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The selections being played (with brief announcements or review commentary) are listed below in the order of the broadcast. This will make it easy for listeners to know the selection being played and jot down catalog number of the CD if they wish to purchase it. Have fun. As always, the Unwanted Opinion Reviews feature only recordings that we believe in and wish to recommend. This format will replace our formerly print only reviews... since hearing music is a far more effective way to judge if you want to purchase it. Guess the days of the strictly print CD review magazines are numbered.
Broadcast #1 includes items from the following CD distributors: Koch Imports, Harmonia Mundi-USA and Allegro Imports (we will highlight those selections in Brown text).
Broadcast #2 includes items from the following CD distributors: Naxos-USA, Albany Distributors and Qualiton Imports. (we will highlight those selections in Purple text).
Broadcast #1 KOCH International SELECTIONS heard in our program:
MDG 335 0817 - Burgmuller: Symphony #2 , Concerto for Piano op.1 and Overture op. 5 - Schmalfub cond. ****
MDG 601 0832 - Nicolai: Symphony WoO 99, Fantasy on Norma for Piano and Orch. - Stern cond.****
MDG 337 0826 - Beethoven:Leonore second version (the1806 version) 2 cd set. Very Good sound. - Soustrot cond.****
Koch 365502 - Paderewski: Piano Concerto and Fantasie Polonaise with - E.Kupiec, Wolff cond.*****
Koch 365572 - Bruch: Odysseus 2 cd set - Botstein cond.***
Koch 364502 - Czerny and Abeille Concertos for Piano Duet and Orchestra - Merz cond. Great sound ...nice conducting.****
Koch 315142- Joachim: Overtures and Marches for Orchestra - Bader cond.****
Koch 373762 - Tribute to Alfred Newman suites from Wuthering Heights, Prince of Foxes, David and Bathsheba etc.
Dragonwyck, Prisoner of Zenda and selection heard: Brigham Young March ***** Excellent sound and conducting by Richard Kaufman and the New Zealand Symphony.
ASV 1037 - "ARMENIA" 17 selections by various composers web selection heard: Dances of the Fisherman by Yeghiazarian - Tjeknavorian cond. (composers include: Babadzhanian and Tjeknavorian, Spendiarian, Mirzoyan etc.)****
ASV 2116 - "BRITISH LIGHT MUSIC" 17 World Premieres by M. Arnold:Roots of Heaven Ovt., C. Parker, J.Langley, G. Jacobs, M. Johnstone, A. Langford, R.R. Bennett, W.Alwyn and the selection heard: An Impression on a Windy Day by Sir Malcolm Sargent all works cond. by Gavin Sutherland with Royal Ballet Sym. ****
Chandos 9709 - Glazunov: Coronation
Cantata.- Polyanski cond. ****
Broadcast #1 HARMONIA MUNDI USA SELECTIONS heard in our program:
Hyperion 67038 - Linley:Song of Moses and Let God Arise- Holman cond ***** One of the Finest Hyperion recordings ever!
Hyperion 67241/2 - Handel: Alexander Balus 2 cd set - King cond. ***
Hyperion 67006 - Jones:The Geisha light opera cond R. Corp **** Nearly as good as the greatest G&S!
Hyperion 67067 - American Light Music Classics ***** a must have CD cond R. Corp includes 22 great selections -heard on web third movement "Scherzofrenia" from Don Gillis 'Symphony No. 5 1/2
Hyperion 67053 - Handel in Hamburg Suites from operas Almira, Nero, G minor, Oboe Concerto, Florindo and Daphne, Rodrigo - Holman cond .***
Hyperion 67069 - Brull:Concerto #1 and #2 plus Andante and Allegro for piano - Roscoe, Brabbins cond .... selection heard from third movement of Piano Concerto #2. Our highest recommendation*****
Hyperion 67401/2 - Liszt Complete Music for Piano and Orchestra Vol 1. (2 CD set) *****
Hyperion 67403/4 - Liszt Complete Music for Piano and Orchestra Vol 21. (2 CD set) with bonus 3rd CD.*****
Web selection heard is finale from Hungarian Zigeunerweisen - the world premiere recording of work written by Franz Liszt and Sophie Menter and orchestrated by no less than Tchaikovsky! Finest DDD versions of these works both familiar and unknown Leslie Howard piano with excellent highly idiomatic "Hungarian" sounding Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Karl Rickenbacher.
Hyperion 67086 - Kullak and Dreyschock (3rd mvt. on web) Piano Concertos. - Lane, Willen cond. BBC. Excellent ****
Hyperion 67283/4 - Handel:L'Allegro, Il Penseroso ed Il Moderato (absolutely uncut version) - King cond. Very fine sound. Performance a bit rushed at times and soloists leave me a bit wanting. ***
Opera Rara ORC 14 - Rossini: Riccardo e Zoraide. 3 CD set. Seldom in the history of recording has there been such exciting and committed conducting of in complete Rossini opera. Heroic, grand and filled with fire. David Parry... cond. bravo!
One of the greatest neglected operas of the 19th century.****
Broadcast #1 ALLEGRO IMPORTS SELECTIONS heard in our program:
Jay 1302- Sullivan & Co. - The Operas That Got Away selections from: The Martyr of Antioch, Ivanhoe, Haddon Hall, The Chieftain, The Beauty Stone, The Emerald Isle, The Rose of Persia. - Steadman cond. Excellent CD both sound and performance - played again and again and again -- vast enjoyment and variety. Highest Recommendation *****
Scannan Film Classics SFC1502 - The Flame and the Arrow - plus other classic film music of Max Steiner. Selections also include: Ice Palace, Spencers Mountain, FBI Story, Sergeant York, Now Voyager, The Hanging Tree, Parrish, Johnny Belinda, Life With Father, Dark at the Top of the Stairs. - Kenneth Alwyn cond. Excellent sound and performance ****
Intuition INT 3103 - Theodorakis:Zorba Ballet. Fantastic sound and performance Composer conducts the Hungarian State Orchestra and Choir. Highest recommendation... a CD filled with the greatest joy music can give! Grab it before it goes *****
Arts 47396 - Richard Strauss: Complete Music for Winds and Brass. A CD filled with seldom recorded: Festive Marches, Fanfares, and suites. Web sample: "De Brandenburgsche Mars" - Schmidt cond. ****
Broadcast #2 NAXOS USA SELECTIONS heard in our program:
Marco Polo 8.224070 - Kunzen: The Hallelujah of Creation, Symphony in G and Overture on Mozart Theme - Marschik cond. Danish Radio ***
Marco Polo 8.224097 - JPE Hartmann: Overtures and Golden Horn Suite - Dausgaard cond. selection heard from Hakon Jarl Ovt. ***
Marco Polo 8.224040 - Henning Wellejus: Seven Orchestral Works cond. - Larsen cond. selection heard from Concerto Choregraphique ***
Marco Polo 8.225087 - Joly Braga Santos Sym. #3 and #6 - selection heard from #3 sym. - Cassuto cond. ****
other releases include Marco Polo 8.223879 Braga Santos Sym. #1 and #5... watch for complete cycle.
Marco Polo 8.223804 - "Romantic Ireland" early 20th century works by AF Potter, Sean ORiada, Arthur Duff, John Larchet, Padraig OConner and selection head by Gerard Victory from his Three Irish Pictures cond. O'Duinn ****
Marco Polo 8.223829/31 - Meyerbeer: L'Etoile du Nord 3 CD set. Poorly recorded sound, weakly sung, limply conducted with second rate orchestral playing plus very loud audience noises. Strictly for the fine Meyerbeer music ***
Marco Polo 8.225063 - Classic Film Music of Victor Young - included the suite from The Uninvited , Gullivers Travels, Bright Leaf and the selection heard - March from The Greatest Show on Earth. Once again very, very stolid and unidiomatic playing by the Russian orchestra with (as always) the dull and amateurish conductor William T. Stromberg. The liner notes are filled with some self-congratulatory flatulence complete with another silly and very unprofessional looking photo of the "dynamic duo" responsible for this series W.T. Stromberg and John Morgan The only verisons, of course. ***
Can't Naxos do better than this team and orchestra for their film music series?
Marco Polo 8.225038 Korngold: Devotion (same team as above.... ditto.... as above review) ***
Marco Polo 8.224076 - Asger Hamerik:Sym #1 and #2. Selection from #1 Sym "Poetique". Great sound and sharp conducting. - Dausgaard cond. ****
Marco Polo 8.224088 - Asger Hamerik:Sym.#3 and #4. Selection from #4"Majestueuse" - Dausgaard cond. Simply grand!!! ****
An entire Hamerik cycle is on the way!
Marco Polo 8.223863 - Suppe Overtures Volume 5. - Pollack cond. Web selection is overture to Herzblattchen. This series is among the most important of all Marco Polo issues. - Pollack cond. Absolutely essential. *****
Marco Polo 8.223864 - Suppe Marches, Waltzes, Polkas. - Pollack cond. Ditto *****
MarcoPolo 8.224090 - Music of Jacob Gade: Jalousie, Suite d'Amour, Valse Capriccio, Copenhagen Life, Wedding at Himmelpind and much more. - Aeschbacher cond.
Marco Polo 8.225105 - Lindblad:Sym.#1 and #2 - Korsten cond. Excellent sound. Nice works. ****
CPO 999 582 - Hristic: Legend of Ohrid and Slavenski:Balkanophonia - Atzmon cond. Excellent ballet by Hristic ****
CPO 999 514 - Rolle:Christmas Oratorio - Remy cond. Really inspired work.... fantastic sound!!!****
CPO 999 602 - Korngold:Die Kathrin (complete opera 3 CDs) - Brabbins cond. Excellent sound. ***
CPO 999620 - Hartmann:Valkyrien Ballet
(2 CD set) Unusual and entertaining. - Jurowski cond. ***
Broadcast #2 ALBANY Music SELECTIONS heard in our program:
Symposium 1247 - Sullivan: The Masque at Kenilworth and other Music for Royal and National Occasions. Web selection is the Ode on the Opening of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, 1886. - Smedley cond. Highest recommendation. Includes the first recordings of great music by Sir Arthur Sullivan. An essential CD *****
Troy 350 - Harris: Symphony #8, Sym #9 and Memories of a Childs Sunday Suite. First recordings, very good sound. - Miller cond.Web sample is movement from Sym #8. ***
Troy 224 - Macdowell: Suites #1 and #2 for Orchestra, plus Six Sea Pieces (first section is our web selection). - Johnson cond. Sound and Performance is just OK. ***
Troy 267- Edward Collins: Concertpiece for Piano and Orch, Tragic ovt, Valse Elegante and Mardi Gras (on web ).
- Alsop cond. Music by 1920's and 30's US composer. Not bad. ***
Troy 053 - Jerre Tanner/Lee Holdridge:
Boy with Goldfish. One of the most unique works ever written.
A vast symphonic score (67 minutes in length) with soloists, chorus
and orchestra based on a Hawaiian Legend. A massive oratorio,
part poetry, part simple, yet highly original, folk-song like
melodies. At times you are immersed in a vast lush score like
an grand opera that Mahler never composed, next a simple folk
song and a soloist lull you into the warm glow of childlike innocence.
A fantastic variety of expressiveness. This ultra dynamic recording
in was done in digital sound... recorded in 1979. The engineer
was the famed Brian Culverhouse. Lee Holdridge conducts the London
Symphony. BEYOND THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION .. SO...
for emphasis we give it SIX Stars (as you know the highest rating
is 5 stars!) * * * * * *
Broadcast #2 QUALITON IMPORT SELECTIONS heard in our program:
Cypres CYP 7605 - Biarent:Rhapsodie Wallonne for Piano and Orch; Suite for orch Contes d'Orient - Bartholomee cond.
Splendid sounding highly delectable works. ****
There is also a companion disc:
Cypres CYP 3601- Biarent:Symphony in d, Trenmor Symphonic Poem- Bartholomee ***
LaVergne 260748 - Svendsen: 4 Norwegian Rhapsodies and Symphonic Preludes- Mikkelsen cond. Sound is flat and compressed and performance hardly inspired. Nice Music. ***
Sterling CDS 1030 - Soderman:Catholic Mass and excerpts from The Pilgrimage to Kevlaar- Borin cond. Nice sound ****
Sterling CDS 1025 - Bystrom: Symphony in d, 2 Overtures, Two Waltzes for Grand orchestra and Andantino for Orch.- Spierer cond. ***
Sterling CDS 1029 - Rubenson: Drapa, Sym in C, Symphonic Intermezzo, 3 Symphonic Pieces - Goodman cond. ***
Orfeo 438 982 - Bruch:Moses (2 cd set). Excellent sound and one of the very greatest of all 19 th Century oratorios. Inspired and very moving. - Flor cond. Highest Recommendation *****
Classico 284 - Holst:Cotswolds Symphony, Walt Whitman Overture, A Hampshire Suite, Perfect Fool. Three world premiere works by Holst... will keep your friends guessing as to who wrote them... if they only know the Planets. Very different... listen to the Walt Whitman Overture...to get our point. - Bostock cond. excellent sound. ****
Signum X78-00 Czerny:Concerto for Piano 4 Hands and Orch. and Symphony #2. - Gobel cond. Very Nice disc. ****