NEW & RECENT ARTICLES

[New] Completions and Reconstructions of Musical Works - Part 2 by Stephen Barber

Completions and Reconstructions of Musical Works - Part 1 by Stephen Barber

The first performance of Adam Pounds' Second Symphony by John France

Short Reviews & Second Thoughts: Winter 2019-20/2 by Brian Wilson, Dan Morgan & Johan van Veen

Fred Lax - An English flautist in America by Stuart Scott

National Discographies - a major update by Mike Herman

NOTICES

January 2020 Recordings of the Month Alkan - Symphony & Concerto - BIS Mozart - Piano Concertos - Chandos Wagner - Tristan und Isolde - ABC English Piano Trios - Divine Art European Organ Music - Priory

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Publishing schedule
Monday: Other reviews (nostalgia, books, jazz, other music); Friday: Articles
Live performance reviews posted daily at Seen and Heard

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Friday January 31st

To mark 2020, the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth

How Complete Was My Beethoven? by Mark Zimmer

A comparative review of the three new "complete" boxsets (DG, Naxos & Warner Classics).

Thursday January 30th

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The Six Partitas - Angela Hewitt (piano) rec. 2018 HYPERION CDA678271/2 [72:52 + 77:04] [DC] Angela Hewitt’s Bach Partitas, 20 years on.

Alexander BRINCKEN (b. 1952) Orchestral Music Vol. 1 - Alexander Brincken (piano) Royal Scottish Ntl O/Rainer Held rec. 2019 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0550 [75:45] [MR] A Soviet-era composer who writes in a style akin to what was around long before the creation of the Soviet Union, but does so with great self-confidence.

Christoph Willibald GLUCK (1714-1787) Orphée et Eurydice - Marianne Crebassa (mezzo-soprano), Hélène Guilmette (soprano), Ensemble Pygmalion/Raphaël Pichon rec. 2018 NAXOS Blu-ray NBD0100V [99 mins] [MP] A stunning central performance by Marianne Crebassa.

Frederick William HOLLOWAY (1873-1954) Symphonic Organ Works - Markus Eichenlaub (organ) rec. 2019 AEOLUS AE11181 SACD [79:11] [SG] World première recordings of a long-forgotten English composer.

Rodolphe KREUTZER (1766-1831) Violin Concertos Nos 1, 6 & 7 - Laurent Albrecht Breuninger (violin) Südwestdeutsches CO Pforzheim/Timo Handschuh rec. 2014 CPO 555 206-2 [72:23] [PRB] Makes an excellent case for affording Kreutzer the real credit he deserves in his own right as a composer and performer.

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No. 9 - Seoul PO/Myung-Whun Chung rec. 2013 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 481 110-9 [79:55] [SV] This Ninth immediately goes on my short list.

Alexander SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Complete Piano Sonatas - Vincenzo Maltempo (piano) rec. 2018/19 PIANO CLASSICS PCL10168 [60:16 + 73:50] [RWe] A sonata survey of high calibre, well worth exploring.

Mieczysław WEINBERG (1919-1996) Cello Sonatas - Wojciech Fudala (cello) Michał Rot (piano) rec. 2017 DUX 1545 [59:20] [SA] Superlative playing.

Artur Rodziński (conductor) Complete Chicago Symphony Recordings rec. 1947/52 PRISTINE AUDIO PASC569 [64:27 + 70:33] [JW] A valuable record of Rodziński’s brief time in Chicago.

Violin Plus One Piet Koornhof (violin), Albie van Schalkwyk (piano) rec. 2016/18 DELOS DE3577 [67:01] [MZ] Piet Koornhof offers up a delightful encore compilation of Romantic violin transcriptions.

Wednesday January 29th

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685–1750) French Suites - Alexandra Papastefanou (piano) rec. 2019 FIRST HAND RECORDS FHR70 [66:20 + 75:09] [DD] Captivating playing.

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) String Quartet No. 3, Piano Quintet - Hagen Qt, Kirill Gerstein (piano) rec. 2014 MYRIOS CLASSICS MYR021 [80:17] [MC] Interpretations that breathe energy and satisfaction.

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony No. 5 - Yomiuri Nippon SO/Gennady Rozhdestvensky rec. 2017 ALTUS ALT411 [78:21] [RMo] This is a “saggy-waggy elephant” among Bruckner Fifth Symphony interpretations – yet occasionally the Jumbo sprints, too…

Krzysztof MEYER (b. 1943) Chansons d’un Rêveur Solitaire, Symphony No. 8 - Claudia Barainsky (soprano) Ch Karol Szymanowski PO/Teresa Majka-Pacanek, Polish Ntl Radio SO/Łukasz Borowicz rec. 2015/18 DUX 1569 [66:08] [RHa] Two contrasting recent scores which reinforce Meyer's burgeoning profile.

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Winterreise - Thomas Oliemans (baritone), Paolo Giacometti (piano) rec. 2018 CHANNEL CLASSICS CCS42119 [71:24] [GF] A very touching, very involved reading with a warm heart.

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Symphonies 1 & 4, Concertos, Overture to Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ - Pierre Fournier (cello), Henryk Szeryng (violin), Annie Fischer (piano), Südwestfunk O Baden-Baden/Hans Rosbaud rec. 1957-61 SWR CLASSIC SWR19085CD [3CDs: 155:45] [JW] More of the art of this great conductor reclaimed.

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Incidental Music - Turku PO/Leif Segerstam rec. 2014 NAXOS 8.506032 [6 CDs: 399:31] [RB] All in all this is a refreshing experience that is often pleasingly surprising.

Ronald STEVENSON (1928–2015) Piano Music Vol. 3 - Christopher Guild (piano) rec. 2018 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0403 [70:22] [JF] I look forward to succeeding volumes of this project with considerable enthusiasm. 

Mieczysław WEINBERG (1919-1996) Flute Concertos, Pieces - Claudia Stein (flute) Elizaveta Blumina (piano) Szczecin PO/David Robert Coleman rec. 2017/18 NAXOS 8.573931 [68:32] [SA] It includes some of the most gorgeous tunes any composer has given this most songlike instrument.

Roberto Alagna (tenor) Caruso 1873 - Yvan Cassar (piano), O National D’ Île-De-France/Yvan Cassar rec. 2019 SONY CLASSICAL 19075950482 [72:12] [MP] A unique and very worthy labour of love, best for listening to in short periods rather than in its entirety.

Tuesday January 28th

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphonies Nos 4 & 6 - London SO/Bernard Haitink rec. 2005 ALTO ALC1388 [74:22] [DD] Very special live recordings, reissued at bargain price.

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Complete Intermezzi - Evgeni Koroliov (piano) rec. 2018/19 TACET 256 [2 CDs: 81:30] [RC] Highly individual, eminently worth hearing performances.

Ronald CENTER (1913-1963) Instrumental & Chamber Music Vol. 1 - Christopher Guild (piano) rec. 2013 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0179 [69.48] [JF] Considerable substance and variety.

Roger Sacheverell COKE (1912-1972) Cello Sonatas - Raphael Wallfisch (cello) Simon Callaghan (piano) rec. 2019 LYRITA SRCD384 [72:14] [RMas] Beautiful playing, but the music is no more than pleasant.

Peter EÖTVÖS (b. 1944) hallelujah, alle vittime senza nome - WDR SO & Rundfunkchor/Peter Eötvös; O dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Roma/Antonio Pappano rec. 2017 WERGO WER73862 [74:38] [MS] Excellent performances of stimulating and important music.

Herman D. KOPPEL (1908-1998) Piano Concerto No.3, Pastorale, Ten Piano Pieces Benjamin KOPPEL (b.1974) Nine Dialogical Responses - Rikke Sandberg (piano) Benjamin Koppel (saxophone) South Jutland SO/Bo Holten rec. 2019 DANACORD DACOCD856 [64:12] [JW] The Concerto is very successful, but the companion pieces seem an awkward fit.

Franco MARGOLA (1908-1992) Music for Mandolin & Other Chamber Music - Raffaele La Ragione (mandolin) Gabriele Zanetti (guitar) Daniele Richiedei (violin) Giacomo Ferrari (piano) rec. 2018 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 96037 [50:12] [GPu] Margola was a belated ‘little master of the 18^th century’, and his music is a source of constant and quiet delight.

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony No. 4 - London SO/Gianandrea Noseda rec. 2018 LSO LIVE LSO0832 SACD [64:38] [WK] A powerful and very competitive performance.

New England Choirworks Yale Schola Cantorum/David Hill rec. 2016-18 HYPERION CDA68314 [75:16] [JQ] A most interesting and varied programme of contemporary choral music sung with great accomplishment.

Voix du Ciel Medieval Polyphony & Sacred Chants - Ens Gilles Binchois/Dominique Vellard EVIDENCE CLASSICS EVCD065 [62:04 + 68.18] [GH] An opportunity to discover the best of this outstanding ensemble.

Monday January 27th

Anton ARENSKY (1861-1906) Piano Trios - Münchner Klaviertrio rec. 1992 PROFIL PH19072 [58:11] [MC] The Münchner Klaviertrio is captured in fine form.

Bela BARTOK (1881-1945) & Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1957) Piano Quintets - Piers Lane (piano) Goldner String Qt rec. 2018 HYPERION CDA68290 [73:00] [EJW] Thoroughly enjoyable, with playing that is beyond reproach.

Anna BON (1738/1740-1767) Flute Sonatas - Vladimir Soares (recorders), Fabian Grosch (harpsichord) rec. 2018 DRAMA MUSICA DRAMA007 [74:02] [GPu] Bon’s enjoyably fluent sonatas – especially when played so well – raise questions which can’t yet be answered.

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony No. 7 - NDR Elbphilharmonie O/Alan Gilbert rec. 2019 SONY CLASSICAL 19075979532 [66:26] [RMo] No prospective purchaser is likely to be disappointed by this.

Carl ORFF (1895-1982) Carmina Burana Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Late Choral Music George GERSHWIN (1898-1937) An American in Paris, Rhapsody in Blue - Cleveland O, New York PO/Michael Tilson Thomas rec. 1974-76 DUTTON EPOCH 2CDLX7369 SACD [76:52 + 68:13] [NB] A set of disparate delights.

Alwynne PRITCHARD (b. 1968) Rockaby rec. 2004-18 KAIROS 0015047KAI [76:00] [RHa] Unusual music that provokes, exhausts, enchants, frustrates, hypnotises, challenges, exasperates, fascinates and perhaps unexpectedly, moves.

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony No. 10 - Bavarian RSO/Mariss Jansons rec. 2010 BR KLASSIK 900185 [53.48] [WH] A magnificent Shostakovich 10 from the late and much lamented Jansons.

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Grande Sonate, Meditation Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Moments Musicaux - Barry Douglas (piano) rec. 2019 CHANDOS CHAN20121 [68:08] [DD] Excellent performances of works that deserve greater recognition, and in splendid sound.

Maria Grinberg (piano) The Art of rec. 1946-76 SCRIBENDUM SC814 [34 CDs] [SG] One of the finest piano collections I've ever had the pleasure of reviewing.

Magnificat Glen Dempsey (organ) Ch of St John’s College Cambridge/Andrew Nethsingha rec. 2018 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD588 [58:44] [JQ] Choice examples of settings of the evening canticles, sung flawlessly and with great commitment.