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Carl
Philipp Emanuel BACH
(1714-1788) Cello
concertos 
Truls Mřrk (cello) Les Violons du Roy/Bernard Labadie rec. 2008
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6944920 [68:25] [GA]
Very
stylishly played set … should disappoint only the really hard to please.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Sonatas and Partitas for solo
violin
Jascha Heifetz (violin) rec. 1952
PRISTINE AUDIO PACM 075 [58:19 + 68:13]
[DBe]
Heifetz’s
achievement here appeals more to the head than the heart.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Organ works
Jean Guillou (organ) rec. 1987/90
DORIAN DSL-92104 [6CDs: 406:11]
[EM]
An
authoritative and fascinating set of discs.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Goldberg Variations
Nicholas
Angelich (piano) rec. 2011
VIRGIN CLASSICS 0706642 [79:58]
[GD]
If
you feel that there is too much subtlety in Bach interpretation these
days, Angelich might just be for you.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) St. John Passion
Peter Schreier (tenor) Olaf Bär (baritone) Marjana Lipovšek
(mezzo) Roberta Alexander (soprano) Robert Holl (bass) Leipzig Rundfunkchor,
Staatskapelle Dresden/Peter Schreier rec. 1988
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802052 [59:05 + 56:33]
[MC]
An
enjoyable account.
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Cantata BWV 63, Cantata BWV 161, Cantata
BWV 180
Choir, orchestra and soloists of the J. S. Bach Foundation/Rudolf Lutz
rec 208, 209 
J. S. BACH STIFTUNG A496, A631, A632 3 DVDs
oas [KM]
Fine
performances of Bach cantatas, very well filmed, with a group of excellent
performers.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Chaconne see
Virtuoso
Johann
Sebastian BACH
Cello Suite 4 see Paul
Galbraith
Wilhelm
Friedemann BACH
(1710-1784)
Harpsichord Concertos
Marco Facchin (harpsichord) Harmonices Mundi/Claudio Astronio (harpsichord)
rec. 2009
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94057 [69.22 + 73.02]
[EM]
Enjoyable
but generally unimpressed by the performances.
Wilhelm
Friedemann BACH
(1710 - 1784) Concertos
and Trios
Sebastian Wienand (harpsichord), Anne Katharina Schreiber, Martina Graulich
(violin), Werner Saller (viola), Ute Petersilge (cello), Frank Coppieters
(violone) rec. t 2010, DDD
CARUS 83.357 [68:50]
[JV]
Four
specimens from Wilhelm Friedemann Bach's remarkable oeuvre.
Samuel
BARBER (1910 - 1981) Violin concerto, Adagio for Strings
see WALTON
Béla
BARTÓK (1881-1945)
The Miraculous Mandarin Suite Johannes BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Symphony 1
London SO/Jonathan Pasternack rec. 2008
NAXOS 8.572448 [68:29]
[JQ]
An
odd pairing of works in performances that, while decent enough, don’t
really compete with the best.
Béla
BARTÓK
(1881-1945)
+Rhapsody for piano and orchestra, op.1 (1904) see
MENDELSSOHN
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Amy BEACH
(1867-1944)
Piano Works: Vol. 3 - The Mature Years
Kirsten Johnson (piano) rec. 2010
GUILD GMCD7351 [74:43]
[DM]
One
of the very best piano recordings I’ve heard.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Fidelio
Birgit Nilsson (soprano) Jon Vickers (tenor) Hermann Uhde (baritone)
Oskar Czerwenka (bass) Metropolitan Opera Ch & O/Karl Böhm rec.
1960
SONY CLASSICAL 88697 853092 [69:25 + 58:52]
[RMo]
A
certain pleasure in hearing a good live Met performance dating back
over fifty years but this is all too hectic.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Violin
Sonatas Vol. 3
Alina Ibragimova (violin) Cédric Tiberghien (piano) rec. 2010
WIGMORE HALL LIVE WHLIVE 0045 [78:56] [GD] 
Interpretations
that are coherent and mature, and the teamwork between the players is
what makes the recording something special.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Sonatas 30-32
Alexei Lubimov (pianoforte) rec. 2009
ZIG-ZAG TERRITOIRES ZZT110103 [65:58]
[BR]
Some
idiosyncrasies, some magic; bottom line, a very nice disc.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Piano
Concertos 4 & 5
Emil Gilels (piano) Philharmonia O/Leopold Ludwig rec. 1957
REGIS RRC1367 [72:09] [JW]
An
Alpha coupling.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Violin Sonata 8 see
FURTWÄNGLER
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Cello sonata 3 see
BRAHMS
Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) La Damnation de Faust
Vinson Cole (tenor) Thomas Quasthoff (baritone) Charlotte Margiono (mezzo)
Netherlands Radio Ch & O/Bernard Haitink rec. 1999
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72517 [61:59 + 79:22]
[DC]
Easy
to recommend on all levels, and for one vital cause.
Harrison
BIRTWISTLE
(b.1953) Night’s Black Bird, The Shadow of Night, The Cry of Anubis
Hallé
O/Ryan Wigglesworth rec. 2010
NMC RECORDINGS D156 [55:58]
[DC]
A
very fine release indeed.
Arthur
BLISS
(1891-1975) Violin sonata Henry
WALFORD DAVIES (1869-1941) Violin sonata York
BOWEN (1884-1961) Violin sonata
Rupert Luck (violin); Matthew Rickard (piano) rec. 2010
EM RECORDS EMRCD001 [53:06]
[JQ]
An
outstanding disc.
Ernest
BLOCH (1880 – 1959)
Schelomo see KORNGOLD
York
BOWEN (1884-1961) Violin sonata see BLISS
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Vienna
Johannes BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Cello sonata 2 Franz SCHUBERT
(1797-1828) “Arpeggione” sonata Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Cello sonata 3
Thomas Carroll (cello) Llŷr Williams (piano) rec. 2009/10
ORCHID CLASSICS ORC100016 [79:46]
[OL]
Definitive
performances of ultimate beauty. My Disc of the Year.
Johannes
BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Complete
Symphonies
Netherlands PO, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest Holland/Jaap van Zweden rec.
1999-2002
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94074 [3 CDs: 43:08 + 46:04 + 72:09]
[RMo]
Wholly
cohesive and persuasive … an exceptionally attractive and affordable
set … could hardly be bettered.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphonies 1-4; Haydn Variations;
Tragic Overture
Vienna PO/Carlo Maria Giulini rec. 1990-92
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802063 [4 CDs: 222:35]
[RB]
Giulini
grasps the whole arc of these works and is in touch with their long-pulsed
circadian rhythms without losing the furnace heat.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphonies 1 & 3
Philharmonia O/Christoph von Dohnányi rec. 2009
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD250 [82:17] [JQ]
Two
carefully considered and well played performances, which are competitive
in a crowded field.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Ein Deutsches Requiem
Natalie Dessay (soprano) Ludovic Tézier (baritone) Swedish Radio Ch,
Frankfurt RSO/Paavo Järvi rec. 2009
VIRGIN CLASSICS 6286100 [72:17] [ST]
Orchestrally
thrilling, choral singing absolutely outstanding but at times very difficult
to make out.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Ein Deutsches Requiem
Agnes Giebel (soprano) Hermann Prey (baritone) Milan della RAI SO &
Ch/Sergiu Celibidache rec. 1960
ISTITUTO DISCOGRAFICO ITALIANO IDIS 6596 [75:49] [JQ]
An
historic performance that should have been left in the vaults.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Sonatas 1-3, Cello Sonatas
1-2, F.A.E. Sonata
Jaime Laredo (violin) Leonard Rose (cello) Jean-Bernard Pommier (piano)
rec. 1982/3
VIRGIN CLASSICS 0963652 [75:05 + 58:15]
[GA]
This
re-release of the Brahms Violin and Cello Sonatas is very well played
by Laredo and Rose, but the recording of the Violin Sonatas lets it
down a little.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Sonata in A major, Viola Sonatas 1 & 2
Roger Chase (viola), Michiki Otaki (piano) rec. 2007
CENTAUR CRC 3063 [64:29]
[GA]
These
are accomplished performances of the Brahms viola sonatas that emphasise
their lyrical and reflective aspects, and make an enjoyable disc for
late night listening.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Sonata 1
Cesar FRANCK (1822-1890) Violin Sonata
Pablo de SARASATE (1844-1908) Concert Fantasy on Carmen
Lucia
Cooreman Luque (violin) Mauro Bertoli (piano) rec. 2010
Private recording [78:36] [JW]
I’m
sure we’ll hear more from these two musicians in years to come.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Toscanini at NBC: The Early Years Double Concerto, Symphony 2
Mischa
Mischakoff (violin) Frank Miller (cello) NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini rec.
1938/9
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC283 [68:54]
[RMay]
Very
much an issue where the primary focus is on the concerto of which we
hear a lyrical and rhapsodic account.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 1 see
BARTÓK
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) String Quartets 1-3 see SCHUMANN
Havergal
BRIAN
(1876-1972) Symphony
No. 1 The Gothic
CSR SO Bratislava, Slovak PO/Ondrej Lenard rec. 1989
NAXOS 8.557418-419 [59.11 + 54.56]
[RB]
A
massive asseveration of confidence, staggering scale and substance by
an outsider to the musical establishment.
Frank
BRIDGE
(1879-1941) Songs see British
Romantics
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Complete String Quartets
Britten Qt rec. October 1989-90
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 9168 [66.08 + 63.36]
[EM]
I
was greatly impressed by this set: intelligent and radiant performances,
talent and consummate skill.
Benjamin
BRITTEN
Nocturnal after John Dowland see Paul
Galbraith
Max
BRUCH (1838-1920) Violin Concerto 1, Romance, String
Quintet
Vadim Gluzman (violin) Bergen PO/Andrew Litton Rec. 2009
BIS
SACD-1852
[58:04]
[ST]
A
disc to cherish.
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Motets
RSAMD Brass, St. Mary’s Cathedral Ch, Edinburgh/Duncan Ferguson rec.
2010
DELPHIAN DCD34071 [62:10] [JQ]
A
bracing approach to Bruckner’s church music.
Ferruccio
BUSONI
(1866-1924) Piano
Music - Vol 5
Wolf Harden (piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570891 [73:28] [CC]
A
worthy volume in the Naxos Busoni series.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Pieter BUSTIJN (c.1649-1729)
IX Suittes pour le Clavessin
Alessandro Simonetto (harpsichord) rec. 2010
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94187 [78:52]
[Byz]
This
superlative recording by Simonetto is the one to get.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH William BYRD
(ca.
1540-1623) Complete Consort Music
Phantasm rec. 2010
LINN CKD372
[79:42]
[KM]
The
beauty of Byrd’s viol consort music, excellently performed, impeccably
recorded.
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