Baker's Dozen Best Recordings 2011

My annual Baker's Dozen best recordings of the year is here. Since it is my list, I set the rules which are frequently broken. Most of these are new recordings or releases for the year. Some may be new to me or simply old wine in new skins. Whatever the case, here is what I have enjoyed and noted for the year in no particular order:

1) MAHLER: SYMPHONY # 10. ILLUSTRATED LECTURE BY COOKE, BERTHOLD GOLDSCHMIDT LONDON SO (1964) AND PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA (1960) TESTAMENT 1457

This 3 disc set was the Grammophone Magazine winner for Best Historic recording, and deservedly so.  Includes the 1960 BBC broadcast lecture by Deryck Cooke, illustrated with piano and orchestral examples, the full 1960 broadcast performance of the sketches as they had been compiled at that time by Cooke and finally the 1964 World Premiere of the 10^th by Berthold Goldschmidt and the London SO. All are recorded in decent mono and both orchestra performances exhibit somewhat scrappy playing, but what an incredible historical document.

2) IVES/BRANT: CONCORD SYMPHONY. COPLAND: ORGAN SYMPHONY. MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS SAN FRANCISCO SO  SFO 38

I first heard of Canadian Henry Brant (1913-2008) as a classical music crazed teen. I confess I wanted to write a piece for my High School auditorium based on his spatial music concepts. The high brass would sound out of the projector box, the tubas and trombones out of the vents in the floor, the strings on the stage, the winds in the isles.. the percussion in the hallway outside.. yeah I was nuts. His rendition of Ives’ Concord Sonata as a Symphony is all wrong; too modern and craggy for Ives, but an incredible and addictive listening experience. A bonus is a fine recording of Copland’s first symphony with the original organ part.

3) BRUCKNER: 9 SYMPHONIES. GUNTER WAND COLOGNE RADIO ORCHESTRA RCA/SONY 7776582

Budget priced reissue of these fine recordings of Bruckner’s major Symphonies, but does not include “Die Nulte” or the Symphony in F if you have to have those. Skrowaczweski/Saarbrucken is my standard, but for the price these can not be beat.

4) JOYCE DI DONATO: DIVA/DIVO. VIRGIN CLASSICS 41986   

Home town girl (I have a picture of me with Joyce to prove it) makes good in this wonderful collection of arias exploring gender bending trouser roles from Gluck to Richard Strauss.

5) CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR: PIANO CONCERTO # 1 OP 39, PIANO CONCERTO # 2 OP 77, FANTASIE, OP 62. MARKUS BECKER, PIANO. THIERRY FISCHER BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES  HYPERION CDA 67817. ROMANTIC PIANO CONCERTO SERIES # 55

A recording for those who think C-M. Widor only wrote a famous Toccata for Organ to be used at Easter or weddings. These two bravura concerti and the brilliant “Fantasie” are simply fabulous music. A second set has appeared on Dutton/Epoch but seems to be hard to find. With great sound and easy availability, this is the one to have for sure.

6) HAVERGAL BRIAN: SYMPHONY # 1 “GOTHIC”. BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES, BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA, SOLOISTS AND CHOIRS HYPERION CDA679712

Renowned for its listing in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest symphony, the Gothic is, of course, rarely performed. But on July 17 2011, over 800 musicians under the direction of Martyn Brabbins performed this monster at a Royal Albert Hall Proms Concert. This is a live recording in fine sound and likely the best performance we’ll hear in a lifetime. 

7) HAVERGAL BRIAN: ORCHESTRAL MUSIC VOL. 1. BURLESQUE VARIATIONS ON AN ORIGINAL THEME, ENGLISH SUITE NO. 5, RUSTIC SCENES, ELEGY, LEGEND: “AVE ATQUE VALE”. GARRY WALKER BBC SCOTTISH  SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 00110

Every few years, Toccata Classics gives us some gems from the vast oeuvre of Havergal Brian, he of 32 symphonies and tons of unperformed and even lost works. In 2005 a recital of songs was well received and a welcome addition. This year Toccata seems to be embarking on an orchestral series, hopefully to include the symphonies, since the Naxos series seems to be abandoned. Volume 1 contains premiere recordings, first studio or professional recordings of works ranging from 1903 to 1968.

8)  HAVERGAL BRIAN: ORCHESTRAL MUSIC VOL. 2 MUSIC FROM THE OPERAS.  SYMPHONIC VARIATIONS ON ‘HAS ANYBODY HERE SEEN KELLY?’, THREE PIECES FROM ‘TURANDOT’, FAUST: NIGHT RIDE OF FAUST AND MEPHISTOPHELES, THE CENCI: PRELUDIO TRAGICO,  A TURANDOT SUITE (ARR. MALCOLM MACDONALD). GARRY WALKER BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 00113

Long neglected Havergal Brian (1876–1972) is having a banner year. His music is interesting and always colorful, albeit frequently clunky and not always structurally sound. This disc features orchestral excerpts from some of his 5 unperformed operas.

9) MARTINU SYMPHONY # 4, TRE RICERCARI, PIANO CONCERTO # 4

TURNOVSKY CZECH PHIL APEX 0927498222

Almost everyone first heard this wonderful Symphony via this old Turnabout LP that has seen several iterations over the years. Now available in a budget CD with great sound and couplings.

10)  MICHELLE BREEDT, SOPRANO NINA SCHUMANN, PIANO: “SHAKESPEARE INSPIRED”  TWO PIANISTS RECORDS 1039077

South African-born Michelle Breedt is featured in this innovative Shakespeare-in-song collection from Two Pianists Records, also from South Africa. Just about every English composer of note from Arne through Coates, Parry, Delius, Vaughan Williams and on to Britten and Rubbra is included. Most entertaining and enlightening.

11) ANDRZEJ PANUFNIK: SYMPHONIE ELEGIACA (NO. 2), SINFONIA SACRA (NO. 3), SYMPHONY NO. 10.  KONZERTHAUSORCHESTER BERLIN. LUKASZ BOROWICZ CPO-777 683-2

These works have all received fine performances before, especially the popular Sinfonia Sacra. But this finely played and recorded disc from the Polish Radio Symphony is especially sweet since Panufnik was exiled from and his music banned in his native Poland for so long. Volume 4 of an ongoing series of his symphonic works.

12) ALLAN PETTERSSON: SYMPHONIES NOS. 1 (ARR. LINDBERG) SYMPHONY #  2 NORRKÖPING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHRISTIAN LINDBERG BIS-1860 (PLUS DVD)

When I am depressed and ready to jump off a bridge, I listen to the music of Pettersson and suddenly I realize I am not as bad off as I thought. Pettersson’s music, from his first symphony to his last works, is relentlessly gloomy, dark, mysterious and angry; much like the man himself. Yet it is sincere and well written which is what makes it so interesting. The early, incomplete first Symphony is a performing edition by Lindberg receiving its first recording.

13) IVES: 4 VIOLIN SONATAS HILARY HAHN VIOLIN, VALENTINA LISITSA, PIANO DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON  001608202

Amazing that an Ives recording has been at the top of the Classical Music charts for a good part of the year, displacing the usual “crossover” glorp. Maybe the boys are buying the album because of the two pretty ladies on the cover. Whatever the motive, finest performances we can expect in a long time of these quirky and even fun pieces.