NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
[New] Strauss's
Ariadne auf Naxos - a survey by Ralph Moore
[New] Piano Trio Discography & Survey: Beethoven
Note - this completes the discography, which will be now updated every
6 months.
[New] Masterwork Index: Schumann's
Cello Concerto
Strauss's
Arabella - a survey by Ralph Moore
Looking
at Reizenstein's Oboe Sonatina by John France
Verdi's
Luisa Miller - a survey by Ralph Moore
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Wiktor Labunski (1895-1974) Complete Piano Works
Juliusz Wertheim (1880-1928) Songs Vols 1 & 2
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Friday August 7th
Grażyna
BACEWICZ (1909-1969) String Quartets Nos 4, 6 & 7 -
Fanny Mendelssohn Qt rec. 1991 TROUBADISC TRO-CD01404
[55:09] [SSi] Warrants room in the collection of any fan of twentieth
century chamber music.
Anton
BRUCKNER (1824-1896) & Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Masses - Berlin RSO & Ch/Gijs Leenaars rec. 2019
PENTATONE PTC5186774 [53:10] [MC] One of the most accomplished
recordings of sacred choral music I have heard in some time.
Geoff
CUMMINGS-KNIGHT (b.1947) The Road Less Travelled
- Duncan Honeybourne (piano) rec. 2019 PRIMA FACIE PFCD120
[57:00] [JF] Approachable and romantically tinged.
Carlisle
FLOYD (b. 1926) Prince of Players
- Keith Phares (baritone) Kate Royal (soprano) Florentine Opera Ch,
Milwaukee SO/William Boggs rec. 2018 REFERENCE RECORDINGS FR-736
[41.40 + 54.01] [WK] A major addition to contemporary American opera.
Stanisław
MONIUSZKO (1819-1872) Sacred Music - Musica Sacra Warsaw-Praga
Cathedral Ch/Paweł Łukaszewski rec. 2019 DUX 1648
[48:38] [GF] A very attractive disc for those who want to widen
their knowledge of one of the greatest Polish composers of the 19th
century.
Modest
MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Pictures at an Exhibition
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) La Valse - Les
Siècles/François-Xavier Roth rec. 2019 HARMONIA MUNDI HMM905282
[44:15] [JQ] Another highly stimulating album from Les
Siècles and François-Xavier Roth.
Pēteris
VASKS (b. 1946) Viola Concerto, Symphony
for Strings - Sinfonietta Rīga/Maxim Rysanov (viola) rec. 2018
BIS BIS-2443 SACD [65:44] [SA] Do not fail to
give this disc a hearing for it will surely captivate you.
Dinu
Lipatti (piano) The Complete Columbia Recordings
rec. 1947-48 APR 6032 [2 CDs: 144:00] [JW] Breaks
some new ground in the excellence of its restorations.
Tasmin
Little (violin) The Best of Tasmin rec. 1992-2019
CHANDOS CHAN20185(2) [78:41 + 80:57] [BW] A useful
reminder of Tasmin Little’s artistry, but be sure that you wouldn’t
rather have the original albums.
Peninsula
Darko Nikčeviĉ (guitar, udu) Srdjan Bulatović
(guitar) rec. 2019 NAXOS 8.574193 [61:02] [GPu] Pleasing
music which makes one remember, or anticipate, the joys of Mediterranean
life.
Thursday August 6th
Juan
Crisóstomo de ARRIAGA (1806-1826) String
Quartets - Aeolian Qt rec. 1954 CAMEO CLASSICS CC9117
[69:55] [JW] A perhaps unexpected but nevertheless very welcome
restoration.
Richard
Rodney BENNETT (1936-2012) Orchestral
Works Vol. 4 - Michael McHale (piano) BBC Scottish SO/John Wilson rec.
2019 CHANDOS CHSA5244 SACD [65:52] [WH] Superbly
performed and recorded, and an excellent introduction to the composer.
Stefano
BERNARDI (1577-1637) Lux Æterna: Ein Salzburger Requiem
- Voces Suaves, Concerto Scirocco rec. 2019 ARCANA A470
[68:15] [GPu] All who love the ‘school’ of Monteverdi
should hear this.
César
FRANCK (1822-1890) & Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Piano Quintets - Mami Shikimori (piano); Wihan Quartet rec.
2018 NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6397 [68:21] [BW] Comes
close to rivalling my top choices in both works; as a coupling, it works
very well.
John
GARDNER (1917-2011) The Ballad of the White Horse,
An English Ballad - Ashley Riches (baritone), City of London Choir,
Paulina Voices, BBC Concert O/Hilary Davan Wetton rec. 2017 EM
RECORDS EMR CD057 [64:30] [PCG] A worthwhile rarity.
Gustav
MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No. 6 - Minnesota O/Osmo
Vänskä rec. 2016 BIS BIS-2266 SACD [86:48]
[JQ] Other recorded performances penetrate much more deeply into
this potent, disturbing symphony.
Sergei
PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Songs & Romances - Margarita
Gritskova (mezzo) Maria Prinz (piano) rec. 2019 NAXOS 8.574030
[66:58] [GF] Further evidence of the versatility of Margarita Gritskova
as a song interpreter.
Max
REGER (1873-1916) Clarinet Quintet, String Sextet - Thorsten
Johanns (clarinet), Roland Glassl (viola), Wen-Sinn Yang (cello), Diogenes
Quartett rec. 2018/2019 CPO 555 340-2 [74:24] [RHa]
A superb, measured account of Reger’s oft-recorded Clarinet
Quintet, and a persuasive new view of the thornier Sextet.
Agnelle
Bundervoët (piano) Complete Recordings on Decca
France rec. 1955-1957 ELOQUENCE 484 1507 [2 CDs:
145:11] [SG] A significant and rewarding release.
Flute
and Cello Rarities Atsuko Koga (flute) Georgiy Lomakov
(cello) rec. 2019 GENUIN GEN20700 [63:37] [MR] An
intriguing programme eloquently played.
Wednesday August 5th
Bonaventura
ALIOTTI (c.1640-c.1690) Il trionfo della morte per
il peccato d’Adamo - Les Traversées Baroques/Étienne Meyer
rec. 2019 ACCENT ACC24368 [50:13 + 44:39] [GPu] A
powerful and beautiful oratorio, hitherto forgotten, gets a fine performance
in excellent sound.
Juan
ESQUIVEL (c 1560-before 1630) Missa Hortus Conclusus
- De Profundis/Eamonn Dougan rec. 2019 HYPERION CDA68326
[69:29] [RHa] Another splendidly performed and expertly produced
Hyperion disc but Esquivel is no Victoria, alas.
Sir
Alexander Campbell MACKENZIE (1847-1935) Complete Music
for Solo Piano Vol. 2 - Christopher Howell (piano)
rec. 2017/18 SHEVA COLLECTION SH229 [64:52] [JW]
Much to admire here.
Fanny
MENDELSSOHN-HENSEL (1805-1847) Chamber works - Fanny Mendelssohn
Qt, Stefan Mickisch (piano) rec. 1994 TROUBADISC TROCD01408
[65:02] [SB] Well worth hearing.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Lebensstürme and other works
for piano duet - Duo Pleyel rec. 2019 LINN CKD593 [77:11]
[BW] A very worthwhile addition to the many fine recordings
of this four-handed music.
Roberto
SIERRA (b. 1953) Cantares, Loíza, Triple
Concerto - Trío Arbós, Cornell University Ch & Glee Club, Xalapa
SO/Lanfranco Marcelletti rec. 2016/18 NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS
8.559876 [62.32] [MP] A happy release of significant and
colourful music that is sure to please anyone who is musically curious.
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Symphony No. 5 Gerald
FINZI (1901-1956) Clarinet Concerto - Philharmonia
O/Michael Collins (clarinet) rec. 2019 BIS BIS-2367 SACD
[68:30] [RC] Excellent renditions of each work.
Adam
WESOŁOWSKI (b. 1980) Industrially
- Steven Mead (euphonium) Aleksandra Gajecka Antosiewicz (harpsichord)
Łukasz Długosz (flute) Silesian CO/Robert Kabara, AUKSO/Marek
Moś rec. 2019 DUX 1659 [68:03] [MR] An entertaining
if peculiar collection.
Hugo
Kolberg, Michel Schwalbé (violin) Legendary Concertmasters
of the Berlin Philharmonic rec. 1952-1965 MELOCLASSIC MC2039 [78:01
+ 73:05] [SG] Rare glimpses of two legendary concertmasters in solo
roles.
Ekaterina
Siurina (soprano) Amour éternel - Kaunas City
SO/Constantine Orbelian rec. 2019 DELOS DE3583 [76:11]
[GF] Well considered readings.
Tuesday August 4th
Sir
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) Violin Sonata Ralph VAUGHAN
WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Violin Sonata & The Lark Ascending
- Jennifer Pike (violin) Martin Roscoe (piano) rec. 2019 CHANDOS
CHAN20156 [67:05] [JW] Very fine and enlightening.
Leopold
GODOWSKY (1870-1938) 53 Studies on the Chopin Études
Vol. 1 - Konstantin Scherbakov (piano) rec. 2019
MARCO POLO 8.225372 [79:00] [JWe] A magnificent
feat of pianism, full of jaw dropping virtuosity and some lovely colouring
throughout.
Reynaldo
HAHN (1874-1947) L'heure exquise -
Anastasia Prokofieva (soprano) Sergey Rybin (piano) rec.
2018 STONE 5060192780888 [60:55] [IL] Totally exquisite.
Hans
Werner HENZE (1926-2012) Der Prinz von Homburg
- Štefan Margita (tenor); Helene Schneiderman (mezzo-soprano);
Robin Adams (baritone); Staatsorchester Stuttgart/Cornelius Meister
rec. 2019 CAPRICCIO C5405 [43:03 + 64:45] [SB] A
workman-like performance of an important Henze opera, but there is no
translation with the libretto.
Max
REGER (1873-1916) Piano Quintet, Piano Trio - Wolfram Lorenzen
(piano) Fanny Mendelssohn Qt rec. 1997 TROUBADISC TRO-CD01414
[64:33] [RHa] The quintet may pose a tougher challenge to potential
Regerians than the trio but the performances make the effort worth it.
Ferdinand
RIES (1784-1838]) Complete Works for Cello Vol. 2 - Martin
Rummel (cello) Stefan Stroissnig (piano) Eric Lamb (flute) rec. 2018
NAXOS 8.573851 [70:48] [MZ] It’s time to
bring Ferdinand Ries out of the shadows, and this solid release from
Naxos is an excellent place to start.
Joaquín
RODRIGO (1901-1999) Fantasía para un Gentilhombre,
Concierto de Aranjuez - Xianji Liu (guitar); Spanish Radio and
TV O/Pedro Amaral rec. 2019 (?) IBS CLASSICAL IBS42020
[44:59] [BW] No new insights, but if reissued with another
concerto thrown in, this might be competitive.
Emil
TABAKOV (b.1947) Symphonies No. 2 & 6 - Bulgarian Ntl
RSO, Plovdiv PO/Emil Tabakov rec. 1985/2002 TOCCATA CLASSICS
TOCC0562 [75:07] [GH] One austere symphony, another dramatic
and gripping.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) I due Foscari – Vladimir
Stoyanov (baritone) Stefan Pop (tenor) Maria Katzarava (soprano) Filarmonica
Arturo Toscanini, O Giovanile Via Emilia/Paolo Arrivabeni rec. 2019
DYNAMIC CDS7865.02 [69:29 + 44:45] [GF] Involvement
and total conviction from the three main soloists.
The
Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music 2019
Vol. 5 Works by Elsner, Dobrzynski & Noskowski
DUX 1657 [78:38] [DJB] That this is a record of
competition performances does not lessen the enjoyment to be found.
Monday August 3rd
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies Nos 1-3 Gerald
BARRY (b. 1952) Beethoven, Piano Concerto - Nicolas
Hodges (piano) Britten Sinfonia/Thomas Adès rec. 2017/18 SIGNUM
CLASSICS SIGCD616 [74:21 + 67:48] [LW] Exhilarating Beethoven
and puzzling Barry.
Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano Concertos - Benjamin Grosvenor
(piano), Royal Scottish Ntl O/Elim Chan rec. 2019 DECCA 485
0365 [70:24] [MG] Grosvenor is fluent, assured, charismatic,
ebullient, fiery as appropriate: the complete player.
Arnold
COOKE (1906-2005) Complete Works for Oboe, Sonata for
Two Pianos - Pleyel Ensemble rec. 2017 MPR 108 [75:48]
[CC] A fabulous disc, one of a very important series.
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Images, Prélude à
l’après-midi d’un faune - Hallé/Sir Mark Elder
rec. 2018/2019 HALLÉ CDHLL7554 [60:44] [NB]
Another triumphant disc.
Božidar
KUNC (1903-1964), Fran LHOTKA (1883-1962)
& Josip Štolcer SLAVENSKI (1896-1955) String
Quartets - Sebastian String Quartet rec. 2018 CPO 555 297-2
[56:29] [JW] Played with fire and clarity.
Ottorino
RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Works for Piano Four Hands - Gabriele
Baldocci, Francesco Caramiello (piano) rec. 2016 TACTUS TC871804
[79:48] [SSi] This enjoyable disc shows a little-explored aspect
of Respighi’s music.
Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Piano Concertos
Nos 2, 4 & 5 - Jeanne-Marie Darré (piano) rec. 1953-65 SOLSTICE
SOCD 363-64 [62:53 + 74:48] [SG] Darré, the ardent champion
of Saint-Saëns.
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony No. 13 - Oleg Tsibulko
(bass) Russian Ntl O/Kirill Karabits rec. 2017 PENTATONE PTC5186618
SACD [58:13] [JQ] A valuable addition to the RNO’s
Shostakovich cycle.
Gothic
Toccata Calvin Bowman (organ) rec. 2006 MELBA
PD70001 [72:19] [MR] An interesting programme of Australian
organ music played with great panache and dazzling virtuosity.
Other reviews
Granville Bantock: A Guide to Research by John
C. Dressler publ. 2020 Clemson University Press [JF]
A major tool for those interested in Bantock’s musical success.
