TALL POPPIES - TP113 (full price): A GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS

Carl Vine (born 1954) - Oboe Concerto; Peter Sculthorpe (born 1929) - Piano Concerto;

David Lumsdaine (born 1931) - A Garden of Earthly Delights for cello & orchestra.

David Nuttall (oboe), Ian Munro (piano), David Pereira (cello), Australian Youth Orchestra conducted by Diego Masso

This first new release from Tall Poppies presents three very approachable concertos by 20^th Century Australian composers. These are the premier recordings of the Carl Vine and David Lumsdaine works.

Raymond Tuttle in March/April 1999 Fanfare: "Pianist Ian Munro does well by the Sculthorpe concerto in a performance that is quite a bit more dramatic and hard-edged than Cislowska's on the ABC Classics disc...The Australian Youth Orchestra's mature playing speaks for itself. Masson is an important figure in modern classical music and evidently the right conductor for this project, which belongs in the collection of any listener with an interest in contemporary classical music".

TALL POPPIES - TP114 (full price): HORN TRIOS

Lennox Berkeley - Horn Trio, Op.44; Don Banks - Horn Trio;
Johannes Brahms - Horn Trio in E flat maj., Op.40.

Hector McDonald (horn), John Harding (violin), Ian Munro (piano)

Three horn trios, one from English composer Lennox Berkeley composed in 1952, one from contemporary Australian composer Don Banks (born 1923) composed in 1962 and one romantic, from Brahms composed in 1865. These are the only currently available recordings of the Berkeley and Banks pieces. Pianist Ian Munro is well-known for his recordings of two piano repertoire with Stephen Coombs.

TALL POPPIES - TP128: ANDREW FORD - HARBOUR

Ford: A Martian Sends a Postcard Home for tenor, horn & piano; Clarion for alto saxophone; Harbour for tenor & orchestra; Epithalamium for tenor, violin & bell; Composition in Blue, Grey, Pink for congas; Dancing with Smoke for tenor & harp; A Salt Girl for tenor & piano; Female Nude for alto flute; And Now for tenor & piano; Five Cabaret Songs for tenor and chamber ensemble.

Gerald English (tenor) with Australian Chamber Orchestra conducted by David Stanhope, The Tall Poppies Ensemble, Stephanie McCallum and Ian Munro (pianos)

English composer, Andrew Ford, was born in Liverpool in 1957 but since 1983 has made his home in Australia and is on the faculty of Wollongong University. Veteran tenor, Gerald English, is still in fine voice in these sensitive vocal settings. Approachable modern music at its best.

DIVOX ANTIQUA - CDX79703 (full price): THE ORGAN ART OF THE VENETO IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

Giovanni B Pescetti: Sonata in D min.; Baldassarre Galuppi: Sonata per flauto; Sonata in D min.; Giuseppe A Paganelli: Three arias "sub elevatione"; Giovanni B Cervellini: Pastorale & Sonata in F; Gaetano Valeri: Sonatas Nos.3, 6 and 9; Andrea Lucchesi: Sonata in F; Sonata in C; Ignazio Spergher: Sonata No.5; Niccolo Moretti: Sonata "ad uso Offertorio"; Sonata "ad uso Sinfonia".

Andrea Marcon (organ)

The fourth release in Divox's ongoing series of baroque organ music played on appropriate instruments. Here is the 1787 organ of the Chiesa San Leonardo in Treviso, Italy.

MEDIAPHON - MED72.174 (mid price): LUDVIG VAN BEETHOVEN

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.5 in E flat maj., Op.73 "Emperor" Overture: Egmont, Op.84; Overture: Coriolan, Op.62

Josef Bulva (piano) with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande conducted by Armin Jordan

Another fine recording from Victoria Hall, Geneva, of the Suisse Romande Orchestra under their chief conductor, Armin Jordan with Josef Bulva as soloist in the Beethoven concerto. Although not well known in the UK, the Moravian-born pianist is immensely popular in Germany and this recording clearly demonstrates why. Marvellous pianism and a recording in which you can almost smell the piano!

SONPACT - SPT98022 (full price):
EUGENE REUCHSEL: PROMENADES EN PROVENCE

Reuchsel: Promenades en Provence - eight pieces for organ; Images de Provence - four pieces for organ.

Thomas Daniel Schlee playing the Grandes Orgues Cavaille-Coll at Saint Joseph's Church, Marseilles

This latest disc from the Provence-based Sonpact, presents the first recording of music by the 20^th Century French composer, Eugene Reuchsel. Born in Lyon in 1900, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and made a concert career as a pianist. Most of his compositions are devoted to the organ, including these evocations of the poetry, fragrances and colour of Provence. He died near Lyon in 1988. Thomas Daniel Schlee plays the recently restored grand organ at Saint-Joseph and full registration details are provided in the booklet.

PROPIANO - PPR224524 (full price):
FELIX MENDELSSOHN: PIANO MUSIC

Mendelssohn: Rondo Capriccioso in E maj., Op.14; Fantasy on "The Last Rose of Summer", Op.15; Study in F min.; Three studies, Op.104b; Fantasy in F sharp min., Op.28; Six Songs without Words, Book 2, Op.30; Six Songs without Words, Book 5, Op.62.

Esther Budiardjo (piano)

Winner of the 1996 William Kapell Competition and a prize winner at the 1993 Stravinsky Awards Piano Competition, Indonesian-born Esther Budiardjo is receiving glowing comments from US music critics. This is an attractive Mendelssohn programme in ProPiano's usual stunning "Pianist's Perspective" recording.

Peter Burwasser in July/August 1999 Fanfare - "These are good-natured, expertly rendered performances of this delicious and extemely challenging music. Esther Budiardjo...is an artist of distinction and sincere ardour."

PROPIANO - PPR224523 (full price): IGOR STRAVINSKY AND ALEXANDER SCRIABIN: PIANO MUSIC

Stravinsky: Three Movements from Petrouchka; Scriabin: Fantasy in B min., Op.28; Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.3 in F sharp min., Op.23.

Gwhyneth Chen (piano)

Winner of the 1994 Ivo Pogorelich International Piano Competition, Gwhyneth Chen was at the time the youngest competitor. Born in Taiwan, she emigrated to the USA in 1980 where she studied at the Juilliard School and has appeared with most of the major orchestras. Another of ProPiano's stunning "Pianist's Perspective" recordings.

Terry Williams in June 1999 Classic CD - "The Scriabin pieces receive 'big' treatment, too, and are altogether successful. Chen is up against the likes of Ashkenazy and Hamelin but survives the comparison very well indeed. I prefer ProPiano's sound to Hyperion's...Worth investigating..."

Jessica Duchen in June 1999 BBC Music Magazine - "...her playing is big-boned and powerful, full of vitality and conviction."

Peter J Rabinowitz in July/August 1999 Fanfare - "...the icy sting of Gwhyneth Chen's breathtaking new CD. In sum, this is bold provocative playing that will change the way that you think about this music-and, as befits such bristling performances, it's presented with ProPiano's typically close-up sound."

PROPIANO - PPR224521 (full price): RICHARD WAGNER: PIANO TRANSCRIPTIONS

Wagner (arr. Kocsis): Einleitung from "Tristan und Isolde"; (arr. Moszkowski): Isoldens Tod from "Tristan und Isolde"; Der Venusberg from "Tannhauser"; (arr. Brassin):Sigmund's Liebesgesang, Der Ritt der Walkuren and Feuerzauber from "Der Ring des Nibelungen"; Faure/Messager - Souvenir de Bayreuth for piano 4-hands.

Chitose Okashiro (piano) with Ju-Ying Song (Faure/Messager)

In her sixth disc for ProPiano, Chitose Okashiro plays rare piano transcriptions of themes from Wagner operas; brilliant, colourful and entertaining pianism in another fine "Pianist's Perspective" recording.

William Youngren in September/October 1999 Fanfare - "...this is all good fun, and takes us back to a time when keyboard virtuosos not only muscled in on Wagner's turf but also helped to make his music familiar. Okashiro's playing is fabulous - how many hands does she have? - and she collaborates perfectly with J Y Song on the faure-Messager piece."

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