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Classical Editor: Rob
Barnett
Music Webmaster
Len Mullenger:
Len@musicweb-international.com
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Classical Editor: Rob
Barnett
Music Webmaster |
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Current
Reviews New entries are indicated by
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PART 4 [Part 1] [Part 2]
[Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]
SAINT SAENS Suite algerienne, Op. 60, 'La Princess Jaune' - Op.30Maria Costanza Nocentini Carlo Allemano, Cantemus Swiss Italian Orchestra Francis Travis
Chandos provide a full libretto and very intriguing notes whilst the recordings are spectacularly open, although the Algerian Suite could have done with a little more intimacy. I have no knowledge of another 'Princess jaune' in the catalogues so collectors should snap up this issue which is indeed luxury programming.
Ryiuchi SAKAMOTO (b. 1952) Piano music
Impressionistically nostalgic fare with a sprinkling of jazz and avant-garderie.
SALIERI Falstaff
[120 mins] [PGW]
It is a joy to watch and the direction for stage (Michael Hampe) and for the TV cameras is ideal.
SCHOENBERG: Chamber Symphony no. 2, Accompaniment to a Film Scene, Verklärte Nacht
Anyone who believes that Schoenberg is approachable only for the specialist listener should hear this disc. All three works bear eloquent testimony to the composer's warm romanticism, but only one of them - the celebrated Verklärte Nacht (1899) - was written during the earlier part of his career.
Franz SCHUBERT (1797 - 1828) CD1 [74.03] Symphony No 8 in B Minor*. D759 "Unfinished" [23.00] Symphony No 9 in C Major* D 944 "The Great" [51.03] CD2 [71.45] Quintet in A Major **. D667 "The Trout" [39.11] Moment Musicaux***. D780. [27.57] Military march for Piano Duet****. D733 no 1. [ 4.18]
Schubert's Unfinished, the Great C major and the Trout. All for £8. Need I say more?
SCHUMANN (1810-56) Symphony No. 1 in B flat, Op. 38, 'Spring'a. Kinderszenen, Op. 15b. Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129c. Fantasie in C, Op. 17d. Arabeske in C, Op. 18e. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 5fe.
A marvellous set, only marginally marred by Kempff's contribution.
SCRIABIN (1872-1915) Preparation for Final Mystery (realised by Alexander Nemtin):- (1) Universe [41.50] (2) Mankind [52.03] (3) Transfiguration [65.51] Nuances (ballet based on late piano works, orch Alexander Nemtin) [30.21]
An Ashkenazy and Decca adventure into a speculative Scriabin work. It is done with great style, superbly recorded and brilliantly documented.
Roger SESSIONS (1896-1985) Symphony No.1 (1927); Symphony No.2 (1946); Symphony No.3 (1957)
A valuable introduction to the music of Sessions
Roger SESSIONS (1896-1985); Stephan WOLPE (1902-1972) Violin Concerto (1935) [28.53] Paul Zukofsky (violin) Symphony (1956) [25.53]
The Wolpe is more difficult by several orders of magnitude. In the Sessions there are lines and continuity. In this symphony there is discontinuity and fragmentation, rowdy and distrait. I found Wolpe's battering language of ideas that smash against each other and never quite meet an obstacle to appreciation.
SIBELIUS Karelia Suite - Finnish Radio SO/Okko Kamu Valse Triste - Berlin PO/Karajan Swan of Tuonela - Berlin PO/Karajan Symphony No. 2 - Berlin PO/Kamu Finlandia - Berlin PO/Karajan Violin Concerto - Christian Ferras/Berlin PO/Karajan Symphony No. 5 - Berlin PO/Karajan
A great collection with a single misfire in the shape of the Kamu Sibelius 2. A memorable bargain.
STANFORD Songs Vol. 2.
In my comments on the first volume of this series I noted that the songs chosen were mostly very early or very late works. Now we have a good representation of the strength and variety of the central, most important, part of Stanford's career.
STORACE Una Sera Siciliana, Harpsichord Music
These are mostly substantial pieces requiring virtuosity and imagination, both well in evidence here.
CLEMENS KRAUSS CONDUCTS RICHARD STRAUSS. Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40, Also sprach Zarathustra Op. 30, Aus Italien Op. 16, 'Salome': excerpts, 'Sinfonia Domestica', Op. 53, 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme', Suite Op. 60, Don Quixote Op. 35, Till Eulenspiegel Op. 35, Don Juan, Op. 20.
It is indeed justly fitting that Clemens Krauss' authorative Strauss series is now available in magnificently remastered sound on Testament....The reissue of these tapes on low cut Decca Eclipse LPs was their last incarnation and they now make a triumphant reappearance after over twenty years of unjust neglect.
Strauss: Famous Scenes RICHARD STRAUSS: Arabella: Aber der Richtige, wenns einen gibt (acko); Ariadne auf Naxos: Es ist alles vergebens … Es gibt ein Reich (ejo); Elektra: Allein! Weh, ganz allein (dko); Die Frau ohne Schatten: Sieh - Amma - sieh … Zum Lebenswasser! … Wehe, mein Mann! (fikl); Der Rosenkavalier: Mein Gott! Es was nicht mehr als eine Farce (bchkp); Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils (kn); Closing Scene (gkm).
If you do not know this repertoire yet, get this disc and start from the Arabella duet. Gorgeous music, gorgeous voices; you'll be hooked for ever.
STRAUSS Josephs Legende
Not a masterpiece, but worth collecting by Strauss-buffs.
Boris TCHAIKOVSKY (1925-1996) Piano Trio (1953) 26.03 * String Quartet No. 6 (1976) 13.34 ** Sextet (wind instruments and harp) (1990) 13.13 *** * composer (piano); Viktor Pikaizen (violin); Evgeni Altman (cello) rec 1960 ** Andrei Korsakov (violin); Margarita Peletsis (violin); Aleksander Petrov (viola); Andrei Demin (cello) rec 1982 *** Leonid Lebedev (flute); Olga Tomilova (oboe); Vladimir Permyakov (clarinet); Vyacheslav Podkopaev (bassoon); Viktor Galkin (horn); Emilia Moskvitina (harp) rec 1998
Three very fine works you are unlikely to know. What other riches await us from the Soviet Union's prolific radio archives?
TCHAIKOVSKY The Seasons Op.37b, Dumka, Theme and Variations
The cycle is played beautifully here by Olga Tverskaya on a period piano by Erard of 1867, lovingly restored by David Winston..... The cycle is played beautifully here by Olga Tverskaya on a period piano by Erard of 1867, lovingly restored by David Winston.
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D, op.35 Meditation, op.42/1 Romeo and Juliet: Fantasy-Overture
In short, Sitkovetsky's admirers will be pleased to hear him in the two concerted pieces and we may hope that he will learn to express his love of the music less indulgently in the years to come, but Romeo really will not do.
TCHAIKOVSKY String Quartet No. 3 in E flat Minor, Op. 30 String Quartet in B Flat Major, (1865) Four Movements for String Quartet
The four players play very well together and all parts within these two quartets are able to be heard clearly and effectively. I therefore have no qualms whatsoever about recommending this disc, as I did its predecessor. Both the recording and documentation are first class.
TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 - 1893) CD1 [75.56] Suite. The Nutcracker. Op 71a* [23.07] Symphony No 5 in E Minor. Op 64 [52.40] CD2 [81.16] Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet. [22.39] Symphony No 6 in B Minor "Pathétique" [58.15]
A bit of a curate's egg but still a bargain.
TELEMANN (1681 - 1767) String Concertos.
If Telemann is for you, then you needn't hesitate to buy this recording.
The Best of Telemann
Telemann is, I believe, underestimated to this day. Unfortunately this disc will do little to remedy the situation.
LORIS TJEKNAVORIAN (b.1937) Piano Concerto (1961 rev 1974) ARNO HARUTYUNI BABDZHANIAN (1921-1983) Heroic Ballade (1949) Nocturne (1988?)
Colourful music. Not too original in the gorgeous Babadzhanian (Rachmaninov and Gershwin) but spiky and captivating in Tjeknavorian.
TORKE Book of Proverbs/ Four Proverbs
These jolly settings of biblical proverbs are rather like old fashioned sermons for simple folk; the words repeated in various permutations until they are fully absorbed with, hopefully, their moral messages intact.
EDUARD TUBIN (1905-1982) Symphony No 2 Legendary (1937) 30.57 Symphony No 5 (1946) 30.21
The recording is all you could ask. No need to hesitate. Further instalments are impending and will be worth the short wait.
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) CD1 [81.59] Nabucco (Extracts) [12.25] La Traviata (Extracts} [35.39] Rigoletto (Extracts) [33.55] CD2 [76.27] La forza del destino (Extracts) [21.09] Il Travatore (Extracts) [30.56] Aida (Extracts) [24.22]Many of the popular Verdi bits. Recommended
VIVALDI Gloria RV 589, Magnificat RV611, concertos RV 243 & RV 563
I laughed the first time I pressed play. Surely they must be joking. Had it been an LP I would have checked I hadn't accidentally changed the speed to 45rpm. Imagine a comedy sketch with the conductor constantly glancing at his watch, then ever more feverishly accelerating his baton. BUT Gary went on to give it a maximum score and it is two discs for a fiver!
VIVALDI Musica Sacra Vol 1 Sabat Mater RV 621, Clarae stellae, scintillate RV 625 & concertos RV 556, 544a, 579 & sonata RV 130
....This is Mary's song at the foot of Christ's Cross, and in this performance we are usefully reminded in a way that no male singer ever can of the sheer horror and despair of the historical event from a mother's perspective. ....
I would guess that this Tristan & Isolde represents a coming-of-age of opera on DVD
WAGNER Der Fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman)
Conducted by Otto KlempererFor Klemperer's austere, concentrated and spacious conducting, Anja Silja's unique, controversial Senta and Theo Adam's noble, tortured Dutchman, this recording is not to be missed.
WEISS COMPLETE WORKS FOR LUTE - VOL. 1
Andy Daly is not impressed
HUGO WOLF (1860-1903) Orchestral Songs
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (bar) Münchner Rundfunkorchester/Stefan Soltesz rec 26-28 March, 8 June 1990 Bavarian Radio.
Typically fine production from Orfeo. Discriminating choice of repertoire and artists. Fine recording. Playing time could, with advantage, have been longer.
[Part 1] [Part 2]
[Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]
Classical Editor: Rob Barnett, Reviewers: Rob Barnett, Ian Lace, Len Mullenger, and: Richard Adams, Colin Anderson, Terry Barfoot, Marc Bridle, Arthur Butterworth, Colin Clarke, Paul Conway, Gary Dalkin, Andy Daly, Tony Duggan, Harry Downey, Gerald Fenech, Lewis Foreman, David Frieze, Malcolm Galloway, Ian Marchant, John Phillips, Ailís Ní Ríain, Humphrey Smith, Philip Scowcroft, Colin Scott Sutherland, Andrew Seivewright, Richard Whitehouse, Reg Williamson, Peter Grahame Woolf, David Wright. A complete list of contributors can be seen here
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