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BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Jehan
ALAIN (1911-1940)
Complete Works for Organ 
Jean-Baptiste Robin (organ) rec. 2009/2010
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94233 [3 CDs: 71:58 + 71:37 + 79:26] [DC]
Not
quite perfect, but still worth every penny.
Anton
ARENSKY (1861-1906) Violin Concerto see
CONUS
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) St Matthew Passion
Vienna
State Opera O/Hermann Scherchen rec. 1953
TAHRA TAH 701-3 [3 CDs: 199:14]
[JW]
A
comprehensively successful set.
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Keyboard
concertos
ASMF/Murray Perahia (piano, director) rec. 2000-3
SONY CLASSICAL 88697 824292 [3 CDs: 163:34] [MC]
The
sense of a great opportunity missed.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Keyboard concertos
Alexandre Tharaud (piano) Les Violons du Roy/Bernard Labie rec. 2010
VIRGIN
CLASSICS 0709132 [74:46]
[DC]
Well-tempered
sounds for ill-tempered times.
Mily
BALAKIREV (1837-1910) Tamara see
Oriental Rhapsody
Samuel
BARBER (1910-1981)
Despite and still and other songs
Melissa Fogarty (soprano) Marc Peloquin (piano) rec. 2011
AUREOLE RECORDS 101 [48:45]
[RB]
Intelligence,
operatic chops and sensitivity make Fogarty a perfect fit for this serious
sequence of Barber songs.
Samuel
BARBER (1910-1981) Historical Recordings
rec. 1935-1960
WEST HILL RADIO ARCHIVES WHRA6039 [8 CDs + CD-ROM]
[RB]
A
stunning conspectus of Barber performance practice and original versions
as presented as to the public during the composer's lifetime.
Samuel
BARBER (1910-1981) Ballade, Piano Sonata see
GRIFFES
Bela
BARTÓK
(1881-1945) Violin
Concerto 2, Violin Sonata 1
Yehudi Menuhin (violin) Philharmonia O/Wilhelm Furtwängler; Adolph
Baller (piano) rec.1947/1953
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111336 [68:43] [SV]
This
will give some idea of what the Menuhin fuss was originally about.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphonies 1-9, Overtures: Egmont, Leonore 3
Staatsoper Dresden Ch, Staatskapelle Dresden/Sir Colin Davis rec. 1991-3
NEWTON
CLASSICS 8802077 [6 CDs: 402:50]
[JQ]
Sensible,
thoughtful and thoroughly musical … a good, sound proposition.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) String Quartets 1 & 2 Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) String Quartet 1
Catterall String Quartet: Arthur Catterall and John S. Bridge (violins)
Frank S. Park (viola) Johan C. Hock (cello) rec. 1921-24
HISTORIC RECORDINGS HRCD00107 [75:38]
[JW]
This
is where it all began.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Favourite Piano Sonatas
Alfred Brendel (piano) rec. early 1960s
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94272 [3 CDs: 188:55] [JS]
At
the low price at which the set is available these are discs that should
have wide appeal.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony 9
Irmgard Seefried, Rosette Anday, Anton Dermota, Paul Schöffler, Wiener
Singakademie, Wiener Philharmoniker/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. 1953
ICA
CLASSICS ICAC 5034 [74:12]
[JS]
An
account of such imagination and perception that it is worth hearing
as an essential alternative to other versions.
Franz
BENDA (1709-1786) Violin Sonatas
Hans-Joachim Berg (violin) Naoko Akutagawa (harpsichord) rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.572307 [72:29]
[JV]
A
disc for connoisseurs.
Richard
Rodney BENNETT (b.1936) Clarinet Chamber Music - A Birthday
Tribute Duo Concertante, Sonatina, Scena III, Quintet
for Clarinet and Strings, Sonata for Bass Clarinet and Piano, Ballad
in memory of Shirley Horn
Victoria Soames Samek (clarinets) Michael Bell (piano) Inspirity Str
Qt, East Winds rec. 2010.
CLARINET CLASSICS CC0064 [80:06]
[RB]
A
worthy and generously proportioned gift to the composer and to us.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869)Grande Messe des Morts
Robert Murray (tenor) Gabrieli Players/Consort/Chetham’s Sch of Music
Symphonic Brass Ens/Wroclaw Phil Ch/O/Paul McCreesh rec. 2010
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD280 [48:25 + 40:17]
[ST]
First
class.
Georges
BIZET (1838-1875) Carmen
Béatrice Uria-Monzon, Roberto Alagna, Marina Poplavskaya, Erwin Schrott,
Gran Teatre del Liceu/Marc Piollet rec. 2010
UNITEL CLASSICA 707404 
[156:00] [DBi]
A
startling, but gripping and coherent production, with a superb Carmen
and excellent all-round cast and orchestra.
Ragomania
William
BOLCOM (b.1938) Ragomania, Clarinet concerto,
Commedia Clare FISCHER (b.1928)
The Duke, Swee’Pee and Me
Richard Stoltzman (clarinet) Lankaster Fest O/Gary Sheldon rec. 2008
MARQUIS
81397 [52:45]
[OL]
Cheerful
and attractive.
Alexander
BORODIN (1833-1887) Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances see TCHAIKOVSKY
Sergei
BORTKIEWICZ (1877-1952) Piano Works - Vol. 3
Jouni Somero (piano) rec. 2006
FINNCONCERT FCRCD 9723 [67:50]
[Byz]
Not
as compelling as the first two volumes but the sonata is magnificent.
Sergei
BORTKIEWICZ
(1877-1952) Piano Works - volume 5
Jouni Somero (piano) rec. 2010. DDD
FINNCONCERT FCRCD 9736 [72:24] 
[Byz]
This
gem-studded volume itself verges on the indispensable.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Cello Sonatas 1 & 2
Maurice Maréchal (cello) Jeanne-Marie Darré (piano) rec. 1952
FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR 168 [43:27] [JW]
Richly
rewarding despite the occasional frailty.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano Sonata 3, Four Ballades
Daniel Barenboim (piano) rec. 1996
WARNER APEX 2564 67317-6 [57:01] [JW]
A
good opportunity to enjoy Barenboim’s agreeably magisterial, but rhythmically
alert approach.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Piano Concertos 1 & 2 Joseph HAYDN
(1732-1809) Andante con Variazioni, Fantasia, Joseph
HAYDN Sonata 52
Wilhelm Backhaus (piano) Vienna PO/Karl Böhm, Carl Schuricht
rec. 1953/9
HÄNSSLER PROFIL PH11051 [58:22 + 61:22]
[MC]
Most
impressive. Effortless virtuosity. But does not displace my benchmark
recordings.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) String Quartet 1 see BEETHOVEN
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Alto Rhapsody see Reiner
Rarities
Havergal
BRIAN (1876-1972)
Symphony 1
Susan Gritton (soprano) Bach Ch, Brighton Festival Ch, Huddersfield
Choral Soc, London SCh, BBC Ntl Ch & O Wales; BBC Concert O/Martyn
Brabbins rec. live, 2011
HYPERION CDA67971/2 [54:07 + 60:41]
[NB]
If
I was allowed to keep only one of the recorded versions of The Gothic
I would opt for this new version.
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Violin Concerto Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Symphony 4 Stanisław MONIUSZKO
(1819-1872) Straszny dwór - Mazur
Wanda Wilkomirska (violin) Warsaw PO/Witold Rowicki rec. live, 1967
ORCHESTRAL
CONCERT CDs CD12/2011 [73:03]
[JW]
Hair-shirt
production values from this company ensure that terrific concerts such
as this have a continuing and richly deserved afterlife.
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Sinfonia da Requiem see
Arcadia Lost
Max
BRUCH (1838-1920) Violin Concerto 1 see
WIENIAWSKI
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphonies 4, 7 & 9
Philharmonie Festiva/Gerd Schaller rec. 2007-10
HÄNSSLER PROFIL PH11028 [4 CDs: 65:43 + 64:52 + 36:54 + 46:47]
[MC]
A
really impressive release.
Joan
BRUDIEU (?1520-1591)
Missa Defunctorum, Madrigals
Exaudi Nos/Joan Grimalt rec. 2010
COLUMNA MÚSICA 1CM0251 [45:10]
[Byz]
Brudieu's
Mass: one of the finest of its time and place.
Ole
BULL (1810-1880) Cantabile doloroso e Rondo giocoso see
WIENIAWSKI
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