In an edition of several releases on Eloquence devoted to the artistry of the great Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha’s Decca recordings, comes the first release on CD of her recording with David Zinman, of Mozart’s delectable A major Concerto KV 414. Coupled exactly as per the original LP (SXL 6952), this release offers up […]
This collection includes all of Alicia de Larrocha’s analogue Bach solo recordings for Decca. Two suites and the ‘Italian Concerto’ form the backbone of this release but there are also three Bach transcriptions – two by Harriet Cohen and the mighty Chaconne by Busoni (the 1973 recording; Larrocha recorded it a second time in 1986). […]
The first CD release of a recording that was a legend in its lifetime. Campoli was, besides his many concert-platform accomplishments, a salon violinist of the first rank and naturally this easy ability to switch between the two domains gave him the edge over many other violinists of his day in this charming repertoire. When […]
The Dutch contralto, Aafje Heynis, had a dark, rich, altogether unique voice and the story of her discovery in a Holland recovering from the ravages of World War II, told in the booklet notes, is heart-warming indeed… as is this collection put together from several of her recordings. Seven Bach and six Handel arias make […]
A delectable – and ever popular – collection of sacred songs sung by four of the most famous female singers of our time. Includes the Bach/Gounod ‘Ave Maria’ and the Schubert ‘Ave Maria’, favourite soprano arias from Bach’s sacred works and inspiring movements from the sacred works of Bruckner, Stradella and Dvorak.
The world’s foremost exponent of the guitar, John Williams, is featured here in some of his earliest recordings, where he strums effortlessly, Suites by Bach, a tiny Gavotte by Scarlatti (senior) and a transcription of a keyboard sonata by Scarlatti (junior).
The ubiquitous Pachelbel Canon starts off this delightful collection of Baroque favourites. Three virtual one-hit wonders – Pachelbel, Albinoni, Boccherini – meet Mozart’s dad, the reputedly sour-puss Leopold, who here, takes off his wig and summons a collection of toys to partake in the Haydn-attributed ‘Toy Symphony’.
Wilhelm Kempff’s credentials as an organist and composer lend a naturalness and flexibility to these performances of some of Bach’s best known Preludes and Fugues. There is also the very forward-looking, almost improvisatory piece of program music – the ‘Capriccio’ and a wonderful performance of the great ‘D major Toccata and Fugue’.
Long unavailable, these classic 1960s recordings of a trio of Bach cantatas have been restored to circulation, now at super-budget price. Here’s what two Amazon.com ‘surfer’s had to say about these recordings: ‘I have every reason in the world to be grateful for having encountered this wonderful CD over ten years ago now when I […]
Not all of Bach’s Cantatas were written for Sunday service. Here is a pair of humorous offerings performed with great charisma by the husband-wife duo of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Julia Varady.
Purists might squirm but purists should think again. As Raymond Tuttle says in his background notes to this unique release, ‘When purists complain about Bach played on the piano, they also need to be reminded that, as these five concertos were not written for the keyboard in the first place, one might argue that any […]
For their 1989 festival, the committee of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir invited Dame Kiri Te Kanawa to join the Choir and the Utah Symphony Orchestra under maestro Julius Rudel. The choice of repertoire remained open and Dame Kiri selected a highly appropriate program of inspirational works that she could share with the choir and its […]
