The Music Pages | August 2008


	Cat. No.: 480 0038 Barcode: 0028948000388 Label: Decca 2CD Release Date: August			ERNEST ANSERMET GLAZUNOV: The Seasons \| SCHUMANN \| GLINKA \| LIADOV: Orchestral Works ARTISTS L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Ernest Ansermet TRACK LISTING GLAZUNOV: The Seasons, Op. 67; Concert Waltzes Nos. 1 & 2;Carnaval, Op. 9 (Schumann, arr. Glazunov) · Stenka Razin GLINKA: Overture: Ruslan and Ludmilla; Kamarinskaya Fantasy; Overture: A Life for the Tsar; Valse-Fantasie; Jota argonesa LIADOV: Baba-Yaga, Op. 56; Kikimora, Op. 63; Chants Populairs Russes, Op. 58 Glazunov’s wonderfully atmospheric The Seasons ballet joins other Russian compositions by Liadov and Glinka, as well as the colourful orchestral arrangement by Glazunov and others of Schumann’s Carnaval – in stunning recordings by Ernest Ansermet as part of the Decca Ansermet Legacy on Eloquence. In addition to the Glazunov and Glazunov-by-arrangement Ansermet recordings, this generous 2CD set offers all the Glinka and Liadov recordings in the Decca Ansermet catalogue. The Changs Populairs Russes make their first appearance on CD and both Baba Yaga and Kikimora have their piquant endings delightfully realised by Ansermet and his Suisse Romande Orchestra. ‘Ansermet gives it tremendous zip and everywhere revels in the colourful detail of Glazunov's scoring. As with all Ansermet's recordings every bar of music is alive and the orchestral palette glitters.’ Gramophone RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 0489 Barcode: 0028948004898 Label: Decca CD Release Date: August			ERNEST ANSERMET BORODIN: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 Prince Igor Overture and Polovtsian Dances In the Steppes of Central Asia ARTISTS Choeur des Jeunes, Lausanne* Choeur de Radio, Lausanne* L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Ernest Ansermet TRACK LISTING BORODIN: Symphony No. 2 in B minor Symphony No. 3 in A minor Prince Igor: Overture; Polovstian Dances In the Steppes of Central Asia Borodin’s second and third symphonies, plus the Overture and Polovstian Dances from Prince Igor and “In the Steppes of Central Asia” collect on a single CD all of Ernest Ansermet’s Borodin recordings for Decca. All recordings have been widely praised for their dynamism and thrust, the Suisse Romande’s weighty brass noted for its kindship with the Sultan’s theme in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 4766884 Barcode: 0028947668848 Label: DG CD Release Date: August			BURKHARD HOFFMANN \| ALAN NEWCOMBE British Violin Sonatas by Elgar, Delius & Ireland ARTISTS Burkhard Hofmann, violin Alan Newcombe, piano TRACK LISTING ELGAR: Violin Sonata DELIUS: Violin Sonata No. 3 IRELAND: Violin Sonata No. 2 The three sonatas recorded here are linked not only by the date of their composition – the war years 1917-18 – but also because they are important in their composers’ respective oeuvres. Having left war-struck London, Elgar found refuge in his Sussex cottage to work on three of his most significant chamber works, including the Violin Sonata. Delius, blind and paralysed by the time he came to write his lyrical and rhapsodic Violin Sonata No. 3, dictated it to his amanuensis, Eric Fenby. Although stricken with frequent bouts of self-doubt while writing his Second Violin Sonata, the work is considered to be a milestone in English music of its epoch. A leading musicologist was to write that never had a chamber music work by an English composer made such a sensation. RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 0048 Barcode: 0028948000487 Label: DG CD Release Date: August			SUK TRIO \| JORG DEMUS \| SCHUBERT QUARTET SCHUBERT: Piano Quintet in A ‘Trout’ DVORÁK: Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 90 ‘Dumky’ ARTISTS Jörg Demus, piano Schubert Quartet Josef Suk, violin* Milos Sadlo, cello* Jan Panenka, piano* TRACK LISTING SCHUBERT: Piano Quintet in A, D. 667 – ‘The Trout’ DVORÁK: Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 90 – ‘Dumky’* Exhuming two glorious chamber music recordings – Jörg Demus is pianist in this joyous, sunny recording of Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet and the Suk Trio’s only recording of the Dvorák, “Dumky” Trio, much sought after by collectors, finally makes an appearance on CD. RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 4800901 Barcode: 0028948009015 Label: Decca CD Release Date: August			BIRGIT NILSSON \| La Nilsson ARTISTS Birgit Nilsson, soprano Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Sir Edward Downes Åke Levén, organ* TRACK LISTING WAGNER: ‘Dich, teure Halle, grüβ ich weider’ (Tannhauser) WEBER: ‘Ozean! Du Ungeheuer!’ (Ocean, thou mighty monster) (Oberon ) WAGNER: ‘Der Männer Sippe saβ hier im Saal’ (Die Walküre) WAGNER: ‘Du bist der Lenz’ (Die Walküre) WAGNER: ‘Einsam in trüben Tagen’ (Lohengrin) WEBER: ‘Leise, leise’ (Der Freischütz) BEETHOVEN: ‘Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hin?’ (Fidelio) BEETHOVEN: ‘Ah, perfido’ Op. 65 ADAM: ‘O holy night’* GOUNOD: ‘Ave Maria’ (arr. from Bach’s Prelude No. 1 BWV846)* FRANCK: ‘Panis angelicus’* GRUBER: ‘Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht’* One of the greatest soprano legends of all time, Nilsson’s 1963 Decca recital with Sir Edward Downes of popular opera arias by Wagner, Weber, Beethoven, et.al. has never been fully issued. Here it is on CD – issued complete for the first time and in the fabled sumptuous Decca sound – coupled with her rare “Ah, perfido” (issued only on a 45rpm record) as well as four beautiful Christmas songs. RETURN TO THE TOP