New Classical Reviews, April 2016

AllMusic's classical editors found several albums that offered different perspectives on music and on the world. Dennis Russell Davies dishes up two versions of The Rite of Spring. Christina and Michelle Naughton play Messiaen's ecstatic and mystical Visions de l'amen. JoAnn Falletta conducts classic works by Ravel and Saint-Saëns ostensibly for children. Mason Bates examines new ways of thinking about just what is an orchestral instrument. London Early Opera led by Bridget Cunningham propose an example of a musical afternoon in the park in Handel's day. What will you see and hear?






Blair Sanderson
Bertrand Chamayou - Maurice Ravel: Complete Works for Solo Piano
Stephen Clarke, JACK Quartet - Radulescu: Sonatas & String Quartets, Vol. 1
Christophe Coin, Jordi Savall - Musiques à Versailles
Dennis Russell Davies, Maki Namekawa, Sinfonieorchester Basel - Igor Stravinsky: L'Oiseau de feu - Version for Orchestra & Version for Piano Four Hands
Colin Davis, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields - Henry Purcell: Dido & Aeneas
Mark Elder, Hallé Orchestra - Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E flat; Symphony No. 7 in C; En Saga
JoAnn Falletta, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra - Classics for Kids: French Fairytales set to Musical Masterpieces
Nelson Goerner - Beethoven: Sonata No. 29, "Hammerklavier"; Bagatelles Op. 126
Howard Griffiths, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln - Carl Maria von Weber: Complete Overtures
Heath Quartet - Tippett: String Quartets
Mariss Jansons, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra - Dvorák: Symphonie Nr. 8; Josef Suk: Serenade
Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Houston Symphony Orchestra - Antonín Dvorák: Symphony No. 7; Symphony No. 8
Rachel Barton Pine - Testament: J.S. Bach - Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra - Tchaikovsky Selections
Maurizio Pollini, Claudio Abbado - Pollini & Abbado: The Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings
Esther Yoo, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philharmonia Orchestra - Sibelius, Glazunov: Violin Concertos
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Antoine Tamestit, Kammerorchester des Symphonieorchesters des Bayerischen Rundfunks - Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 2 & 5; Sinfonia Concertante

James Manheim
Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra - Claudio Abbado: The Last Concert
William Berger, Lucy Crowe, Iain Burnside- Duet: Schumann, Mendelssohn, Cornelius
Cecilia Bernardini, John Butt, Dunedin Consort - Bach: Violin Concertos
Khatia Buniatishvili - British Clarinet Concertos, Vol. 2: Britten, Mathias, Finzi, Cooke
Cor Madrigal, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Pablo González- Granados: Suite sobre cantos gallegos; Torrijos; Marcha de los vencidos
Bridget Cunningham, London Early Opera - Handel at Vauxhall, Vol. 1
Plácido Domingo, Santa Barbara Symphony, Gisèle Ben-Dor - Ginastera: The Vocal Album
Mark Elder, Hallé - Donizetti: Le Duc d'Albe
Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi - G.F. Handel: Imeneo
Ingrid Fliter, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Antonio Méndez - Schumann: Piano Concerto; Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1
Nelson Freire - Bach
Martin Fröst - Roots
Edward Gardner, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra - Janácek: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3
Ola Gjeilo - Ola Gjeilo: Voices, Piano, Strings
Federico Guglielmo, L'Arte dell'Arco - Vivaldi: Complete Concertos & Sonatas Opp. 1-12
Andrey Gugnin - Pictures
The Choir of Jesus College Cambridge, Mark Williams - The Evening Hour
The King's Consort - Purcell: Twelve Sonatas of Three Parts
David Leisner, Zuill Bailey - Arpeggione
Jane Manning, Robert Tear, Gillian Weir - Peter Racine Fricker: The Vision of Judgement; Symphony No. 5
Kent Nagano - Honegger & Ibert: L'Aiglon
Christina & Michelle Naughton - Visions
Trevor Pinnock - Mozart: Gran Partita
John Potter, Christopher O'Gorman, Rogers Covey-Crump - Conductus, Vol. 3: Music & Poetry from 13th Century France
John Pritchard, Bernard Keeffe - Arnold Cooke: Symphony No. 4 in E flat; Symphony No. 5 in G
Roman Simovic, London Symphony Orchestra String Ensemble - Schubert arr. Mahler: Death and the Maiden; Shostakovich orch. Barshai: Chamber Symphony in C minor
Skylark- Crossing Over
Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan - J.S. Bach: Secular Cantatas, Vol. 6
Taverner Choir, Taverner Players, Andrew Parrott- Western Wind: Mass by John Taverner & Court Music for Henry VIII
Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony - Mason Bates: Works for Orchestra
Pinchas Zukerman, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Vaughan Williams & Elgar: The Lark Ascending; Tallis Fantasia; Introduction & Allegro; In Moonlight