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Baroque Violin Sonatas

April 28, 2016

An old-world interpretation of Baroque sonatas and concert pieces which shine and shimmer in Grumiaux’s telling interpretations.

Brahms: Violin Concerto; Overtures; Alto Rhapsody

April 28, 2016

Brahms’ Violin Concerto comes from the same period as his Second Symphony, with which, in sprit, it has much in common. A similar serenity and insistence on carefully balanced form pervades both works. The first performance of the work was given in Leipzig on New Year’s Day 1879. The concerto is in three movements and, […]

Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1- 4

April 28, 2016

The name Anthony Collins (1893-1963) probably doesn’t mean a great deal to the majority of younger collectors but for quite a few serious Sibelius aficionados his 1950s Decca recordings hold cult status. Collins’s readings possess a red-blooded fervour and thrusting energy to which many will rightly respond.

Sibelius: En Saga; Tapiola; Finlandia; Valse triste; Violin Concerto; Four Legends

April 28, 2016

Eduard van Beinum was quite a Sibelius pioneer and collected here are his complete Sibelius recordings for Decca and Philips. The set also marks the first appearance on CD of his Violin Concerto in a 1952 performance by Jan Damen (a former leader of the Concertgebouw) and the London Philharmonic. A collector’s haven, this 2CD […]

Sibelius, R. Strauss: Songs

April 28, 2016

Tom Krause, the celebrated Finnish baritone, recorded Sibelius songs for Decca twice. These early 1960s recordings are among the most sought-after of Decca recordings and both the all-Sibelius as well as the Sibelius/Strauss LPs that he made are combined here on a single disc. The voice is fresh, youthful and hedonistic and for those unfamiliar […]

Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Works

April 28, 2016

If you think you know these pieces, then listen again! Stokowski, the magician, sprinkles star-dust over the ‘Nutcracker’ and gives the orchestra a jolly old workout in a couple of places. The ‘Serenade’ has been considered one of the best ever recorded and the ‘Capriccio Italien’ is brazenly sunlit. The recordings, originally issued on Philips’ […]

Bach: Keyboard Works

April 28, 2016

Angela Hewitt – a familiar visitor to Australia and a highly represented recording artist (she has recorded the complete Bach keyboard works for Hyperion) – made this, an early recording, for Deutsche Grammophon upon winning the 1985 Toronto International Bach Piano Competition. They are natural, unforced and beautifully-turned performances of some of Bach’s most popular […]