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HAYDN: The Creation (in German) – Sally Matthew (Gabriel, Eva)/ Ian Bostridge (Uriel)/ Dietrich Henschel (Raphael, Adam)/ London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus/ Colin Davis, conductor – LSO Live Published on June 30, 2009 The best modern edition in German to come around for years.


The Celtic Viol = Airs and Dances by O’Carolan, Simon Fraser, Niel Gow, James Macpheson, William Marshall, and traditional Irish and Scottish – Jordi Savall, treble viols/ Andrew Lawrence-King, Irish harp and psalterium – AliaVox Published on June 30, 2009 Savall goes Celtic—and the result are just as you might predict.

RUED LANGGAARD: Messis - Flemming Dreisig, Copenhagen Cathedral Organ - DaCapo Published on June 29, 2009 One of the finest organ recordings I have heard; and with such rare and rewarding, largely romantic sounds, it is to be highly recommended.

HANDEL: Sonatas for Recorder and Harpsichord – Heiko ter Schegget, recorder/ Zvi Meniker, harpsichord – MDG Published on June 28, 2009 Yet another fine Handel recorder disc, this time in equally fine surround sound.

MOZART: Piano Concertos No. 5 in D, KV 175; No. 8 in C, KV 246; No. 23 in A, KV 488 – Christian Zacharias, piano/ Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne – MDG Published on June 28, 2009 Volume five is here, and bring on the rest!

The Doobie Brothers – Toulouse Street – Mobile Fidelity Published on June 27, 2009 The band is somewhat of a rock 'n' soul group with vocal harmonies, but with more of a blues influence rather than a country influence like The Eagles.

JACOB GADE: Jealousy = Jalousie; Leda and the Swan; Suite D’Amour; Rhapsodietta; Romanesca; Wedding at Himmelpind; Valse Capriccio; Copenhagen Life Waltz; Douces Secrets - Valse Lente - Odense Sym. Orch./Matthias Aeschbacher - DaCapo Published on June 27, 2009 Delightful light music, beautifully played and in sparkling surround sound.

SCHUBERT: Symphonies No. 1 in D; No. 3 in D; No 7(8) in B-minor – Bamberg Symphony/ Jonathan Nott, conductor – Tudor Published on June 27, 2009 The completion of the first SACD Schubert symphony series.

Flute Mystery - Works of FRED JONNY BERG: Flute Mystery; Warning Zero; Pastorale; Vicino alla Montagna; Flute Concerto No. 1 - Emily Beynon, flute/ Catherine Beynon, harp/ Philharmonia Orch./ Vladimir Ashkenazy & Berg - 2L audio Blu-ray + SACD Published on June 21, 2009 Berg's wide experience in many areas contributes to the great originality of his music.

"Seduction" - Songs by RICHARD STRAUSS: Steve Davislim, Tenor/ State Orchestra of Victoria/ Simone Young, cond. - Melba Recordings Published on June 17, 2009 Richard Strauss' mastery of the orchestra and voice are thrillingly revealed.

Yevgeny Mravinsky in Moscow in 1959 = SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 “Unfinished”; TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36 - Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra/Yevgeny Mravinsky - Praga Digitals stereo-only SACD Published on June 16, 2009 Mravinsky remains a romantic interpreter, albeit one committed to an objective, icy delineation of all musical particulars.

BOHUSLAV MARTINU: Piano Quintet Nos. 2 H.298; Piano Quintet No. 1 H.229; Piano Quartet H.287 - Ivan Klansky, piano & Kocian Quartet - Praga Digitals Published on June 15, 2009 This is the first time all three of these Martinu chamber works have been collected on a single disc.

Piano Works during and after Russian Futurism Vol. 1 - NIKOLAJ OBUCHOV, WYCHNEGRADSKY & SERGEI PROTOPOPOV - Thomas Günther, piano - Cybele Published on June 13, 2009 A fascinating exploration of mostly unknown composers who carried on Scriabin’s pianistic achievements.

LOUIS VIERNE: Pièces de fantaisie, Suite Nos. I & III, Op. 51 & 54 - Kay Johannsen, Kern pipe organ of the Dresden Frauenkirche - Carus Published on June 07, 2009 The composer’s four suites were created in 1926 and 27 and some even more strongly suggest written-down improvisations than than his organ symphonies.

DVORAK: Symphony No. 7 in D Op. 70; The Golden Spinning Wheel Op. 109 - Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra/Yakov Kreizberg - PentaTone Published on June 06, 2009 Though recorded in Amsterdam’s Yakult Hall rather than the Concertgebouw, acoustics are rich and enveloping in the multichannel option.

* Song of Songs = Works of CLEMENS NON PAPA, PALESTRINA, GUERRERO, GOMBERT, LASSUS, VICTORIA, LHERITIER, CEBALLOS, VIVANCO – Stile Antico – Harmonia mundi Published on June 02, 2009 ***** MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ****** A highly intelligent concept album of great skill and superb audio qualities.

* MAHLER: Symphony No. 4 - Miah Persson, soprano /Budapest Festival Orchestra /Iván Fischer - Channel Classics Published on May 27, 2009 ****** MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ******* This performance has given much pleasure and will surely be one of the recordings to make its mark with me in 2009.

SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 15 in A Op. 141 (1971); Hamlet Op. 32 - Russian National Orchestra /Mikhail Pletnev - PentaTone Published on May 26, 2009 This is an excellent addition to PentaTone’s ongoing series of recordings of Shostakovich symphonies.

HANDEL: Saul (complete oratorio) – Yorck Felix Speer (Saul)/ Tim Mead (David)/ Maximilian Schmitt/ Ditte Andersen (Michal)/ Anna Prohaska/ Eric Stoklossa/ Clemens Heidrich/ Dresden Chamber Choir and Baroque Orch./ Hans-Christoph Rademann - Carus Published on May 23, 2009 A fine new surround sound reading that competes with the best of them

GORDON GETTY: The White Election – Lisa Delan, soprano/ Fritz Steinegger, piano – Pentatone Published on May 20, 2009 An interesting cycle for sure, even moments of real inspiration, but a little uneven, given here in great sound and acceptable performances.

HAYDN: Nine Piano Trios - Beaux Arts Trio - Pentatone RQR (2) Published on May 19, 2009 This two-disc set, priced as a single, comes at bargain price, and has given me enormous pleasure over the last few weeks.

SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8 (9) in C, D 944 “The Great” – Bamberger Symphony/ Jonathan Nott, conductor – Tudor Published on May 19, 2009 Nott and company come fully into their own, and they create a reading that is wholly competitive with any of the greats I have listed.

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4, 5 – Artur Pizarro, piano/ Scottish Chamber Orchestra/ Charles Mackerras, conductor – Linn Published on May 18, 2009 Mackerras continues to enjoy superb swan songs, this time with some supple pianism.

ROBERT SCHUMANN: Davidsbundlertanze, op. 6; Arabeske, op. 18; Gesange der Fruhe, Op. 133 – Paolo Giacometti, piano – Channel Classics Published on May 13, 2009 Wonderful Schumann captured in flawless surround sound

HAYDN: Complete Original Solo Songs with Piano – Elly Ameling, soprano/ Jorg Demus, piano – Pentatone Classics Published on May 11, 2009 Following Brilliant Classics’ latest 3-CD set, Pentatone publishes the same collection on Haydn's output for the voice, only this time, with improved audio.

RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27; Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14 - Singapore Symphony Orchestra/Lan Shui - BIS Published on May 10, 2009 Rachmaninoff’s best-known symphony pulls out all the emotional stops.

MENDELSSOHN: Lobgesang Symphony-Cantata Op. 52 - Christiane Karg & Maria Bernius, sopranos/ Werner Gura, tenor/ Stuttgart Chamber Choir/ German Chamber Philharmonic, Bremen/ Frieder Bernius - Carus Published on May 08, 2009 The least-known of the composer’s symphonies, this is an epic choral-orchestral work.

STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring; Symphony in 3 Movements - Bamberger Symphony/ Jonathan Nott - Tudor Published on May 08, 2009 An OK Rite but a smashing Symphony in 3 Movements

Milt Jackson - Invitation - Riverside/Concord/Mobile Fidelity Published on May 02, 2009 One of Bag's best sessions, now bagged in SACD sonics.