conductors Archive

ELGAR: Symphony No. 2; Carissima; Mina; Chanson de Matin – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orch./Vasily Petrenko – Onyx Classics

ELGAR: Symphony No. 2; Carissima; Mina; Chanson de Matin – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orch./Vasily Petrenko – Onyx Classics

A very worthwhile addition to the Elgar resurgence. EDWARD ELGAR: Symphony No. 2; Carissima; Mina; Chanson de Matin – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orch./Vasily Petrenko – Onyx Classics ONYX4165, 69:44 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] (3/24/17) ***1/2: Sir Edward Elgar wrote two symphonies, relatively late in life and they have a long history of fairly sparse performance. […]

BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major “Romantic”; WAGNER: Parsifal – Good Friday Music – Berlin Philharmonic Orch. (Wagner)/ Vienna Philharmonic Orch./ Wilhelm Furtwaengler – Praga Digitals mono

BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major “Romantic”; WAGNER: Parsifal – Good Friday Music – Berlin Philharmonic Orch. (Wagner)/ Vienna Philharmonic Orch./ Wilhelm Furtwaengler – Praga Digitals mono

Two Furtwaengler post-War performances remind us of his spiritual commitment to the German tradition. BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major “Romantic”; WAGNER: Parsifal – Good Friday Music – Berlin Philharmonic Orch. (Wagner)/ Vienna Philharmonic Orch./ Wilhelm Furtwaengler – Praga Digitals mono SACD PRD/DSD 350 130, 77:32  (3/24/17)  [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] ****: Wilhelm Furtwaengler’s […]

British Music – Conducted by Sir Charles Groves = ELGAR, DELIUS, VW, BRIAN, HOLST, WALTON, BRIDGE & Many Others – Warner Classics (24 CDs)

British Music – Conducted by Sir Charles Groves = ELGAR, DELIUS, VW, BRIAN, HOLST, WALTON, BRIDGE & Many Others – Warner Classics (24 CDs)

True to its advertisement, this set brings together a fine selection of British music led by a devoted practitioner of his craft. British Music – Sir Charles Groves = ELGAR: Nursery Suite; Funeral March from Grania amd Diaramid, Op. 42; Severn Suite, Op. 87; Caractacus, Op. 35: Complete Cantata; Woodland and Triumphal March; The Crown […]

BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 9 – Hallé Orch./BBC Northern Sym. Orch./ Sir John Barbirolli – Pristine Audio

BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 9 – Hallé Orch./BBC Northern Sym. Orch./ Sir John Barbirolli – Pristine Audio

This previously-unreleased Barbirolli/Bruckner Ninth bristles with ardent energy and yearning devotion. BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 9 in d minor (Original Version), WAB 109 – Hallé Orchestra/BBC Northern Sym. Orch./ Sir John Barbirolli – Pristine Audio PASC 486, 57:43 [avail in various formats from www.pristineclassical.com] ****: Producer and recording engineer Andrew Rose resurrects a taped BBC performance of […]

Schillings conducts = SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished”; SCHILLINGS: Mona Lisa: Prelude and Arrigo’s Serenade; BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, “Eroica” – Berlin State Opera Orch./ Max von Schillings – Pristine Audio

Schillings conducts = SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished”; SCHILLINGS: Mona Lisa: Prelude and Arrigo’s Serenade; BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, “Eroica” – Berlin State Opera Orch./ Max von Schillings – Pristine Audio

More from the historical legacy of an imperfect man but capable musician, Max von Schillings. Schillings conducts = SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8 in b, D. 759 “Unfinished”; SCHILLINGS: Mona Lisa, Op. 15: Prelude and Arrigo’s Serenade; BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 “Eroica” – Berlin State Opera Orch./ Max von Schillings – […]

VERDI: Aida (complete opera) – Anja Harteros (Aida)/ Other soloists/ Orch. & Chorus of Santa Ceclia/ Pappano – Warner Classics (3)

VERDI: Aida (complete opera) – Anja Harteros (Aida)/ Other soloists/ Orch. & Chorus of Santa Ceclia/ Pappano – Warner Classics (3)

A twenty-first Aida to set the stage and the bar very high. VERDI: Aida (complete opera) – Anja Harteros (Aida)/ Jonas Kaufmann (Radames)/ Ekaterina Semenchuk (Amneris)/ Ludovic Tezier (Amonasro)/ Erwin Schrott (Ramfis)/ Marco Spotti (Il Re)/ Paolo Fanale (Messaggero)/ Eleonora Buratto (Sacerdotessa)/ Orch. and Chorus of the Dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecelia/ Antonio Pappano – […]

Audio News for April 12, 2016

Classical Artists Speak to the Audience –  A change has happened in the classical music world – more and more artists speak directly to the audience about the music they are about to play. Audiences love this; they get more of a sense of the artists as people. The idea of maintaining an aura of […]

***********  MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH  ************ RACHMANINOV: Sym. No. 2; LIADOV: The Enchanted Lake – Bergen PO/ Andrew Litton – BIS

***********  MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH  ************ RACHMANINOV: Sym. No. 2; LIADOV: The Enchanted Lake – Bergen PO/ Andrew Litton – BIS

A glorious performance of sumptuous demeanor and satisfying execution. * RACHMANINOV: Symphony No. 2 in e, Op. 27; LIADOV: The Enchanted Lake – Bergen PO/ Andrew Litton – BIS multichannel SACD 2071, 70:54 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: I’ve always thought Rachmaninov the true Russian composer; something about his melodies and rich textures bespeak an authenticity […]

“Mass & Motets” = BRAHMS: Missa canonica; Motets (2); other Motets (2); Motets (3); Fest- und Gedenksprüche; Swedish Radio Choir/ Peter Dijkstra – Channel Classics SACD
“Choral Works” = BRAHMS: Warum ist das Licht gegeben?; Intermezzo in B minor; Gesänge (5); Schicksalslied; Motets (3); Fest- und Gedenksprüche; Drei Quartette – Philip Mayers, Angela Gassenhuber (piano)/ Cappella Amsterdam/ Daniel Reuss – Harmonia mundi

“Mass & Motets” = BRAHMS: Missa canonica; Motets (2); other Motets (2); Motets (3); Fest- und Gedenksprüche; Swedish Radio Choir/ Peter Dijkstra – Channel Classics SACD “Choral Works” = BRAHMS: Warum ist das Licht gegeben?; Intermezzo in B minor; Gesänge (5); Schicksalslied; Motets (3); Fest- und Gedenksprüche; Drei Quartette – Philip Mayers, Angela Gassenhuber (piano)/ Cappella Amsterdam/ Daniel Reuss – Harmonia mundi

Two superb examples of Brahms’s choral expertise.

“Mass & Motets” = BRAHMS: Missa canonica; Motets (2); other Motets (2); Motets (3); Fest- und Gedenksprüche; Swedish Radio Choir/ Peter Dijkstra – Channel Classics SACD
“Choral Works” = BRAHMS: Warum ist das Licht gegeben?; Intermezzo in B minor; Gesänge (5); Schicksalslied; Motets (3); Fest- und Gedenksprüche; Drei Quartette – Philip Mayers, Angela Gassenhuber (piano)/ Cappella Amsterdam/ Daniel Reuss – Harmonia mundi

“Mass & Motets” = BRAHMS: Missa canonica; Motets (2); other Motets (2); Motets (3); Fest- und Gedenksprüche; Swedish Radio Choir/ Peter Dijkstra – Channel Classics SACD
“Choral Works” = BRAHMS: Warum ist das Licht gegeben?; Intermezzo in B minor; Gesänge (5); Schicksalslied; Motets (3); Fest- und Gedenksprüche; Drei Quartette – Philip Mayers, Angela Gassenhuber (piano)/ Cappella Amsterdam/ Daniel Reuss – Harmonia mundi

Two superb examples of Brahms’s choral expertise.