Simon Philips

Gabriel Fauré’s musical language bridges a gap between the romanticism of the 19th century and the new worlds of music which appeared in the 20th, employing subtle harmonic changes and a gift for melody to combine innovation with an entirely personal idiom. His First Piano Quartet is filled with characteristic French colour and lyricism, and the Piano Trio in D minor is a late work whose musical language is familiar from his songs. Both the Pavane and the popular Sicilienne express nostalgia for earlier times, and the short Pièce has great simplicity and charm.

Decca proudly presents the Complete Works by Giuseppe Verdi in a single 75 CD box set. From the ever-popular “Aida” to the obscure “Alzira,” all 28 of Giuseppe Verdi's operas are here as well as his Sacred Works, Arias, Songs, Ballet Music, the String quartet and other rarities.

In November 1984 Sir Colin Davis conducted a performance of Messiah in Munich which, says the booklet which comes with these records, ''was a revelation to public and performers alike''. The surprising fact is that Messiah was previously almost unknown there. Enthusiasm was such that a recording was quickly organized with the same soloists. At rehearsal Sir Colin told the chorus to forget the B minor Mass; ''this is the world of Italian opera'', and as a result many of the choruses ''dance with a vitality born of freshness and discovery''.

A generous collection of Haydn Concertos, Overtures and Dances, this 2CD set offers the Philips recordings of the Cello Concertos and the Argo recordings of the remaining works. Although released in various reissues, the Marriner/Argo Haydn Concertos have never before been offered together and this collection offers a great opportunity to explore these recordings from 1966–69. Familiar works such as the E flat major Trumpet Concerto and the two Cello Concertos appear together with the little-known Organ Co’ncerto. Also on offer, are two sets of German Dances/Allemandes (both making their first appearance on CD) and a pair of Overtures, of which that for Acide e Galatea’ is a first-on-CD release.

Los Incas - Musica de la Cordillera de los Andes (2 LP / FLAC)
FLAC | CUE | NO LOG | Full LP Cover (1:1) | 332MB
Genre: Andean-Folk | Label: PHILIPS 58 49 498 | Original release: 1973

I can only say that "Los Incas", not need presentation. None other than Paul Simon with Art Garfunkel took the theme "El Condor Pasa" of this double LP that I present and included it on the legendary album "Bridge over troubled water", the rest is history …

This present CD finds him playing Mozart, with a different Italian chamber orchestra and a different conductor. And, sadly, the results are just a little on the disappointing side. Carmignola is far too good a fiddler for things to be without interest – and there are some fine moments; but too much seems rather routine, rather lacking in the vigour and sheer panache which characterises so many of Carmignola’s recordings of the music of the Venetian baroque. Words like efficient and capable come to mind – and these are not virtues to be sniffed at. But to do anything full justice to Mozart, rather more is needed. These recordings don’t seem to have been issued previously; that they have had to wait since 1997 to appear may not be entirely without significance. Glyn Pursglove

By his twenties, Antonius "Ton" Koopman was already carving a musical niche for himself in which he would rise to become one of the world's most prominent performers in the early music movement. Koopman was born in the Dutch town of Zwolle in 1944. After what he describes as a "classical education," he went to Amsterdam to study organ (with Simon C. Jansen), harpsichord (with Gustav Leonhardt), and musicology. Koopman's musical interests from the outset centered upon the re-creation of older musics on their original instruments in a thoroughly researched historical performing style. He founded his first Baroque orchestra in 1966, followed by an exuberant career (40 years and counting) of mingled performance, conducting, and scholarship.

This 2008 live recording with the London Symphony Orchestra is Valery Gergiev's 2nd complete recording of Prokofiev's ballet Romeo & Juliet, the 1st being a 1991 Philips release with the Kirov Orchestra. This performance, like his 1st, is notable for its refinement & lyricism. It's perhaps surprising that Gergiev, known for the wildness & ferocity of his performances of other Prokofiev works, like The Fiery Angel, shows such restraint here. Gergiev clearly understands the ballet as a work in which Prokofiev, writing originally for the Bolshoi, a theater known for its conservatism (although that production was canceled), tailored his score to follow in the tradition of the 3 great Tchaikovsky ballets.

C’est sous le nom de son album initial que l’on trouve la compilation des œuvres quasi complètes de la « Grande sauterelle », telle qu’elle est parue au sein du coffret Actrices, réunissant en sept CD des albums ou compilations de Brigitte Bardot, Isabelle Adjani, Jane Birkin, Jeanne Moreau, Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Gainsbourg et, donc, Mireille Darc.

Following the "Band Aid" initiative of Bob Geldof, we approached Lorin Maazel two and a half years ago to ask him to organise a big classical music event with prestigious artists. He accepted without hesitation and quickly became the moving spirit behind "Classic Aid."