New Classical Reviews, December 2017

Our reviewers covered an interesting variety of music last month. A couple of the operatic albums offered fun in different ways. One is the perennial favorite children's opera, Hansel und Gretel, in a new recording conducted by Marek Janowski. The other was the sense of enjoyment shared by mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli and cellist Sol Gabetta on Dolce Duello. Other intriguing albums include new music by Terry Riley, whose music is often overshadowed by that of Glass and Reich; Baroque arias telling the story of Cleopatra; and Impressionist French music arranged for brass septet. We also reviewed a few of the recent Grammy nominee recordings.





Blair Sanderson
Alamire, Fretwork - Thomas Tallis: Queen Katherine Parr & Songs of Reformation
Darrell Ang, L'Orchestre National de Lille - Offenbach: Overtures
Robyn Bollinger - Ciaccona: The Bass of Time
Andrew Davis, Toronto Symphony Orchestra - Handel: Messiah
Joyce DiDonato, Michael Spyres, John Nelson - Berlioz: Les Troyens
Daniela Dulci, Musica Fiorita - George Frideric Handel: Ode for St. Cecilia's Day
Richard Dowling - The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin
Pablo González, Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra - Bizet: Carmen Suites; L'Arlésienne Suites
Glenn Gould - The Goldberg Variations: The Complete Unreleased Recording Sessions June 1955
Hans Graf, Houston Symphony Orchestra - Alban Berg: Wozzeck
Giancarlo Guerrero, Nashville Symphony - Jennifer Higdon: All Things Majestic; Viola Concerto; Oboe Concerto
Bernard Haitink, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra - Bruckner: Symphonie Nr.6
Marek Janowski, Katrin Wundsam, Alexandra Steiner - Engelbert Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel
Maria Lettberg, Ariane Matiakh, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra - Zara Levina: The Piano Concertos
Regula Mühlemann - Cleopatra: Baroque Arias
Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Emily Magee, Wolfgang Koch - Strauss: Salome
Vasily Petrenko, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra - Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Rachmaninov: Spring; Debussy: Printemps
Marc Soustrot, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra - Bizet: Symphony in C Major; Carmen Suite No. 1; L'Arlésienne Suites Nos. 1 & 2

James Manheim
Arditti String Quartet - Hans Abrahamsen: String Quartets No. 1-4
Cecilia Bartoli, Sol Gabetta - Dolce Duello
Ottavio Dantone, Accademia Bizantina - Bach: The Art of Fugue
Lucas Debargue - Schubert, Szymanowski
Francesca Dego, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Daniele Rustioni - Violin Concertos: Paganini 1, Wolf-Ferrari
Thomas Demenga - J.S. Bach: Suiten für Violoncello
Vilde Frang - Homage
John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir - Bach: Magnificat in E flat; Missa in F
Ola Gjeilo, Choir of Royal Holloway, 12 Ensemble, Rupert Gough - Winter Songs
Giancarlo Guerrero, Nashville Symphony - Terry Riley: The Palmian Chord Ryddle; At the Royal Majestic
Timothy Hamilton, Cantoribus - Timothy Hamilton: Requiem
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, St. Petersburg State Symphony, Constantine Orbelian - Georgy Sviridov: Russia Cast Adrift
Bomsori Kim - Wieniawski, Shostakovich
King's College Choir, Cambridge; Britten Sinfonia - Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem; Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Patricia Kopatchinskaja - Schubert: Death and the Maiden
Choir of Merton College, Oxford; Benjamin Nicholas - O Holy Night: A Merton Christmas
Oliver Schnyder Trio - Beethoven: The Piano Trios
Pavel Haas Quartet, Boris Giltburg, Pavel Nikl - Dvořák: Quintets Op. 81 & 97
Jordi Savall, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Hespèrion XXI - Routes de l'Esclavage, 1444-1888
Septura - Music for Brass Septet, Vol. 5: Fauré, Ravel, Debussy
Sistine Chapel Choir, Massimo Palombella - Veni Domine: Advent & Christmas at the Sistine Chapel
Arabella Steinbacher - Britten & Hindemith: Violin Concertos
Gabriel Tacchino - Poulenc: Piano Melodies
Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony - Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4
Rosemary Tuck, English Chamber Orchestra, Richard Bonynge - Carl Czerny: Piano Concerto in D minor
Various Artists - Mademoiselle - Première Audience: Unknown Music of Boulanger