Modern Period > Mezzo-Soprano

The Very Best of Benjamin Britten [3 CDs]

3 CD / Virgin Classics / 2013-02-05

Works: Benjamin Britten: The Young person's guide to the orchestra; Cello Symphony, Op. 68; Elegy for Viola solo; Peter Grimes; Passacaglia, for orchestra, Op. 33b (from "Peter Grimes"); Quartet for Strings...
Performers: Allen, Thomas; Alley, John [Piano]; Andsnes, Leif Ove; Blatchly, Mark; Booth, Claire; Bostridge, Ian; Coleman-Wright, Peter; Dean, Stafford; Drake, Julius [Piano]; Fullbrook, Charles; Gritton, Susan;...
Conductors: Pesek, Libor; Rattle, Simon, Sir; Knussen, Oliver; Brown, Iona; Warren-Green, Christopher; Paavo, Järvi; Hickox, Richard; Willcocks, David; Brunelle, Philip; Haitink, Bernard; Harding, Daniel
Ensemble: ; Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble; Endymion Ensemble

Since his death in 1976 many musicians have looked at Benjamin Britten's scores anew - not simply the repertory Britten never recorded, but the many...continue...

Virgins, Vixens & Viragos / Purcell, Berlioz, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, et al. / Susan Graham, soprano; Malcom Martineau

1 CD / Onyx Classics / 2012-11-13

Works: Henry Purcell: Tell me, some pitying angel, Z 196 "Blessed Virgin's Expostulation"; Hector Berlioz: La Mort d'Ophélie, song for soprano (or tenor) & piano, H. 92a (Op. 18/2); Franz Schubert: Ges...
Performers: Graham, Susan; Martineau, Malcolm

Virgins, Vixens & Viragos, Susan Graham's eagerly awaited second album for Onyx, focuses on iconic female characters of history, literature and song. Accompanied by Graham's...continue...
Recording information: Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouth (07/06/2012-07/08/2012)....continue...

Time Traveller: Weimar Germany

1 CD / EMI Classics / 2012-04-10

Works: Paul Hindemith: Kammermusik no 1 with Finale, for 12 solo instruments, Op. 24 no 1; Kammermusik no 2, for 12 solo instruments, Op. 36 no 1; Kurt Weill: Alabama Song, for voice & orchestra (from "Aufs...
Performers: Archer, Robyn; Hendricks, Barbara [Soprano Vocal]; Vogt, Lars
Conductors: Abbado, Claudio; Muldowney, Dominic; Klemperer, Otto; Welser-Möst, Franz; Metzmacher, Ingo; Bertini, Gary; Jansons, Mariss

Famed for its divine decadence, explosive politics, rampant inflation and feverish creativity. Germany's Weimar Republic - born in the wake of World War I -...continue...

Blah Blah Blah And Other Trifles / Sarah Walker and Roger Vignoles in Cabaret

1 CD / Hyperion / 2012-02-14

Works: George Gershwin: Blah, Blah, Blah, song (from Delicious, film); They All Laughed, song (from Shall We Dance?, film); Tell me more; Girl Crazy; Cole Porter: The tale of the oyster (or The song of the ...
Performers: Vignoles, Roger [Piano]; Walker, Sarah

Recording information: Wigmore Hall (06/17/1988)....continue...

The Power of Love: An English Songbook / Alice Coote, Graham Johnson

1 CD / Hyperion / 2012-02-14

Works: James Lyman Molloy: Love's Old Sweet Song; Maude Valérie White: So We'll Go No More A-roving, for voice & piano; The Spring Has Come, for voice & piano; The Devout Lover, for voice & piano; Edwa...
Performers: Coote, Alice; Johnson, Graham [Piano]

Alice Coote, one of the most distinctive mezzo-sopranos of today, makes her recital debut on Hyperion with pianist Graham Johnson, a stalwart of the label...continue...
Recording information: All Saints' Church, East Finchley, London (2010-12-15&2010-12-15&2010-)....continue...

The Erato Recitals / Soprano Sumi Jo (10 CDs)

10 CD / Erato / 2012-01-31

Works: Gioachino Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia; Semiramide; Tancredi; Les soirées musicales; L'assedio di Corinto; Vincenzo Bellini: La sonnambula, opera; I Puritani, opera; I Capuleti e Montecchi; ...
Performers: Arevalo, Octavio; Bach, Gottfried; Barritt, Paul; Bennett, William; Black, Neil; Conlon, James; Davis, Mike [Violin]; Gerhardt, Alban [Cello]; Graham, Susan; Jo, Sumi; Kurosaki, Hiro; Maugue, Anne; R...
Conductors: Olmi, Paolo; Jordan, Armin; Montgomery, Kenneth; Carella, Giuliano; Bibl, Rudolf; Stratta, Ettore; Conlon, James; Schneider, Michael
Ensemble: ; Cappella Coloniensis

Praised for the remarkable agility, precision and warmth of her voice, and for her outstanding musicianship, Sumi Jo has established herself as one of her...continue...

French Experience

2 CD / Warner Classics / 2011-11-15

Works: Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Prelude to the Te Deum; Gabriel Fauré: Elégie for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 24; Arthur Honegger: Pacific 231, symphonic movement for orchestra (Mouvement symphoniqu...
Performers: Aimard, Pierre-Laurent; Amar, Genevieve; Baumont, Olivier; Demarquette, Henri; Domingo, Placido; Engerer, Brigitte; Fontaine, Robert; Graham, Susan; Haas, Monique; Hadley, Jerry; Jo, Sumi; Larmore, J...
Conductors: Devos, Louis; Dutoit, Charles; Sado, Yutaka; Runnicles, Donald; Jordan, Armin; Nagano, Kent; Janowski, Marek; Gardiner, John Eliot; Boulez, Pierre; Carella, Giuliano; Jennings, Joseph; Barenboim, Dan...
Ensemble: ; Chanticleer; Ensemble InterContemporain

1 1/2 hours of French sparkle and wit...continue...

The Very Best of Janet Baker

2 CD / EMI Classics / 2011-07-26

Works: Johann Sebastian Bach: Christmas Oratorio; George Frederick Handel: Messiah; Felix Mendelssohn: Elijah; On Wings of Song; Johannes Brahms: Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53; Gesänge (2) for Alto, Viola and ...
Performers: Aronowitz, Cecil; Baker, Janet, Dame [Mezzo-soprano Vocal]; Barenboim, Daniel [Conductor, Piano]; Butt, John [Organ, Conductor]; Hugh, Timothy; Moore, Gerald [Piano]; Parsons, Geoffrey; Previn, Andre...
Conductors: Marriner, Sir Neville; Mackerras, Charles, Sir; Frühbeck de Burgos, Rafae; Boult, Adrian; Barbirolli, John; Previn, Andre; Ledger, Philip, Sir
Ensemble: ; Academy Of St Martin In The Fields; Choir Of King's College, Cambridge; English Chamber Orchestra; Hallé Orchestra; London Philharmonic Orchestra; London Symphony Orchestra

James Levine: Celebrating 40 Years At The Met

193 CD / Decca / 2010-12-07

Works: Alban Berg: Lulu, opera; Wozzeck, opera, Op. 7; Hector Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini, opera Op. 23; Les Troyens, opera, H. 133a; Claude Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande; John Harbison: The Gr...
Performers: Adams, Warren; Baker, Matt; Baker, Matt [Photography]; Bjorneboe, Andreas; Cardoso, Simone; Davis, Brian [Vocals]; Flair, Nicholas; Fracker, Richard; Gallo, Sarah Weber; Greenlaw, Ian; Guyer, Joyce; ...
Conductors: Levine, James

The Met Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of James Levine’s Company Debut with James Levine: Celebrating 40 Years at the Met: a Box Set of 32...continue...

Angelika Kirchschlager sings Joseph Marx

1 CD / CPO / 2010-10-26

Works: Joseph Marx: Italienisches Liederbuch, for voice & piano; Verklärtes Jahr, song cycle for mezzo-soprano or baritone & orchestra; Ein Junger Dichter denkt an die Geliebte; Selige Nacht; Schlafend...
Performers: Kirchschlager, Angelika [Mezzo-Soprano Vocals]; Spiri, Anthony

Joseph Marx was a master of lyrical atmospheric music. He has often been compared to Hugo Wolf, who was twenty years his senior, because song...continue...
Recording information: ORF Radiokulturhaus Wien (05/2009)....continue...

The Art of Susan Graham

6 CD / Warner Classics / 2010-10-26

Works: Christoph Willibald Gluck: Paride ed Elena; Iphigénie en Tauride; Orphée et Eurydice; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze de Figaro; La clemenza di Tito; Le nozze di Figaro; Idomeneo; Lucio S...
Performers: Aimard, Pierre-Laurent; Graham, Susan; Martineau, Malcolm
Conductors: Bicket, Harry; Tortelier, Yan Pascal; Abel, Yves; Christie, William; Nagano, Kent; Nelson, John; Summers, Patrick;
Ensemble: ; Ensemble Oriol; Les Arts Florissants

Peter Pears: Anniversary Tribute

6 CD / Decca / 2010-06-21

Works: Benjamin Britten: Serenade, for tenor, horn & strings, Op. 31; Sonnets (7) of Michelangelo, for voice & piano, Op. 22; The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54; The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37; Canticle II, Op. 51...
Performers: Baker, Janet, Dame [Mezzo-soprano Vocal]; Brain, Dennis [French Horn]; Bream, Julian [Guitar]; Britten, Benjamin; Bush, Alan; Cable, Margaret; Cross, Joan; Dart, Thurston; Dickinson, Meriel; Dickson,...
Conductors: Britten, Benjamin; Bedford, Steuart; Boult, Adrian; Norrington, Roger; Munchinger, Karl; Jochum, Eugen; Davis, Colin; Lutoslawski, Witold
Ensemble: ; Melos Ensemble of London

The recorded legacy of the great English tenor Peter Pears is substantial and wide-ranging. It embraces Baroque repertory and Elizabethan songs as well as a...continue...

The Music of America: Bernstein

3 CD / Sony Classical / 2010-06-08

Works: Leonard Bernstein: Candide; Symphonic Dances from West Side Story; Prelude, Fugue and Riffs; Serenade for Violin and Orchestra "after Plato's Symposium"; Chichester Psalms; Songfest, song cycle for 6...
Performers: Adrian, Max; Alexander, Cris; Chaplin, Sydney; Chapman, William; Cheek, John; Comden, Betty; Cook, Barbara [pop vcl]; Goodman, Benny; Green, Adolph; Grist, Reri [Soprano Vocals]; Hahn, Hilary; Hartma...
Conductors: Bernstein, Leonard; Zinman, David; Slatkin, Leonard; Goberman, Max; Vaccariello, Patrick; Engel, Lehman

Britten: Peter Grimes / Haitink, Thomas Allen [Includes CD-ROM]

3 CD / EMI Classics / 2010-04-20

Works: Benjamin Britten: Peter Grimes; Unspecified: Untitled CD-ROM Track; [Peter Grimes] Synopsis and Libretto [CD-ROM track]
Performers: Allen, Thomas; Bovino, Maria; Dean, Stafford; Jenkins, Neil; Kale, Stuart [Tenor Vocal]; Keenlyside, Simon; Rayne, Patricia; Rolfe Johnson, Anthony [Tenor Vocal]; Walker, Sarah; Webster, Gillian; Wil...
Conductors: Haitink, Bernard

BBC Music Magazine
A wonderfully sung Peter Grimes, with superb orchestral support
...continue...
Personnel: David Greenwood (sound effects).

Recording information: Watford Town Hall (06/22/1992-06/28/1992)....continue...

A Celebration of Lerner and Loewe

2 CD / Sepia Records / 2009-11-10

Works: Frederick Loewe: Brigadoon, musical; Gigi, musical; Paint Your Wagon, musical; My Fair Lady, musical; Almost Like Being In Love, song (from "Brigadoon"); Waltz at Maxim's, for orchestra (from "Gigi")
Performers: Bavaar, Tony; Carson, Jeannie; Chevalier, Maurice; Clark, Patricia; Harris, Phil [Vocalist]; Hockeridge, Edmund; Hockridge, Edmund; Merrill, Robert [Baritone Vocals]; Peerce, Jan [Tenor Vocals]; Powe...
Conductors: Green, Johnny; Layden, Norman; Leyden, Norman; Mayhall, Jeri; Osser, Glenn; Paramor, Norrie; Love, Geoff
Ensemble: ; Geoff Love & His Orchestra; The Norrie Paramor Orchestra

When an album is called A Celebration of Lerner & Loewe, referring to the musical theater songwriting team of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, who created five important shows -- Brigadoon, Paint ...continue...

Kurt Weill: Symphony No. 2; The Seven Deadly Sins; Songs / Jansons, Rattle, et al

2 CD / EMI Classics / 2009-10-20

Works: Kurt Weill: Symphony no 2; Concerto for Violin & wind orchestra, Op. 12; Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny), opera; Die sieben Todsünden (The Seven De...
Performers: Archer, Robyn; Caley, Ian; Constable, John; Hampson, Thomas; Rippon, Michael; Rolfe Johnson, Anthony [Tenor Vocal]; Ross, Elise; Tomlinson, John; Zimmermann, Frank Peter
Conductors: Jansons, Mariss; Rattle, Simon, Sir; Muldowney, Dominic; McGlinn, John
Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; London Sinfonietta

Vaughan Williams: On Wenlock / Ian Partridge

2 CD / EMI Classics / 2009-10-06

Works: Ralph Vaughan Williams: Hymns (4) for Tenor, Viola and Strings; Merciless beauty; The Water Mill; The New Ghost; Blake Songs (10) for Voice and Oboe; On Wenlock Edge, song cycle for tenor, piano & st...
Performers: Baker, Janet, Dame [Mezzo-soprano Vocal]; Bean, Hugh; Brannigan, Owen; Butt, David; Craxton, Janet; Croxford, Eileen; Davis, Anthony [Piano/Composer]; Hammersley, Robert; Harvey, Frederick; Ledger, P...
Conductors: ; Dilkes, Neville; Wilcocks, Sir David
Ensemble: ; English Sinfonia; London Music Group

Among his many distinctions over a long career, Ian Partridge contributed to the catalog two recordings of music for tenor and small ensemble to which...continue...

Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress / Craft, West, Garrison, Woodley, Cheek, et al

2 CD / Naxos (USA) / 2009-05-26

Works: Igor Stravinsky: Rake's Progress
Performers: Cheek, John; Garrison, Jon [Tenor Vocal]; Johnson, Jeffrey [Bass Vocal]; Love, Shirley; Lowery, Melvin; West, Jayne; White, Wendy [Mezzo-soprano Vocal]; Woodley, Arthur
Conductors: Craft, Robert
Ensemble: Orchestra of St. Luke's

Robert Craft first met Stravinsky on the same day that Auden delivered the completed libretto to the composer, and was directly involved in what he...continue...

Dreams and Fancies

1 CD / CRD Records / 2009-05-01

Works: John Ireland: If there were dreams to sell; Frederick Delius: Songs (7) from the Norwegian, for voice & piano, RT v/9; Cecil Armstrong Gibbs: Silver, for voice & piano, Op. 30/2; Five Eyes, for voice...
Performers: Vignoles, Roger [Piano]; Walker, Sarah

André Previn - A Celebration

6 CD / Deutsche Grammophon Import / 2009-04-07

Works: Maurice Ravel: L'enfant et les sortilèges, opera-ballet in 2 parts; Ma mère l'oye; André Previn: Double Concerto for violin, contrabass & orchestra; Concerto for piano & orchestra; C...
Performers: Ashkenazy, Vladimir; Bartolomey, Franz; Chung, Kyung-Wha [Violin]; Eder, Gotthard; Federsel, Gunter; Fleming, Renee; Futral, Elizabeth [Soprano Vocals]; Gabriel, Martin; Johnson, David; Lascarro, Jua...
Conductors: Previn, Andre
Ensemble: ; Boston Symphony Orchestra; London Symphony Orchestra; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

DG proudly celebrates Andre Previn's 80th birthday with this deluxe, 6-CD box set featuring him as conductor, composer and performer. Previn selected his favorite recordings...continue...

20th Century Classics - Ravel: Boléro, Piano Concerto in G, etc / Michelangeli, Baker, Gavrilov, etc

2 CD / EMI Classics / 2009-03-10

Works: Maurice Ravel: Boléro; Concerto for Piano in G major; Pavane pour une infante défunte; Daphnis et Chloé Suite no 2; Alborada del Gracioso, for orchestra; Ma mère l'oye; In...
Performers: Baker, Janet, Dame [Mezzo-soprano Vocal]; Gavrilov, Andrei; Michelangeli, Arturo Benedetti
Conductors: Karajan, Herbert von; Gracis, Ettore; Martinon, Jean; Munch, Charles; Plasson, Michel; ; Barbirolli, John
Ensemble: ; Melos Ensemble of London

40 Most Beautiful Winter Classics

2 CD / Warner Classics / 2009-01-27

Works: Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin in F major, Op. 8 no 3/RV 293 "L'autunno"; Johann Sebastian Bach: Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248; Arcangelo Corelli: Concerti grossi (12), Op. 6; Henry Purcell: Fair...
Performers: Barenboim, Daniel [Conductor, Piano]; Bonney, Barbara; Cole, Natalie; George, Michael; Graham, Susan; Haas, Monique; Hampson, Thomas; Larmore, Jennifer; Linden, Joost van der; Lutz, David; Martineau,...
Conductors: Scimone, Claudio; Harnoncourt, Nikolaus; Koopman, Ton; Redel, Kurt; Masur, Kurt; Legrand, Michel; Pohjola, Erkki; Jennings, Joseph; Lazarev, Alexander; Serebrier, José; Svetlanov, Evgeny; Davis,...
Ensemble: ; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra; BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra; Concentus Musicus Wien; I Solisti Veneti; Les Arts Florissants; Munich Pro Arte Orchestra; New York Philharmonic...

Harvest Home / The Dale Warland Singers

1 CD / Gothic Records / 2009-01-01

Works: Robert Lowry: Beautiful river; Joseph Brackett: Simple Gifts; American Traditional: She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain, folk song; Cindy; The Water Is Wide (after O Waly, Waly); Kevin Siegfried: Sh...
Performers: Chatterton, Linda; Dymit, Marie Spar; Fischer, Joel C.; Johnson, Lynette; Steele, Brian L.; Van, Jeffrey
Conductors: Warland, Dale

"The arrangements, by some of the finest in the business, are excellent, and that is one reason choral fans will enjoy this disc. The other...continue...

Benjamin Britten - The Collector's Edition

37 CD / EMI Classics / 2008-11-24

Works: Benjamin Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20; Peter Grimes; Passacaglia, for orchestra, Op. 33b (from "Peter Grimes"); The Young person's guide to the orchestra; Canadian Carnival, for orchestra, Op...
Performers: Adey, John; Allen, Benjamin; Allen, Thomas; Alley, John [Piano]; Allison, Richard; Andrew Davis [Conductor/Organ]; Andsnes, Leif Ove; Armstrong, Sheila [Soprano Vocal]; Bailey, Norman; Ballard, Jerem...
Conductors: Pesek, Libor; Rattle, Simon, Sir; Paavo, Järvi; Berglund, Paavo; Brown, Iona; Yuasa, Takuo; Hickox, Richard; Marriner, Sir Neville; Harding, Daniel; Gibson, Alexander, Sir; Bedford, Steuart; Knu...
Ensemble: ; Endymion Ensemble

Benjamin Britten was without question one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. This 37-CD set features all of his most beloved works, giving...continue...

My Heart Alone - Operetta Arias & Duets / Kirchschlager, Keenlyside, Eschwé, et al

1 CD / Sony Classical / 2008-10-28

Works: Emmerich Kálmán: Die Csárdásfürstin; Das Veilchen von Montmartre; Die Zirkusprinzessin; Franz Lehár: Giuditta; The Merry Widow; Zigeunerliebe; The Land of Smiles; Ca...
Performers: Keenlyside, Simon; Kirchschlager, Angelika [Mezzo-Soprano Vocals]
Conductors: Eschwe, Alfred

Angelika Kirchschlager, one of the world's most sought-after mezzo-sopranos, reunites with baritone Simon Keenlyside, a 2007 Gramophone Award winner, to prove that operetta is still...continue...

Un Frisson Français - A century of French song / Susan Graham, Malcolm Martineau

1 CD / Onyx Classics / 2008-10-14

Works: Georges Bizet: Chanson d'avril; César Franck: Nocturne, M 85; Edouard Lalo: Guitare, Op. 28; Charles Gounod: Au rossignol; Camille Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre; Emmanuel Chabrier: Mélo...
Performers: Graham, Susan; Martineau, Malcolm

The mezzo Susan Graham is truly one of the great singers of our time. A dedicated Francophile and expert in French music, Graham was decorated...continue...

Markevitch: Complete Orchestral Works Vol 1 / Lyndon-Gee, et al

1 CD / Naxos (USA) / 2008-09-30

Works: Igor Markevitch: Partita, for piano & orchestra; Le Paradis Perdu (Paradise Lost)
Performers: Garrison, Jon [Tenor Vocal]; Hoek, Martijn van den; Shelton, Lucy [Soprano Vocals]; Walker, Sarah
Conductors: Lyndon-Gee, Christopher
Ensemble: Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra; Netherlands Concert Choir

This first volume of the Naxos 'Igor Markevitch Complete Orchestral Works Edition', to be followed by the seven volumes previously released on Marco Polo, brings...continue...

Icon - Dame Janet Baker - The Beloved Mezzo Sings Mahler, Elgar, Berlioz, Chausson, etc

5 CD / EMI Classics / 2008-09-02

Works: Johannes Brahms: Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53; Richard Wagner: Wesendonck Lieder; Richard Strauss: Lieder (5), Op. 32; Lieder (4), Op. 36; Lieder (4), Op. 27; Lieder (3), Op. 43; Edward Elgar: Sea Pictures,...
Performers: Baker, Janet, Dame [Mezzo-soprano Vocal]; Barenboim, Daniel [Conductor, Piano]; Gauntlett, Ambrose; Isepp, Martin; Moore, Gerald [Piano]; Parsons, Geoffrey; Spencer, Robert [Lute]; Whittaker, Douglas
Conductors: Boult, Adrian; Barbirolli, John; Previn, Andre; Rattle, Simon, Sir; Leppard, Raymond; Menuhin, Yehudi; Marriner, Sir Neville
Ensemble: ; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Bath Festival Orchestra; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; English Chamber Orchestra; London Philharmonic Orchestra; London Symphony Orchestra

A new release in the recently-launched EMI Classics ICON Series, this 5-CD set is dedicated to Dame Janet Baker, long praised as one of the...continue...

40 Most Beautiful Summer Classics - Mozart, Vivaldi, Debussy, etc

2 CD / Warner Classics / 2008-06-24

Works: Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin in E major, Op. 8 no 1/RV 269 "Primavera"; Felix Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream; Ralph Vaughan Williams: The lark ascending; Heitor Villa-Lobos: Bachiana ...
Performers: Barenboim, Daniel [Conductor, Piano]; Bayo, María; Buchbinder, Rudolf [Piano]; Crook, Howard [Tenor Vocals]; Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich; Graham, Susan; Höll, Hartmut; Heisser, Jean-Fran&cc...
Conductors: Scimone, Claudio; Masur, Kurt; Davis, Andrew; Krivine, Emmanuel; Bühl, Gregor; Parry, David; Nagano, Kent; López-Cobos, Jesús; Gardiner, John Eliot; Serebrier, José; Lombard...
Ensemble: ; I Solisti Veneti; Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Lyon National Orchestra; Lyon Opera Orchestra; Monte Carlo Opera Orchestra; New York Philharmonic; Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra

A Portrait of Igor Stravinsky - His Works, His Life

2 CD / Naxos (USA) / 2008-02-26

Works: Igor Stravinsky: Firebird; Movements (3) from Pétrouchka; Le sacre du printemps; Pieces (3) for string quartet; Berceuses du Chat (4), song cycle for voice & 3 clarinets or piano; Histoire du ...
Performers: Bickley, Susan; Bostridge, Ian; Cornwell, Joseph; Evitts, David; Ewing, Alan; Frautschi, Jennifer; Frith, Benjamin [Piano]; Greenan, Andrew; Hill, Martyn; Hill, Peter; Humphries, Jon; Lane, Jennifer;...
Conductors: Craft, Robert; Kelly, Brett; Ward, Nicholas; Sanderling, Stefan; Shao, En; Studt, Richard; Rudel, Julius
Ensemble: ; Bournemouth Sinfonietta; Fry; Northern Chamber Orchestra; Philharmonia Orchestra; Schirmer Ensemble; Simon Joly Chorus; Twentieth Century Classics Ensemble

From the Russian fairy-tale enchantment of 'The Firebird' to the austere ritual at the end of his 'Requiem Canticles' composed over half a century later,...continue...

Susan Graham - Portrait

1 CD / Erato / 2007-10-16

Works: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492; George Frederick Handel: Alcina; Ned Rorem: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, for voice & piano; Early in the ...
Performers: Aimard, Pierre-Laurent; Graham, Susan; Martineau, Malcolm
Conductors: Bicket, Harry; Christie, William; Nagano, Kent; Nelson, John; Summers, Patrick; Tortelier, Yan Pascal; Abel, Yves

Dein ist mein ganzes Herz

1 CD / Sony Classical Import / 2007-08-28

Works: Emmerich Kálmán: Die Csárdásfürstin (The Gypsy Princess), operetta; Das Veilchen von Montmartre; Die Zirkusprinzessin; Franz Lehár: Giuditta; The Merry Widow; ...
Performers: Keenlyside, Simon; Kirchschlager, Angelika [Mezzo-Soprano Vocals]
Conductors: Eschwe, Alfred

Copland: Works for Chorus / Mount, Camerata Singers

1 CD / Koch International / 2007-08-07

Works: Aaron Copland: Old American Songs, Set 1; Motets (4), for chorus; Old American Songs, for voice & piano, Book 2; Choruses (2); Las Agachadas (The Shake-down Song), for soprano, alto, tenor, bass & ch...
Performers: Finnegan, Henry; Hegreness, Mark; Jee, Sukyoung; Lenahan, Andrew; McCormick, Therese; Rubinstein, Alan; Rushton, Christianne; Schutz, Rachel; Shaw, Sandy; Taylor, Craig
Conductors: Mount, Timothy
Ensemble: Camerata Singers

Aaron Copland is best remembered for creating a truly American style of music which is full of folk influences, and melodic and harmonic simplicity. The...continue...

Fauré, Duruflé: Requiems, etc / Willcocks, Ledger, et al

1 CD / EMI Classics / 2007-03-06

Works: Gabriel Fauré: Requiem, Op. 48; Pavane, Op. 50; Maurice Duruflé: Requiem
Performers: Baker, Janet, Dame [Mezzo-soprano Vocal]; Butt, John [Organ, Conductor]; Case, John Carol; Chilcott, Bob; Hugh, Timothy; Morris, Gareth; Roberts, Stephen; Wells, John [classical organ]
Conductors: Willcocks, David; Ledger, Philip, Sir
Ensemble: ; King's College Choir, Cambridge

"If, as a fan of the Faure, you've never heard the Durufle Requiem, now is your big chance to have your life enhanced for the...continue...

Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms, etc / Robert Craft, et al

1 CD / Naxos (USA) / 2006-10-31

Works: Igor Stravinsky: Pater noster; Blessed Virgin; Credo, for chorus; Mass; Cantata, for 2 soloists, female chorus & chamber orchestra; Babel; Symphony of Psalms
Performers: Bogdan, Thomas; Feld, Melanie; Feller, Bart; Hart, Mary Ann [Mezzo-Soprano Vocals]; Parloff, Michael; Sherry, Fred [Cello]; Taylor, Stephen W. [Oboe]
Conductors: Craft, Robert
Ensemble: Gregg Smith Singers; Orchestra of St. Luke's; Philharmonia London; Simon Joly Chorus

This disc of sacred choral music features the masterly 'Symphony of Psalms,' which Stravinsky dedicated "to the glory of God." The composer himself wrote, "It...continue...

Opera in English - Poulenc: The Carmelites / Daniel

2 CD / Chandos Records / 2006-10-17

Works: Francis Poulenc: Dialogues des Carmélites, opera, FP 159
Performers: Barstow, Josephine; Berger, William; Boylan, Orla; Cook, Lyn; Coward, Gary; Crane, Gloria; Davies, Catrin Wyn; Davies, Ryland; Davison, Deborah; Dix, Christine; Douglas, Judith; Edwards, James; Gibbo...
Conductors: Daniel, Paul
Ensemble: English National Opera Chorus

Poulenc did something deeply unfashionable in the mid-1950s when he wrote 'Dialogues of the Carmelites' - in an era of modernism he created an opera...continue...

Barber: Vanessa

2 CD / Orfeo / 2006-07-21

Works: Samuel Barber: Vanessa, Op. 32; Spoken Word: Discussion with Samuel Barber & Dmitri Mitropoulos
Performers: Elias, Rosalind [Mezzo-Soprano]; Foster, Norman; Gedda, Nicolai; Malaniuk, Ira; Pernerstorfer, Alois; Steber, Eleanor; Tozzi, Giorgio [Bass Vocals]
Conductors: Mitropoulos, Dimitri

Britten: Purcell Realizations / Lott, Gritton, Walker, et al

2 CD / Hyperion / 2006-07-11

Works: Benjamin Britten: Purcell Realizations; Purcell Realizations from Orpheus Britannicus; The Queen's Epicedium, for soprano or tenor & piano (Purcell Realization); Purcell Realizations from Harmonia Sa...
Performers: Ainsley, John Mark; Bostridge, Ian; Bowman, James [Countertenor Vocal]; Gritton, Susan; Jackson, Richard; Johnson, Graham [Piano]; Keenlyside, Simon; Lott, Felicity [Soprano Vocal]; Rolfe Johnson, An...

'Altogether a marvellous treat - Another Hyperion triumph' (Classic CD)

'Two irresistible discs - typically painstakingly produced and documented - and would deserve four stars if...continue...

Henze: Voices / London Sinfonietta, et al

2 CD / Explore Records / 2006-06-27

Works: Hans Werner Henze: Voices, for mezzo-soprano, tenor & orchestra
Performers: Sperry, Paul [Tenor (Vocal)]; Walker, Sarah
Conductors: Henze, Hans Werner
Ensemble: London Sinfonietta

Opera in English - Berg: Lulu / Daniel, Saffer, Perry, et al

3 CD / Chandos Records / 2006-03-21

Works: Alban Berg: Lulu, opera
Performers: Begley, Roger; Burford, Anna; Danby, Graeme; Graham-Hall, John; Harris, Moira; Hayward, Robert; Howell, Gwynne; Kale, Stuart [Tenor Vocal]; Mitcher, Claire; Napier-Burrows, Paul; Oke, Alan; Parry, Su...
Conductors: Daniel, Paul

"For listeners who don't understand German, the complicated, often mysterious goings-on in this work (it's based on two plays by the German dramatist Frank Wedekind,...continue...

Sidney Jones: The Geisha / Corp, New London Light Opera

1 CD / Hyperion / 2006-03-14

Works: Sidney Jones: The Geisha, operetta
Performers: Ashman, Magdalen; Bott, Paula; Fitchew, Michael; Gamble, Joanna; Koc, Jozik; Maltman, Christopher; Nicoll, Harry; Parfitt, Paul; Suart, Richard; Vivian, Sarah; Walker, Sarah; Watson, Lillian
Conductors: Corp, Ronald [Composer]
Ensemble: New London Orchestra

'The recording that has given me the most joy during the year. A work I have waited fully 40 years to find on LP or...continue...

Sigmund Romberg: Maytime / Steven Byess, Ohio Light Opera

2 CD / Albany Records / 2005-10-01

Works: Sigmund Romberg: Maytime, operetta
Performers: Barbato, James; Boover, Alta; Hix, Michael; Jackson, Eric; Knox, Grant; Kohl, Joshua; Langman, Shannon; Legris, Justin; Leon, Robin De; McCormick, Danielle; Michie, Jonathan; Nelson, Tyler; Sorenson,...
Conductors: Byess, Steven
Ensemble: Ohio Light Opera

Bear Essentials - American Classcics

2 CD / Chandos Records / 2005-05-24

Works: Aaron Copland: Fanfare for the common man; Concerto for Clarinet; Old American Songs, Set 1; John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine, fanfare for orchestra; Duke Ellington: Do nothin' till you hear ...
Performers: Boer, Harmen de; Graham, Susan; Hilton, Janet; McNaught, Graeme; Shelley, Howard; White, Willard [Bass Vocals]
Conductors: Dufallo, Richard; Mosko, Stephen; Järvi, Neeme; Hickox, Richard; Turovsky, Yuli; Jeanes, Major E. W.; Tortelier, Yan Pascal; Stephens, D.S.; ; Slatkin, Leonard; Dausgaard, Thomas; Bamert, Matthi...
Ensemble: ; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemb; Blues & Royals Band; Center City Brass Quintet; Cranwell Royal Air Force College Band; Detroit Symphony Orchestra; I Musici de Montréal; N...

The English Song Series 11 - Quilter: Folk-Song Arrangements

1 CD / Naxos (USA) / 2005-04-19

Works: Roger Quilter: The Arnold Book of Old Songs, for voice & piano; Little Moth, for voice & piano (from Love at the Inn); Love calls through the summer night, for 2 voices & piano (from Love at the Inn)...
Performers: Langridge, Philip; Norris, David Owen; Pitt, Amanda; Thomas, Joanne; Wilson-Johnson, David

Rooted in the sound of the Victorian drawing-room ballad, Roger Quilter's songs are elegant and refine. Quilter arranged a great variety of songs, a process...continue...

Britten Conducts Britten Operas Vol 2

10 CD / Decca / 2005-03-15

Works: Benjamin Britten: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64; Phaedra, Op. 93; The Rape of Lucretia; Turn of the Screw, chamber opera, Op. 54; Death in Venice, opera, Op. 88; Gloriana, opera, Op. 53
Performers: Adams, Stephen James; Ainsley, John Mark; Alder, Eric; Bainbridge, Elisabeth; Baker, Janet, Dame [Mezzo-soprano Vocal]; Barstow, Josephine; Bates, Angela Vernon; Bauer, Michael; Bowen, Kenneth; Bowma...
Conductors: Britten, Benjamin; Bedford, Steuart; Mackerras, Charles, Sir
Ensemble: ; Welsh National Opera Chorus

These recordings of the remaining five Britten operas in the Decca catalog are conducted by mixture of the composer and two colleagues, Steuart Bedford and...continue...

Menotti: Goya / Mercurio, Hernandez, et al

2 CD / Opera D'Oro / 2005-03-08

Works: Gian Carlo Menotti: Goya
Performers: Adams, Angela; Daner, Penelope; Hernandez, Cesar; Nickell, Karen; Senator, Boaz; Vocals], Suzanna Guzman [Mezzo-Soprano; Wentzel, Andrew
Conductors: Mercurio, Steven
Ensemble: Spoleto Festival Orchestra

Premiered in Washington DC in 1986, and revised in 1991, 'Goya' is one of the last operas by America's best-known opera composer, Gian Carlo Menotti....continue...

Chavez: Chamber Works Vol 3 / Southwest Chamber Music

1 CD / Cambria / 2005-01-01

Works: Carlos Chávez: Xochipilli, an Imagined Aztec Music; Toccata for percussion instruments; Melodías Tradicionales Indias del Ecuador (4), for mezzo-soprano & chamber ensemble; Tambuco for Six ...
Performers: Gallardo, Ricardo; Olson, Jeff; Quezada, Alba; Vartan, Lynn; Vocals], Suzanna Guzman [Mezzo-Soprano
Conductors: Schmidt, Jeff von der
Ensemble: Southwest Chamber Music; Tambuco

Barber: Vanessa / Slatkin, Graham, Brewer, et al

2 Super Audio CD / Chandos Records / 2004-11-23

Works: Samuel Barber: Vanessa, Op. 32
Performers: Birchall, Simon [Bass Baritone Vocals]; Brewer, Christine; Burden, William; Charlesworth, Stephen; Davies, Neal [Bass-Baritone Vocal]; Graham, Susan; Wyn-Rogers, Catherine
Conductors: Slatkin, Leonard
Ensemble: BBC Symphony Orchestra

"Christine Brewer...[gave] a performance of extraordinary emotional and vocal span. What a cast of formidable American singers this was. There was Susan Graham, with an...continue...

Britten Conducts Britten Operas Vol 1

8 CD / Decca / 2004-10-12

Works: Benjamin Britten: Albert Herring, Op. 39; Owen Wingrave, opera, Op. 85; Billy Budd, Op. 50; Peter Grimes
Performers: Amit, Sheila; Baker, Janet, Dame [Mezzo-soprano Vocal]; Bowman, David; Brannigan, Owen; Bryn-Jones, Delme; Bush, Henry; Cantelo, April; Coleby, Geoffrey; Dempsey, Gregory; Douglas, Nigel; Drake, Brya...
Conductors: Britten, Benjamin
Ensemble: Ambrosian Opera Chorus; English Chamber Orchestra; Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus

These recordings of four of Britten's operas conducted by the composer are all classics. Owen Wingrave remains unique as an audio recording and this reissue...continue...

Berio: Epifanie; Coro

1 CD / Orfeo / 2004-08-12

Works: Luciano Berio: Epifanie, for mezzo-soprano & orchestra (revised as "Epiphanies"); Coro, for 40 voices & 40 instruments
Performers: Berberian, Cathy
Conductors: Segerstam, Leif