Building a Library: Puccini: Manon Lescaut
Reviewer - Alexandra Wilson
First Choice: Licia Albanese (Manon Lescaut), Jussi Bjorling (Des Grieux), Robert Merrill (Lescaut), Franco Calabrese (Geronte), Matio Carlin (Edmondo), Rome Opera House Chorus and Orchestra, Jonel Perlea (conductor)
(Recorded 1954)
NAXOS 8.111030-31 (2-CD, budget)
Alternative First Choice: Maria Callas (Manon Lescaut), Giuseppe di Stefano (Des Grieux), Giulio Fioravanti (Lescaut), Franco Calabrese (Geronte), Dino Formachini (Edmondo), Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala Milan, Tullio Serafin (conductor)
(Recorded 1957)
EMI CLASSICS 5563012 (2-CD, mid-price)
Modern Choice: Mirella Freni (Manon Lescaut), Placido Domingo (Des Grieux), Renato Bruson (Lescaut), Kurt Rydl (Geronte), Robert Gambill (Edmondo), Chorus of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Philharmonia Orchestra, Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor)
(Recorded 1983)
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4138932 (2-CD)
CD Review BAL Catalogue Data bal.puccini:
bal.puccini.manon.lescaut
Playlist
Hot Off The Press:
DEBUSSY Suite bergamusque; Deux arabesques; Children's Corner; Images - Livre 1 and Livre 2:
Alain Planes (piano Bluthner 1902)
HARMONIA MUNDI HMC901893 (CD)
ZEMLINSKY Lyrische Symphonie, Op.18:
Christine Schafer (soprano), Matthias Goerne (baritone), Orchestre de Paris, Christoph Eschenbach (conductor)
CAPRICCIO 71081 (SACD/CD Hybrid)
BRITTEN War Requiem, Op.66:
Christine Brewer (soprano), Anthony Dean Griffey (tenor), Gerald Finley (baritone), London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, Kurt Masur (conductor) (Live recording 8 th May 2005)
LPO 0010 (2-CD, mid-price) or
LPO SA0010 (SACD, mid-price)
BUILDING A LIBRARY RECOMMENDATIONS:
PUCCINI Manon Lescaut
Reviewer: Alexandra Wilson
First Choice:
Licia Albanese (Manon Lescaut), Jussi Bjorling (Des Grieux), Robert Merrill (Lescaut), Franco Calabrese (Geronte), Matio Carlin (Edmondo), Rome Opera House Chorus and Orchestra, Jonel Perlea (conductor)
(Recorded 1954)
NAXOS 8.111030-31 (2-CD, budget)
Alternative First Choice:
Maria Callas (Manon Lescaut), Giuseppe di Stefano (Des Grieux), Giulio Fioravanti (Lescaut), Franco Calabrese (Geronte), Dino Formachini (Edmondo), Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala Milan, Tullio Serafin (conductor) (Recorded 1957)
EMI CLASSICS 5563012 (2-CD, mid-price)
Modern Choice:
Mirella Freni (Manon Lescaut), Placido Domingo (Des Grieux), Renato Bruson (Lescaut), Kurt Rydl (Geronte), Robert Gambill (Edmondo), Chorus of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Philharmonia Orchestra, Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor)
(Recorded 1983)
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4138932 (2-CD)
Consumer Slot - RCA "Living Stereo" series
BRUCH Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26; Scottish Fantasy, Op.46; VIEUXTEMPS Violin Concerto No.5 in A minor, Op.37:
Jascha Heifetz (violin), New Symphony Orchestra of London, Sir Malcolm Sargent (conductor)
RCA 82876716222 (SACD/CD Hybrid, mid-price)
BEETHOVEN Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor, Op.27 No.2 "Moonlight"; Sonata No.26 in E flat, Op.81a "Les Adieux"; Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13 "Pathetique"; Sonata No.23 in F minor, Op.57 "Appassionata":
Arthur Rubinstein (piano)
RCA 82876716192 (SACD/CD Hybrid, mid-price)
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No.4 in A, Op.90 "Italian"; Symphony No.5 in D, Op.107 "Reformation"; Scherzo from Octet in E flat, Op.20:
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch (conductor)
RCA 82876716162 (SACD/CD Hybrid, mid-price)
BERLIOZ Symphonie Fantastique, Op.14; Romeo et Juliette (Dramatic Symphony), Op.17 - Part 2, Love Scene:
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch (conductor)
RCA 82876678992 (SACD/CD Hybrid, mid-price)
COPLAND Billy the Kid - Suite; Billy the Kid - Waltz; Rodeo - Suite; GROFE Grand Canyon Suite:
Morton Gould and His Orchestra
RCA 82876679042 (SACD/CD Hybrid, mid-price)
J. STRAUSS JR. Morning Papers, Op.279; Emperor Waltz, Op.437; On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Op.314; WEBER Invitation to the Dance, Op.65; J. STRAUSS Village Swallows, Op.164; R. STAUSS Der Rosenkavalier - Waltzes; J. STRAUSS JR. Vienna Blood, Op.354; Roses from the South, Op.388; Treasure Waltz, Op.418; Thunder and Lightning, Op.324:
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner (conductor)
RCA 82876716152 (SACD/CD Hybrid, mid-price)
DEBUSSY La Mer; RESPIGHI Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome :
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner (conductor)
RCA 82876716142 (SACD/CD Hybrid, mid-price)
Not played:
CD entitled "Pops Caviar - Russian Orchestral Fireworks" - works by BORODIN, KHACHATURIAN, RIMSKY-KORSAKOV and TCHAIKOVSKY
Boston Pops Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler (conductor)
RCA 82876716182 (SACD/CD Hybrid, mid-price)
CD entitled "Virgil Fox - Encores" - works by BACH, BOYCE, HANDEL, MULET, PURCELL, SCHUMANN and WIDOR:
Virgil Fox (organ of Riverside Church , New York )
RCA 82876716262 (SACD/CD Hybrid, mid-price)
CD entitled "Mario! Lanza at his best" - FRIML The Vagabond King (highlights)* and other Italian songs+:
Mario Lanza (tenor)*+, Judith Raskin (soprano)*, Orchestra and Chorus*+, Constantine Callinicos (conductor)*, Franco Ferrara (conductor)+
RCA 82876716252 (SACD/CD Hybrid, mid-price)
New Releases - Concertos
Reviewer: Andrew Green
SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor, Op.99; PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No.1 in D, Op.19:
Sarah Chang (violin), Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)
EMI CLASSICS 3460532 (CD)
ATTERBERG Violin Concerto Op.7 in E minor (c/w Varmlands Rhapsody, Op.36; Overture Op.4 in A minor):
Ulf Wallin (violin), Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Roger Epple (conductor)
CPO 777106-2 (CD)
HERZ Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, Op.87; Piano Concerto No.4 in E, Op.131; Piano Concerto No.5 in F minor, Op.180:
Howard Shelley (piano/conductor), Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
HYPERION CDA67537 (CD)
GREGSON Tuba Concerto; GOLLAND Tuba Concerto, Op.46; STEPTOE Tuba Concerto; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Tuba Concerto in F minor:
James Gourlay (tuba), Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Gavin Sutherland (conductor)
NAXOS 8.557754 (CD, budget)
LALO Cello Concerto in D minor (c/w Symphony in G minor; Namouna, music from the ballet):
Torleif Thedeen (cello), Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Kees Bakels (conductor)
BIS CD1296 (CD)
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No.1 in E flat, Op.107 (c/w Cello Sonata in D minor, Op.40):
Han-Na Chang (cello), London Symphony Orchestra, Antonio Pappano (conductor)
EMI CLASSICS 3324422 (CD)
An Interview with Louis Lortie
BEETHOVEN Sonata no.8, "Pathetique", in C minor, Op.13 (excerpt played; c/w Sonata No.21, "Waldstein", in C, Op.53; Sonata No.26, "Les Adieux", in E flat
Louis Lortie (piano)
CHANDOS CHAN9024 (CD)
BEETHOVEN Sonata No.29, "Hammerklavier", in B flat, Op.106 (excerpt played; c/w Sonata No.28 in A, Op.101):
Louis Lortie (piano)
CHANDOS CHAN9435 (CD)
GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue (excerpt played; c/w An American in Paris ; A Symphonic Portrait of Porgy and Bess; Cuban Overture):
Louis Lortie (piano), Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Charles Dutoit (conductor)
DECCA 4251112 (CD)
LISZT Piano Concerto No.1 in E flat, S124 (excerpt played; c/w Piano Concerto No.2 in E flat, S125; Piano Concerto (No.3), S125a; Concerto pathetique in E minor, S365a):
Louis Lortie (piano), Residentie Orchestra The Hague, George Pehlivanian (conductor)
CHANDOS CHAN9918 (CD) or as part of CHAN10371 (3-CD, mid-price)
'THE LISTENING BOOTH' :
The Listening Booth is a regular slot around midday on Saturday's CD Review . It's your chance to vote for and listen to excerpts from brand-new CDs.
If you would like to subscribe to a weekly e mail list of the discs in the Listening Booth please visit:
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STANFORD Songs of the Fleet, Op.117; The Revenge: A Ballad of the Fleet, Op.24; Songs of the Sea, Op.91:
Gerald Finley (baritone), BBC National Chorus of Wales, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Richard Hickox (conductor)
CHANDOS CHSA5043 (CD)
YSAYE Works for Violin and Orchestra including Violin Concerto:
Albrecht Breuninger (violin), Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Welisar Gentscheff (conductor)
CPO 777051-2 (CD)
CD entitled "Children's Cello" - including works by BOCCHERINI, BRIDGE, MENDELSSOHN and FAURE:
Steven Isserlis (cello), Stephen Hough (piano), Simon Callow (narrator)
BIS CD1562 (CD)
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Film Music - Bitter Springs; The Loves of Joanna Godden; Story of a Flemish Farm:
BBC Philharmonic, Rumon Gamba (conductor)
CHANDOS CHAN10368 (CD)
RADIO 3'S DISC OF THE WEEK:
BERLIOZ Requiem Op.5 'Grande messe des morts':
Toby Spence (tenor); SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Roger Norrington (conductor)
HANNSLER HAN093131 (2-SACD/CD Hybrid)
