For customers of Banks of York, please note that they no longer offer a CD / DVD ordering service, but they have been kind enough to recommend our services. We will order any kind of music for you on CD or DVD. Not only that, if the specific performance you require is deleted, we will do our best to track down a new or used copy and quote you a price without obligation. To order, just contact peter@pomp-and-circumstance.co.uk with details of what you want. If you don't have the exact details, don't worry - just give me a call on 01423 504035 and describe it and/or tell me on which radio or TV programme you heard it. Alternatively, whistle or hum it to me over the phone - you'd be surprised at how many I've identified successfully!
Gift Tokens
We sell gift tokens which are redeemable in person, or for use with our mail order service. You choose the amount you wish to spend. Just give us a call on 01423 504035 to arrange payment etc. The tokens are valid for one year.
Mail order
The charge for posting single CDs within the UK is £1.25; for doubles, boxed sets etc - please enquire.
In unfamiliar territory?
If you want to buy a CD for a friend or loved one who likes classical or jazz but don’t know what to choose, we’d be happy to advise. We won’t confuse you with jargon, nor will we patronise you – we’re just here to help. Our number again: 01423 504035.
Gift ideas for the music lover who has everything
Here's a few suggestions if you're struggling to find something a bit different, or a bit special....
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A lovely, ardent violin sonata, performed with passion
Guillaume Lekeu’s (1870-1894) teacher was Cesar Franck, and the influence of his mentor’s violin sonata is evident. When I played this for the first time in the shop, I sold three in 30 minutes! The Chausson is lovely too.
Details: Artek AR-1003-2. Lekeu: Violin Sonata in G Major; Chausson: Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet in D Major, Op. 21. Elmar Oliveira (vln), Robert Koenig (pno), Vista Nuova Ensemble. TT 68.07.
Price: £16.40.
To reserve a copy to buy in person from our shop, or purchase by mail order, click here
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Another winner from Jordi Savall
His second volume of early Celtic music on original instruments, in glorious sound. Somehow the jigs and reels sound contemporary - or is this music somehow timeless? Includes a substantial, beautifully illustrated booklet. Details: Alia Vox AVSA 9878. The Celtic Viol, vol 2. An Homage to the Irish and Scottish Musical Traditions. Jordi Savall (Treble and Lyra Viols); Andrew Lawrence-King (Irish Harp & Psalterium); Frank McGuire (Traditional tuneable Bodhran).
Price: £16.40.
Also available: Celtic Viol [vol 1] Alia Vox AVSA 9865 £16.40
To reserve a copy to buy in person from our shop, or purchase by mail order, click here
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The Complete Bach Edition
Everything Bach wrote – cantatas, masses, concertos, works for organ and keyboard etc. – under the direction of the great Bach scholar Helmuth Rilling in this complete Bach edition on 172 CDs. This deluxe new edition includes all 172 CDs published in the original edition. Each disc comes securely packaged in an individual sleeve all of which are housed inside a handsome keepsake display box. Two booklets (more than 500 pages combined) provide a handy index for each track and a newly produced CD-ROM (utilizing the latest Adobe Flash Player 10 compatible with all Windows and Mac 05) includes the complete texts, translations and booklet notes (more than 5,000 pages) in German, English, French and Spanish. Weighing in at 4 kg and with the dimensions of 41 x 14.5 x 14.5 cm, this is an item to treasure.
Details: Hannsler Classics 098.620.000. Helmuth Rilling; various performers.
Price: Normally £255.75, our price £230.65.
To reserve a copy to buy in person from our shop, or purchase by mail order, click here
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The greatest piano concerto you've never heard
.....may be the 2nd by Sergei Bortkiewicz. Not heard of him? Neither had I, but it's absolutely stunning. His 1st is on vol 4 of the marvellous Romantic Piano Concertos series from Hyperion, coupled with Arensky's Concerto in F Minor (Hyperion CDA66624), available from us at £15.40. Back to the 2nd - it was commissioned from the composer by Paul Wittgenstein, the pianist who lost his right arm in the First World War (he also commissioned works for left hand by Ravel, Britten, Prokofiev and others). Coupled with the 3rd, it's an absolute winner and sure to delight anyone who loves Rachmaninov, or romantic piano concertos in general. Both are world premiere recordings. TT:58.32.
Details: Nederlands Muziek Instituut C13172. Stefan Doniga (piano) with the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by David Porcelijn.
Price: £16.40.
Also available: Piano Works played by Klaas Trapman. Vol 1 (2CD) WVH 271272; Vol 2 (2CD) STEMRA / C10946; Vol 3 (2CD) STEMRA / C11778 £19.50 each. Complete works for violin and piano: Violin Sonata in G Minor Op. 26, Suite for Violin and Piano Op. 63, Three Piano Pieces (transcribed for violin and piano by the composer); Rachmaninov: Deux Morceaux de Salon Op. 6. Christian Persinaru (vln) / Nils Franke (pno). Warner Apex 2564619902 £6.15
To reserve a copy to buy in person from our shop, or purchase by mail order, click here
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More romantic piano concertos!
A fantastic set from re-issue specialists Brilliant Classics – 20CDs of mostly unfamiliar but nevertheless wonderful piano concertos from the 19th century. These recordings first appeared in the 1960s on Vox / Turnabout LPs, and some were issued later on CD (in case you’re wondering, the sound is excellent). I’m working my way through them at the moment and so far each disc has been a delight.
Details: Brilliant Classics 9021. Composers featured: Alkan, Berwald, Schumann, Liszt, Clementi, Field, Hummel, Czerny, Cramer, Ries, Gershwin, Barber, Litolff, Sinding, Henselt, Hiller, Chopin, Kalkbrenner, Lalo, Glazunov, D’Albert, Bronsart, MacDowell, Beach, Mayr, Roussel, Pierne, Medtner, Balakirev, Lyapunov, Moscheles, Moszkowski, Scharwenka, Raff, Mosonyi, Stavenhagen, Reinecke, Mendelssohn, Rheinberger, Rubinstein, Thalberg, Schubert/Liszt, Weber/Liszt, Goetz, Weber, Tchaikovsky. Performers include Michael Ponti and Eugene List. 20 CDs + CD-Rom of booklet.
Price: £44.10.
To reserve a copy to buy in person from our shop, or purchase by mail order, click here
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An evocation of English pastoral beauty
The beautifully liquid tone of Robert Plane’s clarinet in Finzi’s concerto captivates one immediately. Strongly recommended.
Details: Naxos 8.553417. Finzi: Clarinet Concerto Op. 31; Five Bagatelles Op. 23A; Love's Labours Lost, Op 28: 3 Soliloquies; A Severn Rhapsody, Op. 3; Romance in E flat major, Op. 11; Introit in F major, Op. 6. Robert Plane (clnt) / Howard Griffiths / Northern Sinfonia. TT: 71.04.
Price: £6.15.
To reserve a copy to buy in person from our shop, or purchase by mail order, click here
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A truly great first symphony by a Russian composer
...whose name is not exactly a household word – Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov (1866-1901). But this marvellous work (which reminds me of Borodin at his most tuneful) is well worth discovering. The reflective second movement is one where time seems to stand still – glorious.
Details: Naxos 8.553417. Kalinnikov Symphonies 1 and 2. Theodore Kuchar / National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. TT 78.50.
Price: £6.15.
To reserve a copy to buy in person from our shop, or purchase by mail order, click here
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Gramophone Award Winners and Nominees 2011
With this CD, not only did the Pavel Haas Quartet win the award for the best chamber music disc of 2011, but also claimed the coveted Recording of the Year accolade too! Ravishing and thoroughly idiomatic playing distinguishes the performances of Dvorak's String Quartets in G Major, Op. 106 and F Major, Op. 96 'The American'. This is not the Pavel Haas Quartet's first success at the Gramophone Awards: their very first CD (Leos Janacek's and Pavel Haas's String Quartets SU3877-2) received a Gramophone Award 2007, and their two subsequent recordings were shortlisted. The Recording of the Year award is, however, the first of its kind for the Quartet and the Supraphon label.
"We have no doubt that this month's Recording of the Year, the Pavel Haas Quartet's CD of Dvorak Quartets Nos 12 (American) and 13 has every chance of earning such status. 'Plenty of feeling', 'rhythmic cut and thrust', 'drama' - these are the words and phrases Gramophone turned to when initially reviewing this remarkable recording. Do listen for yourself, and hear a superb ensemble on absolutely top form".
The Gramophone
Our price: £12.99. To reserve a copy to buy in person from our shop, or purchase by mail order, click here
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Gramophone Award Winners and Nominees 2011
If you are unfamiliar with the process, three discs are nominated for each category, then one is chosen as the winner of that category. Finally, an overall Recording of the Year is named. The categories for 2011 were:
Disc Awards
- Baroque Instrumental
- Baroque Vocal
- Chamber
- Choral
- Concerto
- Contemporary
- DVD Documentary
- DVD Performance
- Early Music
- Historic
- Instrumental
- Opera
- Orchestral
- Recital
- Solo Vocal
- Editor's Choice
Special Awards
- Artist of the Year
- Specialist Classical Chart
- Label of the Year
- Young Artist of the Year
- Special Achievement
- Lifetime Achievement
- Music in the Community Award
Visit http://www.gramophone.co.uk/awards/2011 for details of the wonderful discs that made the short list this year. All of them are stunning in their own way and can be recommended unreservedly.
To order or reserve any of the nominated CDs and/or category winners, click here.
Unwanted gifts, returns etc
If the item you purchased is still sealed, we are happy to exchange it for something of no less than equal value. Please note that proof of purchase is essential to such transactions.
We will issue you with a credit for the sum owing if you cannot find anything suitable. We only offer cash refunds for faulty items.
The exception to the above is as follows: we cannot accept returns for non-stock items - i.e., those ordered specially for a customer - as we are unable to return firm orders to our suppliers. If however the item is faulty we will of course obtain a replacement for you.
Contact us to contribute your views, make comments and ask questions.
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