Kalevi
AHO (b.
1949) Three Interludes for Organ, Symphony for Organ 
Jan Lehtola (organ) rec. 2010
BIS BIS-SACD-1946 
[70:12] [DC]
A
handsome addition to the Aho catalogue, but an uncompromising and challenging
one.
Isaac
ALBÉNIZ (1860-1909) Iberia see
TCHAIKOVSKY
Christophe
d’ALESSANDRO (b.
1961) Les douze degrés du silence, Symphonie de l’empereur jaune
Christophe
d’Alessandro (organ) Markus Noistering (electronics) rec. 2012
EDITIONS HORTUS 096 [67:52] [DC]
Intriguing
and exploratory, the organ ‘augmented’.
Volkmar
ANDREAE (1879-1962)
Piano Concerto, Konzertstück, Violin Concerto, Rhapsodie
Fali Pavri (piano); Christian Altenburger (violin) Bournemouth SO/Marc
Andreae rec. 2012
GUILD GMCD 7394 [75:10] [RB]
Well
worth the investment for those who are curious about Andreae the composer
and for adherents of catchily romantic concertos.
Anton
ARENSKY (1861-1906) Variations on a theme of Tchaikovsky
see RÜTTI
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The Cello Suites
Pieter Wispelwey rec. 2012
EVIL PENGUIN RECORDS EPRC012 [57:19 + 76:22] [DC]
Adds
to our understanding and appreciation of some truly great music.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Sonatas and Partitas
for unaccompanied violin
Cecylia Arzewski (violin) rec. 2011
BRIDGE 9358 A/B [59.16 + 67.23] [PCG]
Much
more emotionally committed than many period instrument practitioners
… a substantial performance.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Goldberg Variations
Glenn Gould (piano) rec. 1955
AUDIOPHILE CLASSICS APL 101575 [38:00] [HP-R]
Another
release of the 1955 recording. Gould’s playing is always a pleasure.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Concertos & Chorale
Preludes
Kare Nordstoga (organ) rec. 2011
LAWO CLASSICS LWC1035 [50:24 + 73:16] [HP-R]
Excluding
certain tracks, this is a first rate performance.
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
St John Passion
Ian Bostridge (tenor) Neal Davies (bass) Carolyn Sampson (soprano)
Iestyn Davies (counter-tenor) Roderick Williams (bass) Polyphony; O
Age of Enlightenment/Stephen Layton rec. 2012
HYPERION CDA67901/2 [53:45 + 64:25] [JQ]
This
desirable new recording deserves a place in the front rank.
Henk
BADINGS (1907-1987)
Cello Sonatas 1 & 2 Sem DRESDEN
(1881-1957) Cello Sonatas 1 & 2
Doris Hochscheid (cello) Frans van Ruth (piano) rec. 2012
MDG 903 1771-6
[66:29] [JW]
Interesting
and thoughtful listening.
_60.jpg)
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770
– 1827) Piano Sonatas - Volume 1
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano) rec. 2008-11
CHANDOS CHAN 10720(3) [3 CDs: 213:46] [MG]
A
significant achievement in its clean directness of utterance.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Triple Concerto, Symphony 6, Egmont Overture
Navah Perlman (piano) Giora Schmidt (violin) Zuill Bailey (cello)
Israel PO/Itzhak Perlman rec. 2010
EUROARTS 2058598 
[90:00] [JW]
Currently
of limited interest.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphonies, 1, 2, 6 & 8, Leonora Overture 3
Berlin PO, Vienna PO/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. 1948-54
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC 355/359 [72:20 & 70:12] [MC]
Pristine
Audio has done a marvellous job with these Beethoven transfers which
should prove indispensable for Furtwängler admirers.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony 8 see
Israel
Philharmonic
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Fidelio see Deutsche
Oper Berlin
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Sonatas 23 &
32 see CHOPIN
Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869)
Symphonie Fantastique, Le Carnaval Romain, Benvenuto
Cellini Overture see Gary
Bertini
Alexander
BERNE (b. 1969) Self Referentials
- Vols 1 & 2
Alexander Berne and the Abandoned Orchestra
INNOVA 838 [54:38 + 44:55] [DC]
A
remarkable journey.
Georges
BIZET (1838-1875) Carmen
Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo) Marcus Haddock (tenor) The Glyndebourne
Ch/London PO/Philippe Jordan rec. 2002
GLYNDEBOURNE GFOCD 016-02 [3 CDs: 160:04] [JS]
Does
real justice to the vitality, variety and sheer inventiveness of this
opera.
Ernest
BLOCH (1880-1959) Jewish Life, Abodah see
GOLIJOV
August
de BOECK (1865-1937) A Bouquet of French and
Flemish Songs
Liesbeth Devos (soprano) Jozef de Beenhouwer (piano) rec. 2011
PHAEDRA PH 92075 [66:33] [Byz]
Wistfully
tuneful, often delicately fragrant.
Giovanni
BOTTESINI (1821–1889)
Messa da Requiem
Joyful Company of Singers, London PO/Thomas Martin rec. 2012
NAXOS 8.572994 [65:25] [RB]
A
bit of a discovery.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Ein Deutsches Requiem Antonin DVORÁK
(1841-1904) Biblical Songs
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Jörg Demus (piano)
Philharmonia Ch & O/Otto Klemperer rec. 1960/62
ALTO ALC1202 [76:56][RB]
Alto
miss a beat with this one.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Piano Quintet, Clarinet Quintet
John Nakamatsu (piano) Jon Manasse (clarinet) Tokyo String Quartet
rec. 2011
HARMONIA MUNDI HMU 807558
[79:13] [RMo]
What
lovely music this is and how elegantly both pieces are played here.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Behind the notes:
Brahms performed by colleagues and pupils rec. 1903-52
ARBITER 160 [79:36] [JW]
A
most accomplished and historically significant disc.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Piano Trio 1 Bedřich
SMETANA (1824-1884) Piano Trio
Weiss-Kaplan-Newman Trio rec. 2010
BRIDGE 9362 [65:45] [JW]
Despite
some virtues, I would look elsewhere for these trios.
Johannes
BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Symphony 1 Felix MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847) Overture A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Chicago
SO/Sir Georg Solti rec. 1971
ICA CLASSICS ICAD 5089
[68:00] [CF]
Warmth,
romanticism, love and tenderness.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH David
BRIGGS (b. 1962) Messe pour Notre-Dame
Ch Trinity College, Cambridge/Stephen Layton, David Briggs (organ) rec.
2009
HYPERION CDA67808 [72:34] [JQ]
An
entente cordiale between the English choral tradition with that of French
church music, spectacularly recorded.
Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Billy Budd John Mark Ainsley (tenor) London PO/Sir Mark Elder
rec. 2010 GLYNDEBOURNE GFOCD 017-10 [3 CDs: 164:06] [PCG]
Despite
the many virtues of this new set the Hickox Chandos version is to be
preferred.
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphony 3
Royal Stockholm PO/Sakari Oramo rec. 2010
EXTON EXCL-00073
[55:36] [TB]
In
Bruckner’s Third Oramo has full control of his forces and a commanding
view of the score.
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphonies 4 & 9 Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Symphony 35
NBC SO, Philadelphia O, New York P-SO/ Bruno Walter rec. 1940-48
MUSIC & ARTS CD-1262 [59:10 + 68:20] [JW]
Walter:
invariably exciting and typically warm.
Norbert
BURGMÜLLER (1810-1836) Overture; Symphony
2; Piano Concerto
Leonard Hokanson (piano) Wuppertal SO/Gernot Schmalfuß rec. 1997
MUSIKPRODUKTION
DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 335 0817-2 [77:38] [BR]
The
piano concerto has a few surprise twists but the symphony is Schubert
without the tunes. Interesting to the early-romantic connoisseur, if
not essential.
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]
EXPLORE
MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL 
