Superbudget £5.99 or less 
Budget £6-7.99 
Medium £8-10.99 
Full
price £11+ 
Download
Carl
Friedrich ABEL (1723-1787) Sonata see FLACKTON
Thomas
ADÈS (b. 1971) Adès: Anthology Powder Her Face,
Mazurkas, Arcadiana, Piano Quintet, Chamber Symphony, Living
Toys, America - A Prophecy, Violin Concerto 
Thomas Adès (piano) Endellion Qt, Arditti Qt, Susan Bickley (sop) Anthony
Marwood (violin) London Sinf/Markus Stenz, Birmingham Contemp Mus Grp/CBSO
and Chorus/Ch O of Europe/Thomas Adès rec. 1995-2011
EMI CLASSICS 50999 0 88560 2 9 [64:18 + 73:19]
[RB]
A
good introduction to Adès’ music.
James
AIKMAN
(b.1959) Violin
Concerto, Ania's Song, Concerto for alto saxophone
Charles Wetherbee (violin) Taimur Sullivan (alto saxophone) St. Petersburg
State SO/Vladimir Lande rec. 2010
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559720 [55:15] [Byz]
Fat-free,
tasty musical fare that will appeal to most palates.
Jehan
ALAIN
(1911-1940) Complete
Organ Works
Jean-Baptiste Robin (organ) rec. 2008-2009-2010
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94233 [3 CDs: 223:01] [SA]
I
cannot overemphasise the thrill of listening to these captivating compositions.
Malcolm
ARNOLD
(1921-2006)
Sonatina for clarinet and piano see European
Adventure
Juan
Crisóstomo de ARRIAGA (1806-1826)
String Quartets 1-3
Guarneri Qt rec. 1995
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802074 [74:52]
[RB]
Wonderful
warm classical music-making.
Alexander
Grigori ARUTIUNIAN (b. 1920) Elegy for Solo Trumpet
(or Flügelhorn) and Strings (2000) [4:31] see Trumpet
Concertos
Johann
Christoph BACH (1642-1703) Welt, gute nacht! Arias and
motets
English Baroque Soloists/Sir John Eliot Gardiner rec. 2009
SOLI DEO GLORIA SDG715 [78:11]
[JQ]
A
noteworthy release of fascinating music, which deserves to be better
known.
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Keyboard
Concertos
Nick van Bloss (piano) English CO/David Parry rec. 2008
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI 6141 [73:22] 
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
4 Klavierkonzerte Concerto in G minor, BWV 1058 [14:31]
Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052 [22:25] Concerto in E major, BWV 1053
[19:15] Concerto in A major, BWV 1055 [15:05]
Peter Seivewright (piano) Scottish Baroque Soloists/Angus Ramsay DDD
DIVINE
ART DDA25030 [71:34]
[MG]
Van
Bloss offers the more striking accounts, Seivewright the more reflective.
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685–1750) Saint
John Passion
Martina Lins (soprano) Charles Daniels (tenor) Andreas Scholl (counter-tenor)
Christoph Prégardien (tenor) Ens Vocal et Instrumental de Lausanne/Michel
Corboz rec. 1994
CASCAVELLE VEL3087 [56:05 + 59:55] [PK]
A
moving and wonderful way to spend two hours.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Orchestral Suites and Violin
Concertos
Arkady Futer, Boris Garlitsky (violins) Moscow Virtuosi/Vladimir Spivakov
(violin/director) rec. 1982-90
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802086 [4 CDs: 233:48]
[RMo]
A
very attractive bargain compilation.
Johann
Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Sinfonia
Accademia
Bizantina/Ottavio Dantone rec. 2011
DECCA 478 2718 [73:24] [DC]
A
joyous project – very nice to have around.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)/ Ignaz MOSCHELES
(1794-1870) 5 Studies in melodic counterpoint Op.137a see Očic
Krzysztof
BACULEWSKI
(b. 1950) Choral
works
Concerto Polacco; Katowice City Singers’ Ens “Camerata Silesia”/Anna
Szostak rec. 2010
DUX 0769 [73:01] [WH]
Challenging
modern Polish choral music, most of it written for these performers.
Well worth a diversion from the beaten track.
Granville
BANTOCK (1868-1946) Violin Sonata 3 see English
Violin Sonatas
Samuel
BARBER (1910-1981)
The Solo Piano Works
Leon McCawley (piano) rec. 2010
SOMM SOMMCD 0108 [69:28]
[OL]
A
very humane and personal portrait.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Complete Symphonies,
Overtures: Coriolan & Egmont
Annette Dasch (soprano) Mihoko Fujimura (alto) Piotr Beczala (tenor)
Georg Zeppenfeld (bass) Wiener Singverein/Phil/Christian Thielemann
rec. 2008-2010
UNITEL C MAJOR 707204 
BLU-RAY
[3 discs: 956:00] [DM]
This
box is much too volatile to recommend, but if you must have these symphonies
on Blu-ray Thielemann is your only option at the moment.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Coriolan Overture, Symphonies
4 & 7
Orch of the Age of Enlightenment/Vladimir Jurowski rec. 2010
IDEALE AUDIENCE 
DVD
3079298 [89:00] [TP]
Dramatic,
rhythmically alive, often spacious and consistently engaging.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 (1823) [70:07] Rebecca
Evans (soprano); Wilke te Brummelstroete (meezo); Steve Davislim (tenor);
Neal Davis (bass)
London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus/Yondani Butt
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6146 [70:07]
[WH]
This
is a competent reading of Beethoven’s masterpiece, but it lacks distinction,
especially when compared to earlier performances.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770 - 1827) Complete
Works for Piano and Orchestra
Orchestra of Opera North/Howard Shelley (piano and conductor) rec. 2010/
2011,
CHANDOS CHAN10695(4) [4
CDs: 80:41 + 79:19 + 78:28 + 77:59]
Superlative
choice in every regard.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Piano Sonatas: 20 in G major op.49/2 , 21 in
C major op.53 – Waldstein , 23 in F minor op.57 – Appassionata
, 28 in A major op.101 , 30 in E major op.109
Walter Gieseking (piano) rec. 1938-40
NAXOS 8.112063 [78:48]
[CH]
Not
quite “central” Beethoven, but performances to make you reassess your
reactions to the music. And a perfect performance of op.49/2.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Concertos 1-5; Triple
Concerto; Piano Sonatas
Friedrich Wührer (piano) rec. 1953-57
TAHRA TAH 704-07 [4 CDs: 266:05]
[JW]
An
outstanding historic set. A major achievement. Full marks.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies 1-9, Overtures
Philharmonia O/Otto Klemperer rec. 1960
MUSIC & ARTS CD-1252 [5 CDs: 389:46] [JQ]
A
valuable set which complements Klemperer's studio recordings of the
Beethoven symphonies.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)/Carl CZERNY
(1791-1857)
Violin Sonata No.9 in A major Op.47 “Kreutzer” transcribed for cello
see Očic
Franz
BENDA
(1709-1786) Violin
Sonatas
Hans-Joachim Berg (violin) Naoko Akutagawa (harpsichord) rec. 2010
NAXOS
8.572307 [72:29] [Byz]
Highly
mellifluous, filigree, relaxed - here be no dragons.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Arthur BENJAMIN
(1893-1960) Violin Concerto, Romantic Fantasy, Elegy, Waltz and
Toccata
Lorraine McAslan (violin) Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola) Royal Scottish
Ntl O/John Gibbons rec. 2011
DUTTON EPOCH CDLX 7279 [67:29] [JF]
Simply
fantastic.
Alexander
BERNE (b. 1931) Flickers
of Mime, Death of Memes
Abandoned O/Alexander Berne
INNOVA 804 [53:34 + 53:16] [DC]
Rich
food for grown-up imaginations.
Arthur
BLISS
(1891-1975)
String Quartet 2 Frederick DELIUS (1862-1934)
Late Swallows Henry PURCELL
(1659-1695) Chacony Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1973) String Quartet 2
Barbirolli Quartet rec. 2011,
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6165 [77:58]
[MC]
Music
that washed over this listener like balm.
Luigi
BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) Sonatas for cello and bass
see Italian Concertos and Sonatas
Giulio
BONNARD (1885-1972) Notturno see Italian
Clarinet Gems
Fritz
von BOSE (1865-1945)
Suites 1 & 2, Klavierstücke, Thema und Variationen
Alexandra Oehler (piano) rec. 2001
CPO 777 201-2 [78:20]
[DC]
Intriguing Brahmsian left-overs.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Clarinet Sonatas Nino
ROTA (1911-79) Clarinet Sonata, Clarinet trio
Leslie Craven (clarinet) Stjepan Hauser (cello) Michael Pollock (piano)
Yoko Misumi (piano) rec. 2010
DINMORE RECORDS DRD224 [70:00]
[JW]
The
novel and the canonic in fine collaboration.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphonies 1-4, Tragic Overture,
Academic Festival Overture
Gewandhaus O Leipzig/Kurt Masur rec. 1976
PENTATONE 
PTC 5186 182 [3 CDs: 185:00] [ST]
Masur’s
anaemic conducting seems to lack energy and an adequate sense of pacing.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Concerto Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Violin Concerto
Efrem Zimbalist (violin) Boston SO/Serge Koussevitzky Cleveland O/Rudolf
Ringwall rec. 1944/1946
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC307 [77:33]
[JW]
Zimbalist
was a fine musician and deserves to be heard.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Clarinet Sonata in E flat major see European
Adventure
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1973) String Quartet No 2 in C Major, Op 36
(1945) [30:12] see BLISS
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphony 6
Mozarteumorchester Salzburg/Ivor Bolton rec. live, 2010
OEHMS CLASSICS OC404 [54:36]
[GD]
Some
expansive tempos … a risky strategy but it pays off returning
a sense of grandeur.
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 7
Cleveland O/Franz Welser-Möst rec. 2008
ARTHAUS MUSIK 108033
[80:00] [DB]
A
very good performance but lacking in ultimate impact.
Ferruccio
BUSONI (1866-1924) Doktor Faust (abridged)
Dietrich
Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Richard Lewis (tenor) Heather Harper (soprano)
London Phil Ch/Ambrosian Singers/Chorus, Royal Acad of Music/London
PO/Sir Adrian Boult rec. 1959
LPO LIVE LPO 0056 [74:26]
[JQ]
Prospective
purchasers should approach with some caution.
Ferruccio
BUSONI (1866-1924)
Fantasia contrappuntistica, Seven Elegies
Sandro Ivo Bartoli (piano) rec. 2011
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94223 [72:52]
[MS]
Two
neglected strong explorations from the neglected Busoni played with
great expression and conviction.
Ferruccio
BUSONI (1866-1924) Piano Concerto
Roberto Cappello (piano) Corale Luca Marenzio, Roma SO/Francesco La
Vecchia rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572523 [79:50]
[WH]
Other
performances of Busoni’s extraordinary work are preferable to this one,
especially to those coming to the work for the first time.
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]
EXPLORE
MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL 
