NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
[New] Piano Trio Discography:
End of 2021 Update
[New] Brian Wilson - an
appreciation by John Quinn (Brian passed away on December 1)
Listening Studio Report
by John Quinn
Vocal Retrospective: Some lesser-known Christmas oratorios by Ralph Moore & Mike Parr
Strauss's Metamorphosen - a survey by Ralph Moore
Christmas 2021 - Some Seasonal Offerings by Brian Wilson
NOTICES
New Jazz Reviews
Black Swan Band ~
Al Hammerman ~
Raul Gutierrez ~
Victor Feldman ~
Fifth Element
December 2021 Recordings of the Month
Aucoin - The Orphic Moment - BMOP Sound
Crumb - Metamorphoses - Bridge
Wagner - Tristan und Isolde - Pristine Audio
We wish all our readers a very happy holiday
season.
We will be resuming on Monday January 3.
MusicWeb International presents its
2021 Recordings of the Year
Special offer from Acte
Préalable: Buy 2 CDs from MusicWeb, order the third of
your choice free from the label. Offer lasts until December 31. See
the Sales page for details.
Latest Acte Prealable releases
AP0483 Rene de
Boisdeffre Songs Vol 3
AP0511 Agghazy Works for piano
AP0512
Katski Chamber Music
AP0513 Boisdeffre Works for Violin and Piano 2
AP0514 Lwowskie Lviv Songs
AP0515 Boisdeffre Piano Sextets
AP0516 Zaremba Chamber Music
AP0517-8 2CDs Fernand de La Tombelle
Organ Music
AP0519 Boisdeffre Works for Violin and Piano 3
AP0521
Zelenski If you love me
AP0526 Artur Cieslak Independent
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Friday December 17th
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Partitas for solo violin
-
Rachel Kolly (violin)
rec. 2020 INDESENS INDE141 [71:21] [MG]
Admirable playing of clarity, dazzle and discipline, perhaps occasionally over objective.
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
The New Complete Beethoven: Essential Edition
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 486 0594 [95 CDs: ca 115 hrs]
[TPo] Teems with performances which have
won proven support among music-lovers and
collectors, but is blighted by poor
presentation.
Anton BRUCKNER
(1824-1896)
Symphony No. 8
- Bruckner O Linz/Markus Poschner rec. 2018
CAPRICCIO C8081 [76:16] [RMo]
A splendid second instalment in this ongoing Complete Bruckner series; grand and beautifully shaped.
Johann Joseph FUX (c1660-1741)
Arias for the Emperor - Maria Ladurner (soprano)
Biber Consort rec. 2020 PAN CLASSICS PC10425 [61:17] [JV] This disc may well be one of the best surveys of Fux's output of vocal music.
Charles GOUNOD (1818-1893)
Roméo et Juliette - Raoul Jobin, Janine Micheau,
Ch & O Théŕtre Ntl de l’Opéra/Alberto Erede rec.
1953 DECCA 443 539-2 [75:40 + 67.00]
[MP] Not a first choice, but some first-class performances make this set worth hearing.
Virgil THOMSON (1896–1989)
Complete Chamber Works - Monadnock Music/Gil Rose
rec. 2012 EVERBEST 1001 [80:59 + 79:33] [NC]
The first-ever integral recording of chamber music by an American composer better known for writing about the music of others.
In the Bleak Midwinter Christmas Carols from King’s
-
Matthew Martin (organ) Choir of King’s College Cambridge/Daniel Hyde
rec. 2020/21 KING’S COLLEGE KGS0060 [74:30] [ST] Not
“just another King’s Christmas disc”, rather a unique memento of a
Christmas Eve like no other.
Thursday
December 16th
Alban BERG (1885-1935)
Lulu excerpts, Konzertarie: Der Wein, Lyric Suite,
Chamber Concerto - Columbia Symphony Orchestra/Robert Craft
rec. 1960 PRISTINE AUDIO PASC646 [75:26] [NC] Even after
over 60 years, these recordings remain essential for lovers of Berg’s
music.
Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797–1848)
Belisario - Roberto Frontali (baritone) Carmela Remigio
(soprano)
Orchestra e Coro Donizetti Opera/Riccardo Frizza
rec. 2020 DYNAMIC CDS7907.2 [61:28+ 65:22] [RMo]
Moments of beauty and zestfully directed but with too many vocal flaws.
Jacques IBERT (1890-1962)
Chamber music -
Ensemble arabesques/Philipp Pointner
rec. 2018 FARAO CLASSICS B108105 [56:32] [MC]
Ensemble arabesques meets the challenges of Ibert’s chamber works handsomely.
Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Fantasy on Hungarian Folk-tunes, Piano Concertos, Totentanz - Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano), Montreal Symphony Orchestra/Charles Dutoit rec. 1990
DECCA 433 075-2 [68:32] [RWe]
A valuable collection of performances that still impress.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Violin Sonatas - Oscar Shumsky (violin), Leopold Mittman (piano) rec. 1951
BIDDULPH 85003-2 [73:40] [SG]
Despite reservations in sound quality, this is artistry of the highest level.
Florence Beatrice PRICE (1887-1953)
Symphony No 3, The Mississippi River, Ethiopia’s Shadow in America - ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra/John Jeter rec. 2020/21
NAXOS 8.559897 [66:48] [NB]
Curiously conservative scores played with commitment and conviction.
Wednesday
December 15th
Maija EINFELDE (b. 1939)
Violin Sonatas -
Magdalēna Geka (violin)
Iveta Cālīte (piano) rec. 2020 SKANI LMIC129 [50:32] [SG]
A release well-worth exploring.
Robert FAYRFAX (1464–1521)
Music for Tudor Kings & Queens - Ensemble Pro Victoria/Toby Ward rec. 2021 DELPHIAN DCD34265 [67:07]
[JQ]
Ensemble Pro Victoria bring to life the music of Robert Fayrfax.
Luis Humberto SALGADO (1903–1977)
The 9 Symphonies - Cuenca Symphony Orchestra/Michael Meissner rec. 2019 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 96256 [3 CDs: 218:58]
[NC]
A welcome introduction to the music of an unjustly neglected Ecuadorian composer whose symphonies rank among the 20C’s finest.
George Philipp TELEMANN (1681–1767)
Violin Concertos Vol. 7 - The Wallfisch Band/Elizabeth Wallfisch (violin) rec. 2013 CPO 777881-2 [57:04]
[DJB]
Elizabeth Wallfisch is a reliable guide to this mellifluous music.
In the Garden of Polyphony
French Renaissance Music for
Lute & Guitar
-
Israel Golani (lute, guitar)
rec. 2020 SOLAIRE RECORDS SOL1010 [67:58]
[DC]
Atmospheric and intimate, this is renaissance lute playing at its finest.
Luciano Pavarotti (tenor)
Celeste Aida: The Verdi Album rec. 1967-1995
DECCA 478 1497 [79:13 + 77:30]
[RMo]
A fine, mostly representative survey of Pavarotti’s eminence as a Verdi singer over almost three decades.
Tuesday December
14th
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
&
Jean RIVIER (1896-1987) String Quartets
- Mandelring Qt rec. 2019/20 AUDITE 97.710 [66:21]
[RWe] A very fine account of the Debussy, and with fascinating unfamiliar couplings.
Aleksandr GRECHANINOV (1864-1956)
All-Night Vigil - Dārta Paldiņa (mezzo) Kāris
Rūtentāls, Jānis Kurševs (tenor) Jānis Kokins (bass)
Latvian Radio Ch/Sigvards Kļava rec. 2021 ONDINE ODE1397-2 [46:01]
[RMo] The sound and balances are impeccable
but 46 minutes is short measure for a CD these
days.
Benedetto MARCELLO (1686-1739)
Psalms & Sonatas -
Ens Salomone Rossi/Lydia Cevidalli rec. 2018
DYNAMIC CDS7882 [65:18] [JV]
This disc can be recommended for the vocal works, whereas the instrumental items are disappointing.
Mátyás SEIBER (1905-1960)
Works for Orchestra and Violin & Piano -
Nina Karmon (violin) Oliver Triendl (piano)
Württembergisches Kammer O Heilbronn/Levente Török rec. 2021 HÄNSSLER HC21043 [73:42]
[JF]
This essential CD showcases music that is sometimes challenging, but always satisfying.
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Un ballo in Maschera – Piotr Beczała (tenor), Dmitri Hvorostovsky (baritone), Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano),
Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper/Jesús López-Cobos rec. 2016 ORFEO C210062 [60:52 + 74:20]
[MP]
A likeable memento in spite of the numerous flaws.
Paul WRANITZKY (1756-1808) Orchestral Music
Vol. 3 -
Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice/Marek Štilec rec. 2020
NAXOS 8.574289 [68:49] [DJB]
Wranitzky shows that there was imaginative and characterful music of this era that wasn’t written by Mozart or Haydn.
Alexander von Zemlinsky (conductor)
The Complete Recordings rec. 1927-1934
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC642 [58:33 + 55:30]
[PSt] Despite slightly disappointing repertoire, these performances give a real idea of Zemlinsky’s exceptional ability as a conductor.
Monday December 13th
César FRANCK (1822-1890)
Hulda - Meagan Miller (soprano), Joshua Kohl (tenor),
Opernchor & Extrachor des Theater Freiburg, Freiburg/Fabrice Bollon
rec. 2019
NAXOS 8.660480-82 [3 CDs: 162:25] [RC]
Admirers of Franck will surely want this important rediscovery.
John PURSER (b. 1942)
Consider the Story Private Release [79:17] [JF]
A fascinating retrospective.
Arnold
ROSNER (1945-2013) The Chronicle of
Nine: The Tragedy of Queen Jane - Boston Modern Opera Project,
Odyssey Opera/Gil Rose rec. 2020 BMOP/SOUND 1081 [131:18]
[EJW]
A truly splendid recording of Arnold Rosner’s only full-scale opera; readers who respond to his music need not hesitate.
Ludomir RÓŻYCKI (1883-1953)
Violin Concerto, Works for Violin and Piano - Ewelina Nowicka (violin), Pola Lazar (piano), Michał Krężlewski (piano), Polish National RSO in Katowice/Zygmunt Rychert rec. 2001, 2010
CPO 555421-2 [49:31] [SG]
Performances which truly capture the spirit of the music.
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Rigoletto - Ettore Bastianini (baritone) Renata Scotto
(soprano)
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Gianandrea Gavazzeni rec. 1960 PRISTINE AUDIO PACO184 [55:35 + 63:48]
[RMo]
Another splendid remastering from Pristine but not necessarily a first choice in terms of either sound or singing.
Christmas Bells
Organ Music from Belfast Cathedral -
Matthew Owens (organ)
rec. 2021 RESONUS RES10293 [78:29] [MR] Christmas-themed pieces both old and new are not particularly well-served by the Harrison & Harrison organ of Belfast Cathedral.
Hodie Christus natus est A Medieval Chistmas
- Boston Camerata/Anne Azéma rec. 2021 HARMONIA MUNDI HMM905339 [58:13]
[JV] This disc makes for great company during the last weeks of the year.
