Specialists in Classical, Jazz, World and Folk Music CDs and DVDs

We’ve taken yet another delivery of classic jazz vinyls and jazz CD’s here at Forsyth’s.  New vinyl reissues include Miles Davis’s ‘Birth of the Cool’ and ‘Monk’s Music’ from the Thelonious Monk Septet.   There’s plenty of classic jazz on the little silver discs  including new and recent re-issues of Dave Brubeck, Count Basie, Art Pepper and Bill Evans.

And if that doesn’t make you nostalgic then our growing range of nostalgia CD’s probably will.  How about some Jacques Brel or Al Bowlly? We even have some Reginald Dixon (at the organ of the Tower Blackpool) and you may even find several great British dance bands sharing shelf space with the loony (but brilliant) Spike Jones.  So if you fancy singing along to such classics as ‘Leave the Dishes in the Sink, Ma’ and ‘Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy’ why not drop in for a browse? We also post things world wide so Spike Jones fans in far reaching parts of the globe won’t  miss out!

Forsyth’s staff are a talented lot.  Our piano sheet music specialist, Peter Smith, has just made a CD which is now available in the record department.  Called ‘A Gallery of Miniatures’ it’s a beautifully played selection of Russian and French piano miniatures, including music by Cui, Borodin, Hahn and Widor.  Peter plays recitals in Manchester but if you haven’t been fortunate enough to hear him here’s your opportunity to acquaint yourself with a really fine young pianist.  And if you come into the shop when he’s here he’ll probably autograph a copy for you.

Pianist Vladimir Horowitz left such a vast legacy of recordings that it would seem impossible for any new release of Horowitz material to add anything new to the picture.  Wrong!  Between 1945 and 1950 Mr Horowitz had many of his Carnegie Hall recitals recorded by a private company.  The discs were donated to Yale University not long before he died and there they have languished - until now.  (more…)

The vinyl revival continues apace around the world with more classic titles from the LP era appearing in their original vinyl formats.  Whether you’re an audiophile convinced that analogue is king or someone nostalgic for the days of album covers and liner notes that you could actually read (!) then we may have something for you. 

We’ve just taken delivery of a first batch of classic jazz on 180 gram vinyl from Jazz Wax records.  There are several classics here  including J.J Johnson’s ‘First Place’, the most consistent first place winner in jazz polls throughout the world.  Other standout titles include ‘The Atomic Mr Basie’ one of the most successful LP’s by the Basie band, ‘Jazz Red Hot and Cool’ by the Dave Brubeck Quartet and ‘Everybody Digs Bill Evans’ .  All come complete with original covers and album notes.

Mention the word ‘coloratura’ to certain opera lovers and they’re bound to think of sopranos singing mad scenes or songs about birds or larks while letting off a dazzling array of high notes and runs that would confound any normal singer.  But centuries ago there were young men known as ‘castrati’ who performed this sort of repertoire thanks to the assistance of a certain ‘operation’ (all of which is described in the highly informative CD booklet).  Now Cecilia Bartoli has made this repertoire her own on this stunning new Decca CD which comes in a normal and a special 2 CD edition.    

Fans of the lovely Cecilia will know what to expect from their idol.  Needless to say, she delivers a stunning album with runs and embellishments that would have tested even the most brilliant members of the ‘golden age’ coloratura set.  Much of this music has never been recorded before (there are eleven world premiere recordings) and not all of it is florid.  There are one or two really fine slower arias which show off Bartoli’s lovely legato to perfection.  

I haven’t yet seen the deluxe edition but the art work included in the normal issue is stunning.

Pianist Alfred Brendel had been a presence on the world’s concert stages for around fifty years before his retirement in December last year.  He chose to bow out with the music that meant the most to him and which has inspired him throughout his long career - Mozart, Haydn, Bach, Beethoven and Schubert.

Now Decca has issued a recording of those farewell concerts comprising a concerto performance with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and a farewell recital given in Hanover.  (more…)

Fans of Bryn Terfel need not hesitate.  ‘Bad boy’ Bryn brings us a veritable line up of musical villains from the devil himself to Sweeney Todd, each of them sung with relish by the great bass baritone.   They’re all here from Verdi’s Iago to Roderic in Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘Ruddigore’.  Even Javert from ‘Les Mis’ makes an appearance.  The last track is a veritable tour de force - Terfel singing three different roles in the famous scene from ‘Don Giovanni’ where the Don is dragged down to hell.  A dark and often chilling listen.

It’s probably never been easier to access the world of opera on CD.  Now EMI are making 21 of their classic opera titles available at mid price and there are some wonderful treasures to be had.  Where to start?  With Mozart, perhaps.  Here are two classic recordings of ‘Don Giovanni’ and ‘Cosi fan tutte’ respectively, boasting fantastic casts which today could hardly be equalled let alone bettered.  The ‘Cosi’ is Bohm’s from 1962 with a mouthwatering lineup: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Alfredo Kraus and Walter Berry among others.  For sheer ‘goosebump’ territory sample this recording of the famous Trio - the balance and blend of voices is just astonishing. 
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Manchester based musicians Jonathan and Tom Scott can always be relied upon to come up with the unexpected!

This latest CD of duos for Harmonium and Piano is no exception.  Saint-Saens’ Six Duos, op 8 (for this combination) is the main work, the rest of the programme features works by Gounod, Mascagni, Guilmant and others, with an extraordinary rendition of Danse Macabre to finish.  Great fun!
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The good folk at EMI have been at it again, for close on the heels of their massive Stokowski set comes another delicious eight disc Icons issue celebrating  the art of violinist Nathan Milstein.  It’s simply entitled ‘Aristocrat of the Violin’ and, for many listeners, that seems to sum up the man and his career to a T.  Indeed, critic Harold Schoenberg once wrote that Milstein ‘could well have been the most nearly perfect violinist of his time’.

Not that he was ever without competition in that field.  (more…)