rmo
Ralph Moore
Giordano: Fedora (Malibran-Music)
A powerful, idiomatic vintage recording of an unjustly neglected opera with some fascinating bonuses [RMo]
Bach: Suites for Solo Cello (Sono Luminus)
A fleet yet sonorous and profound account of these masterworks, played without repeats and delightfully absorbing [RMo]
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5 (Reference Recordings)
An enterprising pairing of two works given thrilling, gripping performances and sound [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony No.8 (Alpha)
An oddly bland and inconsistent account which in no sense challenges established favourite recordings [RMo]
Elgar: Violin Concerto (Linn Records)
A superb rendering of Britten’s orchestral suite and a fine account of Elgar’s violin concerto which nonetheless does not rival favourite versions [RMo]
Halévy: La Juive (Malibran)
A compilation of superb recordings by some of the finest voices in this neglected opera [RMo]
Aureliano Pertile (tenor) Disques Columbia (Malibran-Music)
A compilation demonstrating the versatility and musicality of Toscanini’s favourite tenor [RMo]
Verdi: Falstaff (Pristine Audio)
Pristine revitalises another indispensable gramophone classic but the improvement over the RCA issue is only marginal [RMo]
Spontini: La Vestale (Bru Zane)
Far from ideal, but on balance the best of the French versions and its appeal is enhanced by excellent sound and conducting [RMo]
Leoncavallo’s Zazà
A survey by Ralph Moore
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (Pentatone)
In no way does this new recording displace its illustrious predecessors except in terms of the clarity of its digital sound [RMo]
Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (Oehms Classics)
Another fine but essentially redundant issue in this Mahler series [RMo]
Handel: Water & Fire (Pentatone)
Handel’s grand outdoor showpieces reduced in scale to intimate chamber works [RMo]
Refice: Cecilia (Dynamic)
Excellent orchestral playing, choral singing and conducting compromised by sub-par solo voices and thus a missed opportunity [RMo]
Schubert: Stimme der Liebe (SOMM Recordings)
A charming anthology collected in tribute to a master interpreter of Schubert Lieder [RMo]
Bellini’s I puritani
A survey by Ralph Moore
Anton Bruckner: Eleven Symphonies (Bruckner Society of America)
A highly informative and accessible guide through the thickets of Bruckner scholarship [RMo]
Handel: Serse (Linn)
Highlights the variety of Handel’s invention and showcases a superb lead singer [RMo]
Byrd: Mass for Five Voices (Hyperion)
A refined, intimate, impeccably sung and recorded collection of Byrd at his most reserved and doleful [RMo]
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde – An Orchestral Passion (Oehms Classics)
A brisk and brusque compendium of the main Tristan themes for the impatient, would-be Wagnerian [RMo]
Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Works (Chandos)
Strikingly vivid and thrilling accounts of some of Tchaikovsky’s most atmospheric narrative tone poems [RMo]
Rossini: Elisabetta regina d’Inghilterra (Opera Rara)
An interesting alternative to the older Philips set, with another excellent cast [RMo]
Bruckner: Symphony 9 for 2 Pianos (High Definition Tape Transfers)
A highly successful transcription embracing a wide variety of moods and colours [RMo]
Farrenc: Symphonies (Erato)
Stimulating, approachable and highly varied music.
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