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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]


Something Almost Being Said Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Partitas 1 & 2 Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Impromptus Simone Dinnerstein (piano) rec. 2011 SONY CLASSICAL 88697 998242 [74:38] [OL]

Expressive, emotional readings. 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Organ Trio Sonatas Florilegium rec. 2007 CHANNEL CLASSICS CCSSA27012 [75:53] [DC]

An involving approach which works superbly, almost the whole time. 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Johannes Passion John Mark Ainsley (tenor) Stephen Richardson (bass) Catherine Bott (soprano) King’s College Ch Cambridge, The Brandenburg Consort/Stephen Cleobury rec. 1995 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94316 [CDs: 138.12 + DVD 114.46] [DMcC]

Excellent performances, well packaged. 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1759) Secular Cantatas Vol. 2 BWV134a & 208 Joanne Lunn (soprano) Sophie Junker (soprano) Damien Guillon (alto) Makoto Sakurada (tenor) Roderick Williams (bass) Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki rec. 2011 BIS BIS-SACD-1971 [74:40] [HPR]

Sophisticated playing from very able performers. 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Harpsichord Concertos Retrospect Ens/Matthew Halls (harpsichord) rec. 2011 LINN RECORDS CKD410 [64:24] [DC]

Very good indeed. 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750) Concertos for solo harpsichord, Prelude and fugue Elizabeth Farr (harpsichord) rec. 2008 NAXOS 8.572006-07 [76:26 + 74:09] Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750) Six Concertos after Vivaldi, Italian Concerto Olivier Baumont (harpsichord) rec. 1999 ERATO 2564 68966-5 [60:40] [JV]

Both recordings have shortcomings, but Baumont's - although not complete - is to be preferred. 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750) Italian Concertos Matthias Havinga (organ) rec. 2010 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94203 [74:56] [JV]

A very fine debut of this young Dutch organist.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750) Brandenburg Concertos 1-6 La Petite Bande/Sigiswald Kuijken rec. 2009 ACCENT ACC24224 [51:31 + 45:20] [JFL]

The most chamber-music like of Kuijken’s Brandenburgs yet. 

Wilhelm Friedemann BACH (1710-1784) Lasset uns ablegan die Werke der Finsternis [29.49] Es ist eine Stimme eines Predigers in der Wuste [23.52] Dies ist der Tag [32.35] Erzittert und fallet [26.41] Barbara Schlick (soprano), Claudia Schubert (alto), Wilfried Jochens (tenor), Stephan Schreckenberger (bass) Rheinische Kantorei, Das Kleine Konzert/Hermann Max rec. 1991, BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94256 [53.56 + 59.40] [EM-L]

Interesting music, entirely new to most listeners, and reasonably convincing performances.

Samuel BARBER (1910-1981) Despite and Still Melissa Fogarty (soprano) Marc Peloquin (piano) rec. 2011 AUREOLE RECORDS 101 [48:45] [PB-W]

Overshadowed by the alternatives.  

Samuel BARBER (1910-1981) Agnus Dei; The Lovers; Easter Chorale; Songs Conspirare Company of Voices rec. 2011 HARMONIA MUNDI HMU 807522 [79:44] [JQ]

An important disc for all devotees of Samuel Barber’s music.

Samuel BARBER (1910-1981) Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Capricorn Concerto see COPLAND

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770 - 1827) Symphonies 5 & 6 Basel CO/Giovanni Antonini rec 2008-09 SONY MUSIC 88697648162 [69:33]

Symphonies 5 & 6 SWR SO Baden-Baden und Freiburg/Sylvain Cambreling rec. 2003-07 GLOR CLASSICS GC11461 [71:24] [MG]

Cambreling is good but Antonini has a special rhythmic exultation. 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies 1-9 Staatskapelle Dresden/Herbert Blomstedt rec. 1975-1980 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94289 [5 CDs: 369:08] [BR]

If you created a graph plotting price against greatness, Blomstedt’s Beethoven symphonies would fall right in the winner’s corner. 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Fidelio Sena Jurinac, Jon Vickers, Gottlob Frick, Hans Hotter, Covent Garden/Otto Klemperer rec. 1961 IDIS 6638-9 [77:47 + 63:16] [JS]

Out-pointed by the Testament version.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Triple concerto Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Double concerto Devy Erlih (violin) Guy Fallot (cello) Monique Fallot (piano) Southwest German RSO/Ernest Bour rec. 1956/7 FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR269 [65:48] [JW]

Cogent readings in good recordings. 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)/Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Symphony 6 Pastoral Ashley Wass (fortepiano) rec. 2011 ORCHID CLASSICS ORC100024 [51:53] [JS]

Surprise was for me the main characteristic of this performance.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Complete Piano Sonatas Wilhelm Backhaus (piano) rec. 1950-54 PRISTINE AUDIO PAKM 051-058 [8 CDs: 9:00:00] [JW]

Sensitively and successfully transferred these readings are direct and shorn of artifice.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) String Quartet 15 Luigi BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) String Quartet Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) String Quartet 17 Quartetto Italiano rec. 1965 ICA CLASSICS ICAC 5070 [77:07] [JW]

The Quartetto Italiano captured live.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Complete Violin Sonatas Josef Suk (violin) Jan Panenka (piano) rec. 1966-67 SUPRAPHON SU 4077-2 [4 CDs: 242:07] [JW]

Valuable, thoughtful and convincing … one of the most outstanding duos of its time. 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Eroica Variations, Sonata 30 see SCHUMANN

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Romances see MENDELSSOHN

Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Symphonie Fantastique, Le corsair Lyon Ntl O/Leonard Slatkin rec. 2011 NAXOS 8.572886 [70.21] [PCG]

A very classical performance without much romantic dirt on it. One of the best performances on disc. 

Richard BLACKFORD (b. 1954) Mirror of Perfection, A Westminster Te Deum, On Another’s Sorrow, I Know That My Redeemer Liveth, From The Song of Songs, A Lullaby of the Nativity, I Will Sing To The Lord Ying Huang (soprano); Bo Skovhus (baritone) Bournemouth Symphony Chorus; Ballard Lane Preparatory School Choir Bournemouth Sinfonietta/Richard Blackford Olivia Robinson (soprano); Iain Farrington (organ) BBC Singers/David Hill rec. 1997and 2012, DDD Original texts and English translations (Mirror); English texts (anthems) included. NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6205 [66:44][JQ]

Accomplished, accessible choral music that makes an immediate impression on the listener.

Luigi BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) String Quartet see BEETHOVEN

Alexander BORODIN (1833-1887) String Quartet 2 see Russian String Quartets

Pierre BOULEZ (b. 1925) Douze Notations, Sonates 1-3, Incises Dimitri Vassilakis (piano) rec. 2011 CYBELE RECORDS KiG004 [3 CDs: 177:57] [DC]

Educational and striking - a new standard reference for these works.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH  Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 1 Carl NIELSEN (1865-1931) Symphony 3 Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Symphony 9 Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Symphony 5 Danish Ntl SO/Thomas Dausgaard rec. 2009 UNITEL CLASSICA/C MAJOR 710508 [2 DVDs: 213:52] [DMc]

This is special music-making. 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Lieder Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo) Thomas Riebel (viola) Irwin Gage (piano) ACANTA 233493 [51:29] [ST]

Fassbaender had something extra special. 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Sechs Lieder und Romanzen; Drei Quartette; Funf Gesang; Zigeunerlieder; Dem Dunkeln Schoss der Heil’gen Erde Consortium/Andrew-John Smith; Christopher Glynn (piano) rec. 2007 HYPERION CDA 67775 [66.33] [EML]

Certainly a disc that I will be returning to again.

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Ein deutsches Requiem Sylvia McNair, Håkan Hagegård, Westminster SCh, New York PO/Kurt Masur rec. 1995 WARNER APEX 2564 65941-4 [60:21] [RMo]

A worthy alternative to the plethora of recordings, constituting something a little different. 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano Quartets 1-3 Derek Han (piano) Isabelle Faust (violin) Bruno Giuranna (viola) Alain Meunier (cello) rec. 1996 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93040 [71:55 + 43:50] [RMo]

Given the quality of what is otherwise available this is not really competitive. 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano Concerto 2 Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Concerto Edwin Fischer, Walter Gieseking (piano) Berlin PO/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. 1942 PRISTINE AUDIO PASC347 [77:26] [RB]

For those days when you would like a few risks and maybe a modicum of bluster. It’s certainly not dull. 

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Double concerto see BEETHOVEN

Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941) Orchestral collection BBC Natl O of Wales/Richard Hickox. CHANDOS CHAN 10729(6) [6 CDs: 424:44] [DM]

Under-appreciated music, played with affection and authority; a box of delights.

Frank BRIDGE Phantasy in F minor see WALTON

Benjamin BRITTEN (1913 - 1976) Winter Words, Three Folk Song Arrangements, Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo, Three Folk Song Arrangements Nicholas Phan (tenor), Myra Huang (piano) rec. 2009/2010. DDD. Booklet includes sung texts and English translations for op. 22. AVIE AV2238 [58:17] [MG]

Enjoyable performances, freshly sung and played.

Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Lachrymae for viola and piano see HINDEMITH

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) String Quartet in C minor Hans ROTT (1858-1884) String Quartet Israel Qt rec. 2008 QUINTONE Q10002 [69:01] [Byz]

Worth anyone's money, especially for Rott's memorable work.

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphonies 2 & 4 NHK SO Tokyo/Otmar Suitner rec. 1970/1981 KING INTERNATIONAL KKC 2009-10 [63:23 + 62:35] [TB]

Otmar Suitner was an outstanding Bruckner conductor, as these two live performances from Tokyo testify. 

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 2 Northern Sinfonia/Mario Venzago rec. 2011 CPO 777 735-2 [56:30] [TB]

Venzago finds Bruckner’s lighter style. Hugely satisfying and certainly does justice to Bruckner’s vision.

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphonies 4 & 9 Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Symphony 35 NBC SO, New York P-SO, Philadelphia O/Bruno Walter rec. 1940-48 MUSIC & ARTS CD-1262 [59:10 + 68:22] [JQ]

Performances which Bruckner enthusiasts and Bruno Walter’s admirers will want to hear. 

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 7, The Triumphant Return (documentary) Berlin PO/Sergiu Celibidache rec. 1992 EUROARTS 2011408 [144:00] [JWh]

A great documentary and concert from a genius of the podium.

Ferruccio BUSONI (1866-1924) Eine Lustspielouvertüre, Gesang vom Reigen der Geister, Rondo Arlecchinesco, Clarinet Concertino, Divertimento, Tanzwalzer Giammarco Casani (clarinet) Laura Minguzzi (flute) Gianlucca Terranova (tenor) Roma SO/Francesco La Vecchia rec. 2008-11 NAXOS 8.572922 [60:38] [JS]

A useful collection of Busoni’s short pieces. 

William BYRD (1539/40-1623) Complete Fantasias for Harpsichord Glen Wilson (harpsichord) rec. 2010 NAXOS 8.572433 [77:30] [JV]

The quality of music, performance, instrument and programme notes makes this a splendid release. 


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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