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Lee
ACTOR (b. 1952)
Concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra, Dance Rhapsody, Concerto
for horn and orchestra, Opening Remarks, Celebration Overture. 
Debra Richtmeyer (saxophone) Karol Nitran (Horn) Slovak NSO/Kirk Trevor
rec. 2007-2010
NAVONA NV 5848 [70:00]
[RB]
Tonal,
accessible, bright and subtle.
Adolphe
ADAM (1803-1856) Giselle Fryderyk
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Les Sylphides
Covent Garden O/Hugo Rignold, BBC Television O/Eric Robinson rec. 1953/58
ICA
CLASSICS ICAD 5030 
[93:51]
[RMay]
Anyone
interested in ballet and its history in the UK will certainly want to
watch this fascinating disc.
Anton
ARENSKY (1861-1906) Piano works
Stephen Coombs (piano) rec. 1998
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55311 [69:27]
[DM]
A
mesmerising recital… as charming as it gets.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Malcolm ARNOLD
(1921-2006)
Cello Concerto, Flute Concertino, Fantasy, Saxophone Concerto, Symphony
for Strings
Raphael Wallfisch (cello) Esther Ingham (flute) John Turner (recorder)
Carl Raven (alto saxophone) Northern CO/Nicholas Ward, Manchester Sinf/Richard
Howarth rec. 2003-11
NAXOS 8.572640 [73:17]
[RB]
A
hands-down winner.
Carl
Philipp Emanuel BACH
(1714-1788)
& Johann Christian BACH (1735-1782)
Oboe concertos
Burkhard Glaetzner (oboe) Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum Leipzig,
Berlin CO /Max Pommer rec. 1983/5
PHOENIX EDITION 449 [69:19]
[Byz]
Too
many compromises to be considered by anyone who is short of money to
burn.
Carl
Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788)
Organ concertos
Roland Münch (organ) CPE Bach CO/Hartmut Haenchen rec. 1985
PHOENIX EDITION 450 [52:10]
[Byz]
A
fine disc in every regard except length.
Carl
Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788)
Symphonies
CPE Bach CO/Hartmut Haenchen rec. 1985/6
PHOENIX EDITION 443 [39:26 + 63:15]
[Byz]
The
usual grace, variety, depth and excitement.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Goldberg Variations
Alina
Ratkowska (harpsichord) rec. 2010
SARTON 001-1 [76:54]
[JW]
A
positive listening experience and one in the eye for the Historically
Informed brigade.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685 – 1750) St. Matthew Passion
Rogers
Covey-Crump, Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance, Martyn Hill, King's and Jesus
College Ch, Brandenburg Consort/Stephen Cleobury rec. 1994
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94126 [3 CDs: 160:32 & DVD: 165.00]
[RH]
Intelligently
sung and nicely modulated, you can put the disc on and enjoy the moment
but these moments just do not build up into anything greater.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Cello Suites 1-6
Winona Zelenka (cello) rec. 2007-10
MARQUIS 81509 [67:54 + 77:23]
[GA]
This
set of the Suites for solo cello by J S Bach combines the benefits of
historically-informed performance practice with the sonority of a modern
cello.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Cantatas - Vol. 44
Rachel Nicholls (soprano), Robin Blaze (alto), Gerd Türk (tenor),
Peter Kooy (bass) Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki rec. 2008
BIS BIS-SACD-1791 
[75:48]
[JV]
Admirers
of Bach Collegium Japan's Bach cantata project will not hesitate to
add this disc to their collection, but sceptics won't change their mind.
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Orchestral
Suite 1, Violin Concerto Wolfgang Amadeus
MOZART (1756-1791) Divertimento
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) Symphony 6
Leipzig Gewandhaus Bach O/Gerhard Bosse (violin and director) rec. 1966
ORCHESTRAL
CONCERT CD8/2009 [70:12] [JW]
This
specialist programme will appeal to those interested in soloist and/or
orchestra, in the main.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Cello Suite 3
see SCHUMANN
Wilhelm
Friedemann BACH (1710
- 1784) Complete Organ Works
Friedhelm Flamme (organ) rec. 2009
CPO 777 527-2
[67:48]
Organ Works
Julia Brown (organ) rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.570571 [72:29]
[JV]
Despite
some duplications the different approaches to Wilhelm Friedemann's organ
music make both discs worthwhile.
Michael
William BALFE (1808-1870) Songs and Ballads Rediscovered
Sally
Silver (soprano) Richard Bonynge (piano) rec. 2009
GUILD GMCD 7359 [57:57]
[CH]
A
chapter of missed opportunities. Balfe’s voice just isn’t here.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827)
Symphony no.6 Pastoral, op.68 (1808) [40:48] Symphony no.7, op.92
(1812) [36:33]
London Symphony Orchestra/Yondani Butt rec. 2010
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI 6145 [69:58]
[DC]
Very
nice: unfussy and clear.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Violin Concerto, Coriolan overture, Symphony 1
Isaac Stern (violin) RTF Ntl O/Josef Krips rec. 1956/8
CASCAVELLE VEL 3154 [75:54]
[GA]
A
mixed bag: an exciting Violin Concerto, a terrific Coriolan, and a rather
dull Symphony.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) 32 Variations, Sonata 31 Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Sonata 62 Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Sonata in C minor
Sarah Beth Briggs (piano) rec. 2011
SEMAPHORE MULTIMEDIA SML MP28 [76:24]
[Byz]
Fabulous
done with effortless style. A marvellous CD beautifully recorded.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Cello Sonatas, Mozart & Handel Variations
Ludwig Hoelscher (cello) Elly Ney (piano) rec. 1957
FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR501/02 [77:26 + 71:21]
[JW]
I
applaud the return of these performances to the catalogue in this way
in unproblematic transfers.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Cello Sonatas 2 & 3
Maurice Gendron (cello) Jean Françaix (piano) rec. 1950
FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR 214 [43:09]
[GA]
Fresh
and full of life, and will leave you wishing there was more.
Judith
BINGHAM (b.1952) Organ Music
Tom Winpenny (organ) The Dmitri Ensemble/Graham Ross rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572687 [69:51]
[Byz]
Endlessly
imaginative writing … deeply personal and still fundamentally approachable.
Chester
BISCARDI (b.1948) In Time's Unfolding In Time's
Unfolding, Piano Quintet, Mestiere, Di Vivere, Companion Piece
Marc Peloquin (piano) Da Capo Chamber Players rec. 2009
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559639 [56:47]
[Byz]
Plenty
to admire, and every reason to hope for more to come.
Georges
BIZET (1838-1875) Carmen see
Domingo
York
BOWEN
(1884-1961)
Symphonies 1 & 2
BBC Philharmonic/Sir Andrew Davis rec. 2010
CHANDOS CHAN 10670 [73:23] [JQ]
Anyone
interested in British music of the twentieth century should snap up
this excellent release without delay.
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Alexander BORODIN
(1833-1887)
Symphonies 1-3
Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 2009 - 2011
NAXOS 8.572786 [78:40]
[BR]
This
is as good as it gets. The Seattle Symphony have become a powerhouse
in Russian repertoire.
Giovanni
BOTTESINI
(1821-1889)
Double-bass Concerto, Gran Concerto, Gran Duo Concertante Pyotr
Ilich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Variations on a Rococo Theme
Ovidiu
Badila (double-bass) I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano O/Marco Zuccarini
rec. 1998
DYNAMIC DM8020 [72:20]
[Byz]
Ovidiu
Badila's displays amazing musicianship in quality music.
Johannes
BRAHMS
(1833-1897)
Waltzes Op.39 (1867) [18:32] Fantasias Op.116 (1892) [23:26] Handel
Variations op.24 (1861) [25:43]
Misha Dichter (piano) rec. 1993,
NIMBUS NI 2578 [67:42]
[DC]
More
plusses than minuses.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Paganini Variations Robert SCHUMANN
(1810-1856) Etudes after Paganini Franz
LISZT (1811-1886) Etude 6 after Paganini
Friedrich Wührer (piano) rec. 1955
FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR378 [44:11]
[JW]
Formidable
musicianship but at 44 minutes this disc is one for the confirmed admirer.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 3
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony 6
Novaya Rossiya State SO/Yuri Bashmet rec. 2004/5
ICA CLASSICS ICAC5023 [81:28] [SV]
Shame
about the generous timing -- all things considered, it's not an asset.
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976)
The Complete Scottish Songs
Mark Wilde (tenor) David Owen Norris (piano) rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572706 [74:42]
[JF]
An
excellent and often moving CD.
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Serenade for tenor, horn and strings
see Giulini
in America
Anton
BRUCKNER
(1824-1896) Symphony No. 0 in D minor [50:11] March in D minor WAB
96 [4:51] Three Pieces WAB 97 [8:05]
Beethoven Orchester Bonn/Stefan Blunier rec. 2010. Stereo/Surround.
MUSIKPRODUKTION
DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 937 1673-6 [63:07]
[GD]
The
symphony should have broader appeal, and is certainly a satisfying listen.
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