Kurt
ATTERBERG (1887-1974)
Symphony
No. 9 op. 54 Sinfonia Visionaria (1956) [40.45] Älven
- The River op. 33 (1929) [19.50]
Satu Vihavainen (mezzo)
Gabriel Suovanen (bar) NDR Chor/Celso Antunes Prager Kammerchor/Pavel
Kühn
NDR Radiophilharmonie/Ari Rasilainen rec. Großer Sendesaal Hannover,
Jan 2003. DDD CPO
999 013-2 [60.35] [RB]
Two
quite different works. The tone poem vintage marine Atterberg and the
enigmatic Symphony with little surface glamour but promises of longer
term rewards. ... see Full Review
Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685
- 1750) Goldberg
Variations, BWV 988 Ludwig Van BEETHOVEN
(1770 - 1827) Diabelli Variations, op. 120
Daniel Barenboim, piano - Rec: No information given. (Original copyrights
Erato, 1989 and 1994.)
ELATUS 2564-60010-2 [138.16] [KME]
A
recommendable budget set, containing excellent interpretations of these
great works by Bach and Beethoven. … see Full
Review
Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Six Concertos after Vivaldi Concerto
No.5 in C major BWV976 - Concerto No.7 in F major BWV978 - Concerto
No.1 in D major BWV972 - Concerto No.9 in G major BWV980 - Concerto
No.4 in G minor BWV975 - Concerto No.2 in G major BWV973 - Italian
Concerto BWV971 Olivier
Baumont, harpsichord - Rec: No information given
ELATUS 2564-60362-2 [60.26] [KME]
An
attractive recording that shows the relationship between Bach's music
and the Italian music that he knew and that influenced him … see Full
Review
Carl
Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788)
Trio Sonatas for Flute, Violin and B.c. CD
1: Sonata in a minor (Wq 148/H 572) [12:13] - Sonata in C (Wq 149/H
573) [12:30] - Sonata in d minor (Wq 145/H 569) [11:14] - Sonata in
G (Wq 150/H 574) [15:19] - CD 2: Sonata in A (Wq 146/H 570) [12:10]
- Sonata in G (Wq 144/H 568) [14:01] - Sonata in C (Wq 147/H 571) [10:53]
- Sonata in D (Wq 151/H 575) [13:29] - Les Amis de Philippe:
Manfredo Zimmermann, transverse flute; Manfredo Kraemer, violin; Monika
Schwamberger, cello; Ludger Rémy, harpsichord - Recorded in January-February
1997, Evangelische Kirche, Honrath DDD
CPO 999 495-2 [51:42+51:00] [JVV]
Unjustly
neglected chamber music by one of the Bach sons – intriguing compositions,
which are well played by true friends of ‘Philippe’. … see Full
Review
Michael BALL Whitsun
Wakes - An English suite - Midsummer Music (Sonata for Brass) - Cortège
- Chaucer’s Tunes - A Cambrian Suite
Black Dyke Band/Nicholas J. Childs - Recorded Morley Town Hall, 2002,
DDD DOYEN DOYCD135
[64: 53] [CT]
A
finely played disc of music by Michael Ball, recommendable for his impressive
Whitsun Wakes. … see Full Review
Samuel
BARBER (1910-81)
Symphony
No. 1 Op. 9 (1936) [20.56] - Essay No. 1 Op. 12 (1938) [8.46]
- Essay No. 2 Op. 17 (1942) [11.49] - Night Flight Op.
19a (1944) [9.08] - Music for a Scene from Shelley Op. 7 (1933)
[10.19] - Knoxville; Summer of 1915 (1948) [16.18]
Molly McGurk (sop) (Knoxville) - London Symphony Orchestra/David
Measham (Symphony; Essays; Night Flight) - West
Australian Symphony Orchestra/David Measham (Knoxville; Shelley)
- rec. 1973. ADD REGIS RRC
1139 [78.04] [RB]
A
smashing Barber orchestral collection in which the superheated radiance
of the 1930s contrasts with the distilled nostalgia of Knoxville ...
see Full Review
Arnold
BAX (1883-1953)
Symphonic
Variations for piano and orchestra (1913-14) [46.03]
Joyce Hatto (piano) Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley
- rec. 1965, Guildford
CONCERT ARTIST CACD-9021-2 [46.03] [RB]
A mystic-enigmatic work with an idyllic Olympian character ... see Full
Review
Arnold BAX
(1883-1953) Violin
Sonata No. 1 in E major (1910-15) [32.32]
Frederick DELIUS (1934) Violin Sonata
No. 2 (1915) [13.07]
Henry Holst (violin) - Frank Merrick (piano) - rec. 1960s
CONCERT ARTIST CACD 9002 [45.39] [RB]
A glimpse into the annals of Bax's early LP revival. The Bax sonata
is extremely well done ... see Full
Review
Arnold BAX
(1883-1953) Symphony
No. 4 (1931) [39.30] Ernest John MOERAN
(1894-1950) Serenade in G minor (1948) [14.27]
Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley - rec. 1965, Guildford
CONCERT ARTIST
CACD-9009-2 [55.24] [RB]
For
those who wish to catch what it meant to be in at the start of the Bax
and Moeran revival on the cusp of its first 1960s harvest. Joyous playing
... see Full Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Symphony
No 9 in D minor, Op. 124 "Choral" [63’18"] - The Consecration
of the House Overture, Op. 124* [10’46"]
Luise Helletsgruber (soprano); Rosette Anday (contralto) - Georg Maikl
(tenor); Richard Mayr (bass) - Vienna State Opera Chorus - Vienna Philharmonic
Orchestra - London Philharmonic Orchestra - Conducted by Felix Weingartner
- Recorded in the Mittlerer Konzerthaussaal, Vienna, 2 – 4 February
1935 - *EMI Abbey Road Studio No. I, London, 7 October 1938
NAXOS 8.110863 [74’04"] [JQ]
A
splendid, elevated achievement, a performance of inspiration that transcends
occasional lapses of orchestral technique and sonic limitations … see
Full Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphony
no. 5 in C minor, op. 67, Symphony no. 7 in A major, op. 92
Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie/Edouard Lindenberg - Record 1969-70,
location not given
APEX 0927 49798 2 [68:57] [CH]
Not exactly "Great Performances"
but the musicians seem to be enjoying themselves and I did too. … see
Full Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano
Concerto no. 3 in C minor, op. 37, Piano Concerto no. 4 in G major,
op. 58 András Schiff
(piano), Staatskapelle Dresden/Bernard Haitink - Recorded March 1996
(no. 4) and November 1996 (no. 3) at the Lukaskirche - Dresden
ELATUS 2564-60433-2 [71:15] [CH]
A
Third of great integrity but the Fourth lacks magic. … see
Full Review
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Violin
Sonata No.8 in G, Op.30 No.3 [15’33]. Violin Sonata No.8 in G, Op.30
No.3 [15’11] Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Violin Sonata No.5 in A, D574 [19’27] Edvard
GRIEG (1843-1907) Violin Sonata No.3 in C minor, Op.45 [22’58]
Fritz Kreisler (violin);
Sergei Rachmaninov (piano) - Recorded March 22nd, 1928 (Beethoven,
first performance), February 28th and March 22nd,
1928 (Beethoven, second performance, both recorded at Victor Studio
No. 1, Camden, New Jersey) - December 20th-21st,
1928 (Schubert, Victor Studios, New York City); September 14th-15th,
1928 (Electrola Studios, Berlin). ADD
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.110968
[72’50] [CC]
This
is a remarkable disc in many ways. The jaw-dropping rapport of two men
of genius, their musicality at one in the service of the music makes
for a powerful experience. … see Full
Review
Ludwig
Van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 127; String Quartet in C sharp major,
Op. 131; String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132; String Quartet in F major,
Op. 135; String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 130; Grosse Fuge, Op. 133;
Alternative Finale for String Quartet (Op.130): Allegro
Emerson
String Quartet: Eugene Drucker (1st violin Op. 127,130/133) (2nd violin
Op. 131, 132, 135); Philip Setzer (1st violin Op. 131, 132, 135) (2nd
violin 127, 130/133); Lawrence Dutton (viola); David Finckel (cello)
- Recordings: New York, American Academy and Institute and Letters,
3/1994 (Op. 127, 131); 4/1994 (Op. 130/133, 132); 6/1994 (Op. 130 Alternative
- Finale); 3-4/1995 (Op. 135) DDD
DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON TRIO 474-341-2 [3CDs: 72:01+67:38+57:13] [MC]
A
wonderful and attractive addition to any collection. An indispensable
recording of Beethoven’s chamber masterpieces. … see Full
Review
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Concerto
for Piano and Orchestra No. 5 in E-flat major, Opus 73 ("Emperor")
[42:09] Franz Peter SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
- Symphony No. 8 in b minor D. 759 ("Unfinished") [23:51]
Oksoo Han, piano - Moscow
Philharmonic Orchestra/Dmitry Yablonsky - Recorded in Moscow, May 2003
DDD BEL AIR MUSIC BAM
2032 [66:35] [KS]
Unless
this disc is budget priced, it is certainly not worth the outlay of
cash, but if it is cheap, I can recommend it for the symphony alone.
… see Full Review
Natanael BERG (1879-1957)
Traumgewalten
- symphonic poem (1911) [11.36] Symphony No. 4 Pezzo Sinfonico
(1918) [21.31] - Höga Visan (Song of Songs) (1925)
[38.49] Karin Ingebäck
(sop) - Mathias Zachariassen (ten) - Swedish Radio Choir - Swedish Radio
Symphony Orchestra - conductors: Manfred Honeck (Traumgewalten)
- Mats Rondin (Pezzo) - Patrik Ringborg (Höga Visan)
- rec. Berwaldhallen, 9-11 Oct 2002 (Traumgewalten) - 6-7 Feb
2003 (Pezzo); 19-23 Aug 2002 (Höga Visan). DDD
PHONO SUECIA PSCD 721 [73.03] [RB]
A
warming chance to sample the music of Berg the Swedish romantic ...
see Full Review
Auden Songs Lennox
BERKELEY (1903-1989) Tracks
1-5 Five Poems op.53† (1958) - Track 6 Night covers up the rigid
land, op.14 no.2† - Track 7 Lay your sleeping head, my
love, op.14 no.2b† Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Tracks 8-12 On This Island, op.11†(1937) - Track 13
Fish in the unruffled lakes† (1938) - Track 14 Night
covers up the rigid land† (1937) - Track 15 To lie flat
on the back† (1937) - Track 16 The sun shines down†
(1937) - Track 17 What’s on your mind?† (early 1940s)
- Track 18 Underneath the abject willow† (early 1940s)
- Tracks 19-22 Cabaret Songs* (1937-39) - Track 23 When you’re
feeling like expressing your affection* (1935?) - Track 24
Underneath the abject willow †* (1936)
Della Jones, mezzo-soprano *, Philip Langridge, tenor †, Steuart
Bedford, piano Recorded at St. Silas Church, Chalk Farm, London, Sept.1997
(tracks 1-16**, 24), Blackheath Concert Halls, London, December
1995 (16-18), Rosslyn Hill Chapel, Hampstead, London ?(19-23)
NAXOS 8.557204 [60:57] [GPJ]
Brilliant issue … great music …. Instinctive udnerstanding from the
artists … see Full Review
Lennox
BERKELEY
(1903-1989):
Sacred Choral Music: Crux Fidelis, Missa Brevis, Magnificat and Nunc
Dimittis, Three Latin Motets, Eripe me, Domine,Veni, sponsa Christi,
Regina Coeli,The Lord is my shepherd, Mass for Five Voices, Look up,
sweet babe, A Festival Anthem, Toccata* (from Three Pieces)
Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge *Jonathan Vaughn (organ)
Directed by Christopher Robinson Recorded in the Chapel of St. John’s
College, Cambridge 20, 21 and 23 March, 2003
NAXOS 8.557277 [75’10"] [JQ]
Much
in this music and in these performances to savour and admire and I strongly
recommend this disc. … see Full Review
Andrew BISHOP Crooning
(1997) [8.58] Allen SHAWN (b.1948) Piano
Concerto (1999) [25.48] Paul CRESTON
(1906-1985) Dance Overture (1954) [11.42] Benjamin
LEES (b.1924) Piano Concerto No. 2 (1968) [27.30]
Ian Hobson (piano) Ursula Oppens (piano) Albany Symphony Orchestra/David
Alan Miller rec. 1999, Tory Savings Bank Hall. DDD
ALBANY TROY 441 [73.55] [RB]
Mixed
recital with two mildly dissonant piano concertos matched with two romantic
shorter orchestral extravaganzas ... see Full
Review
York BOWEN (1884-1961)Quintet
in C major for horn and string quartet Op. 85 (1927) Rhapsody Trio in
A minor for violin, cello and piano Op. 80 (1926) Trio in Three Movements
Op. 118 (1945) Endymion
Ensemble: Krysia Osostowicz (violin); Fiona McCapra (violin) Op.85 only;
Catherine Manson (viola) Op. 85 only; Jane Salmon (cello); Stephen Sterling
(horn) Op.85 only; Michael Dussek (piano) Op. 80; 118 Recorded at All
Saints Church, East Finchley, London, 24-26 April, 2001 DDD
DUTTON EPOCH CDLX 7115 [63:53] [MC re-write]
My
eager anticipation to hear these works was matched by the unadulterated
pleasure and satisfaction from experiencing them. … see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
String
quartet in c minor, op. 51, no. 1 [35:35] - String quartet in a minor,
op. 51, no. 2 [35:32]
Verdi String Quartet: Susanne Rabenschlag and Peter Stein, violin; Karin
Wolf, viola; Didier Poskin, cello -
Recorded in December 2000 (op. 51/1) and September 2001, (op. 51/2)
DDD HÄNSSLER
CLASSIC CD 98.393 [71:06] [KS]
No
lover of fine chamber music should be without this disc. … see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS
(1833-1897) Piano
Concerto No. 1 in D minor Op. 15 - Variations on a Theme by Paganini
Op. 35 - Rhapsody in B minor Op. 79 No. 1 - Rhapsody in G minor Op.
79 No. 2 Wilhelm Backhaus
(piano) - BBC Symphony Orchestra/Adrian Boult - Recorded 1929-32
NAXOS 8.110699 [71.24] [JW]
Backhaus
was a leonine and magnificent champion of the Concerto … see Full
Review
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Symphony no.1 in C minor, op.68 (1876) Academic Festival Overture, op.80
(1880) Chicago Symphony
Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim Recorded at Orchestra Hall, Chicago, May
1993 (Symphony) and September 1993 (Overture)
ELATUS 2564-60435-2 [58:01] [GPJ]
Not
an ‘ideal’ performance yet one undoubtedly worth hearing … a thinking,
living version, well recorded, and featuring world-class orchestral
playing. … see Full Review
Frank BRIDGE (1875-1941)
Orchestral works The
Sea – Suite for orchestra (1910) [20’41"] - Summer – Tone Poem
(1914) [9’37"] - Cherry Ripe (1916) [3’23"] - Enter Spring
– Rhapsody (1927) [21’22"] - Lament (1915) [4’27"]
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Charles Groves
- Recorded in the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool 14 & 15 July 1975
- British Composers series
EMI CLASSICS 7243 5 66855 2 9 [59’53"] [JQ]
An
authoritative introduction to Bridge’s orchestral music … an ideal place
to start. Strongly recommended. … see Full Review
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Albert
Herring (1947) Albert
Herring - Christopher Gillett - Lady Billows - Josephine Barstow - Florence
Pike - Felicity Palmer - Superintendent Budd - Robert Lloyd - The Vicar
- Peter Savidge - Sid - Gerald Finley - Nancy - Ann Taylor - Mrs. Herring
- Della Jones - Miss Wordsworth - Susan Gritton - The Mayor - Stuart
Kale - Village children - Yvette Bonner, Témimé Boling,
Matthew Long - Northern Sinfonia conducted by Stuart Bedford - Recorded
August 1996 at All Saint’s Church, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
NAXOS OPERA CLASSICS
8.660107/8 [64.10+77.09] [WH]
Quite irresistible … see Full
Review
Benjamin
BRITTEN
(1913-1976) Peter Grimes (1945) Peter
Grimes….Philip
Langridge (Tenor) Ellen Orford…Janice Cairns (Sop) Captain Balstrode…Alan
Opie (Baritone) Auntie…Ann
Howard (Con)
English National Opera Orchestra and Chorus/David Atherton Recorded
London 1994 as BBC/RM Arts co-production DVD with subtitles
ARTHAUS 100382 [JL]
This
DVD release of the brilliantly filmed English Nat Opera staging of a
decade ago does justice to an outstanding all-round production. … see
Full Review
Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphony
no.7 in E (1883) Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim - Recorded Deutsches Schauspielhaus,
Berlin, February 1992
ELATUS 2564-60330-2 [70:42] [GPJ]
Somehow
that sense of exaltation and completeness remains elusive, and the final
climax is not wholly convincing. … see Full
Review
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphony
No. 7 in E (1883).
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Eugen Jochum. Rec. May 10th-11th,
1939. ADD HÄNSSLER
CLASSIC MASTERPIECE CD94.043 [63’47]
An
interesting document, but definitely not a first choice. … see Full
Review
Detailed listing (last two days)]
[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]