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[New] Benjamin Frankel’s May
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Listening Studio Report:
Britten's Peter Grimes by Len Mullenger
Exploring Sir Richard
Rodney Bennett's Anniversaries by John France
Hanna Hedman, record producer -
an obituary by Göran Forsling
Gerhard's Wind Quintet -
An Early Recording by John France
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Chopin Complete
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AP0474 Józef Wieniawski (1837-1912) Piano Works 5
AP0477 The Organ of Cathedral of St. John Evangelist
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Wednesday September 30th
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Goldberg Variations
-
Lang Lang (piano) rec. 2020 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4819701 [4 CDs: 184:33]
[RMo] Serious, thoughtful music-making worthy of respect and intermittently very engaging.
François DEVIENNE (1759-1803) Trios
-
Le Petit Trianon rec. 2019 RICERCAR RIC416 [71:29] [DC]
Very fine in every aspect; Devienne was indeed a marvellous composer of chamber works.
George Frederick HANDEL (1689-1751) Concerti Grossi
-
Academy St Martin-in-the-Fields/Iona Brown
rec. 1994/95 HÄNSSLER CLASSIC HC17036 [4 CDs: 207:55]
[PCG] A source of enjoyment, regardless of your opinion on HIP.
Gioachino ROSSINI (1924-1868)
Le nozze di Teti e di Peleo - Joshua Stewart
(tenor) Leonor Bonilla (soprano) Virtuosi
Brunensis/Pietro Rizzo rec. 2018 NAXOS 8.574282 [58:02]
[MP]
A generally well cast CD with excellent audio engineering makes this a viable option to the previous version of this rare Rossini work.
Hans ROTT (1858-1884)
Orchestral Works Vol 1 - Gürzenich O Cologne/Christopher Ward
rec. 2020 CAPRICCIO C5408 [51:44]
[JW] A revealing document of Rott’s music.
Harpsichord through the Ages
George Malcolm (harpsichord)
BEULAH 1PS68
[71:16]
[BW]
Performances lacking in authenticity, so anathema to purists, but
enjoyable in their own right.
Tuesday
September 29th
Camargo GUARNIERI (1907–1993) Chôros
Vol. 1 - Davi Graton (violin) Olga Kopylova (piano) Cláudia Nascimento (flute) Alexandre Silvério (bassoon)
São Paulo SO/Isaac Karabtchevsky rec. 2019 NAXOS 8.574197 [57:45]
[NB] Significant Latin American music which deserves to be heard.
Franz LISZT
(1811-1886) & Sigismond THALBERG (1812-1871)
Opera transcriptions & fantasias - Marc-André Hamelin (piano)
rec. 2019 HYPERION CDA68320 [75:02]
[DM]
Remarkable repertoire, peerless pianism and exemplary engineering; this is sure to be high on my list of the year’s very best releases.
Torbjörn Iwan LUNDQUIST (1920-2000) Symphonies No. 5 & 8
- "Kroumata" Percussion Ens, Helsingborg SO/Torbjörn Iwan Lundquist;
Malmö SO/B. Tommy Andersson
rec. 1980-2002 STERLING CDM3007-2 [56.10]
[GH] I hope more of Lundquist’s work will come my way for reviewing.
Alessandro STRADELLA (1643-1682) San Giovanni Battista
- Paul-Antoine Benos-Djian (alto), Le Banquet Céleste/Damien Guillon rec. 2019 ALPHA 579 [80:42] [JV] An incisive interpretation of one of the masterpieces of the 17th century.
Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741)
Concerti per La Pietà - Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi
rec. 2019 GLOSSA GCD923414 [71:04]
[GPu]
A splendid disc, but all admirers of this ensemble and its leader, or of Vivaldi’s music, will not need my encouragement to acquire this disc.
Tearfully Katowice City Singers Ens, Polish National RSO, Katowice/Anna Szostak rec. 2019 DUX 7610 [48:51] [RHa]
Padlewski’s Stabat Mater is a gem which should be much better known but Wnuk- Nazarowa’s pieces are undermined by poor sound and a lack of translations.
Monday September
28th
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Beethoven Reimagined -
Gabriel Prokofiev (electronics)
BBC Ntl O of Wales/Yaniv Segal rec. 2018 NAXOS 8.574020 [81:75]
[MZ]
Two of the three pieces here are “reimagined” in a fairly timid manner, but the “remix” of the finale to the Ninth brings some serious and welcome shock value.
Sergey RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Piano Concerto No. 3, Symphony No. 3
-
Denis Matsuev (piano)
Lucerne Festival O/Riccardo Chailly
rec. 2019 ACCENTUS Blu-ray ACC10487 [111 mins] [RC] Excellent performances all round.
Dame Ethel SMYTH ((1858-1944)
The Prison - Sarah Brailey (soprano), Dashon Burton (bass-baritone), Experiential
Ch & O/James Blachly rec. 2019
CHANDOS CHSA5279 SACD [64:00] [JW]
The fine performances do not conceal that this is a very strange work.
Music for a Viennese Salon
Music by Kraus, Dittersdorf and Haydn - Night Music rec. 2018 AVIE AV2423
[66:46] [BW]
Not an essential purchase, but one that adds to our enjoyment of the
music of Vienna around the turn of the eighteenth century.
A Timeless Odyssey
Anders Miolin (guitar)
PRIMA CLASSIC PRIMA005 [74:15] [GPu]
The intriguing sound-world of this new guitar is not best used in the performance of older works arranged for it.
Other reviews
The Music Of Friends 75 Years of the Chamber Music Conference and Composer’s Forum of the East by David W. Webber
publ. 2020 Chamber Music Conference [BMC] Provides a colorful background to the 75 years of the conference.
Friday September
25th
Paul
CORFIELD GODFREY (b. 1950) The
Children of Húrin - Volante SO PRIMA FACIE PFCD126/7 [78:11
+ 56:21] [MP]
A decent demo recording of a work which will be a powerful addition to the repertoire when it finally achieves its first performance.
Sir Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
Enigma Variations,
In the South (Alassio), Pomp & Circumstance March No.4 -
Royal PO/Sir Yehudi Menuhin rec. 1994 TRING TRP018 [59:19]
[RMo] A wholly satisfying compilation.
George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759)
Apollo e Dafne, Harp Concerto -
Thomas Hemsley (baritone) Osian Ellis (harp)
Geraint Jones O/Geraint Jones,
Boyd Neel O/Thurston Dart rec. 1955/57 CAMEO CLASSICS CC9127 [69:28]
[JW] Leading conductors, instrumentalists, and singers in full communicative
flight.
Elegy Luc Tooten (cello) Stéphane De May (piano)
Flemish Radio Ch/Bo Holten rec. 2010 DANACORD DACOCD731 [63:47]
[JF] A varied, imaginative, and interesting programme.
Garden of Joys and Sorrows Works by Aguila, Debussy, Takemitsu, Dubois &
Gubaidulina -
hat trick rec. 2014 BRIDGE 9472 [59:41]
[GPu]
A beautifully played programme, in which each work is illuminated by several (in some cases all) of the other works.
What’s Next Vivaldi?
Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin);
Il Giardino Armonico/Giovanni Antonini rec. 2018 ALPHA 624
[70:54] [BW]
A very mixed bag; well worth having for four of the five Vivaldi
concertos, but not for the rest.
Thursday
September 24th
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The Well-Tempered Clavier
Book II -
Sir András Schiff (piano)
rec. 2018 NAXOS 2.110654 DVD [142 mins] [RWe]
A very fine record of a superb occasion.
Münir Nurettin BEKEN (b. 1964)
A Turk in America - Münir Beken (Turkish ud), ISSA Sonus Ensemble rec. 2011
NORTH/SOUTH N/SR1067 [54:06] [GPu]
Works by a Turkish composer who has fused a range of influences into a personal and distinctive musical idiom.
George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759)
Semele - Louise Alder (soprano), Monteverdi Ch, English Baroque Soloists/Sir John Eliot Gardiner rec. 2019
SOLI DEO GLORIA SDG733 [3 CDs: 155:50] [JW]
In terms of intensity and immediacy, this live version betters Gardiner’s earlier studio version.
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
Symphony No. 5 Gerald FINZI (1901-1956) Clarinet Concerto - Philharmonia
O/Michael Collins (clarinet) rec. 2019
BIS BIS-2367 SACD [68:30] [JQ]
In every respect, this release is a most desirable package.
Robert Denzler (conductor)
The Decca Recordings rec. 1954-60 ELOQUENCE 4840262 [2 CDs: 127:21]
[SG]
A very desirable collection that restores Denzler’s name to the radar.
Denis Severin (cello)
Works by Schumann, Cassadó, Fauré & Rachmaninov -
Camerata Franconia/Dorian Keilhack rec. 2019 SOLO MUSICA SM318 [47:57]
[MC]
Irresistible.
