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Antonín Dvořák: Symphonie du nouveau monde

Philippe Fournier

Classical - Released October 7, 2000 | iMD-ORCHESTRE-CONFLUENCES

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Debussy: Complete Orchestral Work

Jun Märkl

Classical - Released January 30, 2012 | Naxos

Booklet
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Beethoven Violin Sonatas Nos. 2, 4 & 9 „Kreutzer“

Antje Weithaas

Classical - Released March 31, 2023 | CAvi-music

Hi-Res Booklet
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Beethoven: Variations

Angela Hewitt

Classical - Released September 1, 2023 | Hyperion

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Beethoven: Complete Symphonies & Concertos

The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra

Classical - Released October 9, 2020 | Challenge Classics

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Couperin: Concerts Royaux

Pierre Gallon

Classical - Released March 15, 2024 | harmonia mundi

Hi-Res Booklet
François Couperin's Concerts Royaux were keyboard dance suites from 1714, preceding those of the set known as Les Goûts Réunis. Couperin wrote them for a single keyboard but noted that they could also be performed by a small ensemble, and the many available recordings of the pieces have availed themselves of both options. This one by Pierre Gallon and Matthieu Boutineau, however, is unique; it is for two harpsichords, with a few continuo additions from theorbo and Baroque guitar. The suites are presented as versions for two harpsichords; these are not credited to anyone but have been created by the performers. The reasoning for this, as presented in the booklet, draws from the ideas that Couperin, even if he did not suggest this option, clearly imagined the instrumentation as flexible, that Couperin did suggest a two-harpsichord option for the Apothéoses for chamber ensemble, and that harpsichord works by the composer Gaspard Le Roux were said by the composer to be playable on two harpsichords. These factors do not quite prove the point being made by the performance, and this recording might better be regarded as an elaboration on Couperin's music. In some pieces, the two players each perform the bass line, distributing the rest of the music between them, and this creates a rich, monumental sound that differs quite a bit from the usual intimate detail one associates with Couperin. The effect is intensified by Harmonia Mundi's booming church sound environment, which doesn't correspond with what Couperin imagined, either. It is true that those who want the versions Couperin himself approved have plenty of major recordings to choose from, and this one is genuinely novel. The bottom line is that a bit of sampling will inform listeners as to whether they find the approach convincing or not.© James Manheim /TiVo
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Debussy: Préludes, Livres 1 & 2

Vestard Shimkus

Classical - Released March 31, 2023 | ARTALINNA

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Jean-Baptiste Lully : Amadis

Christophe Rousset

Opera - Released September 22, 2014 | Aparté

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions 4F de Télérama - Diamant d'Opéra - Choc de Classica - 5 Sterne Fono Forum Klassik
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Le Concert des Oiseaux. Vincent Bouchot: Le Carnaval des animaux en péril

La Rêveuse

Classical - Released February 10, 2023 | harmonia mundi

Hi-Res Booklet
Several famous pieces of music based on birdsong appeared in the 19th and 20th centuries; those by Saint-Saëns, Britten, and Ravel are here, although Messiaen is not. However, the affinity between music and birdsong had been explored for centuries before that, and the early music group La Rêveuse here provides some delightful examples. The always pictorial François Couperin is represented, as is Rameau, but other composers are less familiar but no less charming. Sample the works by Theodor Schwartzkopff, Michel Blavet, and especially Michel Pignolet de Montéclair (1667-1737), whose "Les Ramages" ("The Songs") names a group of birds and then illustrates their songs. Then there are historical-instrument versions of Saint-Saëns, Britten, and Ravel. One may accept this idea or not, but even in the latter case, they don't do much to dent the charm of the whole. The program ends with a work by contemporary composer Vincent Bouchot, Le Carnaval des animaux en péril, a kind of a take-off on Saint-Saëns for the Anthropocene era that also calls forth a striking variety of instruments from La Rêveuse. Another questionable idea is that, in keeping with the practices of this group, recorded birdsong is heard between some of the tracks. Whatever aspects of this release might be doubtful, it rarely fails to bring a smile. © James Manheim /TiVo
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Beethoven: The Complete Piano Trios

Suk Trio

Classical - Released July 16, 2021 | Supraphon a.s.

Booklet
Supraphon made these recordings for Nippon Columbia within a short timeframe, from June 1983 to April 1984, at the Rudolfinum in Prague. They capture the mature ensemble when it included the pianist Josef Hála, who in 1980 had replaced Jan Panenka. The trio’s sound was dominated by the strings, primarily the violin of Josef Suk, who also defined the interpretation principles. The singularity of the ensemble and their recordings alike rests in infallible technique, sonic refinement, admirable interplay and profound musicality devoid of any showboating. © Supraphon
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Ludwig van Beethoven : Diabelli-Variationen

András Schiff

Classical - Released September 24, 2013 | ECM New Series

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions Gramophone Editor's Choice
ECM New Series is better known for its documentation of contemporary works, but the music of the past sometimes receives coverage when artists bring a new perspective to it. The Diabelli Variations, Op. 120; the Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111; and the Six Bagatelles, Op. 126, are among the most original and intellectually stimulating works Ludwig van Beethoven composed for the piano, and the sophisticated interpretations of András Schiff are especially worthwhile for their insights into authentic performance practice and reception. Here, Schiff gives the listener options between a relatively modern sounding version of the Diabelli Variations and a period interpretation, without favoring one or the other. On the first CD he plays the Sonata and the Diabelli Variations on a Bechstein piano from 1921, though with minimal pedaling and a restrained execution that allows every inner voice and subtle dynamic to be appreciated. While this piano is not as hard or bright sounding as a modern Steinway, it is familiar to modern ears and most listeners will readily accept it. On the second CD, Schiff plays the Diabelli Variations, along with the Six Bagatelles, on a smaller sounding Franz Brodmann fortepiano, an original instrument from around 1820, Beethoven's time period. While it sometimes sounds tinnier, the fortepiano is in wonderful condition, and by Schiff's own testimony, it "sounds fresher, bolder, and infinitely more subtle." This side-by-side demonstration allows comparisons between the two instruments, and to consider other differences. One need not choose one recording over the other, but Schiff's exceptional performances would certainly inform such a decision, if one had to be made.© TiVo
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Couperin: Concerts

Emanuel Abbühl

Classical - Released April 5, 2024 | Genuin

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Monteverdi: Daylight. Stories of Songs, Dances and Loves

Rinaldo Alessandrini

Classical - Released November 5, 2021 | naïve

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50 Beethoven Treasures by naïve

François-Frédéric Guy, Fazil Say, Karol Teutsch

Classical - Released September 1, 2017 | naïve classique

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Beethoven, Mendelssohn & Others: Piano Works

Shura Cherkassky

Classical - Released October 6, 2023 | APR

Booklet
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Richard Strauss : Alpine Symphony (Symphonie alpestre)

Saito Kinen Orchestra

Classical - Released March 17, 2014 | UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions 5 de Diapason
Because the Saito Kinen Orchestra annually performs at a summer festival held in the Japanese Alps near Matsumoto, the choice of Richard Strauss' immense Alpine Symphony for this 2012 recording seems quite appropriate for the occasion. Led by Daniel Harding, the ensemble of exceptional orchestral musicians from around the world takes on one of Strauss' most imposing scores, and the power, dynamic range, and physical stamina required to make this work succeed are well within the orchestra's abilities. Strauss' musical depiction of the Alps is a sprawling affair, more properly regarded as a tone poem rather than a symphony in the conventional sense, and the effect of the large orchestra of approximately 125 players must be overwhelming to convey the enormous mountains, the volatile weather, the different times of day, and other imagery. Harding controls the orchestra with a steady hand, and his interpretation is expansive without being exaggerated. The sound of the live performance is a little unbalanced, favoring the brass over the strings and woodwinds, and the live recording is just a little unfocused, leaving some details hard to distinguish in the mix. Even so, this recording has excitement and passion going for it, and the spirit of high adventure conveyed in the music is impressive.© TiVo
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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 25, 24, 9, 10, 19 & 20

Mari Kodama

Solo Piano - Released August 1, 2010 | PentaTone

Hi-Res Booklet