Universal Classical New Releases

UNIVERSAL CLASSICS NEW RELEASES

June 24

'Lauds & Lamentations' (2 CDs) Heinz Holliger [oboe] Music of Carter and Isang Yun ECM 472787

Silvestrov: Metamusik; Postludium Lubinov, Davies, Vienna Radio S.O. ECM 472081

July 1

Barbara Bonney: 'Operetta Album' DECCA 473473

Segovia Collection vols. 1-4 Andres Segovia DG 474607 - 474610

Mozart: Late Symphonies (3 CDs Mid) Leonard Bernstein, VPO DG 474349

Sibelius: Syms 1-7 (3 CDs Mid) Herbert von Karajan, BPO DG 474353

Messiaen: Catalogue d’oiseaux, La Fauvette des Jardins (3 CDs Mid) Anatol Ugorski DG 474345

Glinka: Ruslan & Lyudmilla (2 DVD) Valery Gergiev, Kirov PHILIPS 075096

Gene Frazier Tower Records Classical Database Coordinator

I got this and listened to it today (in the UK). It is really quite

Anyone familiar with Ugorski's Messiaen?

I don't think Karajan recorded Sibelius 1, 2 and 3 for DG, (in fact I don't think he recorded 3 for anybody) so those must be by someone else. Maybe Okko Kamu, who did them for the LP box set back around 1970.

Yup, 3 was the one HvK didn't care for. Can't say I was too fond of it either, until hearing Vanska on BIS (paired with a nice 2, albeit slightly underpowered).

You are absolutely correct. The DG website also shows Okku (sic!) Kamu and the Helsinki R.S.O. as performers.

The new release information from Universal is always so sketchy that I can't list a lot of titles due to lack of contents and/or performers. They are, with BMG a close second (but that barely counts nowdays), the worst of the majors in that regard.

Gene Frazier Tower Records Database Classical Coordinator

Nonetheless, I appreciate the effort to keep us informed. Slim pickin's, but that's not your fault.

It is a mystery to me why DG couldn't persuade HvK to do Sibelius 1 - 3 in that period in the 70s when he was recording full sets of everything under the sun. I understand EMI tried to get him to put down No 3 put they failed. Given his performances of No 2 and No 5 one might ownder what it was about the symphony that he took against.

I don't think he ever did a 3, did he? I can't see that work being a natural for him given its emphasis on rhythm (not K's strong suit). The Kamu is still my favorite.

It's very good. Very energic, very brilliant. As I've said some time ago in an Ugorski thread, I'm not always in agreement with his interpretative choices (e.g., he sometimes romanticizes the music a bit), but overall, it's a fantastic recording of this amazing and unfortunately neglected work.

At the Trio price it is selling (I think I've already seen this for sale here), this is an absolute essential. Before, I've seen it sold as an expensive import title

I have the Trio set here - 3CDs (surprise surprise) - 4-7 HvK BPO, 1-3 Okko Kamu, 1 and 3 Finnish Radio SO (excellent, i thought) and 2 (Kamu let loose on Karajan's BPO) 2 intermittently good but overall too languid.

As far as I can recall this is exactly the contents of the DGG Symphony Edition issued on LP back in the 1970s.

The compromise is made with Sym 4 where the first movement is on CD2 and the remainder are on CD3.

CD1 2, 5 CD2 1, 3, 4(I) CD3 4 (II-IV), 6, 7

Rob Barnett

Berlin