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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]


Superbudget £5.99 or less Budget £6-7.99 Medium £8-10.99 Full price £11+ Download

Avril ANDERSON (b.1953) Organ Works see Contemporary British Organ Music

Anton Stepanovich ARENSKY (1861-1906) Piano Trios 1 & 2 Rachmaninov Trio Moscow TUDOR 7152 [58:42] [BW]

As good as any version of the better-known First Trio and my benchmark for the Second.

Anton ARENSKY (1861-1906) Six Caprices see GLAZUNOV

Daniel ASIA (b.1953) Purer than the Purest Pure; Why (?) Jacob; Summer is Over; The She Set; Out of More; Sounds shapes BBC Singers/Odaline de la Martinez rec. 2009 SUMMIT DCD550 [60.01] [RH]

Exemplary performances. This collection shows Asia to have a nice ear and it is well worth investigating.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Weihnachts-Oratorium Carolyn Sampson (soprano) Wiebke Lehmkuhl (tenor) Martin Lattke (tenor) Konstantin Wolff (bass) Dresdener Kammerchor, Gewandhaus O/Riccardo Chailly rec. 2010 DECCA 478 2271 [69:15 + 63:07] [DC]

Not just for Christmas – a joy forever.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The Christmas Oratorio (arr. by Bill Dobbins for Big Band and 6 part male chorus) The Kings Singers, WDR Cologne Big Band/Bill Dobbins rec. 2009 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD215 [55:22 + 51:59] [NB]

Sadly lacking.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1785-1850) A Choral Year Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki, rec. 1995-2009 BIS-CD-1951 [82.15] [DC]

To be taken in big, healthily enjoyable draughts.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Motets Voces8; The Senesino Players/Barnaby Smith SIGNUM SIGCD213 [58:31] [GD]

None of the big names have produced anything that is quite as much fun as this.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Complete Edition BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94050 [c. 170:00:00] [JW]

I’ll be keeping this box.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1785-1850) Italian concerto see Solomon

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Toccata & Fugue see DVOŘÁK

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Sir Arnold BAX (1883-1953) Piano Quintet Frank BRIDGE (1879-1940) Piano Quintet Ashley Wass (piano) Tippett Qt rec. 2009 NAXOS 8.572474 [68:18] [IL]

Stunning performances of two important British piano quintets.

Adrian BEECHAM (1904 – 1982) Six Spanish Songs see A Romantic Evening

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Violin Sonatas 1, 4, 7 & 8 Alina Ibragimova (violin); Cédric Tiberghien (piano) rec. live, 2009 WIGMORE HALL LIVE WHLIVE0036 [82:24] [CC]

This is clearly a very special musical partnership, on the evidence of this disc. As fresh and invigorating music-making as one is likely to hear.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies, Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2, Fidelio Vienna PO, Berlin PO, CBSO/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 1995-2003 EMI CLASSICS 4575732 [9 CDs: 10:00:00] [ST]

The keynote of the set is energy: pulsating, crackling, electrifying energy.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies 5 & 6 Vienna PO/Sir Simon Rattle rec. 2002 EMI CLASSICS 6317692 [76:38] [SV]

These performances won't disappoint Sir Simon's fans, and they're frankly better than I expected from him.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ludwig Van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) The Complete Violin Sonatas Renaud Capuçon (violin) Frank Braley (piano) rec. 2009 VIRGIN CLASSICS 6420010 [3 CDs: 71:44 + 77:45 + 73:47] [MC]

Can stand alongside the finest sets available.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) The Complete String Trios Leopold String Trio, rec. 1998 HYPERION DYAD CDD22069 [73:04+76:34] [GD]

An excellent Beethoven recording.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) The Complete Piano Sonatas Louis Lortie (piano) rec. 1991-2010 CHANDOS CHAN 10616(9) [9 CDs: 640:14] [DC]

Who’s your Beethoven? Elegant and refined perhaps...?

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano sonatas see Solomon

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Leonore Overture 3 see ORFF

Moisčs BELTRAN (b.1967) Esguards silents see Girona XXI Vol. 3

Lennox BERKELEY (1903 - 1989) Tombeaux see Departures

Georges BIZET (1838-1875) Symphony, Petite Suite d’orchestre, Roma, Orch. Suite 3 O de Paris/Paavo Järvi, rec. 2009 VIRGIN CLASSICS 6286130 [75:54] [BW]

Roma is no neglected masterpiece and there are better versions of the other works.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Georges BIZET (1838 – 1875) Carmen Jessye Norman (soprano) Mirella Freni (soprano) Neil Shicoff (tenor) Ntl O de France/Seiji Ozawa rec. 1988 DECCA 478 2488 [79:55 + 78:39] [GF]

A remarkable recording. Jessye Norman’s assumption of the title role is unforgettable.

Howard BLAKE (b.1938) The Snowman – The Live Stage Show SONY MUSIC CDR 81267 [80:00] [BBr]

Great entertainment! And remember, The Snowman is not just for Christmas, now it can be for the whole year!

Johannes BRAHMS (1833–1897) Violin Concerto Antonin DVORÁK (1841–1904) Violin Concerto David Oistrakh (violin) USSR Large SO/Kirill Kondrashin rec. 1951 REGIS RRC 1349 [70:54] [BBr]

Truly great fiddling.

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Theme & Variations Garrick Ohlsson (piano) rec. 2009 HYPERION CDA67777 [61:26 + 45:56] [DC]

Be impressed, be moved.

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Concerto, Double Concerto David Nadien (violin) Leonard Rose (cello) Seattle Youth SO/Vilem Sokol, Stratford Festival O/George Schick, rec. 1968/73 CEMBAL D’AMOUR CD146 [69:37] [JW]

Certainly not unproblematic but exuding character and vital engagement. Nadien was a past master at both. 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Cello Sonata 1 see STRAUSS

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Fünf Gesänge see POULENC

Frank BRIDGE (1879-1940) Piano Quintet see BAX

Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) A Ceremony of Carols Elizabeth POSTON (1905-1987) An English Day-Book National Youth Ch Scotland Girls Ch/Christopher Bell rec. 2010 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD228 [49:06] [BW]

Not my first choice for the Britten but the couplings may appeal.

Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Cello Suites 1-3 Paul Watkins (cello) rec. 2001/2 NIMBUS NI5704 [69:08] [WH]

A master cellist brings out the lyrical side of Britten’s solo cello writing.

Benjamin BRITTEN (1913 - 1976) Quatre Chansons Françaises see Departures

Max BRUCH (1838-1920) Symphonies 1 & 2 Staatskapelle Weimar/Michael Halász rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.570994 [61.07] [CF]

Michael Halász persistently takes swift tempi. 

Max BRUCH (1838-1920) Violin Concerto 1 see MOZART

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 3 Bamberg SO/Jonathan Nott rec. 2003 TUDOR 7133 [62:57] [BW]

Makes a strong case for the Symphony and for its original version.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 6 London PO/Christoph Eschenbach rec. live 2009 LPO LIVE LPO-0049 [59:59] [GD]

It's a great recording and worth every penny.

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 8 Mozarteumorchester Salzburg/Ivor Bolton OEHMS CLASSICS OC751 [80:45] [GD]

Probably the best Bruckner 8 you will ever hear conducted by a Brit, although that isn't saying much.


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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