MusicWeb Reviewer’s
Log: September 2005
Reviewer:
Patrick C Waller
This
time I’ll begin with Wagner, having recently
acquired EMI’s new Tristan und Isolde, billed as
the last opera recording of its kind - all-star cast in
the studio. There’s not much in Marc Bridle’s review (link
1) with which I would disagree. Domingo certainly sings
wonderfully although I had a bit of difficulty regarding
him as a completely plausible Tristan. Stemme is superb
as Isolde and there are no weak links in a cast which even
boasts Ian Bostridge as the Shepherd. Antonio Pappano and
the Covent Garden orchestra are
other main stars. This is urgent conducting but it never
leads to the music sounding rushed. Nevertheless timings
show that this is a generally fast rendition and fitting
a single act onto each CD is a desirable consequence. The
recorded sound sets a very high standard being refined with
the voices well-balanced. Presentation is excellent and
there is an extra in the shape of a bonus DVD video which
provides sub-titles on the screen while listening to stereo
sound which is not markedly inferior to the CD on my equipment
or surround sound - which I don’t have the facility to test.
Altogether, whatever versions of Tristan you already have
- in my collection are Furtwängler, Bernstein and Karajan
- the Tristan of Jon Vickers in the latter is still unsurpassed
in my view - this is still a must. As an incentive to any
waverers, this seems to be going at mid-price, at least
at the moment – I paid £20 precisely by mail order.
Perhaps
the current economics of recording opera are relevant to
the sad news that Chandos is downsizing (link
2). Reviewers are probably meant to be unbiased about
record companies but I have to admit that Chandos would
be one of my favourites. When one of their discs lands on
my doorstep there is a feeling of anticipation – they seem
to have made very few duds. So let’s all hope it turns out
to be temporary and support them by buying from what is
already a marvellous catalogue.
No
one who has bothered to read these ramblings before would
be in any doubt about another of my favourite labels. There
are five Naxos discs to mention this time - which would
together cost about the same as EMI’s Tristan; three
of them I was fortunate to review. The New Zealand Chamber
Orchestra’s disc of Beck’s Symphonies (link
3) was surprisingly good given the obscurity of the
composer. If, like me, you previously thought Ince was a
soccer player I can enlighten you that his third and fourth
symphonies, dating from the 1990s, weren’t written during
periods of suspension due to multiple yellow cards – this
is Kamran Ince. He is an American composer
with Turkish roots (link
4), and a writer of fine contemporary music which is
worth seeking out. Rob Barnett and I were both impressed
with Jesús Guridi’s piano music (links
5 and 6)
and John Quinn’s review of Bolcom’s songs
(link
7) prompted me to listen to these unusual and ear-catching
miniatures. I have not yet been brave enough to try his
Songs of Innocence and Experience (links
8 and 9
– a work which takes up 3 CDs) but maybe I’ll yet get there.
Finally, it is good to see Naxos recognizing the William
Alwyn centenary and their disc of Symphonies 2 and
5 and the harp concerto Lyra Angelica from Liverpool (links
10 and 11)
is splendid. I already have the Chandos/Hickox readings
of these works but the new versions represent serious competition.
The Gramophone was a bit grudging about the sound
quality on this disc but was well-off the mark there, this
sounds stunning to me.
The
LSO Live label has been packaging up their symphony recordings
of Dvořák, Elgar and Brahms into bargain boxes. I had
already acquired most of these versions of the latter two
composers as single discs and, in particular, enjoyed Bernard
Haitink’s Brahms cycle. Sir Colin Davis’s Dvořák
had passed me by completely and the set of Symphonies
Nos. 6-9 (LSO0071) was very tempting and inexpensive. These
are works which I know through the famous LSO/Kertesz set
which seems so good that I have previously never bothered
with any others. Davis’s versions obviously don’t surpass
those by Kertesz but they are a viable alternative approach
in more modern sound and I found it refreshing to listen
to them.
Harald
Sæverud is one of the most important Norwegian composers after Grieg and I
have been meaning to explore his music for a while. I have
now heard, and can recommend, two discs in BIS’s series
– the 5th Symphony coupled with the Oboe Concerto
(links
12 and 13)
and the 8th Symphony plus the Cello Concerto
(link
14). The 8th symphony in particular is a
marvellous work.
Most
of what is written in reviews rightly relates to music and
performance but sound quality is also important, at least
to me. I think it was Beecham who quipped that the British
didn’t like music, only the sound it makes. Whilst I am
very happy with my [Naim 5 series] equipment, I do sometimes
wonder what real top-end stuff sounds like. Two recent articles
on MusicWeb are relevant (links
15 and 16).
Both the cost of David Dyers’ equipment and the title of
Bill Kenny’s article catch the eye. Feel free to read my
articles facing which ever way you wish!
Patrick
C Waller
Links
1. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Aug05/Wagner_tristan_5580062.htm
2. http://www.musicweb-international.com/announce.html#chandos
3. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Aug05/Beck_symphonies_8554071.htm
4. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Aug05/ince_symphonies_8557588.htm
5. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Sep05/guridi_pianoPCW_8557633.htm
6. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Aug05/guridi_piano_8557633.htm
7. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Aug05/bolcom_songs_8559249.htm
8. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/July05/Bolcom_songs_855921618.htm
9. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/June05/bolcom_songs_855921618.htm
10. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Sep05/alwyn_symphonies25DB_8557647.htm
11. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Aug05/Alwyn_2-5-lyra_8557647.htm
12. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/July05/Saeverud_BISCD1162.htm
13. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Feb04/saeverud.htm
14. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2000/aug00/saeverud.htm
15. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Aug05/Read_this_facing_north.htm
16. http://www.musicweb-international.com/MusicWeb_House/upgrade2005.htm