Carl
Friedrich ABEL (1723-1787)
Music for Flute and Strings 
Georgia Browne (transverse flute) Nordic Affect rec. 2009
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94304 [72:56] [Byz]
Very
welcome … tempts the listener to explore more of Abel's very
rewarding music.
John
ADAMS (b.
1947) Harmonielehre (1984/5) [42:05] Short Ride in
a Fast Machine (1986) [5:04]
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra/Michael Tilson Thomas rec. 2010/11
SFS
MEDIA SFS 0053 [47:11] [MC]
Masterly
live performances played with intensity and radiant with character.
Tomaso
ALBINONI (1671 - 1751) Trattenimenti
da camera
Sergio Balestracci (recorder) Silvia Rambaldi (harpsichord) rec. 2003
NEWTON
CLASSICS 8802098 [61:50 + 63:01] [JV]
Good
but could have been better.
Carl
Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788)
The Solo Keyboard Music - Vol. 23
Miklós Spányi (clavichord) rec. 2008
BIS CD-1763 [63:48] [KM]
Not
the best in the series, but another fine recording of CPE Bach’s
excellent solo keyboard music on clavichord.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685-1750) The Well-Tempered Clavier Book
II Peter
Hill (piano) rec. 2011
DELPHIAN DCD34101 [78:49 + 79:21] [DC]
Bach
which will take you out of this world.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Mass in B
minor
Yorkshire Bach Ch; Yorkshire Baroque Soloists/Peter Seymour rec. 2010
SIGNUM
CLASSICS SIGCD265 [49:42 + 53:24] [JQ]
Not
a first choice in what is a highly competitive field but a fresh and
enjoyable account of the B minor Mass.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (185-1750)
Trauer-Music: Music to mourn Prince Leopold BWV244a
Taverner
Consort and Players/Andrew Parrott rec. 2010, DDD German texts and English
translation included
AVIE AV2241 [78:40] [JQ]
A
convincing recreation of Bach’s final musical offering to his late master.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Violin sonatas
Michčle Auclair (violin) Marie-Claire Alain (organ) rec. 1956
FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR 546/7 [42:05 + 46:07] [JW]
Considerable
colour and distinction. Music making at a high level. A fine restoration
job.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Transcriptions by Respighi and Elgar
Seattle SO/Gerard Schwarz rec. 1990/91
NAXOS 8.572741 [57:19] [DMcC]
This
might not be “authentic” Bach, but it is magnificent Bach.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Concertos for several
instruments
Café Zimmermann rec. 2000-10
ALPHA 811 [6 CDs: 389:24] [ST]
I’ll be coming back to this warmly admirable set time and time again.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) French Suites, Little
Preludes
Peter Watchorn (harpsichord) rec. 2011
MUSICA OMNIA MO0402 [3 CDs: 161:07] [KM]
A
fine recording of Bach’s French Suites, with excellent sound. The approach
of adding preludes to the suites that do not have any is debatable,
but the results are excellent.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Singet dem Herrn see
Songs of Hope
Bertrand
de BACILLY (1621-1690)
Airs M. de SAINTE COLOMBE (?c.1640-?c.1700)
Chaconne La Rougeville
Ensemble A Deux Violes Esgales rec. 2010
SAPHIR PRODUCTIONS LVC1126 [64:30] [Byz]
A
fine demonstration of how it would have been done by Bacilly and his
equals.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Béla BARTÓK
(1881-1945)
Works for Violin and Piano - Volume 1 Rhapsodies 1 & 2, Sonatas
1 & 2
James Ehnes (violin) Andrew Armstrong (piano) rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN10705 [80:30] [ST]
A
magnificent disc, wonderful playing captured in fantastic sound.
Arnold
BAX (1883-1953) Clarinet Sonata see
British Clarinet Sonatas
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1797-1828)
Symphony 9
Annemarie Kramer (soprano) Wilke te Brummelstroete (alto) Marcel Reijans
(tenor) Geert Smits (bass) Consensus Vocalis Netherlands SO/Jan Willem
de Vriend rec. 2011
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72533
[63:40] [DC]
Remarkably
revealing - how did Beethoven do that?
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Concertos 1-5
Rudolf Buchbinder (piano and conductor); Vienna PO rec. 2011
UNITEL CLASSICA/C MAJOR 708904 
[186:00 + 29:00 bonus] [BW]
Buchbinder's
enjoyment is both visually apparent and evident in his performances.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Trio, Triple Concerto
Lev
Oborin (piano) David Oistrakh (violin) Sviatoslav Knushevitsky (cello)
Philharmonia O/Malcolm Sargent rec. 1950s
MELODIYA MELCD1001937 [64:32] [RMo]
I
wonder why Melodiya went to the trouble of issuing these performances.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Sonatas 30-32
Inger Södergren (piano) rec. 1978/89
CALLIOPE CAL 7648 [68:12] [BR]
Glassy
sound and a madcap liner note can’t prevent Södergren from
delivering top-rank Beethoven.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Das glorreiche Augenblick, Op.1361 (1814) [37.52]
Choral Fantasia, Op.802 (1808) [19.49]
Claire Rutter (soprano); Matilde Wallevik (mezzo); Peter Hoare (tenor);
Stephen Gadd (bass); Marta Fontanals-Simmons (mezzo)2; Julian
Davies (tenor)2; Leon McCawley (piano)2 Westminster
Boys’ Choir1;City of London Choir; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Hilary
Davan Wetton rec. 2011
NAXOS 8.572783 [57.41] [PCG]
An
almost totally unknown cantata - Beethoven at his mature best.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1826) Symphonies 2 & 6
(transcr. Liszt)
Yury Martynov (piano) rec. 2011
ZIG-ZAG TERRITOIRES (OUTHERE) ZZT 301 [77:58] [Byz]
Flying
colours.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies 7 & 8 see
HAYDN
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Rondos, Variations, Sonatas
12 & 27, Diabelli Variations see Richter
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Vincenzo BELLINI
(1801-1835)
Il Pirata
Carmen Giannattasio, José Bros, Geoffrey Mitchell Ch, London
PO/David Parry rec. 2010
OPERA RARA ORC45 [3 CDs: 159:28] [RJF]
This
dramatic performance takes this version well ahead of the dated competition.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869)
Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 (1830) [54:58] Overture: Béatrice
et Bénédict (1862) [8:14] 
Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Robin Ticciati rec. 7-10 October 2011, Usher
Hall, Edinburgh, UK. Stereo and multi-channel 
LINN CKD 400 [63:12] [ST]
It’s
this disc I’ll be coming back to when I want to be reminded of just
how ground-breaking it still sounds.
Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Le Corsaire see
Temirkanov
Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Le Corsaire see
Byways of Beecham
Leonard
BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) Chichester Psalms see
Songs of Hope
Georges
BIZET (1838-1875) Carmen
Elena Obraztsova (mezzo) Plácido Domingo (tenor) O/Ch ofVienna St Op/Carlos
Kleiber rec. 1978
ARTHAUS MUSIK 
107 263 [154:00] [RJF]
For
fans of Kleiber, the young Domingo and particularly those who like a
Zeffirelli spectacular staging.
Sir
Arthur BLISS (1891-1975)
The Complete Piano Music - Vol. 1
Mark Bebbington (piano) rec. 2010/11
SOMM SOMMCD0111 [74:09] [JF]
Excellent
recording and Bebbington brings his considerable experience of British
music to bear with concentrated, sympathetic and clear playing.
Luigi
BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) Guitar Quintets
Jean-Pierre Dumez (guitar) Dimov String Qt
PHOENIX EDITION PE466 [65:52 + 56:34] [ST]
For
die-hard classicists only.
Giovanni
BOTTESINI (1821-1889)
Music for Double Bass and Piano
Stefano Sciascia (double bass) David Giovanni Leonardi (piano) rec.
1994
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802105 [51:31] [Byz]
Sciascia's
performance is delightful.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphonies 1-4, Haydn Variations
& overtures
Helsingborg SO/Andrew Manze rec. 2009/10
CPO 777 720-2
[3 CDs: 210:59] [GD]
Something
different to add to your Brahms collection.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphonies 1-4
Philharmonia O/Christoph von Dohnányi rec. 2007-2009
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD255 [4 CDs: 45:00 + 45:24 + 37:17 + 40:15]
[JQ]
A
consistent, rewarding and competitive Brahms symphony cycle at an advantageous
price.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Alto Rhapsody, Schicksalslied, Begräbnisgesang,
Ave Maria, Nänie, Gesang der Parzen
Ewa Wolak (contralto) Warsaw Philharmonic Ch & Oa/Antoni Wit rec.
2010
NAXOS 8.572694 [69:54] [WK]
Worthy
and overall well-performed.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Horn Trio
Kalevi AHO (b.1949) Solo X György
LIGETI (1923-2006)
Horn
Trio
Marie-Luise Neunecker (horn) Antje Weithaas (violin) Silke Avenhaus
(piano) rec. 2010/11
BIS BISSACD1859
[59:16] [GD]
Stands
favourable comparison with the best.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Clarinet Sonata No. 1 and 2 Felix MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847) Clarinet Sonata Robert SCHUMANNN
(1810-1856) Phantasiestucke,
Emma Johnson (Clarinet), John Lenehan (Piano) rec. 2011
NIMBUS NI 6153 [78:44] [DJ]
An
outstanding new Nimbus release, excellently engineered.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Works for Solo Piano - Vol.
1 Barry
Douglas (piano) rec. 2011
CHANDOS CHAN10716 [77:38] [JQ]
An
excellent start to a projected cycle of the complete solo piano music
of Brahms.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Brahms by Arrangement – Volume 1 String Quintet in F minor Op.34
(1862) (Conjectural reconstruction in 2006 by Anssi KARTTUNEN
(b.1960)) [41:07] String Quintet in B minor Op.115 (1894) (Version for
double viola quintet by the composer) [36:25]
Zebra String Trio
rec. 2011
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0066 [77:35]
This
is the kind of disc that makes the most jaded listener sit up straight
and pay attention
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH 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 HMU 807552
[78:29] [JQ]
A
release that exudes quality.
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 7
Boston SO/Klaus Tennstedt rec. 1977
ICA CLASSICS ICAD5066 [66:00]
[JQ]
A
top-quality performance of Bruckner’s Seventh under a great conductor.
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphony No 9 in D minor (1891-1896) (Movements 1-3 ed. Leopold Nowak;
Movement 4 in performance version by Samale-Phillips-Cohrs-Mazzuca (1983-2012,
Conclusive revised Edition 2012))
Berliner Philharmoniker/Sir Simon Rattle rec.2012, DDD
EMI CLASSICS 50999 9 52969 2 [82:10] [JQ]
Rattle’s
advocacy for the four-movement completion of Bruckner’s Ninth is persuasive,
even if the jury remains out.
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Lachrymae see
SCHUMANN
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Rejoice in the Lamb see
Songs of Hope
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphonies 0 & 1
Tapiola Sinfonietta/Mario Venzago rec. 2010
CPO 777 617-2 [44:00 + 44:32] [GD]
Venzago
demonstrates conclusively that neither piece needs apology or excessive
intervention.
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