Liszt Hungarian Dances

The Slavonic Dances op.46 and op.72 are two cycles of 16 dances of folk-dance character which Dvorak first wrote for piano duet, then published very successful in his own orchestral version in 1878 and 1886.

October 21, 2012 marks Sir Georg Solti's centenary and Decca is celebrating this with several important reissues. Sir Georg was an exclusive Decca artist for 50 years.

Liszt composed 15 Hungarian Rhapsodies between 1851 and 1855 and another five works between 1879 and 1866. Verdi's Aida was commissioned by the Viceroy of Egypt for the celebrations for the opening of the Suez Canal in 1870. The Slavonic Dances are a cycle of eight dances of folk-dance character which Dvorak first wrote for piano duet, then published in his own orchestral version. Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony enchants the listener by means of its cheerfulness and the recollection of the Italian sun.

2013 limited edition 100 CD box set on the premiere classical label Deutsch Grammophon. Subtitled from Gregorian Chant to Gorecki.
• It starts with Gregorian Chant and Machaut chansons and ends with Gorecki and the Minimalists.
• The greatest composers have as many as five CDs devoted to them (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven);
• 20th-century music is well represented with no fewer than 20 CDs.
• Operas and major choral works are represented by highlights, but otherwise the edition presents, as far as possible, only complete works throughout.
• Altogether, there are more than 80 composers in the set, with over 400 works for a total of around 120 hours of music.

Hélène Grimaud's 2010 album Resonances has a program with a unifying theme, though some explaining is needed to tease it out of the music. All of the works presented on this CD are notable products of the musical heritage of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and the connections Grimaud makes go backward in time to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, then pass through Franz Liszt to Alban Berg and Béla Bartók.

This is a very pleasing assortment from among Grieg's 66 short Lyric Pieces, written between 1866-1891. There were 6-8 pieces in each of the 10 "books", and this collection of 30 pieces contains selections from 9 of the books (there is no selection from Book 62 for some reason). Each and every one presented here is a pure delight, and represent Grieg's life-long desire to create a true Norwegian music genre derived from the folk music, dances, stories and natural environment of Norway. Every piece is evocative and the entire disc is delightful, thanks to the colorful and imaginative piano of Balazs Szokolay.

"Brilliant possession of the instrument, virtuosi technique, a versatile and expressive touch, an animated and emotional style of performance - these are the artistic traits possessed by Semyon Snitkovsky, that allow the brilliant musician to make deep, sincere connection with the audience." These words, spoken by David Oistrakh, come to mind every time one listens to any recording Snitkovsky made throughout his career. The violinist only lived to be 48 years old (1933-1981), but he left behind a large number of records. These records allow his listeners to enjoy the unique artistry that once thrilled audiences and critics in the former USSR and abroad. The CDs that are being released now, present Snitkovsky as a versatile interpreter of the solo, chamber, and solo with orchestra violin repertoire.