Soundbite 60 Reviews

Here we write a short précis of a CD or DVD giving you a concise summary in a sixty-word soundbite.

The Sleeping Beauty
Abridged, yes, but two hours is a goodly feast. George Weldon (1906-63), who studied with Sargent and assisted Barbirolli, leads an enjoyable, affectionate performance, played with distinction, with tempos well-chosen...
August 2, 2007
Tulio Serafin Conducts Italian Opera Overtures
Serafin (1878-1968), a seasoned exponent of Italian opera, learnt his craft as a violist in the La Scala Orchestra and went on to restore faith in bel canto repertoire, promote...
August 1, 2007
Tennstedt’s Bruckner 4 & 8
A good idea to couple Tennstedt’s ‘only’ Bruckner for EMI. In early (but good) digital sound, Tennstedt and two splendid orchestras are vividly captured; Tennstedt’s blazing accounts really sweep the...
June 2, 2007
Simon Rattle’s Tribute To The Jazz Age
A super, super recording! The ‘jazz’ of Milhaud and Stravinsky pushed boundaries, so too did Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue for Paul Whiteman, especially in this spunky original version. The ‘standards’...
June 1, 2007
Haydn’s Clock Symphony
Blessed with excellent recorded sound – immediate and warm – Jeffrey Tate secures lively, detailed and affectionate accounts of two great Haydn symphonies. The E flat mixes majesty, exuberance and...
May 3, 2007
Alfred Brendel – Liszt
Brendel’s masterly assumption of Liszt’s extraordinary B minor Sonata has long been a wonder of analysis (both in writing and pianism). This, his second digital recording, is mighty in terms...
May 2, 2007
Karajan’s New Year’s Day Concert
This heart-warming occasion was Karajan’s only New Year’s Day concert (he died in 1989). It finds him and the Vienna Philharmonic in glorious form relishing every aspect of this wonderful...
May 1, 2007
Alban Berg
If Berg’s music is problematical, this generous two-for-one release could help. Berg (1885-1935) may have been a progressive, but he was a Romantic, too; maybe he took over Mahler’s mantle....
April 30, 2007
Solti’s Elgar 1
Solti’s Elgar 1 still has the power to thrill and move; it’s a great performance, one of thrust, flexibility and real emotion – the wonderful slow movement is very special...
April 22, 2007
Mozart Piano Concertos
Eschenbach’s integration of piano and orchestra is notable in these stylish and vivid accounts, the pianist’s crisp articulation revealing phrase, run and accents with acumen and spirit. The ‘Elvira Madigan’...
April 21, 2007
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