SIBELIUS
Violin Concerto / Finlandia, Op. 26 / Karelia Suite, Op. 11 / etc Jennifer Pike (violin) / Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Mar/2014 ] Jean Sibelius is perhaps best known for his seven great symphonies but there is also a large body of music for the concert hall, the theatre, and the salon, some of which is explored on this release. The Violin Concerto in D minor, Sibelius's only... |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Messiah (complete oratorio recorded in 1954) (with Bach: Magnificat) Jennifer Vyvyan, Norma Procter, George Maran, Owen Brannigan, London Philharmonic Choir & Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult [ Decca Australian Eloquence / 3 CD Box Set - released 27/Sep/2019 ] "Beautifully engineered sound. Balance is exceptional … excellent singing … really fine choral discipline" High Fidelity (Handel) |
ARNE / ELGAR / WOOD / PARRY / WALTON / WILLIAMSON
The Last Night Of The Proms 1969 • 1971 • 1972 - Highlights Jessye Norman (soprano) Elizabeth Bainbridge (mezzo-soprano) / BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Choral Society, BBC Chorus, Sir Colin Davis [ Decca SBS Australian Eloquence / 2 CD - released 1/Jun/2019 ] Compiled together for the first time, historic recordings of the grand finale to the world's greatest music festival. |
GERSHWIN / RODGERS / BERLIN / HERRMANN / SCHOENBERG / WAXMAN / etc
John Mauceri - The Sound of Hollywood John Mauceri, with Julie Andrews, Ben Kingsley, Marilyn Horne, Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir John Gielgud, Patti LuPone [ Decca / Eloquence / 16 CD Box Set - released 17/Nov/2023 ] The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra breathed new life into the orchestral pops repertoire, told new stories and brought in new audiences when it was revived under the conductor John Mauceri in the 1990s. |
DVORAK / STRAVINSKY / RICHARD STRAUSS / BERNSTEIN / SHOSTAKOVICH
New Year's Eve Concert 2017 BLU-RAY Joyce DiDonato (mezzo) / Berliner Philharmoniker [Berlin Philharmonic], Sir Simon Rattle [ EuroArts Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 1/Apr/2018 ] With her flexible, slender but dark-timbred mezzo-soprano, Joyce DiDonato is the star guest at Sir Simon Rattle's side during the New Year's Eve Concert, singing Richard Strauss's lavishly beautiful orchestral songs. The programme also includes works... |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: La damnation de Faust Karen Cargill, Bryan Hymel, Christopher Purves, Gábor Bretz / London Symphony Chorus & Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle [ LSO Live SACD / 2 Hybrid SACD - released 19/Jul/2019 ] "Hymel's Faust is the most convincing soloist. But it's the vivid detail Rattle conjures up, the brilliant playing and the force and intensity of the choral singing that give greatest satisfaction." Sunday Times |
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) |
PUCCINI
La Boheme (Complete Opera) Katia Ricciarelli / Jose Carreras / Ingvar Wixell / Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Sir Colin Davis [ Decca Opera! / 2 CD - released 1/Sep/2010 ] "Not Davis's normal repertoire, but he conducts a lively, detailed, idiomatic performance of this masterpiece, and has strong soloists. Carreras was then at his peak, and Ricciarelli is an affecting Mimi." (BBC Music) |
HANDEL / ALLEGRI / TALLIS / BYRD / GIBBONS / etc
The World of King's King's College Choir, Cambridge, Sir David Willcocks [ Decca Records / CD - released 13/Jan/2000 ] All those favourites from the King's boys |
CHARLES GOUNOD
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Gounod: Faust (complete opera with full libretto recorded in 1986) Kiri te Kanawa, Francisco Araiza, Evgeny Nesterenko, Andreas Schmidt / Symphonie-Orchester & Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Sir Colin Davis [ Philips / 3 CD Box Set - released 28/Aug/2014 ] "Let me say at the outset that this is the most satisfying performance of Gounod's favourite opera yet to appear in the LP/CD era...In the lyrical music Araiza manages a real pianissimo not found in his rival's assumptions." Gramophone |
VERDI / PUCCINI / HUMPERDINCK / MOZART / R. STRAUSS / SCHUBERT / etc
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: A Portrait of Kiri te Kanawa Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano), Laurence Dale (tenor), Frederica von Stade (mezzo), Ileana Cotrubas (soprano) / London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir John Prit [ Sony / CD - released 1/Mar/1983 ] Created a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1982, Kiri Te Kanawa has been conferred with honorary degrees from the Universities in Oxford, Dundee, Warwick, Auckland, Waikato, Nottingham, Chicago, Durham and Cambridge. |
ERICH KORNGOLD
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Korngold: Abschiedslieder / Symphony 3 Linda Finnie (contralto) / BBC Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Edward Downes [ Chandos / CD - released 2/Feb/1993 ] "Korngold's lush orchestration needs sound with a full bloom, and the Chandos engineers provide that in spades" The Times |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos Krystian Zimerman (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle [ Deutsche Grammophon / 3 CD - released 13/Aug/2021 ] "..these performances are as near-definitive as I ever expect to hear...[Zimerman's] interpretations here have a fleet grace which takes the breath away." BBC Music Magazine Awards 2022 Shortlisted - Concerto |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos [3 CDs with Blu-ray Audio / Dolby Atmos & Blu-ray video] Krystian Zimerman (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle [ Deutsche Grammophon / 5 CD/Blu-ray Disc - released 22/Apr/2022 ] Krystian Zimerman, Sir Simon Rattle, and Ludwig van Beethoven: three exceptional musicians and five great piano concertos brought together for this landmark recording. |
BEETHOVEN / MOZART / BRAHMS / HANDEL / HAYDN / MENDELSSOHN / ROSSINI / etc
Roger Norrington - The Complete Erato Recordings London Classical Players, The Schutz Choir of London, Sir Roger Norrington, with Melvyn Tan (piano) & Daniel Hope (violin) [ Erato Veritas / 45 CD Box Set - released 11/Nov/2022 ] Innovator, erudite, entertaining and acclaimed conductor Sir Roger Norrington founded the Schütz Choir, became founding music director of Kent Opera and established the London Classical Players, the period-instrument orchestra. |
RICHARD WAGNER
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Sir Adrian Boult conducts Wagner Volume 2 London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult [ EMI Studio / CD - released 6/Aug/1989 ] "Boult at his finest" Penguin Guide |
EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: The Wand of Youth Suites / Three Bavarian Dances / etc London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult. [ EMI Studio / CD - released 20/Mar/2006 ] Original recordings from 1968 & 1975 |
GUSTAV HOLST
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: The Essential Holst (Incls 'The Planets' & 'The Perfect Fool') London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti, Sir Adrian Boult, St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Christopher Hogwood, The Purcell Singers [ Decca Records / 2 CD - released 25/Jan/1995 ] Holst's works were played frequently in the early years of the 20th century, but it was not until the international success of The Planets in the years immediately after the First World War that he became a well-known figure. (Wiki) |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL, arr BEECHAM
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Handel arr. Beecham: The Gods Go A'Begging' / The Great Elopement / etc London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham [ Dutton / CD - released 20/Aug/1996 ] Digitally remastered from the original 78rpm shellac pressings |
ERNEST JOHN MOERAN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Moeran: Sinfonietta / Symphony in G minor / Overture for a Masque London Philharmonic Orchestra / New Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult [ Lyrita / CD - released 20/Apr/2007 ] "Classic versions still unmatched and now stealing with nonchalant confidence the poll place in the Moeran discography" (Recording of the Month MusicWeb March 2007) |