BELLINI
Norma (Complete opera recorded in 1980) Renata Scotto, Tatiana Troyanos, Giuseppe Giacomini / National Philharmonic Orchestra / James Levine [ Sony Opera House / 2 CD - released 1/Sep/2009 ] "…Scotto's Druid priestess grows in stature to give us an unbearably moving scene in which she contemplates the murder of her children and, best of all, the duets with the rival priestess of Tatiana Troyanos, who offers the most sheerly beautiful... |
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
Debussy: La Mer / Images Orchestre National de France, Emmanuel Krivine [ Erato / Warner Classics / CD - released 19/Apr/2018 ] Debussy began composing La Mer in 1904, in Burgundy, but as he wrote to fellow composer André Messager, his memories of the sea were "worth more than a reality whose charm generally weighs too heavily on the imagination". He continued to work on the... |
VERDI
Rigoletto (complete opera recorded in 1993) Richard Leech, Alexandru Agache, Leontina Vaduva / Chorus & Orchestra of Welsh National opera, Carlo Rizzi [ Warner the Teldec Opera Collection / 2 CD - released 12/Oct/2009 ] "This version is splendidly sung… the music is traversed with exemplary precision by voices of the right kind and weight." Gramophone |
GILBERT and SULLIVAN
Gilbert & Sullivan: The Mikado (Complete Opera) Richard Suart, Donald Adams, Marie Mclaughlin, Anthony Rolfe Johnson / Welsh National Opera, Charles Mackerras [ Telarc Records / CD - released 7/Jul/2000 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1851-1900) Rosette (highest rating) Penguin Stereo Guide |
JACQUES OFFENBACH
Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffman (The Tales of Hoffman) (complete opera) Roberto Alagna, Jose van Dam, Natalie Dessay, Sumi Jo / l'Opera National de Lyon, Kent Nagano [ Erato / Warner Classics The Opera Collection / 3 CD - released 25/Jul/2011 ] "With Nagano taking a light, airy view and using the most scholarly text available, this new version certainly has its place." (Gramophone) |
JACQUES OFFENBACH
Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffman (The Tales of Hoffman) (complete opera) Roberto Alagna, Jose van Dam, Natalie Dessay, Sumi Jo / l'Opera National de Lyon, Kent Nagano [ Erato Warner Classics Home of Opera / 3 CD - released 20/May/2016 ] "Kent Nagano uses Kaye's complete edition preserving the recitatives. He balances this by taking quite a brisk view of the tempi and the pacing of the piece." MusicWeb |
FRANK BRIDGE
Orchestral Works Volume 5 (Includes Suite for Strings & Two Songs of Robert Bridges) Roderick Williams, baritone BBC National Orchestra of Wales Richard Hickox, conductor [ Chandos / CD - released 5/Oct/2004 ] "Charming miniatures performed with great refinement ... enchants from beginning to end. Strongly recommended" - MusicWeb Oct 2004 |
HAVERGAL BRIAN
Wine of Summer / Symphonies Nos 19 & 27 Roderick Williams (baritone) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins [ Dutton Epoch SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Feb/2015 ] More world premiere symphony recordings for Havergal Brian fans! In this programme, Martyn Brabbins and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra continue their Havergal Brian series for Dutton Epoch with one of Brian's most delightful scores, Wine of... |
ANDRE MESSAGER
Messager: Les P'tites Michu (complete operetta) Romain Dayez, Pierre Dumoussaud, Anne-Aurore Cochet, Marie Lenormand / Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Pierre Dumoussaud [ Bru Zane / 2 CD/Book - released 11/Jan/2019 ] "The cast is predominantly youthful, as is the conductor Pierre Dumoussaud. Their account of the work is uniformly spirited, energetic, sympathetique and also full of comic broadness. But there's the rub." Opera |
NIELS W. GADE
Symphonies Vol 4 (Symphony Nos 1 & 5) Ronald Brautigam (piano) / Danish National Symphony Orchestra / Christopher Hogwood [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 2/Feb/2003 ] 'Splendidly played and evocative recordings to finish Hogwood's fine Gade cycle.' Gramophone |
THOMAS WILSON
Thomas Wilson: Symhonies Nos. 3 & 4 Rory Macdonald; Royal Scottish National Orchestra [ Linn Records / CD - released 8/Feb/2019 ] Rory Macdonald conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in the premiere recording of three orchestral works by 'the father of Scottish music', composer Thomas Wilson (1927-2001). Wilson was an important figure in Scotland's musical renaissance,... |
STRAVINSKY
Jeu de cartes (The Card Game) / Orpheus / Suite from 'the Soldier's Tale' Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Scottish National Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 5/May/2004 ] 'Järvi's 1992 coupling of Stravinsky's Jeu des cartes (still relatively rare on CD) and Orpheus was welcomed 'with open arms…' when it first appeared; he has an orchestra [the Royal Concertgebouw] capable of lightness of touch and tone without... |
CESAR FRANCK
Franck: Le Chasseur maudit, Psyche & Les Eolides Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Voices, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Jean-Luc Tingaud [ Naxos / CD - released 20/May/2020 ] César Franck was a childhood prodigy who gained later renown as an organist and teacher. His compositions received scant attention until the success of Le Chasseur maudit, a symphonic morality tale that vividly portrays the 'accursed huntsman' from... |
SHOSTAKOVICH / TCHAIKOVSKY / PROKOFIEV / RIMSKY-KORSAKOV / RACHMANINOV / etc
Great Russian Symphonies [10 CD set] Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Vasily Petrenko / National Symphony of the Ukraine, Theodore Kuchar / Russian Symphony Orchestra, Dmitry Yablonsky, etc [ Naxos / 10 CD Box Set - released 1/Dec/2015 ] The first attempts at a Russian Nationalist symphony were made in the late nineteenth-century by Balakirev and his acolytes, Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov as well as by Tchaikovsky, whose symphonies have a distinctly Russian flavour. |
Royal Scottish National Orc/Br
Brian: Symphonies Nos. 10 & 30 [ Dutton Epoch / CD - released 21/Mar/2011 ] |
Royal Scottish National Orches
Blumenfeld/Catoire: Symphony I [ Dutton / CD - released 12/Nov/2012 ] |
Royal Scottish National Orches
Bush: Lascaux Symphony/Dorian [ Dutton / CD - released 12/Nov/2012 ] |
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Shostakovich: Symphony No 11 Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Alexander Lazarev (conductor) [ Linn SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 29/Apr/2005 ] "This well mastered disc assumes a worthy position in the RSNO/Shostakovich at tradition, confirming the orchestra's standards and international credentials" (MusicWeb Juen 2005) |
WILLIAM GRANT STILL
Still: Summerland / Violin Suite / Pastorela / American Suite Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Avlana Eisenberg, with Zina Schiff (violin) [ Naxos American Classics / CD - released 27/May/2022 ] William Grant Still, the "Dean of Afro-American Composers," was part of the Harlem Renaissance and wrote nearly 200 works including nine operas and five symphonies. |