NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
[New] Tchaikovsky's Queen
of Spades
- a survey by Ralph Moore
[New] Masterwork Index: Saint-Saëns' Cello Concertos
Julian Bream - an obituary by Zane
Turner
Anne Ozorio, MWI and S&H reviewer
- obituaries by Marc Bridle and Mark Berry
Mike Herman's National Discographies -
a major update
Summer 2020
Retrospective by Brian Wilson
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Acte Prealable
Chopin Complete
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AP0474 Józef Wieniawski (1837-1912) Piano Works 5
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Monday August
31st
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Cello Suites -
Saša Večtomov (cello) rec. 1984 SUPRAPHON SU4275-2 [38:43 + 60:51]
[SG]
Be grateful that this glorious recording has finally made it to CD after 35 years.
Stephen DODGSON (1924-2013) Chamber Music Vol.
5 - Magnard Ens rec. 2017 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0499 [80:00]
[SSi]
Very enjoyable wind chamber music in great performances.
Franz Anton HOFFMEISTER
(1754-1812)
Hoffmeister’s Magic Flute Vol. I - Boris Bizjak (flute),
Lana Trotovšek (violin), Piatti Quartet
rec. 2019 SOMM SOMMCD0620
[71:26]
[BW]
Attractive, if hardly great, music, persuasively performed and well
recorded.
Sir
Alexander Campbell MACKENZIE (1847-1935) Complete
Music for Solo Piano Vol. 2 - Christopher Howell (piano) rec. 2017/18 SHEVA
COLLECTION SH229 [64:52] [RCh] Well-crafted miniatures off the beaten path.
Jean ROGER-DUCASSE (1873-1954)
The Complete Piano Music - Martin Jones (piano) rec. 2013/2014
NIMBUS NI5927 [3 CDs: 185:37] [SJ]
Performances that reveal Roger-Ducasse’s extraordinary, quiet gifts.
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Arabesque, Kreisleriana, Carnaval - Klara Min (piano) rec. 2019/2020
HÄNSSLER CLASSIC HC19024 [78:07] [MC]
A pleasing elegance and beauty, together with neatly achieved expressive detail.
Juliusz WERTHEIM (1880-1928) Songs Vol. 2
-
Krzysztof Bobrzecki (baritone)
Anna Mikolon (piano) rec. 2019 ACTE PREALABLE AP0462 [68:15]
[RB] An ardently sung programme offering rewarding discoveries.
Egregore+ Fábio Brum (cornets, trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo cornet), Kammerensemble Konsonanz/Pacho Flores rec. 2018
NAXOS 8.574204 [58:28] [GPu]
There’s no doubting Fábio Brum’s technique, but his playing at times lacks something emotionally.
Friday August
28th
Luigi DALLAPICCOLA (1904-1975)
Il Prigioniero -
Anna Maria Chiuri (mezzo) Michael Nagy (baritone)
Danish Ntl SO & Concert Ch/Ginandrea Noseda rec. 2019 CHANDOS CHSA5276 SACD [55:46]
[GPu]
One of the twentieth-century’s greatest operas gets a superb recording.
Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1957)
Violanta - Annemarie Kramer (soprano)
Norman Reinhardt (tenor) Ch & O Teatro Regio Torino/Pinchas Steinberg
rec. 2020 DYNAMIC 57876 Blu-ray [88 mins]
[PCG] The real strength of this performance lies in the realisation of that orchestral score.
Igor KULJERIĆ (1938-2006)
Croatian Glagolitic Requiem Jakov GOTOVAC (1895-1982)
Hymn to Freedom - Bavarian Radio Ch & Munich Radio O/Ivan Repušić
rec. 2020 BR KLASSIK 900331 [61.20] [MW] A fascinating and highly enjoyable contribution to the repertoire.
Jean-Baptiste LEMOYNE (1751-1796)
Phèdre - Judith van Wanroij (soprano)
Julien Behr (tenor)
Purcell Ch,Orfeo O/György Vashegyi rec. 2019 BRU ZANE BZ1040 [60:15 + 76:15]
[MC]
An exceptional new recording.
Juliusz WERTHEIM
(1880-1928) Songs Vol. 1 - Krzysztof Bobrzecki (baritone) Anna Mikolon (piano)
rec. 2018 ACTE PREALABLE AP0461 [52:10]
[RB] The Wertheim portfolio is swelled to good purpose by this ardently sung and played programme.
Nun danket alle Gott Julie Roset (soprano)
Clematis/Stéphanie de Failly & Brice Sailly rec. 2019 RICERCAR RIC415 [62:32]
[JV]
The expression of the affetti of the text comes of very well in these performances.
Edith Picht-Axenfeld (piano)
German Radio Broadcast Recordings rec. 1952-56 MELOCLASSIC MC1043 [79:06 + 78:44]
[SG]
Valuable rarities dusted down and superbly restored and presented.
Rarities of Piano Music at Schloss vor Husum 2019 DANACORD DACOCD849 [75:02]
[JF]
Always one of the highlights of my listening year.
Thursday August
27th
Sir Arthur BLISS (1891-1975) String Quartets Nos
1 & 2 -
Fanny Mendelssohn Qt rec. 1995/96 TROUBADISC TRO-CD01412 [57:48]
[JQ]
Estimable performances.
Henryk Mikołaj GÓRECKI (1933-2010)
Songs - Ursula Kryger (mezzo-soprano), Jadwiga Rappé (alto), Robert Gierlach (bass-baritone), Ewa Guz-Seroka (piano) rec. 2019
DUX 1592/93 [35:59 + 49:12] [GF]
Admirers of Gorecki’s music should grab the opportunity to hear him in a less common genre.
KOMITAS (1869-1935)
Divine Liturgy -
Latvian Radio Ch/Sigvards Klava rec. 2019 DELOS DE3590 [79.47]
[MW] Extraordinary and deeply affecting music, opening eyes to the beauty and devotion of the Armenian tradition in loving performances.
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Il Tabarro - Maria José Siri, Franco Vassallo, Angelo Villari,
Ch & O Maggio Musicale Florence/Valerio Gallo rec. 2019
DYNAMIC DVD 37872 [54 mins] [CC]
A fine performance but the disc is short on duration and long on price.
Ferdinand REBAY (1880-1953)
Complete Sonatas for Violin/Viola and Guitar - Laurence Kayaleh (violin/viola), Michael Kolk (guitar) rec. 2019
NAXOS 8.573992 [68:13] [GPu]
Pleasant and unchallenging.
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Symphony No. 4 Jonathan LESHNOFF (b. 1973) Double Concerto -
Michael Rusinek (clarinet), Nancy Goeres (bassoon), Pittsburgh SO/Manfred Honeck rec. 2016/19
REFERENCE RECORDINGS FR-738 SACD [61:10] [LD]
A misfiring performance of the Symphony, coupled with a bold and enjoyable contemporary work.
Lucas Brunnert (violin) Gateway into the Beyond
rec. 2014 ALDILÀ ARCD006 [79:47] [JW] A well recorded, brave and valuable, if necessarily specialised recording.
Seong-Jin Cho (piano) The Wanderer
- Works by Schubert, Berg & Liszt rec. 2019 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4837909 [64:21]
[SG]
Top drawer, in every respect.
Wednesday August 26th
Giovanni Battista BONONCINI (1670-1747) La conversione di Maddalena
- Emanuela Galli (soprano) Marta Fumagalli (alto)
La Venexiana/Gabriele Palomba (theorbo) rec. 2019 GLOSSA GCD920944 [50:06 + 55:07]
[MP]
The first recording of an unusual Baroque oratorio receives a decent cast and excellent playing.
Geoff CUMMINGS-KNIGHT (b. 1947)
Piano Sonata No.1, Russian Tableaux, 3 Preludes,
Ballade -
Duncan Honeybourne (piano) rec. 2019 PRIMA FACIE PFCD120 [57:00]
[DJ] A splendid CD.
Frederick Septimus KELLY (1881-1916) Studies, Monographs - Alex Wilson (piano) rec. 2019
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0524 [79:30] [JW]
A valuable release for extending appreciation of this area of Kelly’s compositional life.
Michele MASCITTI (1664-1760)
Violin Sonatas - Quartetto Vanvitelli rec. 2019 ARCANA A473 [68:43]
[JV] In Mascitti's time, chamber music in France was expected to be a form of elegant conversation, and that is exactly what this recording offers.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
& Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Violin Concertos -
Brigitte Huyghues de Beaufond (violin) O Radio d'Istambul/Djemal Rachid,
O Radio d'Alger/Franz André rec.
1958-1960 FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR1610 [58:59]
[SG]
A mixed bag.
Sergei RACHMANINOV
(1873-1943) & Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Cello sonatas
- Hee-Young Lim (cello)
Nathalia Milstein (piano) rec. 2018 SONY CLASSICAL 80358118497 [68.14]
[IL] Well contrasted sonatas performed with polished nuance and beauty.
Johannes Matthias SPERGER (1750-1812) Double Bass Concertos,
Sinfonia No.30 -
Roman Patkoló (double bass) Kurpfälzisches Kammer O Mannheim/Johannes Schlaefli
rec. 2017 CPO 555 101-2 [69.24]
[MW] Virtuoso performances of highly enjoyable repertoire.
Women of Note
A Century of
Australian Composers Vol. 2rec. 1979-2019
ABC CLASSICS 481 9111 [71:07 + 67:39]
[GH]
A top-quality enterprise.
Tuesday August
25th
Sir Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) Violin Concerto; Sospiri; Salut d’amour; Chanson de nuit
- Nicola Benedetti (violin), Petr Limonov (piano)
London PO/Vladimir Jurowski rec. 2019/20 DECCA 4850949 [58:45]
[JW] Strong, richly textured, imaginatively phrased.
Louis-Gabriel GUILLEMAIN (1705 - 1770)
Brilliance indéniable - Alana Youssefian (violin) Le Bien-Aimé rec. 2019 AVIE AV2412 [67:11] [JV] Alana Youssefian is a brilliant violinist, who explores the qualities of these sonatas to the full.
Hans HAUG (1900-1967)
Guitar concertino, Wind Quintet Mario CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO (1895-1868)
Guitar Quintet -
Marisa Minder (guitar) Il piccolo o/Alexander Zemtsov;
Basel Philharmonic Qnt rec. 2019 NAXOS 8.551426 [51:19]
[GPu] Though the two pieces by Hans Haug are unexciting, the performance of the Quintet by Castelnuovo-Tedesco makes this disc worthwhile.
Sehyung KIM (b.1987) Three Sijo
- Elena Gabbrielli (flute), Szilárd Benes (clarinet), Sehyung Kim (piano)
Ens Geori;
Schallfeld Ens
rec. 2017/18 AUSTRIAN GRAMOPHONE AG0020 [38:34] [MR] Three pieces, two of which are played twice, introduces us to the peculiarly esoteric sound world of Kazakh composer Sehyung Kim.
Thea MUSGRAVE (b.1928)
Rorate Coeli, The Voices of Our Ancestors, Missa Brevis
- New York Virtuoso Singers/Harold Rosenbaum, American Brass Quintet
rec. 2018/19 LYRITA SRCD387 [63.54]
[GH] Fills a gap in her burgeoning discography, but that might be the best that can said.
Roger QUILTER (1877-1953)
The Complete Quilter Songbook Vol. 3 - Mark Stone (baritone)
Stephen Barlow (piano) rec. 2007 STONE RECORDS 5060192780956 [77:16]
[SSi] Thoroughly researched and well performed, which will give delight to any fan of English art songs.
Collegium Vocale Gent: 50th Anniversary Philippe Herreweghe
PHI LPH033 [6 CDs: 353:42]
[NH] A real treasure trove of delights.
The Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music 2019 Vol. 1
Works by Moniuszko &
Melcer-Szczawinski rec. 2019 DUX 1653 [72.26]
[MW] Delightful and charming, these unfamiliar pieces will give enormous pleasure.