RECORDING
OF THE MONTH William
ALWYN
(1905-1985) Elizabethan
Dances (6) (1956-57) [17:34] The Innumerable
Dance - An English Overture (1933) [10:37]
Concerto for Oboe, Harp and Strings (1943-44)
[18:51] Aphrodite in Aulis - An Eclogue
for small orchestra after George Moore (1932)
[05:09] The Magic Island (1952) [10:53]
Festival March (1951) [08:05] Eleanor
Hudson (harp) Jonathan Small (oboe) 
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/David
Lloyd-Jones rec. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool,
19-22 January 2006. DDD. world premiere recordings
(The Innumerable Dance; Aphrodite
in Aulis)
NAXOS 8.570144 [71:09] [RB]
Recording
is natural without being distanced and performances
evince commitment and sympathy. The unique
experience of hearing more than sixteen minutes
of previously unrecorded Alwyn. ... see Full
Review
Georges
APERGHIS (b.
1945) Storm beneath a skull A
film by Catherine Maximoff [59:16] Little Red Ridng Hood A
film by Jean-Baptiste Mathieu featuring Ensemble Reflex.[61:34]
rec. Paris, 2006. DVD all regions NTSC IDEALE
AUDIENCE DVD9DS18 
[102:00]
[AOz]
Shatteringly
intense music, performed with extreme commitment … with Aperghis
there’s too much inherent subversion and inventiveness to fit any
formula. ... see Full Review
Malcolm
ARNOLD
(1921-2006) Handley Conducts
Arnold Beckus
the Dandipratt, overture for orchestra
(1943) [08:40] Suite: The Inn of the Sixth
Happiness (London Prelude; Romantic
Interlude; Happy Ending) (1958)
[14:34] Flourish for a 21st Birthday
(1953) [03:32] Symphony No.6 (1967) [25:56]
Philharmonic Concerto (1976) [16:26]
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley
rec. live, Royal Festival Hall, London, 24
September 2004, DDD
LPO LIVE LPO 0013 [69:08] [RB]
LPO
Live have chosen well in selecting this concert
for issue. I hope they have more Handley/Arnold
material for issue as this is most impressive.
... see Full
Review
Malcolm
ARNOLD (1921-2006)
The Sound Barrier, Op. 38 (1952) [7:09]
Eight English Dances, Opp. 27 and 33
(1951) [8:17, 9:22] Homage to the Queen,
Op. 42 (1953) [42:42] Four Scottish Dances,
Op. 59 (1957) [8:40]
Philharmonia Orchestra/Robert Irving Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra/Malcolm Arnold (Sound
Barrier) rec. Royal Festival Hall, London,
16 January 1957 (Sound Barrier); Kingsway
Hall, London, 11-12 June 1953 (Homage to
Queen, English Dances), 18 June
1957 (Scottish Dances) British Composers
series
EMI CLASSICS 7243 5 66120 2 0 [76:58][RB]
With
a fascinatingly inventive major ballet score
and rapturously performed recordings of the
dances this is ranks high in the Arnold treasury.
... see Full
Review
Malcolm
ARNOLD
(1921-2006) Piano
Sonata in B minor (1942) [11:59] Two Piano
Pieces (1943): (i) Prelude [3:27]; (ii)
Romance [2:30] Variations on a Ukrainian
Folk Song Op.9 (1944) [14:45] Constant
LAMBERT (1905-1951) Piano Sonata
(1929) [23:20] Elegy (1938) [4:52]
Suite in Three movements (1925) [11:40] Elegiac
Blues (1927) [2:56]
Mark Bebbington (piano) rec. Symphony Hall,
Birmingham, August 2005
SOMM CD 062 [76:54] [JW]
Bebbington
is an expert guide to Arnold’s piano works
and casts a very personal eye on Lambert as
well. ... see Full
Review
Attilio ARIOSTI
(1666-1729) The
Stockholm Sonatas 1: Lezione I in E flat major [10.10]; Lezione
II in A major [8.44]; Lezione III in E minor [12.59]; Lezione
IV in F major [11.17]; Lezione V in E minor [8.25]; Sonata
6 in D major [8.37]; Sonata 7 in D major [8.02]
Thomas Georgi (viola d’amore); Lucas Harris (theorbo,
archlute, baroque guitar); Joelle Morton (viola da gamba, great bass
viol) rec. May 2005, Grace Church on the Hill, Toronto, Canada. DDD
BIS
CD 1535 [69:14][GH]
Beautiful,
well-shaped and authentically-aware performances captured in an excellent
recording but at the end of the day this second-rate music; at best
suitable for a sleepy late evening with a bottle of Chianti to hand.
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I BWV 846-869 [144.36]
Peter Watchorn (pedal harpsichord)
rec. 20-22 October 2005, St. Mary of the Hills, Milton, MA.
MUSICA OMNIA 0201 [144.36][KM]
Perhaps
the finest harpsichord recording of this monumental work ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685-1750)
The Bach Cantata Pilgrimage - Volume 15: Cantatas
for The Third Day
of Christmas Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater
erzeiget, BWV 64 (1723) [17:39] Süsser Trost, mein Jesus kömmt, BWV
151 (1725) [17:07] Selig ist der Mann,
BWV 57 (1725) [22:56] (For the Second Day of Christmas)Ich freue mich
in dir, BWV 133 (1724) [18:15] Katharine
Fuge, Gillian Keith, Joanne Lunn (sopranos); William Towers, Robin Tyson (altos);
James Gilchrist (tenor); Peter Harvey (bass)/The Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque
Soloists/Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
rec. St. Bartholomew’s, New York, 27 December 2000 SOLI
DEO GLORIA SDG 127 [76:15]
[JQ]
A
delight from start to finish. This unfolding series goes from strength
to strength ... see Full Review
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Mass
in B minor BWV 232 (1733-1738) CD 1: I. Kyrie
II. Gloria CD 2: III. Credo IV. Sanctus Agnes
Giebel (soprano), Janet Baker (alto), Nicolai Gedda (tenor),
Hermann Prey (baritone), Franz Crass (bass) BBC Chorus New
Philharmonia Orchestra/Otto Klemperer rec. October and November
1967, Kingsway Hall, London. ADD EMI
CLASSICS GREAT RECORDINGS
OF THE CENTURY 4768142 [67.32 + 68.13] [EM]
A
performance full of radiance, beauty and nobility ... see Full
Review
Arnold
BAX (1883-1953) Viola Sonata (1922)
[22:37] Concert Piece for viola and piano (1904) [12:30] Legend for
viola and piano (1929) [9:26] Trio in one movement for violin, viola
and piano Op.4 (1906) [16:29]
Martin Outram (viola) Laurence Jackson (violin) Julian Rolton (piano)
Rec. Potton Hall, Suffolk, February 2005
NAXOS 8.557784 [61:03][JW]
As
a single disc Bax viola selection you couldn’t do much better than this.
... see Full Review
Arnold
BAX (1883-1953) Violin
Sonata No.1 in E major (1910-15 revised 1920, 1945) [32:08]
Violin Sonata No.3 (1927) [20:12] Original second and third
movements of the First Sonata (1910): (Slow and sombre [11:43];
Allegro molto vivace [11:47]) Laurence
Jackson (violin) Ashley Wass (piano) rec. Potton Hall, Suffolk,
December 2004 NAXOS
8.557540 [75:50] [JW]
Naxos
continues its devotion to Bax with oustanding results. The performances
are eloquent and impressive ... see Full
Review
Leopold
Stokowski conducts the NBC Symphony Orchestra Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony No.6 in F major Op.68
Pastoral (1808) [43:39] Sounds of Nature – illustrated discussion
by Leopold Stokowski [5:51] Franz LISZT
(1811-1886) Three Hungarian Rhapsodies: No.1 in F minor – orchestrated
Doppler and Liszt [8:38]; No.2 in C sharp minor – orchestrated Muller-Berghaus
[8:37]; No.3 in D major - orchestrated Doppler and Liszt [7:41]
NBC Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski rec. Manhattan Center, New
York, March 1954 (Beethoven) and January-February 1955 (Liszt)
CALA CACD 0545 [74:28][JW]
Stokowski’s
Pastoral: latitude will prove necessary but
those attuned to his sensibility will find
him a most humane and generous guide. ...
see Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (1805)
[32:50] Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
(1812) [36:10]
Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela/Gustavo
Dudamel rec. Aula Magna, Ciudad Universitaria,
Caracas, February 2006
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 00289 477 6228 [69:07][DRD]
Jaded
with Beethoven? This will clear away the cobwebs!
... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Late String Quartets CD 1 String Quartet No. 12
in E flat major, Op. 127 (1824-25) [36:59] String Quartet No.
13 in B flat major, Op. 130 (1825-26) [35:43] CD 2 Große
Fuge in B flat major, Op. 133 (1825-26) [15:28] String Quartet
No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131 (1826) [36:40] CD 3 String
Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132 (1825) [42:14] String Quartet
No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 (1826) [25:10] Alban
Berg Quartet: (Günter Pichler, violin; Gerhard Schulz, violin;
Thomas Kakuska, viola; Valentin Erben, cello) rec. live performances,
July 1989, Mozartsaal, Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria.
DDD EMI CLASSICS GREAT RECORDINGS
OF THE CENTURY 4768202 [3 CDs: 72:47 + 52:13 + 67:29] [MC]
These
are truly Great Recordings of the Century. I would be
completely content to have these performances of Beethoven’s late
string quartets as the only set in my collection. ... see Full
Review
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) CD
1 Sonata for Piano No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 Waldstein (1803-1804)
[24:15] Sonata for Piano No. 22 in F major, Op. 54 (1804) [10:26] Sonata
for Piano No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 Appassionata (1804-1805)
[22:14] Sonata for Piano No. 24 in F sharp major, Op. 78 (1809) [9:41]
Sonata for Piano No. 25 in G major, Op. 79 (1809) [8:33] CD 2 Sonata
for Piano No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90 (1814) [12:31] Sonata for Piano
No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 (1820) [20:36] Sonata for Piano No. 31 in
A flat major, Op. 110 (1821-2) [18:35] Sonata for Piano No. 32 in C
minor, Op. 111 (1822) [26:02]
Artur Schnabel (piano) rec. 1932 (Op. 78, 90, 109,
110, 111); 1933 (Op. 54, 57); 1934 (Op. 53); 1935 (Op. 79), Studio No.
3, Abbey Road, London.
EMI CLASSICS GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 5 62880 2
[75:11 + 77:46][MC]
Imperious
interpretations
… certainly one of the ‘Great Recordings of
the Century’. Beethoven lovers and those fascinated
by historical recordings from the greatest
performers will be in their element. ... see
Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
CD1:
Piano Sonata No.28 in A major, op.101 (1816)
[23:01] Piano Sonata No.29 in B flat major,
op.106 "Hammerklavier" (1818)
[43:38] CD2: Piano Sonata No.30 in E major,
op.109 (1820) [20:23] Piano Sonata No.31 in
A flat major, op.110 (1821) [20:43] Piano
Sonata No.32 in C minor, op.111 (1822) [27:39]
Malcolm Binns (fortepianos) rec. The Colt
Clavier Collection, Bethersden, Kent, November
1978 (op.110); April 1979 (op.106); June 1979
(opp.101, 109, 111). ADD
EXPLORE EXP0001/2 [66:31 + 69:25] [TP]
As
a supplement … Binns’ set is instructive,
and one to which I will return. ... see Full
Review
Luciano
BERIO (1925–2003)
Sequenzas I – XIV: I for flute (1958) [5:16] II for harp (1963)
[9:28] III for female voice (1966) [7:37] IV for piano (1966) [10:56]
V for trombone (1965) [5:34] VI for viola (1967) [14:53] VIIa for oboe
(1969) [9:17] VIII for violin (1976) [12:32] IXa for clarinet (1980)
[14:01] X for trumpet in C and pianoresonance (1984) [17:08] XI for
guitar (1987-88) [16:28] XII for bassoon (1995) [16:18] XIII for accordion
(chanson) (1995) [8:16] XIV for cello (2002) [13:09] VIIb for soprano
saxophone (1995) [7:15] IXb for alto saxophone (1981) [13:50]
Nora Shulman (flute); Erica Goodman (harp); Tony Arnold (soprano); Boris
Berman (piano); Alain Trudel (trombone); Steven Dann (viola); Matej
Šarc (oboe); Jasper Wood (violin); Joaquin Valdepeñas (clarinet); Guy
Few (trumpet); Pablo Sáinz Villegas (guitar); Ken Munday (bassoon);
Joseph Petric (accordion); Darrett Adkins (cello); Wallace Halladay
(saxophones) rec. St John Chrysostom Church, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada,
June 1998-May 2004. DDD
NAXOS 8.557661-63 [3 CDs: 63:02 + 60:09 + 58:48] [GPu]
An
eminently recommendable set of some of the most remarkable music
of our own time, at a knock-down price … see Full
Review
Franz
BERWALD (1796-1868)
Piano
Quintet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 5 (1853) [22:38]
Piano Quintet No. 2 in A, Op. 6 (1857) [28:20]
Vienna Philharmonia Quintet rec. Sofiensaal,
Vienna, September 1973. ADD
EXPLORE EXP0003 [51:11] [CC]
This
is absolutely gorgeous music … It is difficult
to imagine more musical and more musically
recorded accounts than the present ones. ...
see Full
Review
Hermann
BISCHOFF (1868-1936)
Symphony No. 1 (1906) [62:23]
Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz/Werner
Andreas Albert rec. Ludwigshafen, Philharmonie,
11-15 June 2004
CPO 777 111-2 [62:23][PC]
Bischoff
is still worth a listen. ... see Full
Review
BOULEZ
Le Domaine musical: 1956-1967 Volumes 1&2
- see review for details
ACCORD 476 9209 [4 CDs plus bonus CD:
66:54 + 62:32 + 59:46 + 73:15. Bonus CD: 79:42],
ACCORD 476 8862 [4 CDs: 62:14 + 65:04
+ 74:30 + 70:04] [GR]
When
Boulez started the Domaine Musical concerts
in January 1954 he let off the equivalent
of a small nuclear device in the moribund
world of post-war Parisian music. ... see
Full
Review
Johannes BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Tragic
Overture Op.81* (1880) [13:16] Variations
on a theme by Haydn Op.56a (1873) [18:51]
Symphony No.4 in E minor Op.98 (1885) [43:00]
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra*/Carlo
Maria Giulini rec. 12 November 1962, Kingsway
Hall, London (Overture); 25-27 January
1961, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London (Variations);
13-15 May 1969, Medinah Temple, Chicago (Symphony).
Bonus CD – Carlo Maria Giulini – A Profile
EMI CLASSICS GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY
5628822 [75:15 + 76:38] [DC]
Giulini’s
Brahms interpretations have every bit as much
to tell us today as when they first appeared.
... see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS
(1833-1897)
Symphony No.1 in C Op. 68 (1876) [41:33] Symphony
No.2 in D Op. 73 (1877) [41:18] Symphony No.3
in F Op. 90 (1883) [38:18] Symphony No.4 in
E Op. 98 (1885) [41:25] Variations on a Theme
of Haydn Op. 56a (1873) [18:12] Academic Festival
Overture Op. 80 (1880) [11:19] Tragic Overture
Op. 81 (1881) [12:40] Alto Rhapsody Op. 53
(1869) [14:10] *
Lucretia West (contralto) * Staatskapelle
Dresden (Symphony No.1) Vienna Philharmonic
Orchestra (Haydn Variations, Academic Festival
Overture, Tragic Overture, Alto Rhapsody)
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra (Symphony No.2)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Symphony No.3)
Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra (Symphony
No.4) Hans Knappertsbusch rec.1950-57. ADD
ANDROMEDA ANDRCD5066 [3 CDs: 71:36 + 78:30
+ 68:02] [JW]
Critically
speaking reviewing Knappertsbusch’s Brahms is the equivalent of kicking
a blind man or a dog ... see Full
Review
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 (1878) [38:38] JEAN
SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 (1903,
rev. 1905) [32:34]
Ginette Neveu (violin) Philharmonia Orchestra/Issay Dobrowen (Brahms);
Walter Süsskind (Sibelius) rec. 16-18 August 1946 (Brahms);
21 November 1945 (Sibelius), Studio No. 1, Abbey Road, London, England.
ADD. EMI CLASSICS
GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE CENTURY 4 76830 2 [71:45][MC]
A
fascinating release … Neveu, a performer whose life was tragically cut
short. Nothing remarkable here to trouble the extremely fierce competition
in these two masterworks. ... see Full
Review
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Latin
Motets Pange lingua [3:53] Afferentur
regi virgins [1:21] Vexilla regis [5:17]
Christus factus est [4:38] Locus
iste [2:30] Os justi meditabitur [4:51]
Inveni David [1:29] Libera
me, Domine [4:11] Ave Maria [3:18] Tota
pulchra es [4:18] Virga Jesse [4:07] Ecce
sacerdos [5:07]
Oly Pfaff, (tenor) Manfred Hug, (organ)
Wolfgang Czelusta, Klaus Bäuerle, Peter Redwig, Fritz
Resch, (trombones) Philharmonia Vocalensemble
Stuttgart/Hans Zanotelli rec. 6-7 April 1979,
Tonstudio Mauermann. Originally issued on Calig
Records.
PROFIL PH07002 [45:56][KS]
Painful
lack of intonation, bizarre articulations and poorly shaped phrases
mar this performance irreparably. ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH William
BYRD (1539/40-1623)
Laudibus in sanctis - The Byrd Edition:
Volume 10 Quis est homo? CS 3-4 [6:19]
Tribulatio proxima est, CS 8-9 [5:28] Apparebit
in finem, CS 12 [2:33] Salve sancta parens
[4:37] Alleluia, Ave Maria … Virga Iesse [3:39]
Beata es, virgo Maria [2:06] Beata viscera
[1:48] Regina caeli [4:48] Salve regina, CS
6-7 [7:07] Fac cum servo tuo, CS 5 [4:41]
Ecce quam bonum [3:41] In manus tuas, Domine
[2:14] Unam petii a Domino [3:50] Visita quaesumus,
Domine [3:19] Domine, exaudi orationem meam,
inclina, CS 10-11 [6:26] Laudibus in sanctis,
CS 1-2 [5:44]
The Cardinall’s Musick/Andrew Carwood rec.
Fitzalan Chapel, Arundel Castle, 10-12 May
2006. DDD
HYPERION CDA67568 [69:45] [MG]
“The
style and character are true to the text”,
a comment that serves well for Carwood’s consistently
excellent performances of Byrd’s motets …
see Full
Review
ALPHABETICAL
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