Repairing A Reputation

BBC Music magazine going heavy on Mendelssohn this month for no particular reason other than rehabilitation of his reputation. Free cover disc consequently featuring the 4th symphony ( Italian ) which I already have a recording of and the 1st symphony which I don't.

Performers : BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Matthias Pintscher ( No 4 ) and Otto Tausk ( No 1 )

Crystalline Miniaturism

Volodos plays Mompou

Performer : Arcadi Volodos piano.

Obviously of the time and place of Debussy, Ravel, Satie, de Falla. But distinctively Mompou and an original voice none the less.

Mass With Operatic Touches

Schubert Mass in E flat major D950.

Performers : Collegium Musicum 90 conducted by Richard Hickox.
Susan Gritton soprano, Pamela Helen Stephen mezzo, Mark Padmore tenor, James Gilchrist tenor, Matthew Rose bass.

Fine mass setting, illuminated by gloriously songful Et incarnatus est.

Russian Show Pieces Shown Off

Prokofiev piano concerto no 2, Tchaikovsky piano concerto no 1.

Performers : Beatrice Rana piano, Orchestra Dell'Academia Nazionale Di  Santa Cecilia conducted by Antonio Pappano.

Purchased for the Prokofiev, which is excellent. Did not really need another version of Tchaikovsky war horse but it is played with a fine chamber music sensitivity by soloist and orchestra.

Russians In Exile And At Home

Rachmaninov piano concerto no 1, Stravinsky Capriccio for piano and orchestra, Shchedrin piano concerto no 2.

Performers : Denis Matsuev piano, Mariinsky Orchsetra conducted by Valery Gergiev.

Russian works for piano and orchestra spanning the 20th century. But threads and developments are there.