MusicWeb Reviewer’s Log: February
2005
Reviewer: Patrick C Waller
I have been listening
to quite a lot of Schubert recently
and, in particular, Mitsuko Uchida’s
recently released set of piano music
for Philips (475 628-2). Although this
takes up 8 (mid-price, neatly packaged)
CDs, it is not complete in terms of
the sonatas – all the late ones (i.e.
Nos 13-21) are included plus three early
ones (No 4 in A minor K537, No 7 in
E flat D568 and No 9 in B major D575).
Perhaps there is some logic involved
relating to the completeness of individual
works but, in practical terms, this
is nowhere near a complete set, if that
is what is required. There are compensations
though, in terms of the 8 Impromptus,
3 Klavierstücke (wonderful late
works which are not to be missed), 6
Moments musicaux and some Dances.
Overall, I feel a bit
ambiguous towards Uchida’s Schubert.
Generally tempi tend to be slow (for
example the final "moment"
takes more than 10 minutes!) and she
overlays a lot of interpretation, most
of which I warmed to. The piano certainly
sings aplenty but she doesn’t underplay
Schubert’s darker moments. Amongst the
highlights are the 15th and
18th sonatas – these may
still be available coupled together
on a single disc in MusicWeb’s sale
(see link 1). I saved the B flat sonata
until the very end (it was Schubert’s
last work for the piano and is surely
one of the greatest ever written) but
was disappointed for reasons that are
hard to explain. Somehow I just wasn’t
as engaged as I expected to be. The
piano sound is by no means ideal and
a bit bass heavy. These recordings were
made in the main hall of the Musikverein
in Vienna – too big a venue in my view.
Uchida’s Schubert set is not the equal
of her complete Mozart sonatas (which
is fabulous in all respects) but will
sit well alongside recordings I have
already have (notably Kempff set of
the sonatas and Lupu’s Impromptus).
Whilst on the subject
of piano music, I was delighted to be
asked to review a disc of Nazareth’s
Tangos, Waltzes and Polkas (see link
2) played by Iara Behs on the Naxos
label. I hadn’t heard of him previously
but this is quite a find – undemanding
but worthwhile listening. Zane Turner
obviously enjoyed it too (link 3).
I thought it was about
time I discovered what all the fuss
was about with the recent disc of John
Foulds’s music from the City
of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under
Sakari Oramo (see links 4-6). This was
one of MusicWeb’s disc of the year for
2004 (link 7) and now I understand why.
Recorded live, both the music and music-making
have great impact. During the course
of the disc there is a considerable
range of musical ideas in different
genres, making this an excellent introduction
to the composer. For me the most striking
work is the Three Mantras from Avatara,
the lyricism of the second being sandwiched
between two exceptionally powerful pieces
of orchestral writing. The Lyra Celtica,
a concerto for voice and orchestra (with
mezzo-soprano Susan Bickley as the soloist)
is also a gem. Foulds is clearly a composer
whose music I should be exploring further.
Last month I mentioned
my discovery of Dallapiccola’s
choral music in a bargain box. This
Italian composer seems to achieving
wider recognition at the moment and
I was pleased to discover some of his
orchestral music on a recent Chandos
disc with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Gianandrea Noseda (see
link 8). I completely share John France’s
enthusiasm for this disc. The music
may be serial but, far from being a
"pale imitation" of the Second
Viennese school, to me this is the more
acceptable face of serialism. If you
don’t believe me, just visit the Chandos
website sound booth and try a free sample
of Tartiniana (link 9).
Having built up a collection
of CDs over more than 20 years, quite
a few discs that I bought in the early
years have since been reissued. Sometimes
it is difficult not to wish that you
had waited a while because the reissue
costs much less, contains more music
or is reputed to have improved sound.
One of my early CDs, originally put
out in 1985, has just been reissued
by Chandos - Britten’s
Cello Symphony (with Rafael Wallfisch)
and Death in Venice Suite, and
it has received a very positive review
from Peter Lawson (link 10). Of course,
I immediately dug it out and I feel
pretty sure that the sound can’t have
got any better – my 20 year old disc
is simply stunning in that respect (Chandos
were undoubted leaders in sound quality
in those days – others have now caught
up). OK so it has a more attractive
picture on the front now but, for once,
I am happy to have the original. The
symphony is pretty trenchant stuff,
the suite much lighter. I see that Richard
Hickox’s recording of the complete opera
is just being released (on Chandos)
and, not yet having a recording, will
await the reviews with interest.
A different kind of
rediscovery is the putting
on of a disc for which, without
any justification at all, you have
forgotten how good it is. In this case
I am thinking of the Naxos disc of orchestral
music by the early 20th century
US composer Griffes which
Rob Barnett and Ian Lace reviewed about
a year ago (see links 11 & 12).
I snapped it up, listened a couple of
times, was impressed and somehow forgot
it until quite recently. The Pleasure
Dome of Kubla Khan is the highlight
but it is all great stuff and Griffes
has a truly original voice.
From the same part
of the world comes a disc called Swales
and Angels by Beth Anderson
(see link 13 for review). This struck
me as possibly the most interesting
thing in MusicWeb’s sale (link 1) so
I made a bid and sorry – it’s now gone.
But if you have heard it and like the
music, you will be pleased to hear that
more of this composer is on the way
from the Albany label (called Quilt
Music – songs and chamber works). No
doubt this will be reviewed on MusicWeb
soon.
Last month I caught
a live radio broadcast of Wagner’s
Das Rheingold from Covent Garden’s
new production (see link 14 for Martin
Hoyle’s review of a pre-Christmas performance).
Before doing so I looked very hard at
the TV schedules just to make sure that
it could not also be seen (a pity).
There was quite a lot of associated
hype about Bryn Terfel’s first Wotan.
Fortunately he seemed to have recovered
from the throat infection which, just
a week before, had caused him have to
mime the part on stage (with the voice
being provided from the pit by Donald
McIntyre). Terfel generally lived up
to the high expectations and we can
but hope that this will get preserved
on disc at some stage. The rest of the
cast was generally impressive (Philip
Langridge as Loge and Rosalind Plowright
as Fricka is certainly luxury casting)
although, for me, Günther von Kannen’s
Alberich was a little disappointing
(unlike Andrew Shore in the recent ENO
production he did not steal the show
as well as the gold). Pappano’s reading
was highly dramatic with excellent orchestral
playing – musically this was a cut above
the ENO’s Rhinegold.
My bargain of the moment
is the set of Erato’s Jolivet
recordings (link 15 for Hubert Culot’s
review), many of them with the composer
at the helm. Four discs for the price
of one, reasonable sound from the 1960s
and a dazzling array of artists. I was
drawn to this for the cello music initially
(the 2nd concerto is played
by Rostropovich) but Maurice André’s
Trumpet and Jean-Pierre Rampal’s Flute
provided more rewarding listening. There
is also a three movement Concerto for
the Ondes Martenot (played by Jeanne
Loriod) and the set ends with five delightful
songs. Experience suggests that this
kind of package doesn’t stick around
for long so, if you are interested,
my advice is to take the plunge soon.
MusicWeb regulars can
hardly have missed Marin Alsop’s venture
into the world of Brahms and
her newly-released disc of the 1st
symphony and overtures. Four reviews
were published simultaneously and a
fifth has followed with reactions that
were invariably positive (see links
16-20). One trivial point which struck
me was the use of an outer cardboard
sleeve. I presume this is designed to
make one feel that it is a luxury item.
It is a pity that this was then spoilt
by a picture of less than half of the
conductor’s face on the front. I think
that the animated picture on the back
would have been far preferable fronting
this one.
I was pleased to be
able to see more of Marin Alsop live
with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
in Portsmouth just a few days later.
Both the BBC’s website and the concert
programme indicated that this was to
be broadcast subsequently on Radio 3.
A lack of visible microphones made me
suspicious of that and it turned out
that it was the Poole rendition of the
same concert, given two days earlier,
that was aired. The concert began with
a very spritely rendition of Beethoven’s
1st symphony, following which
Stephen Kovacevich played two Bach
Concertos (in D minor BWV1052
and F minor BWV 1056). In an unusual
bit of programming these were placed
either side of the interval. Unfortunately,
this was the least successful part of
the concert. Soloist and conductor failed
to connect and Alsop seemed rather unenthusiastic
about Bach. The balance was marred by
too many strings and the performances
lacked intimacy. I didn’t hear the whole
of the broadcast concert but the balance
in the Bach works seemed markedly preferable
on the radio from Poole than live in
Portsmouth. The F minor Concerto came
across better than the D minor and Kovacevich’s
reading of that slow movement had great
presence. Overall, though, he didn’t
seem to be on top form. For Alsop, all
was forgiven in Elgar’s
Enigma Variations – a highly characterized
but controlled reading which brought
out the many facets of this work. No
worries about her reproducing Bernstein’s
legendary drag through Nimrod – pacing
was superb throughout.
I end on a sad note.
At the end of last year two famous divas
passed on. Renata Tebaldi seems to have
received greater obituary space but
the voice of Victoria de los Angeles
was more familiar to me and a great
favourite. Her recordings of Mimi in
La Bohème with Beecham
and of the Songs of the Auvergne
are particularly treasured. Gone but,
thanks to recordings such as these,
they won’t be forgotten.
Patrick C Waller
Links
1. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Jan05/raising_funds.htm
2. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Jan05/nazareth_behs.htm
3. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Feb05/nazareth_behs_ZT.htm
4. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Sept04/Foulds.htm
5. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Nov04/Foulds_Mantras.htm
6. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Dec04/Foulds_Mantras.htm
7. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Rec2004index.htm
8. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Nov04/dallapiccola_noseda.htm
9. http://www.chandos.co.uk/soundbooth.asp
10. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Jan05/Britten_cello.htm
11. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Feb04/Griffes.htm
12. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Mar04/Griffes_kubla.htm
13. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Sept04/anderson_swales_schneider.htm
14. http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2005/Jan-Jun05/rheingold1812.htm
15. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Oct04/Jolivet_Erato.htm
16. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Feb05/Brahms_Alsop_PCW.htm
17. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Feb05/Brahms_Alsop_PSh.htm
18. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Feb05/Brahms1_Als0p_PL.htm
19. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Feb05/Brahms1_Alsop_CC.htm
20. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Feb05/Brahms1_Alsop_KS.htm
