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SIBELIUS / ELGAR
Violin Concertos (recorded 1984 & 1993) Ida Haendel (violin) / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle [ Testament / CD - released 10/Oct/2009 ] "..it is Haendel's thoroughly personal input of humanity, expressive power, and her dynamic fusion of immediacy and profound insight that puts this performance in a class of its own. It is simply mind-blowing." The Telegraph, 28th July 2009 ***** |
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RESPIGHI
Trittico Botticelliano / Aretusa / Lauda per la Nativita del Signore / etc Janet Baker (mezzo) / City of London Sinfonia / Rchard Hickox [ Brilliant Classics / CD - released 1/Apr/2010 ] Respighi studied orchestration with Rimsky Korsakov, another master of the orchestra, and his use of the orchestral palate was a huge influence on the young Italian. |
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CARL MARIA von WEBER
Weber: Complete Works for Clarinet Janet Hilton (clarinet) / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi / Lindsay String Quartet / Keith Swallow (piano) [ Chandos / 2 CD - released 1/Jan/2007 ] 'Janet Hilton's is a very fine performance. The slow movements are ruminative and beautifully played.' Fanfare |
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JOHN RUTTER
Mass for the Children and other sacred works by John Rutter Joanne Lunn (soprano) Roderick Williams (baritone) Cantate Youth Choir, The Cambridge Singers / City of London Sinfonia directed by John Rutter [ Collegium / CD - released 20/Nov/2003 ] John Rutter's Mass of the Children, for adult and children's choir with orchestra, is premiered here with a recital of eight of his recent anthems. |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
An introduction to Beethoven (Incls Piano Concerto No. 5 'Emperor' & Symphony No. 5 in C minor) John Lill (piano) / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Walter Weller [ Chandos Intro / CD - released 1/Aug/2006 ] 'You'll know the meaning of the term 'heart-rending beauty' when you listen to the slow movement of the Piano Concerto.' CD Review |
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RACHMANINOV
Piano Concertos 2 & 3 Jorge Luis Prats (piano) / Mexico City Philharmonic / Enrique Batiz [ Regis Records / CD - released 3/Jun/2007 ] "virtuoso flamboyance guaranteed to set the pulse racing... enthusiastically recommended" (CD Review) |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Symphony No.10 / Symphony in C Major for Piano, Cello and Violin Op. 56 Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio / English Chamber Orchestra / Sir Alexander Gibson; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Walter Weller [ Chandos Collect / CD - released 7/Aug/2003 ] *** Three Stars. Penguin Stereo Guide |
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NATIVITAS
Nativitas: American Christmas Carols Kansas City Chorale / Charles Bruffy (conductor) with James Higdon, organ [ Nimbus / CD - released 1/Nov/2008 ] "As beautiful a disc of precious Christmas music as you are likely to hear this or any year." (MusicWeb Nov 2009) |
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Kraemer/Watkinson/City Of Lond
Vivaldi:concerti For Violins & [ Naxos / CD ] |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.1 & 2 Lars Vogt (piano) / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle [ Warner Classics Red Line / CD - released 12/Feb/2007 ] "This is a remarkable record, as fine a recorded account of these two concertos as we have had for many a long year." (Gramophone) |
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DONIZETTI / GOUNOD / MASSENET / PUCCINI / etc
Beloved Arias Liparit Avetisyan (tenor), Constantine Orbelian (conductor), Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra [ Delos / CD - released 20/Jun/2025 ] Acknowledged as one of the most exciting lyric tenors of his generation, Liparit Avetisyan releases his first solo album on Delos: a crowd-pleasing programme of celebrated arias which the Armenian has performed in major opera houses including the... |
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GEORGE DYSON
Dyson: Symphony in G / Overture, At the Tabard Inn / In Honour of the City London Symphony Chorus / City of London Sinfonia / London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Hickox, conductor [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 3/May/2005 ] 'This is a very fine recording, beautifully set in the glowing acoustic of the Blackheath Hall.' - Gramophone on In Honour of the City and At the Tabard Inn |
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FERRUCCIO BUSONI
Busoni: Piano Concerto in C major Op 39 Marc-Andre Hamelin (piano) / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Mark Elder (conductor) [ Hyperion Romantic Piano Concertos Vol 22 / CD - released 4/Feb/2002 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1901-1950) |
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PROKOFIEV
Prokofiev (incls Violin Concerto No.1 in D & Symphony No.1 in D Op.25) Martha Argerich, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Michel Baroff / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal [ Warner Classics 20th Century Classics / 2 CD - released 20/Jul/2008 ] "Rattle's...is a pretty stunning Scythian Suite, combining foundation-threatening pagan spectacle and heart-stopping beauty in ideal equilibrium. A terrific display, excitingly engineered" (Gramophone on the Synthian Suite) |
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MENDELSSOHN
Mendelssohn in Birmingham - Volume 3 [Incls Symphony No. 2 'Lobgesang''] Mary Bevan (soprano I), Sophie Bevan (soprano II) & Benjamin Hulett (tenor) / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Feb/2015 ] "The playing of the CBSO is of the highest quality, and the perfectly balanced and blended sound of the wind sections is something very special. It is all so well rendered by the engineers; they have successfully preserved the feeling of spaciousness |
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WEBER
Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 & Concertino Michael Collins (clarinet & conductor) / City of London Sinfonia [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 1/Dec/2011 ] On this disc, the exclusive Chandos artist, Michael Collins, plays the clarinet in three works for clarinet and orchestra by Weber, as well as conducting the City of London Sinfonia. The disc also includes Weber's horn concertino, featuring the... |
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Aram Khatc
Konzert für Violoncello und Orchester; Konzert für Violine und Orchester Müller-Schott, Steinbacher; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo [ ORFEO / CD - released 9/Mar/2004 ] |
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New Lost City Ramblers
Songs from the Depression [ Smithsonian Folkways / CD - released 21/Sep/2009 ] NLCR are Mike Seeger, John Cohen, and Tom Paley. They are a contemporary old-time string band that formed in New York City in 1958 during the Folk Revival and focus on traditional playing styles. |
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TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (complete ballet recorded December 14, 2011) New York City Ballet / Megan Fairchild, Joaquin De Luz, Teresa Reichlen, Daniel Ulbricht [ C Major DVD / DVD - released 10/Nov/2016 ] Choreography - George Balanchine Experience the wonder of New York City Ballet's iconic holiday classic on the big screen. In George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky's beloved melodies transport the young and young at heart to a magical... |
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PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (complete ballet recorded December 14, 2011) BLU-RAY New York City Ballet / Megan Fairchild, Joaquin De Luz, Teresa Reichlen, Daniel Ulbricht [ C Major Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 10/Nov/2016 ] "this is a production that is bright and colourful, with constant activity to divert and delight the eye. Indeed, according to those booklet notes, NYCB's entire roster of more than 150 dancers and musicians is deployed, which isn't counting a plenti |