Déjà Reviews
Re-published reviews from the archive
Vaughan Williams: Mass in G and other works (Hyperion)
Strongly committed accounts of both familiar and less familiar Vaughan Williams [CT]
Rossini: Otello (Opera Rara)
(Déjà Review) A natural aural ambience tells in its favour as does the liveliness and vibrancy of the chorus [RJF]
Schoenberg: Complete Works for Violin and Piano (BIS)
(Déjà Review) A valuable and involving musical experience that far outreaches the purely musicological [CC]
Howells: Choral Music (Hyperion)
(Déjà Review) An outstanding survey of part of Howells’ enormous contribution to the music of the English church [JQ]
Mendelssohn & Bruch: Violin Concerti (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) For Menuhin aficionados these long-unavailable recordings will be self-recommending [CH]
Alwyn: Piano Concerto No 1 & 2 (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Peter Donohoe positively laps up the considerable challenges thrown at him [TH]
Haydn: Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons) (Apex)
(Déjà Review) A very fine live recording which is up there with the best [GF]
Wagner: Götterdämmerung (Testament)
Keilberth ends Götterdammerung splendidly but that’s not enough – the world does not sound as though it is collapsing [DH]
Improvisata: Sinfonie con titoli (Erato)
Authoritative, intelligent and entirely successful performances [JW]
Vivaldi: Heroes – Opera Arias (Erato)
A very impressive recital of some of Vivaldi’s finest opera arias [JV]
Box of Delights: Light English Music (Lyrita)
Banish humdrum days with this delightful collection [JW]
Vaňhal: Flute Quartets (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Beautifully played music which makes few emotional demands, but hiding a verdant garden of rich colour and variety [DC]
Verdi: Ernani (Warner Classics)
(Déjà Review) Outstanding portrayals from Domingo and Bruson to compensate for an over-parted Freni [RJF]
Smetana: Má vlast (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) For the Talich collector this 1954 set is glorious and the one that remains the most generally recommendable [JW]
Zemlinsky & Schulhoff: Lieder (Simax Classics)
(Déjà Review) Stene and the orchestra are magnificent in these gloriously emotion saturated songs [RB]
Schubert: Piano Trios 1 & 2 (Erato)
(Déjà Review) Goes straight to the top for my recommendations of these wonderful works [TH]
Sierra: New Music with a Caribbean Accent (Naxos)
(Déjà Review) Enterprising as ever, Naxos has served up another stimulating American Classic [DM]
Segovia: Original Compositions (Emec Records)
A useful recording for students of the guitar and essential for Segovia aficionados [ZT]
Schubert: Symphony 9 (Tudor)
A superb version that captures the spirit of Schubert and yet manages to be individual [PCW]
Saint-Saëns: Requiem and Organ Symphony (Cala Signum)
(Déjà Review) A worthwhile restoration [JW]
Sculthorpe: Requiem (ABC Classics)
(Déjà Review) A fine introduction to this endearing composer’s sound-world [HC]
Nielsen & Aho: Clarinet Concertos (BIS)
(Déjà Review) A clear winner on all accounts and Aho’s concerto is destined to be a standard work [GF]
Poulenc & Francaix: Chamber music (Capriccio)
(Déjà Review) A thoroughly engaging disc of very worthwhile music all superbly recorded [DM]
Prokofiev: The Stone Flower (VAI)
(Déjà Review) You must have this very idiomatic performance and production if you have any liking for Prokofiev’s music [RB]
