NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
A to Z of the Piano Trio Repertoire by David Barker: "D"
Composers
A survey of some recent releases of Dvořák’s New World Symphony
by Brian Reinhart
Download News 2015/7 by Brian
Wilson and Dan Morgan
Listening Studio Report by John Quinn
National
Discographies Update by Mike Herman
MWI Recommends
is taking a summer break and will return in September.
NOTICES
[New] Crowdfunding campaign for the recording of the
complete works for violin and piano by Sir Hubert Parry - see
here for
details
[New] US Premiere of Sibelius violin concerto by Maud Powell in
New York, 1906 - there is a substantial article
here.
Kickstarter campaign for Bax scores - see
here for
details
The 10th Malcolm Arnold Festival, October 17 & 18, Northampton,
UK - see
here for details
Musicweb International is in need of a reviewer
specialising in the guitar repertoire. Please contact Rob Barnett
if you are interested.
OCCUPY THE PIANOS An immersive exploration of
classic and contemporary piano music at St John's Smith Square, London,
curated by Rolf Hind, 10-13 September 2015 - more details
here
In order to persuade more of you to make a donation to MusicWeb
International we are giving away CDs - click the Donate button top right for
more details.
Publishing schedule
Monday: Other reviews (nostalgia, books, other music); Wednesday: MWI
Recommends; Friday: Articles.
Live performance reviews posted daily at
Seen and Heard
Jazz reviews
posted weekly
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LATEST REVIEWS
Monday August 31st
Charlie CHAPLIN
(1889-1977) Modern times - NDR Radiophilharmonie/Timothy
Brock rec. 2006/7 CPO 777 286-2 [79:49] [RMay] Unless
you're very familiar with the film, much of this score will quite
possibly be lost on you but the performance is very fine.
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Symphony 9 Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Serenade for Strings - Philharmonia Hungarica; Royal PO/Antal
Doráti rec. 1958/77 DORÁTI EDITION ADE048 [74:49] [BW]
My first encounter with The Doráti Edition – I hope it won’t be my last.
Leopold KOŽELUCH (1747-1818)
Complete keyboard sonatas Vol. 4
-
Kemp English (fortepiano)
rec. 2011
GRAND PIANO GP645 [74:20]
Jan Hugo VOŘÍŠEK (1791-1825)
Complete works for piano Vol. 2
-
Biljana Urban (piano)
rec. 2014
GRAND PIANO GP671 [57:37] [SA]
It is salutary at times to be reminded that at some periods in history others have been considered greater composers than Mozart.
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Symphonies 1-4 - O Champs-Élysées/Philippe Herreweghe rec. 1996/2006
HARMONIA MUNDI HMG508190.91 [69:42 + 62:24] [RB]
A good unfamiliar place to go ... excitement is never rationed.
Boris
TISHCHENKO (1939-2010) Piano sonatas 7 & 8 - Nicolas
Stavy (piano) Jean-Claude Gengembre (large bells, tubular bells,
glockenspiel) rec. 2014 BIS BIS-2189 SACD [70:50] [DC]
Stunning.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Christopher TYE (c. 1505-c. 1573)
Consort Music -
Claron McFadden (soprano)
The Spirit of Gambo
rec. 2014
MUSICA FICTA MF8022 [68:05] [JV] A most interesting and musically rewarding production.
Jorge Bolet (piano) Vol. 2
Ambassador from the Golden Age: A Connoisseur’s Selection for the Bolet Centennial
rec. 1937-89
MARSTON 56003-2 [6 CDs: 475:14] [JW]
A remarkable box, lovingly compiled, transferred and annotated.
British Violin
Concertos Works by Bax, Bliss, Dyson & Veale - Lydia Mordkovitch (violin) rec.
1991-2000 CHANDOS CHAN241-53 [78:39 + 77:36] [SG]
For those willing to veer off the beaten track and explore, there are
many rewards to be had here.
Thomas
Hampson (baritone) Autograph rec. 1989-2013 WARNER
CLASSICS 2564 619045 [12 CDs: 902:08] [GF]
No admirer of this
versatile artist can afford to be without this box.
The Music of the
Habsburg Empire Ars Antiqua Austria/Gunar Letzbor rec.
2001/07 PAN CLASSICS PC10311 [10 CDs: 609:02] [JW]
Splendid music, restored, sifted and refined ... in lively and often
adroit performances.
Friday August 28th
Kurt ATTERBERG (1887-1974)
Symphonies 1 & 5 -
Gothenburg SO/Neeme Järvi
rec. 2014/15
CHANDOS SACD CHSA5154 [63:20]
Another splendid contribution to this evolving series [IL] This is music that is neither rainy nor dark [PCG].
Niels GADE (1817-1890) String Sextet; Allegro vivace; Piano Trio -
Ensemble MidtVest rec. 2013 CPO 7771642 [62:23] [JW]
Excellent performances all-round, finely recorded and well annotated.
Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Violin sonata 1
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Violin sonata -
Igor Malinovsky (violin), Itamar Golan (piano)
rec. 2014 GENUIN CLASSICS GEN15547 [60:34] [DC]
No caveats to report.
Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Preludes,
Variations on a Theme of Chopin,
Morceaux de Fantaisie -
Artur Pizarro (piano)
rec. 2014
ODRADEK RECORDS ODRCD316 [72:19 + 73:07] [RWe]
Pizarro’s series continues with a fine issue which, if low on extrovert display, is high on musical insight.
Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Pelléas et Mélisande,
Musik zu einer Szene,
Autrefois -
Pia Pajala (soprano), Sari Nordqvist (mezzo)
Turku PO/Leif Segerstam
rec. 2014
NAXOS 8.573301 [57:49] [GPJ]
An enticing selection for Sibelians, despite some sluggish tempi from Segerstam.
Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924)
Complete Music for Solo Piano Vol. 1 -
Christopher Howell (piano)
rec. 2014
SHEVA SH115 [71:42 + 74:24]
An immense project: ultimately important, worthy and a major contribution to recorded British music [JF] A nicely balanced mix of the occasionally mundane, the didactic and music of great reach and emotional ambit [RB].
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
A Sea Symphony -
Katherine Broderick (soprano), Roderick Williams (baritone), Hallé Ch & O/Sir Mark Elder
rec. 2014
HALLÉ CDHLL7542 [70.16] [MC]
A key work in British Music in a magnificent live recording.
The Art of the Bassoon
Robert Thompson (bassoon)
rec. 1980-95
HERITAGE HTGCD402 [4 CDs: 216:09] [GPJ]
An interesting collection. Worthy but in the end largely disappointing.
Leopold Stokowski: CD and Digital Premieres
Works by Prokofiev, Purcell, Tchaikovsky & Wagner -
His Symphony Orchestra,
New York City SO,
NBC SO
rec. 1941-50
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC442 [65:02] [JW]
Extremely successful transfers ... this ‘mopping up’ operation will prove very attractive to Stokowski admirers.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Yo Te Quiere Matare
Ministriles en Granada en el siglo XVI -
Ensemble La Danserye rec. 2012 LINDORO NL3019 [66:14] [JV]
More than an hour of brilliant and engaging music-making.
Thursday August 27th
Konstantin EIGES (1875–1950)
Piano Music -
Jonathan Powell (piano)
rec. 2012
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0215 [71:04] [RB] Toccata and Powell do these things so well.
Alexander GLAZUNOV (1865-1936)
The Seasons
Aaron COPLAND (1900-1990)
Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes -
Dallas SO/Antal Doráti
rec. 1946/47
ANTAL DORÁTI EDITION ADE008 [48:29] [JW]
Doráti was a consummate ballet conductor.
Franz LISZT
(1811-1886) Piano concertos 1 & 2, Concerto in E minor
- Alexandre Kantorow (piano) Tapiola Sinfonietta/Jean-Jacques
Kantorow rec. 2014 BIS BIS-2100 SACD [58:02] [RMay]
Reveals aspects of these works that many older and more experienced
artists ignore entirely. Do try to listen to this disc.
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Piano Trio 1 Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Piano Trio 1
- Alfred Cortot (piano), Jacques Thibaud (violin), Pablo Casals (cello)
rec. 1927-28
PRISTINE AUDIO PACM097 [59:30] [JW]
Broad but well sustained, quiveringly vital, grandly rhetorical.
Claudio
MONTEVERDI (1567-1643) Vespro della beata Vergine 1610
- Concerto Vocale/René
Jacobs rec. 1995 HARMONIA MUNDI HMG501566.67 [62:04
+ 42:09] [DC] A leading 1610 Vespers and now a real bargain.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Francis POULENC
(1899-1963) Chamber Music - Henrik Wiese (flute)
Kolja Lessing (violin) Alexander Wienand, Eva-Maria May (piano) rec.
2014/15 PALADINO MUSIC PMR0049 [68:35] [MC]
Lovers of French music will relish this beautifully produced release.
Camille SAINT-SAËNS
(1835-1921) Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, La
muse et le počte, Symphony 3 - Jan Kraybill (organ) Kansas City SO/Michael Stern rec. 2013 REFERENCE
RECORDINGS RR-136 [61:29] [BR]
Hard to imagine an Organ Symphony
performance in better sound and the playing deserves that luxury treatment.
Alexander
SCRIABIN (1871-1915) Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 - Matthew Bengtson
(piano) ROMÉO RECORDS 7308 [75:37] [JW] Conscientious
but there’s little real excitement or colour here.
Auckland Town Hall Organ Inaugural Concert
Works by Bairstow, Brahms, Guilmant, Parry & Wells
-
Indra Hughes, John Wells, Paul Tarling (organ)
Musica Sacra,
Auckland Youth SO/Antun Poljanich
rec. 2010
ATOLL RECORDS ACD117 [79:07] [JF]
Interesting and satisfying.
Harriet Krijgh (cello) Elegy
-
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz/Gustavo Gimeno
rec. 2014
CAPRICCIO C5222 [50:29] [LB]
Greater maturity and experience will undoubtedly refine this musician's substantial musical resources.
Wednesday August 26th
Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Piano
Trio 3 Bedřich SMETANA (1824-1884)
Piano Trio Josef SUK (1874-1935)
Elegy - Sitkovetsky Trio
rec. 2013 BIS BIS-2059 SACD
[73:11] [DJB] Not quite
as successful as their Mendelssohn follow-up,
but it certainly shows the promise of this fine
young trio.
Christian
Ernst GRAF (1723-1804) String Quartets
- Via Nova Qt rec. 2012 CPO 777 865-2
[61:13] [JW] Graf’s
sweetly melodious ways played with spirit.
Reynaldo
HAHN (1874-1947)
Le Bal de Béatrice d’Este, Concerto provençal, Sérénade,
Divertissement - Ens Initium, O Pays
de Savoie/Nicolas Chalvin rec. 2014 TIMPANI
1C1231 [70:29] [MC] Lovers of French
music will relish this mainly unfamiliar repertoire
that deserves to be better known.
Georg
Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Wind Sonatas
- Barthold Kuijken (transverse flute) Peter
van Heyghen (recorder) Marcel Ponseele (oboe)
Wieland Kuijken (viola da gamba) Robert Kohen,
Kris Verhelst, Ewald Demeyere (harpsichord)
Richte Van Der Meer (violoncello) rec. 1991-99
ACCENT ACC24308 [72:55 + 74:08]
[DC] Excellent one-stop
place for Handel’s wind sonatas.
Franz LISZT
(1811-1886) Transcriptions
from Operas by Meyerbeer - Sergio Gallio
(piano) rec. 2014 NAXOS 8.573235
[82:57] [SB] If you
want most of Liszt’s Meyerbeer this is
one to get.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Lieder Vol. 2 -
Ian Bostridge (tenor) Julius Drake (piano) rec.
2014 WIGMORE HALL LIVE WHLIVE0077
[79:47] [JQ] A compelling
Schubert recital featuring singing and playing
that is full of artistry and insight.
Igor
STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) Les
Noces, Mass, Cantata -
RIAS Kammerchor, musikFabrik/Daniel Reuss rec.
2005 HARMONIA MUNDI HMG501913
[66:27] [SB] A really
valuable reissue.
Eugen
SUCHOŇ (1908-1993) Metamorfózy,
Baladiká suita, Symfonietta rustica
- Estonian Ntil SO/Neeme Järvi rec. 2013 CHANDOS
CHAN10849 [62:36] A
very fine Chandos disc indeed and if it brings
Suchoň's music to a wider and appreciative
audience then all the better [JW] The playing is athletic and powerful in all
departments [NB].
Avanti
l'opera An A-Z of Italian baroque
overtures - Charivari Agréable/Kah-Ming
Ng rec. 2013 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD383
[63:15] [JV] Charivari
Agréable has added another gem to its already
impressive discography.
A
Festival of English Organ Music Vol. 2
- Ben van Oosten (organ) rec. 2014 MDG
3161907-2 [73:48] [JF] Van
Oosten has excelled himself with this present
recording.
Tuesday August 25th
Johannes
BRAHMS (1833-1897) Fantasias, Intermezzi,
Piano Pieces - Ariel Halevy (piano) ROMÉO
RECORDS 7312 [68:23] [JW]
A lot of uneven playing here.
Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphony 1 - Netherlands Radio PO/Jaap van Zweden rec. 2012/13 CHALLENGE
CLASSICS CC72556 SACD [51:23] [RMo] Tight, swiftly modulating,
rhythmic music ideally served by this impassioned and impeccable playing.
Luigi
CHERUBINI (1760-1842)
Cantatas
- Clytemnestre, La Mort de Mirabeau, Circé,
Amphion -
Kölner Akademie/Michael Alexander Willens rec.
2012 CPO 777776-2 [65:50] [JV]
This disc is of major
importance.
George GERSHWIN
(1898-1937) The Gershwin Collection
-
Simon Tedeschi (piano) James Morrison (trumpet) Sarah McKenzie (vocals)
Queensland SO/Benjamin Northey rec. 2007/13 ABC CLASSICS 481
1872 [62:09 + 69:07] [DM] Simon Tedeschi romps home in this
repertoire; disc one is my favourite, though.
Jacques
IBERT (1890-1962) La Ballade
de la Geôle de Reading, 3 Pičces de Ballet,
Suite Élisabéthaine - Slovak RSO/Adriano
rec. 1993 NAXOS 8.555568 [66:13]
[GPJ] This collection
of little-known music is emphatically worth
hearing.
Alexander SCRIABIN
(1872-1915) The Complete Works DECCA 478 8168
[18 CDs] [NB] Scriabin was a unique musical voice and this set reinforces
that impression beyond doubt.
Michael TIPPETT
(1905-1998) A Child of Our Time - Cynthia Haymon (soprano)
Cynthia Clarey (contralto) Damon Evans (tenor) Willard White (bass)
London SO & Ch/Richard Hickox rec. 1992 CHANDOS CHAN10869X
[73:17] [DC] Top-notch Tippett – atmospheric and cumulatively
overwhelming.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) La
traviata - Diana Damrau,
Francesco Demuro, Ludovic Tézier, Ch & O l’Opéra
Ntl de Paris/Francesco
Ivan Ciampa rec. June 2014 ERATO Blu-ray
2564 616647 [145.00] [MC] Excellent
performances make this Erato release so desirable.
British
Works for Cello and Piano Vol. 4 Paul Watkins (cello) Huw
Watkins (piano) rec. 2014 CHANDOS CHAN10862 [67:35]
[JW] Wonders performed with these works, bringing a different character
and colour to each.
Perfect
Polyphony The Tallis Scholars/Peter
Phillips GIMELL CDGIM213 [77:47
+ 78:44] [JQ] An excellent
compilation, issued to celebrate The Tallis
Scholars’ 2000th concert.