rmo
Ralph Moore
Neeme Järvi (conductor) Great Maestros (Estonian Record Productions)
An oddly imbalanced double bill, with an enjoyable Brahms Requiem and some unbearably rushed Bruckner [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No 7 (Warner Classics)
A grand, majestic performance catching all the requisite light and shade of Bruckner’s most popular and accessible symphony [RMo]
Halévy: La Juive (Philips)
This sole studio recording of a thoroughly entertaining opera makes a strong case for its rehabilitation [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 (Archipel)
A faintly disguised incarnation of Karajan’s classic first studio recording with the BPO, which has long been available on other labels in somewhat superior sound [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No.2 (Capriccio)
Beautifully balanced between thrilling tension and lyricism despite – or because of? – the pervasively propulsive speeds [RMo]
Haydn: Late Symphonies Vol. 1 (Naxos)
Thoroughly enjoyable “period-informed” performances of some favourite Haydn symphonies, light, witty and acerbic [RMo}
Gounod: Faust (Malibran-Music)
A beautifully sung Faust, expertly conducted and superior to the later studio recording in everything but sound [RMo]
Giordano: Fedora (Malibran-Music)
A powerful, idiomatic vintage recording of an unjustly neglected opera with some fascinating bonuses [RMo]
Bach: Suites for Solo Cello (Sono Luminus)
A fleet yet sonorous and profound account of these masterworks, played without repeats and delightfully absorbing [RMo]
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5 (Reference Recordings)
An enterprising pairing of two works given thrilling, gripping performances and sound [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No.8 (Alpha)
An oddly bland and inconsistent account which in no sense challenges established favourite recordings [RMo]
Halévy: La Juive (Malibran)
A compilation of superb recordings by some of the finest voices in this neglected opera [RMo]
Aureliano Pertile (tenor) Disques Columbia (Malibran-Music)
A compilation demonstrating the versatility and musicality of Toscanini’s favourite tenor [RMo]
Verdi: Falstaff (Pristine Audio)
Pristine revitalises another indispensable gramophone classic but the improvement over the RCA issue is only marginal [RMo]
Spontini: La Vestale (Bru Zane)
Far from ideal, but on balance the best of the French versions and its appeal is enhanced by excellent sound and conducting [RMo]
Leoncavallo’s Zazà
A survey by Ralph Moore
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (Pentatone)
In no way does this new recording displace its illustrious predecessors except in terms of the clarity of its digital sound [RMo]
Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (Oehms Classics)
Another fine but essentially redundant issue in this Mahler series [RMo]
Handel: Water & Fire (Pentatone)
Handel’s grand outdoor showpieces reduced in scale to intimate chamber works [RMo]
Refice: Cecilia (Dynamic)
Excellent orchestral playing, choral singing and conducting compromised by sub-par solo voices and thus a missed opportunity [RMo]
Schubert: Stimme der Liebe (SOMM Recordings)
A charming anthology collected in tribute to a master interpreter of Schubert Lieder [RMo]
Bellini’s I puritani
A survey by Ralph Moore
Anton Bruckner: Eleven Symphonies (Bruckner Society of America)
A highly informative and accessible guide through the thickets of Bruckner scholarship [RMo]
Handel: Serse (Linn)
Highlights the variety of Handel’s invention and showcases a superb lead singer [RMo]
