NEW & RECENT ARTICLES

[New] Preview of the 11th Malcolm Arnold Festival by Rob Barnett

[New] Cellist Jan Vogler in conversation with Michael Cookson

Jules Massenet: His Life and Works - a major survey by Nick Fuller (6 Mb PDF file)

The Hickox Legacy series from Chandos - a survey by Rob Barnett

MWI Recommends: Unheralded masterworks.

NOTICES

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Publishing schedule
Monday: Other reviews (nostalgia, books, other music); Wednesday: MWI Recommends; Friday: Articles.
Live performance reviews posted daily at Seen and Heard
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LATEST REVIEWS

Wednesday August 31st

Walter BRAUNFELS (1882-1954) Lieder - Marlis Petersen (soprano) Konrad Jarnot (baritone) Eric Schneider (piano) rec. 2011 CAPRICCIO C5251 [73.01] [PCG] An essential acquisition for those interested in the development of the German lied in the twentieth century.

Havergal BRIAN (1876-1972) The Tinker’s Wedding, Violin Concerto, Symphony No. 13, English Suite No. 4 - Lorraine McAslan (violin) Royal Scottish Ntl O/Martyn Brabbins rec. 2012 DUTTON EPOCH CDLX7296 [71:57] [JQ] An excellent selection of music by Havergal Brian in fine performances.

David CHESKY (b. 1956) The Venetian Concertos - O of the 21st Century/David Chesky rec. 2015 CHESKY JD379 [62:20] [GH] Only occasionally arresting … once you have grasped the message there is little more to be added.

Johann Adolph HASSE (1699-1783) Johann Wilhelm HERTEL (1727-1789) & Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788) Cello Concertos - Musica Viva/Alexander Rudin (cello) rec. 2015 CHANDOS CHACONNE CHAN0813 [71:13] [DJB] Performances could be more characterful, but this is well and truly compensated for by the presence of the Hertel concertos.

Charles IVES (1874-1954) Complete Violin Sonatas - Annabelle Berthomé-Reynolds (violin) Dirk Herten (piano) rec. 2016 WH’TE 2016 [79.24] [GH] Not top-drawer Ives.

David Monrad JOHANSEN (1888-1974) Piano works - Rune Alver (piano) rec. 2015 LAWO CLASSICS LWC1101 [59:39] [DC] Magical evocations, Norwegian melancholy and stunning pianism.

György LIGETI (1923-2006) Lontano Tristan MURAIL (b. 1947) Le Désenchantement Du Monde George BENJAMIN (b. 1960) Palimpsests - Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano) Bavarian RSO/George Benjamin rec. 2012 NEOS SACD 11422 [62:17] [SG] A release that pays rich dividends.

Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Complete Piano Music Vol. 43: Transcriptions of Symphonic Poems - Sergio Monteiro (piano) rec. 2015 NAXOS 8.573485 [71.11] [IL] A mixed blessing - works often uninitiated by Liszt but polished performances.

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Grand Sonata, The Seasons - Freddy Kempf (piano) rec. 2014 BIS BIS-2140 SACD [66:28] [RWe] This ideal coupling makes a useful addition to the catalogue.

Christian Ferras (violin) Forgotten Ferras - Pierre Barbizet, Ernest Lush, Shuku Iwasaki (piano) rec. 1948-71 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4825037 [75:46] [JW] A release of some interest to devotees of this short-lived violinist.

Tuesday August 30th 

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Fidelio - Camilla Nylund, Jonas Kaufmann, O & Ch Zurich Opera/Nikolaus Harnoncourt rec. 2004 ARTHAUS MUSIK Blu-ray 109224 [128 mins] [ST] The various fussinesses mean it isn’t a top choice.

Michael FINNISSY (b. 1946) Gershwin Arrangements - Dirk Herten (piano) WH'TE [60:08] [DC] Fascinating, but not the last word on this cycle.

Jan van GILSE (1881-1944) Piano Concerto, Variations on a Saint-Nicolas Song - Oliver Triendl (piano) Netherlands SO/David Porcelijn rec. 2014 CPO 777 934-2 [63:26] [RB] Sure-footed and good-hearted.

Paul HINDEMITH (1895-1963), Karl RANKL (1898-1968) & Norbert SPRONGL (1892-1983) Sonatas for double bass - Leon Bosch (double bass) Sung-Suk Kang (piano) MERIDIAN CDE84626 [64.04] [PCG] For those curious about the music, this disc can be heartily recommended.

John McCABE (1939-2015) Requiem Sequence, Visions, Irish Song Book, Siberia, Desert IV Alan RAWSTHORNE (1905-1971) Theme & Studies - John McCabe (piano) William Byrd Singers, Northern CO/Nicholas Ward rec. 1995-2015 PRIMA FACIE PFCD044 [71:56] [JF] A splendid survey of some treasures from McCabe’s catalogue.

Nikolai MEDTNER (1880-1951) Sonata-Reminiscenza, Sonata Tragica Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Preludes - Yevgeny Sudbin (piano) rec. 2009-14 BIS BIS-1848 SACD [59:23] [RWe] Sudbin’s adds further to his stature as an interpreter of Medtner and Rachmaninov.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) String Quartets Nos 3 & 5 - Parker Qt rec. 2015 NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6327 [61.52] [MW] Inspired, energetic playing which goes to the heart of Mendelssohn’s genius.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Threni, Requiem Canticles - Collegium Vocale Gent, Royal Flemish PO/Philippe Herreweghe rec. 2014 PHI LPH020 [47:22] [SG] Comparative rarities, stylishly performed.

Bach and the Stile Antico Choral works by Bach, Palestrina & Bassani - St Salvator’s Chapel Ch, Ars Eloquentiae, Fitzwilliam String Qt/Tom Wilkinson (organ) rec. 2015 SANCTIANDREE SAND0003 [61:44] [MR] An own label release which focuses on academic issues but contains some excellent music-making.

Dichter.Liebe Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Dichterliebe Heinrich HEINE (1797-1856) Lyrisches Intermezzo - Cornelia Horak (soprano) Stefan Gottfried (piano) Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz (recitation) rec. 2014 GRAMOLA 99059 [59:22] [GF] A deeply engaging experience.

Monday August 29th

Daniel-François-Esprit AUBER (1782-1871) Overtures Vol. 1 - O de Cannes/Wolfgang Dörner rec. 2015 NAXOS 8.573553 [63:54] [GF] You are advised to savour these overtures by stages.

Sir Lennox BERKELEY (1903-1989) Stabat Mater, Batter My Heart Three-Person’d God, Magnificat - English CO/Norman Del Mar, BBC Northern O & Singers, London SO/Lennox Berkeley. rec. 1963-68 LYRITA ITTER BROADCAST COLLECTION REAM1129 [72:30] [JQ] Highly desirable.

John IRELAND (1879-1962) & E.J. MOERAN (1892-1950) Part-songs - Carice Singers/George Parris, David Owen Norris (piano) rec. 2015 NAXOS 8.573584 [77:48] [JF] Inspired singing.

Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959) Julietta - Frankfurt Opera and Museum O/Sebastian Weigle rec. 2014 OEHMS CLASSICS OC966 [74.52 + 75.29] [PCG] Not the urgently needed substitute in modern sound for the 1964 Supraphon.

Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) All-Night Vigil - West German Radio Ch/Nicolas Fink rec. 2013 CARUS 83.471 [51.55] [WH] Beautifully sung and recorded, this Vigil might be too disciplined and restrained for some. 

Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Tristan und Isolde - Ramon Vinay (tenor), Birgit Nilsson (soprano), Metropolitan Opera Ch & O/Karl Böhm rec. 1960 PRISTINE AUDIO PACO135 [3 CDs: 202.30] [RMo] A highly desirable memento of a great occasion.

British Serenade Works by Arnold, Carr, Elgar, Jenkins, Lewis & Shearman - Chamber Ensemble London/Peter Fisher rec. 2015 HERITAGE HTGCD204 [65:22] [JWh] A valuable collection of premieres.

Dancer on a Tightrope Works by Bacewicz, Cage, Gubaidulina, Hindemith, Prokofiev & Schnittke - Bartosz Woroch (violin) Mei Yi Foo (piano) rec. 2015 CHAMPS HILL RECORDS CHRCD114 [73:01] [JW] For the adventurous listener with performances that are stylistically apt and technically imposing.

Herbert von Karajan: Maestro for the Screen rec. 1967/68 C MAJOR 737704 DVD [84:00] [IL] A tribute to a monumental ego.

The Story of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps A film by Peter Rump rec. 1999 ARTHAUS MUSIK 109211 Blu-ray [57:00] [RWe] This 1999 film feels dated, and its main value now is in seeing and hearing Gergiev’s close and enduring relationship with a great masterpiece.

Other reviews
Bach in Brazil Original Motion Picture Soundtrack BERLIN CLASSICS 0300746BC [41:55] [DHu] Want to samba to Bach?

Friday August 26th

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Fidelio - Adrianne Pieczonka (soprano) Jonas Kaufmann (tenor) Vienna State Opera Ch & Vienna PO/Franz Welser-Möst rec. 2015 SONY 88875 193519 DVD [136:00] [TB] I’d be astonished if it would ever come off the shelf again for a second playing.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Lennox BERKELEY (1903-1989) Stabat Mater, Mass, Judica me Michael BERKELEY (b. 1948) Touch Light - Marian Consort, Berkeley Ens/David Wordsworth rec. 2016 DELPHIAN DCD34180 [60.59] [MC] My abiding memory of this Berkeley release is a clear sense of authenticity and elevated reverential expression.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) String Quartets Nos 1 & 2, In stiller Nacht - Cuarteto Quiroga rec. 2014 COBRA RECORDS COBRA0048 [73:05] [DHu] Were it within his temperament, Brahms surely would have exclaimed “Olé!”.

László LAJTHA (1892–1963) Symphonie Les Soli, Sinfoniettas Nos 1 & 2 - Budapest Ch Symphony rec. 2012/13 BMC RECORDS BMCCD189 [75:23] [SG] As an introduction to Lajtha’s music, this fascinating and well-recorded release is as good a place as any to start.

Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Symphony No. 6, Waltz Suite - São Paulo SO/Marin Alsop rec. 2015 NAXOS 8.573518 [68:21] [BW] With several performances available that seem to me to get to the heart of this music better, I would look elsewhere.

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Schwanengesang & other Lieder - James Rutherford (baritone) Eugene Asti (piano) rec. 2015 BIS BIS-2180 SACD [69:48] [RWe] Rutherford and Asti add to the long list of the versions of Schubert’s last cycle which are well worth hearing.

British Symphonies rec. 1968-2007 LYRITA SRCD.2355 [4 CDs: 315:45] [GPJ] An issue of major importance in the discography of British music. Fine performances of magnificent music, much of which is unfairly neglected.

French Composers Conduct Works by Gaubert, Ravel, Schmitt & Tomasi rec. 1930/35 DUTTON CDBP9789 [75:28] [RB] A superb collection well worth running to ground for the jaded yet open-minded.

Rarities of Piano Music at Schloss von Husum 2015 rec. 2015 DANACORD DACOCD779 [74:37] [JF] A fine CD that introduces a number of rare piano pieces: just as it says ‘on the tin’

Venice to Hamburg Bach Players, Nicolette Moonen (violin) Silas Wollston (harpsichord, organ) rec. 2014 HYPHEN PRESS MUSIC HPM009 [55:17] [JV] These pieces offer the instrumentalists plenty opportunities to show their skills, and these are impressive.

Thursday August 25th

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Cello Sonatas - Marie-Elisabeth Hecker (cello) Martin Helmchen (piano) rec. 2014 ALPHA CLASSICS 223 [52:39] [DHu] Performances that go into the top echelon for these works, in ideally balanced sound.

Lars GRAUGAARD (b.1957) Venus, Book of Throws, Layers of Earth, Three Places - NYU Contemporary Music & Percussion Ensembles, NYU SO/Jens Georg Bachmann, Jonathan Haas rec. 2011/13 DACAPO 6.220628 SACD [59:00] [RB] Superbly done but for avant-garde savants only.

Franz LISZT (1811-1886) Années de pèlerinage: Italie, Deux Légendes - Wilhelm Kempff (piano) rec. 1974. PENTATONE PTC5186220 SACD [57:05] [RWe] Kempff’s patrician playing is from another age, and this is still among the best Liszt recordings of all.

Henry PURCELL (1659-1695) Theatre Music Vol. 2 - Aradia Ens/Kevin Mallon rec. 2013 NAXOS 8.573280 [63:01] [MG] The instrumental pieces are consistently well done; the songs aren’t always as effective.

Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936) Sinfonia drammatica, Belfagor - Liège RPO/John Neschling rec. 2015 BIS BIS-2210 SACD [70:03] [NB] Collectors of Neschling's ongoing Respighi survey can buy with confidence.

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Violin Sonata Toru TAKEMITSU (1930-1996) Hika César FRANCK (1822-1890) Violin Sonata - Akiko Suwanai (violin) Enrico Pace (piano) rec. 2016 DECCA UCCD-1427 [62:44] [SG] Beautifully etched readings.

Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) The Oboe Album - Marcel Ponseele (oboe, oboe d'amore), Il Gardellino rec. 1995/2005 ACCENT ACC24314 [69:48 + 64:32] [JV] This set of discs is a feast for the ear.

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) I Due Foscari - Plácido Domingo (baritone) Francesco Meli (tenor) Maria Agresta (soprano) Royal Opera House Ch & O/Antonio Pappano rec. 2015 OPUS ARTE OA1207D DVD [122:00] [PSt] The production is a curate’s egg, but in purely musical terms there is much to enjoy.

Grand Tour Works by Cardew, Riley, Sikorski, Wolff & Krauze - John Tilbury, Zygmunt Krauze (pianos) rec. 2015 DUX 1288 [63:14] [DC] Reaffirmation of the significance of Poland to contemporary music.

José Iturbi (piano) Victor & HMV Solo Recordings - rec. 1933-1952 APR 7307 [3 CDs: 211:46] [JW] A mixed bag; overly flashy in places, but his vitality and rhythmic verve are strongly alluring.