Adams
Harmonielehre

There are not many recordings of this work. If we disregard the Edo de Waart recording - part of a massive 10 CD box ( 7559794532) then Simon Rattle would look the obvious alternative on EMI CDC5550512. In addition to the full 39 minutes of Harmonielehre the CD also includes The Chairman Dances from Nixon in China, 2 Fanfares, Tromba lontana and Short Ride in a Fast Machine. An excellent choice at full price.

Rodrigo
Concierto de Aranjuez

Recently Naxos have been issuing a series of Rodrigo Orchestral works and this concerto occurs on volume 2 (8555841) along with the Concierto Andaluz and the Fantasia para un gentilhombre. At mid price Decca have a winner with the Carlos Bonell performance with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Charles Dutoit, coupled with El Amor Brujo and Nights in the Gardens of Spain (4307032).

Dvorak
Slavonic Dances

You may feel you need both sets of these works, in which case there is a Naxos recording of the complete sets on 855 0143 from the Slovak PO under Zdenek Kosler. In the mid price band Rafael Kubelik’s set is a fine choice now available on DG’s Originals series 457 7122. However Universal have also made this available in a 3 CD set with Overtures and Symphonic Poems, DG Trio 469 3662.

Respighi
Pines of Rome

Naxos couple the Pines of Rome with the Fountains of Rome and the Feste Romane on 8550539. The first two are also on a Decca CD from Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland Orchestra, together with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Golden Cockerel Suite on a mid price CD 466 9932. There is a legendary account of the Pines of Rome and the Fountains of Rome dating from 1959 by Fritz Reiner on RCA which captures the frisson of these works. This is available with a choice of couplings.
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