Recreation

New Titles Audio and Video February 2013 (arrived in January)

CDs

Blues

Brother sinner & the whale, Kelly Joe Phelps.
It’s amazing to consider how three days spent in a recording studio has allowed Phelps to redefine who he is as an artist with a solo record that builds on all of his lyrical, compositional and technical strengths to form the best album of his career.
Strictly whatever, Harry Manx & Kevin Breit.
Harry Manx has been dubbed an “essential link” between the music of East and West, creating musical short stories that wed the tradition of the Blues with the depth of classical Indian ragas.
The old grey whistle test. Blues.,
The revitalised Old Grey Whistle Test brand’s latest compilation taps the archives for a spread of live recordings.

Classical

Chamber works, Magnus Lindberg.
Consorts to the organ, William Lawes.
Piano quintet ; Piano quartet ; Marchenerzahlungen, Schumann.
Pianist Xiayin Wang and Fine Arts Quartet.
Canticum canticorum Salomonis, Penderecki.
Olga Pasichnyk (soprano) Rafal Bartminski (tenor) Tomasz Konieczny (bass) Jerzy Artysz (narrator) / Warsaw Philharmonic
Works for chorus and orchestra, Hubert Parry.
Soprano Amanda Roocroft and BBC National Chorus and Orchestra of Wales under Neeme Jarvi.
Violin concertos, Nielsen, Tchaikovsky.
Vilde Frang, violin. “Frang shows her mettle as soon as she touches Tchaikovsky’s first principal theme, inflected with dynamic dips and weavings guaranteed to make any listener sit up…Solid technique sees her through every peril Tchaikovsky offers, leaving her free to add wit to the dancing finale…The Nielsen itself brings its own special pleasures.” (The Times)
24 capriccos for solo violin, Pietro Antonio Locatelli
BBC Music Magazine, Best of the Year Award.
Works for violin and piano, Stravinsky.
Carolyn Huebl, violin. Stravinsky’s music for violin and piano was written for his duo with violinist Samuel Dushkin. Both the Suite italienne and Divertimento are arrangements of ballet scores, each work in turn an alchemic transformation of Baroque and Romantic styles into Stravinsky’s distinctive idiom. The enigmatic but unwaveringly expressive Duo Concertant was Stravinsky’s only original work in this form.
Music for two pianos, Messiaen, Debussy.
Ralph Van Raat and Hakan Austbo. “Their approach, characterised by fierce dynamic contrasts, jagged phrasing and explosive fortissimos, suits Messiaen’s highly coloured extremes of rapture and religious awe far more convincingly than it does Debussy’s much more svelte textures, in which van Raat and Austbo seem to mistake capriciousness for emotional turmoil.” The Guardian April 2012
Piano music. 3, Xavier Montsalvatge.
Featuring BBC Philharmonic.
Preludes, books 1 & 2, Debussy.
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano.
Prussian sonatas, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.
Susan Alexander-Max, fortepiano.
Four symphonies, Franz Xaver Dussek.
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, Aapo Häkkinen. “Häkkinen directs from a fortepiano, appropriately so. He uses it to decoarte lines and enhance tonal colour, eschewing the infuriating anachronism of emphasising harmonic rhythm…[in the Andante of Bb3, Häkkinen] inspires his musicians into a softly atmospheric evocation of pastoral spaciousness interspersed with shadows of gentle agitation. Excellent.” Gramophone Magazine, Editor’s Choice Awards Issue 2012
Symphony no. 3 ; Cross Lane fair, Peter Maxwell Davies.
“[The Symphony] is Davies at his most uncompromisingly brooding: intensity ingrained into every bar, a new kind of symphonic logic pursued with frightening relentlessness. For a listener who is, as Susan Sontag called herself, “a zealot of seriousness”, the rewards are deep and stirring.” (Sunday Times)
Symphony no. 5 ; The year 1941, Prokoviev.
“The Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra and its conductor Marin Alsop held my attention as never before…The Fifth Symphony comes up trumps in a dramatic yet highly polished performance…I was particularly impressed by how Alsop brings out the first movement’s characteristic power with a purposefulness that prevents it from seeming merely ponderous…Altogether, this first volume of Prokofiev is an outstanding achievement.” (BBC Music Five Stars)
Psalms, Mendelssohn ; Kreek.
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir perform psalm settings by Mendelssohn and Estonian composer Cyrillus Kreek.
Sound the trumpet : royal music of Purcell and Handel/ Alison Balsom., Alison Balsom
“The music is glorious; so is Balsom’s artistry as she weaves a flawless path alongside Trevor Pinnock’s English Concert” (The Times)
Symphony no. 9, Philip Glass.
Bruckner Orchester Linz under Dennis Russell Davies.
Stephen Hough’s French album., Stephen Hough
“His latest album recital is among the most enjoyable. “A sort of musical dessert trolley,” he calls it - a trolley where you want to eat everything in sight…The Fauré selections best display Hough’s connoisseur’s touch…The lighter French spirit surfaces in Hough’s own arrangements of Délibes and Massenet, delivered with delicious wit and grace.” (The Times)
Symphony no. 1, Mahler.
Marin Alsop and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Don Giovanni, Mozart.
The complete opera with Elena Vink, Nancy Argenta, Christina Hegman, Markus Schefer / La Petite Bande under Sigiswald Kuijken.
La finta giardiniera, Mozart.
Sophie Karthauser, Jeremy Ovenden under the baton of Rene Jacobs. “Jacobs now offers the best sung and characterised La Finta Giardiniera on disc…The brilliant, minutely responsive Freiburg period band, too, plays words as well as tones. And the cast, several of them Jacobs regulars, do well both individually and as a quick-witted ensemble team” (Gramophone)
The art of Bryn Terfel., Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel is one of Britain’s best-loved singers, as comfortable in popular musical repertoire as he is in the great roles of opera.
Opera arias, Vivaldi.
Features Roberta Invernizzi. “Invernizzi, perhaps the most exciting Italian Baroque soprano today, chooses three of the most flamboyant [’storm’ arias] and dazzles with her coruscating yet perfectly controlled coloratura…La Risonanza, pounding, strumming continuo to the fore, match Invernizzi all the way in flair and theatrical intensity…In sum, another winner for La Risonanza and a triumph for Invernizzi.” Gramophone Award Nomination 2012
Orlando 1714, Vivaldi.
“It contains some extremely effective music, bracingly performed by Federico Maria Sardelli’s lively Italian period-instrument group Modo Antiquo and soloists, among whom Roberta Mameli’s lustrous soprano shines in one tiny, brilliant aria that steals the show.” (The Observer)

Country

Little victories, Chris Knight.
“Little Victories” is a record of blunt honesty, elegiac truths and raw rural poetry of an artist who’s come into his own and intends to stay.
Sounds of the Pacific, Dennis Marsh.
A brand new studio album of handpicked classics performed with a pacific feel.
Through the years : live, Glen Campbell.
Plenty, Walt Wilkins.
Plenty, the all new release from Walt Wilkins contains songs written by Walt, and some friends including Liz Rose, Brandon Kinney, Billy Montana, Monte Warden, Autumn Boukadakis and Lori McKenna.

Easy Listening

Greatest hits, The King’s Singers.
Pure imagination, Rebecca Nelson.
The best easy listening album in the world– ever!,

Jazz

1619 Broadway : the Brill Building project, Kurt Elling.
Kurt Elling is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. He has been named ’Male Singer of the Year’ by the Jazz Journalists Association on half a dozen occasions in the past ten years.
Swept away, Marc Johnson, Elaine Elias.
Swept Away sees the top-class quartet of pianist Eliane Elias, double-bassist Marc Johnson, drummer Joey Baron and saxophonist Joe Lovano commune over music that is engaging and sensual, lyrical and swinging.

Musical

Standing ovation : the greatest songs from the stage, Susan Boyle
Her fourth studio album in three years, Standing Ovation, sees Susan Boyle and world acclaimed producer Biff Stannard join forces to present an album of songs from the golden era of film and stage that spans the generations.

Opera

Don Chisciotte alle nozze di Gamaccio, SaverioMercadante.

Popular

Lotus, Christina Aguilera.
I awake, Sarah Blasko.
Sydney songstress & member of Seeker Lover Keeper, recorded mostly in Sweden & partly in Bulgaria with the local Symphony Orchestra.
Fear & freedom, Ricki-Lee.
Sans attendre, Celine Dion.
Five years after her last French-language album, Celine Dion returns with Sans Attendre, an album filled with pure emotion, evocative lyrics and powerful
My journey, Karise Eden.
Winner of The Voice Australia, 2012, Karise Eden presents her debut album – a collection of songs that she has performed during the show plus 4 brand new recordings.
R.E.D., Ne-Yo.
R.E.D., an acronym for Realizing Every Dream.

Rock

Big beach bootique. 5, Fat Boy Slim.
Elvis as recorded at Madison Square Garden, Elvis Presley
Fifty big ones : greatest hits, The Beach Boys.
Last of a dyin’ breed, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Seminal Southern rock lords Lynyrd Skynyrd present their new studio album, ‘Last of a Dying Breed’ – the long-running band’s follow-up to 2009’s ‘God & Guns’.
Sounds that can’t be made, Marillion.
Marillion are one of the UK music scene’s best kept secrets; purveyors of soulful, powerful, and often deeply-moving music, with a long-standing reputation for blistering live shows which have earned them an impressive and faithful global fanbase.
Take the crown, Robbie Williams.
Take the Crown, Robbie’s first solo set since 2009’s Reality Killed the Video Star, aims to reclaim his position as one of pop’s foremost solo artists.
The orbserver in the star house, The Orb ; featuring Lee Scratch Perry.
The Orb virtually invented the electronic genre known as ambient house, resurrecting slower, more soulful rhythms and providing a soundtrack for early-morning ravers once the clubs closed their doors.
WhoCares, Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi.
Anastasis, Dead Can Dance.
After a 16-year gap between albums, Dead Can Dance (Brendan Perry & Lisa Gerrard) finally return with their mesmerising ‘Anastasis’.
Babel, Mumford & Sons.
The follow up to Mumford & Sons multi-platinum Sigh No More.
Come of age, The Vaccines.
‘Come Of Age’ (Produced by Ethan Johns) follows their UK platinum selling, Brit nominated and NME award winning debut, ’What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’ which was released in 2011.
Four, Bloc Party.
An English rock band, composed of Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Russell Lissack (lead guitar), Gordon Moakes (bass guitar, synths, backing vocals, glockenspiel), and Matt Tong (drums, backing vocals). Their brand of music is said to have been drawn from such bands as Mogwai, The Cure, Joy Division, Sonic Youth, and in their more recent work, Radiohead.
Gods of rock.,
‘Gods of Rock’ features 38 stadium anthems from the golden era of rock. Includes hits by Poison, Kiss, Whitesnake, Foreigner, Skid Row, David Lee Roth and many
Hot cakes, The Darkness.
The Darkness are back with ‘Hot Cakes’, their first album in 7 years.
Live at River Plate, AC/DC.
Recorded in Buenos Aires, December 2009, this 2CD set captures the legendary grandeur, excitement and energy of an AC/DC live performance.
Music from the winery tour 2007-2013 [sound recording].,
Featuring Bic Runga, Boh Runga, Brooke Fraser, Goldenhorse, Anika Moa, Dave Dobbyn, Opshop, Midnight Youth, Avalanche City, The Mutton Birds, Gin and more!
Now that’s what I call a no. 1.,
Released to celebrate 60 years of the Official Singles Chart, Now That’s What I Call a No. 1 features some of the biggest hits in pop music history including tracks from Adele, Robbie Williams, Abba, Kylie Minogue, Celine Dion, Oasis, Coldplay, Rod Stewart, David Bowie and many more.
Now that’s what I call chill.,
The ultimate chill-out experience. Includes tracks from Coldplay, Emeli Sandé, Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Rey, Robbie Williams and Lily Allen.
Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da, Madness.
The archetypal pop group and ultimate singles band, Madness have been making records since 1979.
Push and shove, No Doubt.
Push And Shove is the first album since 2001 from Grammy Award-winning group No Doubt.
Southern air, Yellowcard.
Yellowcard’s sixth studio effort features their pounding pop-punk sound, while of course highlighting the trademark violin.
The old grey whistle test. Live.,
The revitalised Old Grey Whistle Test brand’s latest compilation taps the archives for a spread of live recordings.
The very best of the Kinks & Ray Davies, The Kinks
The very best of the Stone Roses., Stone Roses
Meshing ’60s-styled guitar pop with an understated ’80s dance beat, the Stone Roses defined the British guitar pop scene of the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Uno!, Green Day.
Uno is the first of a trilogy of albums released by the band in the space of a four-month period, as they attempt to create a leaner, meaner rock sound than their most previous studio albums.
Love & hate, 50 Cent.
Hands of glory, Andrew Bird.
The latest album was inspired by Bird’s recent “old-time” live sets; it was recorded with Bird’s full band, all playing acoustic instruments, gathered around a single microphone in a church and a barn.
The midsummer station, Owl City.
Infectious electronica-pop project Owl City (Adam Young) returns with The Midsummer Station, the act’s fourth album.
Global warming, Pitbull.
Live in France, 2004, Patti Smith.
Listening, Ben Taylor.
The fourth full-length studio album from singer/songwriter/actor Ben Taylor, the son of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer James Taylor and multiple Grammy Award-winner Carly Simon.
The story of light : real illusions: of Steve Vai., Steve Vai
Virtuoso guitarist and visionary composer Steve Vai presents the second installment of the Real Illusions trilogy, ‘The Story of Light’, a new solo album of original material.

World

Buddhist chants : music for relaxation & meditation.,
Election special, Ry Cooder.
America does have a tradition of campaigning songwriting, though it has rarely been as overt as Cooder’s approach here. He plays a variety of instruments, with son Joachim on drums, on a snarling succession of songs aimed right at jugular of the 2012 election.
He rangi paihuarere : a tribute to the late Dr. Hirini Melbourne., Hirini Melbourne
He Rangi Paihuarere (A Tribute To The Late Dr Hirini Melbourne) features some of today’s upcoming and established Maori musicians including; Tama Waipara, Maisey Rika, Ria Hall, Anna Coddington, Te Awanui Reeder (Nesian Mystik) and Warren Maxwell (Little Bushman) are part of this new project which sees them give their own twist to some of Hirini Melbourne’s songs.

DVDs

Steptoe & son. The Christmas specials, Writtenby Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
The well-digger’s daughter, A film by Daniel Auteuil.
Set in pre-WWII France with Daniel Auteuil and Sabine Azema.
Walk on water, Directed by Eytan Fox.
Israeli film about a homophobic Israeli agent sent to assassinate a Nazi war criminal.
Loud tour live at the O2, Rihanna.

Comedy

A small Samoan wedding., Laughing Samoans
Absolutely fabulous. Ab fab at 20,

Dance

Jewels, Directed by Brian Large.
Marinsky Ballet & Orchestra.

Documentary

Wal-Mart : the high cost of low price, Produced and directed by Robert Greenwald.
Cave of forgotten dreams, Written and directed by Werner Herzog.
Documentay about an expedition into the nearly inaccessible Chauvet Cave in France.

Film

Cheerful weather for the wedding, Directed by Donald Rice.
Elizabeth McGovern and Felicity Jones in an English comedy.
Darling companion, Directed by Lawrence Kasdan.
Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Sam Shepard.
Farinelli, il castrato, Directed by Gerard Corbiau.
French/Belgian film about the young castrati.
Five minutes of heaven, Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.
Liam Neeson, NIamh Cusack and James Nesbitt.
Flame and Citron, Directed by Ole Christian Madsen.
Story of Danish Resistance group in WWII.
John Carter, Directed by Andrew Stanton.
Taylor Kitsch and Samantha Morton.
Man on a ledge, Directed by Asger Leth.
Thriller with Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks and Jamie Bell.
Prayers for Bobby, Directed by Russell Mulcahy.
True story about a gay rights crusader with Sigourney Weaver and Henry Czerny.
Snow White and the huntsman, Directed by RupertSanders
Charlize Theron, Kristin Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Ray Winstone.
The deep blue sea, Directed by Terence Davies.
Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston and Simon Russell Beale in adaptation of the Terence Rattigan play.
What to expect when you’re expecting, Directed by Kirk Jones.
Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock, etc.
Gray matters, Written and directed by Sue Kramer
Heather Graham, Alan Cumming and Sissy Spacek.
Ian Fleming’s On her Majesty’s secret service, Directed by Peter Hunt
George Lazenby’s turn as Bond.
Water for elephants, Directed by Francis Lawrence.
Adaptation of the Sara Gruen novel with Reese Witherspoon and elephants.

Music

Musical landscapes.,
Songs of praise : in fine voice.,
Songs that won the war.,
The Pogues in Paris : 30th anniversary concert at the Olympia.,
The folk years, Bob Dylan.
So, Peter Gabriel.
Dreaming, Andre Rieu.
Ringo Starr & his All Starr Band live at the Greek Theatre 2008,

Musical

Cliff Richard’s Heathcliff, Directed byTerence Bulley.
My blue heaven, Directed by Henry Koster.
1950 musical with Betty Grable, David Wayne and Mitzi Gaynor.

Non-fiction

The magical world of trains,
Summer slam. 2012,

Rock

Celebration day, Led Zeppelin.
Reece Mastin : behind closed doors.,

TV Series

Jonathan Creek. The grinning man.,
Jonathan Creek. The Judas tree.,
Parky’s picks., Michael Parkinson
Parkinson’s interviews over the years.

Talking Books

Adventure

The innocent, David Baldacci.
False friends(MP3), Stephen Leather.
A bitter field(MP3), Jack Ludlow.
The Mauritius command, Patrick O’Brian.
A good girl comes undone, Polly Williams.

Fantasy

Whispers under ground(MP3), Ben Aaronovitch.

Fiction

Lionel Asbo : state of England, Martin Amis.
Muddy waters(MP3), Judy Astley.
Eclipse, John Banville.
Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe(MP3), Jenny Colgan.
The white shadow [electronic resource (Playaway)], Andrea Eames.
A visit from the Goon Squad [electronic resource (Playaway)], Jennifer Egan.
The forgotten waltz, Anne Enright.
The governor’s wife(MP3), Mark Gimenez.
The patchwork marriage, Jane Green.
The red house [electronic resource (Playaway)], Mark Haddon.
The descendants [electronic resource (Playaway)], Kaui Hart Hemmings.
The snow child(MP3), Eowyn Ivey.
Various pets alive & dead [electronic resource (Playaway)], Marina Lewycka.
Archipelago, Monique Roffey.
That Gallagher girl(MP3), Kate Thompson.
Skagboys [electronic resource (Playaway)], Irvine Welsh.

Historical

The secret life of William Shakespeare [electronic resource (Playaway)], Jude Morgan.
Abdication, Juliet Nicolson.
The Queen and Lord M(MP3), Jean Plaidy.
Habits of the house, Fay Weldon.

Horror

Classic tales of hauntings, the Story Circle.

Mystery

Dead scared [electronic resource (Playaway)], S.J. Bolton.
The DROP [electronic resource (Playaway)], Michael Connelly.
The wrath of angels(MP3), John Connolly.
All that remains [electronic resource (Playaway)], Patricia Cornwell.
Hornet’s nest, Patricia Cornwell.
No mark upon her [electronic resource (Playaway)], Deborah Crombie.
Paul Temple and the Harkdale robbery, Francis Durbridge.
In the darkness, Karin Fossum.
A question of identity, Anthea Fraser.
Fault line [electronic resource (Playaway)], Robert Goddard.
Death trap(MP3), Patricia Hall.
The case of the deadly butter chicken, Tarquin Hall.
Maps of hell(MP3), Paul Johnston.
Dark angel [electronic resource (Playaway)], Mari Jungstedt.
Inspector Ghote trusts the heart, H.R.F. Keating.
Capital crimes(MP3), Faye & Jonathan Kellerman.
Backlash, Lynda La Plante.
Live by night(MP3), Dennis Lehane.
Death and the maiden(MP3), Gladys Mitchell.
The bat(MP3), Jo Nesbo.
Kill Alex Cross(MP3), James Patterson.
The beautiful mystery(MP3), Louise Penny.
A name in blood, Matt Rees.
A demon in my view, Ruth Rendell.
Meltwater(MP3), Michael Ridpath.

Non-fiction

A seaside practice(MP3), Tom Smith.
Your voice in my head, Emma Forrest.
Grace, Grace Coddington.
Last of the summer wine(MP3), Andrew Vine.
The folklore of Discworld, Terry Pratchett & Jacqueline Simpson.
Murderers and other friends, John Mortimer.
Commando(MP3), James Owen.
A daughter’s tale [electronic resource (Playaway)] : the memoir of Winston and Clementine Churchill’s youngest child, Mary Soames.

Saga

Wish me luck(MP3), Margaret Dickinson.
The Cornish house(MP3), Liz Fenwick.
Lights of Liverpool(MP3), Ruth Hamilton.
Softly grow the poppies, Audrey Howard.
The kissing gate(MP3), Susan Sallis.

Science Fiction

Star wars, the old Republic. Annihilation, Drew Karpyshyn.