CDs Received

Bax, Winter Legends, Morning Song ‘Maytime in Sussex’, Saga Fragment, Ashley Wass, pf, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, James Judd, cond, Naxos CD 8.572597 (56 minutes: DDD).

Brahms, Sonatas for piano Op. 1 and Op. 2, Scherzo Op. 4, Alexander Melnikov, pf, Piano Bösendorfer 1875, Harmonia Mundi CD HMC 902086 (69 minutes: DDD).

Brahms, The Songs of Johannes Brahms Vol. 2, Christine Schäfer, sopr, Graham Johnson, pf, Hyperion CD J33122 (76 minutes: DDD).

Brahms, Variations on a Theme by Händel Op. 24, 16 Walzer Op. 39, Zwei Rhapsodien Op. 79, Ragna Schirmer, pf, Berlin Classics CD 0016652BC (65 minutes: DDD).

Brahms, Variations on a Theme by Schumann Op. 9, Variations on an Original Theme in D major Op. 21 No. 1, Variations on a Hungarian Song Op. 21 No. 2, Variations on a Theme by Händel Op. 24, Terhi Dostal, pf, Sibarecords CD 1006 (70 minutes: SACD).

Brahms, Violin Concerto Op. 77, Isabelle Faust, vl, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Harding, cond, String Sextet No. 2 Op. 36, Isabelle Faust and Julia-Maria Kretz, vls, Stefan Fehlandt and Pauline Sachse, vlas, Christoph Richter and Xenia Jankovic, vcs, Harmonia Mundi CD HMC 902075 (75 minutes: DDD).

Chopin, 57 Mazurkas, Adam Harasiewicz, pf, Narodowy Institut Fryderyka Chopina 2 CD Set NIFC 208–209 (68 minutes).

Chopin, Finalists’ Performances of the 16th Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, Yulianna Avdeeva, Ingolf Wunder, Lukas Geniusas, Daniil Trifonov, Evgeni Bozhanov, François Dumont, pf, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Antoni Witt, cond, Narodowy Institut Fryderyka Chopina 12 CD Set, NIFC 600–611 (895 minutes; DDD).

Chopin, Piano Concertos Op. 11 and Op. 21, Jan Lisiecki, pf, Sinfonia Varsovia, Howard Shelley, cond, Narodowy Institut Fryderyka Chopina CD NIFC 200 (72 minutes: DDD).

Chopin, Sonatas Op. 4, Op. 35, Op. 58, Howard Shelley, pf, Piano Erard 1849 and Pleyel 1848, Narodowy Institut Fryderyka Chopina CD NIFC 022 (79 minutes: DDD).

Debussy, Early Works for Piano Duet, Adrienne Soós, pf, and Ivo Haag pf, Naxos CD 8.572385 (75 minutes: DDD).

Dvořák, Sonata in F major, Sonatina in G major, Four Romantic Pieces, Ballad in D minor, Notturno in B major, Anthony Marwood, vl, Susan Tomes, pf, Helios CD H55365 (67 minutes: DDD).

Fuchs, Serenade No. 1 in D major Op. 9, Serenade No. 2 in C major Op. 14, Andante grazioso and Capriccio Op. 63, Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Christian Ludwig, cond, Naxos CD 8.572222 (53 minutes: DDD).

Humperdinck, Königskinder. Märchenoper in drei Aufzügen, Klaus Florian Vogt, ten, Juliane Banse, sopr, Christian Gerhaher, bar, Gabriele Schnaut, mezzo sopr, Andreas Hörl, bass bar, Stephan Rügamer, ten et alia, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Simon Halsey, cond, Nicolas Fink, chorus master, Berliner Mädchenchor, Sabine Wüsthoff, chorus master, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Ingo Metzmacher, cond, Crystal Classics 3 CD Set N67044 (157 minutes: DDD).

Karłowicz, ‘Rebirth’ Symphony Op. 7, Bianca da Molena Op. 6, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Antoni Wit, cond, Naxos CD 8.572487 (63 minutes: DDD).

Liszt, Complete Piano Music Vol. 33: Wagner & Weber Transcriptions, Steven Mayer, pf, Naxos 8.570562 (68 minutes: DDD)

Liszt, Dante-Symphony, Evocation à la Chapelle Sixtine, Orchester Wiener Akademie, Chorus sine nomine, Martin Haselböck, cond, NCA CD 60234 (59 minutes: DDD).

Liszt, His Life and Music by Malcolm Hayes, Naxos Educational 2 CD Set with bonus material 8.558214-15 (154 minutes: DDD).

Liszt, Rare Piano Works, Gregorio Nardi, pf, Dynamic CD DM 8017 (68 minutes: DDD)

Liszt, Sonata in B minor, Fantasy and Fugue on the choral ‘Ad nos, ad salutarem undam’ (trans Ferruccio Busoni), Garrick Ohlsson, pf, Bridge CD 9337 (61 minutes: DDD)

Liszt, Piano Sonata, Fantasie und Fuge über das Thema B-A-C-H, Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude, Venezia e Napoli, Marc-André Hamelin, pf, Hyperion CD A67760 (79 minutes: DDD)

Norge Romantic Chamber Music, Grieg, String Quartet in G minor Op. 27, Svendsen, String Octet in A minor Op. 3, Kocian Quartet and M. Nostitz Quartet, Praga Digitals CD DSD250274 (73 minutes: SACD).

The Real Chopin. Complete Works on Period Instruments, Narodowy Institut Fryderyka Chopina 21 CD Set NIFC 000-020 (ca 1400 minutes: DDD).

The Romantic Piano Concerto Vol. 53, Reger, Piano Concerto in F minor Op. 114, Strauss, Burleske in D minor, Marc-André Hamelin, pf, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Ilan Volkov, cond, Hyperion CD A67635 (57 minutes: DDD).

Russian Songs, Songs by Mussorgsky, Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakirev and Borodin, Mikhail Svetlov, bass, Pavlina Dokovska, pf, Naxos CD 8.572218 (57 minutes: DDD).

Schumann, Études symphoniques Op. 13, Sonata in G minor Op. 22, Malcolm Frager, pf, Piano Peter Rosenberger 1845, Narodowy Institut Fryderyka Chopina CD NIFC 100 (43 minutes: DDD).

Songs and Duetts from Slovenija! Songs by Ipavec, Lajovic, Gerzinic et alia, Bernarda Fink, mezzo sopr, Marcos Fink, bass bar, Anthony Spiri, pf, Harmonia Mundi CD HMC 902065 (70 minutes: DDD).

Gioacchino Rossini, La Gazzetta, Eva Czapò, sopr, Benedtta Pecchioli, mezzo sopr, et alia, Choir and Orchestra Radiotelevisione della Svizzera Italiana, Bruno Rigacci, cond, Nuova Era 2 CD set NEI 233008 (106 minutes: ADD).

Gioacchino Rossini, La Siège de Corinthe, Lucciana Serra, sopr, Marcello Lippi, bass, et aoia, Prag Philharmonic Choir, Orchestra and Choir of the Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova, Paolo Olmi, cond, Nuova Era NEI 233010 (147 minutes: DDD).

Suk, Fantasy in G minor Op. 24*, Pohádka (Fairy Tale) Op. 16, Fantastické scherzo Op. 25, Michael Ludwig, vl, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta, cond, Naxos CD 8.572323 (69 minutes: DDD).

DVDs received

Beethoven, Missa solemnis in D major Op. 123, Krassimira Stoyanova, sopr, Elīna Garanča, mezzo sopr, Michael Schade, ten, Franz-Josef Selig, bar, Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden, Pablo Assante, chorus master, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Matthias Wollong, vl solo, Christian Thielemann, cond, Unitel DVD in co-production with ZDF/3sat and Classica A05017752 (88 minutes).

Bellini, La Sonnanbula, Simone Alaimo, bass, Eglise Gutierrez, sopr, Antonino Siragusa, ten, Sandra Pastrana, sopr, Gabriella Colecchia, mezzo sopr et alia, Orchestra and Chorus Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Maurizio Benini, cond, Hugo De Ana, dir, Dynamic DVD 33616 (141 minutes).

Celibidache Rehearses Bruckner's Ninth. A Film by Jan Schmidt-Garre, Munich Philharmonic, Sergiu Celibidache, cond, Arthaus Musik DVD 101 555 (58 minutes).

Horn Master & Teacher: Hermann Baumann. A Film by Peter Schwerfel. Les Leçons Particulières de Musique, collection by Olivier Bernager & François Manceaux, Harmonia Mundi DVD HMD 9909032 (52 minutes).

Mahler, Fourth Symphony G major & Fifth Symphony C sharp minor, Camilla Tilling, sopr, World Orchestra of Peace, Valery Gergiev, cond, Unitel Classica & Cmajor DVD 702607 (155 minutes).

Pianist and Teacher: Yvonne Loriod. A Film by François Manceaux, with the exceptional participation of Olivier Messiaen. Les Leçons Particulières de Musique, collection by Olivier Bernager & François Manceaux, Harmonia Mundi HMD 9909032 (57 minutes).

Wagner, Die Walkure, Linda Watson, sopr, Albert Dohmen, bass bar, Edith Haller, sopr, Johan Botha, ten, Kwangchul Youn, bass, Bayreuther Festspiele Chorus, Bayreuther Festspielorchester, Christian Thielemann, cond, Tankred Dorst, dir, Opus Arte DVD OA1045D (258 minutes).