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Ralph Moore
Bruckner: Symphony No.7 arr. for organ (Hänssler Classic)
A splendid arrangement for organ of Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony, vibrant and thrilling [RMo]
Ravel: Orchestral Works (OUR Recordings)
Competent, essentially rather prosaic, Ravel, without quite the requisite release or elation in the two central works [RMo]
Schubert: Symphonies 8 & 9 (Recursive Classics)
A superb double-bill of Schubert’s last two symphonies which trumps its predecessors in terms of sound, playing and edition [RMo]
Toward the Sea: Piazolla, Ogonek & Takemitsu (Orchid Classics)
Some melodious, highly approachable music, and some more wispily amorphous, all beautifully played and recorded [RMo]
Gounod: Faust (Pristine Audio)
A notable document preserving the epitome of French style in sound remarkable for a recording nearly a century old [RMo]
Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks & Water Music Suites Nos. 1-3 (Sony Classics)
Malgoire’s second recording of the two famous Handel suites in period style has worn remarkably well [RMo]
Maria Callas Arias Vol 2 (Pristine Audio)
A stunning anthology of Callas at her very best, enhanced by being rendered into Ambient Stereo [RMo]
Portraits and Serenades (Pixaudio)
A delightfully eclectic programme of string music and song, beautifully played and united by a prevailingly elegiac mood [RMo]
Lassus: Requiem (Ricercar)
Expert singing of de Lassus’ sinuous polyphonic writing in two contrasting funeral masses, but marred throughout by growling basses [RMo]
Beethoven: Complete Symphonies (Arts)
Warm, lyrical, natural playing, slightly soft-edged in manner and acoustic but so very musical [RMo]
Leonard Bernstein Conducts Wagner (Gala)
Extended extracts from three Wagner operas showcasing Bernstein and a trio of great American Wagner singers in top form [RMo]
Victor de Sabata: New York Broadcasts 1951 (Pristine Audio)
A rare souvenir of a hugely under-recorded conductor in the company of two legendary artists, rendered into acceptable sound [RMo]
Giordano: Marina (Decca)
A taut, highly dramatic and skilfully crafted verismo melodrama, which certainly justifies its revival [RMo]
Richard Strauss: Orchestral Works (Warner)
The integrity and sheer musicianship of Kempe’s Strauss recordings demand their place in every serious Straussian’s collection [RMo]
Schubert: Lieder (Avie)
A pleasant recital of no special distinction [RMo]
Vaughan Williams: Riders to the Sea (EMI Classics)
RVW’s dark, atmospheric Irish tragedy and two works lamenting and celebrating the power of love [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No 9 (Gramola)
Ballot’s somewhat pacier re-make of the Ninth combines grandeur with a certain deliberateness, while the finale fragments provide scholarly interest [RMo]
Bach: Water Through Ice (Diversions)
Crudely played and recorded, this simply cannot be recommended [RMo]
JS Bach: The Cello Suites · Guitar Transcriptions (IBS Classical)
A thoroughly convincing, beautifully played, and sensitively transcribed version of these masterworks [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony 4 (Warner Classics)
A loving, dedicated performance which combines drama, mystery and, ultimately, triumph [RMo]
Sibelius: Symphonies 1-7 (Ondine)
Lean and lovely Sibelius, consistent and convincing throughout [RMo]
Beethoven: Symphony 5 & Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (BR Klassik)
First releases of the second of only two appearances by Ozawa with the BRSO in satisfying, if unremarkable, performances [RMo]
Dvořák: Symphony 9 (Reference Recording)
A vivid, thrilling account of a warhorse symphony as the main course, enough to reinvigorate any jaded palate – followed by a piquant dessert [RMo]
