John
ADAMS
(b. 1947) On the
Transmigration of Souls 
Philip Smith, trumpet New York Choral
Artists (Joseph Flummerfelt, director) Brooklyn
Youth Chorus (Diane Berkun, director) New
York Philharmonic Orchestra/Lorin Maazel Recorded
at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, NYC,
19-24 Sept 2002
NONESUCH 7559 79816-2 [25.03] [NH]
Quintessential
Adams, evoking the artistically benevolent
spirits of Ives, Whitman, Sibelius and Mahler
all bound by a common devotion to humanity
and universality. An absolutely essential
disc. ... see Full
Review
The
Secret Bach Johann
Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Chromatic
Fantasia and Fugue (Rust version BWV 903A)
Hass [12.59] Adagio in G major BWV 968
Hass [3.48] Fugue in G minor (after BWV
1000) Hass [5.38] From the Clavier-büchlein
für Wilhelm Friedmann Bach: Allemande
in G minor BWV 836 Bodechtal [1.47] Menuet
1 BWV 841 Bodechtal [1.11] Menuet 3
BWV 843 Bodechtal [1.55] Partie diverse
sopra il Corale ‘O Gott, du frommer Gott’
BWV 767 Schmahl [14.56] Partita in
A minor after BWV 1004; arranged by
Mortensen; Hass [29.30] Christopher Hogwood, clavichords Recorded
in Newnham College, Cambridge and Challow
Park, Berkshire in 2002 METRONOME MET CD 1056 [71.54] [JF]
A
revelation that such a diminutive keyboard
instrument as the clavichord can express such
power, emotion and expressiveness. ... see
Full Review
John FOULDS
(1880-1939) Three
Mantras from Avatara (1. Of
Action and Vision of Terrestrial Avataras;
2. Of Bliss and Vision of Celestial Avataras;
3. Of Will and Vision of Cosmic Avataras)
Op. 61b (1930) [26:28] Lyra Celtica -
concerto for voice and orchestra Op. 50 (1925)
[16:11] Apotheosis (Elegy) -
Music Poem No. 4 for violin and orchestra
Op. 18 (1907) [11:18] Mirage - Music
Poem No. 5 for orchestra Op. 20 (1910) [23:49]
SusanBickley (mezzo) Daniel Hope (violin)
City of Birmingham SO/Sakari Oramo rec. Symphony
Hall, Birmingham, 26-27 Feb 2004. DDD
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 61525-2 [78:13] [RB]
Enigmatic
but not difficult, lambent, delicate, ecstatic
and non-conformist. There is light and air
in this man's music as well as lyrical release...
see Full Review
Charles
IVES (1874-1954)
Piano
Sonata No. 2, "Concord, Mass., 1840-1860"
† [42.54] Samuel
BARBER (1910-1981) Piano Sonata,
Op. 26 [19.15]
Marc-André Hamelin, piano Jamie Martin,
flute † Recorded Henry Wood Hall,
London on April 5-6, 2004
HYPERION CDA67469 [62:09] [SM]
Hamelin
seems more attuned to Ives’ sound-world than
any other pianist I’ve heard ... see Full
Review
Gustav
MAHLER
(1860-1911) Symphony
No. 2 Resurrection Eteri Gvazava, soprano,
Anna Larsson, contralto Orfeón Donostiarra
Lucerne Festival Orchestra/Claudio Abbado
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
La mer
Lucerne Festival Orchestra/Claudio Abbado
Recorded live at the Lucerne Festival, Summer
2003
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 00289 477 5082 [45’01
+ 60’29] [MB]
‘One
is battered to the ground and then raised
on angels’ wings to the highest heights.’
Performances that are second to none ... one
of the most remarkable discs of either work
... see Full
Review
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Bohuslav
MARTINŮ
(1890-1959) String
Quartet No. 3 (1929) String Quartet No. 4
(1937) String Quartet No. 5 (1938)
Emperor String Quartet Recorded at Holy Trinity
Church, Wentworth, Yorkshire, August 2002
BIS CD 1389 [61.10] [JW]
Powerful
and eloquent performances ... an opportunity
to explore the Emperor’s abrasively vertical
response ... see Full
Review
HISTORICAL
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Symphony
No. 2 in D major Op. 43 (1902) [39:35] Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Symphony
No. 8 in G major Op. 88 (1898) [36:15]
BBC Symphony Orchestra (Sibelius) Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra (Dvořák) Sir Thomas
Beecham Rec. Royal Festival Hall, London,
8 Dec 1954 (Sibelius); 25 Oct 1959 (Dvořák).ADD
MONO 20 Bit remastering from the original
BBC tapes
BBC LEGENDS BBCL 4154-2 [77.09] [RB]
Live
versions of Sibelius 2 and Dvořák 8:
sensational, thrilling, incandescent. No Sibelius
collection is complete without this extraordinary
disc ... see Full
Review
Robert SIMPSON (1921
– 1997) Symphony
No.11 (1990) Variations on atheme by Nielsen (1983)
City of London Sinfonia/Matthew Taylor Recorded: St Jude-on-the-Hill,
Hampstead, London, December 2003
HYPERION CDA 67500 [54:55] [HC]
This
release, appropriately dedicated to the late
Ted Perry, is up to Hyperion’s best. Performances
and production are simply magnificent, so
that this splendid disc is warmly and unreservedly
recommended. ... see Full
Review
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Fireworks
- Fantasy for Orchestra (1909) [3:57]
The Firebird - complete ballet (1910)
[41:12] Tango (1940 rev 1953) [3:31]
Scherzo à la russe (1944) [3:50]
The Song of the Nightingale - symphonic
poem (1917) [21:56]
London Symphony Orchestra/Antal Dorati Rec.
Watford Town Hall 7 June 1959 (Firebird);
22, 24 June 1964 (Nightingale); 27
June 1964 (Fireworks; Scherzo);
7 July 1964 (Tango). ADD
SACD reviewed in CD mode
MERCURY
LIVING PRESENCE 470 643-2 [76:47] [RB]
One
of the greatest recordings. If you have any
affection for the Russian tradition or for
unbridled voluptuous orchestral extravagance
sensationally recorded then this must be on
your shopping list. ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH 
Anna Netrebko -
Sempre libera [CH]
Potentially
the best soprano news since Caballé.
... see Full Review
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Goldberg
Variations BWV988 [47.19]
Gustav Leonhardt - harpsichord
rec 1978, Haarlem, The Netherlands
DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI 82876601462 [47.19]
[JL]
Gustav
Leonhardt will always remain separate from
mere ‘other’ harpsichordists. This really
is sitting at the feet of the master. ...
see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Quatre
Chansons Françaises, op.posth.
(1928)* [12:08] Our Hunting Fathers,
op.8 (1936) [28:07] Les Illuminations,
op.18 (1939)* [22:21]
* Felicity Lott (soprano), Phyllis Bryn-Julson
(soprano) English Chamber Orchestra/Steuart
Bedford Recorded at Abbey Rd. Studios, London,
UK in June/July 1990 (Our Hunting Fathers),
and at Henry Wood Hall, London UK in July
1994 (other items)
NAXOS 8.557206 [62:38] [GPJ]
These
versions are quite fit to take their place
alongside the finest available, and all is
captured in vivid recordings of the highest
standard. It’s great to welcome them back
into the catalogue. ... see Full
Review
Dietrich
Buxtehude
(1637 -1707) Sacred Cantatas Was
frag’ ich nach der Welt, BuxWV 104 [7.57]
Jesu, meine Freud und Lust, BuxWV 59
[6.47] Sicut Moses, BuxWV 97 [7.55]
Passacaglia, BuxWV 161 (arranged for
strings by Kevin Mallon) [6.09] Wenn ich,
Herr Jesu, habe dich, BuxWV 107 [8.31]
In te, Domine, speravi, BuxWV 53 [2.11]
Jubilate Domino, BuxWV 64 [9.06] Wie
schmeckt es so lieblich und wohl, BuxWV108
[9.55]
Matthew White, counter-tenor; Katherine
Hill, soprano; Paul Grindlay, bass Arcadia
Ensemble/Kevin Mallon Recorded at Grace Church
on the Hill, Toronto, Canada, 13-16 May 2002.
NAXOS 8.557041 [58.30] [JF]
A
real eye opener. All of these works prove
that there is much more to Buxtehude than
organ music. One of two of these cantatas
are true masterpieces and deserves recognition
as such. ... see Full
Review
Ottorini RESPIGHI
(1879-1936)
Feste
Romane; Fontane di Romana; Pini
di Roma
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa
Cecilia/Daniele Gatti Recorded 14-16 October
1996 at Auditorio Via della Concilliazione,
Rome
RCA RED SEAL 82876 60869 2 [65:54] [GPJ]
This
is going to take some beating – as to Gatti, sensational, yes, but that’s
meant as a compliment! ... see Full Review
Camille
SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921) Sonata
for violin and piano No. 1, in D minor, op.
75 (1885) Sonata for violin and piano No.
2, in E flat major, op. 102 (1896) Berceuse,
op. 38, for violin and piano (1871) Elegie,
op. 160, for violin and piano (1920) Elegie,
op. 143, for violin and piano (1915) Romance,
op. 37, for violin and piano (1871) String
Quartet No. 1 in E minor, op. 112 (1899) String
Quartet No. 2 in G major, op. 153 (1919)
Quatuor Viotti
Olivier Charlier (violin) Jean Hubeau (piano)
Recorded in Studio 103, Radio-France, December
1984 (string quartets) and Studio 107, Radio-France,
August 1987 (violin and piano works).
WARNER CLASSICS APEX 2564 61426-2 [65:20
+ 54:34] [MC]
Simply
wonderful chamber works superbly performed.
This disc would have been strongly recommended
at full-price. An indispensable release. ...
see Full Review
Igor STRAVINSKY
(1882-1971) Perséphone
Paul DUKAS
(1865-1935) Overture Polyeucte
Paul Groves (tenor); Nicole Tibbels (speaker)
Cantate Youth Choir; Trinity Boys’ Choir
BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus/Sir Andrew
Davis (Stravinsky) and Jan Pascal Tortelier
(Dukas) Recorded in the Royal Albert Hall
(live) August 10th 2003
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 61548-2 [73:34] [GH]
Beautiful
choral writing like nothing I have ever heard
in Stravinsky. Its melodic charm seems set
in another world, which indeed it is as Persephone
lies asleep beside the banks of the Lethe.
... see Full
Review
Book
Review
David
Fanning
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 Ashgate,
ISBN 0 7546 0699 6
MUSICWEB
price £35.00 reduced
to £32.50 post free in the UK
György
KURTÁG:
The Sayings of Péter Bornemisza Op.
7 A
"concerto" for soprano and piano Rachel
Beckles Willson 2004 188 pp. CD recording
included MusicWeb price
£35.00 reduced to £32.50
post free in the UK
Paul
Maloney Scotland
and the Music Hall 1850-1914
Manchester University Press 0 7190 6147 4
Paperback £14.99 2003
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