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NEW and RECENT ARTICLES

TRANSLATIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS (PGW) Who needs translations of Lieder texts including with a CD?

DIATRIBES AND DIGRESSIONS New Formats and the Real World by David Dyer

TOSCA: a film by Benoît Jacquot, Axiom Films, Institute of Contemporary Arts, 5 December 2001 (MB)

We welcome the Arnold Cooke website to MusicWeb

Report from the Lucerne Piano Festival by Peter Grahame Woolf

Arthur Butterworth Writes: Organ Recitals

One of the 76 Smartest Philadelphians: Lang Lang in Interview with Marc Bridle

On-Line help sites: How do I do this, Where do I find this. Some free, some not

Did you know you could help sponsor a new recording for as little as £10 - a symphony for £25? Read on  such as this one  now reviewed here: GRAHAM WHETTAM  Sinfonia Intrepida   BBCSO/Sir Charles Mackerras.   Redcliffe Recordings RR016 (44' 11'') [PC]

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LATEST CD REVIEWS (last two days)

Over 200 CD reviews for January are available on the next five pages

[Part 1 New]  [Part 2 A-B] [Part 3 C-L]
[Part 4 M-R]  [Part 5 S-Y] [Part 6 Misc] 

 

BOOK REVIEW

J. S. BACH - THE COMPLETE CANTATAS In German-English translation by Richard Stokes Introduction by Martin Neary 381 pages Scarecrow Press, 2000 0-8108-3933-4

An admirable project, and one that is indeed useful for fans of Bach’s cantatas. Having all these translations in one book is very practical .. see Full Review

The Unknown Callas, the Greek years. Nicholas Petsalis-Diomidis. Amadeus Press. ISBN 1-57467-059-X [LKD]

Buy the book which also includes details of Callas’s life after the Greek years. …see Full Review

CHANGING PLATFORMS (30 years of the Contemporary Music Network)
CMN & Unknown Public, 2001. (PGW)

The Music of John Ireland By Fiona Richards 282 pages; hardback. Ashgate Publishing 2002. ISBN 0-7546-0111-0 [IL]

This is a meritorious and long overdue assessment of the music of John Ireland. It is to be hoped that it will spur more performances and recordings of this important and relatively neglected English composer. … see Full Review

FANNY MENDELSSOHN by Francoise Tillard. Amadeus Press ISBN 0-931340-96-9 [LKD]

One detects that the writer is saying that Fanny Mendelssohn was a better composer than her brother Felix …. The book is handsomely produced with fine pictures. .. see Full Review

Olivier Messiaen – Music and Colour Conversations with Claude Samuel Amadeus Press, 296 pages Hardback ISBN 0-931340-67-5 [IL]

An absolutely fascinating thought-provoking book … Not an easy read in parts – it is quite technical in its musical language. A book that satisfies and one that you can dip into and return to time and again. … see Full Review

LILY PONS. A Centennial Portrait, edited by James A. Drake and Kristin Beall Ludecke. Amadeus Press ISBN 1-57467-047-6 [LKD]

Another handsome publication with some gorgeous photographs which ooze glamour. Did Lily Pons want to be a great opera singer or a glamour puss? ...see Full Review

 

SCORE REVIEWS

RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Sonatas – No. 13 in E flat, Op. 27 No. 1; No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2, ‘Moonlight’; No. 30 in E, Op. 109. Maria João Pires (piano). Recorded at Granja de Belgais, Portugal in June 2000 and May 2001 [DDD]
DG 453 457-2 [51.16] [CC]

This is a truly awe-inspiring offering from Pires which acts as a reminder of what a truly unique and inspiring musician she is. … see Full Listing

Hector BERLIOZ (1803-69) Les nuits d’été. La mort de Cléopâtre. La captive. La belle voyageuse. Zaïde. Véronique Gens (soprano); Lyon National Opera Orchestra/Louis Langrée. Recorded in Opéra National, Lyon on January 28th-29th, 2000 (Cléopâtre) and in Auditorium Maurice Ravel on February 1st-3rd, 2001 (other works). [DDD] VIRGIN CLASSICS VC5 45422-2 [61.17] [CC]

Véronique Gens joins the exalted ranks of Crespin and Baker for top placing in Les nuits dété, and comes top of the list for modern recordings. A truly beautiful record. ...see Full Review

Frank BRIDGE (1879 – 1941) Enter Spring (1927) Isabella (1906) Two Poems for Orchestra (1915) Mid of the Night (1903) BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Richard Hickox Recorded: Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, November 2000 CHANDOS CHAN 9950 [75:48] [HC]

Hickox conducts finely paced performances of all these pieces and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales respond with wholehearted enthusiasm and dedication. Warmly recommended. .. see Full Listing

Lyell CRESSWELL (born 1944) Whira (1996) Atta (1993) Anake (1998) Acquerello (1998) Variations on a Theme by Charles Ives (1987) The Hebrides Ensemble (Daniel Bell, violin; William Conway, cello; Rosemary Eliot, flute; Peter Evans, piano) Recorded : Reid Hall, Edinburgh University, December 2000 NMC D 077 [73:20] [HC]

This is a really superb release: wonderful music, of great communicative power, in carefully and lovingly prepared performances by dedicated players who all have the full measure of the music. … see Full Review

Christoph Willibald GLUCK (1714-1787) Italian Arias Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo soprano), Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Bernhard Forck (leader) Recorded in the Studios of the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, Berlin, 8 & 11-16.1.2001 DECCA 467 248-2 [67.34] [CH]

I think no one will remain indifferent to this disc. It is an absolutely involving experience by one of the phenomena of our times. …. See Full Review

Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) Songs Volume 2: Hymn to Thais. Five Christmas Songs op.1. Eight Josephson Songs op.57. Sangen om korsspindeln (King Christian II) op.27 no.4. Four Songs op.72 nos.3-6. Six Songs op.86. Sma flickorna. Recorded January 1994 in Stockholm. (DDD) Monica Groop (mezzo) Love Derwinger (piano) BIS-CD-657 [65.35] [DW]

A marvellous CD. Agreed not all the songs are gems but the singer is! Definitely one of my desert island discs. ...see Full Review

James WHITBOURN (b. 1963) A Finer Truth, Crown my heart, Glory to thee , Son of God Mass, For choir, saxophone† and organ Of one that is so fair, Hodie, Come to the wedding, Song of Hannah, Venite, Blessings on you
This is my commandment, The Mystery of Love, For tenor*, choir and chamber ensemble A finer truth, Come with me, The wide world sings, I saw a plant, Go so gently * Robert Tear (tenor); † John Harle (saxophone); Joby Burgess (percussion) and John Reid (organ) with the Choir of Clare College Cambridge directed by Timothy Brown Recorded in Chapel of St John’s College, Cambridge on 25^th and 26^th June 2001 ETCETERA KTC 1248 [70:33] [GL]

This is inspired new sacred music, a joy to listen to and a very welcome contrast to accustomed devotional pieces. ...see Full Review

 

 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 Ekaterina Dershavina, piano Rec: November 1994, Musikstudio 1 of the Saarländischer Rundfunk. ARTE NOVA 74321 34011 2 [77.13] [KM]

A brilliant recording, and at a budget price as well! Snap it up for a rare example of pianistic excellence. …see Full Review

Gustav HOLST (1874-1934) Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, Savitri, Seven Partsongs, The Evening Watch, Fugal Concerto, St Paul's Suite
Ballet Music: The Perfect Fool, Egdon Heath, The Hymn of Jesus, Moorside Suite DECCA 470 191 2 [2CDs: 149.30] [TB]

This collection must assume a proud position as one of the best issues of English music in the catalogue. …see Full Listing

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756 - 1791) Serenades & Divertimenti for Wind Instruments Mozart Edition vol. 3 BRILLIANT CLASSICS 7CDs 99715 [approx. 6 hours 10 min.] Superbudget

This is another set which, for its price, is truly a bargain. While not all of the works are truly interesting, the performances are excellent. … see Full Listing

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Opera Choruses Choir and Orchestra of the National Academy of Saint Cecilia / Carlo Rizzi Recorded: Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecilia, Rome, September 1992 DDD WARNER CLASSICS APEX 0927 40836 2 [61.09] [RMK]

At £4.99 this is a bargain and a half: not to be missed. ... see Full Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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