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NEW & RECENT ARTICLES

In conversation with Riccardo Chailly by Michael Cookson

Carl Goldmark - In Memory of the Composer and his Work

Download News 2014/8 by Kirk McElhearn, Geoffrey Molyneux & Brian Wilson

MWI Recommends - Bach's concerto for 2 violins & Prokofiev's piano concerto 3

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[New] A Dream Of Germany: Music’s War-torn World 1914 - four concerts of music related to WWI on October 5 in London - see here for the Press Release (pdf)

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LATEST REVIEWS

Thursday July 31st

Frederic CHOPIN (1810-1849) Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra - Oleg Marshev (piano) South Denmark Philharmonic/David Porcelijn rec. 2010 DANACORD DACOCD701-702 [70:03 + 66:03] [JF] A splendid release that will be a major success for both Danacord and Marshev.

Christopher GUNNING (b. 1944) Symphonies 6 & 7, Night Voyage - Royal PO/Christopher Gunning rec. 2014 DISCOVERY DMV112 [62:56] [RB] Dramatic and full of inventively communicated incident.

Siobhan LAMB (b. 1963) Through the Mirror, My Little Wife - Suoni Ens/Siobhan Lamb PROPRIUS PRCD 2074 [40:45] [NB] Fusing contemporary classical disciplines with the freedom of jazz.

Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony 14 - Gal James (soprano) Alexander Vinogradov (bass) Royal Liverpool PO/Vasily Petrenko rec. 2013 NAXOS 8.573132 [49:36] [MC] Haitink now has a fierce competitor whose fine advocacy deserves attention.

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Macbeth, Don Quixote - Frank-Michael Guthmann (cello) Johannes Lüthy (viola) SWR SO Baden-Baden und Freiburg/François-Xavier Roth rec. 2012/13 HÄNSSLER CLASSIC CD 93.304 [74:19] [SV] Roth takes nothing for granted and I like the results.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Tomaso Antonio VITALI (1663-1745) & Giovanni Battista VITALI (1632-1692) Ciaconna - Clematis/Stéphanie de Failly (violin) rec. 2011/12 RICERCAR RIC326 [62:15] [DJB] An outstanding release in all respects.

Do Not Go Gentle / Spaces In A Space Bingham Qt rec. 2012/13 PRIMA FACIE PFCD32/33 [71.04 & 29.38] [PCG] A collection of works for string quartet written by various British composers over the course of the last twenty years.

Fantaisies d’opéra Works by Liszt, Marschner, Wagner & Wieniawski - Léo Marillier (violin) Alexandre Lory (piano) rec. 2013/14 FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR 24M [65:13] [JW] Reservations about the recording but well judged playing with vivacity, sparkle and virtuosity.

Wednesday July 30th

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Violin Sonatas 1 & 3 BRAHMS/DIETRICH/SCHUMANN F.A.E. Sonata - Jana Vonášková-Nováková (violin) Irina Kondratenko (piano) rec. 2013 SUPRAPHON SU 4170-2 [74:41] [JW] Fine things here but not quite enough for wholehearted praise.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony 9 - Lucerne Fest O/Claudio Abbado rec. 2013 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 479 3441 [63:07] [JQ] A magnificent Bruckner Ninth from Claudio Abbado’s last concerts.

Jacques LOUSSIER (b. 1934) Violin concertos 1 & 2 Ignacy Jan PADEREWSKI (1860-1941) Violin sonata - Adam Kostecki (violin) Piotr Iwicki (percussion) Gunther Hauer (piano) Polish Philharmonic CO/Adam Kostecki rec. 2004/11 NAXOS 8.573200 [65:14] [RB] The Loussiers have pretty much nothing in common with the Paderewski but so what.

Georg MUFFAT (1653-1704) Missa in labore requies - St. Florianer Sängerknaben, Ars Antiqua Austria/Gunar Letzbor rec. 2013 PAN CLASSICS PC10301 [47:25] [JV] This Mass makes one regret that Muffat didn't compose more sacred music.

Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Piano Concertos 1 & 2, Pavane pour une infante défunte, La Valse - Yakov Zak, Alexander Slobodyanik (piano) USSR Academic State SO/Yevgeny Svetlanov, Vladimir Verbitsky rec. 1959-82 MELODIYA MEL CD 1002160 [60:50] [DM] The concertos are a treat; routine fillers though.

Joaquín RODRIGO (1901-1999) Concierto de Aranjuez, Invocación y danza, Fantasía para un gentilhombre - Miloš Karadaglić (guitar) London PO/Yannick Nézet-Séguin rec. 2013 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 481 0652 [60:06] [LW] Everything is first-class about this production: wonderful performances, recorded with real presence.

Beyond the Eastern Wind Works by Gorecki, Part & Vasks - Collegium Vocale/Michael Deltchev Louise Boll (organ) rec. 2013-2014 DANACORD DACOCD750 [54:05] [JF] A beautiful CD with hugely attractive music, performed with distinction and obvious attention to detail.

Myung-Whun Chung (piano) Works by Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Schubert, Schumann & Tchaikovsky rec. 2013 ECM NEW SERIES 2342 [54:55] [GM] A very attractive and well-recorded collection.

Tuesday July 29th

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Schübler & Leipzig Chorales - Kåre Nordstoga (organ) rec. 2012 LAWO CLASSICS LWC1056 [2CDs: 70:30 + 60:23] [DC] Gorgeous and spacious, but more immersion than involvement.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Overtures - O des Concerts Lamoureux/Igor Markevitch rec. 1958 ISTITUTO DISCOGRAFICO ITALIANO IDIS 6580 [55:35] [SV] Fleet, linear, lean and generally crisp.

Leoš JANÁČEK (1854-1928) Complete Works for Piano - Martino Tirimo (piano) rec. 2003 HERITAGE HTGCD 264/5 [50:45 + 60:47] [JWh] A lovely set.

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Complete works for piano and orchestra - Oleg Marshev, Anne Mette Stæhr (piano) South Denmark PO/David Porcelijn rec. 2011-2012 DANACORD DACOCD 734-736 [4 CDs: 243:43] [RB] Apportioned across a couple of evenings you will find much to enjoy as you discover works that in the majority of cases you may not have heard before.

MORITZ, Landgrave of Hesse (1572-1632) Sacred and Secular Works - Weser-Renaissance Bremen/Manfred Cordes rec. 2010 CPO 777 661-2 [71:13] [JV] Idiomatic and compelling interpretations of compositions by a German 'uomo universale' of the late Renaissance.

Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873–1943) The Complete Preludes - Peter Katin (piano) rec. 1971 SOMM SOMMCD0110 [79:10] [JQ] A welcome tribute to a highly distinguished pianist.

Joseph-Guy ROPARTZ (1864-1955) Complete Sonatas Vol. 1 - Nicolas Dautricourt (violin) Juliette Hurel (flute) Raphaël Pidoux (cello) François Kerdoncuff (piano) rec. 2012-2013 TIMPANI 1C1214 [70:13] [SG] A splendid case is made for these works.

Franz SCHUBERT (1797–1828) - Violin Sonatas, Rondo - Sara Trickey (violin) Daniel Tong (piano) Callino Qt rec. 2013 CHAMPS HILL RECORDS CHRCD080 [69:55] [CF] The music on this CD makes for seventy minutes of sheer delight.

Monday July 28th

Kalevi AHO (b. 1949) Horn concerto, Theremin concerto - Annu Salminen (horn) Carolina Eyck (theremin) Lapland CO/John Storgårds rec. 2012 BIS BIS-2036 SACD [58:28] [DM] The horn concerto is a deeply impressive construct; though clever, the theremin concerto is comparatively lightweight.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) A Bach Recital - Penelope Thwaites (piano) rec. 2013 LIR CLASSICS LIR027 [59:37] [JW] With a most attractive recording, this release merits warmest admiration.

George BENJAMIN (b.1960) Written on Skin - Christopher Purves (baritone) Barbara Hannigan (soprano) Bejun Mehta (counter-tenor) Royal Op House O/George Benjamin rec. 2013 OPUS ARTE DVD OA1125D [90:00 + 8.00] [DCh] A great opera with a gripping story, original and compelling music and superb performances.

Ignaz BRÜLL (1846-1907) Romantic Piano Music - Janet Olney (piano) rec. 2007 CAMEO CLASSICS CC9045CD [49:07] [JW] Played with obvious dedication and affection. Pretty well recorded. Most enjoyable.

Robert ERICKSON (1917-1997) Night Music, Fantasy, East of the Beach, Auroras - Rose Popper-Keizer (cello) Boston Modern Orchestra Project/Gil Rose rec. 2008 NEW WORLD RECORDS 80682-2 [69:58] [DC] Sidestep avant-garde ‘isms’ and enter Erickson’s personal new world.

André Ernest Modeste GRÉTRY (1741-1813) Guillaume Tell - Marc Laho (tenor) Anne-Catherine Gillet (soprano) Lionel Lhote (baritone) Natacha Kowalski (mezzo) O & Ch de l’Opéra royal de Wallonie/Claudio Scimone rec. 2013 MUSIQUE EN WALLONIE MEW 1370 [78:51] [JS] A very welcome addition to the catalogue.

Malcolm WILLIAMSON (1931-2003) The Complete Piano Concertos - Piers Lane, Howard Shelley (pianos) Tasmanian SO/Howard Shelley HYPERION CDA68011/2 [53:48 + 62:46] [GH] Terrific performances … highly recommendable.

Works for violin and piano by Brahms, Fišer, & Kukal, Martinů & Mozart - Leoš Čepický (violin) Ivan Klánský (piano) rec. 2013 NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6265 [74:31] [JW] If it’s the Czech works you’re after, do not hesitate. The Fišer is a masterpiece.

Other reviews

Borut KRZISNIK (b. 1961) Currents of Time - Mario Marolt (saxophone) Nino De Gleria (bass) Hugo Sekoranja (piano) Mire Lovric (voice) Borut Krzisnik (guitar, piano, sampler, rhythm machine, tape, noise) Anton Kovac (bass, rhythm machine) rec. 1990 CLAUDIO RECORDS CC6011-2 [48:02] [DC] Not ‘classical’ but who cares - if it’s good ...

Portrait Gallery - A Life in Classical Music by Edward Greenfield. Published 2014 Elliott & Thompson [CF] A good read.

Friday July 25th

Ferdinand DAVID (1810-1873) Twenty Virtuoso Studies, Six Caprices - Reto Kuppel (violin) rec. 2012/13 NAXOS 8.573048 [75:41] [JWh] Fabulous playing but the Studies are musically hollow.

Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony 3, Kindertotenlieder - Kathleen Ferrier (alto) BBC SO/Sir Adrian Boult; Concertgebouw O/Otto Klemperer rec. 1947/51 TESTAMENT SBT21422 [57:38 + 72:41] [JQ] The British première of Mahler’s Third: a significant addition to the Boult discography.

Bora YOON (b. 1980) Sunken Cathedral - Bora Yoon (various instruments) Sekou Sundiata (poetry & performance) Chris Eddleton (cymbals, metal percussion) Peter Scherer (percussion) male vocal quartet; Sympho, New York Polyphony INNOVA 880 [73:15] [DC] Cutting edge – but memorable?

Sergei ZHUKOV (b.1951) Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto - Eleonora Bekova (piano) Elvira Bekova (violin) Karelia State SO/Marius Stravinsky, Moscow State SO/Konstantin Krimets CAMEO CLASSICS CC9047CD [74:34] [SA] This is a rare disc that deserves to be heard.

Carlos Kleiber – I am lost to the world A documentary film by Georg Wübbolt C MAJOR Blu-ray 715304 [58:32] [LW] Essential viewing, but could have been better.

The Masters of Violin - Vol. 3 Works by Respighi, Dietrich, Schumann & Brahms - Franco Gulli (violin) Enrica Cavallo (piano) rec. 1986/90 DYNAMIC CDS7693 [54:45] [JW] Admirers of this duo can invest with confidence.

Malcolm Sargent - The Great Recordings rec. 1947-1966 WARNER CLASSICS 2564 634121 [18 CDs : 1321:30] This extensive survey of Sir Malcolm’s EMI/HMV recordings proves good value for money and an attractive proposition [SG] When Sargent was on-song he was a force to be reckoned with even if his relationship with orchestras was tempestuous [RB].

 


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