MESSIAEN
Poemes pour Mi / Les offrandes oubliees / Un sourire Lyon National Orchestra / Jun Markl [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Dec/2009 ] "As with the accompaniment to the song cycle, the orchestral playing and the conducting of Jun Märkl cannot be faulted, while Tim Handley's engineering is admirable. My disc of the month." (David's Review Corner Oct 2009) |
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
Debussy: Préludes - Books 1 & 2 (24, complete) [arr orchestra] Lyon National Orchestra, Jun Markl [ Naxos / CD - released 20/Nov/2012 ] "The impression is of a job professionally done and of performances that do what they have to do and do it well. They do not, however, extinguish the temptation to go back and relish Debussy's piano originals." (Gramophone) |
EDWARD GRIEG
Grieg: Complete Orchestral Works Malmö Symphony Orchestra & Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bjarte Engeset [ Naxos / 8 CD Box Set - released 28/Apr/2014 ] This boxed set of Grieg's complete orchestral works is a celebration of the composer's rich and multi-faceted aesthetic. Grieg was an idealistic humanist whose music and writings underlined a harmony between humans and nature. The sense of nostalgia... |
CHOPIN / ROSSINI / OFFENBACH / BIZET / LALO / CHABRIER / etc
Art and Music: Manet - Music of His Time Hungarian State Opera Orchestra; New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; Polish National Radio Symphony, Kodály Quartet, etc [ Naxos Educational / CD - released 31/Mar/2003 ] Edouard Manet (1832-83) has been called the father of modern painting. In the 1860s he was the leader of a group of young artists who later became known as the Impressionists, though his own work resists any simple label. On this CD, the world of... |
HENRYK WIENIAWSKI
Wieniawski: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 / Fantaisie brillante on themes from Gounod's 'Faust' Op.20 Marat Bisengaliev (violin) / National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice) / Antoni Wit (conductor) [ Naxos / CD - released 20/Jan/2003 ] "this can be recommended regardless of price....these are performances of bravura excitement, warm, flowing tone, and awesome ease of execution...This Wieniawski release is an incredible bargain" - Fanfare |
EDUARD LALO
Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole (with works by Sarasate, Saint-Saens & Ravel) Marat Bisengaliev (Violin) / Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra / Johannes Wildner [ Naxos / CD - released 20/Sep/2009 ] "the performance develops plenty of life and character" (Penguin Guide) |
Marc Minkowski; Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine; Florian Sempey
Rossini: Figaro? Sì! [ Alpha Classics / CD - released 22/Apr/2022 ] The French baritone Florian Sempey has established himself as a key player on today's operatic scene. For his first solo recital, Rossini was the obvious choice, first of all because he has already performed the title role in Il barbiere di Siviglia... |
GE GAN-RU
Chinese Rhapsody Margaret Leng Tan (piano) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Jose Serebrier, conductor [ BIS SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 20/May/2005 ] Featuring a Western symphony orchestra accented by Chinese percussion, both Chinese Rhapsody and Wu are perfect introductions to Ge's compositional fusion CD... |
CHOPIN / LOEWE
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor Op. 21 / Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Mari Kodama (piano) / Russian National Orchestra / Kent Nagano [ Pentatone SACD / SACD - released 6/Jul/2005 ] "Mari Kodama who numbers Brendel and Tatiana Nikolaeva among her teachers, is an impressive soloist happy to note-spin with all the required ease and facility in the Loewe and to provide a good deal more in the Chopin." ---Bryce Morrison, Gramophone... |
PUCCINI / BELLINI / ROSSINI
Maria Callas: Toujours - Paris 1958 BLU-RAY Maria Callas (soprano) / Orchestra & Chorus of the Paris National Opera [ 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. |
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) |
VERDI
Aida (Highlights from the complete opera) Maria Dragoni, Kristjan Johannsson, Barbara Dever, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland; Rico Saccani, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 30/Jun/2003 ] "The most impressive performer is indeed the fiery, plush-voiced, confident Dever... Gragoni is an interesting, highly individual Aida with some temperament and a good high C." - American Record Guide (Ralph V. Luciano) May/June 2001 |
EDWARD ELGAR / ERNEST CHAUSSON / VICTORIN JONCIERES
Mer(s): Songs by Elgar, Chausson & Joncieres Marie Nicole-Lemieux (contralto) / Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Paul Daniel [ Erato Classics / CD - released 4/Oct/2019 ] "Lemieux is on imperious form in Sea Pictures. Her rich contralto sits easily in Elgar's writing…She is magnificent [in the Chausson], completely at home in the fleshy vocal lines of Maurice Bouchor's poetry to crown a really impressive disc" Gramoph |
GIOACCHINO ROSSINI
Sì, Sì, Sì, Sì!: Rossini Opera Arias & Duets Marie Nicole-Lemieux (contralto) / Orchestre national de Montpellier Occitanie, Enrique Mazzola, with Patrizia Ciofi (soprano) [ Erato Classics / CD - released 1/Mar/2017 ] "The Quebecois singer recalls the great Marilyn Horne in this repertoire, though her voice is more feminine in timbre, her persona perhaps more coquettish for Rosina's and Isabella's arias...The rarities are treats." Sunday Times |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Marie Oppert - Enchantée Marie Oppert (soprano) / Orchestre National De Lille, Nicholas Skilbeck, with Natalie Dessay & Melissa Errico [ Warner Classics / CD - released 4/Sep/2020 ] In her debut album on Warner Classics, Enchantée, Marie Oppert embraces both the classics of Broadway repertoire and treasured songs of French origin, in order to represent her own musical upbringing and passion. The program explores the idea of this... |
CARPENTER / HEAD / DEAZLEY / JOHNSTON
Only a Singing Bird Karen Cargill (mezzo) & Philip Moore (piano) / NYCoS National Girls Choir, Christopher Bell [ Signum Classics / CD - released 20/Feb/2016 ] A beautiful collection of songs, 'Only a Singing Bird' features Michael Head's best-known works, 'The Ships of Arcady' and 'The Little Road to Bethlehem', as well as his beautifully-imagined, nostalgic song-cycle, 'Snowbirds'. The National Youth... |
CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR
Piano Concertos 1 & 2 / Fantaisie in A flat major Op. 62 Markus Becker (piano) / BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thierry Fischer [ Hyperion Romantic Piano Concertos Vol 55 / CD - released 1/Nov/2011 ] Charles-Marie Widor was born in Lyon to a family of organ builders and consequently became an organist of great skill and an assistant to Camille Saint-Saëns at La Madeleine in Paris at the age of twenty-four. |
RAVEL
Symphonies Concertantes / Violin Concerto in D Major MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig / Lyon National Orchestra / Jun Markl [ Naxos / CD - released 1/May/2009 ] "This is totally recommendable - especially at the price" (MusicWeb June 2009) |
PERRY
William Perry: Music for Great Films of the Silent Era Michael Chertock (piano), Helen Kearns (soprano) / RTÉ National Symphony, Paul Phillips [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Nov/2011 ] |
W. A. MOZART
Clarinet Concerto (with Beethoven - Clarinet Concerto [arr Collins]) Michael Collins, clarinet, Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev [ Deutsche Grammophon / CD - released 15/Nov/2000 ] An extradinary version of the Beethoven Violin Concerto on Clarinet |