CD Review - 50th Anniversary
09.05am
STRAVINSKY: Greeting Prelude
(c/w "Works of Stravinsky")
Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Igor Stravinsky (conductor)
SONY/BMG 88697103112
(22 CD set) (Budget)
BACH: Cantatas Vol. 21
Cantata: Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde (BWV. 83)
'Herr, nun la?t du deinen Diener in Friede fahren' Intonazione e Recitativo
(c/w Cantatas 80, 81 and 82).
Wilhelm Wiedl (soprano), Paul Esswood (alto), Kurt Equiluz (tenor), Ruud van der Meer, Philippe Huttenlocher, Max von Egmond (basses),Tolzer Knabenchor, Wiener Sangerknaben, Chorus Viennensis, Conncentus Musicus Wien,
Nikolaus Harnoncourt (director)
TELDEC 2425772 (2 CD)
N.B. This series of Cantata recordings is to be reissued in November (TELDEC 256469943-7)
MOZART: Le Nozze di Figaro K. 492, Act 2
Terzetto 'Susanna, or via, sortite!'
Bo Skovhus (baritone - Count Almaviva)
Dorothea Roschmann (soprano - Countess Almaviva), Anna Netrebko (soprano - Susanna)
Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (bass - Figaro), Christine
Schafer (soprano - Cherubino), Marie McLaughlin
(soprano - Marcellina), Franz-Josef Selig (bass - Bartolo), Patrick Henckens (tenor - Basilio), Florian Boesch (bass - Antonio), Eva Liebau (soprano - Barbarina), Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Nikolaus Harnoncourt (conductor)
DG 477 6544 (Highlights) or DG 477 6558 (or Hybrid SACDs)
SILVESTROV: Stille Musik (for string orchestra)
I - Walzer des Augenblicks
(c/w Bagatellen for piano 2005; Abschiedsserenade for string orchestra 2003; Der Bote for strings and piano 1996; Zwei Dialoge mit Nachwort for strings and piano)
Valentin Silvestrov (piano), Alexei Lubimov (piano), Munchener Kammerorchester, Christoph Poppen (conductor)
ECM New Series 476 6178 (CD, Mid price)
GARDNER: Piano Concerto No.1 in Bb major, Op. 34
III - Finale (Rondo)
(c/w Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 2; Overture - Midsummer Ale, Op. 73)
Peter Donohoe (piano), Royal Scottish National Orchestra, David Lloyd-Jones (conductor)
Naxos 8.570406 (CD, Budget)
09.30 am
Building a Library Recommendation
BEETHOVEN: Symphony Number 5
Reviewer: Stephen Johnson
First Choice:
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Carlos Kleiber (conductor)
(recorded 1974; c/w Symphony No. 7)
DG 447 400 2 (CD, Mid price)
Historic Choice:
Philharmonia Orchestra
Otto Klemperer (conductor)
(recorded 1955; c/w Symphony No. 7)
EMI 5678512 (CD, mid-price)
Next week David Owen-Norris recommends a performance of Isaac Albeniz's piano version of Iberia.
10.20 am Critics' Round Table (Blind Tasting)
Details of the recordings used in the Blind Tasting:
CHOPIN - Prelude in A major (Op. 28, no. 7)
(c/w 24 Preludes Op. 28; Prelude in Ab Major, Op. Posth;
Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 45; 2 Nocturnes Op. 62)
Rafal Blechacz (piano)
DG 477 6592 (CD, Mid Price)
Sibelius - Finlandia, Op. 26
(c/w Symphony No. 2 Op. 43 and Symphony No. 7 Op. 105)
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer (conductor)
ABC 4766167 (CD, Full Price)
Byrd - Second Service Magnificat
(c/w Second Service and Consort Anthems)
The Choir of Magdalen College Oxford, Bill Ives (director)
Ryan Leonard (organ), Stefan Roberts (treble),
Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor) and Fretwork
HMU 907440 (CD, Mid Price)
Pavel Haas - String Quartet No. 3, Op. 15 (1938)
(c/w String Quartet in C Sharp Minor, No. 1 Op. 3;
JANACEK String Quartet No. 1)
Pavel Haas Quartet
SU 3922-2 (CD, Mid Price)
Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings, Op. 11
(c/w Essay for Orchestra No. 1, Op. 12; GRAENER: Die Flote
von Sanssouci, Op. 8; DEBUSSY Iberia (Images, No. 2); DVORAK
Symphony No. 9, Op. 95)
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini (conductor)
Pristine Classical - PASC 080a (available for download from www.pristineclassical.com)
Mozart - Don Giovanni. Act 1, scenes VII-X
Johannes Weisser (Don Giovanni - baritone), Lorenzo Regazzo (Leporello - bass baritone),
Alexandrina Pendatchanska (Donna Elvira - soprano), Olga Pasichnyk (Donna Anna - soprano),
Kenneth Tarver (Don Ottavio - tenor), Sunhae Im (Zerlina - soprano), Nikolay Borchev (Masetto - bass)
Alessandro Guerzoni (Il Commendatore - bass),
RIAS Chamber Orchestra, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Rene Jacobs (conductor)
HMC 901964.66 (3CD, Full Price)
Schubert - The Shepherd on the Rock (Der Hirt auf
dem Felsen), D. 965
Ailish Tynan (soprano), Malcolm Martineau (piano) and Michael Collins (clarinet)
WHLive 0017 (CD, Mid Price)
11.40 am Disc of the Week
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 57, 'Appassionata'
(c/w Sonatas Op. 2 (1-3) and Op. 26 and 27 (1-2)
Paul Lewis (piano)
Harmonia Mundi HMC 901906.08 (3CD, Mid price)
