[Syms.1&2] "two performances of masterpieces: marvellous orchestral playing and a carefree feeling to the music-making... playing is highly detailed and relaxed. The lack of bombast and aggression in the louder passages is to be applauded... performances unbuttoned and refined... sound quality is vivid, forward and clear" (MusicWeb) ; [5th MC3106] "Right at the opening, the listener notes the extremely rich, dynamically full-powered and yet transparent sound of the Westdeutsche Sinfonia, also rich in it's tonal quality. Under the gripping direction of Dirk Joeres, the symphony becomes a first-rate sound experience" [7th] "Joeres is not influenced by any (other) styles. He conducts a classically shaped and full-blooded Seventh in which the focus is on the music, On the accompanying note, he fully explains the symphonies and his interpretive concept with a great deal of knowledge" (Pizzicato)

The lyrical Second Symphony is haunted by a restless melancholy... yet the result is in no way depressing. Chamber Symphony No.2 is a relatively late work and although it is freely rhapsodic, the mood is more positive and often songful... The nostalgic feeling returns in the central movement, but the atmosphere darkens in the long drawn finale which reaches a passionately plangent climax before it's quietly resigned coda with a single tympani stroke resolution... both played with great eloquence and warmly and naturally recorded. (Penguin Guide 3 stars)

Overall the performances are excellent. Among the highlights are the slow movement from Vivaldi's lute concerto which is played with great sensitivity by Karl Nyhlin (MusicWeb)

As an example of luscious late-Romantic orchestral writing, Die Seejungfrau could scarcely be bettered: a fine performance of a gorgeous orchestral score (MusicWeb) "Steinbacher's technique on the other hand is immaculate; how gracefully those swirls and leaps are articulated. Foster's support is always vivid and colourful" (MWeb) "Steinbacher's expressive cantabile alternates with enthusiastic verve in the virtuoso passages." (Gramophone)

The Chamber symphonies come from the last decade of his life, the First for string orchestra, from the same year as the 18th symphony... it is pastoral in character, closer in feeling to a divertimento or sinfonietta... The Fourth... unremitting as late Shostakovich, and strongly valedictory in feeling. A haunting piece, music of real substance. (Penguin Guide 3 stars)

(This) is an overlooked masterpiece of the Russian music literature... and I hope our disc will bring the recognition which it well deserves." (Mikhail Pletnev) "Psalm 50 made a deep impression on Alexey Khomyakov, whose 1856 poem develops the idea that outward forms of religion are as nothing beside truth and brotherly love... (his) poem inspired Taneyev... a summation of Taneyev's life and work... (bears) comparison with Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, especially use of fugues... a compelling piece which Pletnev does well to clarify so successfully... includes a fine solo warmly sung by Marianna Tarassova." (Gramophone)

[K.219] (his) innate musicality shone through... (he) should be heard if you don't mind a much fuller tone in Mozart... distinguished by the beautiful phrasing of David Oistrakh, very sympathetically supported by the Dresden Orchestra and Konwitschny." (Gramophone); [K.218] "very romantic... a legendary violinist at his absolute peak, recorded in better sound than possible then in his own country and sympathetically supported" [K454] "a warmly cosseted account of Mozart's great B flat Sonata, with Yampolsky providing trim pianistic support." (Gramophone)

The [4th Symphony] is especially interesting: not previously issued; furthermore, it may well be new to the Davis discography. Vaughan Williams' Fourth Symphony receives a terrific reading... first movement full of teeming energy and the recorded sound adds to the impact... an expertly judged slow movement offers refined playing but they and Davis make the climaxes ardent. The Scherzo is really incisive... The finale explodes into life and the LSO brass is on trenchant form... Davis keeps the performance rock-steady and they achieve great clarity... hard to understand why it was never issued separately - greatly to be welcomed" (MusicWeb). [5th symphony]: "I found these performances far more communicative... Marriner conveys a greater sense of radiance and warmth and a greater awareness of the underlying forces beneath the surface (the final movement is particularly well done)" (Gramophone)

(Hickox) "fine digital collections sung with fervour and discipline... zestfully infectious... shaped beautifully... brass resonantly sonorous... fully in the demonstration bracket" (Penguin Guide)

[Concerto: Richter insisted on playing Dvor�k's originally-conceived version and not the then-standard, as transcribed by Vil�m Kurz]... "Richter pronounced that it was the most difficult concerto he had ever tackled but somehow he made Dvor�k's original, unrevised piano-writing - sound totally convincing" [Quintet] "Quick and sensitive as Richter's playing is,... with the Borodin Quartet supporting him sympathetically the performance has vigour and charm" (Gramophone)

Classical Music

altogether this is as tempting a Hummel collection as any we know... His G major (mandolin) Concerto here in even more agreeable form, as Op.73 Piano Concertino, and Martin Galling is even more persuasive, helped by a very spirited backing in Berlin... also La Galante, a lilting Rondo for solo piano... Zukerman and Faerber return for Hummel's Bassoon Concerto, impressive to be discussed in the same breath as Mozart's, particularly with this splendid soloist, who is deliciously jocular in the characterful finale. The disc concludes with Septet Militaire, Op.114: the very happy finale, with it's ingenious upward scale, is most felicitous (Gramophone)

Abravanel's account highly recommendable.. played with great conviction [Thomson] "colours glowing, resonantly atmospheric.most enjoyable" [Gould] "so vivid and atmospheric.. astonishing recorded sound. Guaracha irresistibly catchy" [Copland] "orchestral vitality and rhythmic power" (all 3 stars Penguin Guide)

The descants of much-loved Director Richard Marlow embellish 24 popular hymns from Tinity College

I commend this inexpensive disc to explorers of the string quartet who know and love their Smetana and late-Dvor�k Quartets. (MusicWeb) "Glazunov's string quartets contain attractive music... a successful reconciliation between the two traditions of Borodin and Tchaikovsky" (c) Gramophone [Quartet 5]: "one is tempted to believe this is the finest of the seven (quartets)... Shostakovich Quartet have great feeling for this music and play with real conviction" (c) Penguin Guide