As we look towards the New Year and the New Millennium, Music on the Web
http://www.musicweb.uk.net celebrates with a clutch of new CD reviews.  We
have 75 reviews which include a special section covering 25 releases from
Naxos American Classics.  Some of these reviews have been presented before
but the majority are entirely new.  In the main review section we have
looked in depth at recordings of the film music of Honegger on Marc Polo
and orchestral music of Pfitzner on cpo.  Other outstanding recordings
include a live Beethoven Choral symphony from Klemperer, Hamelin playing
the Busoni concerto,.  Ian Lace has been very taken with John Cameron's
Missa Celtica, Humphrey Smith thinks he has made a real discovery with
Joseph Eybler's Christmas Oratorio, and Peter Grahame Woolf examines
Portraits and Horoscopes - an album of Roberto Gerhard; he has also
listened to and watched a couple of CDroms.  Rob Barnett finds Albany's
recording of the Korngold Piano Quintet the most impressive Korngold
Chamber recording yet.  Tony Duggan continues his Mahler Symphony survey
with the fifth symphony but has also reviewed Tilson Thomas' seventh, the
new Titan from Simax and a Song of the Earth to add to his previous survey.
John Belcher of the Rawsthorne Trust introduces the new Naxos recording of
the Piano Quintet and other chamber works and Gerald Fenech waxes lyrical
about Barbirolli reissues.  Gary Dalkin is also spreading his wings and is
becoming a regular classical reviewer in addition to his Film Music reviews
- he tackles some of the tougher music of Frank Bridge.  I have only had
time to produce one review this month where I have compared the new
Polyansky Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances with the highly regarded recording
from Ashkenazy - and demonstrate some reservations.

You may be aware that we now publish a daily review.  This slot is used
to both look forward to what is coming as well as presenting retrospective
reviews.  It is pleasing that this has picked up a steady number of
visitors over the last few weeks who seem to return regularly.  There is no
routine to this but we try to present Film Music reviews on Monday and
Wednesday.  Important live reviews or other notices have also been
presented.

Seen&Heard is our live concert review section and in the last month
has covered no less than three festivals:  The Huddersfield Contemporary
Festival, the John Downey Festival and the Warsaw Autumn Festival.  It has
also covered five opera performances, one film event and numerous concerts.
The Seen&Heard Editor is Peter Grahame Woolf.

Past reviews from this site are now also available at the website
http://www.cdreview.co.uk which you might find rather quicker and easier
to navigate as it uses a dynamic database.

 From the Music on the Web Team we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Best
Wishes for the Millennium.  Regards

Rob Barnett (Editor)
And
Len Mullenger (webmaster)