Picks of the Year: 1999

Listed below are the five releases that thrilled and satisfied me the most during the past year. First is a new, up-to-date recording (reviewed last issue) featuring fine performances of Lili Boulanger’s greatest choral and orchestral works. This is an …

American Art Song Today-Alive! : Songs by MUSTO, DIEMER, LARSEN, TURRIN, R.P. THOMAS, R. LANE, SUITS, & HAGEN.

AMERICAN ART SONG TODAY—ALIVE! – Anne Marie Church (sop); Linda Sweetman-Waters (pn) – JOSARA JR 001CD (63:16) MUSTO: Shadow of the Blues. DIEMER: Four Chinese Love Poems. LARSEN: Songs from Letters. TURRIN: Twelve Haiku Songs. R. P. THOMAS: The Ballad of the Boy Who Went to Sea. R. LANE: Affirmation(exc’pts). SUITS: Joyce Songs (exc’pts). HAGEN: Echo’s Songs (exc’pts);Love Songs (exc’pts). This new …

CRESTON: Piano Sonata, Op. 9; Six Preludes, Op. 38. GIANNINI: Piano Sonata. FLAGELLO: Two Waltzes; Piano Sonata

Piano Music by Paul Creston (1906-1985) Piano Sonata, Op. 9* (1936); Six Preludes, Op. 38* (1945). Vittorio Giannini (1903-1966) Piano Sonata* (1963). Nicolas Flagello (1928-1994) : Two Waltzes(1953) Piano Sonata (1962). *World Premiere Recordings. Tatjana Rankovich, piano. Walter Simmons, producer. Joseph Patrych, engineer. Recorded: Jan. 6, 21, 1998; April 29, …

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No. 4. Symphony No. 5. The Wasps: Overture

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No. 4. Symphony No. 5. The Wasps: Overture – Ralph Vaughan Williams, cond; BBC SO (London, 10/11/1937); Sir John Barbirolli, cond; Hallé O (Manchester, 2/17/1944); Sir Henry Wood, cond; Queen’s Hall O (London, 4/22/1936) – AVID AMSC 599, mono (74:43) The chief significance …

RAUTAVAARA: Symphony No. 3. Piano Concerto No. 1

RAUTAVAARA Symphony No. 3. Piano Concerto No. 1. Cantus Arcticus – Hannu Lintu, cond; Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Laura Mikkola (pn) – NAXOS 8.554147 (73:32) I’ve often reflected that, at least since about 1970, Finland seems to be home to …

PICKER: Emmeline

PICKER Emmeline – George Manahan, cond; Patricia Racette (Emmeline Mosher), Curt Peterson (Matthew Gurney), Anne-Marie Owens (Aunt Hannah Watkins), et al; Santa Fe Opera O – ALBANY TROY 284-85 (2 CDs; 113:07) Born and educated in New York City, Tobias Picker, now in his …