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PART 2
A to B

[Part 1 New]  [Part 2 A-B] [Part 3 C-L]
[Part 4 M-R]  [Part 5 S-Y] [Part 6 Misc]   
             


ALPHABETICAL LISTING

MALCOLM ARNOLD The Film Music of Sir Malcolm Arnold (volume 2) Suite from Trapeze; Overture from The Roots of Heaven; Symphonic Study Machines; Suite from No Love for Johnnie; Suite from David Copperfield; Scherzetto from You Know What Sailors Are; Ballade from Stolen Face; Comedy Suite from The Belles of St Trinian's; Fantasy on Christmas Carols from The Holly and the Ivy; Postcard from the Med from The Captain's Paradise. Phillip Dyson (piano) BBC Philharmonic/Rumon Gamba Recorded in Studio 7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester in February and July 2000. CHANDOS CHAN 9851 [78.69] [AAS]

A warm welcome to this splendidly entertaining disc, brilliantly performed and recorded. I continue to be angered by the snooty attitude to Arnold's music which still emanates from certain sections of the musical establishment.

BACH (1685-1750) The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 Diana Boyle Piano Recorded Forde Abbey, Dorset, October 1987 and March 1988 METIER CD2002 [CD1 75.49; CD2 72.19][AH]

It would be difficult, in these circumstances, to recommend this version above other ones by well known names, of which Glenn Gould is just one.

BACH  Mass in B minor BWV 232 Magnificat BWV 243 Cantata 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott' BWV 80  + CD-ROM L'Universe of Bach. Philippe Herreweghe - director     Harmonia Mundi HMX 2908110.12 [PGW]

- - - recommendable recordings from 1996 & 1990 re-issued with L'Universe of Bach - The Bach Companion, a state-of-the-art CD-ROM which could occupy literally hundreds of hours, so massive (and, to me, daunting) is its scope. It should give endless entertainment and enlightenment to experienced navigators - - -

BACH/BUSONI Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750), transcribed for piano by Ferrucio Busoni (1866 ñ 1924) Toccata in C Major for Organ, BWV 564  Choral Preludes for Organ, Chaconne From partita No. 2 for Violin, BWV 1004 (14.49) Kun-Woo Paik, Piano rec June 2000 DECCA 467 358-2 [70.35] [KM]

An attractive recording of some of Busoni's transcriptions of Bach - neither Bach nor Busoni, but some of the music works well on piano.

Nicolas BACRI (b.1961-) CD1:- Toccata Sinfonica Piano Trio No. 1 (1991) Cello Sonata (1992) Suite No. 3 for solo cello Vita et Mors (1993) Deux preludes Op. 24 (1988) Trois preludes Op. 28 (1989) Trois preludes Op. 46 (1995) CD2:- Piano Trio No. 2 Les Contrastes (1995) Violin Sonata (1994) Sonata breve for solo violin (1994) Duo for violin and cello (1987-92) Trois petites rapsodies for solo violin (1986). Florence Millet (piano); Katie Lansdale (violin); Scott Kluksdahl (cello). Rec Indre, France, 1995/96   world premiere recordings TRITON TRI2001/2 [CD1 64.17; CD2 62.30] [RB]

Mildly adventurous souls will find much to attract and hold the attention here. I have high hopes to hear M. Bacri's other works - especially the symphonies.

Granville Bantock (1868 -1946) Hebridean Symphony (1915) Old English Suite (1909) Russian Scenes (1899) Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Košice)/Adrian Leaper Rec Košice, 16-20 January 1989 NAXOS 8.555473 (formerly issued as Marco Polo 8 223274) [61.50] [JF]

An excellent symphony by one of the least appreciated 'greats' of British music. A must for all Bantock enthusiasts, even if they already possess the other three versions! A fine introduction for those to whom Bantock is merely a name in the music dictionary.

FRANCISCO XAVIER BAPTISTA (? - 1797) Sonatas I, II, IV, V, VIII, X and XII Cremilde Rosado Fernandes - pianoforte rec: June 1986. STRAUS  PORTUGALSOM SP 4062 [51.58] [KM]

A delightful recording, on pianoforte, of some little-known Portuguese keyboard sonatas from the late 18th century.

BARBER Cello Concerto op 22 Medea Ballet Suite op 29 Adagio for Strings Wendy Warner (cello) Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Marin Alsop Recorded at Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, May 2000 NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559088 [65:58] [AS]

Splendid playing from the RSNO, and the recorded sound is well-nigh perfect. If, like me, you love the Violin Concerto, you will find the cello concerto equally pleasing.

Samuel BARBER (1910-1981) Historic Première Recordings Dover Beach, Overture: The School for Scandal, Adagio for Strings, Capricorn Concerto, Essay No. 1,  Sonata for Cello and Piano, Symphony No. 1 (In One Movement)PEARL GEMM 0049 [79:37] [IL]

A generously-filled and obligatory album for Barber enthusiasts - particularly for the chance to hear Barber singing his own Dover Beach and the Ormandy, Toscanini and Walter recordings are equally compelling.

Sally BEAMISH (b. 1956) Viola Concerto (1995) * [19.19] Cello Concerto 'River' (1997) ** [22.01] Tam Lin for Oboe & Orchestra (1993) *** [21.46] *Philip Dukes (viola) ** Robert Cohen (cello) *** Gordon Hunt (oboe) Swedish Chamber Orchestra/Ola Rudner Recorded: * and *** May 1999; ** August 1998 BIS-CD-971 [64.17] [JQ]

Recommended to all collectors interested in contemporary British music.

Theodor BERGER (1905-1992) Orchestral Works Symphonischer Triglyph (1957) Concerto Manuale (1951) La Parola (1954) Frauenstimmen (1959) Triglyph - NDR SO/Horst Stein Manuale - Bavarian RSO/Rafael Kubelik Parola - Bavarian RSO/Rudolf Alberth Frauenstimmen - Bavarian RSO/Rafael Kubelik ADD from stereo radio tapes: Triglyph from NDR; the other three from Bavarian Radio ANTES EDITION BM-CD 31.9047 [64.02] [RB]

Delicacy and an impressionistic imagination are clearly facets of Berger's music. Well worth exploring.

Sir Arthur BLISS The Film Music of Sir Arthur Bliss 1. Welcome the Queen. 2. Things to Come Concert Suite arranged and reconstructed by Philip Lane. 3. The Royal Palaces Suite. 4. Caesar and Cleopatra Suite from the incidental film music edited and arranged by Giles Easterbrook and Malcolm Binney. 5. War in the Air Theme. Rumon Gamba conducting the BBC Philharmonic Chandos CHAN 9896 [73:11]

This is a full length article on the Film Music of Sir Arthur Bliss

BLISS (1891-1975) Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1939) Trevor Barnard (piano) Philharmonia Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent THE DIVINE ART 2-4016 [37:56] [HC]

A nice tribute to Barnard's impeccable playing and musicianship.

BOCCHERINI String Quintets Op.25 Nos. 6, 4, and 1/ Minuet from Op.11 No.5 Europa Galante Recorded 1999 EMI Virgin Veritas VC 5 45421 2 1 [59.57] [CF]

This disc should do much to widen the appeal of this extraordinary music.

August DE BOECK (1865-1937) Symphony in G Edgar TINEL (1854-1912)  Overture - Polyeucte
Flanders SO/Fabrice Bollon rec 12-14 May 1995 CYPRÈS CYP1605 [58.55] [RB]

Not a version of preference in the case of the de Boeck symphony though this disc is warmly recorded and as ever with Cyprès most satisfyingly presented.

BORODIN (1833-1887) Requiem (1877, arr. Stokowski) Polovtsian Dances and Suite from Prince Igor Nocturne from String Quartet No.2 (arr. Rimsky-Korsakov) In the Steppes of Central Asia, Petite Suite (orch. Glazunov) Margaret Field (soprano) Ian Boughton (tenor) Stephanie Chaser (violin) BBC Symphony Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra/Geoffrey Simon Recorded London, 1992 CALA CACD 1029 [78:11] [HC]

A very pleasurable release with some rarities, all well performed and brilliantly recorded.

BRAHMS (1833-97) Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5. Four Ballades, Op. 10. Lars Vogt (piano). EMI CDC5 57125-2 [62.10] [DDD] [CC]

The F minor Sonata requires a maturity at present beyond this promising and obviously ambitious young pianist.

BRAHMS Sonata no.3 in f, op.5, 4 Ballades, op.10 Stephen Hough (piano) Hyperion CDA67237 [59.19] [CH]

An admirable conception perhaps needing the stimulus of a live audience to give it that last touch of ardour … very fine playing

BRITTEN Sacred and Profane, A.M.D.G., Five Flower Songs, A Hymn to the Virgin, Choral Dances from 'Gloriana', Chorale after an Old French Carol Polyphony/Stephen Layton  HYPERION CDA 67140 [61:26]  [SF]

Polyphony is a crack choir who sing with immaculate intonation and a sure sense of internal balance.

BRUCKNER Symphony No. 5 in B flat major Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam/Eugen Jochum (Live recording from Ottobueren Abbey, Germany on 30 & 31 May 1964.)   PHILIPS 50 464 693-2 [76.00] [TD]

A classic recording rightly restored to the catalogue in good sound and an example of Jochum's Bruckner at its best.

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[Part 4 M-R]  [Part 5 S-Y] [Part 6 Misc] 
 


Classical Editor: Rob Barnett,  Reviewers: Rob Barnett, Ian Lace, Len Mullenger, and:  Richard Adams, Colin Anderson, Arthur Baker, Grace Barber, Terry Barfoot,  Peter Bates, Marc Bridle, Arthur Butterworth, Colin Clarke, Paul Conway, Gary Dalkin, Andy Daly, Tony Duggan, Harry Downey,  Christopher Fifield, Lewis Foreman, Simon Foster, John France, Julian Hellaby, Christopher Howell, Simon Jenner, Stephen Lloyd,   Kirk McElhearn, Gwyn Parry-Jones, John Phillips, John Quinn, Ailís Ní Ríain, Humphrey Smith, Philip Scowcroft, Adrian Smith, Colin Scott-Sutherland, Andrew Seivewright, Paul Serotsky, Christopher Thomas, Richard Walker, Richard Whitehouse, Jonathan Woolf, Peter Grahame Woolf, David Wright. A complete list of contributors can be seen here


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Any opinions expressed in reviews or articles on this site are those of the author and  do not necessarily represent the views of the site owner, Len Mullenger or the Editors.  Reviewers and authors retain copyright in their work unless it has been paid for or commissioned by the site owner.

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