Download
News 2012/20
Brian Wilson
Download News 2012/19 is here;
earlier Download Roundups are indexed here.
Update information
The Carus recording of Johann Hermann SCHEIN
Israelsbrünnlein which I recommended in the September 2012/1
Roundup
(83.350) is now available from eclassical.com
in lossless as well as mp3; at $16.97 for 2 CDs, it’s actually less expensive
than the classicsonline.com version which I reviewed – that costs £15.98
and comes in (good) mp3 only. Neither download offers the texts. Similarly,
the Heinrich BIBER Vesperæ longiores
ac breviores (Carus 83.348 – August 2011/2 Roundup)
also comes now in lossless sound from eclassical.com
at $10.71 – again slightly less expensive than the mp3-only classicsonline.com
download which I reviewed.
Freebies of the Month
From the Heart
Patricia Van NESS My Heart is a Holy Place
[4.04]
Graham LACK Conceit [3.46]
John BRUNNING, arr. Philip LAWSON
Pie Jesu [3.18]
Sinead LOHAN/Nickel CREEK, arr. Philip
LAWSON Out of the Woods [4.15]
Leonard COHEN, arr. Philip LAWSON
Hallelujah [5.04]
The King’s Singers (David Hurley, Timothy Wayne-Wright (countertenor);
Paul Phoenix (tenor); Philip Lawson, Christopher Gabbitas (baritone); Stephen
Connolly (bass) – rec.2010. DDD
SIGNUM SIGCD177 [20:29] – from theclassicalshop.net
(mp3 and lossless)
This is the latest free download offered in mp3 to subscribers to theclassicalshop.net
newsletter. If you haven’t yet signed up for this free service, why not
do so?
Don’t forget, too, the monthly free samplers which Hyperion have been
releasing for some time now. The October sampler includes excerpts from Mendelssohn’s
Violin Concertos (yes, plural or, for classicists, dual – see below),
Byrd’s Great Service (see Download News 2012/19: here),
Britten’s St Nicolas – see below – Angela Hewitt in
Debussy – see below – Schumann’s Liederkreis, music
by Liszt for cello and piano, a movement from a Vivaldi concerto – see
August 2012/2 Roundup
– and St Paul’s Cathedral Choir singing music for Advent –
see below. (The sampler is HYP201210
[36:49]).
***
Percival’s Lament: Medieval Music and the Holy Grail
TANNHÄUSER (fl. mid-13th century) Staeter
dienest, der ist guot [5:25]
Wolfram von ESCHENBACH (fl. c. 1170-1220)
Wolframs goldener Ton (Instrumental) [2:30]
Chrétien de TROYES (fl. c. 1160-1190)
D’amors, qui m’a tolu a moi [5:01]
Rigaut de BERBEZILH (fl. 1140-1162) Atressi
com Persavaus el temps que vivia (Instrumental) [5:57]
Wolfram von ESCHENBACH (?) Was sol
ein keyser ône recht? [4:03]
Anonymous English (c. 1270) Fowles in the frith [1:50]
Chrétien de TROYES Percival’s
Lament (D’amors, qui m’a tolu) (Instrumental) [3:49]
Walther von der VOGELWEIDE (c. 1200) Under
der linden (Instrumental) [2:46]
Hildegard von BINGEN (1098-1179) Karitas
habundat [3:12]
Walther von der VOGELWEIDE Palästinalied
[5:27]
Walther von der VOGELWEIDE Laus Trinitati
[2:32]
Anonymous French (13th century) La Ultime Estampie Royale (Instrumental)
[3:43]
Wolfram von ESCHENBACH (?) Do man dem
edelen sîn gezelt [5:33]
Walther von der VOGELWEIDE Ich saz
ûf eime steine [2:36]
Capilla Antigua de Chinchilla /José Ferrero – rec. August/September
2011. DDD
Pdf booklet included. No texts – available online at http://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/PDF/8.572800_sungtext.pdf.
NAXOS 8.572800 [54:25] – from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Music Library
A minor grumble first: very little of the music here is in any way linked
to the Grail legend or with Percival, the hero of that legend, so the title
is no more than a peg on which to hang the programme, perhaps with an eye
to enticing Indiana Jones fans. Even Percival’s lament (track
2) which gives its name to the collection is a courtly love poem with no connection
to the Grail legend other than its supposed author.
Everything here is, however, roughly from the period in which the Grail legend
and the related stories of King Arthur and Tristan and Isolde grew and flourished.
The texts are in Occitan, the medieval language of Provence in which the trouvères
wrote, Old (Northern) French, the language of the troubadours, Middle High
German, that of the Minnesänger and, in the case of Abbess Hildegard’s
hymn in praise of the Trinity, Latin. The vocal works are interspersed with
instrumental items.
The names of the first two composers will be familiar to those who know Wagner’s
Tannhäuser – yes, he and Wolfram von Eschenbach did actually
exist, though it’s highly unlikely that Tannhäuser had any dealing
with Venus or went on a pilgrimage to Rome, a legend based very loosely on
his Bußlied: Song or Poem of Atonement.
Wolfram translated Chrétien de Troyes’ account of Percival and
the Grail into German but his three works here are quite unrelated to that
translation, Parzival. His most famous piece, his goldener Ton is
given on track 2 in instrumental form and leads into a rendition of Chrétien’s
Lament of Percival which is given again in instrumental form on track
7.
It’s a shame that Walter von der Vogelweide’s well known Under
der linden is given only in instrumental form (tr.8). Walter was, of course,
another of the Minnesänger supposedly involved in Tannhäuser’s
Wartburg contest; in many ways he is the most sympathetic of that group to
modern readers, especially his Ich saz ûf eime steine (‘I
sat upon a stone’ tr.14) in which, in Romantic fashion, he sits solitary
and contemplates the meaning of life.
I hadn’t encountered the Capilla Antigua de Chinchilla or their director
Jose Ferrero before, though they have made two other recordings for Naxos:
Endechar – Sephardic Music (8.572443: Bargain of the Month
– see review)
and. Tristan’s Harp (8.572784). They acquit themselves
well here, though, with all the vocal items supported by an instrumental ensemble,
this is not one for the followers of the minimalist Gothic Voices style. There’s
room for both approaches; forget about the spurious Grail links and enjoy
this recording.
Best of all, it may lead you to explore other recordings of the music of the
period, several of them available from Naxos and classicsonline.com. As well
as the two recordings which I’ve listed from these performers, there’s
a fine recording of the music of Hildegard of Bingen (8.550998,
Oxford Camerata/Jeremy Summerly) and a recording of the music of Neidhart,
another important Minnesänger not represented on the Percival’s
Lament album (8.572449
– see review
– Recording of the Month – and July 2011/1 Roundup).
The music of another Minnesänger, Oswald von Wolkenstein, often regarded
as the last of his kind, can be found on Harmonia Mundi HMC902051
(Andreas Scholl), Raumklang RK2901 – review
– and, with music by Neidhart, Eschenbach and Hans Sachs – another
musician whom Wagner had no need to invent because he actually existed –
on Bridge 9372 – review.
The texts were not available from the link stated in the booklet – follow
instead the link that I’ve given at the head of this review. No translation
was given for Chrétien’s D’amors (‘Of love who
took me from myself, though she does not wish to retain me in her service’,
tr.2) at the time of writing; perhaps one will appear later. There’s
no translation, either, of Abbess Hildegard’s Karitas habundat
(‘Loving charity abounds everywhere’, tr.9) or Laus Trinitati
(‘Praise to the Trinity’, tr.11).
Pierluigi da PALESTRINA (1525-1594) Palestrina
– Volume 2
Hodie Christus natus est [2:32]
Christe, redemptor omnium [8:27]
Magnificat quinti toni [11:38]
Tui sunt cœli [2:53]
Reges Tharsis [2:36]
Missa Hodie Christus natus est [23:31]
From the Song of Songs:
Osculetur me osculo oris sui [3:23]
Trahe me post te [3:24]
Nigra sum sed formosa [3:40]
O magnum mysterium [5:20]
Videntes stellam magi (bonus track: download only) [2:45]
The Sixteen/Harry Christophers – rec. February 2012. DDD.
Pdf booklet with texts and translations included.
CORO COR16105 [70:15] – from thesixteendigital.com
(mp3, aac, 24/96 alac and 24/96 flac) or stream from Naxos Music Library
The first volume of The Sixteen’s projected series of the music of Palestrina
contained music for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (COR16095 –
see August 2011/1 Roundup).
Volume 2 of is a timely offering of music for Advent and Christmas; the two
major items are the Magnificat on the fifth tone and the Mass based
on the Christmas motet Hodie Christus natus est. As before, the performances
are virtually self-recommending though again, as before, there is some stiff
opposition in the catalogue.
This time it’s not the Tallis Scholars who provide the main rivalry –
they have recorded another Magnificat, on the first tone, and they
haven’t recorded the Christmas Mass – but Westminster Cathedral
Choir, Music for Advent and Christmas, on Hyperion CDA67396, containing
the motet and Mass Hodie Christus natus est and several of the shorter
works on the new Coro recording – from hyperion.co.uk
in mp3 and lossless. I recommended the Hyperion in the Christmas 2009 Roundup
and it remains the ideal choice for those who prefer male voices only; choice
between that and the new Coro recording may safely be left to a straight choice
between male choristers and a mixed professional ensemble. Both are enthralling:
excellent of their kind, well recorded in mp3 and lossless – the Coro
in 24/96 format – and both come with first-rate booklets.
The McCreesh recording which I recommended as an alternative in 2009 is no
longer available from passionato.com, who have ceased to offer downloads.
Deutschegrammophon.com offer it in mp3 and lossless formats.
I reviewed Volume 1 of the Coro Palestrina from the mp3 download from
classicsonline.com. It’s now also available from thesixteendigital.com
in mp3, aac and lossless flac or alac. Good as the classicsonline.com mp3
is, I can confirm that the lossless equivalent, even though 16-bit in this
case rather than the 24-bit versions available for Volume 2, adds a subtle
but valuable extra dimension to the sound. The pdf booklet with texts and
translations is included.
Machet die Tore weit: Music for Advent and Christmas
Andreas HAMMERSCHMIDT (1611/12-1675)
Machet die Tore weit [1:40]
Meine Seele Gott erhebt [3:20]
Meine Seele erhebt den Herren [5:41]
Fürchtet euch nicht [2:04]
Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe [3:24]
Das Wort ward Fleisch [3:04]
Wo ist der neugeborne König? [4:23]
Das ist je gewisslich wahr [3:01]
Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied [2:41]
Alleluja! Freuet euch, ihr Christen [4:12]
Johann ROSENMÜLLER (1619-1684)
Magnificat [13:50]
Gli Scarlattisti/Jochen Arnold – rec.2001 (Rosenmüller) and 2011.
DDD
Pdf booklet available from Naxos Music Library – but no texts included
CARUS 83.375 [47:30] – from eclassical.com
(mp3 and lossless) or stream from Naxos Music Library
The
short playing time partially militates against this recording – though
eclassical.com’s price-per-second policy helps take care of that, surely
something more could have been found? As it is, a recording of the Rosenmüller
from a decade ago has been resuscitated as a filler. Then there’s the
matter of texts – there’s no booklet at all from eclassical.com
and that with the classicsonline.com download, also available from the Naxos
Music Library, is an abbreviated affair with only three pages. Texts are not
too hard to find online – most of the Hammerschmidt works have texts
from the Lutheran Bible and the Latin Magnificat is also easy to find,
but it shouldn’t be necessary to have to search them out. Look up the
Wikipedia article and you’ll even find some scores of his music, including
five different editions of Machet die Tore weit.
Grumbling apart, all the music by Hammerschmidt is delightful, from the opening
Fling wide the gates, via the German Magnificat and the Christmas
texts, Glory be to God on high, The Word became flesh and Where
is the newborn King? Like his older contemporary Schütz, he had learned
his lesson from the Italian composers of the age, the Gabrielis and Monteverdi.
Rosenmüller, too, was heavily influenced by the music of Italian composers,
having been employed at St Mark’s in Venice, no less. His Latin Magnificat
would have been equally at home in the Roman rite or on high days and holidays
in Lutheran usage. The performances throughout are bright and stylish and
the recording is to match. This is well worth considering for something unusual
for this Christmas. There’s no direct competition and very little by
either composer apart from the odd piece in anthologies.
The most substantial recording of Hammerschmidt’s sacred music is on
CPO:
Herr unser Herrscher (1662) [05:35]
Anima mea liquefacta est (1649) [03:34]
Ein jegliches hat seine Zeit (1662) [04:59]
O Domine, quia ego servus tuus sum (1649) [03:23]
Herr, ich habe lieb die Stätte deines Hauses (1662) [04:26]
Christ lag in Todesbanden (1662) [07:12]
Nun danket alle Gott (1662) [04:24]
Wenn der Herr die Gefangenen (1649) [04:22]
Paratum cor meum (1649) [03:12]
Da pacem Domine (1649) [03:37]
Nun lob mein Seel den Herren (1662) [04:53]
De profundis clamavi (1649) [04:04]
Inter brachia Salvatoris mei (1649) [03:47]
Herzlich lieb hab ich dich (1662) [05:39]
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ (1662) [04:12]
Vom Himmel hoch (1662) [07:45]
Weser-Renaissance/Manfred Cordes
CPO 999 846-2 [75:06] – from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Music Library
There’s music here for all seasons of the church year, and there’s
no overlap with the Advent and Christmas album. Johan van Veen had some minor
reservations, mainly concerning the documentation – see review.
Defects or not, it’s a pity that we are not given that documentation
with the download, but the very reasonable price of £4.99 goes a long
way towards making amends. As with the Carus recording, most of the texts
are from the Lutheran Bible and fairly easily found online. The singing is
marginally less accomplished than on the new Carus recording but still well
worth recommending; one of the sopranos is a little too shrill for my taste
and the artificial chirping of birds in Herr unser Herrscher sounds
terribly contrived.
I’ve included a few more suggestions for the music of Hammerschmidt below,
but don’t overlook the inexpensive Hyperion Helios excellent reissue
of German 17th Century Church Music (CDH55230) which contains Rosenmüller’s
Christum ducem – review.
Christophorus have a selection of secular and sacred music entitled Dialoge,
Concerte & Madrigale
Paduan in g (instrumental) [3:55]
Gaillard in g (instrumental) [1:45]
Lobe den Herren, meine Seele [3:44]
Wie bin ich doch so herzlich froh [3:22]
Aria in F (instrumental) [1:48]
Gott, es ist mein rechter Ernst [4:10]
Nun treten wir ins neue Jahr [3:50]
Paduan in E (instrumental) [4:18]
Mein Freund ist mein [5:38]
Courente in a (instrumental) [1:55]
Vulnerasti cor meum [3:48]
Aria in g (instrumental) [1:34]
Komm Nordwind du, o Süd steh auf [2:56]
Wie der güldnen Rosen Zier [4:00]
Paduan in a (instrumental) [4:23]
O barmherziger Vater – Motette zu 4 Stimmen [3:15]
Herr, wie lange willst du mein so gar vergessen – Motette zu 5 Stimmen
[4:49]
Sei nun wieder zufrieden [2:09]
Herr, nun lässt du deinen Diener im Friede fahren – Motette zu
6 Stimmen [3:54]
Movimento (Nele Gramß (soprano); Harry van Berne (tenor); Veronika Skuplik,
Judith Steenbrink (violin); Catherine Aglibut, Klaus Bona (viola); Matthias
Müller (violone); Michael Freimuth (lute, chitarrone); Christoph Lehmann
(organ) – rec. 2011. DDD
Pdf booklet with texts and translations included
CHRISTOPHORUS CHR77344 [65:13] – from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Music Library
You’ll find a review by my MusicWeb International colleague Johan van
Veen of a recent concert by Movimento in celebration of Hammerschmidt’s
quatercentenary here.
That concert combined his music with that of his contemporaries but I think
you will find enough in the Christophorus recording to be getting on with;
certainly enough to agree with JvV that Movimento have opened yet another
accomplished and enjoyable window on the music of this neglected composer.
In many respects you will find this a more varied selection than on the Carus
and CPO recordings and, though the personnel vary slightly from those that
JvV heard in concert, the performances are equally accomplished.
There’s a lossless version from eclassical.com, but that comes without
the booklet of texts and translations. On this occasion you may prefer to
choose the (good) mp3 download for the sake of the texts. The prices work
out about the same whichever you choose.
Verleih uns Frieden: Geistliche Vokalmusik von Andreas Hammerschmidt
(Sacred Choral Music of Andreas Hammerschmidt).
Verleih uns Friede genädiglich (1646) 7:32
Sonata à 5, nr. xix (1650) 3:18
Meine Seele erhebet den Herren (1656) 5:30
Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (1671) 2:54
Sei willkommen Jesulein (1671) 4:33
Also hat Gott die Welt geliebet (1671) 3:27
Ach! Jesus stirbt (1671) 5:23
Ich fahre auf zu meinem Vater (1671) 3:16
Paduan à 5, nr. ii (1650) 3:29
Höret zu, es ging ein Sämann aus zu säen seinen Samen
(1655) 6:54
Herr, ich trau auf dich (1641) 3:29
Sei nun wieder zufrieden, meine Seele (1638) 2:09
Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz (1641) 3:12
Gott, mein Herz ist bereit (1641) 4:37
Canzon à 3, nr. xiv (1650) 2:17
Die mit Tränen säen (1652 ?53) 3:39
Sei nun wieder zufrieden, meine Seele (1646) 3:32
Jauchzet dem Herren, alle Welt (1652 ?53) 2:59
Lob- und Danklied aus dem 84. Psalm: Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen,
Herr Zebaoth (1652) [7:04]
Himlische Cantorey
Knabenchor Hannover
Johann Rosenmüller Ensemble/Jörg Breiding – rec. October 2005.
DDD.
Pdf booklet with texts and translations included
RONDEAU ROP7001 [79:25] – from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Music Library
Rondeau claim this collectively as a world premiere recording; certainly many
of the items here don’t seem to appear on any rival version.
The Himlische Cantorey (archaic spelling, Heavenly Singers), founded in 1995,
are certainly not misnamed. They already have quite a discography for CPO
and Naxos; Johan van Veen made their 2-CD recording of the music of CPE Bach
Recording of the Month (CPO 777594-2 – review)
and they acquit themselves well in the music of Hammerschmidt, with the able
assistance of the boys of the Hannover Knabenchor and the instrumentalists
of the Johann Rosenmüller Ensemble. With good recording and a very useful
and scholarly set of notes, this recording adds in excellent fashion to the
availability of Hammerschmidt’s music.
Johann Friedrich FASCH (1688-1758) Orchestral
Works, Volume 3
Ouverture in D FWV K:D2 [8:13]
Recorder Concerto in F, FWV L:F deest [8:09]
Concerto in D, FWV L:D8 * [10:00]
Ouverture in F, FWV K:F1 * [20:28]
Lute Concerto in d minor, FWV L:d1 [15:20]
Concerto, FWV L:F3 (Konzertsatz) * [3:24]
* premiere recording
Gwyn Roberts (recorder); Richard Stone (lute)
Tempesta di Mare; Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra/Gwyn Roberts, Richard Stone
Emlyn Ngai (concertmaster)
Pdf booklet available
CHANDOS CHACONNE CHAN0791 [66:20] – from theclassicalshop.net
(mp3 and lossless) or stream from Naxos Classical Library
If you have tried either or both of the earlier volumes in this series, you
won’t need me to tell you that is a delight; music, performances and
recording are all of the highest quality and there’s an excellent booklet
of notes. Go for it – and volumes 1 (CHAN0751)
and 2 (CHAN0783)
if you haven’t already done so. Then there are the recordings by il Gardellino
(Accent ACC14182 – from classicsonline.com (mp3) and ACC24252
– from eclassical.com
(mp3 and lossless)). See November 2011/1 Roundup
and December 2011/1 Roundup.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-91)
Piano Concerto No. 17 in G, K 453 [26:46]
Piano Concerto No. 26 in D K 537 ‘Coronation Concerto’ [27:31]
Cadenzas: W. A. Mozart (K 453), Ronald Brautigam (K 537)
Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano – copy of instrument by Anton Walter, c.1795)
Die Kölner Akademie/Michael Alexander Willens – rec. July 2011.
DDD/DSD
Pdf booklet included
BIS-SACD-1944 [55:04] – from eclassical.com
(mp3, 16-and 24-bit lossless) or stream from Naxos Music Library
This is the third recording of Mozart keyboard concertos from this source:
– Concertos Nos. 9 and 12; Rondo K386: BIS-SACD-1794
– Concertos Nos. 24 and 25: BIS-SACD-1894
Those earlier releases have come in for some intemperate criticism in some
quarters but Dominy Clements took a moderate course in reviewing BIS-SACD-1894
– here.
Nor could I understand why these recordings had been so vehemently criticised
– see February 2012/2 Roundup.
My reaction to this latest release is much as before – clean, stylish
playing all round, though lacking the last degree of involvement with the
music, especially in the slow movement of No.17, and excellently recorded;
go for the 24-bit version if possible. Not my first choice, but well worth
having, particularly if you bought the previous two releases. Others, even
period-performance enthusiasts, may wish to try first via Naxos Music Library
if possible.
If you’re not wedded to period performance, Clifford Curzon still takes
a great deal of beating in No.26, where he and István Kertesz give
the slow movement considerably longer to breathe (Decca Legends 468 4912,
2 CDs, with Nos. 20, 23, 24 and 27). You may well find the CD set on sale
for less than any download – the least expensive source of the latter
is from hmvdigital.com.
Jacques-François GALLAY (1795-1864)
Concerts cachés
Douze grands caprices, Op.32 (1838)
Préludes mesurés et nonmesurés, Op.27 (1835)
Fantaisies mélodiques, Op.58
Anneke Scott (natural horn – cor solo by Marcel-Auguste Raoux (1823))
Illustrated pdf booklet included
RESONUS CLASSICS RES10114 [72:39] – no CD; download from resonusclassics.com
(mp3, aac and lossless) or from classicsonline.com
(mp3, 16– and 24-bit lossless)
Of all the ground-breaking repertoire that Resonus has brought us in just
over a year, this will be for most listeners the most unusual; I hadn’t
even heard of the composer and I’m not aware of ever having encountered
Anneke Scott, though she comes highly recommended by Andrew Manze and Pavlo
Beznosiuk, no less, whose encomia appear in the pdf booklet. In fact, she
is the principal horn of a number of distinguished period instrument orchestras
such as the English Baroque Soloists, so you may well have heard her in action
without knowing. The instrument which she employs here was made by the same
manufacturer as Gallay’s own instrument and dates from 1823.
Though I’ve listed the préludes, caprices and fantaisies
separately in the heading, the three genres are interspersed with each other
in practice. A programme of music for the solo natural horn may not seem overtly
appealing, even with such a mix of genres. I was recently rather disparaging
of such a programme on the Dux label and I think the present release will
appeal to a limited – perhaps mainly academic – audience. Nevertheless,
if you give it a try, perhaps initially from the Naxos Music Library if you
have access, I believe that you will be fascinated by the variety of sound
which Anneke Scott achieves.
If you’re looking for this recording in 24/96 sound, that’s available
from eclassical.com.
Hector BERLIOZ (1803-69)
Le Corsaire – Overture, Op.21 [8:06]
Symphonie fantastique, Op.14 [62:15]
Orchestre National de Lyon/Leonard Slatkin – rec. August/September 2011.
DDD.
Pdf booklet included.
NAXOS 8.572886 [70:21] – from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Music Library
As I write, in late September, this is one of Naxos chairman Klaus Heymann’s
‘Chairman recommends’ releases and is being specially featured by
classicsonline.com. We’ve recently had quite a stream of recommendable
recordings from Leonard Slatkin on Naxos, but they have been reissues of earlier
Delos recordings; this is the first fruit of a new association of the Orchestre
National de Lyon, Slatkin and Naxos. With Naxos releases still priced at just
£4.99 from classicsonline.com, it’s just about the least expensive
Symphonie fantastique currently on offer, though my own enduring benchmark,
recorded by Sir Thomas Beecham, costs only £5.99, again from classicsonline.com,
in its latest incarnation on EMI Masters – here*.
Like the new Naxos recording, that comes with Le Corsaire, but it also
adds two excerpts from Les Troyens and it still sounds first-rate,
despite its age.
Beecham takes 52:28 for the symphony, Robin Ticciati on Linn CKD400
54:58**, Colin Davis and the Concertgebouw 55:27. At first Slatkin’s
62:15, as listed by Naxos Music Library, certainly looks over-long on paper,
but that overall time includes a separate alternative version of un Bal;
his actual time for the conventional symphony is 55:34 and his tempi for individual
movements well within normal parameters. The Lyon Orchestra may not be the
world’s most mellifluous but they offer good performances under Slatkin’s
direction of the first three movements – free from the longueurs
that sometimes set in. Their March to the Scaffold, however, lacks
the snarling menace that Ticciati brings to it – no sense that his chamber
orchestra sounds undernourished – and the Witches’ Sabbath
is rather slow to get into full swing, though it ends suitably in a blaze.
The recording is generally clear, with instruments well placed in a credible
sound picture, though occasionally there are patches where everything is not
as well delineated as might be. The alternative recording of Un Bal
is a distraction – you’ll want to get up to stop it before it spoils
the end of the Witches’ Sabbath unless you’ve already programmed
the symphony to play without it. This offers a good bargain, then, but no
match for Beecham, so I’d be inclined to pay the extra £1 for that
vintage version. If you’re intrigued by period performance of the work,
classicsonline.com can provide the Musica Aeterna/van Immerseel recording
(ZZT100101)
which I reviewed in the May 2010 Roundup
– see also review
– but beware of the two pianos which substitute for the bells in the
finale; you may wish to try this one on a test drive first in the Naxos Music
Library.
* also available as part of The French Collection, almost 7 hours of
wonderful music-making for just £13.99 from sainsburysentertainment.com.
** See review
– Recording of the Month – review
– Recording of the Month – and April 2012/2 Roundup.
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Violin Concerto in e minor, Op. 64 [24:45]
Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave), Op. 26 [9:00]
Violin Concerto in d minor, Op. post. [21:34]
Alina Ibragimova (violin)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Vladimir Jurowski – rec. September
2011. DDD
Pdf booklet included
HYPERION CDA67795 [56:19] – from hyperion-records.co.uk
(mp3 16– and 24-bit lossless)
This new recording breaks the very common practice of pairing the conventional
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Bruch – an understandable partnership,
but it means having two very similar pieces of music in succession. Here the
pairing is with the earlier concerto in d minor, with the Hebrides
overture in the middle of the sandwich. If you’re not sure whether having
the youthful (aged 13) Concerto in d is worthwhile, Hyperion include the finale
of that work on their October 2012 sampler (see above).
I’d have preferred to have the earlier concerto first, so I recommend
re-programming to start with the overture and the d minor work before its
mature companion. Heard at the end of the programme, the d minor seems too
much like an also-ran, though it’s a work impossibly beyond the reach
of most, even hyper-musical 13-year-olds. Alina Ibragimova makes the strongest
possible case for it and, indeed, for its e minor big brother.
Fears of a mismatch between Ibragimova’s modern style of playing and
the period-instrument OAE are unfounded; she doesn’t overdo the slurpier
moments and they don’t overdo the period aspect, though the clarity which
they achieve is remarkable. At times I missed the greater power of modern
instruments – parts of the Hebrides overture sound a bit monochrome,
like the cover picture, or more like the Midsummer Night’s Dream overture
than they should – but it’s far from a serious problem.
The recording is excellent, especially in 24-bit format, and the booklet is
of Hyperion’s usual high quality. The playing time is a bit mean, but
there’s a reduction from the usual £7.99 to £6.99 for mp3
and 16-bit lossless; the Studio Master 24-bit can be yours for a reasonable
£10.50.
[A review of this recording from Geoffrey Molyneux reached me too late for
inclusion; I'll run it in the next Download News.]
Modest Petrovich MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) (arr.
Peter BREINER) Pictures at an Exhibition [40:26]
Pesni i plyaski smerti (Songs and Dances of Death) (arr. Peter BREINER)
[18:39]
Detskaya (The Nursery) (arr. Peter BREINER) [19:03]
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Peter Breiner
Pdf booklet included
NAXOS 8.573016 [78:08] – Download only (no CD) from eclassical.com
(mp3, 16– and 24-bit lossless) or stream from Naxos Music Library
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Orchestral Works
– Volume 8
24 Préludes (orch. Peter BREINER)
Book 1 [36:06]
Book 2 [39:06]
Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Jun Märkl – rec. June 2011. DDD.
Pdf booklet included
NAXOS 8.572584 [76:31] – from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Music Library
[all 9 CDs of the complete Naxos recordings of Debussy’s orchestral music
are also available on 8.509002. Download in mp3 from classicsonline.com
or stream from Naxos Music Library.]
Two Naxos recordings this month of music orchestrated by Peter Breiner.
A very slow opening Promenade almost put this out of court for me from
the start – and that’s pretty much the case every time the Promenade
recurs. On the other hand, the extra bite of Peter Breiner’s new orchestration
in Gnomus put it back in the running. Not since I heard Stokowski conduct
his own orchestration at the Proms in 1966 have I been so impressed with an
alternative to the Ravel. You’ll find Peter Breiner’s own notes
on his powerful orchestration available from both eclassical.com and Naxos
Music Library. As he also directs the performances – all three works
come in his orchestration – I can only assume that he obtains the effects
that he wants. Minor reservations about interpretation, mainly concerning
tempo and some odd gear-changes are irrelevant; with this performance further
removed from the piano originals than any that I know, you either like it
or leave it as a whole and there’s nothing to compete directly. The
Great Gate of Kiev brings the house down – this version makes it
all the more regrettable that it was never built. The other works are equally
effective – perhaps the orchestration is just a little too fierce for
The Nursery.
Try it first from Naxos Music Library and, if you like it, go for the searingly
realistic 24-bit download from eclassical.com; it was temporarily reduced
to $19.92 at the time of writing. If it’s just mp3 that you want, that
should be available from classicsonline.com for rather less than eclassical.com’s
$14.06 by the time that you read this review.
Naxos usually treat these download-only recordings as a toe in the water,
with a subsequent CD release where indicated. I think in this case that they
can safely plan for that CD, or even an audio blu-ray to take advantage of
the wide-ranging recording.
For me there’s no contest between Mussorgsky on the piano and in orchestral
guise, with the originals sounding very monochrome indeed, but the issue is
far less clear cut with Debussy, much as I enjoyed hearing Colin Matthews’
orchestrations on Hallé CDHLL7513 and 7518 – March 2010
Roundup
In brief: see below for the reissue of those recordings on a 2-CD set
of the complete Préludes.
Naxos also include in the complete 9-CD set (see above) the Debussy Préludes
in Colin Matthews’ orchestration*, but it appears that they always intended
to record the Peter Breiner versions too, and here they are. Much as I enjoyed
Breiner’s Mussorgsky and although there is a good deal to enjoy in these
Debussy arrangements, too, I recommend staying with the originals this time.
* also recorded by Mark Elder and the Hallé (CDHLL7527 –
review.
Download in mp3 from classicsonline.com
or stream from Naxos Music Library.)
Claude DEBUSSY
Children’s Corner [17:05]
Suite Bergamasque [18:27]
Danse – Tarantelle styrienne [5:28]
Deux Arabesques [7:43]
Pour le piano [14:06]
Masques [5:03]
L’isle joyeuse [6:42]
La plus que lente [5:41]
Angela Hewitt (piano)
Pdf booklet included
HYPERION CDA67898 [79:25] – from hyperion-records.co.uk
(mp3, 16– and 24-bit lossless)
For all that I enjoyed both Peter Breiner’s and Colin Matthews’
orchestrations of Debussy, Angela Hewitt’s new collection reminds us
that the piano originals are perfectly self-sufficient, especially when they
are as well played as this. She covers a wide range of Debussy’s piano
music, so this would make a good introduction as well as a satisfying recital
for connoisseurs. With downloads available a month or so ahead of the CD issue,
I’m usually first in the field, but I can’t help being aware that
this recording has already earned a well-deserved strong recommendation from
another reviewer.
Carl NIELSEN (1865-1931)
Symphony No. 3 ‘Sinfonia Espansiva’, Op. 27 (1910-1911) [35:09]
Symphony No. 2 ‘The Four Temperaments’, Op. 16 (1901-1902) [37:19]
Pdf booklet included
New York Philharmonic/Alan Gilbert
rec. live, Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, 27-29 January &
1 February 2011 (No. 2), 14-16 June 2012 (No. 3)
DACAPO 6.220623 [72:28] – from eclassical.com
(mp3, 16– and 24-bit lossless) or stream from Naxos Music Library
I first heard Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic’s ‘Espansiva’
on a decent 192kb/s mp3 of a concert they gave at Colorado’s Vail Valley
Festival in August this year. From that imperious, sharply delineated opening
it was clear this was going to be a performance of sinew and strength; indeed,
the telling detail, essential thrust and a superbly vaulted structure is just
right for this music. As for the orchestra they’re in fabulous –
and highly virtuosic – form. Just two months earlier Dacapo recorded
‘Espansiva’ live at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall, adding to
the ‘Four Temperaments’ taped in 2011. This natural coupling marks
the first instalment of their much-anticipated Nielsen Project.
I should point out that the 24-bit flacs are sampled at 192kHz, rather than
the usual 96kHz, which wasn’t made clear on eclassical.com’s website
at the time of purchase. I only realised this when I saw the file sizes and
confirmed the sampling rate on Songbird. Not all devices will support the
higher rate, but I’m pleased to confirm that even in 24/96 this is a
very good recording indeed. For techies the pdf booklet notes that No. 2 was
recorded in ‘96kHz/24-bit resolution [and] mixed and edited in the DXD
audio format (Digital eXtreme Definition) 352.8kHz/24-bit’. No. 3, it
seems, is pure DXD. I daresay most listeners, only too pleased at the prospect
of a high-res Nielsen cycle, won’t care two hoots about such details;
that said, I was intrigued to hear how these recordings compared in purely
sonic terms.
Avery Fisher Hall doesn’t have the most grateful acoustic, although what
it lacks in velvet glove it more than makes up for with a mailed fist. Gilbert’s
tough, forthright performance of ‘Espansiva’ certainly works well
in this unforgiving space. As with that Vail performance there’s a strong
sense of the symphony’s architecture, and Gilbert never allows the animated
diversions of the Allegro espansivo to impede progress. Those brass-drenched
tuttis are splendid and rhythms are as taut as one would wish for.
This is shaping up to be a formidable Third; even the Andante pastorale
is more affectionate – more pliable, even – than I’ve come
to expect from this seemingly aloof conductor. The horns are hair-raising,
as are the ideally distant vocalists Erin Morley and Joshua Hopkins, whose
contributions bring a touch of real magic to this lovely movement.
Unsentimental yet generous is a perfect description of Gilbert’s way
with this music; those dancerly tunes in the Allegretto are discreetly
sprung and utterly spontaneous, while in the firm, well-proportioned Finale
the pizzicato playing in that long-breathed passage is a miracle of
finesse and feeling. The orchestra excel themselves throughout; ditto the
engineers, who extract a warm, detailed and surprisingly seductive sound from
this otherwise intractable acoustic. I really wouldn’t want to be without
Schmidt, Blomstedt, Schønwandt or Saraste in this work; that said,
this newcomer, a tad impenetrable at first, grows in stature the more I hear
it.
Over time I also warmed to Myung-Whun Chung’s recording of ‘The
Four Temperaments’ – review
– although his Swedish forces are no match for their American counterparts.
Under Gilbert the high-coloured complexion of the first movement is very well
caught; as before the playing is incisive yet characterful – the brass
especially so – and momentum never flags. Saraste is at his best in this
symphony, and I find him more open-hearted here; but for all their charms
the Finns must yield to the easeful virtuosity of these New Yorkers, especially
in the gentle bounce of the second movement.
Gilbert coaxes thrilling sonorities from his orchestra in the dark-toned Andante
malincolico; not only that, he judges the emotional ebb and flow of this
music to perfection. It’s all so beautifully scaled too, with some gorgeous
string and woodwind playing in the more inward moments. This is Nielsen laid
bare in a way I’ve not heard before, the tuttis Sibelian in their
blend of gravitas and grandeur. Moreover, there’s a heightened concentration
in the playing that one associates with only the best live performances. The
sanguine Finale is no exception, its liveliness augmented by passages of astonishing
transparency. Also, the recording picks up even the smallest shift in dynamics;
both symphonies sound excellent, although No. 3 is perhaps more forensic and
offers an extra degree of ‘presence’.
These are slow burners, so they may take a while to yield their secrets. Do
persevere though, as Gilbert’s view of these scores is as consistent
as it is insightful. Indeed, I’m so impressed with this partnership that
I intend to seek out other Gilbert/NYP recordings I’ve ignored in the
past; if their Mahler Ninth (BIS) is half as compelling as this Nielsen coupling
it should be well worth hearing. Expect a review of it soon.
Deeply satisfying; a splendid start to this Nielsen Project.
Dan Morgan
http://twitter.com/mahlerei
Having read Dan’s review, I immediately listened to this recording from
Naxos Music Library and he’s absolutely right; this offers a strong challenge
to existing recommendations and my only reservation concerns the decision
to place the less mature work first.
There are many more NYPO/Gilbert recordings to be had from emusic.com –
here
– many of them on their own label and available very inexpensively. There’s
a very good Schoenberg Pelleas and Melisande, for example – see
February 2012/1 Roundup
– well worth having, though yoked to a rather dull Brahms Violin Concerto.
Searchers after classic recordings of Nielsen will find the Naxos Classical
Archives reissue of Erik Tuxen’s 1952 performance of the Espansiva
for £1.68 from emusic.com. (£1.99 from classicsonline.com).
British Clarinet Concertos
Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924)
Clarinet Concerto, Op.80 (1902)* [21:15]
Gerald FINZI (1901-1956) Concerto for
Clarinet and String Orchestra, Op.31 (1948-49) [28:07]
Sir Malcolm ARNOLD (1921-2006) Clarinet
Concerto No.2, Op.115 (1974) [16:00]
BBC Symphony Orchestra/Michael Collins (clarinet)
CHANDOS CHAN10739 [65:45] – from theclassicalshop.net
(mp3, 16- and 24-bit and lossless) or stream from classicsonline.com
Alternative recordings (Stanford and Finzi Clarinet Concertos):
– Dame Thea King (clarinet); Philharmonia Orchestra/Alun Francis
– HYPERION HELIOS CDH55101 [49:08] – from hyperion-records.co.uk
(mp3 and lossless) – see September 2010 Roundup,
Hyperion
Top 30 and review
by Christopher Howell
– Emma Johnson (clarinet); Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Charles Groves
– ASV CDDCA787 (with Finzi Bagatelles; Stanford Intermezzi) [72:37]
– from hmvdigital.com
(mp3): see August 2009 Roundup
(Finzi Clarinet and Cello Concertos)
– John Denman (clarinet); New Philharmonia Orchestra; Yo-yo Ma (cello);
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley – LYRITA SRCD.236 [70:25]
– from amazon.co.uk
(mp3) or emusic.com
(mp3): see review,
review
and June 2012/1 Roundup
The Hyperion recording was one of their very first releases in 1980; always
highly regarded, it’s even more recommendable now as a budget CD and
download, the price making up for the fact that it’s very short on playing
time. As recently as the June 2012/1 Roundup I found myself unwilling to plump
for any one of the Hyperion, ASV and Lyrita recordings of the Finzi Clarinet
Concerto.
Now Chandos, who clouded the waters of choice then with a reissue of a recording
of the Finzi Cello Concerto to rival that with which the Clarinet Concerto
is coupled on Lyrita – Wallfisch versus Ma – are making the choice
very difficult again with a recommendable recording of the Finzi and Stanford
coupled more generously than on Hyperion with the jaunty Arnold Clarinet Concerto
No.2. I can only suggest once again that coupling be allowed to decide the
issue; if you would like the three works on Chandos, go ahead.
If, however, you think that the two Arnold Clarinet Concertos should go together,
rather than with the very different idioms of the Finzi or Stanford, Thea
King is at your service again – she couples both Arnold concertos with
a Movement for clarinet and orchestra by Benjamin Britten and two Clarinet
Concertos by Elizabeth Maconchy on another budget-price Hyperion reissue (CDH55060
[63:29] – from hyperion-records.co.uk
in mp3 and lossless: see review).
I’m lucky in having all the recordings which I’ve mentioned and,
ideally, I’d recommend that you do, too, if possible. Otherwise, if pushed
against the wall and forced to choose I’d set aside the new recording
and go for the two Hyperion downloads and still have a couple of pence to
spare from £12*. As the 20- and 30-year-old Hyperion recordings still
sound well, you may well think it not worthwhile to pay almost twice the price
for Chandos’s 16-bit lossless or almost three times as much for 24/96
sound.
The Finzi is without doubt the stand-out work and his Cello Concerto is also
delectable; if you don’t have either, go for the Lyrita; the best transfer
is from amazon.co.uk
– albeit only in 256kb/s sound, that’s better than the less expensive
emusic.com which barely reaches even 192kb/s.
* Those who hark back to a past Golden Age should bear in mind that the regular
price for the Finzi and Stanford LP in 1980 was £4.99 at a time when
that would buy a lot more than now; the Helios reissue is yours for £5.99.
Josef Bohuslav FOERSTER (1859-1951)
String Quartet No.1 in E, Op.15 [26:32]
String Quartet No.2 in D, Op.39 [28:19]
String Quartet No.3 in C, Op.61 [15:34]
String Quartet No.4 in F, Op.182 [22:02]
String Quartet No.5 in G ‘The Vestic’, sine op. [16:08]
The Prayer for String Quartet, sine op. [8:10]
Erinnerung for String Quartet and Harp, sine op. [2:14]
Stamic Quartet – rec. c.2009 (?)
SUPRAPHON SU40502 [2 CDs: 2:11:21] – from hmvdigital.com
(mp3)
If you like the chamber music of Dvořák, Smetana and Suk, you’re
likely to enjoy this 2-CD recording of idiomatic performances from the Stamic
Quartet. Hmvdigital.com have an endearing habit of selling many multi-CD sets
for the same price as one and this is one such bargain. There’s no current
competition, but don’t let that make you think that Foerster’s music
is not worth recording – it emphatically is, especially when it’s
as well performed as here.
Only the lack of notes constitutes something of a handicap. That’s particularly
problematic because you may think that you have downloaded two versions of
Quartet No.1, or that it has seven movements – the track labelling from
hmvdigital.com will make you think so; only tracks 1-4 are in fact No.1, with
No.2 on 5-7. The 320 kb/s transfer of the recording sounds well.
For more attractive music by Foerster, on Supraphon and BIS, see the September
2012/1 Roundup.
Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No.1
in D Titan (1889)
No sooner had I recommended Iván Fischer (SACD and download) and Claudio
Abbado (blu-ray and DVD) in a recent roundup than yet another recording came
along from the Baltimore SO and Marin Alsop on Naxos (8.572207 [54:54]
– from classicsonline.com
(mp3) with booklet). I enjoyed this performance but thought it a little lacking
in the sheer delight in the sounds of nature which typify those other two
recordings and the classic Rafael Kubelík account (DG Originals). As
the Kubelík is available to download for £4.99 from hmvdigital.com,
the same price as the classicsonline.com Alsop, and comes with a sizeable
filler in the shape of the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Dietrich
Fischer-Dieskau, no less), I’d still recommend that to bargain seekers.
It still sounds well, but those in search of a more modern recording won’t
go far wrong with Alsop.
I forgot to give a link to my fuller review of the Abbado recording –
it’s here
– or, indeed, to look at it myself to see that I managed to say very
little about the performance of the Mahler. You’ll also find more detail
in Dave Billinge’s review of the reissue of this recording in a set with
Symphonies Nos. 2-7 – here
– and Colin Clarke’s of the DVD equivalent – here.
Frederick DELIUS (1862-1934)
Appalachia – Variations on an Old Slave Song with Final Chorus
(1896-1903) (ed. Sir Thomas Beecham) [35:19]
Sea Drift (1904) (ed. Sir Thomas Beecham) [24:52]
Leon Williams (baritone)
The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay/James K. Bass
The Florida Orchestra/Stefan Sanderling – rec. January, 2012. DDD
Pdf booklet with texts included
NAXOS 8.572764 [60:11] – from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Music Library
There’s any number of recommendable recordings of these two works separately,
but only on the Decca complete Delius Edition (8 CDs) or its EMI equivalent
(18 CDs) will you find them together. Those who would like to have them together
on one CD will not regret spending £4.99 on the classicsonline.com download.
The performances are idiomatic, the recording is good, and the booklet comes
as part of the deal.
I must, however, point out that you can do better elsewhere; Sir Andrew Davis
coupled Appalachia and Song of the High Hills on a recent Chandos release
(CHSA/CHAN5088: Recording of the Month – review).
I recommended this alongside Sir Charles Mackerras’ 2-CD Delius collection
(473 7162) as joint Download of the Month in the April
2011/1 Roundup
and they remain my outright recommendations. The Decca set can be had from
hmvdigital.com
for £7.49, which is actually less expensive per disc than the Naxos
and it comes with wonderful versions of the Florida Suite, Over
the Hills and North Country Sketches. (The passionato.com link
no longer applies.) The best performance of all time remains the Beecham LP;
if you can cope with the dated mono, it’s available inexpensively in
a decent transfer from Past Classics – see May 2012/2 Roundup.
Chandos also have the most recommendable version of Sea Drift, coupled
with Songs of Farewell and Songs of Sunset on CHAN9214
– review.
That version goes to the top of the pile if only for Bryn Terfel’s contribution,
but there’s much more to it than that. Once again, Beecham’s classic
recording takes some beating – available inexpensively in decent sound
from Emkay with the Hassan music – see May 2012/2 Roundup.
[Somewhat belatedly, after closing this Download News, I discovered a better
transfer of the 1956 Beecham recording of Sea Drift from Naxos Classical
Archives, coupled with Paris (9.80097). It’s a bargain,
too, in the countries where it’s available – not the USA –
at £1.99 from classicsonline.com.]
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Daphnis et Chloë
New England Conservatory Chorus; Boston Symphony Orchestra/Charles Munch –
rec. 1955 ADD/mono
NAXOS CLASSICAL ARCHIVES 9.80723 [54:14] – from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Music Library
In the previous Download News, reviewing a recording of this work from Bernard
Haitink on the CSOR label, I forgot to mention Munch’s two classic recordings
of Daphnis et Chloë. This is certainly worth £0.84 from
emusic.com or £1.99 from classicsonline.com*, but be aware that it’s
the mono version released on RCA (USA) and HMV (UK) in 1956, not the later
stereo reissue of the same recording on RCA Victrola and more recently on
CD/SACD, or the 1962 remake. The atmospheric performance rivals even Pierre
Monteux (Decca Originals) but the recording is constricted, not assisted by
the very mean bit-rate from emusic.com, and there’s noticeable surface
noise in the quieter sections when heard on ’phones. The ear soon adjusts
to the shortcomings, however, so this makes an inexpensive alternative to
Monteux or Haitink.
* don’t pay £7.49 for the amazon.co.uk version.
George ENESCU (1881-1955)
The Unknown Enescu – Volume One: Music for Violin
Aubade (1899) [3:46]
Pastorale, Menuet triste et Nocturne (1900; arr. Sherban LUPU)** [13:38]
Sarabande (c. 1910-15)* [4:43]
Sérénade lointaine (1903) [4:49]
Andantino malinconico (1951) [2:15]
Prelude and Gavotte (1898)* [10:21]
Airs dans le genre roumain (1926)* [7:12]
Légende (1891) [4:21]
Sérénade en sourdine (c. 1915-20) [4:21]
Fantaisie concertante (1932; arr. Sherban LUPU)* [11:04]
Nocturne ‘Villa d’Avrayen’ (1931-36)* [6:11]
Hora Unirei (1917) [1:40]
Aria and Scherzino (c. 1898-1908; arr. Sherban LUPU)** [5:12]
Masumi Per Rostad (viola); Marin Cazacu, Dmitry Kouzov (cello); Ian Hobson,
Ilinca Dumitrescu, Samir Golescu (piano)
Enescu Ensemble of the University of Illinois/Sherban Lupu (violin) –
rec. April 2011. DDD
*first recording
**first recording in this version
Pdf booklet included
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0047 [80:30] – from toccataclassics.com
or classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Music Library.
This is all very attractive music in a fairly light vein, often verging on
the sentimental, as might well be expected of the composer of the Romanian
Rhapsodies, the only works of Enescu’s that are at all well known.
I don’t recall having heard any of these pieces before – several
of them are being recorded for the first time* – so I have no benchmark
except to say that I very much enjoyed them all and that the recording is
good. I can’t claim that there are any undiscovered masterpieces here,
but, once again we owe a debt of gratitude to Martin Anderson of Toccata Classics
for having brought us this unfamiliar material and having done it so well.
If you prefer to burn your downloads to CD, you will have a problem with this
one, in that it exceeds 80 minutes; you will, however, be able to burn it
as an mp3 CD in the (free) iTunes player – in fact, you can burn the
equivalent of four CDs in that fashion, provided that none of the music is
continuous across tracks. You’ll have a brief dropout every time if so.
As usual with Toccata releases, the booklet contains a scholarly essay, by
Malcolm MacDonald, well worth printing out to read if you dislike reading
on-screen material as much as I do.
* Nothing here is included on another recent recording, Enescu’s Complete
Works for Violin and Piano (Saphir LVC1114). In fact there seems to
be a small crop of recent Enescu recordings; I hope to pursue some of them
in the near future.
Terzetti: Trios for flute, viola and harp
Arnold BAX (1883-1953) Elegiac Trio [9:41]
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Sonate en
Trio [17:42]
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Sonatine
en Trio arranged by Carlos SALZEDO (1885-1961) [12:35]
William MATHIAS (1934-1992) Zodiac Trio,
Op.70 [18:00]
Théodore DUBOIS (1837-1924) Terzettino
[5:20]
The Debussy Ensemble (Susan Milan (flute), Matthew Jones (viola), Ieuan Jones
(harp))
DIVINE ART DDA25099 [63:20] – from theclassicalshop.net
(mp3 and lossless, no booklet) or stream from Naxos Music Library (with booklet).
The combination of flute and harp can be very evocative – I’m thinking
especially of Mozart’s concerto for the pair where he somehow overcame
his supposed dislike of the two instruments, especially the flute, and Ravel’s
Introduction et allegro for harp, string quartet, flute and clarinet.
The Ravel Sonatine on this Divine Art recording was not originally
composed for those two instruments plus viola but is often played in this
arrangement and sounds little short of the power of its better known sister
piece. All the other music is well worth hearing, too.
I found this album to be attractive late-night listening. Over speakers at
a moderate volume I thought the performances sensitive without being over-sugary
and that the lossless recording serves the players well. It goes to show that
when and how one listens can affect one’s judgement in that the following
day, listening at a higher level via headphones, the recording appeared over-close,
almost claustrophobic, and small imperfections of intonation, especially from
the flute, thereby exaggerated.
Then, too, I listened again to the Nash Ensemble in the Bax Trio (Hyperion
CDA66807, with Nonet, etc. – see Hyperion
at 30). At almost exactly the same tempo their performance manages to
sound more relaxed and elegiac and more varied in dynamic, while the recording,
heard both on speakers and via headphones, is much more truthful.
Similarly, listening to the performance of the Debussy by Roger Bourdin (flute),
Colette Lequien (viola) and Annie Challan (harp), recorded in 1966 by Philips
and formerly available with the Violin and Cello Sonatas (Arthur Grumiaux/István
Hajdu, Maurice Gendron/Jean Françaix) on 422 8392 reminded me
that there’s more magic in that work than is brought out on the new recording.
The Violin and Cello Sonatas from that recording are still available on Eloquence
468 3062 but the other performances seem to have vanished from the
catalogue.
The Hyperion download comes with the usual high-class booklet. It’s a
shame that theclassicalshop.net doesn’t offer the Divine Art booklet
or even the back cover, but subscribers to Naxos Music Library will find it
there.
Those in search of the Ravel Introduction et allegro will find it coupled
with the Debussy and Ravel Quartets very inexpensively in a fine performance
from the Chilingirian Quartet, etc., on Classics for Pleasure 3822312
– see review.
Download for £4.99 from classicsonline.com
or stream from Naxos Music Library. The CD costs around £5.00; for some
ridiculous reason sainsburysentertainment.com, amazon.co.uk and hmvdigital.com
charge almost twice that price for the download. For wonderful performances
of that work with the Debussy Sonate en trio, the Melos Ensemble recording,
now on Eloquence 480 2153 or Decca 421 1542 (slightly different
couplings) takes some beating and makes up for the loss of the Philips recording
mentioned above.
Heitor VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959)
Symphony No. 6 ‘On the Outline of the Mountains of Brazil’ (1944)
[28:49]
Symphony No. 7 (1945) [39:28]
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra/Isaac Karabtchevsky – rec February/March
2011. DDD.
Pdf booklet included
NAXOS 8.573043 [68:18] – from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Music Library. (Not available in Brazil)
This is billed as the first of a series of Villa-Lobos’s music, redressing
the balance by offering works on a larger scale when it’s his smaller-scale
music that is better known. Naxos have done their fair share to make his music
available, with recordings of his piano music (8.554489 and seven subsequent
volumes) and chamber music (8.557765). They have also recorded the
complete Bachianas Brasileiras on 3 CDs (8.557460-62) and Chôros
8 and 9 (8.555241).
Symphony No.6 is a colourful work evoking the highs and lows of the mountains
of Brazil, as depicted in a vintage photograph on the cover, according to
a formula which the composer had devised to translate graphic shapes into
music. If that sounds unappealing, don’t be put off; there’s nothing
too gimmicky about it. Its successor is even more powerful.
Both works successfully combine the idiom of North American and European music
of the mid-20th century with a distinctly Latin American feel. With performances
that I take to be authoritative – at the very least they convinced me
of the value of the music – good recording and helpful notes, this is
well worth the modest asking price. If it appeals to you as much as it did
to me, you will want to look out for the other volumes when they appear; meanwhile
you could try the recordings of the wonderfully colourful Amazonas,
Erosao and Genesis on the sister label, Marco Polo (8.223357
[61:40] – no longer available on CD: download from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or eclassical.com
(mp3 and lossless) or stream from Naxos Music Library. See review
of this and the Dorian alternative (below) by Len Mullenger).
The BIS recording of Villa-Lobos’s Floresta do Amazonas (BIS-SACD-1660)
was my Discovery of the Month in the March 2011/1 Roundup.
Jonathan Woolf – review
– also liked the Dorian recording of Symphony No.3, the Cello Concerto
and Amazonas (DOR90228). Fans of classic recording will find
the 1952 recording of Erosao by its dedicatees, the Louisville SO,
on Naxos Classical Archives with Dello Joio’s St Joan on 9.80912
– £1.68 from emusic.com or £1.99 from classicsonline.com
(not available in the USA). The Louisville recording is also available in
lossless sound from eclassical.com.
Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Danse
macabre, Op. 40 [8:38]
Sergey Sergeyevich PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Suggestion
diabolique, Op. 4/4 [2:36]
Piano Sonata No. 6 in A, Op. 82 [28:41]
Franz (Ferenc) LISZT (1811-1896) Bénediction
de Dieu dans la solitude (Harmonies poétiques et religieuses,
S. 173 No. 3) [19:34]
Mephisto Waltz No. 1 [11:16]
Behzod Abduraimov (piano)
DECCA 478 3301 [70:53] – from hmvclassical.com
(mp3)
Benchmark recording:
Sergey Sergeyevich PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Sonata No. 6 in A, Op. 82 [27:23]
Juvenilia [8:43]
Gavotte from ‘Classical Symphony’, Op. 25 [1:42]
Sonata No.10 (fragment) in e minor, Op.137 [1:04]
Sonata No. 5 (original version) in C, Op. 38 [15:51]
Toccata Op.11 [4:55]
Boris Berman (piano) – rec. 1992 and 1994. DDD.
Pdf booklet available
CHANDOS CHAN9361 [60:29] – from theclassicalshop.net
(mp3 and lossless) or stream from Naxos Classical Library
Having heard Behzod Abduraimov in Mozart at the Royal Festival Hall, a friend
purchased his debut Decca recording and found it to be a very different animal
indeed from the Mozart that he’d just heard; in fact he didn’t quite
know what to make of the Prokofiev sonata, the main work here. It’s not
that he’s scared off by mid-twentieth-century Russian music, having enjoyed
the Shostakovich Piano Trio No.2 enough the previous week to purchase the
Hänssler recording listed below, but I think that for a Prokofiev novice
he’s called at the wrong door and I advised him to listen instead to
the First and Fifth symphonies, the ballet scores, Romeo and Juliet and
Cinderella, then the Violin Concertos and some of the Piano Concertos,
but that’s not very helpful in helping appraise Abduraimov in this work.
As you may already have guessed from my recommendation of the symphonies and
concertos, the bleak wartime piano sonatas are not among my own favourites,
certainly not part of my regular listening, so I had to refresh my memory
of how Piano Sonata No.6 should sound by listening to the Berman recording
on Chandos. Berman strikes a cooler tone than much of the competition and
he even contrives to make some of the music sound lyrical; he’s also
very well recorded, though he doesn’t wean me from my admittedly narrow
view of the Prokofiev that I like. Perhaps I’ll enlarge on those preferences
in a later Download News – see below for starters.
If anything, Abduraimov emphasises both the hard and, especially, the softer
edges of the music more than Berman and there’s no question of his pianistic
technique being in any way inferior. I hadn’t expected him to ‘sell’
the music to me more effectively than the more established rival, but overall
I think that he does, just, which means that he doesn’t capture the hard
edge of the music quite enough. He’s a little faster in the opening allegro
moderato and noticeably more relaxed in the remaining movements.
Berman and Chandos offer more Prokofiev, including the original version of
Sonata No.5, and that will probably strengthen the appeal of that recording
for most. Also, the download comes with the pdf booklet. The remaining items
on the new Decca are polished off with aplomb; whether it’s because the
Liszt has already found its way into Abduraimov’s heart as well as his
technique or simply that the music is much more firmly within my comfort zone
I really enjoyed the last half of the CD. Ultimately, however, the words of
my MusicWeb Seen and Heard colleague Margarida Mota-Bull concerning Abduraimov
in the Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto are appropriate: ‘I admit it
wasn’t very eloquent but young Abduraimov’s playing was so unbelievably
magnificent that it left me speechless’. (Review).
Give this pot a little more time to simmer and keep an eye on the outcome.
I should stress that although I have given a link to the hmvdigital.com download
– at £7.49 it’s half the price that my friend paid for the
CD and it comes at 320k which makes it preferable to the iTunes and amazon.co.uk
versions – it’s to the latter that I’ve been listening.
As for my recommendation of beginning with the symphonies, the ideal coupling
of Nos.1 and 5, where I recommend beginning, from Karajan and the Berlin Phil,
has been superseded by the DG Originals reissue coupling No.5 and a controversial
recording of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Stephen Gunzenhauser
on Naxos makes a very acceptable and inexpensive substitute (8.553218,
with Lieutenant Kijé and the Suite from The Love for Three
Oranges – download from classicsonline.com
or stream from Naxos Music Library.
For Symphonies Nos. 1 and 7, with two items from Three Oranges and
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, you can’t do better than
Nikolai Malko with the Philharmonia on Classics for Pleasure; almost 80 minutes
at budget price. Download from classicsonline.com
(mp3) or stream from Naxos Library. The CD is no longer available.
For the complete symphonies turn to Chandos’s box set of all seven,
including both versions of No.4, on CHAN10500, 4 CDs, – the mp3
and lossless versions both come at the same price, £19.99, from theclassicalshop.net.
(See review: Bargain of the Month.) Individual symphonies from
this fine series, some with couplings of other Prokofiev works, remain available
at full price.
Symphony No.5 has strong claims to be the best of the seven –
it’s certainly the most popular, alongside the Classical, No.1.
There’s a single-disc release of this symphony, coupled with the Ode
to the End of the War on PentaTone. (PTC5186083 – Russian
National Orchestra /Vladimir Jurowski). The Ode is no great shakes –
it’s best played first to avoid anti-climax – but this is a fine
performance and recording of the symphony. Whereas the Järvi box and
individual recordings come with a pdf booklet, however, there’s none
with the PentaTone, whether you download from eclassical.com
(mp3 and lossless) or stream from Naxos Music Library.
Maris Jansons’ red hot 1987 recording of the Fifth Symphony
with the Leningrad Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (Chandos CHAN8576)
is extravagant in that it comes without coupling, the whole CD lasting a mere
38 minutes, but you may find that preferable to having the Ode to the End
of the War. Chandos compensate slightly in that the mp3 from theclassicalshop.net
(with booklet) costs the usual £7.99 but the lossless version comes
at £8.99, £1 less than usual. If you’re seeking just the
mp3 version and can live with a less than ideal bit-rate, emusic.com offer
this recording, without booklet, for £1.68.
Mieczyslaw WEINBERG (1919-1996) Piano
Trio, Op.24 [28:52]
Alexander WEPRIK (1899-1958) 3 Folk Dances,
Op.13b (version for piano trio) [4:49]
Dmitry SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Piano
Trio No. 2 in e minor, Op.67 [26:46]
Dmitry Sitkovetsky (violin); David Geringas (cello); Jascha Nemtsov (piano)
– rec. 2004. DDD.
HÄNSSLER CLASSIC CD98.491 [60:27] – from eclassical.com
(mp3 or lossless) or stream from Naxos Music Library
[Benchmark Recording: Shostakovich Piano Trios 1 and 2; Seven Romances on
Poems of Alexander Blok: HYPERION CDA67834 Susan Gritton (soprano)
Florestan Trio [61:53] – see review
and June 2011/1 Roundup:
Recording of the Month]
Reviewing a rival version of the Weinberg and Shostakovich on Cascavelle –
here
– Jonathan Woolf expressed a preference for this Haenssler recording,
not least because of its inclusion of the Weprik rarity. I’ve no hesitation
in recommending Sitkovetsky and partners if you are looking for this particular,
apt and revealing coupling – Weinberg was Shostakovich’s pupil and
the music of both composers benefited from their interaction.
The Shostakovich Second Piano Trio is no stranger to the recorded catalogue
but the Weinberg is a much rarer beast – this seems to be the only download
generally available in the UK catalogue* – and it’s undoubtedly
a powerful work, here receiving a powerful performance. With an equally idiomatic
account of the Shostakovich and the significant inclusion of the Weprik –
not a composer whom I’d heard before – and fine recording, purchasers
need have no hesitation.
If, however, you’re looking for the two Shostakovich Trios and the Blok
Songs, the Hyperion recording, the last ever from the wonderful Florestan
Trio, will knock your socks off. It, too, is very well recorded – like
the eclassical.com Hänssler it’s offered in lossless for no extra
cost. The Hyperion comes with an excellent booklet whereas there are no notes
for the Haenssler from either download source; a friend copied the booklet
for me and it is worth having, which means buying the CD if you want it.
* of the suppliers that I checked only Amazon.co.uk offer the Cascavelle recording
and there’s no download equivalent even from them.
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)
A Ceremony of Carols, Op.28* [24:13]
St Nicolas, Op.42** [49:15]
* Sally Pryce (harp), Katherine Watson, Zoë Brown (sopranos)
** Allan Clayton (tenor)
** City of London Sinfonia, Holst Singers and Temple Church Choristers
*/** Trinity College Choir Cambridge/Stephen Layton – rec. September
2007* and January 2012**. DDD.
Pdf booklet with texts included
HYPERION CDA67946 [73:30] – from hyperion-records.co.uk
(mp3 and lossless)
Are
you prepared for the centenary avalanche of Britten’s music that is surely
about to be unleashed? With Christmas in the offing, this recording should
get you off to a gentle start. There are, of course, plenty of fine versions
of the Ceremony of Carols and Hyperion already have a good recording
of St Nicolas on the budget Helios label (CDH55378 – review
and November 2009 Roundup).
The Ceremony is a minor masterpiece and it receives a sensitive performance
here, but not, I think, superior to Hyperion’s own offering from Westminster
Cathedral and James O’Donnell, especially as that earlier version comes
with the Missa brevis and several shorter works (CDA66220).
Though that recording offers shortish value at 49 minutes, the price adjustment
(£5.99 instead of the regular £7.99) takes care of that.
I still think, too, as I did when the Helios reissue was released, that St
Nicolas is more fun to sing than to listen to.
For a CD of the Ceremony of Carols with an interesting coupling, see
my review
of the recording by the National Youth Choir of Scotland on Signum SIGCD228.
You’ll also find appended there a link to a MusicWeb International best
seller of the Ceremony which I’d missed on ArcoDiva UP-0070-2
231: Recording of the Month – see review.
Advent at St Paul’s
St Paul’s Cathedral Choir, London/John Scott – rec. 1997. DDD.
Pdf booklet with texts and translations included
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55463 [71:04] – from hyperion-records.co.uk
(mp3 and lossless)
Recorded
in June, which seems to be about par for such undertakings, though it must
be a very odd sensation, this reissue encapsulates the programme of the Advent
Sunday service at St Paul’s. You may know the format from King’s
College and St John’s, Cambridge, the latter usually broadcast by BBC
Radio 3. The form is modelled in many respects on the Christmas Eve service
of Lessons and Carols.
There’s a variety of music here, from the opening plainsong Christus
vincit via the medieval Angelus ad virginem (arr. Willcocks) Palestrina’s
Matins and Vespers Responsories, Jacob Handl, Martin Peerson, William Byrd,
Thomas Weelkes, Robert Parsons and Orlando Gibbons from the 16th and 17th
centuries via Anton Bruckner to Benjamin Britten and contemporary composers
Richard Lloyd, Philip Wilby, John Rutter and Andrew Carter. The programme
concludes with Veni Emanuel, first sung and then in the form of an
organ postlude.
The programme is very satisfying, the singing excellent. The recording faithfully
reproduces the St Paul’s reverberation, though not to an annoying degree.
With the original booklet as a pdf document, this is very appealing at the
new budget price.
China Silk Road
Da-wei CHEN/ Jingxin XU Flying Apsaras
[12:55]
Traditional arr. Xiao-zhong WU Farewell at the Yangguan Pass [7:14]
Traditional arr. Zhou CHEN-LONG Plum Blossom Melody [4:42]
Xiao-zhong WU/Xin LIANG Spring in the
Garden [5:40]
Di MA Reflections on Qinchuan [5:58]
Ji-ping ZHAO Silk Road Fantasia, Departure
at Changan [4:54]
Silk Road Fantasia: In Praise of the Ancient Route [6:56]
Silk Road Fantasia: Xiliang Music [3:56]
Silk Road Fantasia: Dream of Loulan [4:35]
Silk Road Fantasia: Quiuci Dance [5:17]
Sin-yao Lim, Thean-siong Phang, Xiao-zhong Wu; People’s Association Chinese
Orchestra/ Lap-Man Ku – rec. c.1992.
YELLOW RIVER 82006 [62:07] – from eclassical.com
(mp3 and lossless) or stream from Naxos Music Library
I have no idea how ‘authentic’ or otherwise this is, but I enjoyed
it considerably. If you’re not sure, try it from the Naxos Music Library
if you can. If ever a booklet of notes were necessary, this would be it but,
unfortunately, neither provider offers it, nor is the CD currently available
in the UK. Just give it a try.
Recent DVDs and Blu-rays
In reviewing its CD equivalent, I recently expressed reservations about a
DVD of Cavalli’s Il Giasone (Dynamic CDS663 (CD)/33663
(DVD) – September 2012/1 Roundup) where a perfectly acceptable set of
performances is rendered unpalatable for me by sundry acts of tomfoolery.
I’m delighted to exonerate another recent recording of Cavalli and to
recommend it heartily:
Francesco CAVALLI (1602-1676) La Didone
(1641)
Anna Bonitatibus (Didone-Dido)
Krešimir Špicer (Enea-Æneas)
Xavier Sabata (Iarba-Iarbas)
Maria Streijffert (Ecuba-Hecuba)
Katherine Watson (Cassandra)
Tehila Nini Goldstein (Creusa/Giunone-Juno)
Mariana Rewerski (Anna/Fortuna)
Claire Debono (Venere-Venus/Iride-Iris as Prologo)
Terry Wey (Ascanio-Ascanius/Amore-Cupid)
Victor Torres (Anchise-Anchises)
Valerio Contaldo (Corebo-Corœbus/Eolo-Æolus)
Mathias Vidal (Ilianeo-Ilianus/Mercurio-Mercury)
Joseph Cornwell (Acate-Achates/Sicheo-Sichæus)
Francesco Javier Borda (Sinon Greco-Sinon the Greek/Giove-Jupiter)
Les Arts Florissants/William Christie
Clément Hervieu-Léger (director)
rec. live, Théâtre de Caen, October 2011. DSD.
Subtitles: English, French and German
Picture format: 16:9
Sound format: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS
Region: 0
Format: NTSC
OPUS ARTE DVD OA1080D [2:56:14] [also available on blu-ray: OABD7106D]
[a more detailed review of this recording is due to appear on the main MusicWeb
International pages]
This time there’s no CD or download equivalent* but I do strongly recommend
the DVD or blu-ray. The opera itself deals with the sack of Troy, the Trojans’
arrival in Carthage and the love of Dido and Æneas. The music presents
a strong challenge to Monteverdi, Cavalli’s friend and teacher, there
are no weak performances and the production is mercifully free from gimmicks.
Above all the guiding hand of William Christie almost guarantees complete
satisfaction. Only the lack of a decent synopsis proves something of a drawback.
* an earlier CD recording on Dynamic is available for download, but I recommend
the new recording.
If La Didone is mercifully free from tomfoolery, I’m afraid that’s
not true of two recent DVDs which have come my way. A detailed review of Handel’s
Rinaldo from Glyndebourne will be appearing in due course on the main
MusicWeb International pages; the excellence of the singing, conducting and
orchestral support just about outweighs the completely unnecessary relocation
of the action to a boarding school. (Opus Arte OA1081D (DVD)/OABD7107D
(blu-ray))
Wagner’s Tannhäuser, I’m afraid, defeated my ability
to review without saying something very rude, despite some fine singing by
Peter Seiffert. I’ve passed it on to a colleague, but he’s had it
for quite a while too without apparently being able to say anything helpful
about a production in which Tannhäuser becomes a painter – presumably
an excuse to get a naked body-double of Venus on stage in the Venusberg music
– thereby placing the words which make him a Minnesänger
at odds with what we see him do. (C Major 709308 (DVD)/709404
(blu-ray))
To end on a more positive note, I’m currently putting together my thoughts
on
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Don
Giovanni, K527 (1787)
Teddy Tahu Rhodes (Don Giovanni)
Conal Coad (Leporello)
Rachelle Durkin (Donna Anna)
Daniel Sumegi (The Commendatore)
Henry Choo (Don Ottavio)
Jacqueline Dark (Donna Elvira)
Taryn Fiebig (Zerlina)
Andrew Jones (Masetto)
Opera Australia Chorus
Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra/Mark Wigglesworth
Göran Järvefelt (director)
Designer Carl Freidrich Oberle
Light design Nigel Levings
rec. Sydney Opera House, 4-7 October 2011. DSD
Picture ratio 16:9
LPCM Stereo and 5:1 DTS surround sound
All regions
Subtitles: Italian (original), English, French, German and Spanish
Special features: Cast Gallery; Surviving Don Giovanni [13:06]
OPERA AUSTRALIA Blu-Ray OPOZ56024BD [162:25]
[also available on DVD OPOZ56023DVD and CD OPOZ56025CD (3 CDs).]
This is a performance without gimmicks – indeed, some may think the minimalist
staging too bare – yet I found it as powerful as the OTT Claus Guth production
on Euroarts DVD 2072548: either a 5-star masterpiece or an outrageous
failure depending on your point of view – review. The new Australian
production is bidding fair to become my Don Giovanni of choice alongside
the classic EMI Giulini recording, recently reissued on EMI Opera 9667992.
Watch out for the complete review for my final thoughts.
Late thoughts
As
I was closing this Download News I dipped into This Christmas Night
– a recording from the choir of Worcester College, Oxford, conducted
by Stephen Farr (Resonus Classics RES10113). Though theirs is not a
major choral foundation, they acquit themselves well in a varied programme
devoted to music by recent and contemporary composers. Like Resonus’s
Christmas offering last year, this is sufficiently different not to get lost
in the welter of seasonal recordings. I haven’t yet received my review
download from Resonus and the Naxos Library version doesn’t come with
the booklet.