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MOZART: Le Nozze di Figaro [The Marriage of Figaro] - Heinz Blankenburg (Figaro)/ Mirella Freni (Susanna)/ Gabriel Bacquier (Count Almaviva)/ Leyla Gencer (The Countess)/ Royal Philharmonic Orch./Glyndebourne Chorus/Silver Varviso - Glyndebourne (3 CDs) Published on August 01, 2008 The Glyndebourne opera company enters the live recordings business with an absolutely superb performance of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro from 1962.
Mordecai Shehori: The Celebrated New York Concerts, Vol. 2 = BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor; RACHMANINOV: Six Moment Musicaux; KABALEVSKY: Sonata No. 3 in F Major; LISZT: “Dante” Sonata - Mordecai Shehori, piano - Cembal d'amour Published on July 31, 2008 Culling materials from three Merkin Concert Hall appearances, Shehori has organized a noteworthy recital of consistent, colorful power.
Furtwaengler: The Early Recordings, Vol. 2 = BEETHOVEN: Egmont Overture; Symphony No. 5 in C Minor; WEBER: Der Freischuetz - Overture; ROSSINI: Ov. to Il barbiere di Siviglia; Ov. to La gazza ladra - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Furtwaengler - Naxos Published on July 30, 2008 The original technicians failed to complete the music to splice the two sides of the Scherzo
Violinist Gerhard Taschner = DVORAK: Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 53; KHACHATURIAN: Violin Concerto in D Minor - Gerhard Taschner, violin/Berlin Philharmonic/Lovro von Matacic (Dvorak)/NWDR Sinfonieorchester, Hamburg/ Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt - Tahra Published on July 25, 2008 Trained by Hubay, Bak, and Huberman, Taschner eventually became concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic under Furtwaengler.
HINDEMITH: Symphony in E-Flat (1940) - London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Sir Adrian Boult - Everest Records Published on July 24, 2008 This is extremely sombre and serious music - quite unlike my favorites of his orchestral works.
MOZART: Serenades Nos. 11 in E-flat Major (K.375) & 12 in C minor (K.388) - Everest Woodwind Octet/Newell Jenkins - Everest Records Published on July 23, 2008 In comparison with exactly the same selections in the out-of-print 1996 Omega CD reissue series, I found they sounded about the same.
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 6, Op. 54 - London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Sir Adrian Boult - Everest Published on July 23, 2008 Comparing the 1996 (out-of-print) reissue with this one via headphones, I could hear no appreciable difference between them.
Robert Casadesus, piano = MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor; Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major; WEBER: Konzertstueck in F Minor - Robert Casadesus, piano/Cologne Radio-Symphony Orchestra/George Szell/Romanus Hubertus (Weber) - Medici Masters Published on July 22, 2008 The fiery, variegated sonorities Casadesus evokes from his instrument are as spontaneous as they are flawless.
STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring; Petrouchka (complete ballet) - London Symphony Orchestra/ Sir Eugene Goossens - Everest Records Published on July 22, 2008 First sampling of a new CD reissue series from the UK bringing back the excellent Everest series of the late 50s and early 60s.
Guila Bustabo, violin = BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61; DVORAK: Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 53 - Concertgebouw Orchestra/Willem Mengelberg/NWDR Sinfonieorchester. Hamburg/Hans Schmidt-Isserdtedt (Dvorak) - Tahra Published on July 21, 2008 Among the more brilliant and tragic personalities in music stands violin virtuoso Guila Bustabo.
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op.11 – Noel Mewton-Wood, piano / Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra / Walter Goehr - Pristine Audio Published on July 21, 2008 Hindemith said “If you want to hear my music played as it should be, you must hear it played by Mewton-Wood.”
WILLIAM ALWYN: Mirages - Song Cycle; Divertimento for Solo Flute; Naiades - Fantasy-Sonata for flute & harp; Fantasy-Waltzes; Sonata alla Toccata - Benjamin Luxon, bar./ David Willison, piano/ Christopher Hyde-Smith, flute/ Mariisa Robles, harp - Lyrita Published on July 16, 2008 Alwyn was also a poet and wrote the words for his Mirages song cycle, which were also published separately as poetry.
Geza Anda Edition I = MOZART: Piano Concertos Nos. 20, 21, 22, 23 & 28 - with Camerata Academica Salzburg & Cologne Radio-Symphony - Audite (2 CDs) Published on July 15, 2008 The first volume features his work in Mozart, with whose name Anda became indelibly associated with the screening of the motion picture "Elvira Madigan."
Conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos = MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 3 in A Minor “Scottish”; Symphony No. 5 in D Minor “Reformation”; COUPERIN (arr. MILHAUD): Overture and Allegro from La Sultane - Cologne Radio-Symphony Orch./Dimitri Mitropoulos - Medici Masters Published on July 14, 2008 Splendid readings from the passionate Greek conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos = the Scottish Symphony (24 October 1960), performed only a month before his untimely demise in Italy.
BEETHOVEN, Vol. 6: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 106 “Hammerklavier”; Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31, No. 1 - Garrick Ohlsson, piano - Bridge Published on July 11, 2008 The two sonatas in question could not be more opposed aesthetically.
TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto in B flat minor, Op. 23 – Noel Mewton-Wood, piano / Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra / Walter Goehr, conductor - Pristine Audio Published on July 10, 2008 This fine recording by the Australian pianist was made in 1952 and the sound transfer is excellent.
SIR ARNOLD BAX - Orchestral Works Vol. 9: The Truth About the Russian Dancers; From Dusk till Dawn - London Philharmonic Orchestra/Bryden Thomson - Chandos Classics Published on July 09, 2008 In 1911 the composer became very taken with the performances by the Ballets Russes in London, which followed on his having traveled to Russia the prior year.
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone = MAHLER: Kindertotenlieder; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen - with NWDR Sinfonieorcheter/Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt/Cologne Radio-Sym. Orch./Otto Ackermann/Orchestre National de France/Carl Schuricht - Tahra Published on July 07, 2008 This is the culmination of some essential Mahler performances the collector and the connoisseur of vocal magic will cherish deeply.
Rudolf Firkusny, piano = SCHUBERT: Three Pieces, D. 946; MARTINU: Fantasia et Toccata; MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition; CHOPIN: Mazurka , Op. 63, No. 3; SMETANA: Furiant; Concert Etude - BBC Legends Published on July 07, 2008 If Firkusny wanted to be Vladimir Horowitz, he could be.
Wilhelm Furtwangler Conducts = BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7; J. STRAUSS: Emperor Waltz; WEBER: Oberon Ov.; MENDELSSOHN: Fingal’s Cave Overture; WAGNER: Die Meistersinger: Prelude, Act I - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Wilhelm Furtwaengler - Opus Kura Published on July 04, 2008 Transferred from the 78rpm shellac sources rather than from the tape originals, as has been EMI’s wont.
Edition Geza Anda III = SCHUMANN: Kreisleriana, Op. 16; Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13; Carnaval, Op. 9; Romance in F-sharp Major, Op. 28, No. 2; CHOPIN: 24 Preludes, Op. 28; 12 Etudes, Op. 12 - Geza Anda, piano - Audite Published on July 02, 2008 Anda’s handling of the last section of Carnaval--quick and playful--rebounds light and dark forces, childhood reveries wrapped in adult ecstasies.
VERDI: Messa da Requiem--in Memory of Manzoni - Hilde Zadek, soprano/Margarete Klose, mezzo-soprano/Helge Rosvaenge, tenor/Boris Christoff, bass/Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Wien/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra - Audite Published on July 01, 2008 If music be the food of (political) forgiveness, this performance is Karajan’s Day of Atonement.
RONALD STEVENSON: Passacaglia on DSCH - Ronald Stevenson, piano - Appian Published on June 30, 2008 The models for this grueling 74-minute single-movement work are Bach's Goldberg Variations, Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, and Busoni’s Fantasia Contrappuntistica!
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 “Eroica”; Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36; Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 - Bavarian Radio-Symphony Orchestra/Karl Bohm - Audite Published on June 29, 2008 The whole ensemble lights up in Beethoven’s controlled hysteria, all dictated by a 79-year-old conductor in full possession of all principals.
MAHLER: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor “Resurrection”; HAYDN: Symphony No. 86 in D Major - Hanni Mack-Cosack, sop./Hertha Toepper, contralto/Chorus and Orchestra of the Radio-Symphony Stuttgart/ Bach-Choir Stuttgart/Carl Schuricht - Hanssler Classic (2 CDs) Published on June 25, 2008 Another excellent addition to the recorded legacy of Carl Schuricht; perhaps, along with Celibidache the world’s greatest “wandering” conductor with no regular appointment.
R. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 - Scipione Guidi, violin/Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York/Willem Mengelberg - Pristine Audio Published on June 25, 2008 Recorded December 1928, this is a spectacular performance of the Richard Strauss ode to musical and personal aggrandizement.
BEETHOVEN: The Late String Quartets - Busch Quartet & Busch Chamber Players - EMI Classics Published on June 22, 2008 The restored sound enjoys the rich nuances of the ensemble with virtually no sonic crackle or various signs of age.
Gregor Piatagorsky, cello = MENDELSSOHN: Cello Sonata No. 2 in D Major; CHOPIN: Cello Sonata in G Minor; R. STRAUSS: Cello Sonata in F Major - Gregor Piatagorsky, cello/Leonard Pennario, piano/Rudolf Firkusny, piano (Chopin) - Testament Published on June 19, 2008 The Testament release is culled from several RCA recordings.
RACHMANINOV: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor; Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini; Prelude in C-sharp Minor - Artur Rubinstein, piano/NBC Symphony Orchestra/Vladimir Golschmann/Philharmonia Orchestra/Walter Susskind (Rhapsody) - Naxos Historical Published on June 19, 2008 Though many collectors already own the RCA Rubinstein Edition, they may gravitate to these enhanced restored-sound inscriptions made possible by Mark Obert-Thorn and Naxos.
SMETANA: Ma Vlast (My Fatherland) - Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Vaclav Talich - Opus Kura Published on June 18, 2008 Amazing that we can listen to an important interpretation such as this which was recorded almost 80 years ago!
Richard Strauss conducts = R. STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier; Waltz, Act III; MOZART: Die Zauberfloete Overture; GLUCK: Iphigenie in Aulis Overture; CORNELIUS: Overture; WAGNER: Tristan und Isolde--Prelude;The Flying Dutchman Ov. - Dutton Published on June 17, 2008 These are all instrumental selections because Strauss actually feared an inscribed opera would set too many musical precedents in stone.
Edition Geza Anda, Vol. II = BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major; Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major; Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major; BRAHMS: Piano Sonata No. 3; 3 Intermezzi; LISZT: Sonata in b - Cologne Radio-Sym./Geza Anda, piano & cond. - Audite (2) Published on June 16, 2008 A splendidly-mounted set celebrating “the troubadour of the piano"
Monique de la Brouchollerie, piano, Vol. 2 = Works TCHAIKOVSKY, BRAHMS, SAINT-SAENS, CHOPIN, HAYDN & SZYMANOWSKI - Doremi (2 CDs) Published on June 14, 2008 She projects the musical equivalent of Gina Bachauer, easily, maybe a Gallic, female Backhaus.
ELGAR: Cello Concerto in E Minor; BRAHMS: Double Concerto in A Minor; DEBUSSY: Cello Sonata - Paul Tortelier, cello/Yan Pascal Tortelier, violin/BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult (Elgar)/Sir John Pritchard/Ernest Lush, p. - BBC Legends Published on June 12, 2008 The BBC archives give us three discreet concerts, of which the Elgar Cello Concerto with Boult at the Royal Festival Hall proceeds with sizzling acuity.
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43; Symphony No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 82 - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (No. 2)/Halle Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli - Testament Published on June 11, 2008 The Fifth is a superbly controlled realization in which the Halle winds and strings seem to deliver every nuanced gesture their conductor demands.
DVORAK: Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” - Louis Kentner, piano/Henry Holst, violin/Anthony Pini, cello - Pristine Audio Published on June 07, 2008 Great musicianship, just give us more of it for the dollar, Pristine.

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