RACHMANINOV / SCHUMANN / DEBUSSY / SCHUBERT / CHOPIN / LISZT
Romantic Piano Music by Rachmaninov, Schumann, Debussy, Schubert, Chopin and Liszt (Rec 2001 & 2003) Klara Wartz (piano) with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Ukraine. Vladimir Sirenko [ Brilliant Classics / 2 CD - released 16/Aug/2005 ] "On this Brilliant Classics set Klára Würtz gives fine performances and deserves to be better known. But the competition is very fierce in all the works particularly the Schumann and Rachmaninov concertos." (MusicWeb March 2004) |
BEDRICH SMETANA
Smetana: The Bartered Bride (Complete opera recorded in 1933) Jaroslav Gleich, Otta Horáková, Karel Hruška / Prague National Opera, Otakar OstrĨil [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 16/Jul/2001 ] "The orchestra of the Czech National Opera under Otakar Ostrcil produces a veritable tour de force. This 'Bartered Bride' is an early, rare opera-document, rendered by a one-hundred percent authentic Czech voice- and musical-culture." Pizzicato |
KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI
Penderecki: Orchestral Works, Vol. 4 (Violin Concerto No. 1 Violin Concerto No. 2) Konstanty Kulka (violin) Chee-Yun (violin) / Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice) / Antoni Wit, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 20/May/2003 ] Krzystof Penderecki's orchestral recordings continues on Naxos |
JOHN PHILIP SOUSA
A Sousa Celebration Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Kristjan Järvi [ Chandos SACD / Hybrid SACD - released 28/Apr/2017 ] "Looking for something foot-tapping and beguiling, and with a fund of tunes? This Chandos Sousa release could be the answer." Classical Source |
Krzysztof Bakowski, Violin, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Wit
Lutoslawski-Funeral Music for Strings, Chain II: Dialogue for Violin & Orch + [ Naxos / CD - released 20/Aug/2001 ] one of the greatest 20th-century Polish music artists |
PROKOFIEV
Eternal Prokofiev Kun Woo Paik, Bernd Glemser (pianos) Tedi Papavrami (violin) / Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra / Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra [ Naxos / CD - released 20/Aug/2008 ] Prokofiev, himself a formidable pianist, completed nine piano sonatas out of a projected eleven. His music for piano also includes piano versions of music from the ballets Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella. |
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos 1, 3 & 5 Kun Woo Pak (piano) / Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit [ Naxos / CD ] "Kun Woo Paik's playing throughout these five concertos has exhilarating bravura...with vivid recording in the Concert Hall of Polish Radio, which has plenty of ambience, this set is enormously stimulating and a remarkable bargain" Penguin Guide |
VERDI
Macbeth (sung in English) Latonia Moore, Simon Keenlyside / English National Opera Orchestra, Edward Gardner [ Chandos Opera in English / 2 CD - released 31/Mar/2014 ] This recording of Verdi's Macbeth marks the completion of the Peter Moores Foundation's remarkable Opera in English series. |
JOHAN SEVERIN SVENDSEN
Symphonic Works (3 CD set) Latvian National Symphony [ CPO / 3 CD - released 28/Jun/2008 ] This is a re-release of Norwegian composer Johan Svendsen's principle orchestral works. Spanning three CDs, you once again have the opportunity to experience his tone poems, rhapsodies, overtures and two symphonies. |
ARTURS MASKATS
Maskats: Accordion Concerto Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Andris Poga (conductor), Ksenija Sidorova (accordion) [ Ondine / CD - released 27/Jan/2023 ] Latvian composer Arturs Maskats (b. 1957) has been at the center of Latvian cultural life for decades, especially in the field of theater and opera. Besides operas, incidental music and film music, his catalogue of works includes several orchestral... |
TALIVALDIS KENINS
Kenins: Symphony No. 1 / Concerto di camera No. 1 / Piano Concerto Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Guntis Kuzma, Andris Poga [ Ondine / CD - released 6/Nov/2020 ] "The composer's highly characteristic orchestration is evident throughout, with expressive emphasis placed on solo lines, and this is even more evident in the deeply moving slow movement" Records International |
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Vaughan Williams: Suite For Viola And Orchestra / Flos Campi (with McEwen - Viola Concerto) Lawrence Power (viola) / BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Martyn Brabbins [ Hyperion / CD - released 25/Nov/2011 ] Editor's Choice: Gramophone Magazine December 2011 |
VINCENT D'INDY
Orchestral Music (Incls 'Wallenstein' & 'Saugefleurie') Lawrence Power (viola) / BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Thierry Fischer [ Hyperion / CD - released 10/Mar/2009 ] "These works make a good introduction to his post-Wagnerian art. The substantial triptych of overtures, Wallenstein, re-creates Schiller's historical drama of the same name." Sunday Times, 8th February 2009 *** |
EDWARD ELGAR
Elgar: 'Enigma' Variations / Pomp and Circumstance Marches / Three Bavarian Dances / etc Leon Goossens (oboe) / Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Norman Del Mar, George Hurst / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Alexander Gibson [ Chandos 241 / 2 CD - released 1/Feb/1999 ] "A great bargain and highly recommended." (MusicWeb) |
GABRIEL PIERNE
Pierne: Ramuntcho Suites Nos. 1 and 2 / Cydalise et le Chèvre-pied Suites Nos. 1 and 2 (excerpts) Lille National Orchestra, Darrell Ang [ Naxos / CD - released 19/Nov/2021 ] "..the writing is distinguished by a richness of melody and characterisation that withstands repeated listening...this new recording provides an excellent introduction to the composer's music." Gramophone |
PROKOFIEV
Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 / Suite from Cinderella, Op. 87 / Two Pushkin Waltzes, Op. 120 / etc Lina Prokofiev (narrator) / Scottish National Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 20/Aug/2008 ] No Prokofiev recorded anthology would be complete without a performance of Peter and the Wolf, and here the narrator comes in the person of Lina Prokofiev, the composer's widow. Recorded for Chandos when she was nearly ninety, Music magazine deemed... |
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky, Op. 78 / Scythian Suite, Op. 20, from `Ala et Lolly` Linda Finnie (contralto) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra & Chorus / Neeme Jarvi [ Chandos Classics / CD - released 20/Aug/2008 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1901-1950) - "Neeme Jarvi's wide-screen spectacular captures the icy intensity in the scenes of devastation and the glitter of the musical patriotism in equal measure." (1001 recordings) |
ARNOLD BAX / STANLEY BATE
Bax / Bate: Cello Concertos Lionel Handy (cello) / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Martin Yates [ Lyrita / CD - released 1/Aug/2016 ] "if the solo part's tenchical demands in the very opening stages hint at stretching even Lionel Handy's huge expertise, his delivery of the rest of the work is state-of-the-art" (BBC Music) |
XIAOGANG YE
Xiaogang Ye: The Road to the Republic (Cantata) / Cantonese Suite Liping Zhang (Sop) Guang Yang (Mezzo) Yijie Shi (Tenor) Chenye Yuan (Baritone) / China National Symphony Orchestra; Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic [ Naxos / CD - released 12/Nov/2021 ] Xiaogang Ye is regarded as one of China's leading contemporary composers, having been awarded a 2012 Guggenheim Fellowship, a 2013 China Arts Award, and a Distinguished Alumni citation from the Eastman School of Music in 2011. The Road to the... |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: Harold en Italie, Op. 16 / Reverie et Caprice, Op. 8 / Overtures Lisa Berthaud (viola) & Giovanni Radivo (violin) / Orchestre National de Lyon, Leonard Slatkin [ Naxos / CD - released 10/Aug/2014 ] "here [Harold] comes across as a winner...The Lyon orchestra luxuriates in Berlioz's instrumental colours, and the fillers include swaggering renditions of the Benvenuto Cellini and Roman Carnival overtures." (Financial Times) |