Melos Quartet

String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111

Harmonia Mundi - HMGold - HMG501380

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Brahms:

Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115

Gerard Causse, Michel Portal

Harmonia Mundi Musique d'Abord - HMA1951349

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$9.00

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Melos Quartet play Debussy, Ravel & Kodaly

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Melos Quartet play Debussy, Ravel & Kodaly

Debussy:	String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10
Kodály:	String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10
Ravel:	String Quartet in F major

DG Originals - 4790529

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Melos Quartet: Quartet Recital 1979

Fortner:	String Quartet No. 4
Haydn:	String Quartet, Op. 64 No. 5 in D major 'The Lark'
Ravel:	String Quartet in F major

Hänssler - HAEN93716

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Schubert: String Quintet in C major, D956

Mstislav Rostropovich (cello)

String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 51 No. 1

DG - 4153732

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An Equal Music

Bach, J S:	Partita for solo violin No. 3 in E major, BWV1006: Preludio Philippe Honoré (violin) The Art of Fugue, BWV1080: Contrapunctus I (version for String Quartet) Clive Howard (viola), Maya Iwabuchi (violin), Philippe Honoré (violin), Sally Pendlebury (cello) The Art of Fugue, BWV1080: Contrapunctus I Rustem Hayroudinoff (piano)
Beethoven:	String Quintet in C minor, Op. 104 Clive Howard (viola), Maya Iwabuchi (violin), Philippe Honoré (violin), Rachel Roberts (viola), Sally Pendlebury (cello)
Haydn:	String Quartet, Op. 20 No. 6 in A Major Hagen Quartett
Mozart:	Violin Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K304 Augustin Dumay (violin) & Maria Joao Pires (piano)
Schubert:	String Quartet No. 12 in C minor (fragment), D703 ‘Quartettsatz' Hagen Quartett Piano Quintet in A major, D667 'The Trout' Alois Posch (double-bass), András Schiff (piano), Clemens Hagen (cello) ,Lukas Hagen (violin), Veronika Hagen (viola) String Quintet in C major, D956 - Scherzo (Presto) - Trio (Andante sostenuto) Melos Quartet
Vaughan Williams:	The Lark Ascending Iona Brown (violin) The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner
Vivaldi:	Sonata No. 1 in C for violin & piano, RV3 ("Manchester Sonata") : III. Largo Philippe Honoré (violin) & Rustem Hayroudinoff (piano)

Decca - 4669452

(CD - 2 discs)

$15.25

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Brahms & Schumann: Complete String Quartets

Brahms:

String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51 No. 2

String Quartet No. 3 in B flat major, Op. 67

Schumann:

String Quartets, Op. 41 Nos. 1-3

Melos Quartet of Stuttgart

It may be thought strange that these six quartets are not more often coupled on record, for they present in microcosm a network of the correspondences and conflicts in the musical personalities of these two friends. Certainly the Melos Quartett of Stuttgart remain almost unrivalled not just in this coupling, but in their technical address and classically German sonority that allows us to hear the past, present and future context of these quartets.

It was Schumann who first recognised in Brahms a creative force of the size that would finally slough off the shadow of Beethoven from the German musical culture left somewhat lost since his death in 1827. And though Schumann took inspiration from Beethoven in many of his works, both as representative of a lost past and a visionary future, in works such as the early Fantaisie and the groundbreaking oratorio Paradise and the Peri, the essentials of his own style were no more amenable than were those of his other great contemporary admirer, Hector Berlioz, to large-scale emulations of Beethoven’s structural essentials, as most rigorously deployed in the 16 string quartets.

Schumann’s three quartets pour forth in a river of breathless song, part of the Chamber Music Year of 1842 which also saw the composition of the Piano Quartet and Quintet. The concentration is entirely typical of Schumann – the years immediately preceding had been occupied, one at a time, with piano music, song and orchestral music – and conditions the peculiar, ungovernable intensity of these pieces.

Brahms, by contrast, wrote and then burnt at least 20 string quartets before he allowed the D minor work Op.51 No.1 to see the light of day, so oppressed was he not just by Beethoven’s mantle but perhaps also by Schumann’s publicly expressed determination to place it upon him. The result shows in a toughly argued and haunted piece which, just as with the first two symphonies, was quickly followed by a much sunnier work for the same forces.

“Notwithstanding rough edges, the passion the Melos Quartet bring to the Brahms Quartets makes for compelling listening.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2011 ****/*****

“Their playing is immediately enjoyable for its warmth, its rhythmic impulse and its very positive directness... The Melos, with their pungent accentuation, are splendid in the tempo risoluto variation of the second movement (of Schumann’s Third Quartet) and in the dancing finale, just as they are in the exuberant vitality of the First Quartet’s concluding Presto.” Gramophone Magazine, April 1989

Newton Classics - 8802051

(CD - 3 discs)

$21.00

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Schubert: String Quartets Nos. 1-15 (Complete)

DG Collectors Edition - 4631512

(CD - 6 discs)

$46.75

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Ravel – The Complete Edition

Debussy:

Trois Nocturnes

arr. for two pianos by Ravel

Anne Shasby & Richard McMahon (pianos)

Ravel:

Sérénade grotesque

Menuet antique

Pavane pour une infante défunte

Jeux d'eau

Sonatine

Menuet sur le nom de Haydn

Prélude

A la manière de Borodine

A la manière de Chabrier

Le Tombeau de Couperin

Valses nobles et sentimentales

La parade

François-Joël Thiollier (piano)

Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano)

Miroirs, 5 pieces for piano

Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano)

Gaspard de la Nuit

Ivo Pogorelich (piano)

Ma Mère l'Oye

Pascal & Denise-Françoise Rogé (piano)

Frontispice for poème du Vardar

Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky (pianos)

Habanera

Jacques Février (piano)

Entre cloches

Jacques Février (piano)

Rapsodie Espagnole (for 2 pianos)

Vladimir & Vovka Ashkenazy (pianos)

La Valse (for 2 pianos)

Vladimir & Vovka Ashkenazy (pianos)

Vocalise-étude en forme de habanera

Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo), Myung Whun Chung (piano)

Tripartos

Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo), Myung Whun Chung (piano)

Deux mélodies hébraïques

Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo), Myung Whun Chung (piano)

Chants Populaires

Inva Mula (soprano), David Abramovitz (piano)

Tzigane for Violin and Luthéal Piano (original version)

Chantal Juillet (violin), Pascal Rogé (piano Luthéal)

Vocalise-étude en forme de habanera

Chantal Juillet (violin), Pascal Rogé (piano)

Violin Sonata in A minor 'Sonate posthume'

Chantal Juillet (violin), Pascal Rogé (piano)

Berceuse sur le nom de Fauré

Chantal Juillet (violin), Pascal Rogé (piano)

Sonata for Violin & Cello

Chantal Juillet (violin), Pascal Rogé (piano), Truls M¢rk (cello)

Violin Sonata in G major

Chantal Juillet (violin), Pascal Rogé (piano)

String Quartet in F major

Introduction & Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet and String Quartet

Osian Ellis (harp)

Melos Ensemble

Piano Trio in A minor

Beaux Arts Trio

Trois poemes de Stephane Mallarmé

Felicity Palmer (soprano)

The Nash Ensemble, Simon Rattle

Trois chansons madécasses

Felicity Palmer (soprano)

The Nash Ensemble, Simon Rattle

Histoires naturelles (5)

Felicity Palmer (soprano), John Constable (piano)

Cinq mélodies populaires grecques

Felicity Palmer (soprano), John Constable (piano)

Ronsard à son âme

Laurent Naouri (baritone), David Abramovitz (piano)

Un grand sommeil noir

Laurent Naouri (baritone), David Abramovitz (piano)

Chanson du rouet

Claire Brua (mezzo), David Abramovitz (piano)

Noël des jouets

Claire Brua (mezzo), David Abramovitz (piano)

Deux épigrammes de Clément Marot

Gérard Souzay (baritone), Dalton Baldwin (piano)

Sainte

Gérard Souzay (baritone), Dalton Baldwin (piano)

Don Quichotte à Dulcinée

Gérard Souzay (baritone), Dalton Baldwin (piano)

Manteau des fleurs

Valérie Millot (soprano), David Abramovitz (piano)

Si morne!

Valérie Millot (soprano), David Abramovitz (piano)

Rêves

Claire Brua (mezzo), David Abramovitz (piano)

Les grands vents venus d'outre-mer

Gérard Souzay (baritone)

Sur l'Herbe

Gérard Souzay (baritone), Dalton Baldwin (piano)

Ballade de la reine morte d'aimer

Inva Mula (soprano), David Abramovitz (piano)

Daphnis et Chloé

Pavane pour une infante défunte

La Valse

Piano Concerto in G major

Martha Argerich (piano)

Piano Concerto in D major (for the left hand)

Michel Béroff (piano)

Menuet antique

Le tombeau de Couperin - Orchestral version

Valses nobles et sentimentales

Fanfare from 'L'Eventail de Jeanne'

Boléro

Alborada del gracioso (orchestral version)

Ma Mère l'Oye

Une barque sur l'océan (orchestral version)

Rapsodie Espagnole

L'enfant et les sortilèges

L'Orchestre de la R. T. F., Lorin Maazel

L'heure Espagnole

L'Orchestre de la R. T. F.

Alyssa

Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse

Alcyone

Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse

Myrrha

Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse

Shéhérazade - Ouverture de féerie

L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet

Shéhérazade

Régine Crespin (soprano)

Deux mélodies hébraïques

Susanne Danco (soprano)

L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet

Trois poemes de Stephane Mallarmé

Susanne Danco (soprano)

L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet

Trois chansons madécasses

Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner

Tzigane

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton

28th December 2012 marks the 75th Anniversary of the death of Maurice Ravel, the great French composer, best-known for his beautiful melodies, orchestral & instrumental textures and mesmeric compositional effects.

Many consumers will know Ravel through his masterpieces, such as: Boléro, Pavane pour une infant défunte, Rapsodie espagnole, Gaspard de la nuit, Ma Mère l’oye, Daphnis et Chloë, Le Tombeau de Couperin and La Valse.

For the first time ever, a 14-CD Box Set containing the COMPLETE EDITION of Ravel’s compositions. This is the flagship product, the first time ever that a complete Ravel Box has been issued by any classical label.

In addition to detailed tracklists and artist information to Decca’s high house standard, the 184 page booklet offers full sung texts in original French and with English translation. A 3000-word appreciation of Ravel by Nigel Simeone appears in English, French and German.

Decca - 4783725

(CD - 14 discs)

$80.50

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The Debussy Edition

Debussy:

La Mer

Trois Nocturnes

The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Pierre Boulez

Jeux - Poème dansé

Rhapsody for clarinet & piano (or orchestra), L. 116 'Première rapsodie'

Franklin Cohen (clarinet)

Images for orchestra

Printemps, suite for piano 4 hands or orchestra, L. 61

Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

Fantasie for piano and orchestra

Jean-Rodolphe Kars (piano)

London Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gibson

Deux Danses for harp & strings

Vera Badings (harp)

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, Bernard Haitink

Marche Écossaise

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, Bernard Haitink

Berceuse héroïque

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, Eduard van Beinum

Khamma

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, Riccardo Chailly

Danse - Tarantelle styrienne

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, Riccardo Chailly

Préludes - Books 1 & 2 (24, complete)

Krystian Zimerman (piano)

Images pour piano - Books 1 & 2

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (piano)

Children's Corner

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (piano)

Études pour piano (12) (complete)

Mitsuko Uchida (piano)

Suite Bergamasque

Zoltan Kocsis (piano)

Images oubliées (3) for piano

Zoltan Kocsis (piano)

Pour le piano

Zoltan Kocsis (piano)

Estampes (3) (Complete)

Zoltan Kocsis (piano)

D'un cahier d'esquisses

Zoltan Kocsis (piano)

L'isle joyeuse

Zoltan Kocsis (piano)

Arabesques (2)

Zoltan Kocsis (piano)

Hommage à Haydn

Zoltan Kocsis (piano)

Rêverie

Zoltan Kocsis (piano)

Page d'album

Zoltan Kocsis (piano)

En blanc et noir

Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky (pianos)

Petite Suite

Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky (pianos)

Lindaraja

Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky (pianos)

L'Enfant prodigue: Cortege et Air de danse

Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky (pianos)

Ballade

Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky (pianos)

6 Epigraphes antiques

Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky (pianos)

Symphonie in B minor

Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky (pianos)

String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10