Hommage À Rampal

Music by Burton Lane, lyrics by E. Y. Harburg.

Principal cast includes: Jeannie Carson (Sharon McLonergan), Howard Morris (Og), Biff McGuire (Woody Mahoney), Carol Brice (Maude), Sorrell Booke (Sen. Billboard Rawkins), and Bobby Howes (Finian McLonergan).

The glories of the Baroque are realized in these splendid arrangements for brass and are celebrated in this classic recording from the Canadian Brass. Originally released in 1983, this disc showcases what has made the "Brass" one of the most popular Classical ensembles of all time.

High, bright, light and clear - four ideals of the Baroque aesthetic, obviously applied to its architecture and perhaps similarly applicable to its music.

Samuel Scheidt's Galliard Battaglia is from a group of compositions compiled in 1621 for the entertainment of his employer, Margrave Christian Wilhelm of Brandenburg. This lively dance is one of the most imaginative of the many "battle pieces" composed during the Baroque era.

Until recently Jean Joseph Mouret was known only to musicologists. Within the last three decades several of his works have been revived, and one has actually achieved "hit tune" status. This is the opening Rondeau from Fanfares, a suite from the collection Suites de symphonies (1729). The suites were dedicated to the Prince of Dombes, and Fanfares was conceived specifically as a tribute to his valor in combat. The Rondeau has become familiar as the signature theme of PBS' Masterpiece Theatre.

In 1721, 100 years after the publication of Scheidt's Galliard Battaglia, J.S. Bach dedicated a set of concertos to another Margrave of Brandenburg, Christian Ludwig. Arthur Frackenpohl has compiled a suite of three selected movements from the Brandenburg Concertos for The Canadian Brass. The first movement is the final Allegro from Concerto No.6, the second the Polacca and Trio from the last movement of Concerto No.1, and the third is the brilliant finale of Concerto No.2, featuring the piccolo trumpet, a smaller trumpet designed to facilitate performance of virtuoso passages in a high register.

Two other works by Bach are included here. The first is the Air from the Suite No.3 for orchestra; in his arrangement, written specifically for The Brass, Arthur Frackenpohl assigns the familiar melody to both the trumpet and the piccolo trumpet. The second is Fred Mills' arrangement of a keyboard Prelude and Fugue (BWV 898) on the notes corresponding to the letters of Bach's last name (in German parlance, B equals B-flat and H corresponds to B natural).

The Purcell Suite is taken from a variety of sources. The fanfarelike Intrada is from the incidental music for John Dryden and Robert Howard's The Indian Queen, and the merry Rondo is from the incidental music for a revival of Aphra Behn's tragedy Abdelazer, or, The Moor's Revenge; this melody has become familiar as the theme of Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. The third movement is the famous lament from Dido and Aeneas. The fourth is a transcription of a transcription. "Cebell" refers to Purcell's borrowing of the melody of a chorus praising the goddess Cybele in Lully's opera Atys. The finale combines the stately Trumpet Tune, described to both Purcell and Jeremiah Clarke, with the spirited introduction to the anthem Rejoice in the Lord Alway.

William Boyce's best-known work is a set of eight short symphonies. These were published in 1760 but were, for the most part, composed earlier as introductions to theater pieces. Howard Cable has selected five individual movements for his Suite. The first, from Symphony No. 7, attests to Boyce's admiration of Handel's music. The tuba is given an opportunity to perform in a lyric manner in the slow second movement, from Symphony No.1. The ensuing Gavotte, from Symphony No.4, is a fine testimony of Boyce's aptitude for writing dance music; this is followed by another slow movement, from Symphony No. 7,and the suite concludes with the jubilant fugue from the first movement of Symphony No.5.

Gottfried Reiche was one of the musicians employed by the city of leipzig to provide music for ceremonies and festivals. His abilities were held in high estseem. In 1727 his portrait was painted showing him holding the manuscript of the brilliant trumpet fanfare "Albason," here brilliantly played by the two trumpets in unison (This arresting piece is a signature theme for CBS television's Sunday Morning cast.) On October 6,1734, the 67-year-old Reiche died of a stroke caused by th exertion of participating in a torchlight performance of Bach's cantata Preise dein Glück, gesegnetes Sachsen (BWV 215).

Jeremiah Clarke was a successful composer of church and theater music but was subject to episodes of depression, which caused him eventually to take his own life. He is chiefly remembered for the Prince of Denmark's March. The alternative title, Trumpet Voluntary, was first used in a 19th century organ transcription, mistakenly attributed to Purcell; Sir Henry Wood used this transcription as the basis of his celebrated orchestral arrangement. Today the piece is rightfully ascribed to Clarke.

From notes by DAVID OSSENKOP

The D minor Symphony is a difficult work to bring off in performance. Its sprawling first movement contains a large restatement of material in slow tempo, and there are hard-to-gauge transitions in all three movements. The unfolding needs to have a sense of mystery about it, but also exert a real grip; the interpreter has to evoke a complex emotional scenario of dark and light, turbulence and confidence, introversion and extroversion, reverence and ecstasy – an utterly ambivalent mix. While a stodgy or insincere performance can make the work sound like mere exercise – and also make it easy for a listener to understand how Gounod could disparage the score – a committed one can make the sun shine.

Monteux was 85 at the time he made this recording of the symphony, and it is immediately clear from listening that his technique had deteriorated to the point that the Chicago players really had to be on their toes. The first movement’s opening pages are very deliberate, almost groping; the ensemble is not good in places, as though the beat were somewhat imprecise. But once the long buildup begins, remarkable things start to happen. One feels that a slumbering giant is coming to life. The Allegro takes off at a fierce clip – again the Chicagoans seem momentarily caught off guard – and from there on the performance simply cooks. Part of Monteux’s secret is the way he animates the accompanimental tremolos and ostinati that fill the score and can sound like so much wallpaper unless they are brought to life. The sound is remarkably fine except for some tape saturation in the loudest passages, where the treble gets grainy and the image loses some of its depth; in the soft and medium dynamics, the tone is exquisite. There is good presence and atmosphere on the remastered CD, and the coupling of the Munch accounts of works by D’Indy and Berlioz is excellent. – Ted Libbey, author of The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection.

Firkusny gives us a performance very much in the class of Artur Rubinstein... His Czech roots give him an enlivening sense of rhythm, allowing him to convey high spirits with impeccable poise and style.

Claus Peter Flor leads a sober, "Germanic" performance of Franck's symphony, noteworthy for its clarity of texture and sensitivity to dynamic nuance. This is evident at both ends of the dynamic spectrum, whether in the delicate tracery of the second movement's central section, or in the distinct audibility of the trumpets in their final lick just before the work's closing chords. I do miss the rhythmic lift that Monteux brings to the finale (it's not entirely free of Teutonic heaviness, but then that's Franck's fault too), and the Royal Philharmonic strings could have a sweeter timbre now and then, but this is a good performance, strong on basic musical values. The sonics are also well-balanced and pleasing.

The Symphonic Variations is even better, and valuable for enshrining yet another telling example of the artistry of Rudolf Firkusny, whose "Indian summer" recordings for RCA comprise his most important artistic legacy aside from his Janácek piano music discs on DG. For some reason, perhaps because of its brevity and lack of virtuoso fireworks, the Variations doesn't often feature on concert programs anymore, but the piece was a favorite of Artur Rubinstein, and Firkusny gives us a performance very much in that class. The variations proper, actually the central episode sandwiched in between the dramatic introduction and the fully developed finale, have just the right serenely graceful flow, while the conclusion is simply delightful. Clearly the pianist's Czech roots give him an enlivening sense of rhythm, allowing him to convey high spirits with impeccable poise and style.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Firkusny's quickness of response, his sensitivity of phrase, his ability to seek out the essence of Janacek's lyrical statements in a brief melodic curve are as rewarding as ever.

Rudolf Firkusny's fine set of performances on DG has long been a touchstone of interpretation of Janacek's piano music; and his quickness of response, his sensitivity of phrase, his ability to seek out the essence of Janacek's lyrical statements in a brief melodic curve are as rewarding as ever on the new RCA disc. He has not greatly modified them, except by sometimes refining his response still further... The Sonata's two movements are entitled ''Presentiment'' and ''Death'', and refer to an incident when a worker was killed in demonstrations for a Czech University in Brno. Firkusny plays the first movement with a controlled nervous intensity that makes its point well... Firkusny is quick and delicate in his responses to music that must make its point deftly yet evocatively... The delicate In the mists pieces are beautifully played...

-- Gramophone [3/1991]

Before the Thea King (Hyperion) and John Denman (Lyrita) recordings of the Finzi clarinet concerto we had to rely on BBC radio broadcasts. Both King and Angela Malsbury were champions of the work in the early 1970s. Michael Collins won Young Musician of the Year in 1979 with the Finzi concerto. The Lyrita (LP) and Hyperion (LP then promptly onto CD) staples followed shortly afterwards. Then came a succession of soloists as the concerto surfed and fed the wave of the worldwide Finzi revival. The concerto is now a Finzi ‘signature’ work encapsulating the essence of this vividly melodic pastoral lyricist. In the last two years here in the North-West of England I have heard three performances of the concerto and I could have heard another four with a fifth in St Helens in April. Finzi is now an easy-winner.

Stoltzman is an American performer and his having taken up the Finzi was an important signal of acceptance across the Atlantic. Many US music-lovers will have come to know the Finzi through this CD now custom-reissued at mid-bargain price by Arkiv.

Stoltzman came to the UK to make these recordings and at the same time also had the distinction of making the premiere recording of an orchestration of another of Finzi's clarinet works, the Five Bagatelles. These little essays do not have the substantive depth of the concerto but they do capture aspects of Finzi's character in an immediately entrancing way. Lawrence Ashmore, who also directs the Guildhall Ensemble provides totally idiomatic and Finzi-faithful orchestrations of the original piano accompaniments. Effectively he gives us a Finzi suite for clarinet and orchestra.

Stoltzman in both the Concerto and the Bagatelles tends to be rather dry-eyed. The dewy pastoralism is left understated when compared with Johnson, Hacker, King, Plane or Marriner; not that any of them gush. It's a matter of finer shades. Two other things distinguish Stoltzman. He has miraculous technique - breath control that seems to defy physical limitation. Also his sound conveys the burred and grained woody tones of the instrument more than any of the competition.

It is the Bagatelles that crystallise comparisons. They're still not at all a common work even in the Finzi boom - and certainly not in orchestrated form. The only other recording of them is from 1997 by Robert Plane on Naxos. Plane yields more to the shepherds' carol aspect and also turns in a fine reading of the Clarinet Concerto. His is a preferred choice if you prefer an all-Finzi recital. Naxos fill out the disc with the composer's shorter orchestral pieces including the ineffably beautiful Introit. Stoltzman on the other hand gives us Lawrence Ashmore in a work called The Four Seasons and in Greensleeves. The former is an artful and imaginatively orchestrated fantasy through which are threaded many traditional English tunes. It's pleasing rather than totally compelling although I did think that the chilly Winter section was extremely well done.

-- Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International

...Achucarro offers Falla's earliest and latest keyboard music—three pieces from his precocious teens plus the Homenaje a Paul Dukas of 1935, a sombre and touching memorial to a friend.

Falla's Piezas were first heard in 1908 and are dedicated to AlbCniz, whom he had met in Paris through Dukas. They are more sparselynoted than the older composer's work, sharper in outline: "Aragonesa" is an animated jota, "Cubana" a sensuous habanera-styled piece reminiscent of Cadiz where Falla was born, "Montanesa" is a bell-haunted Catalonian landscape, and "Andaluza" is harsh, percussive, carrying hints of the Fantasia Baetica. Achucarro's performances have winning grace and clarity... Fantasia Baetica [is] Falla's major keyboard piece, and in my view the finest piano work to come out of Spain. It was written during 1919 and marks his last involvement with regional music ("Baetica" was the Roman name for Andalusia); after this came the emancipation from local concerns demonstrated in El Retablo de Maese Pedro and in the Harpsichord Concerto. In the Fantasia vocal phrases and guitar figures from canle hondo are marvellously translated into pianistic terms; this is a harsh, inward-looking, sometimes bitter piece, and the distillation of a long creative process.

[Alicia] de Larrocha's performance [on Decca] is superbly alive with colour and the feeling of physical movement, and though Achucarro's tempos are very close to hers (he takes 13' as against her 12' 57), his reading is quieter, more intimate. They take complementary views, in fact, and it is good to have both. Falla devotees will already have the Decca LP but will no doubt want to add this new one for the sake of the beautiful Homenaje and the three items (all dated 1890) from the composer's youth. The Nocturno reveals Chopin's beneficial, and not excessive influence, while Serenata Andaluza, though just as charming as the Vals, is slightly more personal.

-- Gramophone [12/1976]
reviewing these recordings on LP

An inspired duo creates one of the most enjoyable cello discs in years.

With Steven Isserlis and Stephen Hough an inspired duo, natural recording artists both, this is one of the most enjoyable new cello discs I have heard in years. I should be sorry if the sentimental title, “Forgotten Romance”, taken from the shortest and least ambitious piece in the collection, deterred any serious listener from investigating it. The logic of the grouping is that the five cello pieces of Liszt, all of them brief and all of them adapted from earlier works, are used to frame the high romantic cello sonatas, by Grieg and Rubinstein, that are in danger of neglect. As Isserlis suggests in his engagingly argued note, “The unabashed emotionalism, the thrilling climaxes and memorable melodies of all such works are all too easily sneered at nowadays, and concert programmes are thus deprived of a host of 19th-century treasures.”

His advocacy is well founded, for in these exhilarating performances he and Hough challenge each other in spontaneously imaginative interplay to bring out all the qualities he mentions. The point is that with performances like these, as sharply disciplined as they are passionate, all the emotion is very well founded, with sentimentality firmly kept at bay. Romance oubliee, adapted from an early song, was originally written for viola, with an added arpeggio passage at the end reflecting Berlioz’s Harold in Italy, which Liszt had arranged for viola and piano. As Paul Coletti and Leslie Howard demonstrate on their Hyperion recording (11/93), Romance oubliee is rather better suited to that instrument, but makes a pleasant ‘song without words’ here to introduce the magnificent Grieg Sonata. Written when Grieg was considering composing a second piano concerto, its material and manner very much reflect the A minor Concerto, with Grieg at his most richly distinctive. Compared with, say, Truls Mork and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Isserlis and Hough are lighter and more imaginative, never running the risk of sounding sentimental, choosing speeds that flow easily and naturally. Paradoxically that makes the result more moving than any underlining of expression.

One could say the same about all these performances. The two Elegies – with Isserlis most persuasive in the improvisation-like passages – lead to the Rubinstein First Sonata. It has the lyrical directness and honest four-square construction which make the Mendelssohn cello sonatas so attractive. After a strongly characterized first movement Isserlis and Hough adopt a genuine flowing Allegretto for the siciliano rhythms of the central movement, made charmingly fresh, and the exuberant finale finds Hough at his most brilliant in the shimmering piano writing. The disc is rounded off by two Liszt pieces slightly more substantial than the others – Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth (“The Cell in Nonnenwerth”) – a late adaptation of an early song, spare in texture, and Liszt’s tribute to Wagner after his death, La lugubre gondola, one of many different adaptations. It would be a pity if such inspired playing failed to be appreciated, when, as Hough says, all this music so richly deserves to be better known.

-- Edward Greenfield, Gramophone [4/1996]

HANDEL: CONCERTI GROSSI, OP 6

Falling in Love With Paul Desmond is part of RCA's mid-line Falling in Love With series, which focuses on romantic highlights from classic big-band, swing, and jazz artists. There aren't any risky choices on Desmond's volume, but that's fine, since each of the title's 11 cuts -- including "When Joanna Loved Me," "Body and Soul," "My Funny Valentine," "Embarcadero," and "Then I'll Be Tired of You" -- sustains a mellow, romantic mood. This record may not really be necessary, but for anyone looking for lovely, romantic music from Desmond, it's not a bad choice at all.

-- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic.com

Personnel includes: Paul Desmond (alto saxophone); Albert Richman (French horn); Gene Bianco, Gloria Agostini (harp); Jim Hall (guitar); Eugene Wright, Gene Cherico, Milt Hinton (bass); Robert Thomas (drums, percussion); Connie Kay (drums).

Recorded at Webster Hall and RCA Studio A in New York, New York between 1962 and 1964. Includes liner notes by Joshua Sherman.

Digitally remastered by James Nichols (BMG Studios, New York, New York).

This is part of RCA Victor's Falling In Love With series.

Personnel: Paul Desmond (alto saxophone); Jim Hall (guitar); Gene Bianco, Gloria Agostini (harp); Al Richman (French horn); Robert Thomas (snare drum, percussion); Connie Kay (snare drum).

Liner Note Author: Joshua Sherman.

Recording information: RCA Studio A, New York, NY (1962-1964); Webster Hall, New York, NY (1962-1964).

A vast cosmological fantasy featuring an ensemble of three grand pianos, RUNE is the final part of the 'fashion-opera' cycle by Scottish composer Alastair White (b.1988) following the highly acclaimed releases of ROBE ('excellent' - BBC Music Magazine) and WOAD 'the height of compositional magnificence' (Fanfare). 809730862625 METI28626.2 42869580 .00 20.99 .27 METIER COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 09/09/2022 https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/29/4119029-2887525.jpg 13 1 N VILLA-LOBOS / DANUBIUS QUARTET COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS Heitor Villa-Lobos once confessed that he loved to write string quartets, stating 'one could say that it is a mania.' His 17 quartets form a substantial part of his chamber music output, covering a long career that embraced national pride and musical experimentation leading to the rarefied atmosphere of the final masterpieces. Often drawing on the musical folklore of Brazil, these quartets are an outpouring of spontaneous and daring invention. Ranging from austere polyphony to compelling expressiveness and virtuosity, they represent one of the most distinctive bodies of chamber works in 20th-century music. 636943600610 NXS8206006.2 42869719 .00 51.99 .42 NAXOS COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 09/09/2022 https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/42/4119042-2883091.jpg 23 6 Y ALFANO / CAPORALI / MATTHEY ORGAN TRANSCRIPTIONS This discographic work completes the previous Tactus album (TC871380) dedicated to the complete organ works by Ulysses Matthey, famous concert artist and teacher of the Italian historical twentieth century. After the original works, the organist Fausto Caporali - on period instruments - in this double album tackles the complete transcriptions for organ by Matthey. The album is including pages of virtuosity and meditation, from the famous Chaconne in D minor by Bach for solo violin (a fascinating 'lighthouse' for many composers) to the symphonic pages of Liszt, Berlioz, Debussy, Grieg and Wagner, passing through Geminiani and Paganini. Matthey's compositional refinement finds fertile ground in the organ adaptation of sublime pages of musical history, thanks to his experience as instrument tester and over two thousand concerts held throughout Europe during his incredible career. 8007194200607 TCS871390.2 42870135 .00 27.99 .49 TACTUS RECORDS COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 09/02/2022 https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/87/4119087-2874463.jpg 13 2 N ADAMS,NICKIE / EATON,MICHAEL PARAPHRASE 716043314829 SEPC33148.2 42873679 .00 21.99 .22 STEEPLECHASE-LOOKOUT COMPACT DISCS POP JAZZ 03/15/2022 https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/44/4119444-3297958.jpg 50 1 N ART OF VADIM MUNTAGIROV / VARIOUS ART OF VADIM MUNTAGIROV / VARIOUS One of the finest dancers of his generation, Vadim Muntagirov has twice won the Best Male Dancer at the Critics' Circle National Dance Awards as well as Dance Europe's Outstanding Dancer Award and the prestigious Benois de la danse. Since joining The Royal Ballet in 2014, he has excelled in many of ballet's most celebrated lead roles, as well as proving his skills as a sensitive partner to some of The Royal Ballet's most revered stars. This special collection brings together four of his most show-stopping performances. In The Sleeping Beauty, Muntagirov's elegant classicism shines as Prince Florimund, and in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon, his heartfelt characterization brings eloquent depth to the impassioned pas de deux between Manon and Des Grieux. Described as 'technically thrilling' (Guardian), Muntagirov's performance as Count Albrecht makes the quintessential Romantic ballet Giselle powerfully resonant today. In delightful contrast, his cheeky performance in Copp�lia reveals a wonderful flair for comedy. 809478073062 BOPU7306BR 42902973 .00 59.99 .84 BBC / OPUS ARTE BLU-RAY CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS V/A COMPILATIONS 09/23/2022 https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/34/4122934-2868660.jpg 47 4 N ANTEGNATI / DUBOIS / RUGGERI L'ORGANO MANZONI 1891 DI BIENNO The Italian organist Marco Ruggeri offers in this CD a compilation of pieces by various author, chosen to enhance the acoustic qualities of the wonderful historical organ of the church of SS. Faustino and Giovita in Bienno. It dates back to around 1630. At that period Graziadio IV Antegnati (1608-1657) creates a 16-foot organ with an enharmonic keyboard with certainly 4 and possibly 5 broken keys for the Benedictine monks running the parish. In 1750 the instrument is restored, moreover, the organ choirs are replaced with others of a typically Baroque style while the organ case is preserved. Antegnati's organ still exists in 1822 when the scholarly Giacomo Simoni sends one of the Serassi brothers to Bienno recommending that all recoverable Antegnati material must be preserved, yet no agreement is reached. A few years later, an unknown organ builder adds typically 19th-century stops. Finally in 1891, according to the 1881 project, the organ builder Giovanni Manzoni of Bergamo, who had previously worked with Bossi and for a short time with Perolini brothers, restores and expands the organ. He initially works out a two-manual project, later he reduces the instrument to a single keyboard with 47 stops and 1823 pipes. The new structure includes also the 155 Antegnati pipes scattered in different stops, as well as 18 Principale pipes in an almost perfect succession and they confirm the original division. The latter group is moved to the 'organetti morti' (pipes placed in the upper part of the facade). The seventeenth-century case is totally preserved. In 1943 Armando Maccarinelli from Brescia carries out an extraordinary maintenance and remixes some stops. In 1961 Emilio Piccinelli of Ponteranica - without knowing Manzoni's project, found in the parish archive only years later - makes a radical restoration yet very respectful of the 1891 physiognomy. In 2017/2018 the Piccinelli family carries out a philological restoration bringing back the instrument to the exact conditions of 1891, on the precise indications from the Milan 'Servizio Tutela Organi'. The intervention is completed for the larger part by rearranging the pipes, recovering the material set aside and only with the reconstruction of 12 pipes of Cello. 8032632230649 MVCN23064.2 44181727 .00 19.99 .15 MVCREMONA COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL ORCHESTRAL & SYMPHONIC 04/26/2024 https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/48/4302748-3178622.jpg 13 1 N THUY / TI / BAO VIETNAM - ENSEMBLE NGUYEN VINH BAO This music for string quartet, a selection of melodically refined chamber pieces full of highly subtle ornamentation, is a fine blend of different instrumental timbres and sonorities, performed with great poetry by musicians of the previous generation.� Having undergone numerous cultural influences linked to it's geography, traditional Vietnamese music is a music of movement, an art of abundant variation where dynamism appears to be a permanent feature. Each composition is played from memory, and improvisation is one of the main forms of musical creation. When the melodic canvas is fixed in the memory, it is possible to perform extremely complex and daring variations. ?Nguyen Vinh Bao: dan tranh�(zither with 25 strings)� Ba Tu: dan nguyet�(moon-shaped lute)� Ut Ti: dan nhi�and dan gao�(2-stringed spike fiddle)� Hoang Co Thuy: dan ty ba�(4-stringed pear-shaped lute) 3415820000746 OCO561160.2 44181871 .00 20.99 .16 OCORA FRANCE COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL ORCHESTRAL & SYMPHONIC 04/12/2024 https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/63/4302763-3148025.jpg 23 1 N GLENNIE,EVELYN HER GREATEST HITS Classical percussion wizard Evelyn Glennie has captivated packed audiences and the media alike with her dazzling virtuosity and athletic showmanship. This collection (representing just a sampling of the incredible range of her astonishing output) boasts a distinct crossover potential to an alt-rock market, containing the only available recording of Oxygen," Glennie's collaboration with rocker Bjork; it also includes their only other song together, "My Spine."

Slatkin's devotion to, and understanding of Elgar is again impressively evident in his recording of the First Symphony. RCA have given him a richer, clearer sound than for his splendid interpretation of the Second (8/89). Like Menuhin, on his recent Virgin Classics recording, Slatkin stays nearer to Elgar's own handling of this work. The brisk tempo of the second movement for example, is very much in the composer's own manner. The scintillating playing of the London Philharmonic in this movement makes it a virtuoso demonstration of Elgar's skill as an orchestrator.

Where Slatkin brings his own view of the symphony most firmly into focus is in the first movement. Without in any way sentimentalizing the music, or pulling it about, he makes the listener—this listener, at any rate painfully aware of its underlying note of tragedy. Some idyll of happiness seems repeatedly to be just eluding Elgar's grasp—every time it seems he will reach it, it proves to be a mirage and vanishes. In the poignant coda, most beautifully played, he accepts that his paradise is lost. Only Barbirolli, in his earlier 1957 Pye recording with the Halle (currently unavailable), brings home so touchingly the resigned despair of this movement.

The symphony's Adagio, paradoxically, emerges in this performance as marginally less moving. Just why, it is hard to say. It is marvelously played, especially the interplay of oboe, clarinet, flute and bassoon, and there is a real ppp in the last six bars. But Slatkin, though only in the slightest degree, misses the ultimate atmosphere of the rapture with which this movement is enveloped. The finale, on the other hand, is totally satisfying.

The performance of In the South is stunningly successful, brisker in tempo than either Downes for Conifer or Sinopoli for DG and as exciting as either. Again, the LPO's playing is first-rate, particularly the lower strings, and the recording picks up all the detail, such as the importance of the glockenspiel part. In all, a most distinguished addition to the Elgar discography.

-- Gramophone [6/1991]

Dvorák's 14 string quartets stand as the finest and most imposing works in the medium after Beethoven (and until Shostakovich), though the early works certainly vary in quality. But from No. 4 onward, his achievement is mightily impressive and deserves far more attention from music lovers than it usually receives. As with the "Dumky" Piano Trio, the popularity of a single work (the "American" Quartet) has overwhelmed the others, and more's the pity.

How lovely, then, to see Arkivmusic.com issuing this two-disc "on demand" set as part of its larger program of Guarneri Quartet reissues. These are excellent performances, one and all. The group has the ability (similar to the great Czech ensembles) of being able to attack a phrase with sharp, clean rhythms without coarsening their tone or stiffening the phrase, and this is critical in Dvorák. Some examples include the opening theme of the "American" Quartet, or the "hunting" cadence melody at the end of the Thirteenth Quartet's first-movement exposition. The result is stylish, lively, and singing, just as it should be.

The Terzetto, for two violins and viola, also is a masterpiece of its type, astonishingly colorful (given the limited resources) and full of typically memorable melodic invention. Check out the scherzo, with its pizzicato and sul ponticello textures--marvelously realized here. The sonics are a bit dated in the sense that they tend to individualize the four players rather than helping them to blend into a cohesive ensemble, but that was very much the taste in the 1960s and early '70s when these recordings were made, and the ear quickly adjusts. A wonderful reissue for quartet lovers.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

If it's the Quintet you want, then this RCA version is without question the one to have . . . . RCA offers Brahms's glorious Second Sextet in a performance that is as beautiful in detail as it is grandly conceived as a whole. Intonation may not be perfect but the fine sweep of it all is irresistible. Heifetz's three Hungarian Dances are a delightful makeweight. -- Gramophone