Kalevi
AHO (b. 1949) Clarinet Quintet, Clarinet Trio,
Sonata for Two Accordions 
Osmo Vänskä (clarinet) Sarah Kwak, Gina DiBello (violins)
Thomas Turner (viola) Anthony Ross (cello) Susan Billmeyer (piano) Veli
& Susanne Kujala (accordions) rec. 2010/11
BIS BISCD1886 [75:10] [DM]
Fine
writing and solid musicianship; a feast for Aho fans.
Jehan
ALAIN (1911-1940)
Complete Works for Organ
Kevin Bowyer (organ)
rec. 1997
NIMBUS 5551/2 [72.20 + 73.43][PCG]
If
you like a naturally recessed church acoustic and a more French sound
then Bowyer is your choice for these works.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Anton ARENSKY (1861-1906) String Quartet 2 see
GLAZUNOV
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Mass in B minor
Dorothea Mields, Hana Blažiková, Damien Guillon, Thomas Hobbs,
Peter Kooij, Collegium Vocale Ghent/Philippe Herreweghe rec. 2011
PHI LPH004 [50:47 + 50:32] [JQ]
A
splendid and important addition to the discography of Bach’s life-enhancing
masterpiece.
Grazyna
BACEWICZ (1909-1969) Sonata for oboe and piano, Sonatina
for oboe and piano, Sonata da camera, for violin and piano see
circle of Boulanger
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Brandenburg Concertos 1-6
Philomusica of London/Thurston Dart (harpsichord and conductor) rec.
1958-59
FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR 341-42 [46:19 + 55:00] [JW]
An
especially noteworthy and creatively alive document of performance practice
at the end of the 1950s.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750) Organ Works
Hubert Meister (organ) rec. 1981-85
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 606 1708-2 [64:21 +
72:59] [JV]
More
than just a documentation of a stage in the history of Bach interpretation.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685
1750) Cantatas 56 & 82
Mack Harrell (baritone) RCA Victor Ch & O/Robert Shaw rec. 1958
FORGOTTEN
RECORDS FR 497 [49:15] ]JW]
Harrell
remains one of America’s most musical, most intelligent, and sensitive
singers.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Motets
Monteverdi Ch/John Eliot Gardiner rec. 2011
SOLI DEO GLORIA SDG 716 [72:27] [GD]
An
impressive package and one that deserves the highest praise.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Cello Suites
Richard Tunnicliffe (cello) rec. 2010/11
LINN CKD396 
[62:54 + 75:03]
[MS]
Unassuming
yet outstandingly competent - utterly compelling - played with reserve,
not detachment.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750) Cantatas
54 & 170, Overture, Violin & oboe concerto
Daniel Taylor (alto) John Abberger (oboe, oboe d'amore) Jeanne Lamon
(violin) Tafelmusik Baroque O/Jeanne Lamon rec. 2011
ANALEKTA AN 2 9878 [68:48] [JV]
This
is for diehard fans of the artists.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685
- 1750) Viola da Gamba sonatas
Arnaud De Pasquale (harpsichord), Lucile Boulanger (viola da gamba)
rec. 2011
ALPHA 161 [69:02] [JV]
I
rate these performances among the best I have heard.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Symphonies
by the Bach Sons
Bach Concentus/Ewald Demeyere rec. 2011
ACCENT ACC24257 [53:20] [JF]
These
symphonies excited me, moved me and thoroughly entertained me.
Samuel
BARBER (1910-1981) The School for Scandal Overture,
Adagio for Strings, Essay for Orchestra 1 see Hanson
conducts American Music
Samuel
BARBER (1910-1981) The school for scandal see
BERNSTEIN
Jerzy
BAUER (b.1936) Dualistyl, for oboe and piano
see circle of Boulanger
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Sonatas 6 &
29 Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Impromptu
Wilhelm Backhaus (piano) rec. 1959
ICA CLASSICS ICAC5055 [62:35] [JW]
A
distinguished release, extremely well recorded and well documented.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Sonatas Vol. 1
François-Frédéric
Guy (piano) rec. 2009-2011
ZIG-ZAG TERRITOIRES ZZT111101 [3 CDs: 216:07] [WH]
Very
fine performances of eleven Beethoven sonatas recorded in concert at
Metz.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Missa Solemnis
Johannes BRAHMS (1813-1897)
A German Requiem Giuseppe VERDI
(1813-1901) Requiem
Chicago SO & Ch/Daniel Barenboim rec. 1992-1993
WARNER ERATO 2564 66320-2 [5 CDs: 245:42] [ST]
Only
for die-hard Barenboim followers. Too much of a mixed achievement.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Concertos 4 & 5 Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Piano Concerto 1
Walter Gieseking, Emil Gilels (piano) NHK SO Tokyo/Kurt Wöss, Wilhelm
Loibner rec. 1953/7
KING INTERNATIONAL KKC 2001/2 [38:04 + 63:11] [JW]
Strong
and sometimes flawed performances preserved in sound that is sometimes
limited.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Complete Works for Solo Piano Volume 12: Variations (II)
Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano) rec. 2011
BIS BISSACD1883
[65:41] [DC]
Early
Beethoven - still plenty of surprises in store.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Baby Needs Beethoven
DELOS
DE1610 [70:59] [Byz]
Performances
all of good quality, with no shortage of well-known names cropping up.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1797-1828) Violin Concerto, Romances
1 & 2, Concerto Movement
Karl Suske (violin) Leipzig Gewandhaus O/ Kurt Masur & Heinz Bongartz
rec. 1971/87
BERLIN CLASSICS 0300359BC [72:37] [JW]
A
good, modest, lyrical and likeably nuanced performance of that great
work.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Violin Concerto Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Double Concerto
Georg Kulenkampff (violin) Enrico Mainardi (cello) Berlin PO/Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Suisse Romande O/Carl Schuricht rec. 1936/47
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC 325 [79:39] [JW]
Pellucid
work of great beauty and vibrancy.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Violin Concerto see BRAHMS
George
BENJAMIN (b.
1960) Ringed by the flat horizon, A mind
of winter, At first light, Antara,
Panorama
Ross Pople (cello); BBC Symphony Orchestra/Mark Elder Penelope Walmsley-Clarke
(mezzo); London Sinfonietta/George Benjamin rec. 1985; 1986; 1989;
NIMBUS NI 5643 [71.09] [PCG]
Sterling
work in communicating Benjamin’s intentions to the listener; superlative
in Ringed by the flat horizon.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alban
BERG (1885-1935) Lulu
Patricia Petibon, Tanja Ariane Baumgartner, Michael Volle; Vienna PO/Marc
Albrecht rec. 2011
EUROARTS/UNITEL CLASSICA 2072564 
[173:00] [DBi]
A
wonderful Lulu. Petibon is its true star in every respect. An outstanding
disc.
Leonard
BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) Arias and Barcarolles
Samuel BARBER (1910-1981)
The school for scandal David DIAMOND
(1915-2005) Elegy in memory of Maurice Ravel
Jane Bunnell (mezzo) Dale Duesing (baritone) Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz
rec. 1990-1991
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559709 [47.02] [DM]
Worth
hearing for the Barber and Diamond; the Bernstein is eminently forgettable.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Georges
BIZET (1838-1875)
Carmen - - Magdalena Kožená ; Jonas Kaufmann (tenor);
Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2012,
EMI CLASSICS 4 40285 2 [71.41+78.08] [ST][RF]
mixed
reviews: Get it while it’s hot! [ST] High on hype, this performance
does not challenge many competitors.[RF]
Georges
BIZET (1838 - 1875) Carmen
Elina Garanča, Roberto Alagna, Barbara Frittoli, Teddy Tahu Rhodes,
Met Opera/Yannick Nézet-Séguin rec. 2010
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 073 4799
[167:00 + 9:00] [RF]
Garanča’s
performance and the conducting are the reasons to buy this issue.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Alexander
BORODIN (1833-1887)
String Sextet see GLAZUNOV
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Alla
BORZOVA (b. 1961) Songs for Lada; To
the New World
Valentina Fleer (soprano) Valentina Kozak (folk contralto) Detroit SO/Leonard
Slatkin rec. 2010
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559706 [49.50] [PCG]
Heavenly
music … really like nothing else in the repertory.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Variations on a Theme by Haydn St. Anthony Chorale, Serenade
No 1, Hungarian Dances Nos 1, 3, 10
Bamberger Symphoniker – Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie/Robin Ticciati
rec. 2010 DSD
TUDOR 7183 [68:44] [JQ]
Some
more fine and successful Brahms performances from an impressive young
conductor.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Begräbnisgesang,
Alto Rhapsody, Schicksalslied, Nänie, Gesang
der Parzen
Ewa Wolak (alto) Warsaw PO & Ch/Antoni Wit rec. 2010
NAXOS 8.572694 [69:54] [OL]
Lean,
light and powerful.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 2, Tragic Overture
Hamburg
PO/Simone Young rec. 2008/12
OEHMS CLASSICS OC 676
[57:29] [DC]
Very
fine, thoughtful Brahms … but …
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 (1868)
Nicole Car (soprano); Teddy Tahu Rhodes (bass-baritone) Melbourne Symphony
Orchestra and Chorus/Johannes Fritzsch rec. 2010, German text and English
translation included
ABC CLASSICS ABC 476 4811 [67:07] [JQ]
A
good recording of Ein deutsches Requiem even if it doesn’t shed any
new light on the piece
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphonies 1 & 4
Bavarian Radio SO/Mariss Jansons rec. 2007/10
BR KLASSIK 900112 [47:09 + 40:50] [MC]
Impressive
Brahmsians.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Concerto Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Violin Concerto Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Violin Concerto 3
Isaac Stern (violin) NHK SO Tokyo/Kurt Wöss, Jean Martinon rec.
1953
KING INTERNATIONAL KKC 2003-04 [66:04 + 43:19] [JW]
A
hitherto patchily represented example of his world touring in the 1950s.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1813-1897) A German Requiem see
BEETHOVEN
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833 - 1897) Ein deutsches Requiem see
Accentus
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Double Concerto see
BEETHOVEN
Harry
BRAMMA (b. 1936) Church Music
Ch All Saints, London/Paul Brough, Henry Parkes (organ) rec. 2011
PRIORY PRCD1060 [58:49] [JQ]
A
fine tribute to an influential figure in the recent story of English
church music.
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Serenade, Nocturne Gerald FINZI (1901-1956)
Dies Natalis
Mark Padmore (tenor) Stephen Bell (horn) Britten Sinfonia/Jacqueline
Shave rec. 2011
HARMONIA MUNDI HMU807552
[78:29] [ST]
There
is a lot to enjoy here.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Sinfonia da Requiem see SUK
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 4
Philharmonia O/Christoph von Dohnányi rec. 2008
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD256 [64:19] [DM]
Not
an epiphany in sight; one for the charity shop.
Ferruccio
BUSONI (1866-1924) Doktor Faust, Arlecchino,
Comedy Overture, Berceuse Élégiaque, Rondo Arlecchinesco
London
PO/Sir Adrian Boult rec. 1949-62
IMMORTAL PERFORMANCES IPCD1017-3 [3 CDs: 205:41] [JS]
Should
appeal to all Busoni enthusiasts.
Ferrucio
BUSONI (1866-1924) Carmen Fantasy see
LISZT
Ferruccio
BUSONI (1866-1924) Eight Études after Cramer
see CRAMER
Dieterich
BUXTEHUDE (c.1637-1707) Sonatas
Purcell Qt rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHACONNE CHAN0784 [62:55] [Byz]
Inventive
to the point of fantastical - now jig-like, now soigné.
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