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News 2013/12 by Brian Wilson
Martinů
concertos & concertante works - A discography
prepared by Mike Herman; an extract from the upcoming full national
discography of Eastern European concertos
NOTICES
The
secret life of JS Bach - on BBC Radio
4 Listen Again for at least another week
The British conductor Leslie Head
has died at the age of 91. For details of the funeral in Brighton,
click here.
Two recent episodes of BBC Radio 3's arts program Twenty
Minutes of interest: Elgar
and Bantock in Birmingham and Wagner
in France
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An article on the origin of the famous (infamous?)
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LATEST REVIEWS
Monday September 30th
Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphonies 1-9 - Staatskapelle Dresden/Eugen Jochum rec. 1975-80 WARNER
CLASSICS 9845832 [9 CDs: 550:06] [PCG] After
nearly forty years Jochum is no bad guide through this music …
a generally magnificent traversal of the cycle.
Eric COATES (1886-1957)
The Definitive Eric Coates - Eric Coates conducts his own compositions
- rec. 1923-57 NIMBUS NI 6231 [7 CDs: 8:50:00] [RW]
Allows us to chart the development of Coates’s
career rather nicely.
Francisco CORSELLI
(1705-1778) Music at the 18th-century Spanish court
Nuria Rial (soprano) El Concierto Español/Emilio Moreno
rec. 2002 GLOSSA GCD C80307 [62:33] [JV] Corselli
is a most interesting composer and the performers serve him very well.
Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Piano Music - Angela Hewitt (piano) rec. 2012 HYPERION CDA67875
[72:51] [JW] Hewitt offers extrovert vitality
and some personalised moments.
Kenneth FUCHS (b.1956)
Falling Canons, Falling Trio, String Quartet 5 - Christopher
O’Riley (piano) Trio21, Delray String Qt rec. 2011/12 NAXOS
8.559733 [57.24] [GH] There is an individuality
about this music which makes one want to return to it.
Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Das Lied von der Erde Mildred Miller (mezzo) Ernst
Haefliger (tenor) New York PO/Bruno Walter rec. 1960 PRISTINE AUDIO
PACO 094 [63:40] [JQ] An outstanding
new transfer of Bruno Walter’s stereo recording of Das Lied
von der Erde.
Fanny MENDELSSOHN-HENSEL
(1805-1847) Das Jahr Hirotoshi Kasai (piano) rec. 2011
TALENT RECORDS DOM 2911 118 [59:10] [BR] Fanny
Mendelssohn enthusiasts, unite! New recording of a major piano cycle.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) String Quartets - Vienna Philharmonic Qt rec. 1961
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 4711 [47:42] [MG] Above
all you feel the music really matters to these players.
Franz SCHUBERT
(1797-1828) Sonata D.960 Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Sonata 'Pathétique' Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Fantasy - Sarah Beth Briggs (piano) rec. 2013 SEMAPHORE SMLMP35
[75:44] [Byz] Technical prowess, crisp articulation,
thoughtful, idiomatic phrasing, an elegant sense of expressive restraint,
meticulous attention to dynamics, physical and mental strength, and
above all a sense of awe.
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Don Carlo - Giacomo Prestia (bass) Mario Malagnini (tenor)
Simone Piazzola (baritone) O Regionale dell’Emilia Romagna/Fabrizio
Ventura rec. 2012 C MAJOR 724608 
724704 
[215:00] [TB & DBi] A firm and
enthusiastic welcome is in order.
Friday September 27th
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Ein deutsches Requiem - Anna Lucia Richter (soprano) Stephan Genz
(baritone) MDR Leipzig RSO & Ch/Marin Alsop rec. 2013
NAXOS 8.572996 [64:13] [JQ]
A good performance
of this great work; but several other recordings offer more.
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Prélude ŕ l'aprčs-midi d'un faune; Fętes; La Mer Maurice
RAVEL (1875-1937) Ma Mčre l’Oye; Rapsodie Espagnole
Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Scherzo -
Pascal Rogé and Ami Rogé (pianos) rec. 2011 ONYX 4117
[79:08] [RBl] A sparkling
recital of French music with memorable moments.
Manuel de FALLA
(1876-1946) Noches en los jardines de Espańa César
FRANCK (1822-1890) Variations Symphoniques Joaquin
TURINA (1882-1949) Rapsodia Sinfonica - Valerie Tryon (piano)
Royal PO/Kenneth Woods rec. 2012
SOMM SOMMCD 250 [68:57] [TB]
An imaginatively
compiled programme - Tryon’s rhythmic intensity is particularly
compelling.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756-1791) Piano Concertos 20 & 27 - Ronald
Brautigam (fortepiano) Die Kölner Akademie/Michael Alexander Willens
rec. 2012 BIS BIS-SACD-2014 
[53:34]
[BW] The most satisfying
in this series so far - if you want the fortepiano in these works, this
is your best choice.
Krzysztof PENDERECKI
(b.1933) Piano Concerto - Florian Uhlig (piano) Polish
RSO/Łukasz Borowicz rec. 2013
HÄNSSLER CLASSIC CD 98.018 [37:50] [Byz]
Those who can
overlook Hänssler's abysmal
running time need not hesitate to add this recording to their
Penderecki or piano concerto collection, even if already in possession
of the Naxos disc.
Richard WAGNER (1813-1883)
Die Walküre Act One - Johan Botha, Nina
Stemme, Ain Anger, Vienna State Opera/Franz Welser-Möst rec. 2007 ORFEO
C875131B [61:35] [ST] Stemme
is a Sieglinde of rare nobility and authority.
Frederic Lamond (piano) Rare
Broadcasts and Selected Recordings - Concertgebouw O/Eduard van Beinum
rec. 1921-45 MARSTON 52071-2 [77:37 + 73:32] [JW]
Invaluably expands
our appreciation of Lamond’s art.
Latino
Gold - Miloš Karadaglić (guitar)
Europäischen FilmPhilharmonie/Christoph Israel rec. 2011-2013 DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 479 1421 [79:39]
[OL] Devoted and
persuasive, with evident good taste and style.
Thursday September 26th
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony 2 Leoš
JANÁČEK (1854-1928) Glagolitic Mass -
Tatiana Monogarova (soprano) Marina Prudenskaja (mezzo) Ludovít Ludha
(tenor) Peter Mikuláš (bass) Iveta Apkalna (organ) Bavarian RSO
& Ch/Mariss Jansons rec. 2012 ARTHAUS
MUSIK 108 080
[88:00] [MC]
Winning performances.
Claude
DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Préludes Books I
& II - Craig Sheppard (piano) rec. 2012 ROMÉO
RECORDS 7297 [79:42] [JQ] A very fine live traversal of Debussy’s
Préludes.
Joseph
HAYDN (1732-1809) Cello Concertos 1 & 2 Josef
MYSLIVECEK (1737-1781) Cello Concerto - Wendy Warner
(cello) Camerata Chicago/Drostan Hall rec. 2012 CEDILLE
RECORDS CDR 90000 142 [72:36] [BR] Really terrific - if you
don’t mind that it totally shuns period performance practices.
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Symphony 1, Piano Concerto
1 - Yevgeny Sudbin (piano) Singapore SO/Lan Shui rec. 2012 BIS
BIS-SACD-2012 [70:58] [DC] Sudbin steals the show once more.
Maria
SZYMANOWSKA 1789-1831) Complete piano
works - Sławomir P. Dobrzański (piano)
rec. 2011/12 ACTE PRÉALABLE APO281-83
[3 CDs: 233:39] [DC] A
treasure of charming and graceful discoveries.
Sergey
TANEYEV
(1856-1915) Complete
String Quartets Vol. 3 - Carpe Diem Qt rec. 2010 NAXOS
8.573010 [62:15] [Byz] The
Carpe Diem Quartet's set is the
one to have.
Choirbook
For The Queen BBC
Singers/Stephen Cleobury; Stephen Disley (organ) rec. 2013 PRIORY
PRCD 1097 [66:32] [JQ] An
important disc of significant
new
pieces of church music in expert performances.
Serge
Koussevitzky & the New York P-SO
Works by Corelli, Debussy, Ravel, Shostakovich
& Tchaikovsky rec. 1942 WEST
HILL RADIO ARCHIVES WHRA-6049 [66:48 + 74:22] [JW]
Finely
engineered, excellent repertoire and often magnificent
performances.
Wednesday September 25th
Johann
Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Cantatas Vol. 16 -
Gerlinde Sämann (soprano) Petra Nostaiova (alto) Christoph Genz (tenor)
Jan Van der Crabben (bass) La Petite Bande/Sigiswald Kuijken rec. 2012 ACCENT
ACC 25316 [70:07]
[TB] If a smaller
ensemble is the option you prefer, these performances
would be hard to better.
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Prélude
ŕ l'aprés-midi d'un faune Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Le sacre du printemps Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Boléro
- O de l’Opéra National de Paris/Philippe Jordan rec. 2012 NAĎVE
V 5332 [60:12] [DM] Lacklustre performances,
poorly recorded; look elsewhere.
Sir
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) The Dream of
Gerontius - Arthur Davies (tenor) Gwynne Howell (bass)
Roderick Elms (organ) London Symphony O & Ch/Richard Hickox
rec. 1988 CHANDOS CHAN 241-46 [56:32 + 57:57] [JQ] A recording of Gerontius that has
much to commend it but it doesn’t disturb the existing ‘pecking order’.
Nicolas
FLAGELLO (1928-1994) Odyssey, Symphony
2, Concerto Sinfonico Arnold ROSNER (b.
1945)
Symphony 8 - University of Houston Saxophone Qt & Wind
Ens/David Bertman rec. 2011 NAXOS 8.573060 [74.37]
[IL] Challenging music:
Flagello - stark and uncompromising; Rosner - bold and intensely
dramatic. For the adventurous.
Thomas
FORTMANN (b.1951) In Dust we
Trust Piano Trio, Violin
Sonata, Four Pieces for Two Violins - Manrico
Padovani,
Natasha Korsakova (violins) Akemi Masuko (piano) rec. 2012 METIER
MSV 28534 [60.56] [GH]
I can’t say that I like this music but I greatly admire the energy,
both musical and intellectual, that Fortmann has put into it.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Allan PETTERSSON
(1911-1980) Symphony 6 - Norrköping SO/Christian Lindberg
rec.2012 BIS BIS-SACD-1980 [59:50]
[Byz] The always
fundamentally tonal music is propelled constantly
onwards by the sheer force of argument and expression … the listener's
mind is unable to wander.
Ursula
Bagdasarjanz Vol. 4 - Ursula Bagdasarjanz, Melanie
Di Christino (violin) Raluca Stirbat, Fernane Kaeser, Bruno F. Saladin,
Luciano Sgrizzi (piano) rec. 1960/2007 GALLO CD-1251
[54:46] [SG] Another
welcome volume in the excellent Gallo
retrospective of Ursula Bagdasarjanz’ historic recordings.
Georg
Solti: Charisma
and Vitality rec. 1947-1958 DOCUMENTS
233588
[10 CDs: 475:41] [SV] All
but enthusiasts will ultimately find the Mahler and the Verdi mere
curiosities while the Beethoven, Bartók and Brahms performances are
much more.
Tuesday September 24th
RECORDING OF THE
MONTH Daniel
Francois Esprit AUBER (1782-1871)
La Muette de Portici - Oscar de la Torre
(tenor) Angelina Ruzzafante (soprano) Opernchor des Anhaltischen
Theaters Anhaltische Philharmonie/Anthony Hermus rec. 2011 CPO
777 694-2 [65:47 + 69:32] [RW] A
sensitive and admirable reading of Auber's score.
Judith
BINGHAM (b. 1952) Choral Music
- Finn Lacey (treble) Jonathan Vaughn (organ) Wells Cathedral
Ch/Matthew Owens rec. 2012 HYPERION CDA67909
[73:00] [JQ] This new
recording is a notable and welcome addition to what I hope is a
continuing series.
From
the New World Antonín DVOŘÁK
(1841-1904) Symphony 9 John ADAMS (b. 1947)
Slonimsky’s Earbox Igor STRAVINSKY
(1882-1971) Le Chant du rossignol
- Bavarian RSO/Andris Nelsons rec. 2010 C
MAJOR 713504
[95:00] [MC] Exemplary,
scrupulously prepared, colourful, committed and compelling.
Alexander
TCHEREPNIN (1899-1977) Complete Piano
Music - Vol. 4 - Giorgio Koukl (piano) rec. 2012 GRAND
PIANO GP649 [58:01] [SA] Another
adorable disc of scintillating music brilliantly played.
Andrea Teodoro ZANI
(1696-1757) Complete Cello Concertos -
Martin Rummel (cello) Die Kölner Akademie/Michael Alexander Willens
rec. 2012
CAPRICCIO C5145 [64:17 +
66:03] [Byz]
Fine
performances and elegant, creative musicianship.
The French Accent
Works by Poulenc, Roussel & Jolivet - rec. 1928-1958 OBOE CLASSICS
CC2025 [76:56] [JW] A cornerstone of
both performance and repertoire and greatly to be welcomed.
Music
of the French Baroque Works by
Rameau, Telemann & Marais - Il Gardino Armonico/Musica et
Saltatoria/Kasper Mainz rec. 2002 ARTHAUS MUSIC 100 395 [60:00] [IL] An adventurous French Baroque programme that
should appeal to devotees of the genre.
The Seasons - 20th Century
Music for Wind Quintet by Milhaud, Koechlin, Francais & others -
Berlin Phil Wind Quintet rec. 1991-2002 BIS BIS2072 [4 CDs: 268:43]
[DC] No need to try, just buy!
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