Superbudget £5.99 or less 
Budget £6-7.99 
Medium £8-10.99 
Full
price £11+ 
Download
Isaac
ALBENIZ (1860-1909) España see
RODRIGO
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Vincenzo ALBRICI (1631-1696)
Soprano Cantatas see KUHNAU
Martin Stig ANDERSEN (b.1973) Cosmogyral
Echo see HOLMEN
Carl
Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788) Solo
Keyboard Music Vol. 21
Miklós
Spányi (clavichord) rec. 2007 BIS
BIS-CD-1624 [78:35] 
[BW]
A
clear recommendation for students of C.P.E. and of keyboard style –
others should try to sample first.
Keyboard
concertos by
Johann Christoph
Friedrich BACH (1732-1795) & Johann
Christian BACH (1735-1782)
The Music Collection rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570474 [71:38]
[JV]
Four
nice keyboard concertos by two of Bach's sons, played well by Susan
Max-Alexander and The Music Collection.
Johann
Christoph Friedrich BACH (1732-1795) Symphonies
Leipzig CO/Morten Schuldt-Jensen rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.572217 [51:14]
[Byz]
Attractive
and graceful - a worthwhile look at the talents of one of the sons of
one of the greatest of musical geniuses.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Oboe Concerti
Alexei Ogrintchouk (oboe/dir.) Alina Ibragimova (violin) Reinut Tepp
(harpsichord) Swedish CO rec. 2009
BIS-SACD-1769 [64:16] 
[DC]
A
standard which will be hard to beat.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Viola da gamba sonatas
Peter Seidenberg (cello) Elaine Comparone (harpsichord)
LYRICHORD LEMS 8076 [43:51]
[JS]
The
sheer musicality and joy of the present performances is such that I
suspect that I may go to it first next time I want to hear these Sonatas.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Mass in B minor,
Missae, Sanctus, Christmas Oratorio
Ch & O Collegium Vocale Ghent/Philippe Herreweghe rec. 1988-90
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6482912 [6 CDs: 376:08]
[KM]
An
excellent budget box set of some of Bach’s finest sacred compositions.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Goldberg Variations (transcribed for string trio) Alfred
SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) String Trio
Goldberg Trio Lucerne rec. 2009
GUILD GMCD7350 [68:06]
[GD]
An
impressive recording then, with an ascetic Bach reading contrasted with
a full-blooded interpretation of the Schnittke.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Organ Works
David Hamilton (organ) rec. 2010
DIVINE ART DDA25088 [75:39]
[GD]
An
enjoyable disc then, and not your usual Bach greatest hits.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685–1750) Concertos, Suite
London Conchord Ens, Florian Uhlig (piano) rec. 2004-2006
CHAMPS HILL RECORDS CHRCD014 [63:19+56:48]
[OL]
This
Bach is personal, emotional, and very beautiful.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Concerto for
Four Harpsichords see VIVALDI
Samuel
BARBER (1910-1981) Antony
and Cleopatra Westminster
Ch, Spoleto Festival O/Christian Badea rec. 1983 NEW
WORLD RECORDS 80322-2 [58:13 + 58:18] [RB]
Densely
opulent, hypocaust hot and smokingly romantic.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Béla
BARTÓK (1881-1945) Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion,
Out of Doors Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Andante & variations Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) En blanc et noir
Martha Argerich, Stephen Kovacevich (pianos) rec. 1969/77
DECCA 478 2467 [68:59]
[LW]
This
disc is not to be missed.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphony 9
Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano) Lioba Braun (alto) Michael Schade (tenor)
Michael Volle (bass) Bavarian RSO & Ch/Mariss Jansons rec. live,
2007
BR KLASSIK
900108 [66:19] [GD]
A
distinctive and deeply felt reading that presents one of the most well-known
works in the repertoire in a surprising new light.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies 4-6
Vienna PO/Christian Thielemann rec. 2008-10
UNITEL 705004 
[304:00]
[RC]
Eminently
worth your while, especially if you want to hear a somewhat different
take on these Beethoven warhorses.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) Violin Sonata 9 Gabriel
FAURÉ (1845–1924) Violin Sonata 1
Albert Sammons (violin) William Murdoch, Edie Miller (piano) rec. 1926/7
PRISTINE
AUDIO PACM 072 [56:10]
[JW]
This
release of rare recordings goes a long way to cementing the Sammons
discography.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Cello Sonatas, Variations
Daniel Muller-Schött (cello) Angela Hewitt (piano) rec. 2009
HYPERION CDA 67755 [71:03]
[JW]
Convincing
and attractive.
Alban
BERG (1885-1935)
Lulu
Agneta Eichenholtz (soprano) Michael Volle (bass) Klaus Florian Vogt
(tenor) Jennifer Larmore (mezzo) Royal Opera House O, Covent Garden/Antonio
Pappano rec. 2009
OPUS ARTE/ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 
OA1034D [205:00] [CC]
A
fascinating set, one that is truly thought-provoking and stimulating.
Alban
BERG (1885-1935) Wozzeck; Lulu
Suite
Arleen Auger, Bo Skovhus, Hamburg State Opera Ch & PO/Ingo Metzmacher,
CBSO/Simon Rattle rec. 1987/98
EMI CLASSICS 6406622 [3CDs: 130:19 + CD ROM]
[WH]
Wozzeck
live from Hamburg, highly dramatic, but perhaps not the whole story.
Alban
BERG (1885-1935) Lulu-Suite see
PROKOFIEV
Hector
BERLIOZ
(1803-1869) Grande
Symphonie Funèbre et Triomphale François-Joseph GOSSEC
(1734-1829) Symphonie Militaire, Marche Lugubre Hyacinthe
JADIN (1776-1800) Overture
Luigi CHERUBINI (1760-1842) Hymne à la
Victoire
The Wallace Collection/John Wallace rec. 1989
NIMBUS NI 5175 [57:16]
[RB]
A
unique collection which conveys the gaunt and tragic alongside less
exalted values.
Leonard
BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) Violin Sonata, Piano Trio, New
Transcriptions
Opus Two; Charles Bernard; Marin Mazzie rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.559643 [67:42]
[Byz]
A
worthy purchase for all fans of Bernstein and of mid-20th century American
chamber music.
Georges
BIZET (1838-1875) Clovis et Clothilde, Te Deum
Katarina
Jovanovic (soprano) Philippe Do (tenor) Mark Schnaible (bass) Ch Régional
Nord - Pas-de-Calais; Lille Ntl O/Jean-Claude Casadesus rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572270 [52:38]
[JS]
The
inherent interest in these works is great, and overall the defects in
the performances are not enough to prevent an appreciation of their
merits.
August
de BOECK
(1865-1937) Violin Concerto, Nocturne, De Klijne
Reinkoning, Fantasy on two Flemish Folk Songs
Ning Kam (violin) Flemish RO/Marc Soustrot rec. 2007
ETCETERA KTC4024 [67:31]
[RB]
An
outstanding companionable fellow who revelled in the late-romantic style
and was happy expressing himself through its resilient qualities.
Alexander
BORODIN Polovtsian Dances see MUSSORGSKY
York
BOWEN (1884-1961) Suite in Three Movements see
HOLST
Christopher
BOWERS-BROADBENT (b.1945) Duets and Canons see
GLASS
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 1 Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) Concerto Grosso
NBC SO/Guido Cantelli rec. 1952
PRISTINE AUDIO XR PASC237 [57:48]
[JW]
I
would affirm the superiority of this NBC Brahms 1 traversal, and it’s
been finely restored into the bargain.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Serenades 1 & 2
West German Sinfonia/Dirk Joeres, rec. 1992
ALTO ALC 1098 [79:00]
[RB]
Warm,
dignified and gracious – no need to look further.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Complete Piano Works
Louis Demetrius Alvanis, Håkon Austbø, Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy, Kamerhan
Turan, Alan Weiss (pno) rec. 1994-2007
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94091 [8 CDs: 473:12]
[GD]
The
flamboyant virtuoso approach has its place, but to my ear, this music
responds just as well to the more measured and diligent readings of
these five pianists.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Hungarian Dances Nos 1-3 see
SCHUBERT
Havergal
BRIAN (1876 – 1972) Symphonies 17 & 32, In Memoriam,
Festal Dance,
RTE Ntl SO/Adrian Leaper rec. 1992
NAXOS 8.572020 [59:37]
[BBr]
What
an important figure Brian was in English music - performances, recording
and notes are all that you could want.
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 8
Bavarian RSO/Rafael Kubelik rec. 1977
BR KLASSIK 900703 [78:12]
[TB]
The
cogency of Kubelik’s view is not in doubt, the symphonic lines are sensitively
and eloquently drawn and the orchestral playing is exemplary; However,
the recorded sound is adequate and no more.
Click
for alphabetical listings by composer:
[Part
1 New] [Part
2 A-B] [Part 3 C-L]
[Part 4 M-R] [Part
5 S-Z]
[Part 6 Misc A-L] [Part
7 Misc M-Z]
[last 5 days] [Recommended
recordings]
EXPLORE
MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL 
