MORRISON & CO TRUST - MMT2016:
WINDS THAT WHISPER - New Zealand Choral Music from the 20th Century

John Ritchie: Country Wine; Te Wehi Whanau: Hinemoa;
Jenny McLeod: Childhood; arr. Puanaki: Ka Waiata;
David Griffiths: Lie deep My Love (2 and 3); Douglas Mews: Lovesong of Rangipouri; David Hamilton: The moon is Silently Singing.

New Zealand National Youth Choir conducted by Karen Grylls

(GB pounds 14.50)

Well-deserving winners in July 1999 of the supreme "Choir of the World" competition at the International Eisteddfod Festival at Llangollen, the New Zealand National Youth Choir present a magnificent programme of approachable contemporary works by New Zealand composers; David Hamilton's work for two 5-part choirs and two horns being particularly evocative.

David Denton in May/June 2000 Fanfare - "...the youth choir from New Zealand gives a nicely balanced recital of 20th century music composed in its country....the general style of writing is customer-friendly modernism. The harmonies are interesting, the use of voices always skillful, and there is nothing here to cause concern for the most conservative ears. On this disc the 1998 choir has combined with the more mature voices of the choir members of 1993, creating a total of 73 singers...Throughout the singing is excellent, the tonal quality pleasing and well balanced. Diction is immaculate and you have that feeling that the singers are enjoying everything that they perform...The engineers have provided a nice bloom to the sound in a warm acoustic that has not blurred the words. Strongly recommended."

MORRISON & CO TRUST - MMT2014:
TRANSPORTS DE JOIE - French Organ Music from Wellington Cathedral

Widor: Toccata from Symphony 5; Franck: Prelude, Fugue & Variations; Choral No.3; Messiaen: Transports de joie; Alain: Litanies; Vierne: Berceuse; Final from Symphony 1; Durufle: Prelude and Fugue sur nom d'Alain; Saint-Saens: Fantasie; Langlais: Prelude modal.

Philip Walsh Lewis organ of Wellington Cathdral

(GB pounds 14.50)

Director of Music at Wellington Anglican Cathedral, Philip Walsh plays the restored T C Lewis & Co organ. Born in Southampton, England, Philip Walsh has held the post since 1989 and is renowned for his performances of French repertoire.

Marc Rochester in November 1999 Gramophone - "To say that this is predictable fare is, to put it mildly, an understatement...But if I was to recommend a single disc presenting the most popular French organ works I would have no hesitation in choosing this above all others. Walsh's performances are powerful, intuitive and compelling, the Wellington Cathedral organ is of a kind of instrument one could happily listen to all day and the recording quality is excellent. A highly recommended disc in repertoire where the competition is fierce."

Marc Rochester in January 2000 Gramophone Critic's Choice - "Not to be missed, either, is Philip Walsh's splendid disc of basic French music from Franck and Widor to Messiaen and Langlais. Walsh's performances stand out as unusually powerful, intuitive and compelling; the Wellington Cathedral organ is the kind of instrument one could happily listen to all day and the recording quality is excellent."

David Denton in May/June 2000 Fanfare - "A disc of French music from New Zealand on an instrument originally built in the UK and played by an English-born organist may not sound like a recipe for success, but it certainly is...As a performer he (Philip Walsh) is right in the top echelon of virtuoso organists, and even if you have every work on this disc, I urge you to hear Walsh. His is a most imaginative musical mind well attuned to the French idiom...Suffice it to say this one of the most outstanding organ recitals to have come my way in many years."

TALL POPPIES - TP081 (full price):
ALKAN AND MAGNARD PIANO MUSIC

Alkan: Symphonie, Op.39/4-7 from 12 etudes; La chanson de la folle au bord de la mer, Op.31/8; Magnard: 7 Promenades.

Stephanie McCallum piano

(GB pounds 14.50)

Stephanie McCallum is here recorded in virtuoso piano compositions by two masters. There appears to be no other recording available for the Magnard pieces. Her earlier recording of Alkan's Op.35 Studies for Tall Poppies was very well received - "transcendental technique at the service of ecstatic yet utterly disciplined vision." - Hi-Fi-News & Record Review.

TALL POPPIES - TP080 (full price):
MERE BAGATELLES

Carl Vine: 5 Bagatelles; Peter Sculthorpe: Simori; Keith Humble: 8 Bagatelles: David Lumsdaine: Postcard Pieces; Elliott Gyger: Threshold; Nigel Butterley: Arioso; Comment on a Popular Song; Il gubbo; Ian Munro: Return; The Forest; Ann Ghandar: 4 Bagatelles; Colin Bright: Earth Flowering Time; Amanda Baker: from 5 Bagatelles; John Woolrich: from Pianobooks; Martin Wesley-Smith: Waltz.

Ian Munro piano

(GB pounds 14.50)

Australian pianist, Ian Munro, presents a challenging collection of miniatures by contemporary composers, mainly his compatriot Australians. Carl Vine's masterly composition is set for the current grade eight examinations of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

TALL POPPIES - TP085:
NIGEL WESTLAKE - THE EDGE

The Film Music

David Hudson didgeridoo, Emma Lysons soprano, Michael Askill percussion, Sydney Contemporary Singers, Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Carl Vine

(CD single - GB pounds 9.99)

Stunning music for the IMAX film about the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. The recording features the astounding David Hudson in the prominent didgeridoo part in this extremely atmospheric score.

TALL POPPIES - TP090:
PETER SCULTHORPE: STRING QUARTETS VOLUME TWO

String Quartet No.10; String Quartet No.11 "Jabiru Dreaming"; Hill-Song No.1; Hill-Song No.2; Earth Cry; Little Song; To Meadows; Pastorale; Prologue; Morning Song; Autumn Song; Saibai.

Goldner String Quartet (Dene Olding & Dimitry Hall - violins, Irina Morozova - viola, Julian Smiles - cello)

(GB pounds 14.50)

The second volume in Tall Poppies integral recording of all of Peter Sculthorpe's works for string quartet, performed by The Goldner Quartet. Gramophone September 1999 on Volume One: "These striking works...Splendid performances - precise and with all the necessary tonal variety."

Andrew Achenbach in May 2000 Gramophone - "A rewarding anthology spanning some four decades and more, from the Tenth and Eleventh Quartets of 1983 and 1990 (both written for the kronos) all the way back to Sculthorpe's own reconstructions of individual movements from his first four quartets (teenage efforts, none of which has survived intact). The stunning Earth Cry (1986) sounds even more effective in its original orchestral guise, but there's no gainsaying the vibrant commitment and superior polish displayed by the Goldner Quartet. Truthful sound and balance".

Ivan Moody in January 2001 Gramophone 'Critics' Choice' - "The outstanding Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe is at last beginning to receive the attention he deserves in Europe. Recordings are now available, and one of the best is the Goldner Quartet's superb account of String Quartets Nos 10 and 11, together with an astonishing transcription of his formidable composition Earth Cry."

TALL POPPIES - TP115:
GRAEME KOEHNE: THE SELFISH GIANT

The Selfish Giant - ballet score; Once Around the Sun - orchestral suite.

Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Stephen Barlow

(GB pounds 14.50)

This recording features two scores by one of Australia's most sought-after ballet composers, Graeme Koehne. It contains the complete score for the Selfish Giant, based on the Oscar Wilde tale and premiered in 1983 by the Sydney Dance Company and the orchestral suite from Once Around the Sun, premiered in 1988. Very attractive scores in a 20th century pastoral vein.

CEDILLE - CDR90000045:
MUSIC FOR OBOE AND ORCHESTRA

Krommer: Oboe Concerto No.1 in F, Op.37; Oboe Concerto No.2 in F, Op.52; Hummel: Introduction, Theme and Variations in F min., Op. 102.

Alex Klein oboe, Czech National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paul Freeman

(GB pounds 13.99)

Alex Klein, principal oboe of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, is here presented in fresh and original performances of these relatively rarely heard classical works. A revelatory recording in which the oboe really sings with unusual beauty (instead of sounding as it sometimes does like a water fowl with a head cold).

John Bauman in November/December 1999 Fanfare - "His (Klein's) technique is flawless. He is well supported by Paul freeman and the Czech orchestra. Cedille's recorded sound is first-class, as expected from this source. If the Krommer and Hummel are your main interests, then go with this well-played, well-recorded new issue."

CEDILLE - CDR90000046:
AMERICAN MUSIC FOR FLUTE

Lita Grier: Renascence (Concertino); Charles Tomlinson Griffes: Poem; Virgil Thomson: Concerto for Flute, Strings, Harp and Percussion; Kent Kennan: Night Soliloquy for Flute, Strings and Piano; Elie Siegmeister: Flute Concerto.

Mary Stolper flute, Czech National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paul Freeman

(GB pounds 13.99)

Frequent soloist with all the major US orchestras, Mary Stolper is currently principal flute with the Chicago Sinfonietta. Her programme includes four rarely heard works by American composers and these are the only currently available recordings of all but the Griffes Poem.

James H North in November/December 1999 Fanfare - "This is a fine disc: a well-chosen mix of works performed with skill and taste and given elegant recorded sound...Chicago-based Mary Stolper sails through all this with aplomb, keeping the instrument beautiful while making the music lively. Highly recommended."

CEDILLE - CDR90000047:
DOUBLE PLAY

Martinu: Duo No.2 (1958); Schulhoff: Duo (1925); Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Cello; Kodaly: Duo, Op.7.

Rachel Barton violin and Wendy Warner cello

(GB pounds 13.99)

Following her extremely successful earlier recordings for Cedille, virtuoso violinist, Rachel Barton, here teams up with cellist, Wendy Warner (first prize winner in the 1990 Rostropovich competition), to present four 20th century masterpieces for this duo of instruments in thrilling performances. Captured in splendid sound in one of his usual immaculate recordings by WMFT engineer, Bill Maylone.

Robin Stowell in January 2000 The Strad - "Rachel Barton and Wendy Warner interpret Ravel's Sonata with flair and imagination...Barton and Warner capture the Magyar-style finale (of the Kodaly) with vigour and aplomb, carrying out the various verbunkos-style tempo changes with gret effect...impressively vivid and true recording, sets the seal on a most distinguished enterprise."

Al Fasoldt in March/April 2000 Fanfare - "...a collection of 20th-century music for violin and cello played by rachel barton and wendy Warner. Engineer Bill Maylone's smooth mastery of balances shows itself off perfectly here, and the playing is just as effortless. As usual, Maylone's use of Schoeps MK21 microphones helps capture the intimacy of the performance without any sign of stridency."

Ray Tuttle in May 2000 International Record Review - "One runs out of superlatives for a CD such as this...it is a joy to hear them played with such a compelling mixture of discipline, intelligence and excitement. Cedille's engineering is strikingly immediate, but not so close as to be uncomfortable. Their electric playing puts this CD in a class of its own."

AURORA - ACD5015:
POPOFONI

Gunnar Sonstevold: Arnold; Arne Nordheim: Morgenraga; Solar Plexus; Alfred Janson: Valse Triste; Kare Kolberg: Blow Up Your Dreams; Terje Rypdal: Episode.

Jan Garbarek (tenor sax), Bobo Stensson (piano/organ), Terje Bjorklund (organ), Gunnar Sonstevold (piano), Terje Rypdal (guitar), Arild Andersen (bass), Jon Christensen (drums), Arne Nordheim (electronics), Kare Kolberg (synthesiser), Ola B Johannessen and Karin Krog (voices)

(2 discs - GB pounds 29.99)

Very challenging contemporary works by leading Norwegian composers played by a group of master musicians led by Jan Garbarek in very different music to his collaborations with the Hilliard Ensemble. Not easy listening, but rewarding to those with a sympathetic ear.

OTHER NEW RELEASES FROM NORWAY

AURORA - ACD5010:
BERTIL PALMAR JOHANSEN: STRINGS

On a Spring String; String Quartet No.1; Cantus for violin solo; Ricercare for String Trio; Capriccio for viola solo; Duo Fantasies; Lyar for cello solo.

Cikada String Quartet

(GB pounds 14.99)

AURORA - ACD5012:
JON OIVIND NESS: DANDY GARBAGE

The Dangerous Kitten; Schatten; Charm; Interrupted Cycles; Dandy Garbage.

Sverre Riise (trombone), Cikada String Quartet, Cikada Ensemble, Oslo Sinfonietta conducted by Christian Eggen

(GB pounds 14.99)

BERGEN DIGITAL STUDIO - BD7033:

JS Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV988.

Audun Kayser (piano)

(GB pounds 14.50)

HEMERA - HCD2932:
STALE KLEIBERG: ROSEVINDUET

(THE ROSE WINDOW) for Chamber Orchestra and Narrator

Knut Risan (narrator), Chamber Ensemble conducted by Daniel Harding

(GB pounds 14.99)

THEMA - TH199-2:
ALF HURUM (1882 - 1972) - Complete works for violin and piano

Violin Sonata in D min., Op.2; Violin Sonata in A min., Op.8; Exotic Suite for violin and piano, Op.9.

Stephan Barratt-Due (violin), Oyvind Aase (piano)

(GB pounds 14.50)

VEST-NORSK PLATESELSKAP - VNP0098-0046:

Rachmaninov: Piano Sonata No.2, Op.36; Smetana: Dreams; Franck: Prelude, Choral & Fugue.

Ieva Struzaite (piano)

(GB pounds 14.50)

VEST-NORSK PLATESELSKAP - VNP0098-0044:

Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.2, Op.14; Piano Sonata No.6, Op.82.

Jiri Hlinka (piano)

(GB pounds 14.50)

VEST-NORSK PLATESELSKAP - VNP0099-0049:
GRIEG - PIANO MUSIC

From Peer Gynt; Wedding Day at Troldhaugen; From Humoresks, Op.6; From Nordic Folk Tunes; Albumblad, Op.28/4; From Lyric Pieces; From Stemninger; From Norwegian Folk Tunes and Peasant Dances.

Audun Kayser (piano)

(GB pounds 14.50)

VEST-NORSK PLATESELSKAP - VNP0099-0050:

Smetana: Polka; Hulan; Oves; Medved; Bartok: Suite, Op.14; Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.21, Op.53 "Waldstein".

Hans Petter Tangen (piano)

(GB pounds 14.50)