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Leroy
ANDERSON (1908-1975) Orchestral
Music - Volume 5 
BBC Concert Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin
rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.559382 [52:16][IL]
Goldilocks strikes gold ... see
Full Review
Charles AVISON
(1709-1770) 12 Concerti Grossi (1744) after Domenico
SCARLATTI (1685-1757)
The Avison Ensemble/Pavlo Beznosiuk rec. 2007
DIVINE ART DDA21213 [78:14 + 76:38][JW]
Technically
first class and thoroughly enjoyable ... see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Brandenburg
Concertos Orchestra
Mozart/Claudio Abbado rec. 2007
MEDICI ARTS 2056738 
[100:00][DC]
A
joyful experience ... see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) The
Well-Tempered Clavier: Books I and II
Vladimir Feltsman (piano) rec. 9-11, 16 December 1992 (Book I); 28-29
June, 1 July 1995 (Book II); American Academy and Institute of Arts
and Letters, New York City. DDD
NIMBUS NI2516/9 [4 CDs: 62:10 + 65:14 + 74:44 + 78:31]
[PL]
A
welcome addition to the Well-Tempered Clavier discography. ... see
Full Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Six Suites for solo cello
(1717-1723) Wolfgang
Boettcher (cello) rec. Wyastone, Monmouth, October 2001
NIMBUS NI 5834/5 [59.58 + 79.48]
[GH]
Little
in the way of ‘wow’ factor ... see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Bach on the Italian Lute (Gottfried) Heinrich STÖLZEL (1690-1749)
Bist du bei mir from Clavier-Büchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach
(arranged for solo lute by Peter Croton) [3:18]
Peter Croton (lute) rec. Basel City Studios, Switzerland, 23-26 January
2008. DDD. GUILD GMCD7321
[61:57 ]
[BW]
Good
performances but outshone by very strong competition ... see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Matthew Passion
Marcus Ullmann, Tölz Boys
Choir, KlangVerwaltung O/Enoch zu Guttenberg rec. 2003 (?)
FARAO B108035 [3 CDs:
158:39]
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Matthew Passion
Nicholas Mulroy, Dunedin
Consort & Players/John Butt rec. 2007
LINN RECORDS CKD313 
[3 CDs: 161:16] [JFL]
Maybe
not first choices, but both are essential listening ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685-1750) Goldberg
Variations, Chaconne (arr. Busoni) DongHyek
Lim (piano)
rec. 2008 EMI CLASSICS 2159782 [65:35]
[DC]
A
must for piano collectors ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685-1750) Jauchzet
Gott in allen Landen BWV51, Ich habe genug BWV82a, Mein
Herze schwimmt im Blut BWV199 Natalie
Dessay (soprano) Le Concert d’Astrée/Emmanuelle
Haïm rec. 2008 (includes bonus DVD from recording sessions) VIRGIN
CLASSICS 5193142 [63.55; DVD: 52:00] [MM-B]
A
mature artist who patently comprehends the beauty and purity of
the music ... see Full Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685–1739) Erschallet,
ihr Lieder BWV172, Himmelskönig, sei willkommen,
BWV182, Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV21 Emma
Kirkby, Michael Chance, Charles Daniels, Peter Harvey, Purcell
Qt
rec. 2007 CHANDOS CHAN0752(2) [49.04
+ 38.55] [RH]
Samuel
BARBER (1910–1981) The Complete Solo Piano Music
John
Browning (piano) rec. c.1993. DDD
NIMBUS NI 2528 [54:31]
[BBr]
Essential
listening ... see Full Review
Béla BARTÓK (1881-1945) Piano
Concerto No. 3 see PROKOFIEV
Jeremy BECK
(b. 1960)
Shadows & Light, Four Piano Pieces, Violin sonata 2, Never
Final, Never Gone, Flute sonata, Kopeyia
Nevsky String Quartet; Heather Coltman (piano); Tatiana Razoumova (violin);
Maria Kolaiko (piano) University of Northern Iowa Concert Chorale/Bruce
Chamberlain, Diane Beane (piano); Cynthia Ellis (flute); Roberta Garten
(piano); University of Northern Iowa Percussion Ensemble/Randy Hogancamp
rec. 1997-2003 INNOVA
696 [51:38] [MSJ]
Vital,
relevant music from a modern American tonal composer ... see Full
Review
HISTORICAL
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Symphony
3, Leonore Overtures 1 & 3
Philharmonia O/Otto Klemperer rec. 1954/5
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111303 [71:33]
[CC]
An
interpretation of giant stature and nobility ... see Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano
Sonatas Nos. 29 & 31
Rudolf Serkin (piano) rec. 1968-71
BBC LEGENDS BBCL42412 [65:44] [CC]
The
sheer dignity of Serkin’s Beethoven ... see Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1828) Piano
Sonatas Nos. 9, 23 & 32 Vassily
Primakov (piano) rec. 2006 BRIDGE
9251 [64:47][MM]
A
sense of discovery permeates these highly charged performances ... see
Full Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano
Sonatas Vol. 1 Piano sonatas 7, 8, 12, 23, 24 & 32 Christian
Leotta (piano)
rec. 2005/6 ATMA CLASSIQUE
ACD2 2486 [73:02 + 69:14] [TP]
Beethoven
thought through and on the expansive side ... see Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano
Concerto 4 Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony
2 Wilhelm Backhaus
(piano)
Vienna SO & PO/Karl
Böhm
rec. 1967/70 EUROARTS 2072058 [c.73:00]
[CH]
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Favourite
Piano Sonatas
Stephen Kovacevich (piano) rec. 1992-2003
EMI CLASSICS 2153142 [3 CDs: 76:54 + 73:58 + 79:12][JW]
Exceptional
pianism ... see Full Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano
Concertos 1 & 2 Idil
Biret (piano) Bilkent SO/Antoni Wit
rec. 2008 IDIL BIRET ARCHIVE
8.571253 [67:38]
[JS]
Real
alternative insights ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Vincenzo BELLINI
(1801-1835) La
Sonnambula Melodramma in two acts (2004 Critical Edition by
Alessandro Roccataglia and Luca Zappelli) (1831) Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo);
Juan Diego Florez (tenor); Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (bass); Liliana Nikitenau
(mezzo); Gemma Bertagnolli (soprano); Peter Kálman (bass)
Chorus of Zurich Opera House; Orchestra La Scintilla/Alessandro De Marchi
rec. June-July 2007, September 2008, Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirchemeinde
Zurich-Oberstrass. DDD
DECCA 478 1087 DH02 Limited Edition [59:10 + 75:01]
[RJF]
Bellini’s
lovely melodies into a new perspective. ... see Full
Review
George
BENJAMIN (b.1960)
Into the Little Hill (2006) [36:58]; Dance Figures (2004)
[16:01]; Sometime Voices (1996) [10:09]
Anu Komsi (soprano); Hilary Summers (alto); Dietrich Henschel (baritone)
Ensemble Modern, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester
Berlin, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Franck Ollu (conductor), Kent Nagano (conductor),
Oliver Knussen (conductor) rec. 9-11 November 2007, Bockenheimer Depot,
Frankfurt Opera; 29 March 2008, Barbican, London; 13 February 2005 Philharmonie,
Berlin. DDD NIMBUS NI5828
[67:14]
[CR]
Unmissable
... see Full Review
Alban BERG (1885-1935) Chamber
Concerto see MOZART
Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Symphonie fantastique
etc. Concertgebouw
Orchestra/Eduard van Beinum and others rec.1935-51
BEULAH 1PD30 [78:55][JW]
Exciting
and attractive ... see Full
Review
Georges
BIZET (1838–1875) The Pearl Fishers
(Highlights: sung in English)
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Brad
Cohen rec. 2007
CHANDOS CHAN3156 [79.00][AS]
One
of the most enjoyable highlights CDs I have heard for a long while ...
see Full Review
York
BOWEN (1884-1961) Piano
Works - Volume 3 Ballade 2, Three Songs without Words,
Three Preludes, Short Sonata, Three Miniatures, Three Serious
Dances, Toccata,
Three Pieces Joop Celis (piano)
rec. 2008 CHANDOS CHAN10506 [79:20]
[JF]
A
great CD ... see Full Review
Johannes
BRAHMS
(1833-1897)
Piano Quartet 1 (orch. Schoenberg) Clarinet Sonata (orch. Berio)
Karl-Heinz Steffens (clarinet) Rhenish State PO (Koblenz)/Daniel Raiskin
rec. 2006/7 CPO 777
356-2 [61:46] [JFL]
Worth
seeking out ... see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano
Trios 1 & 2 Storioni
Trio
rec. 2007/8 PENTATONE PTC5186
328 [64:09]
[KS]
Fine
robust performances of gorgeous music ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Sonatas
and trios for viola Maxim
Rysanov (viola); Katya Apekisheva (piano) Boris Brovtsyn (violin)
Jacob Katsnelson (piano); Kristine Blaumane (cello) rec. 2007/8 ONYX
4033 [77:35 + 47:09] [PB-W]
Completely
inspired music-making ... see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony
No. 1 Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Leonore Overture No. 3 Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Salome – Dance of
the seven veils
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam/Herbert von Karajan rec. 1943
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111298 [69:18][RMay]
Irresistible
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johannes BRAHMS (1833–1897) Eight
Songs Robert SCHUMANN (1810–1856) Four
Lieder from Goethe’s Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, Frauenliebe
und –leben, Claude
DEBUSSY (1862–1918) Fantoches George
Frideric HANDEL (1685– 1759) Angels, ever bright
and fair Lorraine
Hunt Lieberson (mezzo) Julius Drake (piano) rec. live, 1999 WIGMORE
HALL LIVE WHLIVE0024 [69:31] [JQ]
Demands
to be heard by all who prize great singing ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Alto
Rhapsody,
Symphony 2 Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Gesang
der Geister über den Wassern, Gruppe aus dem Tartarus,
An Schwager Kronos Nathalie
Stutzmann (contralto) Monteverdi Ch,
O Révolutionnaire et Romantique/Sir John Eliot Gardiner
rec. live, 2007 SOLI DEO GLORIA
SDG703 [73:59]
[JQ]
As
provocative, perceptive and exciting as its predecessor ... see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Ein deutsches
Requiem Edinburgh
Festival Chorus; London Philharmonic Orchestra/Carlo Maria Giulini rec.
1978 BBC LEGENDS BBCL42462
[74:21][JQ]
A
performance of stature ... see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 2 see BEETHOVEN
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony No.
4 (Original Version)
Philharmoniker Hamburg/Simone Young rec. 2007
OEHMS CLASSICS OC629
[70:01][JQ]
A
splendid performance of a fascinatingly different version ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH William Byrd
(1539/40-1623) The Cardinall’s Musick
Byrd Edition: Vols 10 & 11 - Laudibus in sanctis
& Hodie Simon Petrus
The Cardinall’s Musick/Andrew Carwood rec. 2006/7
HYPERION CDA67568 [68:20] CDA67653 [67:47] [BW]
If
you already have Byrd’s Masses, these are the next priority purchases
... see Full Review
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