Carl Friedrich
ABEL
(1723-1787) Mr Abel's
Fine Airs 
Susan Heinrich (viola da gamba) rec. 24-26
October, St. Andrew’s church, Toddington,
Gloucestershire
HYPERION CDA67628 [77:48] [GPu]
Specialists
in the instrument or the period will surely
not hesitate to get hold of this disc; others
may be pleasantly surprised by the subtle,
expressive music to be heard on it … see Full
Review
John
ADAMS (b. 1947)
Harmonium Sergei
RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) The
Bells
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus/Robert
Shaw rec. 1995
TELARC CD-80365 [73:52][DC]
Enjoyable,
but lacking just a little sparkle and grit ... see Full
Review
William
ALWYN (1905-1985) Chamber
Music and Songs Madeleine
Mitchell rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.570340 [WK]
Given
the all-round excellence no admirer of Alwyn should hesitate to
purchase this disc ... see Full Review
Richard
ARNELL (b. 1917) Lord Byron: a Symphonic Portrait
see DUNHILL
Sir
Malcolm ARNOLD (1921-2006) Complete
Symphonies Symphonies Nos.1-9; Sir Malcolm Arnold in conversation
with Andrew Penny
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland/Andrew Penny rec. 1995-2000
NAXOS 8.505221 [5 CDs: 55:41 + 69:07 + 57:17 + 63:55 + 57:34][DW]
This
is an excellent survey of the Malcolm Arnold symphonies from a conductor
obviously very much in tune with the music and its messages … see Full
Review
Sir
Malcolm ARNOLD (1921-2006)
Beckus the Dandipratt, Fantasy on a Theme of John Field,
Concerto for two pianos (three hands), Concerto for piano duet
Phillip Dyson (piano), Kevin Sargent (second pianist) Ulster O/Esa
Heikkilä
rec. 1997 NAXOS 8.570531
[BBr]
A
fine disc … well thought out and well played performances of some
very interesting music missing from our concert halls …a valuable
addition to the growing Arnold catalogue ... see Full
Review
Will
AYTON (b.
1948) A
Reliquary for William Blake Parthenia
(viol consort), Alexandra Montano (mezzo) rec. 2005 MSR
CLASSICS MS1216 [JS]
Overall,
all too often, the music seems to subside into a kind of grayness
... see Full Review
Carl
Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788) St
Mark Passion Claudia
Barainsky, Europa Chor Akademie, Mendelssohn Sinfonia/Joshard
Daus
rec. live 2006 CAPRICCIO 60132 [JW]
Essentially
aria-less the Passion may strike one as too desiccated and plain
but it reveals then-contemporary taste in Hamburg ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Christmas
Oratorio BWV 248 (1734) Malin
Hartelius (soprano)/Kristina Hammarström
(alto)/Jörg Dürmüller (tenor)/Detlef
Roth (bass)/Capella Amsterdam/Combattimento
Consort Amsterdam/Jan Willem de Vriend rec.
24-30 September, 15 October 2006, Waalse Kerk,
Amsterdam 
CHALLENGE
CLASSICS CC 76607 [JQ]
Displays
understanding and affection for the music
… a consistently satisfying and invigorating
account of this wonderful music. ... see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Cantatas, Vol. 36 Am Abend aber
desselbigen Sabbats; Ihr werdet
weinen und heulen; Es ist euch
gut, daß ich hingehe; Bleib
bei uns
Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki rec. 2006
BIS-SACD-1611
[75:31][TB]
The
closing chorale movements are simply delivered … another splendid achievement
by Suzuki and Bach Collegium Japan ... see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685 -1750)
Goldberg Variations, Chromatic Fantasia, Italian Concerto
Maria Tipo (piano) rec. 1986/90
EMI CLASSICS 3817452 [JW]
No
holds barred … Tipo approaches these works in true romanticist
fashion … see Full Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The
Bach Cantata Pilgrimage: Volume 16 - Cantatas
for the Sunday after Christmas Singet dem Herrn
ein neues Lied, BWV225; Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn,
BWV152; Das neugeborne Kindelein, BWV122; Gottlob!
Nun geht das Jahr zu Ende, BWV28; Singet dem Herrn
ein neues Lied! BWV190 Monteverdi
Choir/English Baroque Soloists/Sir John Eliot Gardiner rec.
2000 SOLI
DEO GLORIA SDG137 [JQ]
Another
splendid disc in this important series ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685-1750) 2 & 3-part
Inventions,
Partita 2 Janine Jansen (violin);
Maxim
Rysanov (viola); Torleif Thedeén (cello) rec. 2007 DECCA
4759081 [DC]
Gorgeous,
through and through ... see Full
Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685–1750) Cantatas BWV
56, 82 & 158 Gotthold
Schwarz (bass) Thomanerchor Leipzig, La Stagione Frankfurt/Michael
Schneider
rec. 2004/6 CAPRICCIO 67190 [JV]
One-dimensional
and bland interpretations of some of Bach's most popular cantatas
- superfluous ... see Full Review
Francis Edward BACHE (1833-1858)
Piano Concerto op. 18 see BENNETT
William
BAINES
(1899-1922)
& E. J. MOERAN
(1894-1950) Piano music
Eric Parkin LYRITA SRCD266
[RB]
Apt
and generous, reflecting the magical folk and impressionistic
sides of 20th century British music ... see Full
Review
Arnold
BAX (1883-1953) Symphony
No. 6, Overtures New
PO/Del Mar, Royal PO/Handley rec. 1976-96 LYRITA SRCD296
Of
interest to Baxians for the overtures but the Symphony is not the
best on the market [EM] This superb Del Mar account is a necessary
adjunct to any of the complete cycles [JQ] ... see Full
Review
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphony No.9 The
Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus/Franz Welser-Möst. rec. 2007
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 7132 [66:07][TP]
This
is not a terrible performance, but at full
price it is not at all competitive ... see
Full Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Concerto
No.3 Carl Maria Von WEBER (1786-1826)
Konzertstück Op.79; Piano Sonata No.1
Claudio Arrau (piano); Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy & Chicago
Symphony Orchestra/Désiré Defauw rec. 1941-7
NAXOS 8.111263 [72:37][JW]
Playing
that is vital and communicative ... see Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony
3, Egmont Overture Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Te Deum Symphony
of the Air (Eroica), New York PO (Egmont, Bruckner)/Bruno Walter
rec. 1953-57 ARCHIPEL
ARPCD0370 [JW]
Walter
at something near his very best ... see Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony
9 Elisabeth
Schwarzkopf, Hans Hotter, Wiener Singverein Vienna PO/Herbert
von Karajan rec. 1947 EMI
CLASSICS 4768782 [SV]
Given
Karajan's subsequent re-recordings of the Ninth I'd not pay this
one any special mind ... see Full
Review
William
Sterndale BENNETT (1816-1875)
Piano Concerto No. 4; Caprice op. 22 Francis
Edward BACHE (1833-1858) Piano Concerto op. 18
Howard Shelley (piano/conductor), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra rec.
2006 HYPERION CDA67595
[65:19][CH]
Sterndale
Bennett’s Fourth Piano Concerto, a work of some strength and substance
which was widely admired in the composer’s day, re-enters the CD catalogue.
... see Full Review
Michael
BERKELEY (b. 1948) Or Shall
We Die? see PATTERSON
Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869)
Te
Deum (1855) [57.40]
Roberto Alagna (tenor) Marie-Claire Alain
(Cavaillé-Coll grand orgue, La Madeleine)
Choeur d'enfants de l'Union Européene
et Maîtrise d'Antony Choeur et Orchestre
de Paris/John Nelson rec. 19-20 February 2001,
Salle de la Mutualité, Paris;
EMI CLASSICS 5034072 [57.40] [RH]
A
highly recommendable recording, which captures
something of the large scale of Berlioz's
creation. ... see Full
Review
Leonard
BERNSTEIN (1918–1990)
A Place for Us – A Tribute to 50 Years
of West Side Story
SONY/BMG MASTERWORKS BROADWAY 88697 12161
2 [46:10]
[GF]
A
disc that provides agreeable easy listening
and some highly inspired improvisational music
making ... see Full
Review
Arthur
BLISS (1891-1975) Morning Heroes
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)
War Requiem
Liverpool Philharmonic Choir Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir
Charles Groves (Morning Heroes) CBSO Chorus; City of Birmingham Symphony
Orchestra/Simon Rattle (War Requiem) rec. 1974 & 1983
EMI CLASSICS BRITISH COMPOSERS 5059092 [69:37 + 73:30][RB]
You
would do well to track this set down before it too disappears from the
scene. ... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ernest BLOCH (1880-1959) Violin
Concerto, Baal Shem, Suite Hébraïque Zina
Schiff,
Royal Scottish Ntl O/José Serebrier rec. 2006 NAXOS
8.557757 [TH]
Bloch’s
major works for violin and orchestra in thrilling performances
and demonstration sound ... see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony
No. 4; Hungarian Dances Nos. 2 and 4-9
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Marin Alsop rec.
2005-6
NAXOS 8.570233 [64:39][LW]
Alsop’s
Brahms 4 is a top budget choice and receives a firm recommendation ...
see Full Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Concerto;
Academic Festival Orchestra; Tragic Overture; Rhapsody for alto
Arthur Grumiaux
(violin); Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam/Eduard van Beinum rec.
1958 PHILIPS ELOQUENCE
4429788 [TP]
With
an hour and a quarter of excellent music-making, intelligently coupled
and priced at the bottom of the market, how can you possibly pass this
up? ... see Full Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Clarinet
trio, Clarinet sonatas 1 & 2 Arthur
Campbell (clarinet) rec. 2005 AUDITE 92554 [TP]
If
you prize the autumnal beauty of these pieces
above their latent passion, these accounts
will give you pleasure ... see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano
Quintet, String Quartet 2 Stephen
Hough,
Takács Quartet rec. 2007 HYPERION
CDA67551 [LW]
Exciting
music-making in evidence from this latest release ... see Full
Review
Frank BRIDGE
(1879-1941)
CD 1 String
Quartet No. 3 (1927) [29:58] String Quartet
No. 4 (1937) [22:27] CD 2 Piano Trio
No. 2 (1929) [30:36] Phantasy Piano Quartet
(1910) [12:45] Miniatures for Piano Trio (Set
3) (c. 1907 pub. 1915) [8:42]
Allegri Quartet (Hugh Maguire (violin); David
Roth (violin); Patrick Ireland (viola); Bruno
Schrecker (cello)) Tunnell Trio (John Tunnell
(violin); Charles Tunnell (cello); Susan Tunnell
(piano)); Brian Hawkins (viola) rec. Kingsway
Hall, London, December 1971 (CD 1); hrist
Church, Chelsea December 1976 (CD 2). ADD
2CDs for the price of one
LYRITA SRCD.302 [52:29 + 52:08] [JF]
Lyrita
have to be congratulated for reissuing these
fine 1970s recordings. ... see Full
Review
Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941)
Oration see BRITTEN
Benjamin BRITTEN
(1913-1976)
Cello Symphony Frank BRIDGE
(1879-1941) Oration
Steven Isserlis, City London Sinfonia/Richard Hickox rec. 1987
EMI CLASSICS BRITISH COMPOSERS 5059162 [RB]
Two
masterly British cello scores, well recorded and in fine performances
... see Full Review
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) War Requiem see BLISS
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) Peter Grimes
Peter Grimes –
Christopher Ventris (tenor); Chorus and Orchestra of Zürich Opera/Franz
Welser-Möst rec. 2005
EMI CLASSICS 5009719 
[2 DVDs: 150:00][TH]
Emerges
with very mixed honours ... see Full
Review
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony
7 Grand
Montréal Met O/Yannick Nézet-Séguin rec. 2006 ATMA
CLASSIQUE SACD22512 [TB]
A
dedicated performance, with sensitive awareness of Bruckner’s idiom
and musical characteristics ... see Full
Review
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Te Deum see BEETHOVEN
William
BUSCH (1901-1945)
Cello Concerto, Piano Concerto
Raphael Wallfisch, Piers Lane, Royal PO/Vernon Handley
LYRITA SRCD320 [BBr]
Buy and
cherish. Don’t let this fine composer disappear from our sights
ever again ... see Full Review
Alan
BUSH (1900-1995) Piano Sonata see ELGAR
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