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John ADAMS (b.
1947) Grand Pianola Music; Shaker Loops;
The Chairman Dances; Short Ride in a Fast Machine 
Various artists rec. 1984-93
EMI CLASSICS AMERICAN CLASSICS 2066272 [74:28][RB] 
Nervy
cell iteration, tangy percussion, hysteria-inducing
accelerations ... see Full
Review
Helmer
ALEXANDERSSON (1886-1927)
Overture
in C minor (1910) [10:10] Symphony No. 2 in
G minor (1914, 1919) [38:33]
Uppsala Chamber Orchestra/Paul Mägi rec.
11-12 January 2006, Uppsala University Aula.
DDD
STERLING CDS 1076-2 [48:48] 
[RB]
Unpretentiously
romantic, light of step, folksily carefree.
... see Full
Review
William
ALWYN (1905-1985) Overture
to a Masque, Concerto Grosso 1, Pastoral Fantasia, Five
Preludes, Tragic Interlude, Autumn Legend, Suite of Scottish
Dances Philip
Dukes (viola); Rachael Pankhurst (cor anglais) Royal Liverpool
PO/David Lloyd-Jones
rec. 2006/7 NAXOS 8.570704 [68:24] [RB]
Another
thoroughly engaging Alwyn collection ... see Full
Review
Leroy
ANDERSON
(1908-1975)
Orchestral Music - Volume 2
BBC Concert O/Leonard Slatkin rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.559356 [54:51]
[JW]
Anderson
devotees will find much to excite and entertain ... see Full
Review
Leroy ANDERSON (1908-1975)
Orchestral Works: Volume 3 Sleigh
Ride (1948) The Typewriter (1950) The Syncopated Clock
(1945) etc. BBC Concert
Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin rec. 2007, DDD
NAXOS 8.559357 [61:49]
[JF]
Every
note is taken seriously and every bar is chock-full
of ‘pizzazz’ ... see Full
Review
Carl
Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788)
Viola
da gamba Sonata in C major, Wq.136, H.558
(1745-6) [23:01] Viola da gamba Sonata in
D major, Wq.137, H.559 (1745-46) [23:26] Trio
Sonata in G minor, for viola da gamba and
keyboard, Wq.88, H.510 (1759) [17:58]*
Dimitry Kouzov (cello), Peter Laul (harpsichord,
*piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570740 [64:42] [GPu]
Happy
to listen to this music on the cello? If so
this will serve you well. … see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Brandenburg Concertos
(ca.1721)
European Brandenburg Ensemble/Trevor Pinnock
rec. 2006/2007. DDD.
AVIE AV2119 [51:49 + 42:34] 
[BW]
All
the benefits of period performance without
the tears
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Brandenburg
Concertos 1-6 & 1953 Aldeburgh Festival Opening
Concert English
CO, Aldeburgh Festival O/Benjamin Britten, Imogen Holst rec.
1953-68 DECCA
ELOQUENCE 442 9521 [74:13+76:49]
Obviously
an essential purchase for Britten enthusiasts ... see Full
Review
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord
Aapo Häkkinen (harpsichord); Mikko Perkola (viola da gamba) rec.
2006
NAXOS 8.570210 [75:42][JV]
The
slow tempi make these performances hard to swallow ... see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750)
Italian Concerto, Toccatas, Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, Concerto for
two keyboards Artur Schnabel
(piano) Karl-Ulrich Schnabel (piano), London SO/Adrian Boult rec. 1936-50
NAXOS 8.111286 [69:12]
[JW]
Fine,
realistic transfers, and budget price will attract admirers ...
see Full Review
Leonardo
BALADA (b. 1933)
María Sabina; Dionisio:
In Memoriam
Orchestra and Chorus
of the Comunidad de Madrid/José Ramón Encinar
rec. 2006-7
NAXOS 8.570425 [68:52][MSJ]
Too
good, too important to be missed ... see Full
Review
Samuel BARBER (1910-1981)
Adagio; Knoxville - Summer of 1915; Violin Concerto;
Overture to the School for Scandal; Essay for Orchestra; Medea's Dance
of Vengeance
Various artists rec. 1986-94
EMI CLASSICS AMERICAN CLASSICS 2066252 [79:43][RB]
Glowing
with the radiance of integrity ... see Full
Review
Carol
BARNETT
(b. 1949)
Cyprus: First Impressions; Vignettes, After Pierides; Mythical Journeys;
Cyprian Suite rec.
2001-5 INNOVA 657 [64:32]
[MSJ]
Inspiring,
vivid and accessible compositions ... see Full
Review
Béla
BARTÓK (1881-1945) Sonata
for Solo Violin; Violin Sonatas Nos.1 & 2
Christian Tetzlaff (violin); Leif Ove Andsnes
(piano) rec. 2003
VIRGIN CLASSICS 5181772 [78:43][JW]
Sensitive,
mature and thoroughly convincing performances
... see Full
Review
Sir
Arnold BAX (1883-1953)
Symphony
No. 1 in E flat (1921-22) Symphony No. 7 (1938-39)**
London Philharmonic Orchestra/*Myer Fredman,
**Raymond Leppard. ADD
LYRITA SRCD.232 [77:56] and 
Sir Arnold BAX (1883-1953)
Symphony No. 2 (1924-6) * Symphony No.
5 in C sharp minor (1931-2)**
London Philharmonic Orchestra/*Myer Fredman;
**Raymond Leppard rec. 1970*, 1971**. ADD
LYRITA SRCD.233 [78.28] and
The
perfect antidote for those who find Bax unfocused
... see Full
Review
Sir
Arnold BAX (1883-1953) Symphony
No.7; Four Songs for Tenor and Orchestra
Martyn Hill (tenor); London Philharmonic Orchestra/Bryden Thomson rec.
1988 CHANDOS CHAN8628
[70:20][BW] 
Not
the best but these sympathetic performances
are well worth their modest cost ... see Full
Review
Sir
Arnold BAX (1883-1953) Winter
Legends; Symphonic Variations
Margaret Fingerhut (piano); London Philharmonic Orchestra/Bryden Thomson
CHANDOS CHAN10209-10X
[43:19 + 49:34][BW]
An
ideal next step after getting to know the Bax Symphonies ... see Full
Review
Sir Arnold BAX
(1883-1953) Cello Concerto, Northern Ballad 3,
Cortège, Mediterranean, Overture to a Picaresque Comedy
Raphael Wallfisch (cello) London PO/Bryden Thomson rec. 1986-87
CHANDOS CHAN8494
[63:06]
[BW]
Fine
performances of attractive music, especially
the Concerto ... see Full
Review
Arnold BAX
(1883-1953) CD
1 [59:55] Folk-Tale (1918)Sonata
for cello and piano (1923) Sonatina
for cello and piano (1933) CD 2
[45:44] Arnold BAX
(1883-1953) Legend-Sonata for cello
and piano (1943) Gordon
JACOB (1895-1984) Divertimento
for solo cello (1955) Elegy for cello
and piano (1959)
Florence Hooton (cello) Wilfred Parry (piano)
rec. 1958 (Bax)
LYRITA REAM.2104 [59:55 + 45:44]
[RB]
Essential
listening for Baxians and devotees of the
English cello repertoire ... see Full
Review
Arnold
BAX
(1883-1953) Symphony 6, Festival Overture
London PO/Bryden Thomson rec. 1987
CHANDOS CHAN8586
[55:21]
[BW]
Whether
you choose this or the Naxos version, you can hardly go wrong ...
see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies 4 & 7 The
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen/Paavo Järvi rec. 2004-6
RCA RED SEAL 88697 129332 
[69:23]
[MG]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60 (1806) [33:17] Symphony No. 7
in A major, Op. 92 (1812) [41:29]
Royal Flemish Philharmonic/Philippe Herrewegherec. De Roma, Antwerp,
DDD. TALENT DOM 2929
100
[75:42]
[MG]
Herreweghe
- considered and Olympian, Järvi: spontaneous
and mood-varied … see
Full Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Complete
works for piano and cello
Menahem Pressler (piano) Antonio Meneses (cello) rec. 2007
AVIE AV2103 [78:58 + 74:54]
[DC]
Beaux
Arts players in Beethoven’s cello and piano
works – form an orderly queue. ... see Full
Review
Alban
BERG (1885-1935) Three Pieces for Orchestra see WAGNER
Hector
Berlioz (1803-1869)
Harold in Italy; Rêverie
et Caprice
Yehudi Menuhin (viola, violin); Philharmonia
Orchestra/Colin Davis & John Pritchard rec.
1962-4
CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 5218462 [53:12][WK]
Classic
performances from three great artists in the early days of stereo ...
see Full Review
Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Symphonie
fantastique, Lélio Ch & O
National de la Radiodiffusion Française/Jean Martinon rec.
1973/4 EMI
CLASSICS GEMINI 5176542 [54:14 + 54:29] [DM]
Worth
acquiring for Lélio alone ... see Full
Review
Leonard BERNSTEIN
(1918-1990) Candide – Overture;
Facsimile; On the Town (Three Dance Episodes); Symphonic Dances
from West Side Story; Prelude, Fugue and Riffs; Scena from 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue; A Simple Song from Mass
Various artists rec. 1985-9
EMI CLASSICS 2066262 [74:28][BW]
Not
all the ‘essential’ Bernstein works but a good and recommendable selection
... see Full Review
Leonard BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) Serenade
see SCHUMAN
Heinrich
BIBER (1644-1704) The Mystery
Sonatas for solo
violin and continuo
Riccardo
Minasi (violin); Bizarrie Armoniche rec. 2005-6
ARTS 477358
[73:16 + 51:44][GH]
This
new and beautifully presented version will give much pleasure ... see
Full Review
Abbess
Hildegard von BINGEN
(1098-1179)
Celestial Harmonies Antiphons and Responsorials
Oxford Camerata/Jeremy
Summerly rec. 2005 NAXOS
8.557983 [74.18]
[GH]
The
sheer beauty and simplicity of the music can
stand alone ... see Full
Review
Harrison
BIRTWISTLE (b.
1934)The
Fields of Sorrow for two sopranos, chorus
and sixteen players (1972) [9:58] Verses
for Ensembles for five woodwind, five
brass and three percussion (1969) [28:13]
Nenia: The Death of Orpheus - a 'dramatic
scene' for soprano, three bass clarinets,
clarinet, piano, prepared piano and crotales
(1970) [17:45]
Jane Manning (soprano); London Sinfonietta/David
Atherton; The Matrix/Alan Hacker (Nenia).rec.
January, May 1973, Kingsway Hall, London.
ADD first released in 1974 on Decca LP HEAD
7recording made in association with British
Council and in presence of the composer LYRITA
SRCD.306 [56:08]
[EMc]
Birtwistle
- softer-grained, relatively lyrical and the
angular rigorous . ... see Full
Review
Georges
BIZET (1838-1875) Symphony, L'Arlésienne suites Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Children’s Corner (arr.
André Caplet) Leopold
Stokowski and his Symphony Orchestra
rec. 1949-52 CALA CACD0548 [78:15] [JW]
Troublesome
to resist so enjoyable a collection as this ... see Full
Review
Manuel
BLANCAFORT (1897–1987)
Complete Piano Music Vol. 4
Miquel Villalba (piano) rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.557335 [64:38]
[BBr]
Will
give a lot of pleasure to many but don’t expect to be engaged by
it ... see Full Review
Ernest BLOCH
(1880-1959) Violin Concerto Benjamin
LEES (b. 1924) Violin Concerto
Elmar Oliveira (violin); National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine/John
McLaughlin Williams rec. 2007
ARTEK AR00422 [65:36][RB]
20th
century concertos presented with great accomplishment and inspiration
... see Full Review
Ernest
BLOCH (1880-1959)
Piano Quintets 1 & 2, Pieces for string quartet
Piers Lane (piano) Goldner String Quartet rec. 2007
HYPERION CDA67638 [70:27]
[JFL]
It
is never too late to make good personal discoveries of great music
Giovanni
BOTTESINI (1821-1889) Gran Duo
Concertante; Andante sostenuto; Duetto for clarinet and double-bass;
Gran Concerto in F sharp minor
Thomas Martin (double-bass), José-Luis Garcia (violin); Emma Johnson
(clarinet); English Chamber Orchestra/Andrew Litton rec. 1986
NAXOS 8.570397 [53:44][GPu]
Pleasant
and tuneful music, played with understanding and affectionate respect
… see Full Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Serenades
Nos. 1 & 2
Capella Augustina/Andreas Spering rec. 2005
CPO
7773002 [79:01][JS]
An
interesting alternative to performances in a more autumnal vein ... see
Full Review
Johannes BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Violin Sonata No.1 see MOZART
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Ein Deutsches
Requiem
Lucia Popp (soprano); Thomas Allen (baritone); London Philharmonic Choir
& Orchestra/Klaus Tennstedt rec. 1984
BBC LEGENDS BBCL42342 [76:41][JQ]
Something
of a mixed bag but I’m glad to have heard it ... see Full
Review
Luis de FREITAS BRANCO (1890-1955)
Orchestral Works - vol. 1 Symphony
No. 1 (1924) [34:02] Scherzo fantastique (1907) [5:52] Suite
alentejana No.1 (1917) [21:15]
RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra/Alvaro Cassuto rec. National
Concert Hall, Dublin, 10-11 September 2007
NAXOS 8.570765 [61:09]
[RB]
Fine
Franckian melodic orchestral music of a nationalist
countryside flavour ... see Full
Review
Frank Bridge
(1879-1941) Quartet
in B flat (1900) [31:27] String Quintet in
E minor (1901) [30:56]
Bridge String Quartet (Madeleine Mitchell
(violin I); Catherine Schofield (violin II);
Michael Schofield (viola); Lucy Wilding (cello));
Ivo-Jan Van der Werff (viola II) Location
not given. Rec 2004
MERIDIAN CDE 84525 [62:23]
[JF]
For
Bridge enthusiasts this is an essential CD.
... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Albert
Herring - A Comic Opera in Three Acts
Op. 39 (1947) [133:35] Lady Billows, an elderly
autocrat – Joan Cross (soprano) Albert Herring,
from the greengrocer’s – Peter Pears (tenor)
The English Opera Group Chamber Orchestra/Benjamin
Britten rec. live 1949. DDD English libretto
included
NIMBUS NI 5824/6 [3 CDs: 51:43 + 51:52
+30:00]
The
sheer vitality and excellence of the work
of Britten and the EOG ... see Full
Review
Benjamin BRITTEN
(1913-1976) Owen Wingrave
Peter Coleman-Wright, Alan
Opie, James Gilchrist, Elizabeth Connell, Janice Watson, Tiffin Boys’
Ch, City of London Sinfonia/Richard Hickox rec. 2007
CHANDOS CHAN 10473(2) [64:31 + 42:47]
[ST]
Hickox’s
compelling interpretation plus marvellous sound make this a winner
... see Full Review
Leo
BROUWER (b. 1939) Concerto elegiaco, Hommage à César
Franck see 20th
Century Guitar
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphonies
Nos. 4-9 Various
orchestras/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. 1942-51
MUSIC AND ARTS CD1209 [5 CDs: 65:55 + 68:50 + 79:50 + 79:09 +
79:11][JW]
Immense
and tragic, unerringly and compellingly directed in immediate sound
... see Full Review
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824–1896) Symphony No 8
Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony
No 6 Concertgebouworkest/Eduard
van Beinum rec. 1955
TAHRA 614-615 [72:42 + 73:42][JQ]
These
performances repay careful listening and study
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony
8 Vienna PO/Sir
Georg Solti rec. 1966 DECCA
ELOQUENCE 442 9235 [75:45] [SH]
A
real feast with the spice of irony ... see Full
Review
Dietrich
BUXTEHUDE (c.1637-1707) Harpsichord
Music Vol. 2 Lars
Ulrik Mortensen
rec. 1998 NAXOS 8.570580 [52:46] [BW]
Liked
Naxos’s earlier Buxtehude CDs? Now try these harpsichord works
... see Full Review
Dieterich
BUXTEHUDE (1637-1707)
Sonatas Op. 1 & 2
L'Estravagante rec. 2006/7
ARTS 47731-8 [60:30] & ARTS 47732-8 [67:14]
Impressive
and expressive interpretations of Buxtehude's
splendid sonatas ... see Full
Review
William
Byrd
(1539/1543?-1623) Mass
for Three Voices (early 1590s) with the Propers
for the Nativity
Christ Church Cathedral Choir/Stephen Darlington
rec. 1991. DDD. Booklet with notes in English,
texts and translations.
NIMBUS NI5302 [51:51]
William Byrd
(1539/1543?-1623) Mass for Four Voices (1592?)
with the Propers for the Feast of Corpus Christi
Christ Church Cathedral Choir/Stephen Darlington
rec. 1990. DDD. Booklet with notes in English,
texts and translations.
NIMBUS NI5287 [56:14]
William Byrd
(1539/1543?-1623) Mass for Five Voices (early
1590s) with the Propers for All Saints’ Day
Christ Church Cathedral Choir/Stephen Darlington
rec. 1989. DDD. Booklet with notes in English,
texts and translations.
NIMBUS NI5237 [52:12]
[BW]
If
you prefer Byrd’s Masses in this form, these
CDs are very recommendable ... see Full
Review
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]
[Recommended
recordings]
Over a period of three
years from December 2003, I have spent a lot
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