I hesitate to do this, as in a sense, it seems the height of ego. But what the hell? I'm an egotist, although I try to keep my inflated sense of self-worth under control. I especially enjoyed these CDs and books during 2009. URLs following each entry lead to my reviews. Books Stephen Banfield. Gerald Finzi: An English Composer. Faber & Faber. http://www.classical.net/music/books/reviews/0571195989a.php Stephen Walsh. Stravinsky -- The Second Exile: France and America, 1934-1971. University of California Press. http://www.classical.net/music/books/reviews/0520256158a.php CDs Berio - Folk Songs. Berberian/Berio. RCA 09026-62540 http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/r/rca62540a.php French Orchestral Music. Music by Bizet, Chabrier, and Saint-Saens. Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra/Beecham EMI 3 79985 http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/e/emi79985a.php Gardner - Piano Concerto #1. Midsummer Ale. Symphony #1. Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Lloyd-Jones. Naxos 8.570406. http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/n/nxs70406a.php Harbison - Songs America Loves to Sing. Atlanta Chamber Players. MSR MS1190. http://www.classicalcdreview.com/1190.html I. Holst - Chamber Music. Court Lane Music. Court Lane CLM37601. http://www.classicalcdreview.com/37601.html Ives - Songs, v. 4-6. Various artists. Naxos 8.559272, 8.559273, 8.559274 http://www.classicalcdreview.com/8559272.html Kernis - Newly Drawn Sky. Symphony in Waves. Too Hot Toccata. Grant Park Orchestra/Kalmar Cedille 90000 105 http://www.classicalcdreview.com/90000105 Shostakovich - Violin Sonata. Weinberg - Violin Sonatas #3 & #4. Blacher, Nemtsov. Haenssler Classic CD93.190 http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/h/han93190a.php Thompson - Alleluia. Mass of the Holy Spirit. The Peaceable Kingdom, et al. Schola Cantorum of Oxford/Barton Hyperion CDA67679 http://www.classicalcdreview.com/67679.html Walton - Music to As You Like It & Hamlet. Bott, Gielgud, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Marriner Chandos CHAN10436X http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/c/cha10436a.php Walton - Music to Macbeth, Major Barbara, & Richard III. Gielgud, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Marriner. Chandos CHAN10435X http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/c/cha10435a.php Weinberg - The Golden Key, op. 55. Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra/Ermler. Olympia OCD473 http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/o/oly00473a.php Zaimont - Rags. Zaimont, Kosloff, The American Ragtime Ensemble/Reffkin, Davis, Solomon, Owens. MSR MSR1238. http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/m/msr01238b.php Accentus. Transcriptions. Choral arrangements of Mahler, Debussy, et al. Accentus/Equilbey http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/n/nai04947a.php Lieberson. Ravinia Recital, 2004. Songs and arias by Brahms, Handel, Debussy, et al. Lieberson, Minter, Serkin. Harmonia Mundi HMU907500 http://www.classicalcdreview.com/907500.html La traverse miraculeuse - French-Canadian Sea Songs by Hall, Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer, La Nef/Bergeron. ATMA Classique ACD2 2588 http://www.classicalcdreview.com/2588.html Happy listening in 2010. Steve Schwartz *********************************************** The CLASSICAL mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's HDMail High Deliverability Mailer for reliable, lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html