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BIZET / MASSENET / ROSSINI / BELLINI
Aigul Akhmetshina - Aigul Aigul Akhmetshina (mezzo), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniele Rustioni; with Freddie De Tommaso (tenor), Elisabeth Boudreault (soprano), Kezia Bien [ Decca / CD - released 16/Aug/2024 ] "She has a superb voice, no question, warm and even in tone, admirably agile, with a full, effortless top, and a tangy lower register...It all adds up to a fine recital, and a most auspicious debut." Gramophone September 2024 Editor's Choice |
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Aretha Franklin with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
A Brand New Me [ Warner Music / CD - released 10/Nov/2017 ] A Brand New Me: Aretha Franklin (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) pairs classic vocals from some of the most iconic songs that the Queen of Soul recorded for Atlantic Records with new arrangements performed by The Royal Philharmonic... |
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RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Leoncavallo: I Pagliacci (Complete Opera with full libretto) Barbara Frittoli, Jose Cura, Carlos Alvarez, Simon Keenlyside / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly [ Decca / CD - released 10/Mar/2000 ] 'The recording is rich, spacious and brilliant with glorious orchestral playing, making one marvel at the beauty and subtlety of Leoncavallo's orchestration.' A Key Recording, from The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs. (I Pagliacci) |
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SERGEI PROKOFIEV / ALEXEY SHOR
Prokofiev & Shor: Piano Concertos Behzod Abduraimov, Vasily Petrenko, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ Alpha Classics / CD - released 28/Mar/2025 ] "Behzod Abduraimov's expansive phrasing and potent left hand lend the opening Andantino a Brahmsian patina...abetted by the Royal Philharmonic's shapely pizzicato strings and individualistic first-desk solo turns under Vasily Petrenko's leadership." |
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OLIVER DAVIS
Davis: Blue Beth & Flo (Pianos / Piano Four Hands), Grace Davidson and Julia Doyle (sopranos), Joshua Davidson (treble), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ Signum / CD - released 6/Oct/2023 ] This is Oliver Davis' first album dedicated to the piano, and specifically two pianists, Dutch piano duo Beth & Flo. The album features this dynamic duo playing four hands piano and also on two pianos with full orchestra. The song cycle 'Siren Songs'... |
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BIRGIT NILSSON
La Nilsson (arias and songs by Wagner, Weber, Beethoven, Gounod, etc) Birgit Nilsson (soprano) / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Sir Edward Downes (with Ake Leven, organ) [ Decca ABC Australian Eloquence / CD - released 1/Sep/2008 ] One of the greatest soprano legends of all time, Nilsson's 1963 Decca recital with Sir Edward Downes of popular opera arias by Wagner, Weber, Beethoven, et.al. has never been fully issued. Here it is on CD - issued complete for the first time and in... |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Rondo, WoO 6 Boris Giltburg (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Nov/2019 ] "Here's a very promising start to what I assume will be a new Beethoven piano concerto cycle...Fine playing, fine conducting, fine engineering-in short, a really fine release generally." ClassicsToday |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos 3 & 4 Boris Giltburg (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Feb/2023 ] For 19th-century audiences Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 was the most loved of all his piano concertos, a work in which the balancing of high drama, tenderness, lyricism and humour is most pronounced and in which a coda resolves inner tensions... |
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PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto / Valse sentimentale / Valse-Scherzo / etc Christian Li (violin) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko, with Nicola Eimer (piano) [ Decca / CD - released 28/Feb/2025 ] "Whatever he touches, this young violinist emerges as an extraordinary wunderkind." BBC Music Magazine. |
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WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Shakespeare: King Lear King Lear (recorded live Strafford-Upon-Avon, 2016) (Blu-ray) Royal Shakespeare Company / Antony Sher, Natalie Simpson, Nia Gwynne, Kelly Williams / Robin Lough (director) [ Opus Arte Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 7/Aug/2017 ] King Lear has ruled for many years. As age begins to overtake him, he decides to divide his kingdom amongst his children, living out his days without the burden of power. A proud man, he allows vanity to cloud his judgment, believing that he can... |
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CLARA SCHUMANN
Romance: The Piano Music of Clara Schumann Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Holly Mathieson [ Decca / CD - released 19/Jul/2019 ] "it is the performances of the two song transcriptions that show what a gifted musician Kanneh-Mason is." Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice August 2019 |
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SZYMANOWSKI / RAVEL / YSAYE / LUTOSLAWSKI
Janusz Wawrowski - Phoenix Janusz Wawrowski (violin), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Grzegorz Nowak [ Warner Classics / CD - released 12/Mar/2021 ] Janusz Wawrowski's new album, Phoenix, could be subtitled 'Hidden Concerto'. It pairs violin concertos by Tchaikovsky and the 20th century Polish composer Ludomir Różycki. |
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GAETANO DONIZETTI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Donizetti: Lucia Di Lammermoor (Highlights from the complete 1972 recording)) Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, Nicolai Ghiaurov / Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Richard Bonynge [ Decca Opera Gala / CD - released 24/Oct/1992 ] "Though some of the girlish freshness of voice which marked the 1961 recording had disappeared by the 1971 set, Sutherland's detailed understanding was intensified. Power is there as well as delicacy, and the rest of the cast is first-rate." Penguin |
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Johnny Cash And The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Johnny Cash And The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ Legacy / CD - released 20/Nov/2020 ] Produced by Nick Patrick and Don Reedman and recorded at the fabled Abbey Road Studio 2, Johnny Cash and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is the latest in a series of RPO albums showcasing classic recordings by timeless artists in sublime new musical... |
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CHARPENTIER / DEBUSSY / BERLIOZ / MASSENET / OFFENBACH / GLUCK / BIZET / VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Kiri te Kanawa - French Opera Arias Kiri te Kanawa (soprano) / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Jeffrey Tate [ EMI / CD - released 20/Jun/1989 ] "As always, one marvels at the sheer allure of the voice" Gramophone |
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JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 / Handel Variations Lars Vogt (piano/conductor) / Royal Northern Sinfonia [ Ondine / CD - released 2/May/2020 ] "if you want an excellent performance with vivid, well balanced sound, this one by Vogt will serve you very well." MusicWeb |
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RICHARD STRAUSS / LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN / MIKHAIL GLINKA
The Princess and the Bear: Strauss (R): Duet-Concertino / Beethoven: Trio / Glinka: Trio pathétique Laurence Perkins (bassoon), with Sarah Watts (clarinet), Martin Roscoe (piano) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sian Edwards (conductor) [ Hyperion / CD - released 27/Jul/2018 ] "[the Glinka] finds Watts and Perkins squaring off and duetting like protagonists from one of the bel canto operas that inspired it, while Roscoe accompanies them with understated subtlety." Gramophone |
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GIOACCHINO ROSSINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE - Rossini: Heros and Heroines Marilyn Horne (mezzo soprano) / L'Orchestre de la Suisse romande / Royal Philharmonic Orchetra / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden [ Decca Opera Gala / CD - released 20/Jun/1998 ] 'Marilyn Horne's generously filled recital disc brings us one of the most cherishable among all Rossini aria records ever issued. The voice is in glorious condition, rich and firm throughout its spectacular range, and is consistently used with... |
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SCHUMANN / SAINT-SAENS / GLIERE
Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra Markus Maskuniitty (horn), Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor) [ Ondine / CD - released 2/Aug/2019 ] "The playing of Maskuniitty and his three colleagues is simply superb, with exemplary balance between them and the thrilling arpeggio swoops in the last movement" BBC Music Award Finalist - Concerto 2020 |
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2 / Symphony No 9 Peter Jablonski (piano) Cristina Ortiz (piano) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy [ Decca Virtuoso / CD - released 14/Jul/2014 ] "this kind of plain-spoken Shostakovich could make a good benchmark library choice" (Gramophone on the symphony) |
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Roy Orbison And The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
A Love So Beautiful [ Sony / CD - released 10/Nov/2017 ] Following the popular and chart topping Elvis with the Phil, this brand new album infuses Orbison's best original vocal performances, consisting of hits and fan favourites such as 'Oh, Pretty Woman,' 'Crying' and 'Only the Lonely,' with the emotion... |
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Roy Orbison with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Unchained Melodies [ Sony Music / CD - released 16/Nov/2018 ] The follow-up to A Love So Beautiful features Roy Orbison vocal performances with brand-new orchestral arrangements by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Additional accompaniment from Roy's three sons and backing vocals... |
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THOMAS ADES
Adès: The Dante Project (Blu-ray) The Royal Ballet / Edward Watson, Gary Avis, Sarah Lamb / Koen Kessels (cond) [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 27/Jan/2023 ] Originally presented as part of the 700th anniversary celebrations of the poet's death, Dante's epic journey through the afterlife in The Divine Comedy, is realised in a major artistic collaboration between trailblazing forces of the contemporary... |
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Royal Blood
Back To The Water Below [ Warner Music / CD - released 1/Sep/2023 ] From the very beginning, Royal Blood's story has been one of two life-long friends whose shared passion and dedication for writing and performing has led them on a remarkable adventure together. Long before Royal Blood were even formed, they spent... |
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Royal Blood
Back To The Water Below (LP) [ Warner Music / LP - released 1/Sep/2023 ] From the very beginning, Royal Blood's story has been one of two life-long friends whose shared passion and dedication for writing and performing has led them on a remarkable adventure together. Long before Royal Blood were even formed, they spent... |
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Royal Blood
Limbo 7" [ Warner / 7in - released 9/Apr/2021 ] Black 7-inch vinyl single of 'Limbo' with 'I need saving' etched on reverse. Taken from the forthcoming album 'Typhoons', out 30 April 2021. |
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BO HANSSON
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Hanson: Endless Border & other choral works Royal Holloway Choir, Rupert Gough [ Hyperion / CD - released 10/Apr/2012 ] "The three dozen voices of the Royal Holloway Choir bring impressive reserves of stamina and concentration to bear on these sometimes difficult pieces." (BBC Music). |
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WILLIAM ALWYN
Alwyn: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / David Lloyd-Jones (conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 20/Jan/2006 ] "A most rewarding issue, which I recommend strongly.' (MusicWeb April 2006) |
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ANTONIN DVORAK
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Dvorak: Symphony No 3 in E flat, Op.10 / Scherzo Capriccioso / Carnival Overture Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Libor Pesek [ Virgin Classics / 2 CD - released 1/Oct/2005 ] Recording: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, October 1988. |
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GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: La Traviata (Complete opera recorded in 1994) Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Frank Lopardo, Angela Gheorghiu, Leo Nucci / Sir Georg Solti (cond) [ Decca Classics DVD / DVD - released 1/Jan/2017 ] "The singing is glorious, and this is one of the DVDs that should be the cornerstone in any collection. A superb stage spectacle." Penguin Guide Rosette Winner |
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BENJAMIN BRITTEN
Gloriana (complete opera recorded in June 2013) BLU-RAY Royal Opera House / Susan Bullock, Toby Spence, Patricia Bardon, Mark Stone, Kate Royal / Paul Daniel (conductor) [ Opus Arte Royal Opera House Collection Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 25/Nov/2013 ] "At its moments of greatest drama and pathos this 2013 production is undeniably effective." (MusicWeb) |
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OLIVER DAVIS
Davis: Air Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Bateman [ Signum / CD - released 6/May/2022 ] Similarly to his previous album SOLACE, AIR was written during lockdown and draws on themes of nature, environment and the natural world. Davis's previous albums with Signum have reached the top 10 on both iTunes Classical and UK Specialist Classical... |
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MALCOLM ARNOLD
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Arnold - Symphony No. 6 / Fantasy on a Theme of John Field / etc Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley, with John Lill (piano) [ Conifer / CD - released 20/May/1993 ] "As his Symphony No. 6, completed in the summer of 1967, shows, Arnold was as great a symphonist as Tippet or Walton, but he was a harder, tougher, and sharper composer than them." AllMusic.com |
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FRANZ BERWALD
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Berwald: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4 / Racing / etc Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,Ulf Bjorlin [ EMI Classics Maxtrix 21 / CD - released 1/Mar/1977 ] Recorded Jan and Sep 1976 |
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EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA
Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus / Piano Concerto / Symphony No. 3 Laura Mikkola (piano) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Hannu Lintu [ Naxos / CD - released 13/Oct/2002 ] "performances are fully as fine as any available.. unobtrusively excellent." - David Hurwitz, Classicstoday.com |
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Royal Thunder
Rebuilding The Mountain (Limited Edition LP) [ Spinefarm / LP - released 23/Jun/2023 ] Atlanta-based rock trio of Mlny Parsonz (vocals, guitar), Josh Weaver (bass), and Evan Diprima (drums) deliver a powerful build of darting, bluesy riffs and booming, soulful vocals that encapsulate the visceral and spirited sound of Royal Thunder.... |
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BEDRICH SMETANA
Smetana: Ma vlast (Includes Vltava) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent [ Classics For Pleasure / CD - released 7/Sep/2009 ] Recorded at Abbey Rd Studio, London, 1964 |
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MOZART / GLUCK / CHERUBINI / HAYDN / PERGOLESI
Teresa Berganza - Eighteenth-Century Portraits Teresa Berganza (mezzo-soprano), Félix Lavilla (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Kammerorchester, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent [ Australian Decca Eloquence / 2 CD - released 1/Apr/2018 ] 'This has always been one of Teresa Berganza's most attractive records.' Opera, September 1968 (Mozart arias) |
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Band of the Royal Regiment of NZ Artillery
Lest We Forget - For ANZAC Day [ Ode Records / CD - released 20/Apr/2009 ] From the award winning Band of the Regiment of the New Zealand Artillery we have "Lest We Forget" containing all the tracks pertinent to Anzac day and official military occasions. |