ARK C21, saving recorded music and speech for all |
Puccini: La Boheme Hear Pavarotti and Freni in top form as young singers, live under Karajan in Salzburg. This is from Act 1 when Rodolfo and Mimi are talking just before the famous candle scene. * |
Tavener: 'Celtic Requiem' This complex early work is based on religious and fertility customs from pre-Christian to poems and rites of early Christian Ireland and other Celtic cultures. The composer sets the simple childish games against large scale vocal and orchestral development.* |
Walton: Symphony No 1 This was the last time Sir Adrian Boult conducted the famous symphony. Despite great age Sir Adrian exploits the hard acoustics of the Royal Festival Hall in a unique experience. The extract comes from the first movement development section where the orchestra seems to be tearing itself apart and Boult's detail crafting is masterly. |
Shostakovich: The Sonata for viola and piano Op.147 This was the composer's last work and has an air of mysterious resignation about it. The excerpt is from the opening movement and is played by its dedicatees in the world premiere. They are Fyodor Druzhinin and Mikhail Muntyan.* |
Harris: Symphony No3 The popular Symphony No3 is here presented by the even more famous Aaron Copland conducting the LSO in 1975. His slow tempo in the coda was approved by Roy Harris and brings out the brilliant orchestration more than usual.* |
Dufay and Anon 1 2 Dufay's popular rondeau on the subject of marriage features James Bowman and other now familiar singers and musicians as young arrivals on the concert scene. As with the Anon 'basse dance' the earlier excesses of the New Music Consort had moderated into greater subtlety and it is a tribute to Christopher Hogwood (who plays on this) that he pursued David Munrow's policies when the latter died tragically young.* |
Britten: Cantata Phaedra This was the crowning glory of Britten's compositions during his last illness and this recording is of the world premiere in June 1976 with Janet Baker and the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Steuart Bedford.* |
* means not yet listed in archive. |
To Be Updated |
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