VARIOUS COMPOSERS
The Art of Charles Dutoit (with bonus DVD of music of Prokofiev) Orchestre symphonique de Montreal / Philharmonia Orchestra / Orchestre National de France / L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande / Charles Dutoit [ Decca Budget Boxes / 7 CD/DVD - released 1/Nov/2006 ] This 6-CD orchestral spectacular features mainly recordings with the OSM but the Orchestra National de France is also included in Poulenc, while the Philharmonia is included with a popular tone-poem by Saint-Saëns (the earliest recording included... |
Original Soundtrack / Jacob Groth & Slovak National Orchestra
Music From Stig Larsson's Millennium Trilogy [ Silva Screen / CD - released 12/Jul/2010 ] Jacob Groth is the most celebrated film composer in Denmark and delivers a dark and sinister orchestral score. |
ALEXANDER GLAZUNOV
Glazunov: The Seasons; Ballet Op.67 / Concerto for Violin and Orchestra Op.82 Oscar Shumsky (violin) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 10/Aug/2007 ] "Neeme Jarvi is always at his best in big, splashy Romantic pieces, and this performance is no exception. He whips the orchestra up to a fine frenzy where necessary, and given Chandos's fine sound and a sensible coupling, you're in for some good... |
MIKHAIL IVANOVICH GLINKA
Glinka: Ivan Susanin (A Life For The Tsar) (complete opera recorded in 1955) Maria Glavachevich, Miro Changalovich, Drago Startz, Vladeta Dimitrievich / The Yugoslav Army Chorus, Belgrade National Opera Orchestra, Oskar Danon [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 3 CD Box Set - released 28/Sep/2018 ] 'The stereo sound is remarkable for its time ... Cangalovc is quite moving as Susanin prepares for the supreme sacrifice in his country's cause.' - Gramophone, June 1974 |
Otaka/Bbc National Orch Wales
Elgar:symphony No.1 In A [ Bis / CD ] |
Otaka/Bbc National Orch Wales
Gubaidulina:pro Et Contra [ Bis / CD ] |
ANDERSON / HOLST / TCHAIKOVSKY / RIMSKY_KORSAKOV / PROKOFIEV / etc
Christmas Spirit Steffan Rhys Hughes (treble) / National Youth Orchestra of Wales / Owain Arwel Hughes [ Quartz / CD - released 1/Nov/2008 ] National Youth Orchestra of Wales, Owain Arwel Hughes |
NICOLAI PAGANINI
Paganini: Violin Concertos Nos 1 & 2 Ilya Kaler (violin) / Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra / Stephen Gunzenhauser [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Aug/2009 ] "There is no lack of dazzle in the fireworks, and no damp squibs here. With very good notes, this is an excellent example of a Naxos super-bargain at its best." Penguin Guide |
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
The Poisoned Kiss (Compete opera) Pamela Helen Stephen mezzo-soprano; Roderick Williams baritone; Graham-Hall tenor; Richard Suart baritone; Adrian Partington Singers; BBC National Orc [ Chandos Classics / 2 CD - released 12/Nov/2003 ] "So it's a damp pastiche of G&S: does that matter when the music is so glorious?" - Editor's Choice (Gramophone Magazine) January 2004 |
HINDEMITH
Cardillac (complete opera recorded in 2005) Paris National Opera / Alan Held / Angela Denoke / Christopher Ventris / Kent Nagano (cond) [ Bel Air Classiques / DVD - released 24/Jul/2007 ] G :- Cardillac is a master jeweller who cannot live without his creations, killing his clients to recuperate them and assert his authorship. |
BRUNO MANTOVANI
Mantovani: Siddharta (complete ballet recorded in 2010) BLU-RAY Paris National Opera Ballet / Nicolas Le Riche, Aurélie Dupont, Stéphane Bullion / Michail Jurowski (cond) [ Arthaus Elegance Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Oct/2016 ] "Preljocaj's own long-term quest has been to harness the earthly, physical nature of dance to its metaphysical possibilities, and in these and similar passages he succeeds magisterially." (The Observer) |
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOSVKY
Tchaikovsky: Iolanta / The Nutcracker (complete opera & ballet recorded in 2016) BLU-RAY Paris National Opera & Ballet / Sonya Yoncheva, Arnold Rutkowski, Alexander Tsymbalyuk / Alain Altinoglu (cond) [ Bel Air Classiques Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 20/Nov/2018 ] In March 2016 Russian stage director Dmitri Tcherniakov created a revolutionary production for the Palais Garnier in Paris - the bringing together of Tchaikovsky's opera Iolanta and ballet The Nutcracker, which was to become one of the key events of... |
DONIZETTI
L'Elisir d'amore (complet opera recorded in 2006) Paris National Opera / Heidi Grant Murphy / Paul Groves / Laurent Naouri / Edward Gardner (cond) [ Bel Air Classiques / DVD - released 1/Nov/2008 ] "Edward Gardner conducted with outstanding imagination and authority" The Times, 12th August 2008, BBC Proms 2008 |
CHARLES GOUNOD
Gounod: Mireille (complete opera recorded in 2009) Inva Mula, Charles Castronovo / Chœur de l'Opéra national de Paris, Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris, Marc Minkowski [ Naxos DVD / 2 DVD - released 11/Jun/2021 ] As soon as I was appointed Director of the Paris National Opera, I wanted to open my term of office with Mireille at the Palais Garnier opera house. In my opinion, Gounod was the greatest French musician of the 19th century, in no way inferior to... |
CHARLES GOUNOD
Gounod: Mireille (complete opera recorded in 2009) BLU-RAY Paris National Opera / Inva Mula, Charles Castronovo, Franck Ferrari / Marc Minkowski (conductor) [ Naxos Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 11/Jun/2021 ] "Marc Minkowski leads the Parisian forces with lightness and grace while the Provençale rhythms spring to life in his hands. The opera's Prelude is a masterpiece of orchestral tone painting, as brilliantly sun-drenched as are Van Gogh's haystacks" MW |
NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Rimsky-Korsakov: The Snow Maiden (complete opera recorded in 2017) BLU-RAY Paris National Opera / Aida Garifullina, Yuriy Mynenko, Martina Serafin, Maxim Paster / Dmitri Tcherniakov (cond) [ Bel Air Classiques Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 28/May/2021 ] "Tatarnikov is sensitive to the score's brilliant colours and vividly imagined textures, drawing on the fine playing of the Paris Opera Orchestra and the enthusiastic engagement - both vocal and dramatic - of the chorus." BBC Music Five Stars |
W.A. MOZART
Die Zauberflote [The Magic Flute] (complete opera recorded in 2001) Paris National Opera / Piotr Beczala / Dorothea Roschmann / Desiree Rancatore / Ivan Fischer (cond) [ TDK / DVD - released 1/Nov/2008 ] "A Paris National Opera production of The Magic Flute in German sounds like an unlikely prospect, yet the stage settings are beautifully rich and imaginative, as are the costumes. Dorothea Roeschmann as Pamina is outstanding" (Giv Cornfield) |
W. A. MOZART
La Clemenza di Tito (complete opera recorded in 2005) BLU-RAY Paris National Opera / Susan Graham / Hannah Esther Minutillo / Catherine Naglestad / Ekaterina Siurina / Christoph Pregardien / Sylvain Cambreling [ Opus Arte Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 27/Oct/2010 ] "An evening of overwhelming beauty." Le Monde |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito (complete opera recorded in 2005) Paris National Opera / Susan Graham / Hannah Esther Minutillo / Catherine Naglestad / Ekaterina Siurina / Christoph Pregardien / Sylvain Cambreling [ Kultur / Opus Arte DVD / 2 DVD - released 2/Feb/2009 ] G :- "Mortier has done everything in his power to present the opera in this long-lasting form. However, the only justification for adding this to you collection is the outstanding singing of Susan Graham" (MusicWeb March 2006) |
MAURICE RAVEL / BENJAMIN ATTAHIR
Ravel: Valse & Rapsodie Espagnole / Attahir: Adh-Dhor Patrick Wibart / Orchestre National de Lille / Alexandre Boch [ Alpha / CD - released 8/Nov/2019 ] Alexandre Bloch juxtaposes two French composers on this disc. First of all, Maurice Ravel, with the Rapsodie espagnole, his first major work for orchestra alone, written at the age of thirty-two, and La Valse, premiered thirteen years later and which... |