NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
[New] In Search of Sibelius Six
by Christopher Howell
[New] Stanfordian
Thoughts: 4. Irish Rhapsody No. 5 by Christopher Howell
[New]
Review index: Kalevi Aho
Listening Studio Report -
July 2018 by John Quinn
Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro:
A review of the discography by Ralph Moore
[Seen & Heard]
Premiere of a major Stanford work
Mozart's Cosi fan tutte:
A review of the discography by Ralph Moore
Bartók's Duke Bluebeard: A partial
survey of the discography by Ralph Moore
Second Thoughts and Short Reviews:
Summer 2018 Pt 1 by Brian Wilson and Dan Morgan
Classical Music on
Stamps This week: Unsung composers Pt 1
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Monday: Other reviews (nostalgia, books, other music); Friday: Articles.
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Seen and Heard
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Tuesday July 31st
John ADAMS (b. 1947)
American Berserk - Liviu Neagu-Gruber, Axel Hess (violins),
Jens Brockman (viola),
Michael Hablitzel (cello),
Holger Groschopp, Majella Stockhausen (piano) rec. 2017 CRAGG FOUNDATION CF003 SACD [77:08]
[SB] An enterprising collection of Adams’s chamber and piano works.
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Violin sonatas Nos 7 & 9 Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Scherzo - Max Rostal (violin) Franz Osborn (piano) rec. 1949/52 FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR1394 [69:58] [SG] A welcome return to the catalogue.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Pavel
CHESNOKOV (1877-1944) Teach
Me Thy Statutes - PaTRAM Institute Male
Ch/Vladimir Gorbik rec. 2016 REFERENCE
RECORDINGS FR-727 SACD [67:14] [SSi]
An exceptional disc that any fan of choral
music, and the Russian choral tradition in particular,
would love.
Vincent
PERSICHETTI (1915-1987) Solo
Piano Works Vol. 1 - Myron Silberstein
(piano) rec. 2015 CENTAUR RECORDS CRC3632
[71:35] [RB] Delightful that this music is
in such sympathetic hands.
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Symphony No. 9 Luciano BERIO (1925-2003) Rendering
- Solistes Européens Luxembourg/Christoph König RUBICON RCD1025 [78:31] [LW] Eloquent Berio and spirited Schubert.
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Piano Quintet, String Quartet No.3 - Piotr Anderszewski (piano), Belcea Qt rec. 2017 ALPHA
CLASSICS 360
[69:13]
[BW] Well worth considering if the coupling appeals.
Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681 - 1767) Wind Overtures Vol. 1
- L'Orfeo Bläserensemble/Carin van Heerden
rec. 2016 CPO 555 085-2 [61:22] [JV] This is a delighful disc, which no Telemann lover, nor any lover of wind music, should miss.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH In
Sorrow’s Footsteps Works
by Jackson, Palestrina, Allegri & Macmillan
- The Marian Consort/Rory McCleery rec. 2018
DELPHIAN DCD34215
[63:19] [JQ] The Marian Consort’s
splendid celebration of ten years of music-making.
Monday July 30th
Ghiselin DANCKERTS (1510-1567)
Missa de Beata Virgine -
Cantar Lontano/Marco Mencobani rec. 2009 PAN CLASSICS PC10327 [51:05]
[RHa] An uneven recording fails to dent my enthusiasm for the quasi-improvisatory ecstasies of this peculiar work.
Christoph Willibald GLUCK (1714-1787)
Orfeo ed Euridice - Philippe Jaroussky,
Amanda Forsythe,
I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis rec. 2016/17
ERATO 9029566023
[77:38] [SSi]
A very well performed recording of Gluck’s most famous opera, but the drastic cuts made in this 1774 version make it very difficult for me to recommend it.
Henry LAWES (1602-1645) Complete Music for Solo Lyra Viol
-
Richard Boothby (lyra viol) rec. 2015 HARMIONA MUNDI HMU907625 [59.37]
[EML] Quite intense and introspective to listen to all the way through, but very rewarding.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Flute Concertos Nos. 1 and 2; Josef MYSLIVEČEK (1737-1781)
Flute Concerto - Ana de la Vega (flute), English CO rec. 2016 PENTATONE PTC5186723 SACD
[62:58] [BW]
Very fine performances of the Mozart made even more attractive by the
addition of the Mysliveček.
Edmund RUBBRA (1901-1986)
Symphonies No. 2 & 4 - BBC SO/Sir Adrian Boult, Edmund Rubbra rec. 1942/54
SOMM CÉLESTE SOMMCD0179
[72:33] [JQ]
An important historical addition to the Rubbra discography.
Wilhelm STENHAMMAR
(1871-1927) Symphony No. 2; Music for ‘A Dream Play’ - Antwerp SO/Christian Lindberg
rec. 2017 BIS BIS-2329 SACD
[58:23]
[DM] A rare misstep for Lindberg/BIS.
Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Der Rosenkavalier - Renée Fleming (soprano) Elina Garanca (mezzo) Günther Groissböck (bass) Metropolitan Opera O
& Ch/Sebastian Weigle
rec. 2017 DECCA Blu-ray 0743945 [227 mins] [RJF] The two main singers here inhabit their roles superbly.
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Symphony No. 4 Alexander SCRIABIN (1872-1915)
Rêverie
Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Symphony No. 1 - Philharmonia O/Thomas Schippers,
Pro Arte O/Sir Eugene Goossens rec. 1956-58
FIRST HAND RECORDS FHR16
[64:24] [RB]
Performances of Russian music that will more than hold the attention.
Friday July 27th
Kalevi AHO (b. 1949)
Wind Quintets - BPO Wind Quintet rec. 2014 BIS BIS-2176 SACD
[54:42] Timpani Concerto, Piano Concerto No.1 - Ari-Pekka Mäenpää (timpani), Sonja Fräki (piano), Turku
PO/Erkki Lasonpalo; Eva Ollikainen rec. 2017 BIS BIS-2306 SACD
[60:17] Soprano Saxophone Concerto, Piano and Wind Quintet, Solo I - Anders Paulsson (soprano saxophone), Jaakko Kuusisto (violin), Lapland CO/John Storgårds
rec. 2015/17 BIS BIS-2216 SACD
[58:41]
[DM] Music that’s finely crafted and unfailingly accessible; the timpani
concerto is a real treat.
Sir
Granville BANTOCK (1868-1946)
Bantock Rediscovered
- Maria Marchant (piano) rec. 2017 SOMM
RECORDINGS SOMMCD0183 [73:43] [IL]
Another CD of great interest to all admirers
of Bantock.
Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) The
Complete String Quartets Vol. 1 - Cuarteto
Casals rec. 2015/2017 HARMONIA MUNDI
HMM902400.02 [181:22] [SSi]
This is a wonderful beginning to what promises
to be an insightful cycle of the Beethoven string
quartets.
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
& Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphonies No. 1 -
Dresdner Philharmonie/Michael Sanderling rec. 2017 SONY CLASSICAL 88985492782 [60.27]
[MC] These performances of these first symphonies of Beethoven and Shostakovich make an exhilarating listening experience.
Peter CROSSLEY-HOLLAND (1916-2001)
Symphony Eugene GOOSSENS (1893-1962) Variations on
‘Cadet Rousselle’ John IRELAND (1879-1962) Orchestral
works -
Royal Scottish Ntl O/Martin Yates rec. 2008 DUTTON EPOCH CDLX7215 [72:03]
[RB] A disc of world premieres most eloquently done.
Heino ELLER (1887-1970) Complete Piano Music Vol. 6
-
Sten Lassmann (piano) rec. 2014 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0475 [64:53]
[PRB] Estonian pianist Sten Lassman’s superb playing shows great empathy with the work of his compatriot.
Joseph
RHEINBERGER (1839-1901) Violin
Sonatas - Thomas Schrott (violin) Piero Barbareschi
(piano) rec. 2016 BRILLIANT CLASSICS
95635 [45:21] [BSt] This disc’s
short measure turns out to be a virtue of sorts.
Georg Philipp TELEMANN
(1681-1767) Fantasias for solo violin
- Kinga Augustyn (violin) rec. 2015 CENTAUR
CRC3607 [71:37] [DBi] Kinga
Augustyn's performance of Telemann's
lovely pieces make for splendid listening.
Thursday July 26th
Kalevi AHO (b. 1949)
Solo I, Violin sonata, In Memoriam Per Henrik Nordgren Einojuhani RAUTAVAARA (1928-2016)
Variétude Per Henrik NORDGREN (1944-2008) Violin sonata - Renate Eggebrecht (violin)
rec. 2017
TROUBADISC TRO-CD01452
[59:39] [SSi]
A must for all devotees of modern Finnish music.
Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony No. 3
- Munich PO/Valery Gergiev
rec. 2017 MÜNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER 9305211251 [55.29]
[MC] An outstanding recording that I find both satisfying and compelling.
Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1907) Piano Quintets, Bagatelles
-
Busch Trio,
Maria Milstein (violin) Miguel da Silva (viola)
rec. 2017 ALPHA CLASSICS 403 [80:41] [PRB] Well worth considering, if not perhaps quite the best around.
Enjott SCHNEIDER (b. 1950)
Magic of Irreality - Siberian State SO Krasnoyarsk/Vladimir Lande rec. 2012
WERGO WER51182
[59:35] [DC]
Massively entertaining, or corny as…?
Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741)
String concertos III; Viola d'amore concertos - Alessandro Tampieri (viola d’amore);
Accademia Bizantina/Ottavio Dantone rec. 2017 NAÏVE OP30570
[66:21 + 47:57]
[BW]
I may prefer other recordings in places, but overall, I’m very happy to
add this to my sizeable Desert Island Vivaldi assemblage.
Claudio Abbado - The Last Concert
Works by Berlioz & Mendelssohn - Berlin Philharmonic rec. 2013 BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER RECORDINGS BPHR160089 SACD
[40:11 + 55:46] [MG]
Late Abbado here offers live performances emotionally more engaged and dramatic than those of illustrious contemporaries, repackaged at an attractive price.
Jiří Bělohlávek (conductor)
Recollection rec. 1980-2006
SUPRAPHON SU4250-2
[8 CDs: 584 mins] [JW]
A fair and thoughtful summation of Bělohlávek’s studio legacy that demonstrates the high level of interpretative control and consistency he displayed throughout his career.
Tossy Spivakovsky (violin) Live Performances rec. 1943-69
DOREMI DHR-8025-8 [4 CDs: 300:57] [SG] A valuable addition to the Spivakovsky discography.
Wednesday July 25th
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Dialogkantaten
- Sophie Karthäuser (soprano) Michael Volle
(bass) RIAS Kammerchor, Akademie für Alte Musik
Berlin/Raphael Alpermann rec. 2017 HARMONIA
MUNDI HMM902368 [64:38]
[SSi] One of the best Bach cantata discs
I have heard for some time.
Mauro
GIULIANI (1781-1829)
Opere solistiche per
voce e chitarra - Rossana Bertini
(soprano) Davide Ficco (guitar) rec. 2013 TACTUS
TC780703 [69:16] [JV] Not
only guitar aficionados but also lovers of early
19th-century Italian opera will enjoy this disc.
Ildebrando PIZZETTI (1880-1968)
Songs - Hanna Hipp (mezzo soprano),
Emma Abbate (piano) rec. 2017 RESONUS RES10209 [55:20] [JW]
This latest Resonus disc has certainly fulfilled its brief.
Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Music for Piano Duo and Duet, Volume 2 -
Martin Jones and Adrian Farmer (pianos) rec. 2015/16 NIMBUS NI5941 [68:47]
[JWe] I hope this duo go on to record more volumes of these works.
Heinrich SCHÜTZ (1585-1672)
Symphoniæ sacræ II - Dorothee Mields (soprano)
Instrumental Ens/Hans-Christoph Rademann rec. 2017 CARUS 83.274
[68:36 + 65:10]
[BW]
The eighteenth recording in this Carus series maintains the very high
standards established to date.
Kurt
Masur (conductor) Works by Beethoven,
Haydn, Dessau & Mahler - Annelies Burmeister
(contralto) Berlin Staatskapelle rec. 1967 ORCHESTRAL
CONCERT CDs CD13/2011 [68.36] [DBi]
More memorable performances restored from
the archive, including a rare piece by Dessau.
The Organ of St Bavo, Haarlem
Joseph Nolan (organ) rec. 2017 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD546 [70:08]
[DC]
A uniquely special venue and a fine recital.
Romance de Guerre
Works by Elgar, Fairchild & Gaubert -
Ambroise Aubrun (violin),
Steven Vanhauwaert (piano) rec. 2017 HORTUS 726 [71:15] [JQ]
An excellent disc of violin sonatas from the era of the Great War.