DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No 1 / Jazz Suite Nos 1 & 2 / Tahiti Trot Ronald Brautigam (piano) & Peter Masseurs (trumpet) / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly. Also with Cristina Ortiz (piano) [ Decca / CD - released 25/Jun/1993 ] "The instrumentation is light (saxophone and accordion add a touch of spice to a generally bland recipe), while the playing here is quite superb. In fact, there's little to be said about Chailly's direction other than it is good-humoured,... |
PAGANINI / BETTHOVEN / BRUCH / MENDELSSOHN / KHACHATURIAN / PROKOFIEV / etc
Ruggiero Ricci - Complete Decca Recordings Ruggiero Ricci (violin) with Ernest Lush, Carlo Bussotti, Julius Katchen, Louis Persinger (piano) [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 20 CD Box Set - released 29/Oct/2021 ] "... the great advantage of this box is its completeness. If you have a vacant two inch gap on your shelves, this box will fit nicely. The transfers come direct from the source material and have been well remastered." MusicWeb Jan 22 |
PAGANINI / SARASATE / VIVALDI / KREISLER / SAINT-SAËNS / BACH / etc
Ruggiero Ricci - Complete American Decca Recordings Ruggiero Ricci (violin) with Leon Pommers, Brooks Smith (piano) / Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra / Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Max Rudolf [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 9 CD Box Set - released 29/Oct/2021 ] "His hand has never been surer, his tone never more beautiful than in these enchanting performances, which are aglow with spontaneity, wit, and sheer delight … a classic matching of interpreter and material." Stereo Review |
CHOPIN / LISZT / SAINT-SAENS / SCHUMANN / VILLA-LOBOS / BARTÓK / etc
Ruth Slenczynska - Complete American Decca Recordings Ruth Slenczynska (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon Eloquence / 10 CD Box Set - released 20/Nov/2020 ] A debut on CD for the American Decca legacy of Ruth Slenczynska, a prodigious Romantic-age keyboard lioness. 'Slenczynska has technique to burn, has it under complete control, and uses it with masculine vigour and shrewd musicianship' HighFidelity |
FRANZ SCHUBERT
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Britten at Aldeburgh - Schubert: Piano Duets Sviatoslav Richter (piano) Benjamin Britten (piano) [ Decca Records / CD - released 10/Jun/2000 ] From the BBC Radio archives! |
ANTONIN DVORAK / CESAR FRANCK
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Dvorak: Piano Quintet in A / Franck: Piano Quintet in F minor Sir Clifford Curzon (piano), Vienna Philharmonic Quartet [ Decca / CD - released 1/Jun/1988 ] "The Op. 81 Quintet (in a classic recording with pianist Sir Clifford Curzon) brims over with melodic inspiration." (BBC Music) |
PHILIP GLASS
Valentina Lisitsa plays Philip Glass Valentina Lisitsa (piano) [ Decca Music Group / 2 CD - released 16/Mar/2015 ] "The skilled piano performances of Lisitsa definitely put her versions of these works to the fore. Her careful phrasing and dynamics, applied as though these were works by Schumann or one of the other composers of that period, moves them into a place |
PYOTR Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Complete Solo Piano Works Valentina Lisitsa (piano), Alexei Kuznetsoff (piano) [ Decca Music Group / 10 CD Box Set - released 15/Mar/2019 ] "Though not naturally drawn to the piano like some, Tchaikovsky did, however, write and arrange a large amount of music for the instrument. The 10 discs take us from early works to orchestral works, via sonatas, songs and oddities." BBC Music |
FREDERIC CHOPIN
Chopin: Favourite Piano Works Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 10/Apr/2014 ] Original recordings from 1975 to 1985 |
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Scriabin: The Piano Sonatas Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 22/Dec/2007 ] "My favorites, in terms of performance and discounting sound, are the 3rd, 6th, 8th and particularly the impulsive youthful 1st. I also like the 9th; here Ashkenazy manages a luminous pianissimo." (Amazon.com) |
MODEST MUSSORGSKY
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (both piano & orchestral versions) Vladimir Ashkenazy / Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta [ Australian Decca Eloquence / CD - released 23/May/2001 ] Two versions of this masterpiece: the original piano work and the Ravel orchestration. |
FREDERIC CHOPIN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Chopin: Mazurkas Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 12/Jul/2000 ] "The recorded sound has the warmth, fullness and immediacy typical of this series, with a nice bloom to the piano tone." (Gramophone) |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos 8 "Pathétique", 14 "Moonlight" & 23 "Appassionata" Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) [ Decca Virtuoso / CD - released 27/Oct/2011 ] "All too rarely does one come across a record of popular, titled Beethoven sonatas which is as musically aware and as musically responsible as this" (Gramophone) |
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
Prokofiev: The Piano Concertos Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra / Andre Previn [ Double Decca / 2 CD - released 26/Feb/2005 ] "Ashkenazy is a commanding soloist in both the First and Second Concertos, and his virtuosity in the first is quite dazzling. Throughout, Previn and the LSO accompany sympathetically." Penguin Guide 3 Stars |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3 / 'Youth' Symphony / Piano Concerto No. 4 Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra / Andre Previn (Concerto) / L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande / Paul Kletzki / etc [ Decca ABC Eloquence / CD - released 14/Aug/2005 ] Bringing together music from either end of Rachmaninov's career, this CD opens with the currently unavailable Youth Symphony (unpublished in the composer's lifetime, but regardless of its Tchaikovskian echoes, carrying sentiments of things to come).... |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos / Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini / Piano Sonata 2 Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra / Andre Previn [ Decca Trio / 3 CD - released 29/Nov/2002 ] These recordings quickly established themselves as reference recordings at the time of their original release and have been a part of the Decca catalogue ever since. |
MODEST MUSSORGSKY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (piano & orchestral versions) Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) / Philharmonic Orchestra. Vladimir Ashkenazy [ Decca / CD - released 30/May/1986 ] 'Ashkenazy's account of the original piano version is distinguished by a strong poetic feel.' The Penguin Guide "The orchestral sound is characteristic of [the Kingsway Hall], richly textured, yet brilliant, with glowing detail." Gramophone |
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Rachmaninov: Complete Works for Piano Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) with André Previn (piano), with Vovka Ashkenazy (piano), Dody Ashkenazy (piano), Alastair Mackie (trumpet), Royal Concertge [ Decca / 11 CD Box Set - released 3/Feb/2014 ] "Perhaps the 1980s digital cycle of the concertos, with Bernard Haitink conducting, is not as instinctively sharp in its musical responses as Ashkenazy's earlier cycle with Previn, but his performances of the other major works would be hard to match... |
J. S. BACH
Bach: English Suites - Nos 1 - 3 / Keyboard Concerto No 1 in D minor Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano), with London Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman [ Decca / 2 CD - released 15/Oct/2021 ] "Taking off into the heavens with a notably muscular account of the opening Prelude, Ashkenazy gives a performance with nothing mannered in its unvarnished expressiveness; every note in every piece of ornamentation comes over with lapidary clarity."... |
ERIC WHITACRE
Whitacre: Home (LP) Voces8, with Christopher Glynn (piano) & Emma Denton (cello) [ Decca / 2 LP - released 14/Apr/2023 ] Two branches of choral royalty entwine with majestic harmony on the latest release from Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre and acclaimed vocal ensemble VOCES8. The album includes a world premiere, All Seems Beautiful To Me, and a new recording of... |