Humour and Classical Music: The Simpsons

by David Barker

More Recordings from Robert Massard’s Discography

by Ralph Moore

kirchner piano blue griffin

T Kirchner: Piano Music (Blue Griffin)

A valiant investment in Kirchner’s civilised music … very much of the Germanic romantic 19th century [RB]

luminos metier

Luminos (Métier)

Interesting exploration of less well-known clarinet and piano repertoire [JF]

phases musica solis

Phases (Musica Solis)

Impeccably performed easy-listening entertainment in the best sense of those words, but the playing time could have been more generous [GF]

amrwd ty cerdd

amrwd (Tŷ Cerdd)

Delightful traditional numbers, performed with skill and imagination by these two fine Welsh musicians [GPJ]

cherubini medea pristine

Cherubini: Medea (Pristine Audio)

Pristine’s revitalising of the sound here goes a long way towards countering any criticism of Callas’ sole studio recording of Medea [RMo]

eliasberg schumann maestro

Karl Eliasberg (conductor): Schumann & Berlioz (Maestro Editions)

New light on a largely forgotten conductor – and in better sound than previously thought [RMay]

mers appassionato

Mer(s) (Appassionato)

Well-played performances hampered by a claustrophobic recording [NB]

telemann flute warner

Telemann: Flute Concertos (Warner Classics)

(Déjà Review) An absolute winner – a delightful sense of collegial give and take [KS]

Alexander Chance (alto): Drop not, mine eyes (Linn Records)

Chance is a foremost representative of his generation in the falsetto range [JV]

Raff, Schreck, Jadassohn: Wind Serenades (cpo)

A delightful hour spent in the company of these three works [DJB]

The Gesualdo Six (ensemble): Morning Star (Hyperion)

A notable musical celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany [JQ]

A Romberg: Das Lied von der Glocke (Hänssler Classic)

A most joyously agreeable introduction to Romberg and his inspirations [RB]

Anders Paulsson (soprano saxophone): Solitary Poems for Soprano Saxophone (BIS)

Beautiful, approachable contemporary music showcases the craft of a wonderful saxophonist [MB]

Mozart: Requiem (ICA Classics)

A Mozart Requiem which need not detain us … [RMo]

Hungarian Dances and the Hungarian Tradition (Naxos)

A delight – puts a smile on your face and a sense of joy and beauty in your heart [MMB]

Suk: Chamber Works Volume 3 (Supraphon)

(Déjà Review) One of the most enjoyable discs I have heard for a long while [CF]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 1 (Gramola)

Ballot completes his survey of Bruckner’s symphonies with another highly individual reading employing daringly extended tempi [RMo]

Chilcott: Christmas Oratorio (Delphian)

Immediately attractive music for the festive season [WH]

Corelli: Corellimania (OUR Recordings)

An excellent disc of baroque chamber music, even if in one or two cases the link to the craze for Corelli is a little tenuous [GPu]

Delibes: Lakmé (Naxos)

A musically splendid new video production of Delibes’s opera can do little to mask the more unsavoury aspects of the story [PCG]

Red Maple – Music for Bassoon & Strings (Bridge Records)

A collection of fine works for the unusual combination of bassoon and strings [GPJ]

R Schumann: Piano Trios, Vol. 2 (BIS)

Superb performances of lesser-known but deeply rewarding Schumann [PBW]