New Releases

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(Austria, 1756–1791)

CHAN 3081(2)

The Abduction from the Seraglio
(Comic opera in three acts Libretto by G. Stephanie from a play by
F. Bretzner Texts of musical numbers translated by Joan Cross and
Anne Wood English dialogue translated and adapted by Hugh Mills)

David Kelsey (speaking part) Pasha Selim
Mattiwilda Dobbs (soprano) Constanza, a Spanish lady, betrothed to Belmonte
Jenifer Eddy (soprano) Blonda, her English maid
Nicolai Gedda (tenor) Belmonte, a Spanish nobleman
John Fryatt (tenor) Pedrillo, former servant to Belmonte, now gardener to the Pasha
Noel Mangin (bass) Osmin, Pasha Selim’s steward

The Ambrosian Singers
The Bath Festival Orchestra
Yehudi Menuhin

Highly sought-after performance of Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio, from the 1968 acclaimed recording.

The recording, which derives from a Phoenix Opera production staged at the Bath Festival in 1967, is conducted by Yehudi Menuhin and represents one of his rare excursions into opera.

The performers include such distinguished singers as Swedish tenor Nicolai Gedda and American coloratura soprano Mattiwilda Dobbs.

Notes on The Abduction from the Seraglio

REVIEWS
Chandos' Opera in English series has received enthusiastic support:

‘…this issue should convince doubters of the merits of such a series.’
Opera Now on CHAN 3000(2) (Tosca)

‘This is an issue to delight far more than devotees of opera in English… I look forward to more in the series.’
Gramophone on CHAN 3000(2) (Tosca)

‘…another in Chandos' splendid Opera in English series…’
BBC Music Magazine on CHAN 3011(2) (Don Pasquale)

‘The high standard of the Chandos Opera in English series is well maintained in this performance of one of the most quintessentially Italianate of all Verdi's operas.’
BBC Music Magazine on CHAN 3036(2) (Il trovatore)

MOZART ON OPERA IN ENGLISH
Don Giovanni - CHAN 3057(2)

Thérèse Raquin

Diana Soviero (soprano) Madame Lisette Raquin
Sara Fulgoni (mezzo-soprano) Thérèse Raquin
Gordon Gietz (tenor) Camille Raquin
Richard Bernstein (bass-baritone) Laurent
Sheryl Woods (soprano) Suzanne Michaud
Gabor Andrasy (bass) Olivier Michaud
Peter Kazaras (tenor) Monsieur Grivet

The Dallas Opera Orchestra
Graeme Jenkins

An opera in two acts Commissioned by The Dallas Opera, in conjunction with L’Opera de Montreal and San Diego Opera
Libretto by Gene Scheer, after the novel by Émile Zola

The composer would like to dedicate Thérèse Raquin, both the work and this recording, to Edgar Foster Daniels, with profound gratitude.

The world premiere recording of Tobias Picker's third opera Thérèse Raquin.

Live recording of the Dallas Opera’s premiere production in November 2001.

American composer Tobias Picker began writing music at the age of eight. His teachers included Charles Wuorinen, Elliott Carter and Milton Babbitt. He gained early respect as a twelve-tone composer but also explored ways of broadening the language with elements of more traditional tonality. Picker's prolific output ranges from small chamber pieces to works for full orchestra. His first opera, Emmeline, was premiered in 1996 with great success.

About Picker's tragic opera Thérèse Raquin

REVIEWS
The Dallas Opera’s world premiere of Thérèse Raquin last year (2001) elicited some fine reviews, particularly for the young British mezzo-soprano Sara Fulgoni in the title role:

‘The smouldering role of Thérèse is sung by… Sara Fulgoni, whose looks, voice and acting are utterly persuasive… without a doubt a major talent.’
The Independent

‘…a performance of vocal and physical fire.’
The Times

Sir Lennox Berkeley
(England, 1903–1989)

Symphony No. 1
Serenade in Four Movements

BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Richard Hickox

Michael Berkeley
(England, b. 1948)

premiere recording
Concerto for Horn
and String Orchestra (David Pyatt horn)
(revised version, 1994)
Coronach

REVIEWS
Richard Hickox’s partnership with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales has already proved a resounding success on Chandos:

’Richard Hickox and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales are first-rate champions in all these pieces…’
BBC Music Magazine (Pick of the Month) on CHAN 9950 (Bridge – Orchestral Works, Volume 1)

‘Hickox’s performances… are models of clarity and articulation…’
The Guardian on CHAN 9401 (Rubbra – Symphonies Nos 4, 10 & 11)

‘Thanks to all concerned are in order – for Hickox's perceptive interpretation, the players' dedication and sensitivity and last but not least, the exemplary recorded sound that we rather take for granted on this label. Strongly recommended.’
Gramophone on CHAN 9481 (Rubbra – Symphonies Nos 2 & 6)

PREVIOUS RELEASES
Bridge – Orchestral Works, Volume 1 – CHAN 9950
Mendelssohn – Paulus (St Paul) – CHAN 9882(2)
Rubbra – Complete Symphonies – CHAN 9944(5)

CHAN 9869

Eric Coates
(England, 1886-1957)

Cinderella: Phantasy
Three Bears: Phantasy
Selfish Giant: Phantasy
London Suite
Miniature Suite
Dam Busters: March
Joyous Youth: Suite

BBC Philharmonic
Rumon Gamba

Eric Coates is one of the most successful ‘light music’ composers of the twentieth century. His stirring March from the film The Dam Busters evokes the best of the British war-time spirit and is as well known as the marches of Elgar and Walton.

Whilst there are other recordings of Coates's music, few others can boast a top symphony orchestra recorded in state-of-the-art sound.

The program juxtaposes popular and less well-known works and is the first time all three of Coates’s Phantasies have been featured on one disc.

Eric Coates 'the uncrowned King of Light Music'

REVIEWS
Rumon Gamba and the BBC Philharmonic are a respected partnership:

‘…expertly played by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by rising star baton-wielder Rumon Gamba.’
Classic FM Magazine on CHAN 9867 (The Film Music of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett)

‘With sharply defined performances from the BBC Philharmonic, this recording deserves a very hearty endorsement.’
BBC Music Magazine on CHAN 9851 (The Film Music of Sir Malcolm Arnold, Volume 2)

‘In all this music, played with fervour and flair by the well-proven Rumon Gamba-BBC Philharmonic partnership, the vigour and vitality of the composer's musical invention shines through.’
Gramophone on CHAN 9896 (The Film Music of Sir Arthur Bliss)

SELECTED PREVIOUS RELEASES FROM THE BBC PHILHARMONIC AND RUMON GAMBA
Alwyn – Film Music, Volume 2 – CHAN 9959
Richard Rodney Bennett – Film Music – CHAN 9867
Arthur Bliss – Film Music – CHAN 9896
Malcolm Arnold – Film Music, Volume 2 – CHAN 9851

‘Quartette provençale’, Quartet No. 16 (1916)
Quartet for Strings No. 7 ‘Threnody’ (1916)
Quartet No. 4 (1905)
‘Fantasia’ for String Quartet, No. 17 (1947)

Chilingirian Quartet
Levon Chilingirian (violin)
Charles Sewart (violin)
Asdis Valdimarsdottir (viola)
Philip de Groote (cello)

Sir John Blackwood McEwen
(Scotland, 1868–1948)

CHAN 9926

Chandos' continuing exploration of the music of the Scottish composer Sir John Blackwood McEwen.

These quartets receive their premiere recording on this CD.

The Chilingirian Quartet is one of today's most renowned quartets. Their large discography on Chandos includes acclaimed interpretations of chamber music by Bartók and Dvo¡rák.

McEwen's late-romantic style is never bound by convention. Whilst his colourful orchestral music has become more well known through Chandos’ recordings, it was his chamber music which first brought him to the attention of the musical world.

McEwen's String Quartets

REVIEWS
The Chilingirian Quartet’s recordings on Chandos have been consistently well reviewed:

‘This is the playing of an expert ensemble, and it is refreshing in its skill, fluency and energy.’
Gramophone on CHAN 9146 (Haydn)

‘The Chilingirians' total immersion in these works is never in doubt… Textures are tellingly clear, while the mysterious utterances of the first movement and the folkish elements of the second are poignantly conveyed.’
American Record Guide on CHAN 8634 (Bartók)

PREVIOUS RELEASES FROM THE CHILINGIRIAN QUARTET
Dvorák – Piano Quintet in A etc. – CHAN 9173
Dvorák – String Quintets etc. – CHAN 9046
Haydn – Quartets – CHAN 9146
Bartók – String Quartet No. 6/Piano Quintet – CHAN 8660
Bartók – String Quartets Nos 3, 4 & 5 – CHAN 8634

Joseph Haydn
(Austria, 1732–1809)

Mass in C major
Missa Cellensis (No. 2), Hob. XXII:8
‘Mariazeller Messe’

Mass in E flat major
Grosse Orgelmesse, Hob. XXII:4
‘Missa in honorem BVM’ (Missa Sancti Josephi)

Susan Gritton (soprano)
Louise Winter (mezzo-soprano)
Mark Padmore (tenor)
Stephen Varcoe (bass)
Ian Watson (organ)
Collegium Musicum 90
Richard Hickox

This disc completes Richard Hickox's Haydn Mass Edition on the Chaconne label. Each volume has received both tremendous critical acclaim and an enthusiastic reception from the public.

Two of the discs in the series were nominated for Gramophone awards.

The series is regarded by many as the top choice for this repertoire, not least as Richard Hickox has included many of the lesser-known, though no less interesting, masses by this great composer.

Haydn's Masses

REVIEWS
The Haydn Mass Edition has received outstanding reviews:

‘Richard Hickox is a compelling advocate of this repertoire, choosing his tempos shrewdly… and catching both the music's joyous, celebratory energy and moments of drama and instrospection.’
BBC Music Magazine on CHAN 0667 (Missa Cellensis (No. 1) etc.)

‘This disc… the fifth in an impressive Chandos series of Haydn Masses, blazes with energy and angst in equal measure.’
The Observer on CHAN 0640 (Nelson Mass etc.)

‘This is another excellent CD in the Haydn Mass Edition from Chandos. These are performances of enormous vitality and vigorous clarity… In a word, it is outstanding.’
Early Music Review on CHAN 0633 (Paukenmesse etc.)

‘All in all, this is the finest disc of Haydn's sacred music I have heard – an enthralling release.’
BBC Music Magazine on CHAN 0612 (Harmoniemesse etc.)

‘A disc guaranteed to refresh the spirit, and one that has me eagerly looking forward to the next volume.’
Gramophone on CHAN 0592 (Theresienmesse etc.)

PREVIOUS RELEASE
Missa Cellensis (No. 1) etc. – CHAN 0667
Theresienmesse etc. – CHAN 0592
Creation Mass etc. – CHAN 0599
Harmoniemesse etc. – CHAN 0612
Paukenmesse etc. – CHAN 0633
Nelson Mass etc. – CHAN 0640
Heiligmesse etc. – CHAN 0645

François Couperin
(France, 1668–1733)

CHAN 0684

Les Nations, Premier Ordre ‘La Françoise’
Douzième Concert à deux Violes, ou autres instrumens à L’unisson*
La Sultane* Sonade en quatuor
Les Nations, Second Ordre
‘L’Espagnole’

The Purcell Quartet
Catherine Mackintosh • Catherine Weiss (violins)
Richard Boothby (bass viol)
Robert Woolley (harpsichord)
with Susanna Pell (bass viol*)

There are few recordings of Couperin's Les Nations, a collection of sonatas in the style of his famous Concerts royaux.

Les Nations contains some of Couperin's most expressive and inventive music. His use of dance forms in these works ensures a wide spectrum of mood and colour.

The Purcell Quartet is one of the most distinguished authentic-performance groups today, whose baroque recordings on the Chaconne label are highly respected.

In addition to the sonatas, this disc also includes the twelfth of Couperin's fourteen Concerts, which Couperin wrote to soften and sweeten the melancholy of the dying King Louis XIV.

François Couperin

REVIEWS
The Purcell Quartet's releases on Chandos are consistently well reviewed:

‘The playing is infectiously uninhibited and technically immaculate – a programme of unqualified pleasure.’
BBC Music Magazine (Pick of the Month) on CHAN 0651 (Capriccio Stravagante, Volume 1)

‘…the Purcell Quartet and their guests clearly relish the lugubrious textures which are so much a part of many of these pieces.’
Gramophone on CHAN 0675 (Klaglied: German Sacred Concertos)

RECENT RELEASES FROM THE PURCELL QUARTET
Klaglied: German Sacred Concertos – CHAN 0675
Capriccio Stravagante, Volume 1 – CHAN 0651
Capriccio Stravagante, Volume 2 – CHAN 0670
Reincken – Hortus Musicus etc. – CHAN 0664

George Frideric Handel
(Germany/England, 1685–1759)

Handel and the Oratorio
for Concerts

Collegium Musicum 90
Simon Standage

CHAN 0685

This companion volume to the well received Handel at the Opera contains some of the finest music found in Handel’s oratorios.

These orchestral arrangements of arias and overtures from Handel’s oratorios were all published during the composer’s lifetime.

Collegium Musicum 90 has received unanimous critical acclaim for its recordings on the Chaconne label. This latest release maintains the ensemble’s exceptionally high standards.

Handel and the Oratorio

REVIEWS
Previous recordings of music by Handel performed by Collegium Musicum 90 under the direction of Simon Standage have been well received:

‘…the performances are elegantly conceived and colorfully played…’
American Record Guide on CHAN 0650 (Handel at the Opera)

‘I cannot remember when a recording of Handel's secular music gave me more pleasure: pure unalloyed delight…’
Gramophone (Critic’s Choice) on CHAN 0650 (Handel at the Opera)

‘The performances are brimful of vitality… and the clean articulation and light, predominantly detached style give the music buoyancy and help to bring out Handel's often mischievous twinkle in the eye.’
Gramophone on CHAN 0600 (Concerti Grossi, Volume 1)

PREVIOUS RELEASES FROM COLLEGIUM MUSICUM 90 UNDER SIMON STANDAGE
Handel at the Opera - CHAN 0650
Handel - Apollo e Daphne - CHAN 0583
Handel - Concerti Grossi Op. 6, Volume 1 - CHAN 0600
Handel - Concerti Grossi Op. 6, Volume 2 - CHAN 0616
Handel - Concerti Grossi Op. 6, Volume 3 - CHAN 0622

John Hebden
(England, 1712–1765)

Six Concertos for Strings
edited by Ruzena Wood
continuo realisation by Ian Robertson

Cantilena
Adrian Shepherd

Cantilena's meticulously researched performance of these works remains the only one in existence, making this reissue all the more valuable.

Hebden's Concertos for Strings represent the best of the fine, yet comparatively unknown, music written in England in the mid-eighteenth century.

Hebden's tuneful and graceful concertos (published 1749) are written in the baroque style, though his use of keys and harmony is surprisingly unconventional.

Notes on John Hebden

REVIEWS

‘Hebden's counterpoint flows so irresistibly that it seems extraordinary he should have been forgotten for so long… the playing… well conveys Hebden's qualities.’
Gramophone

SELECTED PREVIOUS RELEASES FROM ADRIAN SHEPHERD AND CANTILENA
Arne – Four Symphonies – CHAN 8403
Abel – Six Symphonies – CHAN 8648
Boccherini – Seven Symphonies – CHAN 8414/5

Sergey Vasil’yevich Rachmaninov
(Russia, 1873–1943)

Symphony No. 2, Op. 27 in E minor
(Complete Version)

Philharmonia Orchestra
Mariss Jansons

This perennially popular recording of Rachmaninov’s second symphony, conducted by Mariss Jansons, has been repackaged.

Mariss Jansons is considered to be at his best in Russian repertoire and his recordings for Chandos are thought by many to be his most distinguished. His renowned Tchaikovsky recordings with the Oslo Philharmonic are still regarded as the finest interpretations of the repertoire and still rank among Chandos' most popular discs.

The opulent Chandos recording perfectly captures the sumptuousness of Rachmaninov's music.

Rachmaninov and his Second Symphony

REVIEWS

‘Jansons’ [version] deserves to be heard for his fine control of the score, the excitement of the fast movements and the lyricism of the slow movement and those wonderful pages in the scherzo where Rachmaninov creates one of his marvellous ‘big tunes’. Congratulations to Chandos too for a vivid recording.’
Classic CD

PREVIOUS RELEASES FROM MARISS JANSONS
Tchaikovsky - The Complete Symphonies - CHAN 8672–8