What NEW discs/music are you adding to your collection?

[Rach3]

Schnittke & Prokofiev. Welser-Most/Cleveland Orchestra TCO 2021.

Two great works, listened to my recording of the Prokofieff #2 just recently, but had not listened to my recording of the Schnittke Concerto for some time, doing so now and enjoying again, so thanks for the reminders.

Here is Hamelin playing the Schnittke live with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in 2008, audio only but with score: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8IwbnmJ_8M

[jserraglio]

Thanks for the Hamelin.

[Belle]

@Lance:

Another 'romantic' baroque interpretation; this time Yuja Wang playing Scarlatti. Note the rapidly alternating p and mf (a schtick of Wang's, no matter what the work) and the obvious pedalling:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prdb4PDDlFs

[jserraglio]

Roberto Gerhard: La Duena (The Duenna)

Opera North, Antoní Ros Marbá Chandos

I am a fan of this composer’s works.

[Rach3]

Roberto Gerhard: La Duena (The Duenna)
I am a fan of this composer’s works.

I have only one recording, of his wonderful Violin Concerto.

[jserraglio]

[jserraglio]

[Febnyc]

From Berkshire Music Outlet, a great source for CDs:


Raykhelson, Igor [b.1961]: Piano and Chamber Music, Volume 2
Berry, Charles Roland [b.1957]: Orchestral Music, Volume 1
Alexandersson, Helmer [1886-1927]: Orchestral Works
Callaerts / Ryelandt: Late Romantic Piano Trios from Flanders
Benejam, Lluis {1914-1968}: Sonata for Violin & Piano; Sonata for Viola & Piano {'Moments Musicals'}; Sonata for Cello & Piano.
Kalomiris, Manolis [1883-1962]: Complete Works for Solo Piano
Kazhlaev, Murad [1931-2023]: Piano Music
Haydn, String Quartets, Op.17 #'s 1-6

[Lance]

I got this one too, but never manifested it, only a note to do so when I acquired it. [It was a lazy moment.] I see it was released in December 2012. Amazon has it now for $270 plus post and tax. Over a decade it ago, it cost only $55/USD. Must be it was short-lived. One hardly hears of Silvestri these days. In looking over the box, it does NOT state that this set offer Silvestri's "complete" EMI recordings, as it does on the Amazon page. Near as I can determine, there are no collaborations in the Icon box, such as the Menuhin VC. There were concertos with Ferras, Kogan, François, Cziffra and Ciccolini. Nonetheless, it is a wonderful presentation to Silvestri.

[jserraglio]

[nosreme]

https://cdn.tower.jp/za/o/26/4909346312 ... AwOTkxOTcz

[Belle]

Those Furtwangler recordings look great!!

I'm buying this; I find I can't get enough of Brautigam these days. Haydn Sonatas 53-58.



I've also ordered Brautigam's complete Beethoven Klaviersonaten.

[jserraglio]

Impossible to find at a reasonable price as a physical CD. Purchased it today as Apple lossless from iTunes store.

Arnold Rosé: First Violin of Vienna (1909-1936 Recordings) Arbiter 148.



https://music.apple.com/us/album/arnold ... /918289574

[maestrob]

It is not often that Tchaikovsky's music is reviewed in these pages, much less his rarely heard symphonic sketches. Here, newly-minted maestro Alphesh Chauhan (He studied with Andriss Nelsons and Stanislaw Skrowaczewski.) makes his Chandos debut with Tchaikovsky's The Tempest, Francesca da Rimini, the Overture and Polonaise from Cherevichki and The Voyevoda, the latter of which was the first composition to include the newly-invented celeste. Here we have the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in rare form, stunningly recorded by the Chandos engineering team. A dish of rarities, served up with appropriate Russian flavors of the ancien regime. Five stars for a magnificent debut.

[Lance]

Got that Arnold Rosé Arbiter CD in 2006. Hard to believe these Arbiters are hard to locate these days. Had I known, I would have been happy to send you a copy of the OOP disc, with appropriate notes, etc.

Impossible to find at a reasonable price as a physical CD. Purchased it today as Apple lossless from iTunes store.

Arnold Rosé: First Violin of Vienna (1909-1936 Recordings) Arbiter 148.



https://music.apple.com/us/album/arnold ... /918289574

[jserraglio]

Frantisek Tuma (1704-1774): Sacred Music. Andreas Scholl, alto; Roman Valek Prague Baroque Ensemble, May 31, 2023

https://classicalmusicinconcert.blogspo ... roman.html

[Ricordanza]

A few days after hearing a brilliant performance of Stravinsky's Petrushka by the Philadelphia Orchestra, I looked at my CD collection and realized that I didn't have a recording of this piece. So I went on Amazon and found this CD--used, but in perfect condition. No surprise about the performance: The Concertgebouw under Riccardo Chailly's direction delivers an outstanding rendition of this music. As for the music, believe it or not, this was my first hearing of Pulcinella. I don't know what to make of this piece. It certainly doesn't sound like Stravinsky, or at least anything he had written up to that time. Is it neo-baroque? Is it a style of Stravinsky's own invention? Perhaps after listening to it a few more times, I'll warm to this piece.

[maestrob]

Hank, Pulcinella is one of my favorite Stravinsky works from his neo-classical period, one that I have both sung and prepared with other singers. It's lively and full of animated spirits, and is based on works by Pergolesi. Other works by Stravinsky from this period include his Dumbarton Oaks concerto, his opera, The Rake's Progress and many others. I know that after hearing the three famous ballets, this new style of his can take some getting used to, but the rewards are there!

[Ricordanza]

I know that after hearing the three famous ballets, this new style of his can take some getting used to, but the rewards are there!

Thanks, Brian. I will listen with open ears.

[maestrob]

This superb CD of Ralph Vaughan Williams rarities deserves high praise indeed. Maestro Andrew Manze presents here three titles including Job: A Masque for Dancing, Old King Cole and The Running Set, aided and abetted by committed playing from the Royal Philharmonic Philharmonic Orchestra. Each gem is first-rank RVW, constructed out of whole cloth and well-deserving of more than an occasional hearing. To this devoted anglophile, this CD reflects the composer's strongest points in material that was new to my ears, a welcome journey. Andrew Manze has done it again! Five stars!

[Lance]

Inspiring commentary, Brian. The only RVW piece I'm familiar with is Job: A Masque for Dancing, the old Decca mono recording with Boult and another Boult recorded in stereo for EMI, both issued on CD. This new Onyx CD offers an attractive grouping.

[maestrob]

While Catalan maestro Jordi Savall's Beethoven symphony cycle made a very positive impression on these ears, with its crisp and energetic view of these great works, this recording of the great Missa Solemnis seems a rather mushy affair to me, perhaps because of the overly-long reverberation time due to either poor judgement in the engineering, or from the venue itself. Suffice it to say that while the participants' enthusiasm never wanes, the team of soloists seems miscast (Lina Johnson, Olivia Vermuelen, Martin Platz & Manuel Walser), and the chorus itself sounds poorly recorded, with a dynamic range that feels unduly compressed. All-in-all, this feels like a rush job, with poor decision-making throughout. Where is the magnificent impact of the Credo, or the sweetness in the achingly beautiful violin solo? Is age creeping up on the Maestro? Three and 1/2 stars.

[Lance]

Excellent review, Brian. I shall pass this by!

[maestrob]

While I have long held a place close to my heart for Reiner's Bartok Concerto for Orchestra from RCA, this CD (available exclusively from Presto) easily now sits next to it on my shelves. Rafael Kubelik knows exactly how the score should go, carefully manipulating rubati during the trickiest woodwind passages to show that the Boston Symphony players to best advantage, for example. Seiji Ozawa leads the same group a few years earlier in a stunning rendition of The Miraculous Mandarin carefully crafted to be as chilling as can be. Modern digital sound may have a bit more impact in this repertoire (Boulez on DGG), but this pairing stands up well. Recommended with five stars!

[Lance]

Added another Karl Jenkins CD: "Still with the Music" album, Sony Classical 61005, another compilation of his works, Jenkins conducting. I think now, I probably have all I need of Jenkins.

[maestrob]

Michael Spyres has done it again! What a busy man he is, with new albums popping up with such frequency in between appearances at New York's Metropolitan Opera and other major houses around the world. Here we have obscure arias rescued from the shadows of history from Bellini to Wagner, with some exquisite Rossini thrown in. This generously filled CD (84 minutes!) is not to be missed, judging by my preview today on Spotify. Ably accompanied by Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques, this is a must-have for my collection. Five gold stars!

[maestrob]

Francois-Xavier Roth's latest double CD, in spite of glowing reviews elsewhere, is a mixed bag for yours truly. The first disc contains rarely heard orchestral pieces (La Jeunesse de Hercule, Le Rouet d'omphale) flanked by the Danse macabre and the Bacchanale from his opera Samson & Dalila, all played with the expert polish and drive from Les Siecles that we have come to expect. This disc I would award five stars, easily. The second CD, however, sounds more than a bit hasty. as if there wasn't quite enough preparation time, so the music is a bit rough around the edges. I've heard better performances of Carnivale des animaux, while the obscure ballet that closes the disc (L'Assassinat du Duc de Guise) is indeed quite scrappy. All-in-all, for the price it's good to have these interesting works in my library, and I look forward to a better performance from the Duc de Guise. Four stars.

[Lance]

Agree ... and a must-have for me, too! Eagerly await this one.

Michael Spyres has done it again! What a busy man he is, with new albums popping up with such frequency in between appearances at New York's Metropolitan Opera and other major houses around the world. Here we have obscure arias rescued from the shadows of history from Bellini to Wagner, with some exquisite Rossini thrown in. This generously filled CD (84 minutes!) is not to be missed, judging by my preview today on Spotify. Ably accompanied by Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques, this is a must-have for my collection. Five gold stars!

[jserraglio]

Britten Conducts Shostakovich 14; Britten Nocturne 1970 UK premiere.

English Chamber Orchestra BBC 8013. Finally found this rarity on Discogs new.

[Lance]

It's been a slow season for yours truly on new acquisitions (either new material or older material being reissued). I have not found a lot of interest going through new release sheets. But some of these are on my "to get" list at some time:

DGG: Lang Lang Saint-Saens 2 disc set
Capriccio: Josef Labor Piano Concertos
Sony: Beethoven for Three (Symphony #4, etc.)
Linn: Mendelssohn Songs Without Words for Violin/Piano transcriptions
Naxos: Czerny Nocturnes, Opp. 368, 537, 604
Warner: Mozart/Strauss Lieder w/Sabine Devieilhe (soprano)
Genuin: Mozart Requiem for Piano 4-hands (trans. Czerny)
APR: Elly Ney Plays Brahms and Schubert
DGG: Brahms/Reger song transcriptions
Decca: Very Best of Karl Jenkins (2 CDs)
Orange Mountain: Philip Glass solo compositions

So, as said, just thinking about all this. There can always be more, but how much time do we have left to hear it ALL???? And then, where to put it?

[maestrob]

Known for his tautly controlled Bruckner, Eugen Jochum transferred those traditional values to his Brahms interpretations, here with the superb Berlin Philharmonic. These performances are well worth exploring for they embody the old school romanticism and tight discipline that characterized Jochum's conducting style. Each symphony has its own character, yet Jochum never fails to impress with his ideas throughout. My one caveat is that he tends to push the tempo at certain climaxes where I would have allowed the orchestra players a bit more room to work their magic on their own. Nevertheless, these are fine, dignified renditions, beautifully recorded in the mid-1950's by DGG. Four and 1/2 stars.

[Lance]

Ah - that was lovingly played. Thank you for that one!

@Lance:

Another 'romantic' baroque interpretation; this time Yuja Wang playing Scarlatti. Note the rapidly alternating p and mf (a schtick of Wang's, no matter what the work) and the obvious pedalling:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prdb4PDDlFs

[Febnyc]

Just got this one on eBay for a few bucks.

I had the CD on my shelves eons ago, it seems, and now cannot locate it. I guess I must have "loaned" it to a friend and it disappeared into that black hole of generosity.

So, I particularly am interested to hear the Martinů once again after all these years.

[Rach3]

Just got this one on eBay for a few bucks.

I've had for eons, too,great music.The Britten is not bad, either.

[Febnyc]

Just got this one on eBay for a few bucks.

I've had for eons, too,great music.The Britten is not bad, either.

At my age it's ok to write "eons." At yours - probably "many years" would be more appropriate.

And, yes, the Britten definitely is a bonus.

[Rach3]

At my age it's ok to write "eons." At yours - probably "many years" would be more appropriate.

And, yes, the Britten definitely is a bonus.

At 75, I'm fortunate to recall having the cd !
Btw, the Kalomiris piano music definitely improves on re-hearings.Thanks again.

[Febnyc]

At my age it's ok to write "eons." At yours - probably "many years" would be more appropriate.

And, yes, the Britten definitely is a bonus.

At 75, I'm fortunate to recall having the cd !
Btw, the Kalomiris piano music definitely improves on re-hearings.Thanks again.

75? You're a baby...

I listened again just this afternoon and agree - pretty good stuff. I have dozens of CDs from this label - so many interesting composers represented.

[Lance]

Hey - I've got that one, too! Had it since 2005 - I was much, much younger then. And I'm older than both of you!

Just got this one on eBay for a few bucks.

I had the CD on my shelves eons ago, it seems, and now cannot locate it. I guess I must have "loaned" it to a friend and it disappeared into that black hole of generosity.

So, I particularly am interested to hear the Martinů once again after all these years.

[Febnyc]

Hey - I've got that one, too! Had it since 2005 - I was much, much younger then. And I'm older than both of you!

Lance - I'm sorry to offer a correction to that. I'd bet you a 100-cd box of P.D.Q. Bach's Best Hits that you are not older than I. Yesterday I finished the first half of my 84th year. Can you top that?

[maestrob]

Composer Aram Khachaturian, known for his great symphonies and ballets, not to mention his piano and violin concertos, also composed some superb pieces for violin and piano, represented here by violinist Hideko Udagawa and pianist Boris Berezovsky. This superbly recorded CD includes not only his 1932 Violin Sonata in its world premiere recording, but music from Gayaneh (1942) and Spartacus arranged for violin and piano, as well as the world premieres of several short pieces. Violinist Hideko Udegawa is new to me, a great find! Her tone is sweet even on the most difficult high notes, while Boris Berezovsky is his usual sensitive and ebullient self in this partnership. Why did I wait so long to open this five star CD? Five gold stars!

[Febnyc]

Composer Aram Khachaturian, known for his great symphonies and ballets, not to mention his piano and violin concertos, also composed some superb pieces for violin and piano, represented here by violinist Hideko Udagawa and pianist Boris Berezovsky. This superbly recorded CD includes not only his 1932 Violin Sonata in its world premiere recording, but music from Gayaneh (1942) and Spartacus arranged for violin and piano, as well as the world premieres of several short pieces. Violinist Hideko Udegawa is new to me, a great find! Her tone is sweet even on the most difficult high notes, while Boris Berezovsky is his usual sensitive and ebullient self in this partnership. Why did I wait so long to open this five star CD? Five gold stars!

Aw-right! Looks like another hit to my wallet. Thanks.
(I bet that Spartacus adagio sounds lovely in this setting.)

[Lance]

Can't yet locate it? Terrible feeling when you KNOW you had it, and it goes missing. One reason I never LEND CDs or books. I will make a CD copy of something if someone needs to hear it or study it. Also, I file by label and numerical catalogue number. Rarely do I actually lose something, but it may get misfiled. I note this is a Phoenix release. If you file by label, check your "P" section carefully. If you can't find it, can you get a used copy somewhere?

Just got this one on eBay for a few bucks.

I had the CD on my shelves eons ago, it seems, and now cannot locate it. I guess I must have "loaned" it to a friend and it disappeared into that black hole of generosity.

So, I particularly am interested to hear the Martinů once again after all these years.

[Febnyc]

Can't yet locate it? Terrible feeling when you KNOW you had it, and it goes missing. One reason I never LEND CDs or books. I will make a CD copy of something if someone needs to hear it or study it. Also, I file by label and numerical catalogue number. Rarely do I actually lose something, but it may get misfiled. I note this is a Phoenix release. If you file by label, check your "P" section carefully. If you can't find it, can you get a used copy somewhere?

Just got this one on eBay for a few bucks.

I had the CD on my shelves eons ago, it seems, and now cannot locate it. I guess I must have "loaned" it to a friend and it disappeared into that black hole of generosity.

So, I particularly am interested to hear the Martinů once again after all these years.

Lance - thanks - but, as noted, I found it on eBay and the CD now is in my "unlistened to" queue and soon will be back on the shelves.

[Lance]

Well, you win the 100-CD boxed set of PDQ Bach's hits. Funny, I cannot find it anywhere. You certainly don't "sound" like someone heading for 85! I think it's all the great music you hear, and we are often on the same musical wavelength. Me? I'll be 82 on June 7th, 2024. I'm still doing radio broadcasts (56 years this year) and preparing pianos for concerts, still collecting books and recordings - wondering what will happen to all this stuff (though I am being much more careful with acquisitions these days). If the poor Mrs. lasts longer than I do, this will be quite a mess to clean up. From your nomenclature, febnyc, indicates you live in NYC. We should have another CMG meet-up one of these days IF there is room around NYC to do it.

Hey - I've got that one, too! Had it since 2005 - I was much, much younger then. And I'm older than both of you!

Lance - I'm sorry to offer a correction to that. I'd bet you a 100-cd box of P.D.Q. Bach's Best Hits that you are not older than I. Yesterday I finished the first half of my 84th year. Can you top that?

[Lance]

See what I mean ... same wavelength. This is another must-have for me, too. I follow Berezovsky and I like Khachaturian. World premiere. Got have this. Thanks for making it known.

UPDATE: It didn't ring an immediate bell (at almost 82, not surprising), but I have had this Koch disc since 2006. Now I will try to find it and give it a listen. For your added pleasure, you may want to know about another Udagawa disc I have: Signum 224 - "Romantic Novelties" with Brabbins conducting. There is enough material to do a radio program on her - and dedicated to FEBNYC!

Composer Aram Khachaturian, known for his great symphonies and ballets, not to mention his piano and violin concertos, also composed some superb pieces for violin and piano, represented here by violinist Hideko Udagawa and pianist Boris Berezovsky. This superbly recorded CD includes not only his 1932 Violin Sonata in its world premiere recording, but music from Gayaneh (1942) and Spartacus arranged for violin and piano, as well as the world premieres of several short pieces. Violinist Hideko Udegawa is new to me, a great find! Her tone is sweet even on the most difficult high notes, while Boris Berezovsky is his usual sensitive and ebullient self in this partnership. Why did I wait so long to open this five star CD? Five gold stars!

Aw-right! Looks like another hit to my wallet. Thanks.
(I bet that Spartacus adagio sounds lovely in this setting.)

[Febnyc]

From your nomenclature, febnyc, indicates you live in NYC. We should have another CMG meet-up one of these days IF there is room around NYC to do it.

Lance - when I registered at CMG (or perhaps it was then called "Classical Insights"?) I indeed was living in Manhattan. I left NYC in 2004 and moved back to Westchester County, New York - and subsequently to Fairfield County, Connecticut, from where I now greet you.

I'd be happy to do another meet-up if it could be arranged.

And, as for all your "stuff" and its one-day need for disposal - I've thought about the same issue. My informed decision was to let my wife and kids worry about it!

[maestrob]

This Peter Grimes is a rather mixed bag for yours truly. Featuring Stuart Skelton and Erin Wall in her final recording just months before her death from cancer, this 2CD set is played wonderfully by the Bergen Philharmonic, with a powerful contribution from its chorus. Erin Wall shows no signs that she is undergoing treatment and carries her role well, while Stuart Skelton underplays his role of Grimes, working obviously to portray a more subtle character than that of the overpowering tortured figure of Jon Vickers who owned this character for a generation. While Skelton's live portrayal worked well at the Metropolitan Opera recently, Skelton needs the support of a live performance to make his craft work. Unfortunately for these ears, this present rendition was not recorded at a live performance, but after a long, exhausting tour, and the flame has faded, so to speak. Thus, sadly, I can only award 3 1/2 stars here.

[Belle]

I always find this opera hard-going, but Ed Gardner is superb (and extremely easy on the eye!!).



There's something to be said about foreign language operas; for example, when you hear 'pass the salt and pepper please' somehow the libretto losses it's charm. If, on the other hand, it's 'Geben Sie bitte Salz und Pfeffer darüber' then I sit there, smitten, and blissfully unaware!! (Well, I'd usually be trying to translate, but you get the picture!)

[Belle]

My latest CD arrived today and I've listened already:

Ronald Brautigam, fp, 'Haydn Bossler Sonatas' (Volume 2 - I'm still awaiting 1). Superb recording and playing. These sonatas sound just right on the fortepiano; they have a joie de vivre which is key to Haydn, I think.

My favourite is definitely Sonata 53 in E Minor, Hob. XV1/34 - independent of any collection and not classified as a "Bossler Sonata".

I do prefer Haydn to Mozart.

[Ricordanza]

My town library has a book sale twice a year, which also includes CDs. So I wandered over there last Friday with the intention of finding one or two CDs and ended up buying five--couldn't resist when the price was $2 per CD (plus three paperbacks @ $1 each). This was the first album I listened to and confirmed my impression from years ago that Tamas Vasary was a superb pianist. I was particularly interested in his rendition of Liszt's Sposalizio since that is a piece I am trying to play again. Emphasis on "trying." I'm not what I was at 18, at the keyboard or elsewhere.