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Sir Winston Churchill
Great Speeches [ Regis Records / CD - released 12/Jun/2007 ] This collection from one of the greatest orators of the 20th Century - Winston Churchill - is timeless. All his major speeches throughout the war years are featured on this disc. |
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BEETHOVEN
Piano Concertos Nos 2 & 4 Stephen Kovacevich (piano) / BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis [ Pentatone SACD / SACD - released 12/Apr/2005 ] "The solo piano enters and what a sound. It is like a magnificent, properly tuned piano! The overall sound is just right. And so it goes, with every release in this series." - Rad Bennett, Radical Sounds (April 1, 2003) |
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HANDEL
Messiah (complete oratorio plus bonus DVD of highlights) Susan Gritton, Sara Mingardo, Mark Padmore, Alastair Miles / Tenebrae Choir / London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis [ LSO Live SACD / 3 Hybrid SACD/DVD - released 17/Nov/2007 ] |
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GUSTAV HOLST
Holst: Orchestral Works Volume 3 [incls 'The Mystic Trumpeter, Op. 18'] Susan Gritton (soprano) / BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 7/Oct/2013 ] "A superb release, in excellent sound. By far the best recording of the Choral Symphony available." (MusicWeb Nov 2013) |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 in C Minor op. 67 & No. 6 in F Major op.68 SWR Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart; Sir Roger Norrington, Conductor [ Hanssler / CD - released 26/May/2003 ] "Norrington's thoughts and reappraisals always present plenty of fodder to chew on. Expect to be surprised, moved and, possibly, irritated." (Music Web) |
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EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Symphony No. 1 (plus Wagner's Overture from Die Meistersinger) SWR Symphony Orchestra ,Sir Roger Norrington [ Hanssler / CD - released 15/May/2006 ] Gramophone magazine had this to say: "An honest, intelligent Elgar First from an unexpected source…" |
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GUSTAV MAHLER
Mahler: Symphony No. 7 Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Sir Simon Rattle [ BR Klassik / CD - released 24/Jan/2025 ] "The engineering abets the peerless attention to detail, always his greatest asset; every dynamic, every sonority is in place...the best way possible to celebrate what is, unbelievably, Rattle's 70th birthday" BBC Music Five Stars |
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DELIUS / ELGAR / HOLST / MOERAN / VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
The Lark Ascending Tasmin Little (violin) BBC Philharmonic, Sir Andrew Davis [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 15/Nov/2013 ] "A sumptuous offering all round!" Gramophone Editor's Choice Jan 2014... |
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COLERIDGE -TAYLOR / DELIUS / WOOD
Tasmin Little plays British Violin Concertos Tasmin Little (violin) / BBC Philharmonic, Sir Andrew Davis [ Chandos / CD - released 20/Nov/2015 ] "Little plays (the Delius) just as much careful attention as the other two equally unfamiliar works on her disc." (Guardian) |
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FREDERICK DELIUS
Delius: Violin Concerto / Double Concerto / Cello Concerto Tasmin Little (violin) Paul Watkins (cello) / BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Oct/2011 ] "Spellbinding performances of three concertos of languid beauty." (Recording of the Month MusicWeb Nov 2011) |
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SIR EUGENE GOOSSENS
Sir Eugene Goossens: Orchestral Works, Vol.3 Tasmin Little (violin), Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 7/Feb/2020 ] "For those not familiar with the other volumes in the series and encountering Goossens' music fresh, this compelling release will steer the aspiring supplicant on the right path." MusicWeb |
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EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: Violin Concerto / Polonia / Crown of India: Interlude Tasmin Little (violin) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Nov/2010 ] "Little...finds an element of wit in the fast-moving figuration [of the finale], leading to a more tender treatment of the lyrical contrasting sections." Editor's Choice Gramophone Magazine Dec 2010 |
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MOZART
Symphonies Nos. 39 & 41 The English Baroque Soloists / Sir John Eliot Gardiner [ Soli Deo Gloria / CD - released 14/Apr/2011 ] "Unlike so many 'live' recordings, this one captures the essence of pure music-making and re-creative energy. Period instruments and historical information are means to glorious ends here...[Gardiner] and his musicians take risks within the context... |
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HECTOR BERLIOZ
Les Troyens (complete opera recorded in 2003) BLU-RAY Theatre Musical de Paris / Yannis Kokkos, Susan Graham, Gregory Kunde / Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, Sir John Eliot Gardiner [ Opus Arte / BBC Blu-Ray / 2 Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Aug/2011 ] "The magnificent high-definition recording does it ample sonic and visual justice. For anyone who loves Les Troyens, this is a revelatory and essential performance." (The Gramophone Classical Music Guide) |
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SIR MICHAEL TIPPETT
Tippett: A Child of Our Time Faye Robinson, Sarah Walker, Jon Garrison & John Cheek / City of Birmingham Chorus & City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sir Michael Tippett [ Naxos / CD ] "..the composer's own lovingly crafted reading has a special place in the discography of this still-modern masterpiece." Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 |
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FREDERICK DELIUS
Delius: 150Th Anniversary Edition Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Groves, [ Warner Classics / 18 CD Box Set - released 14/Nov/2011 ] The present generous set has no parallels nor would I anticipate that there will be for many years. The performances and recordings are healthy and pleasing." (MusicWeb) |
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RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Vaughan Williams: The Complete Adrian Boult Recordings London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Choir, Sir Adrian Boult [ Warner Classics / 13 CD Box Set - released 12/Sep/2018 ] "It seems superfluous to recommend this box. It contains around 17 hours of Boult's VW. Many of these recordings are amongst the very best you will hear." MusicWeb |
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JANACEK / DVORAK / STRAVINSKY / MOZART / ELGAR / SULLIVAN / BRIAN / JANACEK / etc
Sir Charles Mackerras - The Complete Warner Classics Edition Various orchestras conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras, with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Janet Baker, and more [ Warner Classics / 63 CD Box Set - released 7/Nov/2025 ] "the repertoire in this collection ranges from Handel to Stravinsky and Delibes to Dag Wirén, all of it played with glowing musicality." Gramophone |
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VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Williams: Legendary Recordings (Incls 'On Wenlock Edge' & 'Serenade To Music') Recorded 1938-1955 George Maran (tenor) / London String Quartet / Ivor Newton (piano) / Isobel Baillie / Heddle Nash / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult [ ALTO / CD - released 25/Mar/2008 ] "1938 was Sir Henry Wood's jubilee and the magical Serenade to Music which Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote for it… this, with the original soloists RVW had in mind, has obvious uniqueness but it possesses a very special beauty and atmosphere." - Gramophone |