Aha, It's Aho

Kalevi Aho Symphony No 15. Lahti Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk. Concerto for double bass and orchestra. Lahti Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jaako Kuusisto, soloist Eero Munter. Minea. Lahti Symphony Orchestra conducted by Osmo Vanska. Continuing the Scandinavian tradition with a touch of minimalism and a whiff of jazz. Recording handles the balance problems of a double bass concerto well, though some juggling with the volume switch necessary.

Shadows Of War

BBC music magazine cover disc for a WW1 themed edition. Ivor Gurney : A Gloucestershire Rhapsody, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Parry and War Elegy, BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Lloyd-Jones. Frank Bridge : Oration ( Concerto Elegiaco for cello and orchestra ), BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Richard Hickox. Stephen Isserlis cello. The Gurney works, the Rhapsody is a recorded premiere, are noticeably works in progress never fully realised because of circumstances. But worth hearing. Whereas Oration is one of Bridge's major works and a class above really.

A Society To Be Commended

Attracted to buy the recent edition of BBC Music by the cover disc and not disappointed. Mendelssohn piano quartet in B minor, Schumann piano quartet in E flat and Schumann Marchenbilder. Performers under the auspices of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Juho Pohjonen piano, Erin Keefe violin, Paul Neubauer viola, Narek Hakhnazaryan cello. Life affirming music, beautifully played and recorded.

Nocturnal Impressions

BBC Music magazine cover disc ( sampling an edition that looks slightly interesting after cancelling subscription ) In fact a good recital disc by pianist Vlado Perlemuter. Ravel Miroirs and Faure Nocturnes.

End Of An Odyssey

J. S. Bach Cantatas, Vol 54. Performers Bach Collegium Japan directed by Masaaki Suzuki. soloists Hana Blazikova soprano, Damien Guillon conter-tenor, Gerd Turk tenor, Peter Kooij bass. Another sample from this series as it draws to a close.

Maverick ? Mystic ? Last Symphonist ?

Schnittke : Symphony Mo 2 " St Florian" Performers : Russian State Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Cappella conducted by Valery Polyansky. Marina Katsman contralto, Yaroslav Zdorov countertenor, Oleg Dolgov tenor, Sergei Veprintsev bass, Ludmila Golub organ. Various serendipitous circumstances led to a period of Schnittke investigation including this sample purchase.

Good Natured Classicism

Weber : Symphonies Nos 1 and 2, Bassoon Concerto, Invitation to the Dance ( orchestrated by Berlioz ) Performers : BBC Philharmonic conducted by Juanjo Mena. Soloist, Karen Geoghegan bassoon. Last of the pure classicists and first with German opera ?