of the 20th century. Her recital at the Boston Conservatory on Tuesday night demonstrated that she is no less prodigious today. She played a long and demanding program with the power,... |
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W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos 15, 24, 25, 27 Idil Biret (piano) / London Mozart Players, Worthing Symphony Orchestra, John Gibbons [ Naxos Idil Biret Concerto Edition / 2 CD - released 10/Jun/2019 ] This release features the 7th and 8th volumes in the Naxos Idil Biret Concerto Edition. "Miss Biret was soloist in an entrancing performance of Mozart's concerto K. 482 with the Halle Orchestra conducted by Mlle Nadia Boulanger. The variety of her... |
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JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 / Introduction and Concert Allegro in D minor, Op. 134 Idil Biret (piano) / Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice); Antoni Wit, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 17/Jul/2003 ] "I have spent hours going through at least ten of my favorite recordings of this concerto, and this one with Idil Biret ranks right up there with the top five" Listener |
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PAUL HINDEMITH
The Complete Piano Concertos Idil Biret (piano) / Yale Symphony Orchestra, Toshiyuki Shimada [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 9/Jan/2014 ] This set should be explored by anybody who has not heard these works before. They will be pleasantly surprised by the wealth of enjoyment that is to be had in them. |
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OSVALDAS BALAKAUSKAS
Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 Igor Kramarev (trumpet) / Romualdas Staskus (oboe) / Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra / Juozas Domarkas (conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 25/Nov/2005 ] "The playing of the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra is first class, having no doubt played the music more than once. I suspect that the composer has had a say in the matter of interpretation. Sonically the issue can't be faulted and with... |
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TEIZO MATSUMURA
Matsumura: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 Ikuyo Kamiya (piano) / RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra / Takuo Yuasa [ Naxos Japanese Classics / CD - released 26/Oct/2011 ] |
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BRAHMS / SCHUMANN
Violin Concertos Ilya Kaler (violin) / Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Pietari Inkinen [ Naxos / CD - released 20/Nov/2008 ] "Kaler's performance is successful and offers collectors a distinct choice. The balance favours the violin in both concertos, but there is air enough around the soloist, and the warm Lighthouse Concert Hall acoustic gives the orchestral sound a... |
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JOHANNES BRAHMS / ROBERT SCHUMANN
Brahms: Double Concerto / Schumann: Cello Concerto in A Minor Ilya Kaler (violin) Maria Kliegel (cello) / Ireland National Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Constantine (conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 26/Dec/2005 ] "There are not many versions of the Brahms more warmly appealing than this" - Gramophone |
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ANTONIN DVOARK / ALEXANDER GLAZUNOV
Dvorak/Glazunov: Violin Concertos Ilya Kaler (violin) / Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Camilla Kolchinsky [ Naxos / CD ] "Kaler's playing of these Romantic sweetly-tuned works is excellent" BBC Music Magazine "Ilya Kaler has great romantic warmth and natural Slavonic feeling....In short this is first class in every way" Penguin Guide |
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Shostakovich: Violin Concertos Nos 1 & 2 Ilya Kaler (violin) / Polish National Radio Symphony orchestra, Antoni Wit [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Jul/2019 ] "An important recording of landmarks of this century's violin literature. Highest commendation" Fanfare |
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GRIEG
Orchestral Music, Vol. 4: Peer Gynt Suites / Orchestral Songs Inger Dam-Jensen (soprano) Palle Knudsen (baritone) / Malmo Symphony Orchestra / Bjarte Engeset [ Naxos / CD - released 11/Nov/2007 ] Grieg's incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt is greatly loved by many and is generally considered to be one of the foremost expressions of 'Norwegian national identity'. Comprising the 'best' and most popular numbers, Suite No. 1 was an... |
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BORIS IVANOVICH TISHCHENKO
Tishchenko: Harp Concerto, To My Brother, Testament International Parisian Symphony Orchestra, Mikhail Suguko [ Naxos / CD - released 24/Jan/2020 ] Boris Tishchenko, often considered to be the direct musical heir of Shostakovich, maintained a prolific output across all genres. The concise vocal trios - one written in memory of the composer's brother - are alternately plaintive and urgent. The... |
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ANDRE PARFENOV / PYOTR Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY
Parfenov/Tchaikovsky: Aachener Walzer - Orchestral Works Ioana Cristina Goicea (violin) André Parfenov (piano) / Aachen Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Ward [ Naxos / CD - released 12/Nov/2021 ] Tchaikovsky stayed in Aachen for six weeks in 1887, during which time he orchestrated his Mozartiana. He also left behind 16 bars of music from his diary, and the Aachener Walzer is André Parfenov's completion of this otherwise unknown mini-waltz. |