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Ralph Moore
Bach: Cello Suites (Artway Records and Claves)
Two fine new accounts of Bach’s cello suites but the Artway issue is clearly preferable [RMo]
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (DUX)
Intermittently good, but inconsistent and not outstanding [RMo]
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]
Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus
by Ralph Moore
Wolf-Ferrari: I quatro rusteghi (Rubicon)
An odd and at times rather sharp-edged and disconcerting satirical comedy [RMo]
Flotow’s Martha
by Ralph Moore
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky (High Definition Tape Transfer)
Kudos to these Texan forces for a first-class Alexander Nevsky reproduced in superb surround-sound [RMo]
Haydn: Late Symphonies, Vol 2 (Naxos)
Neat, deft playing from Ádám Fischer and a Danish band always light on its feet and strong on charm [RMo]
Puccini: The Great Puccini (Deutsche Grammophon)
Yes – we are hearing something special here [RMo]
Grieg & Schubert: Piano Works (SWR Classic)
A tame, unadventurous account of Grieg’s concerto, lacking in dynamism, and an equally pedestrian rendering of Schubert’s great pianistic challenge [RMo]
Collins conducts Sibelius (Pristine Audio)
Expertly refurbished but not as sonically striking or interpretatively engaging as my favourite recordings [RMo]
Beethoven & Schubert: String Quartets (Orchid Classics)
A highly attractive pairing of two of the greatest string quartets, interpreted and played to perfection [RMo]
Through The Night (BIS)
A stimulating medley of the best string music, beautifully executed [RMo]
Ekaterina Siurina (soprano): Where Is My Beloved? (Delos)
A stream of imperturbably sedate tone, virtually devoid of characterisation [RMo]
Fauré: Pénélope (Erato)
A subtle, carefully crafted opera, beautifully sung even if in the end it lacks melodic memorability [RMo]
The Paris Opera 1900-1960 (Malibran Music)
Ten very well-filled discs documenting six glorious decades at the Paris Opera [RMo]
Juilliard String Quartet: Great Collaborations Vol. 5 (Sony Classical)
An anthology of classic, highly varied recordings spanning over a quarter of a century from major music-makers [RMo]
Visiting Robert Massard
by Ralph Moore
Shostakovich: Symphonies 5 & 9 (Naxos)
A first-rate pairing of two of Shostakovich’s more approachable symphonies in excellent sound [RMo]
Mendelssohn: Orchestral Works (Sony Classical)
A pleasant compilation but better recordings of almost every work here may be found elsewhere [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No 4 (BR Klassik)
Another superlative rendering of a Bruckner symphony from Haitink [RMo]
Verdi: Messa da Requiem (RCA)
A great soprano soloist and a fine choir and orchestra, very well directed, still cannot save this account from mediocrity [RMo]
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings (Brilliant Classics)
A pleasing compilation of some of Tchaikovsky’s most beguiling string music featuring two premieres [RMo]
Mahler: Symphony No.2 (Philharmonia Records)
Not the most “dangerous” or consistently inspired interpretation but so much of it exhibits elegance, beauty and restraint [RMo]
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