Playlist

HANDEL Saul: Neal Davies (Saul), Andreas Scholl (David), Mark Padmore (Jonathan), Susan Gritton (Merab), Nancy Argenta (Michal), Paul Agnew (High Priest); Jonathan Lemalu (Ghost of Samuel), Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (conductor)
ARCHIV 474 510-2 (3-CD, mid-price)

LISZT Harmonies poetiques et religieuses:
Steven Osborne (piano)
HYPERION CDA 67445 (2-CD, mid-price)

BIBER The Rosary Sonatas: Andrew Manze (violin), Richard Egarr (organ & harpsichord), Alison McGillivray (cello)
HARMONIA MUNDI HMU 907321.22 (2-CD, mid-price)

JOHN FOULDS Three Mantras from Avatara, Op.61b; Lyra Celtica - Concerto for Voice & Orchestra, Op.50; Apotheosis (Elegy); Mirage: Susan Bickley (mezzo), Daniel Hope (violin),
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Youth Chorus,
Sakari Oramo (conductor)
WARNERS 2564 61525-2 (CD)

YSAYE Sonatas for Violin Solo, Op.27:
Thomas Zehetmair (violin)
ECM 472 6872 (CD)

CD entitled 'All'Improvviso
Ciaccone, Bergamasche . .. & un po' di Follie': L'Arpeggiata, Christina Pluhar
ALPHA 512 (CD)

CD entitled 'Leontyne Price & Samuel Barber - Historic Peformances 1938 & 1953': BARBER Hermit Songs, Op.29; Sleep now, Op.10, No.2; The Daisies, Op.2, No.1; Nocturne, Op.13, No.4; Nuvoletta, Op.25; POULENC Quatre Poemes de Paul Eluard; C'est ainsi que tu es (The Way You Are); FAURE Au bord de l'eau (At the Water's Edge), Op.8, No.1; SAUGUET La Voyante (The Fortune-Teller): Leontyne Price (soprano), Samuel Barber (piano)
- Six Folk Songs: O waly, waly; The Deaf Woman's Courtship; Brother Greene; Zu dir; Batti, batti; Chi ti chi fa venir; SCHUMANN
In der Fremde; MENDELSSOHN Ist es wahr?; C.P.E. BACH Nonnelied; BRAHMS Der Gang zum Liebchen; Der Tod, das ist die kuhle Nacht; SCHUBERT Der Jungling an der Quelle: Samuel Barber (baritone, accompanying himself on the piano)
BRIDGE 9156 (CD)

CHRISTMAS DISCS REVIEWED:

Reviewer: Iain Burnside

Nils LINDBERG A Christmas Cantata; Three Swedish Folksongs (arr. LINDBERG) Visa pa vag; Kom min van; Den signade dag: Margareta Jalkeus (soprano), Olle Persson (baritone), Gustaf Sjokvist Chamber Choir, Gustaf Sjokvist (conductor)
PROPRIUS PRCD 2027 (CD)

CD entitled 'Christus Natus Est - An Early English Christmas' : Verbum Caro (plainchant); Salutation Carol; Nowell sing we, both all and some; Gaudete; Hail Mary full of grace; There is no rose; Nowell, nowell: Out of your sleep; Remember O thou man; Sweet was the song; Ave rex angelorum; Drive the cold winter away; Nowell, nowell: The boares head; The old year now has passed away; Angelus ad Virginem; Nowell, nowell: Dieu vous garde; Make we joy; SHEPPARD Verbum caro; Gloria in excelsis; BYRD Lullaby my sweet little baby; PYGOTT Quid petis, O fili?: The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (conductor)
CORO COR 16027 (CD)

CD entitled 'The Vienna Choir Boys - Merry Christmas, Carols from North America and Europe' : GRUBER Stille Nacht; Il est ne le divin enfant; Huron Carol; Entre le boeuf et l'ane gris; O Tannenbaum - and other traditional carols: Vienna Choir Boys, The Ambassade Orchestra, Gerald Wirth (conductor)KOCH KIC CD 7584 (CD)

CD entitled 'Messiah Remix' - TAKEMURA Assembler Mix; MACHOVER Mixed Messiah; SCANNER Insulation Mix; AMIRKHANIAN Mqsical Lou; DUBOIS Convolution; KLINE Hallelujah; LANSKY Post-Pastoral; SONAMI Overture on Ice; BEGLARIAN Be/Hold; DALEK Messiah (deadverse remix);
OSWALD Partial
CANTALOUPE CA21020 (CD)

CD entitled 'Renata Tebaldi - Christmas Festival' : ADAM O Holy Night; GOUNOD Ave Maria; GOUNOD O Divine Redeemer; FRANCK Panis angelicus - and other seasonal works:
Renata Tebaldi (soprano), George Thalben-Ball (organ), James McGillivray (musette), The Ambrosian Singers; New Philharmonia Orchestra, Anton Guadagno (conductor)
DECCA 475 6154 (CD, mid-price)

CD entitled 'Bethlehem Down' - TRAD (arr. Rutter) Tomorrow Shall be my dancing day; TRAD West Indian (arr. T. Slessor); De Virgin Mary had a baby boy; BRITTEN The Birds; Corpus Christi Carol; King Herod and the Cock; WARLOCK Balulalow; Bethlehem Down; The First Mercy; CARTER Sweet was the song the Virgin sang; Mistletoe Carol; HOLST A Babe is Born; Now let us sing; Jesu, thou the Virgin-born; Salvator mundi natus est; Lullay my liking; HADLEY I sing of a Maiden; HEAD Star Candles: Finchley Children's Music Group, John Evanson (accompanist), Philip Langridge (tenor),Grace Rossiter (conductor)
NAXOS 8.557581 (CD, budget)

CRITICS' CHOICE (continued):

SCHUBERT Winterreise D911 (recorded live at the Wigmore Hall): Matthias Goerne (baritone), Alfred Brendel (piano)
DECCA 467 092-2 (CD)

Robert SIMPSON Symphony No.11; Variations on a theme by Nielsen: City of London Sinfonia, Matthew Taylor (conductor)
HYPERION CDA 67500 (CD)

HANDEL Arias and recits from Theodora - Ah! Whither should we fly . . . As with rosy steps the morn; O bright example of all goodness! . . . Bane of virture, nurse of passions; The clouds begin to veil the hemisphere . . . Defend her Heav'n!; Lord, to Thee each night and day; She's gone, disdaining liberty and life . . . New scenes of Joy; Cantata La Lucrezia; Arias and a recit from Serse - Se bramate d'amar, chi vi sdegna; Frondi tenere e belle; Ombra mai fu: Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (mezzo), Stephen Stubbs (lute and baroque guitar), Phoebe Carrai (cello), Margriet Tindemans (viola da gamba), Harry Bicket (harpsichord/chamber organ & conductor)
AVIE AV 0030 (CD)

BEETHOVEN String Quartets Op.18: Takacs Quartet
DECCA 470 848-2 (2-CD)

CD entitled 'Villancicos Y Danzas Criollas' : A Meeting of Musical Traditions and Cultures of the Iberian Peninsula and Ibero-America 1550-1750: Works by ARANES, GUERRERO, FLECHA, BOCANEGRA, HIDALGO, DE ZESPEDES and others: La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Hesperion XXI, Jordi Savall (director)
ALIA VOX AV9834 (CD)

MOZART Violin Concerto No.3 in G Major, K216; Violin Concerto No.4 in D Major, K218; Violin Concerto No.5 in A Major, K219: Pekka Kuusisto (violin), Tapiola Sinfonietta, Olli Mustonen (conductor)
ONDINE ODE 10252 (CD)

LISTENERS' DISCS OF THE YEAR 2004:

MAHLER Symphony No.3 in D Minor; Bach Suite (arr. Mahler): Petra Lang (mezzo), Prague Philharmonic Choir, Netherlands Children's Choir, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly (conductor)
DECCA 470 652-2 (2-SACD/CD hybrid)


HANDEL Arias and recits from Theodora - Ah! Whither should we fly . . . As with rosy steps the morn; O bright example of all goodness! . . . Bane of virture, nurse of passions; The clouds begin to veil the hemisphere . . . Defend her Heav'n!; Lord, to Thee each night and day; She's gone, disdaining liberty and life . . . New scenes of Joy; Cantata La Lucrezia; Arias and a recit from Serse - Se bramate d'amar, chi vi sdegna; Frondi tenere e belle; Ombra mai fu: Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (mezzo), Stephen Stubbs (lute and baroque guitar), Phoebe Carrai (cello), Margriet Tindemans (viola da gamba), Harry Bicket (harpsichord/chamber organ & conductor)
AVIE AV 0030 (CD)


RACHMANINOV The Complete Piano Concertos; Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.43: Stephen Hough (piano), Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton (conductor)
HYPERION CDA67501/2 (2-CD)

THE LISTENERS' DISC OF THE YEAR 2004:

HANDEL Saul: Neal Davies (Saul), Andreas Scholl (David), Mark Padmore (Jonathan), Susan Gritton (Merab), Nancy Argenta (Michal), Paul Agnew (High Priest); Jonathan Lemalu (Ghost of Samuel), Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (conductor)
ARCHIV 474 510-2 (3-CD, mid-price)