An Evening With Leopold Stokowski

“This vivid act of reclamation has so much to teach, and to enjoy. It shows that Stokowski's arrangements were made not only with love but acuity; that their flair and poetry may survive beyond his own performances, given the flair and commitment displayed by the Brussels Philharmonic” --Gramophone Magazine, July 2011

“What’s a period-instrument specialist doing conducting the notoriously inauthentic orchestral arrangements of Stokowski? Having fun, that’s what. Baroque wonders by Bach, Handel and Purcell become dressed in showmanship...The Brussels Philharmonic plays persuasively for Egarr, and the programme’s terrific” --The Times, 8th January 2011

The charm and sheer full-blooded pleasure offered by Leopold Stokowski’s transcriptions continues to hold sway today – complete with opulent and resonant strings – some three decades after the dynamic conductor’s death. The “Stokowski Sound” was particularly, indeed deliberately, well-suited to the possibilities offered with the development of stereo recording of the maestro’s day, a challenge which Glossa’s engineer Manuel Mohino has happily embraced as much as the Brussels Philharmonic, whose members have taken to the style like ducks to water in this modern-day “Evening with Leopold Stokowski”.

Leading the way with a classy swagger in transcriptions of Bach, Purcell and Palestrina is a conductor in Richard Egarr, perhaps better known for his work with the unadorned originals (he is the Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music, after all), but in reality equally at home in much later music – and he makes no bones about his appreciation of the Stokowski style. About the transcription of Dido’s Lament Egarr says, “It is still Purcell, even in Stokowski's fur coat.” and, for added emphasis, he conjures up his own orchestral confection of Handel’s Water Music. An evening’s entertainment of unalloyed pleasure culminating in a triumphant rendition of the Slavonic March by Tchaikovsky, à la Stokowski, naturally.

Commercial release sheet (PDF)

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Paris

“Balsom is a long-term Francophile...and affection and empathy radiates from all the material on this disc. Lovers of Balsom’s glorious, malleable sound will need no prompting from me, but even if you’d normally find the prospect of an entire trumpet disc a little indigestible you’ll be won over.” --Presto Classical, 8th September 2014

Alison brings her glamour, poise and dazzling virtuosity to Paris with a selection of music written in and inspired by the most romantic city in the world. “The Parisian concept developed organically the more I looked for music that I loved, that could work in this sound world,” explains Alison.

“I spent a key part of my musical life in Paris at the Conservatoire, and whilst this album is anything but a stereotype of a 'Parisian' sound, every track has a link to the world of Paris. I should admit though, that on the first day of recording even the musicians asked if we were making two separate albums, the pile of music on their stands being so wildly diverse and unexpected...” Accessible yet surprising at every turn, the programme ranges from 20th-century French composers (Satie, Ravel, Messiaen) to jazz (Django Reinhardt) and popular chanson française (Joseph Kosma), all in enchanting arrangements for trumpet.

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Stradivarius in Rio

Viktoria Mullova and friends capture the spirit and atmosphere of Rio in this collection of songs by some of the greatest Brazilian popular music composers of the 20th century such as Claudio Nucci, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Caetano Veloso. Joined by musicians from Rio and the UK in superb new arrangements of classic Brazilian songs, Stradivarius in Rio is a wonderfully uplifting album that will transport you in an instant to exotic, sultry, vibrant, colourful and romantic Rio!

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Trombone Fantasy

“there has been no diminution in his awe-inspiring skills as a trombonist...The engineering is a riot of colour, captured in detail, and dynamic contrasts.” --International Record Review, June 2012

On this disc Christian Lindberg joins the Taipei Chinese Orchestra in a programme of works for trombone and Chinese orchestra. The disc also includes one of his own works for the orchestra, inspired by the poetic sounds of the Chinese instruments: The Wild Rose.

Also by Lindberg, Kundraan was originally composed for trombone and chamber orchestra but was re-arranged for this disc.

Yiu-Kwong Chung has here adapted a famous aria from the Peking opera Cursing General Cao Cao into a striking piece in which the solo trombone is supported by the traditional trio of Peking Opera (clapper and drum, descant fiddle and lute) and orchestra.

For the Mongolian Fantasy, a couple of traditional songs and typical Mongolian throat-singing technique have provided the starting point.

Recueillement focuses on the first and last lines of Baudelaire’s poem.

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Great Movie Themes

Music has been central to films from their earliest days (‘silent’ cinema is very much a misnomer) and has been used to underline mood, or stoke or suppress excitement. Later, film companies saw that they could make more money by releasing recordings of the music, some of which became popular and even de

"The engineers have added a big open sound to Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall to give the disc the required impact." --David's Review Corner, November 2007

"If you like cinema you’re sure to enjoy this disc as it is full of memorable themes from some great movies that somehow invade your subconscious and which you are bound to recognise again as soon as you hear the opening notes. Of course these themes are only short extracts from what were undoubtedly longer scores but if you enjoyed the films then you’ll enjoy reliving them through the music here.

If, like me, you took your kids to see Harrison Ford’s films you’ll be taken straight back to the time with the first track on this disc and the same is bound to happen with the theme from The Lord of the Rings: Suite from The Two Towers. Several others will have the same effect but what is particularly interesting is how so many of Hollywood blockbusters owe their memorable themes to a handful of composers, as this disc of 14 tracks boasts no less than 7 tracks by just three: John Williams (3), John Barry (2) and Carl Davis (2). John Barry is particularly effective with the emotional sweep of music for the films Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves. Nevertheless, some of the most immediately recognisable film music must surely be Monty Norman’s theme for the James Bond films that has been heard in films from 1962 until very recently which must make it universally known across the generations.

I’ve always been a great fan of film music and recognise that it has its own difficulties connected with time constraints, budgets and, often, interfering Directors. It deserves its own niche as much as any other genre but I do often feel that many themes deserve developing by their composers into something more substantial which would help the music find new audiences and keep it in the mainstream of musical repertoire for a lot longer than the transient period most of it will enjoy. The disc has many delights and finishes off with music which most children will immediately relate to – the music from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone." --MusicWeb International, April 2008

"‘Great Movie Themes’ gives you exactly that, with fourteen tracks that go no further - with two exceptions - than a statement of the main theme to many highly popular movies from recent years. The two exceptions, on the face of it, are the suites taken from The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and the Sorcer’s Stone, though the latter runs for less than five minutes. Carl Davis is an old hand with this type of programme, persuading the Liverpool orchestra to forget their classical credentials and to go west to Hollywood, a task they do to the manner born. The big brassy opening to Raiders of the Lost Ark gets the disc off to a thrilling start, and when the music takes on a more intimate nature there is some excellent solos from the RLPO. The engineers have added a big open sound to Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall to give the disc the required impact." --David's Review Corner, November 2007

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The Fantastic Philadelphians

Great Showpieces of a Great Orchestra

Sheer Sonic Sorcery! These popular symphonic show-pieces, originally recorded in quadraphonic (four-channel) sound, have been remastered in Dolby Surround for a breathtaking aural experience. The Philadelphia Orchestra has never sounded more fantastic!

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Je n'aime pas le classique mais ca j'aime bien

Le coffret contient une compilation classique idéale, en 2CD, réunissant 45 titres vraiment marquants, courts, imparables, avec un grand son, et très bien défendus par les artistes prestigieux de nos catalogues.

Includes music by Strauss, Orff, Wagner, Mozart, Shostakovich, Brahms, Poulenc, Lecuona, Verdi, Khachaturian, Smetana, Delibes, Pachelbel, Rimski-Korsakov, Rossini, Fauré, Saint-Säens, Puccini, Satie, Vivaldi, Bizet, Bach, Debussy, Rachmaninov, Offenbach and Bizet.

 

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Fiesta

“One happy consequence of the Bolívar Orchestra's ascendancy is that Latin American repertoire previously known to connoisseurs has gained circulation… the one widely acknowledged masterpiece, Sensemayá by Silvestre Revueltas, which emulates The Rise of Spring in its sound but has its own Mexican character. Dudamel paces it beautifully, slow enough for the energetic strings and forthright brass to have maximum effect as it builds up.” --BBC Music Magazine, July 2008 ****

Gramophone Magazine Disc of the Month - August 2008
Gramophone Awards 2008 Finalist - Orchestral

  

“As music writers, we often twist ourselves into a pretzel trying to define what makes one interpretation superior to the next, but there's something about this performance that just is. …it's the infectious hardcore Latin spirit that, once sampled, stayed embedded in your imagination.” --Gramophone Magazine, August 2008

“A disc devoted to works by Venezuelan, Mexican and Argentinian composers (along with the Latin American-inspired Mambo from Bernstein’s West Side Story) might seem too much of a good thing, but the spirit of the performances is infectious and the music will appeal to a much wider audience than just concert-goers. The highlight here is the Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera’s brilliantly orchestrated Dances from the Ballet, Estancia (Ranch), a sort of Latin American response to Copland’s Rodeo. The Bernstein rounds off the “fiesta” in rollicking style. The verve and enthusiasm of these remarkable young musicians more than compensate for some less than inspired scores and rough edges in the playing.” --Sunday Times, 22nd June 2008 ***

“I am not sure anything quite like Gustavo Dudamel and his extraordinary group of young musicians have ever hit the Proms before. Whatever you have read about the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra can't convey the brilliance and disarming exuberance of their playing” --Andrew Clements, The Guardian

“There is, as expected, plenty of energy on display, from the young musicians as much as from the music itself, but there is also repose and atmosphere. Ultimately, though, it is the festive that wins out. The whole disc...is a celebration of youthful talent.” --The Telegraph, 5th July 2008

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Karajan Forever

Herbert von Karajan was among the most famous conductors of all time... a man whose talent and autocratic bearing lifted him to a position of unprecedented dominance in European musical circles.

". . . a demented "Valse Triste" (Karajan was a great Sibelius interpreter)" --The Examiner, 29. July 2003

"Luxury limousine playing on two well-filled discs." --Classic FM, 01. August 2003

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Great Violin Concertos (10-CD Box Set)

The essence of a concerto is the contrast and combination of a solo instrument with a larger instrumental ensemble. Having developed out of the Baroque concept of concerto grosso, the concerto genre was fully established in the eighteenth century, and many works dating from this period are still a key part of the repertoire today. The opportunity for virtuosic display from the soloist has resulted in the concerto becoming a vital musical force on the concert platform.

Great Piano Concertos · Great Opera · Great Baroque Masterpieces

The violin concerto owes a great deal of its development to the technical achievement of performers, and to this day many works are renowned for their fierce technical demands. Indeed, many composers who have written for the instrument were superlative players themselves—Wieniawski and Paganini among them. The fascinating history and capabilities of the instrument can be traced through the compositions contained herein; from the gossamer threads of Vivaldi to the exhilarating fireworks of Prokofiev, via the lilting swagger of Lalo and Saint-Saëns and nationalistic panache of Sibelius and Glazunov.

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Romantic Russia

"The program, recorded in 1966, includes some of the best performances available in the popular Russian repertoire. Solti was at the top of his form in the rousing opening number, Mikhail Glinka's Russlan and Ludmila overture, as stirring and energetic an interpretation as any ever made. Indeed, it's a wonder the LSO strings didn't either catch fire and burn or simply snap off the instruments, the affair is so impassioned. Then comes Modest Mussorgsky's prelude to Khovanshchina, a calm respite from the rigors of the preceding track." --classicalcandor.blogspot.com

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ASM35 The Complete Musician (highlights)

To mark her highly publicised performance at the 2011 Classic Brits, DG are releasing this stunning 2CD set of some of her very best recordings. Arranged chronologically, the compilation’s sequence offers a comprehensive look at Anne Sophie Mutter’s Deutsche Grammophon career — from her Mozart debut in 1978 to her Brahms Sonatas in 2010, with all of her musical partners.

A bonus prelude to the published tracklisting is a special treat: the 11-year-old Anne-Sophie Mutter playing a solo movement by Prokofiev at a music competition in 1974 – a first release ever.

The track-list includes many of Ms. Mutter’s favourite recordings — ranging from Vivaldi and Bach to Lutosławski and Bernstein — including movements from all of the great concertos in between.

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Victorian Concert Overtures

'More precious evidence of the hidden riches of British music during the 19th century. A splendid collection' --CDReview

‘67 minutes of delightful, ear-catching musical cameos’ --American Record Guide

‘This praiseworthy Hyperion disc certainly deserves the consideration of all serious devotees of English music’ --Gramophone

'A required purchase for Anglophiles' --Fanfare

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Phénoménal Vengerov!

Maxim Vengerov is recognised as one of the world's most exciting and brilliant violinists. His exceptional talent emerged when he was very young. He gave his first recital at the age of five and went on to win First Prize in the Junior Wieniawski Competition when he was ten years old, confirming his promise as a violinist of rare talent. Still in his mid-thirties he is now acknowledged throughout the world as one of the great musicians of our time. He is also an outstanding teacher and is Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Perceptive, entertaining and always sensitive to the individual personality and ability of his pupils, he has an extraordinary ability to convey his insights into the music and inspire his students.

This 3CD set offers an incredible value for the price of one mid album, with a great panorama of his art. On CD1, the Beethoven Concerto and two Romances, and Kreisler’s favorite encore ‘Liebesleid’ and ‘Liebesfreud’. The second CD contains the French most famous violin concertos: Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole, a piece of bravura with the 3rd violin concerto by Camille Saint-Saëns, and Ravel’s great ‘Tzigane’. Last but not least the 3rd CD celebrates best loved and virtuoso violin works: Meditation de Thaïs, Ave Maria, Hungarian Dances, Vocalise…

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Ecstatic Drumbeat

Works for Percussion and Chinese Orchestra

“Here’s something different: a meeting of Britain’s most famous percussionist and the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. This resourceful Taiwanese ensemble regularly collaborates with Western virtuosi, and the results are unpredictable, uneven, but never dull...Fascinating sounds crossing hemispheres, epochs and cultures.” The Times, 30th June 2012 ***

Appearing with leading orchestras and conductors around the world, Evelyn Glennie has also collaborated with musicians as diverse as Emmanuel Ax, the King’s Singers and Bjork. On the present disc, she appears with the Taipei Chinese Orchestra to perform original compositions and arrangements for percussion and Chinese orchestra.

The programme features works by composers from the Far East, as well as by German-based Nebojša Živković, whose duo Born to Beat Wild for bass drum and trumpet here is performed with a suona, ‘Chinese oboe’, replacing the trumpet.

The final work, Emperor Qin Crushing the Battle Formations, is a reworking by the composer Yiu-Kwong Chung of an ancient score first performed in the year 627 at the court of the second Tang Emperor.

Ecstatic Drumbeat is the last of four discs that present collaborations between the Taipei Chinese Orchestra and soloists from a Western tradition, with Evelyn Glennie following in the footsteps of flutist Sharon Bezaly (BISSACD1759), saxophonist Claude Delangle (BISCD1790) and trombone player Christian Lindberg (BISCD1888).

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Encore!

Vladimir Spivakov and the Moscow Virtuosi perform the delighful encores that have captivated audiences worldwide.

Composer: Leroy Anderson, George Gershwin, Manuel de Falla, Sir Edward Elgar, Luigi Boccherini, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Isaac Albeniz, Gioachino Rossini, Antonio Vivaldi, Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Rudolf Sieczynski, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, Béla Bartók, Jerry Bock , Arcangelo Corelli, Johann Sebastian Bach, Fritz Kreisler, Viktor Poltoratzsky

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The Very Best of Adagio

". . . el sonido purísimo y único de la Deutsche y la multidimensionalidad de la Filarmónica de Berlin comparten espacio con grabaciones de cortar la respiración, pertenecientes a los dominios que mejor conocía el director." --Record Review, Melómano (Madrid), 1 February 2006

Includes work(s) by various composers. Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Herbert von Karajan.

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French Ballet Music of the 1920s

“The zany exuberance of Les mariés, concocted by five of Les Six in the 1920s, is infectiously captured in this colourful reissue, as is L'éventail, a contemporaneous ten-composer collaboration.” --BBC Music Magazine, May 2005 ****

…these pieces are full of imagination and fun. Geoffrey Simon and the Philharmonia Orchestra give a very good account of themselves and the Chandos recording is little short of spectacular. --The Penguin Complete Guide to Compact Discs

Penguin Guide Rosette Winner

I listened to these two on-act pastiche ballets on a broiling hot, humid June night when it was 84 degrees in my living room and said, ‘who needs air conditioning! This is better than AC!’… What gorgeous playing and sound in All saints’ Church Tooting (a suburb of London). --American Record Guide

The zany exuberance of ‘Les mariés’ concocted by five of Les Six in the 1920s, is infectiously captured in this colourful reissued, as is ‘L’eventail’, a contemporaneous ten-composer collaboration. --BBC Music Magazine

All this music, Gallic in its unsentimental clarity, demands the cleanest and crispest playing, and this the Philharmonia Orchestra admirably supplies. --Gramophone

The performances under Geoffrey Simon are excellent. They deserve nothing but praise. --New York Times

The sessions evidently secured the right zippy response from the Philharmonia while also providing interestingly colourful sound quality. --Which Compact Disc

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