Thomas
ADÈS (b.1971) Anthology Powder her Face -
Concert Paraphrase, Mazurkas, Arcadiana, Piano Quartet, Chamber
Symphony, Living Toys, America: A Prophecy, Violin Concerto
Anthony
Marwood (violin) Susan Bickley (soprano) Thomas Adès (piano) Endellion
String Qtet, Arditti Qtet, London Sinf/Markus Stenz, Birmingham Cont
Mus Grp/Chamber O of Europe/City of Birmingham SO/Thomas Adès rec 1996-2011
EMI
CLASSICS 50999 0 88560 2 9 [64:18 + 73:19] [GD]
Extraordinarily
accomplished music.
Volkmar
ANDREAE (1879-1962)
Symphony, Notturno and Scherzo, Music for Orchestra, Kleine Suite
Bournemouth SO/Marc Andreae rec. 2011
GUILD GMCD 7377 [67:18]
[Byz]
Memorable
and uplifting … music of far and wide appeal: entirely tonal, melodic,
beautifully structured, and orchestrated with superb clarity and colour.
Anton
ARENSKY (1861-1906) String Quartets 1 & 2; Piano
Quintet
Ying Qt, Adam Neiman (piano) rec. 2010/11
DORIAN SONO LUMINUS DSL-92143 [76:56] [NB]
Not
a disc to which I will be returning.
Malcolm
ARNOLD
(1921-2006) The
Complete Brass Chamber Music
Fine Arts Brass rec. 2006
NIMBUS NI 5804 [79:21]
[LW]
For
all brass aficionados and Malcolm Arnold fans.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Suite in E minor
BWV 996 see Stefanizzi
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750) Arias for Soprano and Oboe,
Oboe D’amore Concerto Johann Christian BACH
(1735 - 1782) Oboe Concerto Carl Philipp
Emanuel BACH (1714 - 1788) Oboe Concerto
Nienke Oostenrijk (soprano) Pauline Oostenrijk (oboe, oboe d’amore)Amsterdam
Sinf/Jaap ter Linden rec. 1998-1999
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72506 [55:55 + 51:16] 
[DC]
A
fine brace of re-releases.
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Magnificat
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Mass
Trinity Boys Ch, English Bach Festival Ch & O/Leonard Bernstein
rec. 1977
IDÉALE AUDIENCE 
3085308 [56:00] [JQ]
An
unfamiliar view of Leonard Bernstein conducting small scale works with
great care and affection.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750) Magnificat, Brandenburg
Concerto 5
Los Angeles PO, Budapest RSO/Otto Klemperer rec. 1945/50
GUILD GHCD 2360 [60:38] [JW]
Approach
with a degree of caution.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Goldberg Variations, BWV988* [38:27] Overture (Partita) in b minor in
the French manner, BWV831** [25:28] French Suite No.5, BWV816** [16:28]
Glenn
Gould (piano)* András Schiff (piano)** rec. 1955. ADD (Gould); 1978.
DDD (Schiff).
MUSICAL CONCEPTS ALTO ALC1164 [79:38] [GM]
Gould
is highly virtuosic but ultimately unsatisfying. Schiff offers wonderful
Bach playing of the highest quality.
Wilhelm
Friedemann BACH
(1710-1784) Claviermusik
I
Léon Berben (harpsichord) rec. 2010
CARUS 83.346 [69:53] [JV]
An
absorbing musical picture of a brilliant mind.
Samuel
BARBER (1910-1981)
Knoxville: Summer of 1915 Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Les Nuits d’été
Benjamin BRITTEN
(1913-1976) Les Illuminations
Anne-Catherine Gillet (soprano) Royal PO de Liège/Paul Daniel rec. 2011
AEON
AECD1113 [66:21]
[Amazon] [WH]
An
unexpected yet carefully constructed programme in irresistible performances
from this Belgian soprano.
Béla
BARTÓK (1881-1945) Violin Concerto 2 see
TCHAIKOVSKY
Arnold
BAX (1883-1953)
Sonata see The Thurston Connection
Arnold
BAX (1883-1953) Spring Fire see English
Spring
Franck
BEDROSSIAN (b.1971) Manifesto
Pierre-Stéphane Meugé (saxophone) Pascal Contet (accordion) Habanera
Qt, Ensemble 2e2m/Pierre Roullier rec. 2009/10
AEON AECD1106 [54:26] [Byz]
Bedrossian
is a son of IRCAM and his music reflects as much.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ludwig van
BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony 9
Amanda
Roocroft (soprano) Fiona Janes (mezzo) John Mark Ainsley (tenor) Neal
Davies (bass) The New Company; O of The Age of Enlightenment/Sir Charles
Mackerras rec. 1994
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD 254 [63:50] [JQ]
An
excellent account of the Ninth, which forms an invaluable supplement
to Sir Charles’s superb cycle of the symphonies on Hyperion.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827)
Symphonyies 3 & 5
Berlin PO/Arthur Nikisch Berlin State Opera O/Oskar Fried rec. 1913/24
PRISTINE
AUDIO PASC 310 [76:21]
[JW]
An
important even fundamental insight into performance and recording practice
in the 1910s and 1920s.
Live
at the Verbier Festival Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Sonata
Fryderyk CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano
Sonata 3, Etudes
Nelson Goerner (piano) rec. 2009
IDÉALE AUDIENCE
3079188 [54:00] [JW]
Short
of incident but not short of musical distinction.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770 - 1827) Clarinet Trio Johannes
BRAHMS (1833 - 1897) Clarinet Trio Max
BRUCH (1838 - 1920) Eight Pieces
Leslie Craven (clarinet) Stjepan Hauser (cello) Yoko Misumi (piano)
rec. 2010
DINMORE RECORDS DRD 225 [78:46]
[JW]
A
most persuasively played and recorded disc.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Concertos 1-5, Piano
Sonatas 12 & 16
Emil Gilels (piano) State SO of the USSR/Kurt Masur rec. 1976
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94291 [3 CDs: 212:27] [RB]
Ripely
enjoyable analogue recordings of these exciting readings.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Concerto 4 see
CHOPIN
Richard
Rodney BENNETT (b. 1936) Duo Concertante see The
Thurston Connection
Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Les Nuits d’été see BARBER
Georges
BIZET (1838-1875) Carmen
Risë Stevens, Richard Tucker, Paolo Silveri, Nadine Conner, Metropolitan
Opera Ch & O/Fritz Reiner rec. 1952
SONY CLASSICS 88697 961892 [76:35 + 74:03] [JS]
Overall
this is a disappointing set given the high reputations of those involved.
Luigi
BOCCHERINI (1743 - 1805) String quartets 19, 36,
55 & 90. String quintets 15, 16, 23 & 62
Petersen Quartet, Ulrich Kno"rzer (viola) Guido Schiefen (cello) rec.
1991-1992
PHOENIX EDITION PE463 [61:41 + 70:41] [GA]
An
interesting survey of Boccherini’s string quartets and quintets, sensitively
played by an ensemble well attuned to his flighty and oddly elusive
style.
Luigi
BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) String Sextets
- Works with Titles Notturno, for two violins, in E flat
Mayumi Seiler, Iris Juda, Silvia Walch (violins) Diemut Poppen, Werner
Dickel (violas) Richard Lester, Howard Penny (cellos) rec. 1992-1993
PHOENIX
EDITION PE469 [61:10 + 48:18] [Byz]
In
sum, this is a must-have album for all lovers of beautiful music.
Alexander
BORODIN (1833-1887) Symphonies 1-3, String Quartet
2 In the Steppes of Central Asia, Prince Igor Overture,
Polovtsian Dances
Toronto SO/Andrew Davis; New York PO/Leonard Bernstein; St Petersburg
Camerata rec. 1969-1993
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802097 [77:34 + 57:17] [RB]
Sure-footed
and brilliant.
Sergei
BORTKIEWICZ
(1877-1952)
Piano
Works - volume 6
Jouni Somero (piano) rec. 2011
FINNCONCERT FCRCD 9740 [73:01] 
[Byz]
Minor quibbles aside, this one makes it six out of six quality CDs of
Bortkiewicz's music, all of which have hours of pleasure and interest
to offer pianophiles in particular and every kind of music lover in
general.
Rory
BOYLE (b.
1951) Arrivals and Departures, Sonata, Capriccio on the Anniversary
of a Beloved Master, Studies for the one in the middle, Phaethon's
Dancing Lesson
James Willshire (piano); Bartholdy Trio * rec. 2010,
DELPHIAN DCD34098 [67:58] [DJ]
A
rewarding disc of new piano and chamber music, showcasing the talent
of rising pianist James Willshire.
Joly
BRAGA SANTOS (1924 – 1988) Symphonic Overture 3 Elegy
in memory of Vianna da Motta, Alfama: Ballet Suite, Variations for
Orchestra, Three Symphonic Sketches
Royal Scottish Natl O/Álvaro Cassuto rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.572815 [72:36] 
[HC]
A
fine release that should appeal to anyone interested in attractive,
melodic and colourful music.
Johannes
BRAHMS
(1833-1897)
Fantasias, Intermezzi, Rhapsodies, Variations and Fugue on a Theme by
Handel
Peter Katin (piano) rec. 1990,
DIVERSIONS DDV 24157 [78:48] 
[JW]
I
can only repeat that the performances throughout this disc are magnificent.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphonies 1 & 2
Boston SO/Charles Munch rec. 1960/61
ICA CLASSICS ICAD 5029
[89:44] [JW]
An
invigorating and valuable experience.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano Concertos 1 & 2, Handel
Variations, Waltzes
Leon Fleisher (piano) Cleveland SO/Georg Szell rec. 1956-62
SONY CLASSICAL MH2K 63225 [72:05 + 65:44]
Johannes BRAHMS Piano Concertos 1 & 2, Fantasias
Emil Gilels (piano) Berlin PO/Eugen Jochum rec. 1972/75
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 447 446-2 [51:43 + 73:37] [MC]
My
principal recommendation must go to Fleisher whose majestic performances
have greater drama and poetry.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Piano Concerto 1
Hardy Rittner (piano) l’arte del mondo/Werner Ehrhardt rec. live
2011
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM 904 1699-6 
[50:39] [DM]
A
worthy experiment, albeit a flawed one.
Havergal
BRIAN (1876-1972) Symphony 1 The Gothic
Susan
Gritton (soprano) Christine Rice (mezzo) Peter Auty (tenor) Alastair
Miles (bass) The Bach Choir, BBC Natl Ch of Wales, Brighton Fest Ch,
Côr Caerdydd, CBSO Youth Ch, Eltham College Boys' Ch, Huddersfield
Ch Soc, London Symph Ch, Southend Boys' and Girls' Choirs
BBC Natl O of Wales; BBC Conc O/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2011
HYPERION CDA67971/2 [54:07 + 60:41] [BR]
A
gripping argument in favor of a much-maligned symphony, and a stunning
emotional experience too.
Frank
BRIDGE (1879-1941) Enter Spring see English
Spring
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Les Illuminations see
BARBER
Hans
von BÜLOW (1830-1894)
Ballade, Op. 11 (1854) [13:55]; Carnavale di Milano, Op. 21 (1871) [45:23];
La Certa, Op. 27 (1879) [5:44]; Marche héroïque, Op. 3 (1853) [14:23]
Mark
Anderson (piano) rec. 2011
NIMBUS NI 5876 [79:30] [CC]
Great
stuff, undemanding and pleasing.
Dieterich
BUXTEHUDE (1637-1707) Opera Omnia XIV: Vocal Works
Vol. 5
Miriam Meyer (soprano) Siri Karoline Thornhill (soprano) Bogna Bartosz
(alto) Jörg Dürmüller (tenor) Klaus Martens (bass) Amsterdam Baroque
O/Ton Koopman rec. 2007-11
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72253 [71:19] [MS]
An
outstanding volume in Koopman's complete Buxtehude cycle from Challenge
will delight, stimulate and please in every respect.
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]
[Last
month's reviews] [Earlier reviews]
EXPLORE
MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL 
