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Ralph Moore
Parallel Voices (Edizioni Bongiovanni)
A wide-ranging, highly individual, often wayward collection of observations from one of opera’s great characters [RMo]
Amadeus Quartet (Alto)
Deeply felt and beautifully played, flawless intonation and ensemble, but inferior balance and sound [RMo]
Schubert: Piano Sonatas (Hyperion)
Aesthetically wholly coherent and technically excellent accounts of the first complete and penultimate of Schubert’s sonatas that do not oust my favourites [RMo]
Brodsky Quartet – Golden Oldies (Chandos)
A highly diverting selection of lighter pieces to celebrate the Brodsky Quartet’s fifty-year anniversary [RMo]
Schubert: Piano Trios (Ondine)
Ideal performances of great works – and a fitting memorial to Lars Vogt [RMo]
Beethoven: The Late Quartets (Signum Classics)
Quartet playing of exceptional beauty, homogeneity and musicality [RMo]
Beethoven: Piano Concerti 3 & 4 (Naxos)
Virtuosic pianism somewhat undermined by reticent accompaniment and an unnatural recorded balance [RMo]
Byrd: The Golden Renaissance (Decca)
A beautifully sung medley of Byrd’s music interspersing the Mass with “sacred songs” [RMo]
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (Chandos)
Beautiful playing compromised by excessive restraint in the final two movements [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No 8 (Capriccio)
Anyone wanting to hear the original version of Bruckner’s monumental Eighth Symphony given the best possible advocacy need look no further [RMo]
Strauss: Elektra (Sterling)
A thrilling piece of live theatre commemorating the career of a great singer, despite cuts [RMo]
Mozart’s Idomeneo
A survey by Ralph Moore
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (HDTT)
Another highly successful remastering of a classic recording from HDTT [RMo]
A guide to the best recordings of Gluck’s operas
by Ralph Moore
Carl Schuricht (conductor) (Forgotten Records)
Absolutely lovely live performances which must be heard through a veil of crumbly mono sound [RMo]
Mozart: Requiem (Rondeau)
A vivacious, thoroughly enjoyable, smaller-scale “period” account of Mozart’s inspired but incomplete liturgical masterpiece [RMo]
Dvořák: Symphony 6 (Sony)
An affectionately played trio of works by Dvořák at his most typically exuberant [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony 4 (Capriccio)
A fine performance vitiated by Poschner’s penchant for rushed tempi [RMo]
Sibelius: Symphonies 5-7 (Pristine Audio)
The finest Fifth I know, and an excellent Sixth and Seventh, all given a new lease of life by Pristine as XR Remastered Ambient Stereo [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony 9 (Pristine Audio)
Van Beinum’s flexible way with this music will appeal to those who also esteem Jochum in Bruckner but there are too many flaws [RMo]
Verdi: Messa da Requiem (Rondeau)
I have honestly never heard anything like this… [RMo]
Rachmaninov: All Night Vigil (Pentatone)
The famous Vespers, beautifully sung and more intimate than usual but with no lack of gravitas [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony 7 (Alpha)
A fine, sensitive account but one which underplays some of the key points of tension [RMo]
Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust
A survey by Ralph Moore
