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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | The Romantic Piano Concerto 50 – Tchaikovsky
The Romantic Piano Concerto series reaches Volume 50. This series has been described as a jewel in Hyperion’s crown and one of the glories of the recording industry. Rarely in the history of recorded music has such a rich seam of undiscovered delights been mined to such consistently dazzling effect. These first fifty volumes include 131 works for piano and orchestra: fifty-nine of these works are premiere recordings and many other featured works have only been recorded once before. The performers include some of the greatest pianists, orchestras and conductors in the world, and each disc in itself is a miracle of virtuosity, scholarship and musicianship. For Volume 50, a stellar cast has been assembled for a two-disc set that includes, unusually, one of the most famous concertos in the repertoire. Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 has certainly achieved warhorse status—but in the expert hands of Stephen Hough it is a new creature. With the rest of this fascinating two-disc set we are in more usual RPC territory, with music which is actually not widely known. This is a complete survey of Tchaikovsky’s music for piano and orchestra and includes alternative versions of the second movement of Piano Concerto No 2 as well as some delicious extras. Stephen Hough performed all four concertos at the BBC Proms in 2009 and was described as ‘the epitome of a “golden age” virtuoso with his balletic elegance and dazzling rhythmic reflexes’ (The Independent). Armed with this inestimably important experience, he travelled to Minnesota to record the set live with the Minnesota Orchestra under their acclaimed conductor Osmo Vänskä. The result is a set of unique importance: a winning combination of a pianist at the zenith of his artistry, a world-class orchestra and director, a pre-eminent producer and engineer, repertoire both familiar and unknown, and packaged with even more than the usual care that customers have come to expect from Hyperion. 2 compact discs, with slipcase and series catalogue “Anyone who heard Stephen Hough's barnstorming performances of all the Tchaikovsky piano concertos at last year's Proms will want to own these CDs...Captured live, they recreate all the raw excitement of those memorable evenings at the Albert Hall.” The Observer, 21st March 2010 “His ability to strip off the layers of varnish from a work so that it recaptures much of its startling freshness is remarkable, and his combination of bravura swagger and the most fastidious care with line and texture is utterly convincing.” The Guardian, 25th March 2010 ***** “With Hough at the keys, the First Concerto becomes no warhorse taken for a dutiful trot but a freshly imagined masterpiece bouncing with surprises and invention...But it’s the set’s lesser pieces that offer the most revelations.” The Times, 26th March 2010 “The old warhorse comes up as fresh as paint. Even with 130 alternatives on the market, this is an exceptional reading with brisk tempi and subtle nuances...giving special pleasure...This is a great recording - no doubt about that - and one which, if there is any justice, will garner any number of awards.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2010 “Hough typically refuses to treat it as an overworked warhorse: here it is injected with exhilaration, the bravura tempered with limpid lyricism.” The Telegraph, 7th April 2010 **** “Both soloist and conductor seem committed to emphasising the architectural integrity of Tchaikovsky's musical thinking...Yet by keeping things moving and delivering performances that project an exceptionally high level of adrenaline, Hough brings a much greater degree of coherence” BBC Music Magazine, May 2010 ***** “Sparks fly thanks to his outstanding conductor, who clearly empathises with Hough’s refusal to lay on the romantic rubato with a trowel....He makes the strongest possible case for the restoration of the neglected and often reviled G major concerto” Sunday Times, 25th April 2010 ***** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Tchaikovsky - Romances
Tchaikovsky: | Sred' shumnogo bala (Amid the din of the ball), Op. 38 No. 3 None but the lonely heart, Op. 6 No. 6 I never spoke to her, Op. 25, No. 5 Moy geni, moy angel, moy drug (My genius, my angel, my friend) Lullaby, Op. 16 No. 1 Primiren'ye (Reconciliation), Op. 25 No. 1 Zakatilos solntse (The sun has set), Op. 73 No. 4 Strashnaya minuta (The Fearful Moment), Op. 28 No. 6 The mild stars shone for us, Op. 60 No. 12 If only I had known, Op.47, No.1 The lights were being dimmed, Op. 63, No. 5 Ni slova, o drug moy (Not a word, O my friend), Op. 6 No. 2 Otchevo? (Why?), Op. 6 No. 5 Was I not a blade of grass?, Op. 47 No. 7 The gypsy song, Op. 60, No. 7 Do not believe, my friend Op. 6 No. 1 To bilo ranneyu vesnoy (It happened in the early spring), Op. 38 No. 2 The Cuckoo, Op. 54 No. 8 Den' li tsarit? (Does the day reign?), Op. 47 No. 6 Solitude ('Again, as before, alone'), Op. 73 No. 6 |
Third release on ONYX from young Dutch mezzo and rising star Christianne Stotijn Beautiful collection of 20 Tchaikovsky songs representing the whole range of his creative life from his first performed composition “My Genius, My angel, my friend,” written when we was 16, through to the last published song from the year of his death “Again, as before, alone”. Includes favourites such as “None but the Lonely Heart” and “Why?” but also rarely heard songs such as “Mild Stars Looked down”, “The Cuckoo” and “The Gypsy Song” Christianne learnt Russian especially for this recording and toured it widely before recording it with her superb pianist Julius Drake. This recording should do much to re-evaluate Tchaikovsky as one of the greatest composers of song and not just a writer of pretty tunes. “The two best-known songs open proceedings: "At the Ball", with its reminiscence of unrequited passion to the lilt of a sad waltz, and then "None but the lonely heart". Everyone conceivable from Rosa Ponselle to Frank Sinatra has recorded this, but Stotijn loses nothing in comparison with ghosts from the past. Her voice is a full-blooded mezzo but steady and true, without a hint of that vibrato that can often disturb the line in Slavonic singers... The piano parts are superbly done: in every sense these songs are duets. Tchaikovsky's songs are not nearly well enough known and this superb recital should encourage more interest in them.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2009 “…Christianne Stotijn is that artist in a thousand whose personality shines through everything she does. Her Russian characterisations and folk inflections seem spot-on in the vivid narratives of 'Had I known', 'The Bride's Lament' and 'The Cuckoo'. Here, too, as in their often wonderful Mahler recital together, Julius Drake's focused narratives make us want to hear even more from him... But Stotijn's charisma and her beautifully recorded altoish depth of tone is enough to hold me spellbound.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2009 ***** “For the most part these are angst-ridden stories of death and lost love. The two best-known songs open proceedings: 'At the Ball', with its reminiscence of unrequited passion to the lilt of a sad waltz, and then 'None but the lonely heart'. Everyone conceivable from Rosa Ponselle to Frank Sinatra has recorded this, but Stotijn loses nothing in comparison with ghosts from the past. Her voice is a full-blooded mezzo but steady and true, without a hint of that vibrato that can often disturb the line in Slavonic singers (Stotijn is from The Netherlands).
The emotional climax of the selection comes with 'The Bride's Lament'. This outpouring of grief can seem over melodramatic but Stotijn and Drake find exactly the right mood. The piano parts are superbly done: in every sense these songs are duets. There are a couple of other light moments – 'Cuckoo', one of 16 children's songs composed in the 1880s, and a 'Gypsy Song' from around the same time.
Tchaikovsky's songs are not nearly well enough known and this superb recital should encourage more interest in them. Highly recommended.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | None But The Lonely Heart
Debussy: | Cinq poèmes de Baudelaire | Strauss, R: | Ständchen, Op. 17 No. 2 Allerseelen, Op. 10 No. 8 Glückes genug Op. 37 No. 1 Befreit, Op. 39 No. 4 Ruhe, meine Seele!, Op. 27 No. 1 Heimliche Aufforderung, Op. 27 No. 3 Cäcilie, Op. 27 No. 2 | Tchaikovsky: | Zakatilos solntse (The sun has set), Op. 73 No. 4 Lullaby, Op. 16 No. 1 Otchevo? (Why?), Op. 6 No. 5 Otchevo? Solitude ('Again, as before, alone'), Op. 73 No. 6 Zabït tak skoro (So soon forgotten) None but the lonely heart, Op. 6 No. 6 |
Recorded at Champs Hill, England April/July 2007 “…there are certainly some five-star performances here - and Strauss's relatively unfamiliar 'Glückes genug' hints that she may make an Arabella of ideal candour and dignity.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2008 **** “A warm voice and an involved accompanist grace this enjoyable recital.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2008 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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“Stokowski's orchestrations, as flamboyant and full of flair as his interpretations as a conductor, have increasingly been accepted and welcomed on disc, a good sign that rigidly purist attitudes have nowadays softened. This Naxos collection of Stokowski's arrangements offers outstanding performances by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, brilliantly recorded.
Few would claim that Stokowski's arrangement of Pictures at an Exhibition matches, let alone outshines, that of Ravel. But with its weighty brass it is certainly more Russian. In fact – one of the most serious shortcomings – Stokowski omits two of the movements, 'Tuileries' and the 'Market Place at Limoges' on the grounds that they are too French. Yet Serebrier's new performance makes it very convincing with speeds well chosen and the brass wonderfully incisive.
The atmospheric qualities of the Boris Godunov Symphonic Synthesis come over superbly too, starting with a hauntingly rarefied bassoon solo, even if the recording catches the clicking of the keys. The mystery of the chimes in the Coronation scene as well as the Death scene are more evocatively handled. If A Night on the Bare Mountain finds the Naxos recording rather less immediate than in the other items, the weight of the arrangement comes over well, and the Khovanshchina Entr'acte has impressive weight and clarity.
The extra items also weigh in Serebrier's favour: an arrangement of a Tchaikovsky song that explores an astonishingly wide emotional range within a tiny span and the jolly Humoresque, a piano piece that Stravinsky memorably used in his ballet The Fairy's Kiss. Finally, a baldly effective piece, attributed to Stokowski himself, based not just on a Christmas hymn but on Ippolitov-Ivanov's In a Manger.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 “Serebrier's own imposing, heavyweight style yields different results to the volatile Knussen… but it's always absorbing. Something of the Stokowski sound is filtered through the refined texturing of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and further enhanced by the spacious concert-hall acoustic.” BBC Music Magazine, October 2005 “…outstanding performances by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, brilliantly recorded in sound if anything even more spectacular and more cleanly focused than that on the discs from Chandos and DG.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2005 | | | (also available to download from $6.00) | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Arax Davtian: Russian Romances
Dargomïzhsky: | The Sierra Nevada was Swathed in Mists The Garden (Vertograt) Sixteen Years (Shesnatsat Lyet) Yunosha I deva (A girl and a boy) | Glinka: | Alla cetra Ya pomnyu chudnoye mgnoven’ye (I remember the wonderful moment) The Blue Waves Are Asleep How sweet it is for me to be with you Tell me Why The fair maiden is miserable (Gorko, gorko, maye) | Rachmaninov: | Sing not, O lovely one (Ne poi, krasavitsa, pri mne), Op. 4 No. 4 Lilacs, Op. 21 No. 5 Fragment from A. Musset, Op. 21 No. 6 The Rat-Catcher, Op. 38 No. 4 Daisies, Op. 38 No. 3 Spring torrents, Op. 14 No.11 | Tchaikovsky: | To bilo ranneyu vesnoy (It happened in the early spring), Op. 38 No. 2 Sred' shumnogo bala (Amid the din of the ball), Op. 38 No. 3 Ni slova, o drug moy (Not a word, O my friend), Op. 6 No. 2 Khotel bi v edinoye slovo (I should like in a single word) Solitude ('Again, as before, alone'), Op. 73 No. 6 |
Arax Davtian (soprano), Vladimir Yurigin-Klevke (piano) | | | (also available to download from $10.75) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Tchaikovsky: Romances
Tchaikovsky: | Sred' shumnogo bala (Amid the din of the ball), Op. 38 No. 3 The mild stars shone for us, Op. 60 No. 12 Merknet slaby svet svechi, Op. 73 No. 2 My mischief, Op. 27, No. 6 Strashnaya minuta (The Fearful Moment), Op. 28 No. 6 Serenada Don-Zhuana (Don Juan's Serenade), Op. 38 No. 1 Les Larmes, Op. 65 No. 5 Wait, Op. 16 No. 2 None but the lonely heart, Op. 6 No. 6 Had my mother borne me, Op. 27, No. 5 Déception, Op. 65 No. 2 Podvig (The Heroic Deed), Op. 60 No. 11 Zakatilos solntse (The sun has set), Op. 73 No. 4 Lullaby in a storm, Op. 54 No. 10 Sérénade, Op. 65 No. 1 The Nightingale Op. 60 No. 4 The gypsy song, Op. 60, No. 7 Skazhi, o chom v teni vetvey (Tell me, what in the shade of the branches), Op. 57 No. 1 We sat with you, Op. 73 No. 1 To bilo ranneyu vesnoy (It happened in the early spring), Op. 38 No. 2 Blagoslavlyayu vas, lesa (I Bless you, Forests), Op. 47 No. 5 Charmer, Op. 65 No. 6 Na nivi zhyoltiye (On the golden cornfields), Op. 57 No.2 So bald vergessen, Op. 28, No. 4 The lights were being dimmed, Op. 63, No. 5 Rastvoril ya okno (I opened the window), Op. 63 No. 2 Sred mrachnïkh dnei, Op. 73, No. 5 Zabït tak skoro (So soon forgotten) Sleep, my poor friend, Op.47, No. 4 Qu'importe que l'hiver, Op. 65 No. 4 Solitude ('Again, as before, alone'), Op. 73 No. 6 Was I not a blade of grass?, Op. 47 No. 7 A tear trembles, Op. 6 No. 4 Khotel bi v edinoye slovo (I should like in a single word) Sérénade: J'aime dans le rayon de la limpide aurore, Op. 65 No. 3 Why did I dream of you?, Op. 28 No. 3 Primiren'ye (Reconciliation), Op. 25 No. 1 Hear at least once, Op. 16, No. 3 Den' li tsarit? (Does the day reign?), Op. 47 No. 6 |
Tchaikovsky wrote over 100 romances, settings of short poems, which are touching and sincere. The melodies are diverse and original and the accompaniment is rich and often very independent. These compositions are performed here by some outstanding Russian vocalists. As well as those listed above, the recording includes performances by the tenor Lemshev. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | The Cello’s Russian Voice
Glinka: | Ja pomnu chudnoe mgnovenie (Oh, I recall that lovely moment) The Lark Within my blood burns a flame of desire Do not Tempt me Doubt (Somneniye) | Rachmaninov: | In the silence of the secret night, Op. 4 No. 3 Sing not, O lovely one (Ne poi, krasavitsa, pri mne), Op. 4 No. 4 How peaceful Loneliness Night is sorrowful, Op. 26 No.12 To my sorrow I have grown to love Lilacs, Op. 21 No. 5 Spring torrents, Op. 14 No.11 | Tchaikovsky: | Sred' shumnogo bala (Amid the din of the ball), Op. 38 No. 3 Only one who knows longing O ditya, pod okoshkom tvoim (Serenade), Op. 63 No. 6 Strashnaya minuta (The Fearful Moment), Op. 28 No. 6 To bilo ranneyu vesnoy (It happened in the early spring), Op. 38 No. 2 Den' li tsarit? (Does the day reign?), Op. 47 No. 6 Otchevo? (Why?), Op. 6 No. 5 Zabït tak skoro (So soon forgotten) Solitude ('Again, as before, alone'), Op. 73 No. 6 |
Dmitri Ferschtman (cello) & Mila Baslawskaja (piano) Beautifully packaged as a book with a CD, it features the music of Russian songs, arranged for cello and piano. The poems by Pushkin, Tiutchev, Tolstoy and others inspired the great 19th century composers to create the beautiful songs which are firmly embedded in the collective psyche of every Russian. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Dmitry Hvorostovsky - Portrait
| | Korobyeiniki: Oy, polna, polna karobushka Folk Songs Osipov Russian Folk Orchestra, Nikolai Kalinin Elegia: Kodga, dusha Folk Songs Osipov Russian Folk Orchestra, Nikolai Kalinin Kalinka Folk Song St Petersburg Chamber Choir, Nikolai Korniev | Bellini: | Or dove fuggo … Ah! Per sempre io ti perdei (from Il Pirata) | Caldara: | Selve amiche La constanza in amor vince l’inganno Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner | Donizetti: | Come Paride vezzoso (from L'elisir d'amore) L’elisir d’amore Cruda, funesta smania (from Lucia di Lammermoor) Lucia di Lammermoor Bella siccome un angelo (from Don Pasquale) Don Pasquale Philharmonia Orchestra, Ion Marin | Gluck: | Che faro' senza Euridice? (from Orfeo ed Euridice) Orfeo ed Euridice | Handel: | Frondi tenere e belle ... Ombra mai fù (from Serse) Serse | Mussorgsky: | Songs and Dances of Death (orch. Shostakovich) Kirov Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev | Rachmaninov: | Sing not, O lovely one (Ne poi, krasavitsa, pri mne), Op. 4 No. 4 V molchanii nochi taynoy, Op. 4 No. 3 | Rimsky Korsakov: | Gorod kamennyi Sadko S uma neidyot krasavitsa! The Tsar’s Bride with Olga Borodina Kirov Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev Zachem ty? The Tsar’s Bride with Olga Borodina Kirov Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev | Rossini: | Largo al factotum (from Il barbiere di Siviglia) Il barbiere di Siviglia | Rubinstein: | Na vozdushnom okeane The Demon | Syrewicz: | Tears Russia’s War — Blood Upon The Snow Cantus Dei Choir of Moscow, Red Army Choir & State Symphonic Orchestra of Cinematography, Sergei Skripka | Tchaikovsky: | Vy mne pisali…Kogda by zhizn domashnim krugom (from Eugene Onegin) Eugene Onegin Uzhel ta samaya Tatyana (from Eugene Onegin) Eugene Onegin Vy tak pechalny, dorogaya (from The Queen of Spades) The Queen of Spades Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Valery Gergiev Kto mozhet sravnitsa s Matildoyu moyei (Robert's aria from Iolanta) Iolante None but the lonely heart, Op. 6 No. 6 Oleg Boshnyakovich (piano) O, yesli b ty mogla (O, if only you could), Op. 38 No. 4 Mikhail Arkadiev (piano) Solitude ('Again, as before, alone'), Op. 73 No. 6 Oleg Boshnyakovich (piano) | Verdi: | Di provenza il mar (from La Traviata) Il balen del suo sorriso (from Il Trovatore) Il trovatore Per me giunto è il di (from Don Carlo) Don Carlo Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Valery Gergiev | Vivaldi: | Se il cor guerriero (from Tito Manlio) Tito Manlio |
“A well-rounded portrait of Hvorostovsky's extensive repertoire” BBC Music Magazine, August 2010 | | | (Sorry, download not available in your country) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Olga Borodina - Portrait
Berlioz: | Roméo et Juliette: Heureux enfants aux coeurs de flamme Roméo et Juliette Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks & Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Colin Davis | Borodin: | Merknet svyet dnevnoy (from Prince Igor) Prince Igor Kirov Orchestra and Chorus, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev Ty li, Vladimir moy? (from Prince Igor) Prince Igor Kirov Orchestra and Chorus, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev | Falla: | El pano moruna (No. 1 from Siete canciones populares españolas) Semyon Skigin (piano) | Handel: | Frondi tenere e belle ... Ombra mai fù (from Serse) Serse Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Carlo Rizzi | Mussorgsky: | Noch' Larissa Gergieva (piano) Ty, Ruzya, mnye nye nuzhna sevodnya… Kak tomitel'no i vyalo dni za dnyami dlyatsa Boris Godounov Kirov Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev Postav'!...Sily potajnye (from Khovanshchina) Khovanshchina Kirov Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev | Ponchielli: | Voce di donna o d'angelo (from La Gioconda) La Gioconda Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Carlo Rizzi | Purcell: | Thy hand, Belinda … When I am laid in earth (from Dido & Aeneas) Dido and Aeneas Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Carlo Rizzi | Rachmaninov: | Vespers, Op. 37: Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Gospoda Vespers St Petersburg Chamber Choir, Nikolai Korniev | Rimsky Korsakov: | The clouds begin to scatter (Elegy), Op. 42 No. 3 Larissa Gergieva (piano) Zachem ty? … Znat' nye lyubish bolshe ty svoyu Lyubashu with Dmitri Hvorostovsky Vot do chevo ya dozhila The Tsar’s Bride Kirov Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev | Rossini: | Una voce poco fa (from Il barbiere di Siviglia) Il barbiere di Siviglia English Chamber Orchestra, Patrick Summers Dunque io son? (from Il Barbiere di Siviglia) Il barbiere di Siviglia with Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Figaro English Chamber Orchestra, Patrick Summers Ah! quel giorno ognor rammento (from Semiramide) Semiramide Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Carlo Rizzi Nacqui all'affanno, al pianto...Non più mesta (from La Cenerentola) La Cenerentola Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Carlo Rizzi | Saint-Saëns: | Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix (from Samson et Dalila) Samson et Dalila Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Carlo Rizzi Samson, recherchant ma présence…Amour, viens aider ma faiblesse (from Samson et Dalila) Samson et Dalila Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Carlo Rizzi J'ai gravi la montagne … Salut à vous, mon père! Samson et Dalila With Dmitri Hvorostovsky English Chamber Orchestra, Patrick Summers | Tchaikovsky: | None but the lonely heart, Op. 6 No. 6 Larissa Gergieva (piano) Uzh polnoch' blizitsya (from Pique Dame) The Queen of Spades Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Carlo Rizzi Kak ya lyublyu pod zvuki pesen etikh…Uzh kak po mostu, mostochku (from Eugene Onegin) Eugene Onegin Orchestre de Paris, Semyon Bychkov Uzh vecher (from Pique Dame) The Queen of Spades Kirov Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev Solitude ('Again, as before, alone'), Op. 73 No. 6 Larissa Gergieva (piano) | Verdi: | Al suon del tamburo (from La Forza del Destino) La forza del destino Kirov Orchestra and Chorus, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev Rataplan, rataplan, della gloria (from La forza del destino) La forza del destino Kirov Orchestra and Chorus, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev Nei giardin del bello saracin ostello 'Veil Song' (from Don Carlo) Don Carlo Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Bernard Haitink |
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| |  | Aleksey Bolshakov sings Opera Arias
ADD | | | (also available to download from $10.75) | Usually despatched in 8 - 10 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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