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Songs I Love
SOMMCD 200 — Jenny Drivala: soprano, Nina Walker: piano. Songs by Donizetti, Rossini, Bellini, Saint Saens, Massenet, Delibes, Bizet, Luna, Weill, Camilleri, and four lovely Greek songs. Ranging from classical to traditional to jazz in form. Drivala made her debut opposite José Carreras in Lucia and has sung with great success throughout Europe and the United States.
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Janacek - Famous Male Choruses - Rikadla (Nonsense Nursery Rhymes)
SOMMCD 201 - Moravian Teachers' Choir - Nine male choruses, Tucapsky. Rikadla(Nusery Rhymes), Czech Philharmonic Chorus & Orchestra. Choruses reflect views on life, love, human nature, and death - passionate and very Czech! Nursery rhymes are a fascinating delight.
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Folksongs of Russia
SOMMCD 202 - The Ensemble of Soloists Moskovskaya Kapella, Gennady Dmytriak. A remarkable feature of the Ensemble is that the singers are all graduates of the Moscow Conservatoire handpicked for excellence both musically and vocally. Rich and deep as only in Russia.
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Joseph Haydn - The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross
SOMMCD 203 - Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Almeida. State Academic Choir of Russia. A rare masterpiece. Expansive and dramatic verse contrasting excitingly with the powerful rhythms of the orchestra, notable for dramatic outbursts from the timpani and trumpets.
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The Long Day Closes - English Romantic Part-Songs
SOMMCD 204 - Canzonetta (Sainsbury's Choir of the Year 1993), Jeffrey Wynn-Davies. Elgar, Stanford, Sullivan, Parry and others. 21 selections of beautiful poetry set to beautiful music. This is "easy listening" at its best. The Canzonetta Chamber Choir rises superbly to the occasion.
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The Choral Music of Antonin Tucapsky
SOMMCD 205 - Bath Camerata, Nigel Perrin. Premier recordings. The music is fascinating and extremely stimulating. More akin to much of Britten's choral music than any Czech composer. A challenge for any first time listener is to resist humming the syncopated 'crucify' theme for the rest of the day!
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The Choral Music of Huw Spratling
SOMMCD 206 - Parnassus Ensemble, Jonathan Rennert etc. Spratling is as yet relatively unknown, but rapidly becoming well received. The Harp Sonatina is typical of the impressive, lyrical and romantic nature of these pieces.The Gloria of the Mass of the Holy Spirit is terrific.
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Music to Hear
SOMMCD 207 - Cheltenham Bach Choir, Brian Kay. Brian Kay is of course well known as a member of the celebrated Kings Singers and as a presenter on BBC Radio 3 and 4. The music: breezy, happy, and fun -- easy listening it all is; the range is diverse from Shearing's jaunty jazz style to part-songs by Vaughan Williams, Pearsall, Sullivan and others.
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The Music Tree
SOMMCD 208 - Solo Songs by Betty Roe. Martyn Hill, Sarah Leonard, James Bowman etc. This is closely linked to the next CD in the catalogue: "The Family Tree" - a charming collection of songs for children. "The Music Tree" includes songs of many varied moods from the jolly and witty to the ghostly and chilling. You are urged to acquire these two discs if you are interested in investigating new songs that are challenging yet singable.
Critics' Choice American Record Guide.
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The Family Tree
SOMMCD 209 - Music for Children by Betty Roe. New London Children's Choir, Ronald Corp. See the comments relating to the preceeding CD: "The Music Tree". Like any good composer, the line of distinction between music for adults and music for children is blurred because Roe never condescends. This is not only good music but entertaining as well. The New London Children's Choir is first-rate.
Critics' Choice American Record Guide.
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Frederick Delius
SOMMCD 210 - The Complete Part-Songs. Elysian Singers, Matthew Greenall. Shows Delius's complete mastery of the craft – one only has to listen to On Craig Ddu (1907) for instance, to hear how smoothly and movingly each vocal line moves individually and in ensemble.The performances of the Elysian Singers are radiant.
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Miracle in Bethlehem
SOMMCD 211 - The Choir of St. Georges, Hanover Square, Denys Darlow, Louis Halsey. Christmas music that points up the Anglo-German connection. This is a sparkling anthology of traditional carols -- including arrangements by Holst, Bach, Timmermann, Vaughan Williams, David Willcocks, and others. The choir sings sweetly, and the recorded sound is lovely and clear.
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Benjamin Britten: Noye's Fludde; A Ceremony of Carols
SOMMCD 212 - The Finchley Children's Music Group, Luxon, Wyn-Rogers, Wilks, Wilson-Johnson, etc. This disc marks the 40th anniversary of the group with whom Britten performed Noye's Fludde. The group performs with exhilaration and touching insights. When it comes to the Ceremony of Carols the group presents one of the freshest, most vital readings of this enduring favourite.
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A Century Of English Song, Volume 1
SOMMCD 213 - Walton, Britten, Tippett, etc. Sarah Leonard, Malcolm Martineau. This is closely linked to the next CD in the catalogue, and is the first of a major new series of albums devoted to English songs of the last 100 years. The performances are infused with love and genuine artistry, and are recorded very well. Strongly recommended.
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A Century Of English Song, Volume 2
SOMMCD 214 - Parry, Somervell, Stanford. Sarah & Paul Leonard, Malcolm Martineau. See comments in the preceeding CD. This CD is devoted to Parry, Somervell, and Stanford, three of the greatest songwriters of the Late-Victorian Renaissance. Parry is considered to be a very fine composer indeed, and this collection includes some of the best of his songs. The Stanford songs are, perhaps, better known, and Somervell's setting of the Shropshire Lad cycle is more than just a minor masterpiece. A rare treat!
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To Music
SOMMCD 215 - Wolf, Bruch, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann. Bath Camerata, Nigel Perrin. The marvellously flexible Bath Camerata is moulded with loving care and infinite attention to detail by Nigel Perrin, who seems almost to sculpt his singers around its manifest nuances and subtleties. To single out one item from a disc of such uniform excellence is invidious. Whether it's the tiny splashes of colour in the Schoenberg...the intense and richly-textured Im Herbst by Braums, everything here is outstanding.
Critics' Choice Gramophone.
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Béla Bartók Choral Music
SOMMCD 216 - Twenty-Seven Choruses for Two & Three Parts, A Cappella, Sz 103. Four Slovak Folksongs for Mixed Chorus, Sz 70. Four Hungarian Folksongs for Mixed Chorus A Cappella. The Twenty-Seven choruses were premiered in Budapest in 1937; after the concert Bartók said "I can never forget my impression of how fresh, how joyful the youngsters sounded." On this CD the Choruses are sung by Pécs University Choir, one of Hungary's leading choirs.
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John Jenkins, Consort Music
SOMMCD 217 - Fantasia Suites for Treble, Bass & Organ, for Treble & Two Basses etc. Apollo Consort. John Jenkins is probably the most prolific English composer of the entire 17th century. His music can be marvellously light, but at the same time extraordinarily detailed and occasionally virtuosic. The Apollo Consort are highly skilled, but also able to abandon themselves into the music.
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Of Fire And Dew
21 Baritone Songs by John Jeffreys
SOMMCD 218 - I will go with my father a-ploughing , Brown is my love, etc. Jonathan Veira, Shelley Katz. John Jeffreys' songs have grace and warmth of expression, intensifying with passionate conviction. These are well matched by Jonathan Veira's power and depth as they are by the wide tonal range of Katz's playing. Song enthusiasts should take time to explore this gifted songwriter.
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Lutoslawski at the Guildhall - Volume 1
Live Recordings of the music of Witold Lutoslawski
SOMMCD 219 - Prelude for GSMD, Cello Concerto, Symphony No.2, Novelette, Fanfare for Louisville. Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, Louise Hopkins cello.Conductors Lutoslawski & Michniewski. In tribute to the memory of Lutoslawski, in 1997 the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the BBC Symphony Orchestra jointly organised an extended festival. These are selected live recordings taken during the festival, as well as performances conducted by Lutoslawski himself. Powerful and dramatic music.
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The Songs of Edward Elgar
incl. Premier Recordings
SOMMCD 220 - The Shepherd's Song, Queen Mary's Song, Is she not passing fair, A Song of Autumn, etc. Wyn-Rogers, Mackie, Maltman, Martineau. These are some charming early songs sung beautifully by the three singers with Martineau an admirable pianist throughout. This disc deserves to be in any collection that appreciates Elgar in particular and English song in general.
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Violin & Viola Concertos
Antonín Tucapský
SOMMCD 221 - Violin Concerto: Víteslav Kuzník Violin, Janácek Philharmonic Orchestra. Viola Concerto: Pavel Perina Viola, Prague Symphony Orchestra. The Violin Concerto was completed in London in 1993 as a tribute to Moravia and its music. The Viola Concerto was completed in 1996 and bears traces of Tucapsky's sense of sorrow following the split of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.
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Music for Tenor & String Quartet
SOMMCD 222 - Richard Edgar-Wilson, Coull Quartet. With her setting of The King of The Golden River, composer Sarah Rodgers pays affectionate tribute to Victorian writer John Ruskin whose centenary falls in the year 2000. The disc also includes other premier recordings of songs by Bax and Rubbra as well as Vaughan Williams's immortal On Wenlock Edge.
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Franz Schubert New Perspectives, Volume 1
The Therese Grob Songbook & Other Songs
SOMMCD 223 - Dorothee Jansen soprano, Francis Grier piano. We are proud to announce a series of six recordings with the young rising star, German soprano Dorothee Jansen and the distinguished composer and pianist Francis Grier. The series aims to flesh out Schubert's rather hazy profile by presenting selections from the composer's śuvre against the backdrop of his life, career and personal friendships. The main work in this CD is The Therese Grob Songbook, recorded here for the first time, and it vividly illustrares the composer's failed youthful love affair with Therese Grob.
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A Century of English Song, Volume 3
SOMMCD 224 - Gurney, Warlock, Quilter. Sarah Leonard, Jonathan Veira, Malcolm Martineau. This is the third in SOMM's six-disc series - see SOMMCDs 213 & 214 for Vols. 1 & 2. The series reflects the growing interest in English Song and encapsulates its rich heritage. This CD has a strong and enjoyable mix of songs by Ivor Gurney, Peter Warlock and Roger Quilter. The two main artists in this series are soprano Sarah Leonard and pianist Malcolm Martineau, with guest baritone Jonathan Veira providing extra colour and variety with his beguiling, rich baritone.
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Around the Curve of the World
Francis Grier
SOMMCD 225 - Patricia Rozario, Anne Schwanewilms, Daniel Norman, Paul Whelan, Christchurch Cathedral Choir, Oxford University Chamber Orchestra. Grier's musical language draws for its inspiration on the glories of Gregorian chant and is, by turns, elegiac and powerful. The cantata is based on the enduring story of the journey of the first settlers, ''The Canterbury Pilgrims", who travelled from England to Christchurch, New Zealand in 1850.
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The Occasional Songs
G.F.Handel
SOMMCD 226 - Emma Kirkby soprano, Charles Daniels tenor, David Miller archlute/theorbo, Katherine Sharman cello, Paul Nicholson director/harpsichord. This delightful disc consists of a small and little-known repertory of Handel songs written between 1707 and 1740 that are complete in themselves and not elements of his larger works - full of charm and ingenuity.
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Handel's 'Silla'
Premičre Recording of Opera in 3 Acts
SOMMCD 227-8 (2-CD set) - Sung in Italian. Libretto by Giacomo Rossi. Live recording of First London Performance - recorded in collaboration with the London Handel Society. James Bowman, Joanne Lunn et al, The London Handel Orchestra. This recording is of an exciting event since, until fairly recently, the work was known only from fragments of Handel's autograph and manuscript scores. "The performance is absolutely first-rate ... James Bowman sings the title role so freshly..."
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The Complete Music for Cello & Piano
Frank Bridge
SOMMCD 229 - Penelope Lynex cello and Alexander Wells piano. Frank Bridge, well-known as the composition teacher of the teenage Benjamin Britten, has written music which is full of easy lyrical invention and fluent detail, characteristics of the well-turned miniatures on this disc. There is proper respect for Brahms, though with a strong Gallic influence in instrumental textures.
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Kodály: An Ode - The Music Makers, A Summer Evening. Elgar: The Music Makers
SOMMCD 230 - Oxford Orchestra da Camera, Christina Wilson Mezzo - Soprano. This CD couples a premier recording of Kodály's Ode to the Music Makers for Chorus and Orchestra together with Elgar's The Music Makers for Chorus, Orchestra & Mezzo-Soprano. Recorded live performance with the excellent Oxford Orchestra da Camera & Chorus, conductor Howard Williams.
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Dvorák String Quartet
SOMMCD 231 - The Delme String Quartet - 40th Anniversary Issue, Galina Solodchin, John Trusler - Violins, John Underwood - Viola, Jonathan Williams - Cello. The Delme is numbered among the UK's most distuinguished and respected ensembles and since its founding, it has established an international reputation as one of the leading interpreters of the classical repertoire.
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'Orphans & Virtuosos' Sacred Music by Nicola Porpora (1686-1768)
SOMMCD 232 - Cappella Teatina, Michele Andalň - countertenor, directed by Saverio Villa. These fabulous recordings of Sacred Music by the 18th-century composer Nicola Porpera are performed on this disc by the Italian Ensemble Cappella Teatina, countertenor Michele Andalň and directed by organist, harpsichordist and musicologist Saverio Villa.
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Daydreams - The Chamber & Instrumental Music of Sir Arthur Sullivan
SOMMCD 233 - Yeomans String Quartet, Jamie Walton - Cello, Murray McLachlan - Piano. This unusual release consists of young Sullivan's attempts as a composer of chamber and instrumental music written between 1858 and 1868, beginning with the String Quartet and the Romance for String Quartet. All the works on this disc are proof of Sullivan's natural talent - fresh, charming and warm.
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George Dyson: St. Paul's Voyage to Melita. Agincourt. Premier Recordings
SOMMCD 234 - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Neil Mackie-Tenor,Vernon Handley-Conductor . Top quality and expertly crafted, these two works show Dyson's love for words and voices. Linking these two major premier recordings, is a little gem — "The Nocturne" from Dyson's Oratorio/Cantata 'Quo Vadis'.
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Telemann Oboe Sonatas
SOMMCD 235 - Sarah Francis - Oboe, Jane Dodd - Harpsichord. These recordings are "Music of such charm and craftmanship. It will no less delight listeners to these winsome performances, perfectly balanced, pristinely recorded and informatively annotated". Gramophone
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Dvorák. Cypresses
SOMMCD 236 - Timothy Robinson - Tenor, Graham Johnson - Piano, Delme String Quartet. Dvorák never lost his love for his sister-in-law and this beautifully lyrical music, written in the heat of youthful passion, became an inspired source to which he kept returning in his later works. Sung in impeccable Czech - a lovely recording in a very special category.
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Salsa Nueva
Vibrant salsa meets classical piano music
SOMMCD 237 - Elena Riu - Piano, Wilmer Sifontes - Latin percussion. In addition to Mompou and Estevez who come from an earlier era, the composers represented here originate in Venezuela, Britain, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, and Belize and were commissioned by Riu during 2003/04 to write a piece inspired by Salsa. The overall result is an intriguing and exciting fusion of styles and genres.
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Handel's 'Esther'
1732 Version - Premičre Recording of Oratorio in 3 Acts
SOMMCD 238-9 (2-CD set) - Sung in English. Libretto by Samuel Humphreys and others. Live recording of First London Performance - recorded in collaboration with the London Handel Society. Rosemary Joshua, James Bowman et al, The London Handel Orchestra, Laurence Cummings, Conductor. The oratorio tells the love story of Esther, the Queen of the Israelites. As well as the Coronation anthems Esther includes 'Zadok the Priest' and 'My heart is inditing'. The revised version of Esther has added music which is exhilarating and beautiful for all the forces concerned - for the orchestra, choir and virtuoso solo singers.
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