Decca
Nelson Freire (piano) Schumann: Carnaval, Papillons, Kinderszenen (Decca)
Freire enthusiasts should love the performances, sound deficiencies or not [DS]
Turnage: Orchestral Collection (Decca)
One of the most individual voices in British contemporary music [CT]
Chopin: Études (Decca)
A good recording but maybe not quite as impressive as his Liszt [MB]
Shostakovich: Symphonies 4-6 (Decca)
Terrific performances of three very contrasting Shostakovich symphonies [JQ]
Sibelius & Prokofiev: Violin Concerti (Decca)
Terrific performances of two key works in the violin concerto repertoire [JQ]
Tippett: Orchestral works (Decca)
(Déjà Review) Something special – treasurable and pleasurable, all in excellent sound [RB]
Aigul Akhmetshina (mezzo-soprano): Aigul (Decca)
By far the best mezzo-soprano to emerge for a generation [RMo]
Mendelssohn: Symphony No 2 , A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture (Decca)
(Déjà Review) A level of involvement I haven’t heard from Chailly in years [SV]
Bennett: Piano Concerto & Concerto for Stan Getz (Decca)
(Déjà Review) From Boulez-inspired serialism to film scores and out and out jazz. A useful overview of the prolific and diverse output of a truly versatile composer [CT]
Elgar: Symphony No 1 (Decca)
Barenboim imposes his own conception upon this wonderful symphony [RMo]
Chopin: Études (Decca)
These Études aspire to a narrative unlike any other recording ever made – and is often remarkable in doing that [MB]
Zemlinsky: Lyrische Symphonie, Symphonische Gesänge (Decca)
A very valuable disc of Zemlinsky’s sharply contrasting scores [JQ]
Gershwin: Gershwin Rhapsody (Decca)
The concert platform meets Broadway in this thoroughly enjoyable disc of piano music and songs by Gershwin [PT]
Stravinsky: Petrouchka & Debussy: Jeux, Poème Dansé (Decca)
A fine follow-up to Klaus Mäkelä’s previous Stravinsky disc [JQ]
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos 1-7 & Tapiola (Decca)
Another way to skin the Sibelian cat – and enjoy sound of unparalleled depth and clarity [RMo]
Puccini: Il trittico (Decca)
Not a first choice recording but worth spending some time with for a few excellent individual contributions [MP]
Leoni: L’Oracolo (Decca)
Worth getting to know even in a less than successful recording [MP]
Wagner: Die Walküre (Decca)
The last instalment of the Decca ‘Ring’ enhanced by remastering in magnificent sound [JQ]
Wagner: Das Rheingold (Decca)
A classic Wagner recording in magnificently remastered sound [JQ]
Janáček: Káťa Kabanová (Decca)
An incandescent central performance heads an excellent ensemble cast under Mackerras’ renowned leadership [MP]
Rossini: L’italiana in Algeri (Decca)
A pleasing but hardly essential recording of Rossini’s opera, noteworthy for being the first recorded in stereo [MP]
Britten: Albert Herring (Decca)
A touchstone recording which is hard to beat for its general excellence and superbly detailed sound [MP]
Ponchielli: La Gioconda (Decca)
Perhaps not the finest La Gioconda recording but a deeply satisfying one nonetheless [MP]
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