Arthaus Musik
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More spiritual, no-frills Brucnker from the Zen Buddhist conductor. The slow movement is lit with fervour, while the finale's last pages open heaven's doors. —
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Pergolesi: Flaminio
Juan Francisco Gatell (Polidoro), Laura Polverelli (Flaminio), Marina De Liso (Giustina), Sonia Yoncheva (Agata) & Serena Malfi (Ferdinando)
Accademia Bizantina, Ottavio Dantone (conductor) & Michal Znaniecki (stage director)
The recitatives are crisp, witty and delivered at a rate of knots. The production and staging are tight too...[the singers are] technically absolutely rock solid and terrific actors but never... —
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Puccini: Turandot
Luana Devol (La Principessa Turandot), Franco Farina (Calaf), Barbara Frittoli (Liù), Josep Ruiz (L’imperatore Altoum) & Stefano Palatchi (Timur)
Orchestra & Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Giuliano Carella (conductor) & Núria Espert (stage director)
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Mariss Jansons conducts Mahler Symphony No. 2
Anja Harteros (soprano) & Bernarda Fink (alto)
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra), Mariss Jansons
I hadn't taken on board quite how expressive a master Jansons can be: the face and above all the eyes change in an instant through absorption in the Resurrection's drama...These are superlative... —
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Martha Argerich & Friends
Nelson Freire (piano), Martha Argerich (piano) & Nicolas Economou (piano), Martha Argerich (piano) & Nelson Freire (piano), Martha Argerich (piano) & Mischa Maisky (cello)
Virtuoso performances of electrifying pizazz, above all in the Rachmaninov. A highlight is Argerich-Freire's Ravel La valse, ending in cathartic oblivion. —
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Friedrich Gulda and Friends
Live Recording from The Philharmonie Im Gasteig, Münchner Klaviersommer 1989
Friedrich Gulda (piano), Friedrich Gulda & Herbie Hancock (piano)
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Gluck 300 Years
Catherine Naglestad (Alceste), Donald Kaasch (Admète), Bernhard Schneider (Evandre), Catriona Smith (Le Coryphée), Johan Rydh (Grand Prêtre d'Apollon/Dieu infernal), Nam Soo Kim (La voix de l'Oracle), Motti Kastón (Apollon), Michael Ebbecke (Hercule), Wolfgang Probst (Un Héraut), Juliette Galstian...
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Wagner: Siegfried
Lance Ryan (Siegfried), Peter Bronder (Mime), Terje Stensvold (Der Wanderer), Johannes Martin Kränzle (Alberich), Anna Larsson (Erda) & Nina Stemme (Brünnhilde)
Teatro alla Scala, Daniel Barenboim (conductor) & Guy Cassiers (stage director)
Stensvold (Wanderer) sings with perfectly centred tone, terrific staying power and command of broad legato phrases...Surprisingly, though, it's Alberich here who possesses the more beautiful... —
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Strauss, J, II: Simplicius
Michael Volle (The hermit), Martin Zysset (Simplicius), Elizabeth Magnuson (Hildegarde) & Piotr Beczala (Arnim von Grübben)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Zurich Opera House, Franz Welser-Möst
