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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

Jehan ALAIN (1911-1940) Complete Works for Organ Lars Notto Birkeland (organ) rec. 2010 SIMAX PSC1314 [DC]

Excellent performances, but do we love the Goll organ?

Hugo ALFVÉN (1872-1960) Swedish Rhapsody 1 see Fritz Busch

Atso ALMILA (b. 1953) Arctic Hysteria see Arctic Hysteria

Enrique Fernández ÁRBOS (1863-1939) Tres Piezas Originales en Estilo Espańol see Estilo Espańol

Thomas ARNE (1710–1778) Artaxerxes Elizabeth Watts, Rebecca Bottone (sop.) Caitlin Hulcup (mezzo) Christopher Ainslie (c-ten.) Andrew Staples, Daniel Norman (ten.) Classical Opera Co/Ian Page rec. 2009-10 LINN CKD358 [66.08 + 69.41] [RH]

A remarkable discovery. Arne had a winning combination of dramatic flair, virtuoso verve and a nicely gallant style. The opera isn’t perfect but it repays repeated listening.

Malcolm ARNOLD (1921-2006) Fantasy for Harp see 20th Century Harp Classics

Rafal AUGUSTYN (b.1951) String Quartets 1 & 2, Dedication, Grand jeté. Quartet No. 2˝ Silesian String Qt, Agata Zubel (soprano) Jan Krzeszowiec (flute) rec. 2010 CD ACCORD ACD165-2 [64:37] [DC]

Fascinating music in award-deserving performances.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788) Hamburger Quartalsmusiken Nun danket alle Gott, Herr lehr uns tun, Siehe! Ich begehre deiner Befehle, Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe Himlische Cantorey, Les Amis de Philippe/Ludger Rémy rec. 2009 CPO 777 594-2 [48:03 + 51:27] [JV]

Compelling performances of first-rate sacred cantatas by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The Art of Fugue Diana Boyle (piano) rec. 2007 DIVINE ART DDA25097 [46:47 + 44:00] [JS]

At the right time and in the right mood you may find this irresistible.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) St John Passion La Chapelle Rhénane/Benoît Haller rec. 2008 ZIGZAG TERRITOIRES ZZT 100301.2 [39:49 + 76:10] [JV]

An inconsistent and one-sided interpretation of Bach's St John Passion

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Chorale Preludes (transcr. Busoni) Mordecai Shehori (piano) rec. 2002-9 CEMBAL D’AMOUR CD 149 [JW]

There is something intensely intriguing about Shehori’s undertaking that has given me repeated occasion to appreciate his deeply held point of view

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Goldberg Variations Nick van Bloss (piano) rec. 2008 NIMBUS NI6136 [64:32] [DC]

One to lift the spirits.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Mass in B minor Catherine Backhouse (soprano) Clint van der Linde (alto) Ben Johnson (tenor) Colin Campbell (bass) Hĺkan Vramsmo (bass) The Rodolfus Ch; Southern Sinfonia/Ralph Allwood rec. 2009 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD218 [52:48 + 54:20] [JQ]

A very enjoyable and highly commendable account of Bach’s great Missa.

Wilhelm Friedemann BACH (1710 - 1784) Cantatas Vol. 1 & 2 Dorothee Mields (soprano) Gerhild Romberger (alto) Georg Poplutz (tenor) Klaus Mertens (bass) Bachchor Mainz L’arpa festante/Ralf Otto, Rastatter Hofkapelle/Jürgen Ochs rec. 2010 CARUS 83.362 [69:01] 83.429 [66:35] [DC]

Stunning masterpieces – dive in without hesitation.

Leonardo BALADA (b.1933) Caprichos 2-4 Pittsburgh Sinf/Andrés Cárdenes; Lawrence Loh rec. 2008/9 NAXOS 8.572176 [64:18] [Byz]

Very accessible, with plenty of melody and sonorities.

Claude-Bénigne BALBASTRE (1727-1799) Pičces de clavecin Sophie Yates (harpsichord) rec. 2005, CHANDOS CHAN0777 [76:29] [DC]

Top of the pile for these Pičces.

Granville BANTOCK (1868-1946) Fifine at the Fair see Beecham

Arnold BAX (1883-1953) The Garden of Fand see Beecham

David BEDNALL (b.1979) Hail, gladdening Light and other choral works Wells Cathedral Ch/Matthew Owens David Bednall (organ) rec. 2006 REGENT REGCD247 [75:16] [JQ]

Another fine CD of music by a young British composer who seems likely to have a very considerable career as a composer of liturgical music. 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Violin Concerto, Violin Romances 1 & 2 Liza Ferschtman (violin) Netherlands SO/Jan Willem de Vriend rec. 2010 CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72384 [58:27] [DC]

Highly desirable. 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Concerto 4, Piano Sonatas 14 & 31 Dejan Lazic (piano) Australian CO/Richard Tognetti rec. 2009/10 CHANNEL CLASSICS CCSSA30511 [69:38] [GD]

Immediacy and sweetness of tone.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Beethoven by Arrangement Vol. I Horn Sonata, Notturno, Septet Paul Silverthorne (viola) David Owen Norris (piano) rec. 2009 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0108 [79:58] [RB]

Lively and touching Beethoven voiced for the piano and viola.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Missa Solemnis Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano) Elina Garanca (mezzo) Michael Schade (tenor) Franz-Josef Selig (bass) Sächischer Staatsopernchor, Dresden Staatskapelle/Christian Thielemann rec. 2010 UNITEL CLASSICA 705408 [90:00] [ST]

An undeniably big-boned approach. A performance of real stature.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Egmont overture see Fritz Busch

Lord BERNERS (1883-1950) The Triumph of Neptune see Beecham

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Leonard BERNSTEIN (1918–1990) Mass Jubilant Sykes (tenor) Morgan State U Ch, Peabody Children’s Ch, Baltimore SO/Marin Alsop rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.559622-23 [64:53 + 38:35] [BR]

An artistic, sonic, historical and musicological milestone.

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH
Franz BERWALD (1796-1868) Grand Septet see MENDELSSOHN

Georges BIZET (1838-1875) Complete Music for Solo Piano Julia Severus (piano) rec. 2008-9 NAXOS 8.570831-32 [71:14 + 67:27] [Byz]

These piano works might not be Bizet's finest legacy, but his musicality and that of Severus illuminate these two discs.

Evaristo Fernández BLANCO (1902-1983) The Complete Orchestral Works Malaga PO/Jose Luis Temes rec. 2008 VERSO VRS2094 [53:37 + 60:00] [RB]

Music of virtue - modest yet pleasant and agreeably imaginative. In the case of the Obertura dramática we have something of grand ambition tackling the eternal verities.

Arthur BLISS (1891-1975) A Colour Symphony, Metamorphic Variations BBC Welsh SO/Barry Wordsworth rec. 1991 NIMBUS NI 5294 [70.32] [RB]

A very good Bliss disc though the Symphony is somewhat out-pointed by Handley and Groves.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Arthur BLISS (1891-1975) Sonata for Piano and Violin* [11:00] Henry WALFORD DAVIES (1869-1941) Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano* (1893 rev 1895) [21:56] York BOWEN (1884-1961) Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 112 [20:10] Rupert Luck (violin); Matthew Rickard (piano) rec. 2010 *world premičre recordings EM RECORDS EMR CD001 [53:06] [RB]

This is magnificent impassioned music-making in works of real and dazzling substance. We must hope to hear much more of Luck and Rickard.

Ernest BLOCH (1880-1959) Schelomo; Voice in the Wilderness Robert OBOUSSIER (1900-1957) Antigone Walther GEISER (1897-1993) Symphony Elsa Cavelti (alto) Zara Nelsova (cello) Suisse Romande O, London PO/Ernest Ansermet rec. 1954/55 DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0814 [80:01] [RB]

A fascinating generously timed collection including some very out of the way music.

Thomas BLOCH (b.1962) Missa Cantate; Sancta Maria; Cold Song; Christ Hall Blues and Postlude Jörg Waschinski (male soprano) Thomas Bloch (keyboards) Paderewski PO/Fernand Quattrocchi rec. 2002-09 NAXOS 8.572489 [66:13] [Byz]

Not destined to be one of Naxos's great successes… uninspired and uninspiring.

Joseph BODIN DE BOISMORTIER (1689-1755) Concertos for five transverse flutes Stephen Schultz (transverse flute) DORIAN DSL90803 [48:21] Sonatas for harpsichord and transverse flute Ursula Dütschler (harpsichord) Douglas Worthen (transverse flute) rec. 2006 MUSICA OMNIA MO0307 [61:33] [JV]

Two fine collections of flute music by Boismortier in strongly contrasting performances. 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH
Alexander BORODIN (1833-1887) Piano Quintet see MENDELSSOHN

 

York BOWEN (1884-1961) Sonata for Violin and Piano,see BLISS

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 2, Academic Festival Overture Frederick DELIUS (1862 -1934) North Country Sketches Royal PO/Thomas Beecham rec. 1949-58 PRISTINE AUDIO PASC263 [73:00] [JW]

Whilst it offers no surprises other than promoting unlikely disc bedfellows it offers thoroughly sound traversals in good sound. 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano Sonata 3 Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Piano Sonata, Mephisto Waltz 1 Jitka Cechová (piano) rec. 2001/8 SUPRAPHON SU40212 [79:22] [CC]

A fascinating disc form a pianist whose career is most definitely worth following.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Walter BRAUNFELS (1882-1954) Die Vögel Désirée Rancatore (soprano) Brandon Jovanovich (tenor) Los Angeles Opera Ch & O/James Conlon rec. 2009, ARTHAUS MUSIK 101530 101529 [138:54] [RC]

A superb recording that merits the highest praise!

Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Les Illuminations, Serenade, Nocturne Jerry Hadley (tenor) Anthony Halstead (horn) English String O/William Boughton rec. 1989 NIMBUS NI 5234 [74:13] [RB]

I enjoyed this collection much more that I had thought and much of this is down to the very qualities in Hadley’s voice that others may find a problem. It’s a marmite moment.

Benjamin BRITTEN (1913 - 1976) Suite for Harp see 20th Century Harp Classics

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 5 Berlin PO/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. live, 1942 PRISTINE AUDIO XR PASC 255 [69:33] [MC]

Spacious and eminently noble … quite splendid playing.

George BUTTERWORTH (1885-1916) A Shropshire Lad see English Songs

Dietrich BUXTEHUDE (c.1637-1707) Membra Jesu nostri, Laudate, pueri, Dominum Matthias WECKMANN (c.1616-1674) Kommet her zu mir alle Elin Manahan Thomas, Emma Kirkby (soprano) Michael Chance (alto) Charles Daniels (tenor) Peter Harvey (bass) Purcell Qt, Fretwork rec. 2009 CHANDOS CHAN0775 [78:56] [JV]

A performance which fails to explore the expressive depth of Buxtehude's masterpiece.

Dieterich BUXTEHUDE (c.1637-1707) Complete Organ Works - Volume 3 Christopher Herrick (organ) rec. 2010 HYPERION CDA67855 [75:21] [Byz]

Bold and rollicking music and Herrick puts in performances that are light and fleet of finger and foot, instinctive and brilliant.


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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