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Alphabetical Listing

PART 2
A-B

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]


Algernon ASHTON (1859-1937) Music for Cello and Piano - Volume 1 Arioso Op.43 (publ. 1889) [7:23] Sonata No.1 in F major Op.6 (publ. 1880) [22:39] Phantasiestücke Op.12 (publ. 1883) [12:32] Sonata No.2 in G major Op.75 (1885) [25:41] Evva Mizerska (cello); Emma Abbate (piano) rec. 2011 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0143 [68:15] [NB]

Not every forgotten composer can be unjustly forgotten.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Harpsichord Concertos Retrospect Ensemble/Matthew Halls (harpsichord) rec. 2011 LINN RECORDS CKD410 [64:24] [BW]

Intimate performances that complement other recordings and may well be your first choice.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The Six Partitas (1725-30) Vladimir Feltsman (piano) rec. 1999, DDD NIMBUS NI 6207 [59:05 + 61:36]

Ultimately the essential rightness, improvisatory freedom and rhythmic vitality of Feltsman’s account won me over.

Bach in Context: Bach and Luther Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Cantatas 4 & 80, Chorales, Dorian Toccata, Fugue Johann Christoph BACH (1642-1703) Motet Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam Musica Amphion/Pieter-Jan Belder (organ) rec. 2012 ETCETERA RECORDS KTC 1442 [77:23] [HP-R]

Great CD, less convinced by the book. 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Goldberg Variations Joël Pontet (harpsichord) rec. 2010 SAPHIR LVC 1166 [76:44] [HP-R]

Accomplished, yet occasionally tiring, playing. 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Six Suites for Cello Solo Pieter Wispelwey (baroque cello and piccolo cello) rec. 2012 EVIL PENGUIN RECORDS EPRC012 [2 CDs: 54:00 + 79:00 + (DVD) 52:00] [KM]

An idiosyncratic approach to Bach’s cello suites. 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Christmas Oratorio see Christmas Celebrations with St Thomas’s Choir Leipzig

Granville BANTOCK (1868-1946) Hamabdil see British Works for Cello and Piano

Samuel BARBER (1910-1981) An American Romantic Conspirare/Craig Hella Johnson rec. 2011 HARMONIA MUNDI HMU 807522 [79:44] [ST]

Well worth a look if you’re interested in choral music. 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 François-Frédéric Guy (piano) rec. 2010/11 ZIG-ZAG TERRITOIRES ZZT304 [3 CDs: 213:13] [BR]

I greet this along with Volume 1 with enthusiasm … some of the best, most consistently excellent performances in the century so far. 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Concerto 1 Friedrich KUHLAU (1786-1832) Piano Concerto Marianna Shirinyan (piano) Copenhagen Philharmonic/Michael Francis, Rolf Gupta rec. 2010/11 ORCHID CLASSICS ORC 100025 [67:28] [SA]

A clever coupling and worth having for at least that reason. 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Concerto 5 Nicolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Scheherazade Yefim Bronfman (piano) Concertgebouw O/Andris Nelsons rec. 2011 C MAJOR 710108 [110:00] [JW]

An excellent package generally. 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony 3 Bedřich SMETANA (1824-1884) The bartered bride overture & works by Ruperto CHAPÍ (1851-1909) & Gerónimo GIMÉNEZ (1854-1923) Ntl O Spain, Suisse Romande O, Gran SO/Ataúlfo Argenta rec. 1957 ICA CLASSICS ICAC 5087 [76:35] [RMay]

A valuable new CD and most welcome. ICA Classics deserve our thanks.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Concertos 1-5 Wilhelm Kempff (piano) NHK SO Tokyo/Tadashi Mori rec. 1970 KING INTERNATIONAL INC KKC 2017-19 [3 CDs: 168:01] [JW]

A valuable souvenir of Kempff in Tokyo, strictly for completists. 

Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Nuits d’Été (arr. David Matthews) see MAHLER

Alexander BORODIN (1833-1887) String Quartet 2 see Russian String Quartets

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Complete Organ Works Edouard Oganessian (organ) rec. 2010 SAPHIR LVC 1133 [70:41] [HP-R]

A wonderful instrument, repertoire and some first-rate playing. 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Concerto Aram KHACHATURIAN (1903-1978) Violin Concerto Leonid Kogan (violin) Philharmonia O/Kyril Kondrashin, Boston SO/Pierre Monteux rec. 1958/59 GUILD GHCD2394 [71:12] [JW]

Kogan, the young pretender: tensile, concentrated and subtle.  

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Clarinet Quintet, Piano Quintet Jon Nakamatsu (piano) Jon Manasse (clarinet) Tokyo Qt rec. 2011 HARMONIA MUNDI HMU807558 [79:13] [BW]

This version of the Piano Quintet is as good as any and that of the Clarinet Quintet will appeal to those who stress its autumnal qualities. 

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 5 Munich PO/Sergiu Celibidache rec. 1985 ARTHAUS MUSIK 101639 [90:00] [RMay]

An interesting DVD but perhaps you really had to be there… 

Ferruccio BUSONI (1866-1924) Berceuse élégiaque, Tanzwalzer see CHERUBINI

Dieterich BUXTEHUDE (1637 - 1707) Suonate The Purcell Qt rec. 2008-11 CHANDOS CHAN 0766/0784 [56:53 & 62:55] [JV]

Buxtehude's music is much more dramatic and exciting than these interpretations suggest.


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]


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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