Classical Music Review Blog

Klassik.com – Februar 2016
Stokowskis Sibelius-Deutungen bestechen durch atmosphärische Dichte und eine Einsicht ins Gewebe dieser Kompositionen, die heutzutage vor allem über den Klang wahrgenommen werden.
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2428 – Leopold Stokowski with Jascha Heifetz – Sibelius 1929-40

Audiophile Audition – November 2015
Conductor Marc Andeae presents us a triptych of Romantic “originals,” – musically and historically beguiling.
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7412 – Schumann & Mendelssohn: Symphonies No. 4

American Record Guide – November/December 2015
…I find it fresh and cheerful—a nice change from what we are used to…
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2416/17 – Pierre Dervaux – Rec. 1957-1961

www.expeditionaudio.com – November 2015
…Guild has invested significantly in this little known, yet highly deserving composer, having recorded a half dozen albums in all of his orchestral music…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7411 – Fritz Brun – Symphony No. 4 & Rhapsody for Orchestra

Audiophile Audition – 26 October 2015
Anatole Fistoulari receives star treatment as an accompanying conductor of two virtuosic concertos by Armenian Aram Khachaturian.
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2427 – Anatole Fistoulari – Khachaturian 1952-1959

The polished relationship between composer Stokowski and composer Sibelius finds revived interest in the Violin Concerto.
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2428 – Leopold Stokowski with Jascha Heifetz – Sibelius 1929-40

MusicWeb International – October 2015

…Once again then, repertoire, conductor, soloist and the rarity of this live material constitutes a most attractive disc.
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2419 – Leopold Stokowski – Britten, Enescu, Borodin, Debussy, Bauer 1947 & 1949

…In fact, this was a disc that brought increasing pleasure with each listening. Every track is not only well directed but is also expertly performed by one or other of the orchestras. Even if your own living room isn’t quite on the scale of the Hofburg, you’ll be waltzing – or even mazurka-ing – around the coffee table before you know it.
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2421 – Sir Malcolm Sargent – On with the Dance!, 1960-1962

…I suspect that recordings of this vintage are never going to be mainstream recommendations. Nonetheless, this disc is to be welcomed as bringing two important performances back into the public eye and anyone with a particular interest in Tchaikovsky should certainly make its acquaintance.
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2422 – Goosens & Kindler – Tchaikovsky, 1940-1941

…There is something for everyone who likes light music of this period – waltzes, yes, but potpourri and selections from shows, lots of grand bands, famous directors, fine organists and good tunes.
To the full reviews -> GLCD 5228 – The Golden Age of Light Music: British Cinema & Theatre Orchestras – Vol. 4

Crocks Newsletter – September 2015
…RECOMMENDED – Back in 2009 we introduced CLOFO readers to a striking contemporary requiem (2007) by Swiss composer Carl Rütti (b. 1949), and this new Guild release gives us another of his moving religious works. Not only that, it also includes three impressive pieces for string orchestra by his compatriot Caspar
MusicWeb International – September 2015
…Diethelm (1926-1997). They’re the only recordings of these works currently available on disc.
There’s some interesting music on this pair of discs and opportunities to hear these pieces are unlikely to be frequent. The programme spills over onto two CDs but I believe that Guild offer the set at an advantageous price, making this a competitive proposition for collectors who are keen to explore less familiar repertoire in expert performances.
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7407/2 – Rütti – Symphony ‘The Visions of Niklaus von Flüe’, Diethelm – The Last Works for String Orchestra

MusicWeb International – September 2015
…Two things before ending: firstly, my own favourite band is here – Georges Boulanger and his Orchestra, which is recommendation in itself – and second, that David Ades’ booklet notes are as good as ever. On that last point I read, very recently, of Ades’s death which occurred last year and would like to add my own very small note of gratitude for all that he contributed to making this such a valuable and instructive series.
To the full review -> GLCD 5225 – The Golden Age of Light Music: More Gems From The 1930s

Klassik.com – September 2015
…Große Namen, große Oper, großes Kino für die Ohren!
To the full review -> GHCD 2410 – Leopold Stokowski – Gala Night at the Opera, 1962

Fanfare – September 2015
…This is a most satisfying Don Quixote; in fact the whole disc seems to penetrate to the heart of Straussian expression. Sorab K. Modi contributes excellent, detailed notes. Each section of each piece is separately tracked. Recommended.
To the full review -> GMCD 7204 – Also sprach Zarathustra & Don Quixote by Richard Strauss

American Record Guide – July/August 2014

…Once in a while a recording comes along that makes you wonder why certain repertoire is almost totally ignored. This is that recording for Massenet, who is remembered only for three operas despite having composed some 200 songs, as well as plenty of other music…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7393 – Ivr d’amour – Songs by Jules Massenet

…The production is first-rate, the sound excellent for its time, and the performances of the same middling caliber as the compositions. Record collectors in search of novelties will find them abundantly in this anthology of music which if seldom inspiring is seldom dull…
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2400/01 – Max Reger – Recordings 1936-1943

Musik & Liturgie 3/14
…Exquisiter Hörgenuss…

Klassik.com – 2.6.2014
…Der Organist Martin Heini bringt der Orgel mit Tango, Rumba und Paso-doble das Tanzen bei. Manches gelingt vortrefflich, anders wird vom fülligen Klang zerdrückt.…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7401 – Tango Organtino – Organ Music played by Martin Heini

Audiophile Audition – June 2014
Sir Malcolm Sargent proves a credible leader in the music of Sibelius, a composer he well championed in performance and on records.…
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2414 – Sir Malcolm Sargent – Sibelius 1956 & 1958

MusicWeb International – June 2014
Violin buffs will be overjoyed with this release, and the opportunity to hear some captivating playing by a true master. The booklet notes, which are in English only, are written by Tully Potter, Busch’s biographer, and provide a detailed and comprehensive account of the circumstances surrounding these recording treasures…
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2406/07 – Adolf Busch: The Berlin Recordings 1921-1929

Weekend Edition of Brattleboro Reformer – 7.6.2014
This is the fifth entry in the Guild Light Music series on CDs with the title “Light Music While You Work.” It seems that the British government and BBC worked on a series of musical broadcasts to be played as morale boosters both at home and on the job…
To the full reviews -> GLCD 5211 – Contrasts: From the 1960s back to the 1920s – Vol. 1

Weekend Edition of Brattleboro Reformer – 14.6.2014
I do love this series and can recommend just about any of the 212 titles in it…
To the full reviews -> GLCD 5212 – Bright Lights

Gramophone – May 2014
…Sona Shaboyan programmes the Tempest alongside two obscure sonatas published by the Zurich-based Hans Georg Nägeli (1773-1836) that were all part of a series devoted to outstanding contemporary composers of that era…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7405/06 – Piano Sonatas by Beethoven, Schnyder von Wartensee and Liste

Basler Zeitung – 5. Mai 2014
…Nachklingend. Es ist, als empfange diese Musik leise Echos aus früheren Zeiten und verleihe ihnen in heutiger Zeit ein zweites Leben…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7402 – Works by Carl Rütti for Piano and Harp

Audiophile Audition – April 2014
…The colorful Malcolm Sargent delivers an equally colorful series of Tchaikovsky performances from vintage appearances with the Royal Philharmonic…
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2409 – Sir Malcolm Sargent – Tchaikovsky 1955 & 1960

Audiophile Audition – April 2014
…Guild restores some rarely-played Russian opera suites led by a totally sympathetic Anatole Fistoulari…
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2408 – Anatole Fistoulari – Russian Orchestral Suites 1951 & 1953

American Record Guide – May/June 2014

…The finale uses the 16 Century hymn ‘In God’s Name I Will Arise’, handled with appropriate splendor. It’s a curious piece-wholly obsolescent for 1950, yet written with complete integrity…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7395 – Fritz Brun – Symphony No. 1 & Overture to a Jubilee Celebration

…This is the third album of music by British composer Peter Fribbins (b 1969) that Guild has released but the first one I’ve heard. In fact, it’s the first I’ve heard Fribbins’s music. Two works I found really striking…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7397 – Dances and Laments by Peter Fribbins

…The Klemperer association arouses interest in his Mahler performance, which in the event proves lively, facile, and foolish, saved only by the lovely singing of Sena Jurinac…
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2397 – Karl Rankl – Mahler, Dukas 1954

…In the Fifth Symphony Mitropoulos emulates Toscanini in a hard-edged, furious performance…
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2396 – Mitropoulos – Tchaikovsky 1954 & 1957

…Both can be recommended. Paita would be ideal for a newcomer to Brahms or the piece; it’s exciting and thrilling. Stokowski’s Brahms is more nuanced—he sees more sides to Brahms—and the Wagner is a bonus…
To the full reviews -> GHCD 2402 – Stokowski – Brahms, Wagner 1960

International Record Review – Mai 2014
…This is another absorbing and rewarding release in this Guild series, which is certainly helping to establish Andreae as a significant Swiss composer of the first half of the twentieth century…
Gramophone – Mai 2014
…Better still, in its way, is Andreae’s unpretentious Concertino, completed in 1941. The opening goes particularly well, John Anderson’s solo line keening atmospherically over brooding string chords that sound surprisingly contemporary…
MusicWeb International – May 2014
…Uneven though this disc is, compositionally speaking (largely because of the Symphony), the third volume in this series brings with it very interesting and exciting features for the increasing number of Andreae admirers…
concerti.de – Mai 2014
…Beeindruckende Synthese aus Brahms und Wagner: Der Schweizer Komponist Volkmar Andreae punktet mit Inspiration…

To the full reviews -> GMCD 7400 – Volkmar Andreae – Symphony, Songs, Concertino

CLASS: aktuelle – 2014/1
…Dies ist eine interessante und schöne Sammlung unterhaltsamer Klavierkonzerte aus der Feder hierzulande leider nur wenig bekannter französischer Komponisten, die ihre Hauptwirkungszeit in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts hatten. Einfühlsam vorgestellt…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7391 – Le Piano Français – Virtuoso Piano Concertos

Various Reviews for Peter Fribbins – 2014
…The most affecting sections are the brief moments of frozen stillness near the centre, and the downbeat coda, its irregular bass thumps suggesting a faltering heartbeat. Like many contemporary British composers, Fribbins has a day job as an academic. And the fact that you probably won’t have heard of him is a matter for regret, as the music collected on this anthology is consistently engaging…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7397 – Dances and Laments by Peter Fribbins

Memory Lane – Spring 2014
…If the title Invitation To The Dance gives a very broad hint as to the contents of Guild’s second release this quarter, compiler David Ades has managed to include a few surprises. …
To the full reviews -> GLCD 5210 – Invitation To The Dance

…Some newcomers to the Guild roster of orchestra leaders also impress, Max Jaffa with You’ve Done Something To My Heart and Frenchman Armand Bernard with Now And Forever. Many of Guild’s ‘heavyweight’ orchestras are also present to add their talents to a very enjoyable feast of music…
To the full reviews -> GLCD 5209 – My Dream Is Yours

Keene Sentinel, Brattleboro Reformer – February 2014
…As I have been writing for years, Guild Light Music has been releasing a seemingly endless series of CDs under the main title “The Golden Age of Light Music.” They are now up to their 208th entry — and it is a most unusual one. As a departure from the past compilations of commercial mono and stereo recordings of the late ‘40s to the middle ‘50s, this one follows a new direction.
“The Lost Transcriptions series”…
To the full reviews -> GLCD 5208 – The Lost Transcriptions – Vol. 4

IRR – April 2014
…While it is all too easy to overlook an issue such as this, I have no doubt that this is just the kind of project the gramophone should undertake. Indeed, only the gramophone is at all likely to be doing this, for a recital programme made up of these three works is unlikely to attract a big audience — although the music certainly deserves it.
In these three sonatas, we can more readily grasp the historical ‘placing’ of the development of the piano sonata as a genre…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7405/06 – Piano Sonatas by Beethoven, Schnyder von Wartensee and Liste

Akustik Gitarre – März 2014
…Der in der Schweiz lebende Gitarrist albanischer Herkunft spielt unter anderem eine dreizehnsaitige Gitarre von Ermanno Chiavi — zehn auf dem Griffbrett, drei frei schwingend. Bei der Fantasia X von Luys de Narvaez bespielt er sechs Saiten, und bei Visées c-moll-Suite beeindrucken dann die ungeahnten Bässe. Das Spiel wird bei Doçi dadurch keinesfalls schwerfällig, man höre nur die nett verzierte kleine Viseé-Courante…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7398 – Memorias – Guitar Music played by Admir Doçi

kultur-online.net – März 2014
…Orgelspiel trifft Humor: Martin Heini gibt auf seinem Album “Tango Organtino” den unterhaltsamen Stücken den nötigen Charme…

NDR.net – März 2014
…Martin Heini zieht alle Register (wahrscheinlich nicht tatsächlich), flitzt über Tasten (oben) und Pedale (unten) und demonstriert, wie vergnüglich und munter Orgelmusik zu sein vermag. Für den Organisten und die Zuhörer!
Nein, normal ist das nicht! Aber genial!…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7401 – Tango Organtino – Organ Music played by Martin Heini

MusicWeb International – März 2014
…The Oboe Concertino dates from the darkest depths of the Second World War. This is a work of reflective contentment with long sun-warmed lyrical lines and dancing delight. It is strikingly attractive with no obstacles to appreciation. Parts of it reminded me of Othmar Schoeck’s magical Sommernacht.
The supporting notes are by Robert Matthew-Walker and these are also given in German translation…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7400 – Volkmar Andreae – Symphony, Songs, Concertino

Neue Züricher Zeitung – Feuilleton – 28. März 2014
…Die eingängige Melodik und vor allem Massenets Fähigkeit, die Stimme so ins Licht zu rücken, dass man nach dem Verklingen eines Stücks glaubt, nun müsse unweigerlich Applaus aufbranden, erzeugen Opern-Hör-Laune…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7393 – Ivr d’amour – Songs by Jules Massenet

Expeditionaudio.com – February 2014
…Guild has become an essential label for listeners eager to discover exceptional unknown repertoire, especially for those with an interest in orchestral music of the Romantic and Post-Romantic eras. A perfect case in point is the ongoing project to record the complete symphonies of Swiss composer Fritz Brun (1878-1959). With this latest release of his First Symphony along with the Overture to a Jubilee Celebration, Guild now has made available Brun’s Symphonies Nos. 1, 5-7 and 9-10. All of the recordings in the series are performed by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra under Adriano…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7395 – Fritz Brun – Symphony No. 1 & Overture to a Jubilee Celebration

American Record Guide – January/February 2014
…The American-born lutenist Peter Croton demonstrates his virtuosic talent on this program of Italian lute music…
To the full reviews -> GMCD 7388 – Light & Shadows