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Ralph Moore
Ponchielli: La Gioconda (Pristine Audio)
Pristine’s splendid enhancement of this recording into Ambient Stereo further minimises the differences between this and Callas’ recording seven years later [RMo]
Offenbach: The Tales of Hoffmann (Erato)
Alagna and van Dam are very fine, but the Bonynge recording retains its place in the affections of collectors [RMo]
Wagner: The Wagner Project (CAvi-Music)
Once again, I find myself questioning the validity and purpose of such arrangements [RMo]
Schoenberg: Unheard Recordings (Pristine Audio)
An extraordinarily vivid sonic refurbishment of Stokowski’s 1941 vibrant Pelleas [RMo]
Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles
A survey by Ralph Moore
Verdi: Noble Renegades – recital (Delos)
Sound, solid singing does not compensate for a lack of tonal variety, elegance and refinement [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphonies Nos 3-5 (Pristine Audio)
Pristine offers three great Bruckner recordings from Kna in a handy, sound-enhanced set [RMo]
Rachmaninov: Symphony No 3 (Fuga Libera)
The symphony is here given the best possible advocacy and Ravel’s nightmarish La Valse makes the perfect pendant [RMo]
Schubert, Mahler and Webern: Music for Strings (Farao Classics)
For all the carefully argued and exhaustively justified reasoning behind these transcriptions, I fail to see – or rather hear – the point… [RMo]
Schoenberg: Pelleas und Melisande, Verklärte Nacht (Pentatone)
Alternately delicate and voluptuous orchestral playing and rich sonics underpin the effect of this pairing [RMo]
Bach: Goldberg Variations & Corea: Children’s Songs (Profil)
Elegance and restraint characterise this cool account, complemented by some interesting bonuses [RMo]
Bizet: Carmen (Pristine Audio)
An authentically French, operetta-style Carmen of the kind you will not hear today – but over-refined and lacking punch [RMo]
Wagner: Siegfried (Profil)
Superlative singing whose impact is somewhat compromised by the disappointingly cavernous mono sound [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No 7 (Reference Recordings)
A magnificent performance, caught In astonishingly vivid sound, supplemented by an exotic and appealing new work [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphonies Nos 1-3 & 7-9 (NCPA Classics)
Bruckner from Beijing – I am transported by the beauty, conviction and coherence of the playing here [RMo]
Mozart: Don Giovanni (Orfeo)
A re-issue of one of Karajan’s best live Mozart outings with a superb cast, in decent sound [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No 9 (Capriccio)
Poschner’s Bruckner cycle concludes with a typically inconsistent admixture of the very fine and the occasionally disappointing [RMo]
Weber’s Der Freischütz
A survey by Ralph Moore
Bruckner: Symphonies Nos 7 & 8 (SWR Classic)
Flawless performances of Bruckner’s two finest symphonies by a master Brucknerian, in excellent sound [RMo]
Aigul Akhmetshina (mezzo-soprano): Aigul (Decca)
By far the best mezzo-soprano to emerge for a generation [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No 3 (Capriccio)
Three strikes and for me Herr Poschner is out … [RMo]
Zemlinsky: Eine florentinische Tragödie (Pentatone)
A gripping performance of a macabre, strangely compelling work [RMo]
Brahms: String Quintets (BIS)
Highly accomplished playing of two seminal Brahms chamber works in excellent sound [RMo]
Mahler: Symphony No.3 (BIS)
An excellent account, superb sound, but an emotionally cool finale [RMo]
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