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SHOSTAKOVICH
The Symphonies (complete) plus 'the Song of the Forests', October, Op.131 & Festival Overture, Op.96 Joan Rodgers (soprano) Mikhail Kotliarov (tenor) Sergei Koptchak (baritone) / Royal Philharmonic / St Petersburg Philharmonic / Vladimir Ashkenazy [ Decca Budget Boxes / 12 CD - released 20/Jul/2007 ] "There's much to be said for the present set of sturdy, central, "un-aristocratic" performances, decently annotated with full texts and translations." (Gramophone Magazine) |
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VINCENZO BELLINI
Bellini: I Puritani (complete opera) Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Piero Cappuccilli, Nicolai Ghiaurov / Royal Opera House Covent Garden / London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Bonyng [ Decca / 3 CD - released 10/Aug/2006 ] 1001 Classical recordings to hear before you die (1801-1850) -- Building a Library First Choice - January 2005 |
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Joel Mcneely, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
O.S.T. - Last Of The Mohicans [ Varese Sarabande / CD - released 3/Feb/2009 ] |
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TRADITIONAL / JOHN RUTTER / etc
The Colours of Christmas The Bach Choir & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, John Rutter, with Over the Bridge [ Decca Music Group / CD - released 1/Dec/2011 ] "If you believe that Christmas music should have a warm, comfortable feel, then this CD will fit the bill perfectly." (Gramophone) |
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JULES MASSENET
Massenet: Cendrillon [Cinderella] (the complete opera, recorded in 2011) Royal Opera House / Joyce DiDonato, Alice Coote, Eglise Gutierrez, Ewa Podles / Bertrand de Billy (conductor) [ Virgin Classics DVD / 2 DVD - released 11/May/2012 ] "Bertrand de Billy leads a highly sympathetic reading of the score...revelling in the pomposity of the court dances while conjuring magic in the duets." (International Record Review) |
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GAETANO DONIZETTI
Donizetti: L'Ange de Nisida (complete opera) Joyce El-Khoury, David Junghoon Kim, Laurent Naouri, Vito Priante / Royal Opera Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Sir Mark Elder [ Opera Rara / 2 CD Box Set - released 20/Mar/2019 ] Opera Rara presents, 179 years after it was written, the world premiere recording of a Donizetti 'lost' masterpiece, restored and brought thrillingly back to life. Written in 1839 for the Theâtre de la Renaissance in Paris, rehearsals started but the... |
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SCHUMANN
Schumann - The Complete Songs [10 CDs Special Price] Juliane Banse, Edith Barlow, Katherine Broderick, Stella Doufexis, Felicity Lott, Geraldine McGreevy, Dorothea Röschmann, Kate Royal, Jonathan Lemalu [ Hyperion / 10 CD Box Set - released 20/Sep/2010 ] "As for the music, if you're a fan of Schumann you'll know what you're getting: probably the finest set of lieder after that of Schubert." (Bargain of the Month Sept 2010) |
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KARL JENKINS
Jenkins: Stella Natalis Kate Royal (soprano), Alison Balsom (trumpet) Alice Halstead (soprano) / Ethic Percussion Orchestra, Tenebrae Choir & Members of Adiemus, Karl Jenkins [ Universal Classics / CD - released 3/Dec/2019 ] "Karl Jenkins is a rarity among contemporary composers, balancing popularity with innovation." (The Independent) |
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KARL JENKINS
The Very Best of Karl Jenkins [2 CD set] Kate Royal, Kiri te Kanawa (sopranos) Alfie Boe (tenor) / Various orchestras, conducted by Karl Jenkins [ Universal Classics / 2 CD - released 20/Jun/2019 ] This 2-CD compilation presents a selection of the most popular pieces by the nation's best-loved living composer Karl Jenkins. Includes music from best-selling recordings Adiemus, The Armed Man, Requiem, Gloria, Stabat Mater, Palladio, Stella Natalis... |
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GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony No 2 in C minor 'Resurrection' Kate Royal (soprano), Magdalena Kozena (mezzo) / Berliner Philharmoniker & Rundfunkchor Berlin, Sir Simon Rattle [ Warner Classics / 2 CD - released 1/May/2011 ] "Kožená brings her customary depth of feeling to the still maternal voice of "Urlicht"...Rattle's famous piano-pianissimos are deployed to breathtaking effect." (Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice March 2011) |
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RUGGIERO LEONCAVALLO
Leoncavallo: Zingari (complete opera) Krassimira Stoyanova, Arsen Soghomonyan, Stephen Gaertner, Lukasz Golinski / Opera Rara Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlo Rizzi [ Opera Rara / CD - released 23/Sep/2022 ] "it's hard to imagine it better done, either. Arsen Soghomonyan was the dark-voiced, passionate Radu, slowly losing control when faced with Krassimira Stoyanova's imperious, self-determined Fleana, gloriously sung." The Guardian |
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London Symphony Orchestra. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Andre Previn
Elgar - Symphonies Nos 1 & 2 / Cockaigne, 'In London Town' / Pomp And Circumstance Marches 1-5 [ Philips Duo / 2 CD - released 25/Jun/2004 ] "Previn's view of the opening movement of the first symphony is spacious, with moulding of phrase and lifting of fhythm beautifully judged, to bring natural flexibility within a strongly controlled structure, steadier than usual in basic tempo. The... |
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HOOKED ON CLASSICS
Hooked On Classics / Can't Stop The Classics / Journey Through The Classics Louis Clark & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ K-Tel / 3 CD - released 8/Feb/2008 ] Hooked on Classics was a series of record albums first introduced in 1981, toward the end of the Disco era's peak in popularity. |
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W. A. MOZART
Cosi Fan Tutti (complete opera recorded in 1994) Charlotte Margiono, Delores Ziegler, Gilles Cachemaille, Thomas Hampson / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Nikolaus Harnoncourt [ Teldec / Warner Classics The Opera Collection / 3 CD Box Set - released 21/Sep/2009 ] Classic recordings now repackaged! |
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GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: Tosca (complete opera remastered recorded live 1964) Maria Callas, Renato Cioni, Tito Gobbi, David Sellar / Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Carlo Felice Cillario [ Warner Classics Maria Callas Live Remastered / 2 CD - released 1/Feb/2019 ] There are obvious parallels between Tosca - the passionate, but vulnerable Roman diva - and Maria Callas. 'Vissi d'arte' (I lived for art), the character's moving Act II aria, has acquired a particular symbolism since the soprano's death in 1977.... |
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PUCCINI / BELLINI / ROSSINI / BIZET / VERDI / BELLINI / etc
Maria Callas: In Concert London, Hamburg & Paris BLU-RAY Maria Callas (soprano) / Orchestra & Chorus of the Paris National Opera, Symphonieorchester des NDR, Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Cove [ Warner Classics Blu-ray / 3 Blu-ray Disc - released 25/Sep/2017 ] Callas at Covent Garden (London 1962 & 1964) Callas in Concert (Hamburg 1959 & 1962) Toujours (Paris 1958) |
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PUCCINI / BIZET / VERDI
Maria Callas at Covent Garden: London 1962 & 1964 Maria Callas (soprano) / Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden [ Warner Classics Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Nov/2015 ] This Blu-ray disc is part of a collection of three that gather together concert and stage performances from the latter phase of Callas's career, 1958-1964. These are the only professional video recordings of Callas in performance on stage. |
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BACH / CHOPIN / PROKOFIEV / RAVEL / MOZART / BEETHOVEN / etc
Martha Argerich - Live at the Concertgebouw (LP) Martha Argerich (piano) / Nederlands Kamerorkest, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra [ Warner Classics / 4 LP - released 19/Nov/2021 ] "The difficulty in writing about the piano playing of Martha Argerich is that it is now, and always has been, so relentlessly good." Gramophone "She is still generally regarded as the greatest pianist alive today." The Guardian |