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BENJAMIN BRITTEN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Britten: War Requiem (complete with libretto) Luba Orgonasova, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Boje Skovhus / The Monteverdi Choir, NDR-Sinfonieorchester, John Eliot Gardiner [ Deutsche Grammophon / 2 CD Box Set - released 10/Mar/1993 ] "Gardiner seems intent above all to lay before us the work's musical attributes, so we marvel anew at its taut construction...It is a unique achievement here made manifest by one of the most perceptive interpreters of the day." Gramophone |
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VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Pavarotti: Duets Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) with Bryan Adams, Andrea Bocelli, Elton John, Celine Dion, and many others [ Decca Classics / CD - released 9/Oct/2008 ] Classic duets with a glittering array of singing legends including: Celine Dion, Elton John, Mariah Carey, Andréa Bocelli, Sting, Bono and many more. |
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PAVAROTTI & FRIENDS
Duets Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) with Bryan Adams, Andrea Bocelli, Elton John, Celine Dion, and many others [ Decca Classics / DVD - released 13/Oct/2008 ] G : - The legendary tenor duets with a host of the world's greatest musical stars in such classics as 'O sole mio', 'Miss Sarajevo' and 'Panis Angelicus'. |
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LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis in D major, Op. 123 (recorded in Oct 2012) Lucy Crowe, Jennifer Johnston, James Gilchrist, Matthew Rose / Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique & Monteverdi Choir, Sir John Eliot Gardiner [ Soli Deo Gloria / CD - released 20/Feb/2014 ] "Such is the visceral intensity of the music-making, a certain girding of the loins may be required before a second hearing, but isn't that precisely how it should be with a work of this power and magnitude?" Editor's Choice Gramophone, February 2014 |
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GEORGE FREDERICK McKAY
Violin Concerto / Sinfonietta No. 4 / Song Over the Great Plains Ludmilla Kovaleva, piano / Brian Reagin, violin / Ukraine National Radio Symphony Orchestra / John McLaughlin Williams, conductor [ Naxos American Classics / CD - released 23/Feb/2005 ] "Naxos's third McKay disc ... a worthy revival of music that could otherwise have been lost to posterity" - MusicWeb Feb 2005 |
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HANDEL
Messiah (complete recorded in 1994) Lynne Dawson, John Mark Ainsley, Alastair Miles / Choir of King's College, Cambridge / Brandenburg Consort / Stephen Cleobury [ Brilliant Classics / 2 CD - released 1/Sep/2009 ] 'John Mark Ainsley sings with remarkable spiritedness throughout, exhibiting an accomplishment and beauty of his articulation in his early numbers which afford constant repetition.' Gramophone |
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HANDEL
Messiah (highlights) Lynne Dawson, John Mark Ainsley, Alastair Miles / Choir of King's College, Cambridge / Brandenburg Consort / Stephen Cleobury [ Brilliant Classics / CD - released 15/Oct/2008 ] Originally Handel was Händel. But the German composer was welcomed in England with open arms. Thus he could leave out the Umlaut from his name. The great oratorio Messiah is Handel's best known work. This is a selection of highlights, of course the... |
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Mable John
Stay Out Of The Kitchen [ Ace Records U.K. / CD ] |
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TRADITIONAL
Christmas Carols From Oxford Magdalen College Choir, John Harper, conductor [ Alto / CD - released 1/Dec/2014 ] "..Magdalen College Oxford played an important part in the Victorian revival of the celebration of Christmas and especially of carol singing.. key figure.. J R Bloxam, Fellow of Magdalen.. first held a musical entertainment for Magdalen choristers.. |
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BYRD / TALLIS / PURCELL / BOYCE / HOWELLS / BRITTEN / etc
English Anthems from Oxford Magdalen College Choir, Oxford / John Harper [ ALTO / CD - released 1/Mar/2011 ] 17 anthems in date order including Byrd, Tallis, Gibbons, Weelkes and Tomkins. |
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J. S. BACH
Bach: Cantatas Vol 18: BWV191, BWV63, BWV123, BWV65, BWV154, BWV32, BWV 124 Magdalena Kožená, Bernarda Fink, Michael Chance / James Gilchrist / Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists / John Eliot Gardiner [ Soli Deo Gloria / 2 CD - released 16/Dec/2010 ] "With 10 top-flight soloists, it brings this awe-inspiring project to a powerful end." The Independent on Sunday, 31st October 2010 |
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HINDEMITH
Orchestral works: Mathis der Maler, Nobilissima Visione, Symphonic Metamorphosis São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) / John Neschling [ BIS / Hybrid SACD - released 1/Jun/2011 ] The three orchestral scores gathered here are certainly among Paul Hindemith's most well-loved works If his style in the 1920's at times had struck listeners as sparse and utilitarian, in Mathis der Maler (from 1934) the musical language is more... |
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J.S. BACH
Cantatas Vol 8: BWV51, 99, 100, 138; BWV8, 27, 95, 161 Malin Hartelius, Katharine Fuge, William Towers, Robin Tyson; James Gilchrist . Monteverdi Choir. English Baroque Soloists. John Eliot Gardiner [ Soli Deo Gloria / 2 CD - released 10/Feb/2005 ] Cantatas for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity and the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Live recording from the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage. St. Giles Cripplegate, London, England In total SDG will release 51 CDs, each corresponding to one of the... |
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ESSENTAIL BALLROOM CLASSICS
Essential Ballroom Classics [2 CD set] Manuel amd his orchestra, Gran Orquesta de Profesores Solistas, London Sinfonietta, The John Wilson Orchestra, Wiener Johann Strauss Orchestra, etc [ EMI Essential / 2 CD - released 1/Dec/2012 ] Over two hours of captivating dance music |
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JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Hungarian Dances For Violin And Piano (with works by Joachim) Marat Bisengaliev (Violin) John Lenehan (Piano) [ Naxos / CD - released 21/Oct/2007 ] "These are enlivening, not to say intoxicating performances of familiar music in a new and yet brilliantly effective guise." - Hi Fi News - October 1996 |
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John Scofield, with Steve Swallow & Bill Stewart
Swallow Tales [ ECM Records / CD - released 15/May/2020 ] Guitarist John Scofield celebrates the music of his friend and mentor Steve Swallow in an outgoing and spirited recording. John was a 20-year-old student at Berklee when he first met and played with the bassist, and they have continued ever since. |
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FRANCESCO PAOLO TOSTI
Tosti: The song of a life, Complete Vocal Chamber Music, Vol 4; Maria Bagalà (soprano), Glenn Morton (piano), John Viscardi (baritone), Donata D'Annunzio Lombardi (soprano), Isabella Crisante (piano), etc [ Brilliant Classics / 5 CD Box Set - released 14/Feb/2020 ] "this is a great tribute to the legacy of the greatest composer of Italian songs...it is an invaluable treat to have them collected - I doubt there will ever be a similar project again - and at Brilliant Classics's give-away price." MusicWeb |
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FELIX MENDELSSOHN
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 'Scottish' / Hebrides Overture, Op. 26 (with Schumann - Piano Concerto) Maria João Pires (piano) / London Symphony Orchestra, Sir John Eliot Gardiner [ LSO Live SACD + BLU-RAY / 2 Hybrid SACD/DVD - released 10/Nov/2014 ] "a reading formed by life experience…Pires is supported by conductor and orchestra magnificently...I've never heard so much of the orchestral colour and detail in any other Schumann recording … My anticipation that this might be a special recording h |
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HARRISON BIRTWISTLE
Gawain (complete opera) Marie Angel / Anne Howells / Richard Greager / John Tomlinson [ NMC / 2 CD - released 5/Sep/2014 ] Birtwistle's fascination with myth and ritual has influenced many of his works and this opera, its libretto by David Harsent, is based on the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, with a plot featuring castles, eerie nocturnal... |
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FRANCIS POULENC
Poulenc: Piano Concerto & Concert champêtre Mark Bebbington (piano), Jan Latham-Koenig, John Roberts (oboe), Jonathan Davies (bassoon) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [ Resonus / CD - released 6/Mar/2020 ] GRAMOPHONE Award Nomination 2021 - Concerto |