June 2025 – Alto CD

A Nation Sings – Welsh Song Festival also ‘with Rhos & Treorchy Male Voice Choirs

amuletts — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:05:50 +0000

Here, indeed, is artistic talent bearing the indelibly engraved hallmark of suffering and heroism translated for all time into song.

‘Gymanfa Ganu’ / 5,000 Voices

[1] Diadem 3:48 [2] Trewen 3:11 [3] Aberystwyth 2:37

[4] Llef (Cry) 2:42 [5] Calon Lan (Guileless Heart) 2:54 [6] Sanctus 3:40

[7] Cwm Rhondda 3:10 [8] Builth 2:36 [9] Rachie 3:04

[10] I Need Thee Every Hour 3:42 [11] Bryn Calfaria (Calvary Hill) 1:55

[12] Rhyd y Groes 4:55 [13] Crimond 2:30

Director: Terry James; Royal Albert Hall Organ: Cyril Anthony; Words: Emyr Jones

Treorchy Male Voice Choir

Conductors: John Haydn Davies, John Cynan Jones* Organ (14): D.J. Rees

[14] Zion Hears the Watchmen Singing (‘Sleepers Awake’- JS Bach) 5:00

[15] O Bone Jesu 2:00 [16] A Russian Hymn 2:26

[17] Come Let Us to the Lord Our God* 2:08

Rhos Male Voice Choir

Director: Edward Jones; Organ: John Tudor Davies

[18] Ave Verum 3:39 [19] Ar Doriad Dydd (At Break of Day) 2:18

[20] Myfanwy 3:22 [21] Tydi A Roddaist (Thou Gavest) 3:16

[22] Hiraeth (Exiles Longing) 3:59 [23] Psalm 23 (Schubert) 6:21

[24] Hen Wlad Fy Nhadru (Welsh National Anthem) 1:40

TOTAL TIME 78:00 Recordings 1958-62

LP Audio restoration & remastering: Gene Gaudette & Paul Arden-Taylor

Tartini ‘Devil’s Trill’ & ‘Didone abbandonata’ Sonatas Vivaldi: Five Double Violin Concertos

amuletts — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:04:00 +0000

(Tartini) “the Oistrakh version remains unrivalled … (he) commands a winning sweetness of tone … and is helped by a rounder and richer recorded quality.”
(Vivaldi): “the harpsichord comes to life with a vengeance, being especially enterprising in the finale. The playing of the two soloists is, needless to say, the height of efficiency.” (Gramophone)

Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770) Sonata in G minor ‘Devil’s Trill’ [15:12]

[1] Larghetto affetuoso – Allegro 6:51 [2] Grave – Allegro assai – Grave –

Allegro assai – Grave 4:52 [3] Allegro assai – Adagio 3:28

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Concerto Grosso in A minor Op.3 No.8 ‘The Echo’ P2 (RV522) [12:12]

From L’estro armonico (Con violino principale con altro per eco in lontano)

[4] I. Allegro 3:53 [5] II. Larghetto e spiritoso 4:22 [6] III. Allegro 3:57

Concerto for Two Violins in G minor P366 (RV517) [9:13]

[7] I. Allegro 3:32 [8] II. Andante 2:05 [9] III. Allegro 3:35

Concerto for Two Violins in D major P189 (RV512) [8:59]

[10] I. Allegro molto 3:10 [11] II. Largo 2:37 [12] III. Allegro 3:10

Concerto for Two Violins in C minor P436 (RV509) [9:52]

[13] I. Allegro ma poco e cantabile 4:08 [14] II. Andante molto 2:52 [15] III. Allegro 2:51

Concerto for Two Violins in D minor P281 (RV514) [10:47]

[16] I. Allegro non molto 4:05 [17] II. Adagio 3:29 [18] III. Allegro molto 3:12

Tartini: Sonata in G minor Op.1 No.10 “Didone abbandonata” [12:30]

[19] I. Adagio 6:09 [20] II. Presto non troppo 1:45

[21] III. Largo 1:49 [22] IV. Allegro commodo 2:46

David Oistrakh, violin;

with: Igor Oistrakh, RPO, Eugene Goossens (4-6) (1961, DGG);

Isaac Stern, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy (7-18)

(CBS 1961); Lev Oborin, (1-3), (EMI,1957); Vladimir Yampolsky,

(19-22), (Paris- live 1959) pianos

TOTAL TIME 79:00 Mastering: Paul Arden-Taylor

Alexander Glazunov: Symphony 8 / Raymonda Dances / Finnish Fantasy / Mazurka in G

amuletts — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:03:28 +0000

‘Every time I listen to a Glazunov symphony I think, why isn’t this more often performed? The sound is gorgeous and we set out with good symphonic material, so that the ear is captured and one’s mind engaged … Svetlanov and his orchestra do it superbly, and it is extremely well recorded. With ballet music Glazunov is, of course, very much on home ground and the Raymonda dances are delightful.’ (Gramophone)

Symphony No.8 in E flat major, Op.83 [42:03]

[1] Allegro moderato 10:53

[2] Mesto 11:41

[3] Allegro 6:42

[4] Finale: Moderato sostenuto – Allegro moderato 12:46

Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra 1962; Engineers:

S. Pazukhin, M. Kozhukhova

Ballet: La Raymonda, Op.57 (excerpts) [15:37]

[5] Valse (Act 1 Scene 1) 5:22

[6] Adagio (Act 2) 4:01

[7] Danse Espagnole (Act 2) 2:08

[8] Danse Hongroise (Act 3) 4:03

Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Moscow 1961

[9] Mazurka in G, Op.18 7:40

Rec Sept 1961 Moscow; Engineer S. Pazukhin

[10] Finnish Fantasy, Op.88 12:18

Rec Sept 1962 Moscow; Engineer Alexander Grosman

(9.10) USSR TV & Radio Grand Symphony Orchestra

Richter plays Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 / Piano Sonata No.2 etc

amuletts — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:02:43 +0000

(Concerto) “Richter’s performance has all the intensity of a live occasion and finds him in splendid form. … the basic structure is always kept in sight: there is impressive weight and authority as well as a warm Brahmsian feeling and it is far more dashing and spontaneous than his later recording (with Maazel)” (Penguin Guide 3 stars) (Sonata) ‘This was an extremely successful concert and it really should come out on record’. (Sviatoslav Richter) (1st issue on single CD)

Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major, Op.83 [46:24]

[1] I. Allegro non troppo 16:39

[2] II. Allegro passionato 8:33

[3] III. Andante 12:34

[4] IV. Allegro gracioso 8:37

with Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Erich Leinsdorf (1960)

Piano Sonata No.2 in F sharp minor, Op.2 [24:56]

[5] I. Allegro non troppo, ma energico 5:34

[6] II. Andante con espressione 5:08

[7] III. Scherzo. Allegro 3:53

[8] IV. Finale. Introduzione: Sostenuto –

Allegro non troppo e rubato 10:20

[9] Intermezzo in C major, Op.119 No.3 2:09

[10] Rhapsody in E flat major, Op.119 No.4 3:56

Above all recorded live, Moscow, 1959

J S Bach Organ Favourites from the Mighty Willis Organ, Liverpool

amuletts — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:01:46 +0000

“This remains a classic example of cathedral Bach playing at its best, absolutely clear despite the vast acoustic and with dignified tempos which marry the music to the building, without in any way detracting from the excitement. I still hold my breath for the final pedal-reed entry in the ‘St Anne Fugue’. The glorious majesty of the Willis organ is here encapsulated in all its splendour.” (Gramophone)

Toccata & Fugue in D minor BWV 565

[1] Toccata 2:59 [2] Fugue 6:58

[3] Chorale Prelude: Liebster Jesu BWV 731 2:40

[4] Chorale Prelude: O Mensch, bewein BWV 622 5:06

[5] Fantasia in G major BWV 572 10:00

Prelude & Fugue in C major BWV 545

[6] Prelude 2:03 [7] Fugue 4:10

[8] Chorale Prelude: Wachet auf (Sleepers awake) BWV 645 4:52

[9] Chorale Prelude: Ach bleib’ bei uns BWV 649 3:14

[10] Fugue in E flat major BWV 552 ‘St. Anne’ 6:51

[11] Sinfonia from Cantata 29 ‘Wir danken dir Gott’ 4:37

(arr. Rawsthorne)

[12] Toccata in F major BWV 540 9:50

BONUS TRACK (Organ of Coventry Cathedral)

[13] Air from Suite No.3 in D BWV 1068 (arr. Rawsthorne) 5:27

Total Time 69:00

Recorded: 1-12 in 1980; 13 in Coventry 1984. All originally issued via Polydor,

EMI, Chalfont. Producer, Balance Engineer and Licensor: Brian B. Culverhouse.