NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
[New] Short Reviews & Second Thoughts: Spring 2020/2 by Brian Wilson,
Simon Thompson & Johan van Veen
[New]
Some thoughts on E.J. Moeran’s Theme
and Variations by John France
[New] Piano Trio Discography:
"S" Composers
A Peter Dickinson Concert –
Stateside, 1959 by John France
A survey of Shostakovich string quartet cycles by Jens F
Laurson
Piano Trio Discography:
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Beethoven's Missa Solemnis
- a survey by Ralph Moore
Masterwork Review Index: Beethoven's Missa
Solemnis
Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius - a survey by John Quinn
(updated)
NOTICES
New Jazz Reviews
Katy Hobgood Ray ~
Lil Armstrong ~
Chris Barber ~
Willie Smith ~
Daniel Garcia Trio
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Thursday April
30th
Coriún AHARONIÁN (1940-2017)
Una carta -
Ens Aventure,
SWF SO Baden-Baden/Zoltán Peskó rec. 1993-2019 WERGO WER7374-2 [63:16]
[RHa] I implore one and all – don’t miss this unique Uruguayan.
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
The Piano Concertos -
Stephen Hough (piano)
Finnish RSO/Hannu Lintu rec. 2019 HYPERION CDA68291/3 [3 CDs: 172:19]
[JQ]
A deeply rewarding and distinguished set of the Beethoven piano concertos.
James HEWITT (1770-1827)
Complete Piano Works -
Kirsten Johnson (piano) rec. 2017-18 CENTAUR CRC3736-39 [4 CDs: 302:45]
[GH] Very fine performances, but the music is rather forgettable.
Marcus PAUS (b. 1979)
The Beauty That Still Remains Maja S.K. RATKJE
Asylos -
Schola Sanctae Sunnivae/Anne Kleivset,
Det Norske Jentekor/Anne Karin Sundal-Ask rec. 2018/19 2L RECORDS 2L157SABD SACD/Blu-ray [72:15]
[DC]
Very fine, innovative and often moving choral music.
Giovanni Battista PERGOLESI (1710-1736)
Stabat Mater Nicola Antonio PORPORA (1686-1768)
Salve Regina Leonardo LEO (1694-1744) Beatus vir qui timet - Sandrine Piau (soprano), Christopher Lowrey (countertenor), Les Talens Lyriques/Christophe Rousset rec. 2018
ALPHA 449 [66:11] [SSi]
Piau and Lowry shine in this wonderful performance which surpasses Rousset’s earlier recording.
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Introduction and Allegro Albert ROUSSEL (1869-1937) Sérénade Florent SCHMITT (1870-1958) Suite en Rocaille, Clavecin obtempérant - Quintette Marie-Claire Jamet, Marcelle de Lacour (harpsichord) rec. 1957, 1960
FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR1574 [57:12] [SG]
A selection of French music with captivating appeal.
Józef WIENIAWSKI (1837-1912)
Complete Chamber Works Vol. 1 - Tono Quartet, Iwona Kalinowska-Grohs (violin), Barbara Pakura (piano), Szczepan Kończal (piano), Łukasz Tudzierz (cello) rec. 2016-2019
ACTE PRÉALABLE AP0468 [80:19] [PRB]
An interesting selection with the Cello Sonata as the highlight.
Belle Époque
Daniel Hope (violin), Lise de la Salle, Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano), Jane Berthe (harp), Zürcher Kammerorchester rec. 2019
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 483 7244 [2 CDs: 144.50] [IL]
A wide selection which is mostly successful.
Fading The Gesualdo Six/Owain Park
rec. 2019 HYPERION CDA68285 [63:59]
[BW] This music for, and associated with, Compline across the centuries is well worth choosing.
Reginald Goodall (conductor)
Works by Dukas, Messiaen & Schumann - Royal Opera House O rec. 1961
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC581 [75:43] [DD]
A lovely surprise … three excellent performances, very well restored by Andrew Rose.
Wednesday April 29th
Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH
(1714-1788) Complete Original Works for
Violin & Keyboard - Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin)
James Baillieu (piano) rec. 2018 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD573 [3 CDs: 153:12]
[SSi]
A first-rate performance, even if not quite to my taste.
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphony No.3,
Egmont overture -
Klangkollektiv Wien/Rémy Ballot rec. 2019 GRAMOLA 99210 [58:45]
[DC]
Very admirable, but hard to recommend over others.
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Ballades, Berceuse, Barcarolle, Fantaisie -
Rafal Luszczewski (piano) rec. 2016/17 DUX 1627 [61:26]
[DD] A very fine and highly enjoyable Chopin recital.
Paul JUON (1872-1940) Violin Sonatas
-
Charles Wetherbee (violin)
David Korevaar (piano) rec. 2014-16 NAXOS 8.574091 [77:14]
[RHa] Attractive and fluent music; decent performances and sound.
Pietro MASCAGNI (1863-1945)
Cavalleria rusticana
Ruggero LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919)
Pagliacci - Ezgi Kutlu
(mezzo) Aldo Di Toro (tenor) Aurelia Florian (soprano)
Grazer PO/Oksana Lyniv rec. 2019 OEHMS CLASSICS OC987 [71:39 + 73:02]
[GF] Wholehearted involvement, though the solo singing is a bit varied.
Sergei PROKOFIEV
(1891-1953) Piano sonatas Nos 1 & 6,
Cinderella, Etudes
- Stefania Argentieri (piano)
rec. 2019 DIVINE ART DDA25156 [79:39]
[RC] A new talent who has much to say in Prokofiev's brilliant music.
Arlene ZALLMAN (1934-2006) Sei la terra che aspetta rec. 1998-2008
BRIDGE 9323 [59:12] [GPu]
Much well-made and inventive music of distinctive beauty.
Escales Sinfonia of London/John Wilson
rec. 2019 CHANDOS CHSA5252 SACD
[79:05]
[BW]
Another very enjoyable and highly successful offering from this team.
Victor Schiřler (piano)
The Great Danish Pianist Vol. 4 rec. 1941-66
DANACORD DACOCD867-68 [79:53 +79:58]
[JW] Another excellently compiled and transferred volume.
Treasures of Devotion
European Spiritual Song ca. 1500
- The Boston Camerata/Anne Azéma
rec. 2017 MUSIC & ARTS CD-1296 [53:14]
[JV] Quite fascinating.
Tuesday April
28th
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Missa Solemnis
-
Leeds Festival Ch, Philharmonia O/Jascha Horenstein
rec. 1958 PRISTINE AUDIO PACO168 [77:01]
[JQ]
Jascha Horenstein leads a memorable interpretation of Beethoven’s towering choral masterpiece.
Georges BIZET (1838-1875) Carmen Suite No. 1, Symphony No. 1 Charles GOUNOD (1818-1893) Petite Symphonie
- Scottish CO/François Leleux (oboe) rec. 2019 LINN CKD624 [63:30]
[MC] A quite delightful release.
Fryderyk CHOPIN (1810-1849) Etudes
- Radoslav Kvapil (piano) rec. 1997 RUSSIAN COMPACT DISC RCD30109 [66:23]
[DD] Wonderful, life-affirming music played with panache by a pianistic veteran.
Juan ESQUIVEL (c.1560-before 1630)
Missa Hortus conclusus - De Profundis/Eamonn Dougan rec. 2019 HYPERION CDA68326 [69.29]
[GH]
This could well be a disc that will achieve awards.
Sir William HARRIS (1883-1973)
The Complete Organ Works - Daniel Cook (organ)
rec. 2017/19 PRIORY PRCD1187 [78:43 + 79:54]
[WK] A magnificently performed and recorded set of music that does full justice to the composer.
Pawel ŁUKASZEWSKI (b. 1968) Daylight Declines
- Tenebrae/Nigel Short rec. 2016 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD521 [69:45]
[SB] Łukaszewski’s choral music is now well established and this is a useful collection, expertly sung.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Symphonies No. 39-41
- Ensemble Resonanz/Riccardo Minasi
rec. 2019 HARMONIA MUNDI HMM902629.30 [66:43 + 39:40] [DC] Supremely exciting or too hard-hitting?
Joseph Joachim RAFF
(1822-1882) Complete Violin Sonatas Vol. 1 -
Laurence Kayaleh (violin)
Jean-Fabien Schneider (piano) rec. 2017 NAXOS 8.573841 [72:47]
[SSi] A welcome addition to any collection of Raff’s music, and of romantic violin sonatas as a whole.
Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921) Piano Concertos Nos 2, 4
& 5 - Jeanne-Marie Darré (piano)
rec. 1953-1965 SOLSTICE SOCD 363-64 [62:53 + 74:48]
[JW] Darré’s inexhaustible sensitivity and éclat radiate from every bar of this invigorating release.
Ignaz Friedman (piano)
Complete Recordings
rec. 1923-1941 DANACORD DACOCD 861-864 [6 CDs: 335:49] [SG] A magnificent set, indispensible for pianophiles with a passion for the Golden Age.
Monday April 27th
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Keyboard Concerti Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) Cello Concerti - Einar Steen-Nøkleberg (piano), Alexander Zagorinsky (cello), Vologda Philharmonic Society
CO/Alexander Loskutov rec. 2018
MELODIYA MELCD1002592 [67:00] [DD]
Played with consummate aplomb and excellently recorded.
Leonard BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) Symphonies
Nos 1 & 2 -
Anna Larsson (mezzo) Roland Pöntinen (piano)
Arctic Philharmonic/Christian Lindberg rec. 2017 BIS BIS-2298 SACD [59:43]
[JQ]
Christian Lindberg is a fine and convincing guide to Bernstein’s first two symphonies.
Joseph Bodin de BOISMORTIER (1689-1755)
Sonates - Olivier Brault (violin),
Sonate 1704 rec. 2018
ANALEKTA AN28769 [65:16] [JV]
Lovers of the baroque violin should not hesitate to add this disc to their collection.
Nadia BOULANGER
(1887-1979) & Lili BOULANGER (1893-1918) Mélodies
-
Cyrille Dubois (tenor)
Tristan Raës (piano) rec. 2018 APARTÉ AP224 [66 mins] [MC]
Dubois and Raës make a compelling case for these Boulanger mélodies which deserve to be heard far more often.
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Complete String Quartets -
Shostakovich Quartet rec. 1978-1988 ALTO ALC5002
[5 CDs: 378:57]
[RWe] Brings us close to the Russian wellspring of this great music.
Ronald STEVENSON (1928-2015)
Piano Music Vol. 2 - Kenneth Hamilton (piano)
PRIMA FACIE PFCD107 [73:55] [SSi]
This rewarding disc shows Stevenson to be a major player in the world of twentieth century British piano music.
Johann STRAUSS II (1825-1899)
Blindekuh - Robert Davidson (bass-baritone), Kirsten Kunkle
(soprano), Sofia PO & Ch/Dario Salvi rec. 2019
NAXOS 8.660434-35 [49:55 + 55:16] [GF]
I had a very nice couple of hours in the company of this score.
Johann THEILE (1646-1724)
St Matthew Passion - Weser-Renaissance Bremen/Manfred Cordes rec. 2019
CPO 555 285-2 [61:09] [DC]
A Passion that still communicates with its own poetic power.
British Violin Sonatas Clare Howick (violin) Simon Callaghan (piano)
rec. 2019 SOMM SOMMCD0610 [72:00] [SG]
A fascinating collection, well worth your attention.
Erbe Works by Haapamäki,
Smolka & Bauckholt -
Ens Musikfabrik/Sian Edwards, Clement Power rec. 2015/18 WERGO WER6870-2 [59:03]
[RHa] The beautiful instruments of the immortal Harry Partch in strange new garb.
Sir Hamilton Harty (conductor)
Music of the British Isles -
London PO, Hallé O
rec. 1926-35 PRISTINE AUDIO PASC592 [74:52] [JW] This Harty series is moving on with considerable distinction.
Friday April 24th
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony No. 5
-
MusicAeterna/Teodor Currentzis rec. 2018 SONY 19075884972 [30:34]
[DD] Just Beethoven 5 on its own at full price; interesting in parts but too cold-blooded to challenge the greats.
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) The Final Piano
Pieces - Stephen Hough (piano) rec. 2014/18 HYPERION
CDA68116 [69:08] [WH] Brahms’s farewell to the piano in performances of great subtlety and style.
Franz HUMMEL (b. 1939) Hercher Variations
-
Christoph Preiss (piano) rec. 2019 TYXART TXA19134 [44:30]
[DC]
Full of fun and verve.
Sir Hubert PARRY (1848-1918)
Judith - Sarah Fox (soprano) Kathryn
Rudge (mezzo)
Crouch End Festival Ch,
London Mozart Players/William Vann rec. 2019 CHANDOS CHSA5268 SACD [61:40 + 69:32]
[JW] Many memorable moments and characteristic elements that are worthy of repeated listening, but lacking a consistency of tone.
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Symphonies Nos 5 & 15,
Incidental Music to Hamlet Zoltán KODÁLY (1882-1957)
Háry János - Suite - Philadelphia O/Eugene Ormandy,
Boston Pops O/Arthur Fiedler rec. 1968-1975
DUTTON EPOCH 2CDLX7370 SACD [72:07 + 63:22]
[JQ]
Well worth your attention.
20th Century Oboe Sonatas by Bowen, Eben, Dutilleux, Bozza, Poulenc &
Saint-Saens -
Alex Klein (oboe)
Phillip Bush (piano) rec. 2018 CEDILLE CDR90000186 [79:24]
[SSi] A perfect partnership, providing enjoyment from start to finish.
Isabel Bayrakdarian (soprano) The Other Cleopatra
-
Kaunas City SO/Constantine Orbelian rec. 2019 DELOS DE3591 [64:06]
[RC]
Rare yet rewarding repertory.
Elīna Garanča (mezzo-soprano)
Soly y Vida -
O Filarmónica de Gran Canaria/Karel Mark Chichon rec. 2018 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 483 6217 [65:37]
[GPu]
The singing is a delight, full of vitality and warmth, but the documentation and presentation leave a lot to be desired.
Nun danket alle Gott Julie Roset (soprano), Clematis/Stéphanie de Failly, Brice Sailly rec. 2019 RICERCAR RIC415 [62:09] [BW]
One of most uplifting recordings to have come my way recently.
Quartet Quintet
LSO Percussion Ensemble rec. 2018/19 LSO LIVE LSO5090
[79:31]
[DM]
A varied and vibrant programme, impeccably played and recorded;
percussion albums don’t come much better than this.