Berlioz
Aleksandra Kurzak (soprano): Falcon (Aparté)
Aleksandra Kurzak is in striking form with an album of arias sung by legendary French soprano Cornélie Falcon [MC]
Eduard van Beinum (conductor): Weber, Ravel & Berlioz (Forgotten Records)
Apart from the lack of any documentation, this is a most interesting release [JQ]
Berlioz: Te Deum (Profil)
Sir Colin’s performance of the Te Deum is a hugely impressive account of a great pièce d’occasion [JQ]
Pene Pati (tenor): Nessun Dorma (Warner Classics)
That Pene Pati is a talented tenor far beyond the ordinary is obvious, and I hope he isn’t tempted to take on heavier roles too early [GF]
Leopold Stokowski (conductor) BBC Legends Recordings 1963-74 (ICA Classics)
A collection of Stokowski’s live performances from the end of his career is inevitably something of a mixed bag [PCG]
Boult and the BBC Symphony – The Pre-war Recordings Vol. 2 (Pristine Audio)
A sequence of overtures demonstrates the versatility and virtuosity of Boult’s pre-war BBC Symphony [JW]
Martial Singher (baritone) French Opera Arias (Pristine Audio)
(Déjà Review) I defy anyone to play these tracks through once and not do so immediately again [ED]
Joseph Szigeti (violin): Complete AFRS Recordings and Live Performances (Biddulph)
An attractive programme of rare items from Szigeti’s discography [JW]
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (BR Klassik)
A disappointingly dull reading in mediocre sound [RMo]
Berlioz’s Béatrice & Bénédict
by Ralph Moore
Sandrine Piau (soprano) Reflet (Alpha Classics)
An attractive programme of French orchestral songs that will provide much enjoyment, but there are better versions of the well-known songs [PT]
Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette
A survey by Ralph Moore
Gloire immortelle! Grandes oeuvres patriotiques (Château de Versailles)
A pleasant romp through the realm of French patriotic music and beyond [MP]
Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette (ICA Classics)
There’s much for Rozhdestvensky’s admirers to enjoy here [JQ]
Artur Rodziński (conductor): The Complete Columbia Album Collection (Sony Classical)
Sony’s second Rodziński box fills a significant gap from his Cleveland years [JH]
Karl Eliasberg (conductor): Schumann & Berlioz (Maestro Editions)
New light on a largely forgotten conductor – and in better sound than previously thought [RMay]
Berlioz: Herminie, Les nuits d’été, Cléopâtre (Arte Verum)
Impressive live performances by a singer of surprising vocal endurance but they don’t stand up against the best [RMo]
Berlioz: Les nuits d’été and other songs (Virgin Classics)
(Déjà Review) Véronique Gens joins the exalted ranks of Crespin and Baker for top placing in Les nuits dété, and comes top of the list for modern recordings. A truly beautiful record [CC]
Berlioz: L’Enfance du Christ (Hyperion)
(Déjà Review) A performance to love and to cherish [SV]
Karl Eliasberg (conductor): Schumann & Berlioz (Maestro Editions)
This transfer from a chuff-spattered LP is a non-starter [JW]
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (RCA)
(Déjà Review) If you don’t have a favorite recording already, this is a disc that you should consider [PG]
The Paris Opera 1900-1960 (Malibran Music)
Ten very well-filled discs documenting six glorious decades at the Paris Opera [RMo]
Roger Norrington (conductor) Sacred Music (SWR Classic)
Choral masterpieces of the 19th century, in stirring performances [RWe]
Fatma Said (soprano) (Warner Classics)
A ravishing debut album that heralds a great future for this artist [MP]
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