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DORA BRIGHT (1863-1951): COMPOSER - Appeal for information

WILLIAM DENIS BROWNE (1888 - 1915) by Pamela Blevins ©2000

A meeting of the Muses Angelica Kauffmann, Anna Amalia and Goethe in Germany by Pamela Blevins

MARION SCOTT (1877-1953) CRITIC, CHAMPION OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC AND WOMEN by Pamela Blevins

A Final Injustice Leonard Salzedo 1921-2000
Jennifer Paull reveals the brouhaha surrounding Leonard Salzedo's final composition on the second anniversary of his death.

MUSIC AND A.E.W. MASON by Philip Scowcroft

Wilkie Collins and Music by Philip Scowcroft

Andrew Anson - flautist by David Wright

What makes a Great Composer? Linda Karen Dowson vigorously rebuffs some of the previous responses to this article by David Wright.

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NEWS ITEM


This year's Proms season has just been announced and it looks like being a vintage season with opera and choral works forming the backbone of this greatest of music festivals. HIghlights of the season must include Prom 30, a performance of Mahler's Eighth Symphony conducted by Simon Rattle (National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain) and Prom 44 a pairing of Martha Argerich and Claudio Abbado with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester in Bartok, Ravel (the G major piano concerto) and Debussy. Also promising to be of outstanding interest are three concerts by the Kirov Opera under Gergiev, including a complete performance of Boris Godunov and the UK premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina's St John Passion. They conclude their visit to the Proms with a performance of Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto (Toradzo) and Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony. Bryn Terfel and Renee Fleming sing together in a Welsh National Orchestra Prom spanning Wagner, Strauss, Mozart and light music whilst there is a rare performance of Schoenberg's Romantic masterpiece Gurrelieder under the BBC SO and Donald Runnicles. Visiting orchestras come from Spain, France, Denmark and Holland with Riccardo Chailly conducting his Royal Concertgebouw in Mahler's Third Symphony. The Los Angeles Philharmonic under their chief conductor, Esa Pekka Salonen, play two concerts the first of Debussy, Ravel and Prokofiev and in their second concert take on this years Choral Symphony (coupled with Shostakovich's Second). James Levine makes a welcome return to the Proms with the wonderful Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in an enterprising programme of HIndemith, Mozart, Varese (Ameriques) and Ravel. The LSO have two Proms this year - one under Jansons the other under Haitink, whilst the Philharmonia bring with them their Music Director, Christoph von Dohnanyi in Strauss, Beethoven and Dvorak. The LPO play Elijah under their chief conductor Kurt Masur.

Full details of all Proms can be read on the BBC's website at: www.bbc.co.uk/proms. Seen & Heard will be covering much of the season.

Marc Bridle

MusicWeb is planning its first recording of previously unrecorded orchestral pieces by Arthur Butterworth. If you would wish to part-sponsor that recording please contact len@musicweb-international.com

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

Can I draw your attention to a concert: Thursday June 20th 7.30pm at the National Trust Property: Charlecote Park (not far from Stratford upon Avon)
The Guillami Quartet (supported by MusicWeb)
Haydn, Joseph: String Quartet Op76 No. 6 "Fantasia"
Ravel, Maurice: String Quartet in F
Dvorak, Antonin: String Quartet No.12 in F (Op 96) "American"
Box Office 01985 843 601 - see you all there.

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LATEST CD REVIEWS (last two days)

AVIE RECORDS The new label from Simon Foster and Melanne Mueller Full catalogue and sound extracts

 

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Have you signed up for our weekly mailing of all the discs reviewed in the week?

245 full length CD reviews are presented for May

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

We are now preparing the reviews for June

 

BOOK REVIEWS

A Chronicle of First Broadcast Performances of Musical Works in the United Kingdom, 1923-1996, edited by Alastair Mitchell and Alan Poulton. Ashgate, 2001 xvi, 798 pages ISBN 1 85928 239 3 £75.

This is an enormously valuable compilation, though, to be used with care as it is not the last word....see Full Review

INTERPRETING BACH AT THE KEYBOARD Paul Badura-Skoda Translated from the German by Alfred Clayton Oxford University Press, 1990 573 pages ISBN 0-19-816576-5

This is a must for anyone who does play Bach’s music, and will certainly interest other lovers of his music who want to know more about the way it is played. … see Full Review

RO HANCOCK-CHILD MADELEINE DRING, HER MUSIC, HER LIFE ISBN O 9537893 0 6. viii + 88pp softback.

The book is an invaluable pioneer effort. … see Full Review

OH MY HORSES! ELGAR AND THE GREAT WAR. THE MUSIC OF ELGAR, vol 2. Edited by Lewis Foreman. Elgar Editions (20 High St. Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 1ER £25. ISBN) ISBN 9537082 3 3 XVI +£4.96 pp, 109 b/w illustrations, 20 music examples, CD.

All in all this volume should be essential reading for all those interested, not just in Elgar but in British music as a whole....see Full Review [PS]
A masterful collection of essays this is a book for every self-respecting Elgarian...see Full Review[CF]

WILLIAM WALTON The Romantic Loner: A centenary portrait album by Humphrey Burton and Maureen Murray Published by Oxford University Press in January 2002 £25, hardback ISBN 0-19-816235-9 [CF]

This book is a worthy tribute to the man, honest in its assessment, graphic in detail and copiously illustrated throughout, in short a perfect introduction to the man and his music. … see Full Review

 

SCORE REVIEWS

RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

Adolphe ADAM (1803-1856) La Filleule des fées - ballet (1849) Queensland Symphony Orchestra/Andrew Mogrelia Rec. ABC Studios, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, February 1996 MARCO POLO 8.223734-35 [CD1: 67.52; CD2: 58.41] [RW]

Uplifting and quite delightful, containing charming melodies with much bright orchestral colour. Adam is not short of melodic ideas and these melt like chocolate into a choreographic flow which makes most enjoyable listening. … see Full Review

Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) The Dream of Gerontius Heddle Nash, tenor, Gladys Ripley, contralto Dennis Noble, baritone Norman Walker, bass Huddersfield Choral Society Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Malcolm Sargent Sea Pictures Gladys Ripley, contralto Philharmonia Orchestra/George Weldon Recorded April 1945 (Gerontius) 1946 (Sea Pictures) PEARL GEMS 0128 [2 CDs 113.20]

The greatest recording of Gerontius ever made - a performance of such musico-dramatic strength, such beauty and understanding that it is hard to conceive that it will ever be surpassed. … see Full Review

Jean FRANÇAIX (1912 – 1997) Symphony in G major (1953) Sérénade (1934) Ouverture anacréontique (1978) Pavane pour un Génie vivant (1987) Scuola di Ballo (1933)
The Ulster Orchestra/Thierry Fischer Recorded: Ulster Hall, Belfast, September 2001 HYPERION CDA 67323 [70:23] [HC]

Recordings of Françaix’s superbly crafted music are always a joy, and the present release is no exception. Fine performances on all counts … see Full Review

Olivier MESSIAEN (1908-92) Complete organ works Jennifer Bate Recorded in Beauvais Cathedral 1980-82 and Eglise du Saint-Trinité, Paris, May 1987 REGIS RRC1086, 1087, 2051, 2052 (available separately or as a 6-disc boxed set)
Olivier Latry Recorded in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, July 2000 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 471 480-2 (six discs)

I’ll pre-empt anyone looking for a quick either-or recommendation: both sets are outstandingly well played with sensitivity and imagination. … see Full Review

Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) GurreliederTove - Karita Mattila (soprano) Waldtaube - Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano) Waldemar - Thomas Moser (tenor) Klaus-Narr – Philip Langridge (tenor) Bauer, Sprecher – Thomas Quasthoff (bass-baritone) Rundfunkchor Berlin MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig Ernst Senff Chor Chorus Director Simon Halsey Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Sir Simon Rattle Recorded September 2001, Philharmonie, Berlin EMI Classics 7243 5 57303 2 9 [DDD] [59:46] [50:28] [CT]

Recorded just a week after the tragedy of September 11^th this stunning performance of Gurrelieder heralds a new era both for Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic…see Full Review

Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872 –1958) Symphony no.4 in f minor (1934)
Mass in g minor (1923) Six Choral Songs (1944) London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Richard Hickox Singers/Richard Hickox Recorded at All Saints’ Church Tooting January 2001 (symphony and songs) and January 2002 (mass) CHANDOS CHAN 9984 [68:20] [GPJ]

From shattering aggression via spirituality to honest populism those who have been waiting with bated breath for this issue are not going to be disappointed in any way – hurry, hurry, hurry! … see Full Review

 

 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH

Malcolm ARNOLD (b. 1921) The Nine Symphonies (1949-1986) 10 minute conversation between Malcolm Arnold and Andrew Penny National SO of Ireland/Andrew Penny rec April 1995-Feb 2000, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland (in presence of composer) NAXOS 8.505178[5.05.00] Superbudget [RB]

Penny and the Irish orchestra in lucid and imaginative performances charting the brilliance and the darkness of Arnold's dark pilgrimage. This set is well worth its modest cost. … see Full Review

Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849) Piano Concerto No 1 in E minor, Op 11 (1830) [40.29] Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor, Op 21 (1829) [31.51] Krystian Zimerman (piano) Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Carlo Maria Giulini DDD: recorded 1979 (Op 11) and 1980 (Op 21) DGG ORIGINALS 463 662-2 [72.26] [PL]

Truly inspired performances of masterful music. The only question is whether Zimerman subsequently bettered them. … see Full Review

Sir William WALTON (1902-1983) The Centenary Edition CD1: Cello Concerto
Symphony No. 1 CD2: Scapino: A Comedy Overture Violin Concerto Symphony No. 2 CD3:
Façade, Suites Nos I and II Viola Concerto Variations on a Theme by Hindemith CD4: Coronation March: Crown Imperial Coronation March: Orb and Sceptre* Belshazzar's Feast
Coronation Te Deum* Suite: Henry V (adapted by Muir Mathieson) Robert Cohen (cello), Tasmin Little (violin), Paul Neubauer (viola) Bryn Terfel (bass-baritone), Timothy Bryam-Wingfield (organ) Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, Waynflete Singers, L'inviti, Choir of Winchester Cathedral Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Andrew Litton, *David Hill Rec Nov 1993 (CD1), March 1994 (CD2), March 1996 (CD3), Guildhall, Southampton; May 1991 (CD4: Coronation Te Deum, Orb and Sceptre), February 1995 (CD4: remainder), Winchester Cathedral DECCA 470 508 2 [4CDs: 73.57, 68.31, 71.25, 78.51] budget price [TB]

This reissue warmly welcomed as an outstanding contribution to the centenary year. … see Full Review

 

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

MusicWeb is now part of the ClassicAll network. Our partner site within the ClassicAll network is www.ludwigvanWeb.com You will now be able to hear extract from reviews of any of our partner labels which you can identify from the special buy button.

Whilst MusicWeb and much of LudwigvanWeb will remain free, the ClassicAll network will also offer you a great-value subscription service. You will be offered a package of a dozen CDs a year plus downloading facilities at a special rate for MusicWeb visitors. The offer will become available through the portal site and combines the best features of a high quality classical music magazine and all the convenience of your local record shop with the many real advantages of the Internet.

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Len Mullenger

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