NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
[New] Decca Sound - The Mono Years 1944-56
Part 3 by Jonathan Woolf
[New] Download News 2015/5 by
Brian Wilson & Dan Morgan
[New] A to Z of the Piano Trio Repertoire by David Barker:
"C" Composers
[New] Fortepianist Penelope Crawford:
An interview with Brian Reinhart
From the MusicWeb International Listening Studio: Another Audio Report
by John Quinn
MusicWeb International’s Twentieth Anniversary Celebration
by John Quinn
MWI Recommends
- Gershwin Rhapsody in blue & Schubert ‘Great’ symphony.
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Monday: Other reviews (nostalgia, books, other music); Wednesday: MWI
Recommends; Friday: Articles.
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LATEST REVIEWS
Friday May 29th
Cecilé CHAMINADE (1857-1944)
Piano Trio 2
Claude DEBUSSY (-1918)
Piano Trio
René LENORMAND (1846-1932)
Piano Trio -
Trio Chausson
rec. 2011
MIRARE MIR163 [72:13] [DJB]
Beautifully played, with a real rarity, but the shining star is the Chaminade.
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Complete waltzes,
Nocturnes -
Louis Lortie (piano)
rec. 2011-14
CHANDOS CHAN 10852 [83:20] [BR]
Louis Lortie’s Chopin series climbs to new heights with the best album yet.
Michele ESPOSITO
(1855-1929) Music for violin and piano - Carmelo Andriani (violin)
Vincenzo Maltempo (piano) rec. 2014 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 95102
[46:40 + 52:40] [JW] A fine release, and complementary to an earlier Esposito
release.
Yoshihiro KANNO
(b. 1953) Light, Water, Rainbow - Noriko Ogawa (piano)
rec. 2014 BIS BIS-2075 SACD [72:00] [KM] I look forward
to hearing more music by this composer.
Anthony
RITCHIE (b.1960) Symphony 4 - Jenny
Wollerman (soprano) Christchurch SO/Tom Woods rec. 2014 ATOLL
ACD314 [42:20] [BW]
Powerful music, powerfully performed and well worth your attention.
Paweł
SZYMAŃSKI (b. 1954) Pieces for
String Quartet Paweł MYKIETYN (b. 1971) String
Quartet 2 - Royal Qt rec. 2014 HYPERION CDA68085 [66:53]
[NB] Admirers of the contemporary string quartet genre will find no
fence they need to sit on here.
Donaufahrt
Works by Beethoven, Doppler, Kalliwoda, Mozart & Weber -
Rie Koyama (bassoon) Clemens Müller (piano)
rec. 2014
GENUIN GEN15334 [66:23] [GPJ]
Stunning playing from this brilliantly gifted young Japanese bassoonist.
In the
Midst of Life Music From the Baldwin Part Books Vol.
1 - Contrapunctus/Owen Rees rec. 2014 SIGNUM CLASSICS
SIGCD408 [68:18] [GH] This is a fine CD and I wait impatiently
for its follow-up.
Thursday May 28th
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Havergal BRIAN
(1876-1972) Symphonies 6, 28, 29 & 31 - New Russia State
SO/Alexander Walker rec. 2014 NAXOS 8.573408 [69:51]
[MC] De rigueur for all Brian admirers and lovers of British
music alike.
Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Années de Pélerinage (Italie), Piano Sonata -
Angela Brownridge (piano)
rec. 2011
CAMEO CLASSICS CC9030CD [71:16] [JW] Still a fine and representative selection of Brownridge’s Liszt repertoire.
Francis
POULENC (1899-1963) Les Animaux modèles, Concerto for two pianos
Jean FRANÇAIX
(1912-1997) Concerto for two pianos - Mona and Rica Bard (pianos)
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinlands-Pfalz/Ariane Matiakhrec. 2014
CAPRICCIO C5237 [68:55] [DC]
Excellent stuff.
Maximilian STEINBERG (1883-1946) Passion
Week Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Chant
Arrangements for Holy Week - Cappella Romana/Alexander Lingas rec. 2014 CAPPELLA
ROMANA CR414-CD [61:57] [DC]
This one will stay with you forever.
Creole Connections
Morten Gunnar Larsen (piano)
rec. 2013/14
LAWO CLASSICS LWC1070 [71:38] [BR]
An easy-going hit collection from Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, New Orleans, Los Angeles and more.
The English Cathedral Series
Volume XIX: Peterborough Cathedral -
David Humphreys (organ)
rec. 2014
REGENT REGCD459 [63:07] [BW]
Not a barnstorming instrument but fine performances of music well chosen for it.
Pieces from the Gdansk Lute Tablature 4022
Magdalena Tomsinska (lute)
rec. 2014
DUX 1150 [58.15] [GH]
A very pleasing presentation.
Myra Hess
(piano) Live recordings from the University of Illinois
rec. 1949 APR 7306 [3 CDs: 205:23] [JW] Expands
the Hess discography and our appreciation and understanding of her as
a recreative artist. One can ask for little more.
Wednesday May 27th
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Violin Concertos Alfred SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) Concerto Grosso 3 -
Deborah Nemtanu (violin, viola) Sarah Nemtanu (violin) Paris CO/Sascha Goetzel rec. 2014
NAÏVE V5383 [68:00] [LW]
Satisfying Bach in a crowded field enhanced by the inclusion of a Schnittke concerto.
Cécile CHAMINADE (1857-1944) Piano Sonata; Etudes -
Johann Blanchard (piano) rec. 2014
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM 90418716 SACD [78:10] [BR]
Great pianism, but this un-charming repertoire is not the best introduction to Chaminade.
Malcolm LIPKIN (b. 1932)
Symphoies 1-3 -
BBC Scottish SO/Lionel Friend, BBC PO/Edward Downes, Adrian Leaper
rec. 1983-93
LYRITA SRCD.349 [67:57] [WK] British dissonant style symphonism with a convincing sense of structure and developmental ability.
Ernst MIELCK (1877-1899)
Orchestral and Choral Works -
Juha Kotilainen (baritone)
Academic Male-Voice Ch Helsinki,
Helsinki University SO/Mikk Murdvee
rec. 2012/13 2012/13
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0174 [61:47] A fine selection of music from a life cut very short [DJB] Early nationalism but generally speaking with a Germanic accent [RB].
William PERRY (b. 1930) Music for Great Films of the Silent Era Vol. 2
- RTÉ National SO/Paul Phillips rec. 2014
NAXOS 8.573105 [79.09] [IL]
A worthy follow-up to the original collection of William Perry's music for silent films.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) The Execution of Stepan Razin,
The Sun Shines over our Motherland, The Song of the Forests
- Alexei Tanovitski (bass) Konstantin Andreyev (tenor) Narva Boys Ch,
Estonian Concert Ch, Estonian Ntl SO/Paavo Järvi rec.2012 ERATO
2564 616666 [79:52] [DM] Paavo Järvi follows up his fine Leningrad
with very persuasive performances of these cantatas; the playing, singing
and sound are sensational.
Richard STRAUSS (1864–1949)
Vier letzte Lieder & other songs,
Capriccio: Intermezzo & Closing Scene -
Felicity Lott (soprano)
Royal Scottish Ntl O/Neeme Järvi
rec. 1986-92
CHANDOS CLASSICS CHAN10075X [69:30]
Vier letzte Lieder & other songs -
Soile Isokoski (soprano)
Berlin RSO/Marek Janowski
rec. 2001
ONDINE ODE9822 [64:24] [BW] Two very worthwhile alternatives to the classic Schwarzkopf and the Netrebko recordings.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
20th Century Romantics Works
by Bloch, Bourgeois, Gliere, Montag & Piazzolla
- Nicholas Bayley (double bass) Geoffrey Duce
(piano) rec. 2012 NIMBUS NI6308 [68:43]
[BR] If you don’t have too many double bass recitals, start here: it’s captivating.
Tuesday May 26th
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Cöthen funeral music -
Sabine Devieilhe (soprano) Damien Guillon (counter-tenor) Thomas Hobbs (tenor) Christian Immler (bass) Ensemble Pygmalion/Raphaël Pichon rec. 2014
HARMONIA MUNDI HMC902211 [73.53] [DC]
‘New’ old Bach – yes please!
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Clarinet Sonatas Carl REINECKE (1824-1910) Undine Sonata; Introduzione ed Allegro appassionato
-
Michael Collins (clarinet) Michael McHale (piano) rec. 2014
CHANDOS CHAN10844 [69:55] An excellent recording of the Brahms Sonatas but for me it is the Reinecke pieces which are the real stars here
[SSi]
What more could we possibly want?
[PCG]
Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) String Quartets 10 & 11 -
Talich Quartet rec. 2014
LA DOLCE VOLTA LDV18 [70:11] [JW]
For sheer lyric elegance and an approach that lets the music unfold naturally, warmly and affectionately, you can't go wrong with the Talich.
Christoph GRAUPNER (1683 - 1760) Bass Cantatas -
Klaus Mertens (bass-baritone) Accademia Daniel/Shalev Ad-El rec. 2010
CPO 777 644-2 [71:23] [JV]
I can't imagine a stronger case for these cantatas than Mertens' interpretations.
Alan HOVHANESS (1911-2000) Piano Works -
Alessandra Pompili (piano) rec. 2013
DYNAMIC CDS7701 [52:52] [JW]
A disarmingly well-played disc.
Kyung-Wha Chung (violin) The Complete Warner Recordings rec. 1978-2000
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 614053 [11 CDs + 1 DVD] [MC]
A confident reminder of why Chung is so highly placed in the pantheon of violinists.
Guitar
Music of Colombia José Antonio Escobar (guitar) rec.
2012 NAXOS 8.573059 [63:23] [BR] José Antonio Escobar’s
musical tour of South America reaches the folksy, charming Afro-Caribbean
influences of Colombia.
Lavinia Meijer (harp) Voyage -
Amsterdam Sinfonietta/Candida Thompson rec. 2013/2014
SONY CLASSICAL 88875 046402 [60:04] [BR]
Lavinia Meijer’s greatest-hits collection of French impressionists is mostly terrific.
Monday May 25th
Luis Carlos FIGUEROA (b. 1923)
Suite,
Piano Concerto,
Flute Concertino,
String Quartet -
Wilson Casallas (piano) Bryan Muñoz (flute)
Conservatorio Ntl Colombia SO/Guerassim Voronkov,
Cuarteto Q-Arte
rec. 2012
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0165 [66:48]
Toccata Classics introduces yet another interesting unknown; the Suite is a real standout [DJB] Toccata are always up for the challenge of the unfamiliar. Are you? This is attractive music that is well worth your ear-time [RB].
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH George
GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Works for Piano and
Orchestra - Jeffrey Siegel (piano) Saint Louis SO/Leonard Slatkin rec.
1974 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94861 [70:19 + 70:18] [JWh]
A classic Vox recording and an incredible bargain.
Max LIFCHITZ
(b. 1948) Works for ensemble - Ars Nostra Ens rec. 2012 NORTH/SOUTH
RECORDINGS NSR1058 [72:09] [JW]
Syncretic or not, this is a
fine disc.
Henry PURCELL
(1659-1695) Dido and Aeneas - Vivica Genaux (soprano)
Henk Neven (baritone) Accentus, O Opéra Harmonique Rouen Haute-Normandie/Vincent Dumestre
rec. 2014 ALPHA 706 DVD [80:00] [CC]
Altogether a most
fascinating DVD, superbly performed.
Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921) Symphony 3, Danse macabre, Cyprès
et Lauriers, - Vincent Warnier (organ) O Ntl de Lyon/Leonard
Slatkin rec. 2013/14 NAXOS 8.573331 [57:45] [MC]
An
agreeable release that promised a lot more than it delivered.
Mátyás SEIBER (1905-1960) Ulysses, Elegy,
Three Fragments - Alexander Young (tenor) Cecil Aronowitz (viola) Peter Pears
(narrator) London SO/David Atherton, London PO, Melos Ens/Mátyás Seiber rec.
1960/72 LYRITA SRCD348 [75:31] [JS]
Should reawaken interest in a great but sadly short-lived composer ... excellent performances and no need to apologise for the sound.
Best of British
Piano Works by Bridge, Lambert & Reizenstein - Peter
Jacobs, John McCabe, Philip Martin (pianos) rec. 1989/91 CONTINUUM
CCD1040 [78:46] [DC]
“Best of British” and proud
of it too.
Devy Erlih (violin) Sonatas by Bach, Beethoven & Ravel and
works by de Falla, Sarasate & Tartini -
Maurice Bureau (piano)
rec. 1952
MELOCLASSIC MC2024 [78:59] [JW]
A fine addition to Erlih’s regrettably small current discography.