Feb. 1, 2017
One of the more interesting releases reviewed last month is the first volume of a series aiming to document the more than 300 songs of Paolo Tosti, master of the Neapolitan song. Anyone who enjoys that genre may also enjoy Roberto Alagna's Malena, which includes Neapolitan and Sicilian songs, both old and new. Several other choral and vocal releases had serious social themes, while the instrumental music tended toward the traditional, with large scale works by well-known composers.
Blair Sanderson
Ivor Bolton, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra - Bruckner: Symphony No. 2, 1872 Version
Dennis Russell Davies, Maki Namekawa, Sinfonieorchester Basel - Stravinsky: Complete Ballet Music - Version for Orchestra & Version for Piano Four Hands
Isabelle Faust - Mozart: Complete Violin Concertos
Adam Fischer - Mahler: Symphony No. 7
Patrick Gallois, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra - Domenico Cimarosa: Overtures, Vol. 5
Bernard Haitink - Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 3
Franz Hauk, Marie-Sophie Pollak, Siri Karoline Thornhill - Gaetano Donizetti & Johann Simon Mayr: Messa di Gloria and Credo in D
Jerusalem Quartet - Bartók: String Quartets 2, 4, 6
Johannes Monno - Johann Sebastian Bach: Works for Lute
Música Ficta - Dos Estrellas le Siguen
Josep Pons, Matthias Goerne, BBC Symphony, The Synergy Vocals - Berio: Sinfonia; Mahler: 10 Fruhe Lieder
Luca Sanzò, Sara Mingardo, Maurizio Paciariello - Brahms: Viola Sonatas, Op. 120; 2 Gesange, Op. 91
Various Artists - Tosti: The Song of Life, Vol. 1
James Manheim
Robert Alagna - Malèna
Marin Alsop, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra - Bernstein: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2
Anonymous 4 - Three Decades of Anonymous 4
Arctic Philharmonic, Christian Lindberg - Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6
Camille & Julie Berthollet - Camille & Julie Berthollet
Kristian Bezuidenhout, Freiburger Barockorchester - Mozart: Piano Concertos K.413, 414, 415
Andrea Bocelli, Jennifer Wilson, Zubin Mehta - Puccini: Turandot
Cappella Amsterdam, Daniel Reuss - Arvo Part: Kanon Pokajanen
Renaud Capuçon - Rihm: Gedichte des Malers; Dusapin: Aufgang; Mantovani: Jeux d'eau
Harry Christophers, Handel & Haydn Society - Handel: Messiah
Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, Graham Ross - Remembrance
Conspirare, Craig Hella Johnson - Considering Matthew Shepard
The Crossing, Donald Nally- Thomas Lloyd: Bonhoeffer
Lucas Debargue - Scarlatti, Ravel, Liszt, Chopin
Joyce DiDonato - In War & Peace
Ehnes Quartet- Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 'Death and the Maiden'; Sibelius: String Quartet Op. 56 'Intimate Voices'
Joann Falletta, Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players - Mahler arr. Schoenberg: Songs
Boris Giltburg- Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2; String Quartet No. 8
Martin Kuuskmann - Bassoon Concertos: Theofanidis, Hummel, Mozart
Anneleen Lenaerts, Dionysis Grammenos - Schubert & Schumann: Transcriptions for Clarinet & Harp
The Marian Consort, Rory McCleery - Gesualdo: Sacrae Cantiones
Albrecht Mayer - Vocalise
Mike Mills, Robert McDuffie- Mike Mills: Concerto for Violin, Rock Band and String Orchestra
Riccardo Muti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra- Mason Bates: Anthology of Fantastic Zoology
Emmanuel Pahud - C.P.E. Bach: Flute Concertos
Lawrence Power, Simon Crawford-Phillips - Fin de Siècle: Music for Viola and Piano
Esa-Pekka Salonen, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra - Frank Zappa: 200 Motels – The Suites
Spektral Quartet - Serious Business
Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan - Mozart: Great Mass in C minor; Exultate, Jubilate
Daniel Taylor - Tree of Life
Texas University Wind Ensemble, Jerry F. Junkin - Shadow of Sirius
Vanessa Benelli Mosell - Light: Scriabin, Stockhausen
Ragazze Quartet, Kapok, Slagwerk den Haag- Four Four Three: Music of Terry Riley
Yury Serov, St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra- Boris Tishchenko: Symphony No. 8
Kirk Trevor, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra- Momentum 21: New Music for a New Century
Various Artists - Gernot Wolfgang: Passing Through
Jan Vogler, Dresden Festival Orchestra, Ivor Bolton - Schumann: Cello Concerto; Symphony No. 2
Janusz Wawrowski - Sequenza
Alisa Weilerstein - Shostakovich: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Frank Peter Zimmermann - Shostakovich: Violin Concertos 1 & 2
Blair Sanderson
Ivor Bolton, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra - Bruckner: Symphony No. 2, 1872 Version
Dennis Russell Davies, Maki Namekawa, Sinfonieorchester Basel - Stravinsky: Complete Ballet Music - Version for Orchestra & Version for Piano Four Hands
Isabelle Faust - Mozart: Complete Violin Concertos
Adam Fischer - Mahler: Symphony No. 7
Patrick Gallois, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra - Domenico Cimarosa: Overtures, Vol. 5
Bernard Haitink - Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 3
Franz Hauk, Marie-Sophie Pollak, Siri Karoline Thornhill - Gaetano Donizetti & Johann Simon Mayr: Messa di Gloria and Credo in D
Jerusalem Quartet - Bartók: String Quartets 2, 4, 6
Johannes Monno - Johann Sebastian Bach: Works for Lute
Música Ficta - Dos Estrellas le Siguen
Josep Pons, Matthias Goerne, BBC Symphony, The Synergy Vocals - Berio: Sinfonia; Mahler: 10 Fruhe Lieder
Luca Sanzò, Sara Mingardo, Maurizio Paciariello - Brahms: Viola Sonatas, Op. 120; 2 Gesange, Op. 91
Various Artists - Tosti: The Song of Life, Vol. 1
James Manheim
Robert Alagna - Malèna
Marin Alsop, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra - Bernstein: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2
Anonymous 4 - Three Decades of Anonymous 4
Arctic Philharmonic, Christian Lindberg - Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6
Camille & Julie Berthollet - Camille & Julie Berthollet
Kristian Bezuidenhout, Freiburger Barockorchester - Mozart: Piano Concertos K.413, 414, 415
Andrea Bocelli, Jennifer Wilson, Zubin Mehta - Puccini: Turandot
Cappella Amsterdam, Daniel Reuss - Arvo Part: Kanon Pokajanen
Renaud Capuçon - Rihm: Gedichte des Malers; Dusapin: Aufgang; Mantovani: Jeux d'eau
Harry Christophers, Handel & Haydn Society - Handel: Messiah
Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, Graham Ross - Remembrance
Conspirare, Craig Hella Johnson - Considering Matthew Shepard
The Crossing, Donald Nally- Thomas Lloyd: Bonhoeffer
Lucas Debargue - Scarlatti, Ravel, Liszt, Chopin
Joyce DiDonato - In War & Peace
Ehnes Quartet- Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 'Death and the Maiden'; Sibelius: String Quartet Op. 56 'Intimate Voices'
Joann Falletta, Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players - Mahler arr. Schoenberg: Songs
Boris Giltburg- Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2; String Quartet No. 8
Martin Kuuskmann - Bassoon Concertos: Theofanidis, Hummel, Mozart
Anneleen Lenaerts, Dionysis Grammenos - Schubert & Schumann: Transcriptions for Clarinet & Harp
The Marian Consort, Rory McCleery - Gesualdo: Sacrae Cantiones
Albrecht Mayer - Vocalise
Mike Mills, Robert McDuffie- Mike Mills: Concerto for Violin, Rock Band and String Orchestra
Riccardo Muti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra- Mason Bates: Anthology of Fantastic Zoology
Emmanuel Pahud - C.P.E. Bach: Flute Concertos
Lawrence Power, Simon Crawford-Phillips - Fin de Siècle: Music for Viola and Piano
Esa-Pekka Salonen, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra - Frank Zappa: 200 Motels – The Suites
Spektral Quartet - Serious Business
Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan - Mozart: Great Mass in C minor; Exultate, Jubilate
Daniel Taylor - Tree of Life
Texas University Wind Ensemble, Jerry F. Junkin - Shadow of Sirius
Vanessa Benelli Mosell - Light: Scriabin, Stockhausen
Ragazze Quartet, Kapok, Slagwerk den Haag- Four Four Three: Music of Terry Riley
Yury Serov, St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra- Boris Tishchenko: Symphony No. 8
Kirk Trevor, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra- Momentum 21: New Music for a New Century
Various Artists - Gernot Wolfgang: Passing Through
Jan Vogler, Dresden Festival Orchestra, Ivor Bolton - Schumann: Cello Concerto; Symphony No. 2
Janusz Wawrowski - Sequenza
Alisa Weilerstein - Shostakovich: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Frank Peter Zimmermann - Shostakovich: Violin Concertos 1 & 2