The Music Pages | February 2008

The glorious series continues with great recordings from the Decca catalogue, beautifully remastered and with original packaging.
	Cat. No.: 475 8493 Barcode: 0028947584933 Label: Decca 2CD Release Date: 2 February			MARILYN HORNE \| Souvenir of a Golden Era - Opera Arias ARTISTS Marilyn Horne, mezzo soprano L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Henry Lewis TRACK LISTING ROSSINI: Una voce poco fa (The Barber of Seville) BELLINI: Se Romeo t’uccise un figlio…La tremenda altrice spada (I Capuleti e i Montecchi) BEETHOVEN: Abscheulicher! (Fidelio) ROSSINI: Willow Song (Otello) ROSSINI: Di tanti palpiti (Tancredi) ROSSINI: Bel raggio lusinghier (Semiramide) ROSSINI: Pronti abbiamo e ferri e mani…Pensa alla patria (L’italiana in Algeri) GLUCK: J’ai perdu mon Eurydice (Orphée et Eurydice) GOUNOD: Où suis-je?...O ma lyre immortelle (Sapho) MEYERBEER: Ah! mon fils, soit béni! (Le Prophète) GLUCK: Divinités du Styx (Alceste) VERDI: Stride la vampa…Condotta ell’ era in ceppi (Il trovatore) This much-praised programme was first released as a 2-LP set in 1966 and now appears complete on CD for the first time! Full sung texts and articles are included in the booklet along with the illustrations which were included in the original LP booklet. This collection of arias is conceived as a tribute to two of the greatest singers of the nineteenth century, Maria Malibran and Pauline Viardot, who happened to be sisters and daughters of the legendary tenor, Manuel Garcia. ‘Marilyn Horne, an outstanding singer in every way, rises to the challenge magnificently ... Horne demonstrates a breadth of achievement that really harks back to an age before narrow specialization became a fetish ... Viardot, we learn even sang Act 2 of Tristan und Isolde with Wagner at the piano, and the parallel achievement there is that Horne is one of the most formidably strong and accurate singers of modern music too. Her Marie in Wozzeck at Covent Garden was a marvel in bringing out Berg's lyricism to a new degree ... the breadth of achievement in these twelve taxing numbers is still formidable. The tribute to Malibran and Viardot may seem rather outlandish, but with well-devised historical notes and a linking theme between the six items representing Malibran and the six representing Viardot, the effect of playing the set with the help of notes is to appreciate in a new way the vocal history of the important years between the first performance of Il barbiere di Siviglia in February 1816 and the first performance of Il trovatore in January 1853 ... Horne's great quality is in fact evenness. Her tone is astonishingly rich and consistent throughout her great range and it is amazing that so full a voice should be able to cope with florid singing with such precision and ease. Moreover Horne is also consistent in her interpretative powers. Always phrasing with a natural sense of style: the listener seems to breathe in time with her ... outstanding recording and first-rate conducting.’ Gramophone, May 1966 RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 475 8670 Barcode: 0028947586708 Label: Decca 2CD Release Date: 2 February			SIR CHARLES MACKERRAS JANÁCEK: The Cunning Little Vixen ARTISTS Dalibor Jedlicka \| Gamekeeper Eva Zigmundová \| Gamekeeper’s wife Vladimir Krejcík \| Schoolmaster/Mosquito Richard Novák \| Priest/Badger Václav Zítek \| Harasta Beno Blachut \| Innkeeper Ivana Mixová \| Innkeeper’s wife Lucia Popp \| Vixen Wiener Staatsopernchor Wiener Philharmoniker Sir Charles Mackerras TRACK LISTING JANÁCEK: The Cunning Little Vixen Orchestral Suite Sir Charles Mackerras's Gramophone Award winning recording of Janácek's ever-popular opera now available with full libretto and synopses at mid-price for the first time! Lucia Popp plays the Vixen with an all-Czech supporting cast and the glorious Vienna Philharmonic under the masterly musical direction of Janácek's greatest living exponent. ‘Mackerras's thrusting, red-blooded reading is spectacularly supported by a digital recording of outstanding demonstration quality. The inspired choice of Lucia Popp as the Vixen provides charm in exactly the right measure: sparkling and coquettish, spiteful as well as passionate. The supporting cast is first rate, too. Talich's splendidly arranged orchestral suite is offered as a bonus in a fine new recording.’ The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 475 9983 Barcode: 0028947599838 Label: Decca CD Release Date: 2 February			RICCARDO CHAILLY \| SHOSTAKOVICH: The Jazz Album ARTISTS Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Riccardo Chailly TRACK LISTING SHOSTAKOVICH: Jazz Suite No.1 Piano Concerto No.1 in C minor, Op.35 (Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings) Jazz Suite No.2 (Suite for Promenade Orchestra) Tahiti Trot (Tea for Two) When this recording was first published in 1993 it revealed a lighter side to Shostakovich that was little-known to most music-lovers. It quickly became a best-seller and the Jazz Suites started to get regular performances in many concert halls. ‘The playing here is quite superb. In fact there's little to be said about Chailly's direction other than it is good-humoured, affectionate and utterly professional; his Royal Concertgebouw players sound at home in every bar and the recording is both clean and ambient.’ Gramophone RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 475 9984 Barcode: 0028947599849 Label: Decca 2CD Release Date: 2 February			HERBERT VON KARAJAN \| VERDI: Otello ARTISTS Mario del Monaco \| Otello Renata Tebaldi \| Desdemona Aldo Protti \| Jago Nello Romanato \| Cassio Ana Raquel Satre \| Emilia Fernando Corena \| Lodovico Tom Krause \| Montano Wiener Staatsopernchor Wiener Kinderchor Wiener Philharmoniker Herbert von Karajan TRACK LISTING VERDI: Otello One of the legendary interpreters of Verdi's greatest role for the tenor voice, Mario del Monaco gives a thrilling performance as the Moor of Venice in this classic Decca recording under the musical direction of Herbert von Karajan. Renata Tebaldi gives one of her greatest Verdi interpretations on record as the ill-fated Desdemona. This demonstration-quality recording has been remastered at 96/24 resolution and comes with full libretto and synopses and is available for the first time at mid-price! This remastered CD release also includes the Ballet Music which Verdi wrote for Act 3 and which has not been available on CD before. RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 475 9987 Barcode: 0028947599876 Label: Decca CD Release Date: 2 February			RADU LUPU \| MOZART: Piano Concertos Nos. 12 & 21; Piano Quintet ARTISTS Radu Lupu, piano Hans de Vries, oboe George Pieterson, clarinet Vincent Zorzo, horn Brian Pollard, bassoon English Chamber Orchestra Uri Segal TRACK LISTING MOZART: Piano Concerto No.21 in C major, K467 ‘Elvira Madigan’ Piano Concerto No.12 in A major, K414 Quintet in E flat major for Piano & Wind, K452 Radu Lupu's only Mozart Concerto recordings for Decca are now coupled with one of the great chamber works in the repertory for piano and wind, the sublime Quintet in E flat major, K452, to produce a generously-filled programme lasting over 75 minutes. When the original LP of the two concertos was released in early 1975, Stephen Plaistow in his Gramophone review described the album as ‘... among the best records of Mozart concertos to have appeared in recent years. [Lupu's] taste is exquisite. So is his technical polish.’ The review concludes ‘there is nothing here that is cold or mechanical or even merely elegant... the playing is vividly articulate: aptly weighted, justly accented, and as vocal in feeling as one might say the music is vocal in inspiration.’ RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 475 9988 Barcode: 0028947599883 Label: Decca 3CD Release Date: 2 February			SIR GEORG SOLTI \| R. STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier ARTISTS Régine Crespin \| Der Marschellin Manfred Jungwirth \| Baron Ochs Yvonne Minton \| Octavian Otto Wiener \| Faninal Helen Donath \| Sophie Luciano Pavarotti \| Singer Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor Wiener Philharmoniker Sir Georg Solti TRACK LISTING R. STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier With a cast to rival the best and sumptuous orchestral sound, this has long been a benchmark stereo Rosenkavalier. Crespin is unrivalled as the Marschallin and the Australian mezzo Yvonne Minton exudes character and luscious tone at ever turn. Luciano Pavarotti makes a cameo appearance as The Singer. RETURN TO THE TOP