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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]

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Johannn Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Concertos for 2 & 4 Harpsichords Amsterdam Baroque O/Ton Koopman rec. 1988/90 WARNER CLASSICS 2564 69174-6 [54:19] [GD]

I’d certainly count this as a bargain ... see Full Review

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Die Kunst der Fuge Bengt Tribukait (organ) rec. 2007 MUSICA REDIVIVA MRSACD-017 [78:22]

Ticks all the boxes, and goes that extra mile ... see Full Review 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Goldberg-Variationen Aapo Häkkinen (harpsichord) rec. 2008 ALBA ABCD283 [79:38] [DC]

State of the art Goldbergs ... see Full Review 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The Well-Tempered Clavier: Books I and II (1722-1744) Angela Hewitt (piano) rec. 8-16 September 2008, Jesus-Christus-Kirche. Berlin. DDD HYPERION CDA67741/4 [4 CDs: 58:55 + 59:13 + 75:38 + 77:20] [PL]

Offers a greater human dimension grown from within … see Full Review 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Viola da Gamba Sonatas 1-3 Daniel Yeadon (viola da gamba) Neal Peres Da Costa (harpsichord) rec. 2004/6 ABC CLASSICS 476 3394 [43:15] [GD]

Musically accomplished performances excellently served by venue and recording ... see Full Review 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Sonatas & partitas for flute and continuo Hansgeorg Schmeiser (flute); Ingemar Rainer (harpsichord); Orhmar Muller (cello) rec. 2007 and 1996, DDD NIMBUS NI 5829/30 [60:20 + 67:46] [CR]

A wonderful collection of recordings which feel natural and well-considered. Excellent … see Full Review 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Cantatas - Vol. 43 BWV57, 110 & 151 Hana Blažíková (soprano), Robin Blaze (counter-tenor), Gerd Türk (tenor), Peter Kooij (bass) Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki rec. 2008 BIS BIS-SACD-1761 [62:28] [PB]

Presenting some of Bach’s ‘lesser’ cantatas in the best possible light ... see Full Review

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Eternal Fire - Cantata Choruses Monteverdi Ch; English Baroque Soloists/Sir John Eliot Gardiner rec. 2000 SOLI DEO GLORIA SDG177 [74:58] [JQ]

An excellent way to experience the riches within Bach’s cantatas ... see Full Review

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Cantata Pilgrimage Vol. 9: For the 17th and 18th Sundays after Trinity Monteverdi Ch, English Baroque Soloists/John Eliot Gardiner rec. 2000 SOLI DEO GLORIA SDG159 [70:22 + 68:19] [ST]

Gardiner gets to the heart of the music’s spirituality much more profoundly than others ... see Full Review 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1739) St. John Passion Ian Honeyman (tenor) Werner van Mechelen (bass) Il Fondamento/Paul Dombrecht rec. live, 1996 PASSACAILLE 912 [34.17 + 76.31]  [RH]

Little to set it apart from its rivals ... see Full Review

Arnold BAX (1883-1953) Concertino for piano and orchestra John IRELAND (1879-1962) Piano Concerto; Legend Mark Bebbington (piano); Orchestra of the Swan/David Curtis rec. 2009 SOMM SOMMCD242 [70:37][RB]

The ecstatic tremble ... the leafy shimmer ... see Full Review

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies 7 & 8 Saarbrücken RSO/Stanislaw Skrowaczewski rec. 2006 OEHMS CLASSICS OC524 [64:33] [SV]

Doesn't quite make the cut as a "basic library" choice ... see Full Review

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770 - 1827) Piano Concertos 4 & 5 Mario Galeani (piano) Royal PO/Grzegorz Nowak rec. 2007 ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA RPOSP013 [74:11] [BBr]

I found these two performances unsatisfying … see Full Review 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) The Complete Piano Sonatas Alfred Brendel (piano) rec. 1992-5 DECCA 478 1821 [10 CDs: 646:55] [DC]

Still one of the best at any price ... see Full Review 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Rondos, Andante favori, Seven Bagatelles, Alla ingharese quasi un Capriccio Natalia Valentin (fortepiano) rec. 2009 PARATY 109.104 [56:11] [CC]

Valentin is a player of huge talent … a real affinity for Beethoven. ... see Full Review

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Sonata op. 2 No. 2 see TCHAIKOVSKY

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Konzertstück in C, WoO 5 (orch. Juan MANÉN (1883 - 1971) (1929)) (1787) [20:25] Grosse Fuge in B♭, op.133 (orch. Felix WEINGARTNER (1863-1942) (1906)) (1825/1826) [19:11] Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) 10 Waltzes for string orchestra (1897?) [16:19] Wrocławer Chamber Orchestra/Ernst Kovacic (violin) rec 17-20 November 2008, Jan Kaczmarek Concert Hall of Radio Wrocław. DDD CD ACCORD ACD 145-2 [56:05] [BBr]

Just too polite … see Full Review 

Vincenzo BELLINI (1801-1835) Norma Beverly Sills, Shirley Verrett, Enrico di Giuseppe, John Alldis Ch, New PO/James Levine rec. 1973 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 8186 [80:50 + 76:43] [ST]

A disappointing effort ... see Full Review 

Ernest BLOCH (1880-1959) Schelomo Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Don Quixote Emanuel Feuermann (cello); Philadelphia O/Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy rec. 1940 PRISTINE AUDIO PASC168 [58:08] [JW] 

A deserved classic ... see Full Review

Rutland BOUGHTON (1878 - 1960) Songs Louise Mott (mezzo); Alexander Taylor (piano) rec.2005 BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY BMS431CD [70:33] [NB]

An excellent way of gaining an insight into this singular British composer ... see Full Review 

York BOWEN (1884-1961) The Piano Sonatas Danny Driver (piano) rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA67751/2 [68:47 + 49:55] [RB]

A major romantic reprise ... see Full Review 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphonies 1-4 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2008 EMI CLASSICS 2672542 [44:55 + 79:16 + 42:19][MC] 

A Brahms cycle to compete with Klemperer … see Full Review

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) String Quartet 1, Piano Quintet Quatuor Ébène; Akiko Yamamoto (piano) rec. 2007 VIRGIN CLASSICS 2166222 [78:42][GD] 

Elegant and accomplished … to be appreciated for its own considerable merits ... see Full Review

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) String Quintet No.1 in F, op.88 (1859) [26:33] String Quintet No.2 in G, op.111 (1864) [29:04]   The Nash Ensemble; Philip Dukes (viola) rec. Great Hall, City of London’s Boy’s School, London, 7, 20, 21 December 2008. DDD.   ONYX 4043 [55:40] [JL]

Bold excursions into some of Brahms’ most striking music … see Full Review 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 3, Nänie, Gesang der Parzen The Monteverdi Choir O Révolutionnaire et Romantique/Sir John Eliot Gardiner rec. live, 2007/8 SOLI DEO GLORIA SDG704 [70:16] [JQ]

A very fine Brahms Third - refreshing and exciting ... see Full Review 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Lieder Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Dichterliebe Simon Keenlyside (baritone) Malcolm Martineau (piano) rec. 2009 SONY CLASSICAL 88697 566892 [76:40] [ST]

A fine recital ... see Full Review

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano Concerto 1 Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Sonata 13 Solomon (piano) RAI Turin O/Lorin Maazel rec. 1956 GUILD GHCD2353 [66:58] [JW]

Guild’s commitment here is to be applauded ... see Full Review

Max BRUCH (1838-1920) Scottish Fantasy see Campoli

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Te Deum see MOZART


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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