NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
Sir Colin Davis - a recorded legacy
by John Quinn
Download News 2013/6 by Brian Wilson
Hubert Parry: Mr Punch’s Sketchy Interview
from 1903 edited by John France
NOTICES
From contributor Kirk McElhearn's own blog Kirkville, reviews
of the movie A
late quartet and the avant-garde work November
by Dennis Johnson
At
LAST!
British
Light Music: A personal gallery of 20th-century composers
2013 2nd edition
by Philip L. Scowcroft
The Journal of the Elgar Society is now available free online.
Latest Jazz
reviews posted April 17
Latest Nostalgia
reviews posted April 17
Live performance reviews posted daily at Seen
and Heard
Shopping on-line? Help us by doing it through the MusicWeb
sales page.
LATEST REVIEWS
225 reviews completed so far this month.
Tuesday April 30th 2013
Wilhelm Friedemann
BACH (1710-1784) Keyboard Works - vol. 4 Concerto for
2 harpsichords, 3 Keyboard Sonatas - Julia Brown, Barbara Baird (harpsichords)
rec. 2012
NAXOS 8.573027 [78:57] [Byz]
A
quality entry in a rewarding series.
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Sonatas 4, 14 & 24 Jonathan Biss (piano) rec. 2012 ONYX4094
[70:43] [JQ] A very impressive second volume
in Jonathan Biss’s Beethoven cycle.
Carl Ditters von DITTERSDORF
(1739-1799) Complete works for solo double bass - Leon Bosch (double
bass) Robert Smissen (viola) Acad of St. Martin in the Fields/Kenneth
Sillito rec. 2011 MERIDIAN CDE 84610 [69:36] [BR] Double
bass concertos from the 1700s! Probably not essential, but great for
curious listeners.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jean FRANÇAIX
(1912-1997) 100
th Anniversary set rec. 1967-1997
WERGO
WER 6956 2 [3 CDs: 73:28 + 79:32+ 74:43] [BR]
Of
all the Françaix tribute albums in 2012, this is my top pick, thanks
to the emotional depth of the two-pianos concerto and the hilarious
tribute to Mozart.Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony 5 - New Philharmonia O/Sir John Barbirolli rec. 1969 EMI
CLASSICS 4332902 [74.27] [PCG] I would
like to feel that it is more than nostalgia which makes me love this
version so much despite its failings.
Peter PHILIPS (1561-1628)
Cantiones sacrae octonis vocibus Ch of Royal Holloway/English
Cornett and Sackbut Ens/Rupert Gough rec. 2012 HYPERION CDA67945
[71.59] [GH] A fine CD that will speak strongly
to anyone with an interest in the rarefied world of late renaissance
church music.
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Fantasiestücke, Kreisleriana Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Theme
and Variations in D minor - Imogen Cooper (piano) rec. 2012 CHANDOS
CHAN 10755 [75:32] [SG] The first volume
of a projected Schumann cycle. Given this high quality I hope that there
are many more to follow. An exciting prospect.
Ermanno WOLF-FERRARI
(1876-1948) Serenade for Strings, Violin Concerto - Laura Marzadori
(violin) Orch Città di Ferrara/Marco Zuccarini rec. 2012 TACTUS TC
872303 [60:39] [JW] An attractive early
work coupled with one of the most inchoate concertos you will ever hear.
After Grand Hotel
Works by Sarola, Adler & others - Ananda Trio PIERIAN 0021
[68:33] [JW] An enjoyable and enterprising
selection paying tribute to the days of the Palm Court.
Chansons, Madrigali
and Villanelle Works by Willaert & contemporaries -
Romanesque/Philippe Malfeyt rec. 1994 RICERCAR RIC 331 [65.18]
[GH] The joy of this disc is its variety.
Monday April 29th 2013
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Johannes-Passion sung within reconstruction
of Bach’s Passion Liturgy - Nicholas Mulroy (tenor) Matthew Brook (bass)
Joanne Lunn (soprano) Clare Wilkinson (alto) Robert Davies (bass) Dunedin
Consort/John Butt (harpsichord, organ preludes) Univ Glasgow Chapel
Choir/James Grossmith (liturgy) rec. 2012 LINN CKD419 
[69:46
+ 69:00][JQ] A very
fine performance of the St. John Passion, likely to become a landmark
in the work’s discography.
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Symphony 7, Egmont Overture and incidental
music - Sharon Rostorf-Zamir (soprano) Israel PO/Kurt Masur rec. 2012
HELICON 02-9660 [PCG] A
decidedly unnecessary addition to the catalogue.
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Complete Piano Concertos Choral Fantasia - Daniel
Barenboim (piano) John Alldis Choir/New Philh O/Otto Klemperer rec.
1967-68 EMI MASTERS 4332722 [3 CDs: 69:25 + 77:28 + 64:13] [ST]
Still has the capacity to surprise though it’s
far from perfect.
Richard EILENBERG (1848-1927)
Waltzes, Polkas and Marches WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln/Christian
Simonis rec. 2006/10 CPO 777 342-2 [BR]
One of the best waltz and polka composers not named “Strauss”. For
fans of Viennese light music.
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
Concerto for cello and orchestra Elliott CARTER (1908-2012) Cello
Concerto Max BRUCH (1838-1920) Kol Nidrei - Alisa Weilerstein
(cello) Staatskapelle Berlin/Daniel Barenboim rec. 2012 DECCA 478
2735 [62:27][DC]
Another Elgar? Yeh, why not: gwaaannn …
Sharon RUCHMAN (b.1950s)
Chamber Music/Arrival of Spring Mary Costanza (cello)
Janet Boughton (violin)
Sharon Ruchman (piano) PRIVATE ISSUES [70:35] and [64:56] [Byz]
Thoughtful, unpretentious with an emotional
depth reminiscent of early 20th-century late-Romanticism.
Jan Pieterszoon SWEELINCK (1562-1621)
Sweelinck and the Art of Variation Brisk Recorder Quartet Amsterdam;
Camerata Trajectina rec. 2012 GLOBE GLO 5253 [56:32] [JV]
Sweeliinck's genius is amply demonstrated here.
Richard WAGNER (1813-1883)
Extracts from operas - Klaus Florian Vogt (tenor) Camilla Nylund (soprano)
Bamberg SO/Jonathan Nott rec. 2012 SONY 88765445152 [57.25] [PCG]
Vogt uses a lighter voice than usual in Wagnerian
roles generally regarded as the preserve of more heavyweight singers.
English Recorder Works
by Arnold, Bowen & Lennox Berkeley - Jill Kemp (recorder)
Aleksander Szram (piano) Brodowski Qt rec. 2010 MUSIC MEDIA MMC103
[70:58] [JF] This CD will appeal to all recorder
enthusiasts.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Whither must
I wander? Songs by Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
Gerald FINZI (1901-1956) Roger QUILTER (1877-1953) David
John Pike (baritone) Isabelle Trüb (piano) rec. 2011/12 SIGNUM CLASSICS
SIGCD 314 [65.09][PCG]
Should draw in anyone who cares about British song and the future
of British singing. They will thoroughly enjoy themselves.
Friday April 26th 2013
Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750) Partitas 2 & 6; Toccata - David Fray (piano)
rec. 2012 VIRGIN CLASSICS 0709442 [65:32] [DC] Vanilla
Spice Latte Bach - yum.
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827) Violin Sonatas 1-10 - David Galoustov (violin) Caroline
Sageman (piano) rec. 2010/11 LYRINX LYR2267 SACD
[3 CDs: 79:57 + 76:44 + 79:57] [DC] Alas,
a self-discounting release.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Benjamin
BRITTEN (1913-1976) The Turn of the Screw Miah
Persson, Toby Spence, Susan Bickley, Giselle Allen, LPO/Jakub Hrůša
rec. 2011 FRA MUSICA FRA007 
[111:00 (opera); 22:00 (extras)] [ST] Outstanding
musical values and a brilliant sense of drama that will pin you to your
seat.
Sir Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
The Longed for Light - Elgar’s Music in Wartime - Simon
Callow (speaker) Susan Gritton (soprano) BBC Concert Orchestra/John
Wilson rec. 2012 SOMM SOMMCD247 [75:10] [JQ] No
Elgar fan will want to miss this disc.
Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony 5 - Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester/Hans Rosbaud rec.
1951 ICA CLASSICS ICAC5091 [66:01] [JQ] A
notable addition to the discography of Mahler’s Fifth symphony.
Sergei PROKOFIEV
(1891-1953) Violin Sonatas 1 & 2; Cinq Mélodies -
Isabelle van Keulen (violin) Ronald Brautigam (piano) rec. 2011 CHALLENGE
CLASSICS CC72580 [60:59] [SA] A disc of
beauty and superb musicianship; a winning combination.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Piano Quartet; Piano Quintet;
Barcarolle - Cristina Ortiz (piano) Fine Arts Quartet rec. 2012 NAXOS
8.572904 [71.12] [IL] A gorgeous programme
of Saint-Saëns’ beguiling chamber music played with great
authority and flair.
Domenico SCARLATTI
(1685-1757) Sonatas (in arrangements) - Joseph Moog (piano) rec.
2011 ONYX CLASSICS 4106 [62:40] [BR] 19th-
and 20th-century Scarlatti “re-compositions”
that prove to be fascinating novelties. Sometimes they don’t sound
like Scarlatti at all.
Bedřich SMETANA
(1824-1884) Má Vlast Antonín DVOŘÁK
(1841-1904) Slavonic Dances - NHK Symphony Orchestra/Václav
Neumann rec. 1978/90 KING INTERNATIONAL KKC2037-38 [77:18 + 78:53]
[JW] Neumann in unfamiliar circumstances in
ancillary recordings of canonic Czech repertoire.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Martha
Mödl - Portrait of a Legend Martha Mödl (soprano,
mezzo) rec. 1950-82 PROFIL EDITION GÜNTER HÄNSSLER DCD
PH12006 [79:04 + 79:13] [MC] Opera-lovers
everywhere will delight in this stunning voice.
Thursday April 25th 2013
Béla BARTÓK
(1881-1945) Works for Violin and Piano - Volume 2: Sonata for solo
violin, Sonata for violin and piano, Hungarian Folksongs & folktunes,
Romanian Folk Dances - James Ehnes (violin), Andrew Armstrong (piano)
rec. 2012 CHANDOS CHAN10752 [78:08] [TB] Commanding
in the solo Sonata and the interpretations of the duo compositions are
equally assured.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Benjamin BRITTEN
(1913-1976) The Rape of Lucretia Ian Bostridge, Susan Gritton,
Christopher Purves, Angelika Kirchschlager, Aldeburgh Festival Ens/Oliver
Knussen rec. 2011 VIRGIN CLASSICS 6026722 [46:35+58:38] [ST]
This
recording acts as a solid advocate for a problematic opera.
Christopher GUNNING
(b. 1944) Guitar concerto, Clarinet concerto, Flute concertino
- Craig Ogden (guitar) Michael Whight (clarinet) Catherine Handley (flute)
Royal PO/Christopher Gunning rec. 2011/12 DISCOVERY MUSIC & VISION
DMV104 [67:20] [JQ] Three
impeccably crafted and highly enjoyable concertos: music for pleasure.
Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868)
Petite Messe Solenelle Ch & O Dell’Accademia Nazionale
di Santa Cecilia Roma/Sir Antonio Pappano rec. 2012 EMI CLASSICS
4167422 [58:26 + 26:53] [JQ] A fine and
very enjoyable new Rossini recording from Antonio Pappano.
Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868)
Overtures - Uppsala Kammarorkester/Paul Mägi rec. 2006/7 SWEDISH
SOCIETY DISCOFIL SCD1155 [49:22] [JS] I
can see little reason to favour this disc over the many earlier discs
of this repertoire.
Anton RUBINSTEIN (1829-1894)
Symphony 4 - State SO of Russia/Igor Golovchin rec. 1993 DELOS DRD2012
[65:24] [Byz]
Hugely
lyrical, moderately melancholic and eminently likeable.
John Philip SOUSA
(1854-1932) Music for Wind Band Volume 11 - The Royal Swedish Navy
Band/Keith Brion rec. 2010 NAXOS 8.559690 [68:06] [JS] Another
desirable addition to a very desirable series.
Richard WAGNER (1813-1883)
Scenes from the operas, Wesendonck-Lieder Jonas Kaufmann
(tenor) Ch & O Deutschen Oper Berlin/Donald Runnicles DECCA 4785189
[74:21] [ST] A high profile treat that
reminds us of the greatness of both the singer and the composer.
Helmut WALCHA (1907-1991)
Chorale Preludes Vols. 1-3 - Wolfgang Rübsam, Delbert Disselhorst
(organ) rec. 2011 NAXOS 8.572910-12 [181:25] [Byz] A
certain uniformity of form and expression: short, generally sober, even-paced,
reflective.
Thomaskantoren vor Johann
Sebastian Bach Hartmut Becker (cello) Daniel
Beilschmidt (organ) Kammerchor Josquin des Préz/Ludwig Böhme
rec. 2012 CARUS 83.342 [66:58] [BW]
Of
much more than scholarly interest.
Wednesday April 24th 2013
François COUPERIN
(1668-1733) Messe à l’usage ordinaire des paroisses, por
les fêtes solennelles (1690) [51:00] Marc-Antoine CHARPENTIER
(1643-1704) Messe pour plusieurs instruments au lieu des orgues
(1674) [15:58] David Ponsford (organ) rec. 2012, NIMBUS ALLIANCE
NI 6225 [66:54] [DC] The real deal
when it comes to Churchy Couperin.
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
A Land of Hope and Glory -organ music - Jean-Luc
Etienne (organ)
HORTUS 103 [71:43] [HP-R] Essentially
English Elgar but with strong French overtones. Elgar’s organ music
is great, but the performance of these transcriptions is missable.
Hans HUBER (1852-1921)
Works for Violin and Piano Sonata no.2 , Sonata Graziosa
(Sonata no.7), Poetic Pieces, op.99, nos. 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 17-20
- Agnieszka Marucha (violin) Tomasz Pawlowski (piano)
rec. 2010/2011. ACTE PREALABLE AP0266 [68:23] [Byz] The
three sonatas heard here lie somewhere between Brahms and early
Strauss.
Modest
MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Pictures at an Exhibition
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Album for the
Young,
Echo rustique, Vladimir Feltsman (piano)
rec. 2002
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI 6211 [67:46] [JW]
Strongly
argued, consistent, well characterised, surmounting a somewhat
clangy, unsympathetic recorded.
Ludomir RÓZYCKI
(1883-1953) Piano Quintet, Rhapsody for violin, cello
and piano, Cello Sonata- Jerzy Godziszewski (piano) Wilanów String
Quartet rec. 2007 2008 2010 ACTE PRÉALABLE APO253 [72:43]
[SA] I hope that these works will find
their way back into the repertoire where they belong.
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
String Quartet No.15 in G major, D. 887 (1826) [52.20] String Quartet
No.12 in C minor, D.703 Quartettsatz (1820) [9:45] Wihan
Quartet rec. 2012, NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI 6221 [62:12] [MC] The
strong and positive Wihan certainly deserve to be heard.
Franz SCHUBERT
(1797 – 1828) Die schöne Müllerin plus
5 Bonus Lieder Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Gerald Moore
(piano (tr. 1-20), Jörg Demus (piano) (tr. 21-25) rec. 1961/1962
ALTO ALC 1207 [77:51][GF] No one
will regret buying this disc.
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony No. 6
in B minor, Op. 74 (1893) [49:23]
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Overture to Manfred, London Symphony Orchestra/Yondani Butt rec.
2012,
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI 6222 [62:36][DC]
Good
performances.
Sir Philip Ledger -
A Musician’s Legacy Sir Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
Piano Quintet Antonin DVORAK (1841-1904) Piano Quintet
No. 2 - Sir Philip Ledger (piano) Alberni Quartetrec. 2001 NIMBUS
ALLIANCE NI6220 [68:05] [SG] A very
welcome release, and a worthy tribute to a great musician.
POLISH SONGS Tadeusz
BAIRD (1928-1981) Trouveurs’ Songs Zygmunt KRAUZE
(b.1938) Malay Pantuns Joanna BRUZDOWICZ (b. 1943)
Harbour drawings (1967) Juliusz LUCIUK (b.
1938) Lyrical portraits Liliana Górska (mezzo), rec.
2011 ACTE PRÉALABLE APO 274 [42.51] [PCG] Presentation
lacking - a great shame, because the performances themselves are
excellent.
ArkivMusic
has more than 10,000 titles in its 
