NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
[New] Celebrating Ivor Novello and the Great British Songbook
- An interview by Ian Lace with Ross Leadbeater
[New] Sir David Willcocks - An
obituary by John Quinn
Download News 2015/8 by Brian
Wilson and Dan Morgan
A to Z of the Piano Trio Repertoire by David Barker: "D"
Composers
MWI Recommends:
Brahms symphony 4 & Rossini The Barber of Seville.
NOTICES
[New] Have You Seen ... ?
More Than The Notes An online book by Arthur Bloomfield,
analysing the performances of a substantial number of famous conductors
from Arthur Nikisch to Sir Adrian Boult
[New] Upcoming Ealing SO concerts - see
here for
details
An Elgar pilgrimage with the English SO - October 7-10 - see
here for
details
The Loder Celebration 2015 - October 16 & 17 - 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.
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
Wednesday September 30th
Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685-1750) The Art of Fugue - Schaghajegh
Nosrati (piano) rec. 2015 GENUIN CLASSICS GEN15374
[85:31] [DC] Beyond criticism, but now there is a choice to be made.
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Viola Sonatas
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Arpeggione Sonata -
Robin Ireland (viola), Tim Horton (piano)
rec. 2012
NIMBUS NI6210 [74:34] [OL] Solid and expressive performances.
Joseph HAYDN
(1732-1809) Violin Concerto 1, Sinfonia Concertante - Ronald
Leonhard (cello) Barbara Winters (oboe) David Breidenthal (bassoon)
Los Angeles PO/Pinchas Zukerman (violin) rec. 1977 PENTATONE
PTC5186224 SACD [43:24] [SG] Guaranteed to brighten
up even the most cheerless of days.
Edward Woodall
NAYLOR (1867-1934) Vox Dicentes - Ch of Emmanuel
College, Cambridge/Richard Latham;
George Lacey, Adam Mathias (organ) rec. 2013 REGENT REGCD426
[75:34] [JQ] An opportunity to explore Naylor's church music in committed performances.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
&
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Violin Concertos -
Fumiaki Miura (violin)
Deutsches SO Berlin/Hannu Lintu
rec. 2015
AVEX AVCL25878 [65:49] [SG] I am almost certain that we will be hearing a lot more of Fumiaki Miura in days to come. Such talent bodes well for his future career.
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678–1741) String Concertos Vol. 1 - Collegium Musicum
90/Simon Standage rec. 1998 CHANDOS CHAN0647 [62:08] [BW] A
belated welcome to a recording which we have overlooked in the past.
Carl Maria von WEBER (1786-1826)
Violin Sonatas 1, 3 & 5
Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Violin Sonata 1
Gabriel PIERNÉ (1863-1937)
Violin Sonata -
Brigitte Huyghues de Beaufond (violin)
Hélène Boschi,
Varda Nishry (piano)
rec. 1957-60
FORGOTTEN RECORDS FR1055 [65:33] [JW] A most appealing disc.
Russian
Émigrés Works by Firsova, Rachmaninov & Smirnov
- Alissa Firsova (piano) rec. 2015 VIVAT 109 [76:00]
[SA] When you hear this disc put your feet up, turn off your phone,
dim the lights and allow yourself to be transported.
Stravinsky and Glazunov Conduct Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Petrushka, Pulcinella Suites
Alexander GLAZUNOV (1865-1936)
The Seasons -
rec. 1928-32
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC432 [69:16] [JW] These transfers are very accomplished indeed ... a strong entrant.
Wartime Consolations
Works by Hartmann, Shostakovich & Weinberg - Linus
Roth (violin) Württemberg CO Heilbronn/Ruben
Gazarian rec. 2015 CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72680 SACD
[55:28] [DBi] An impressive disc of music that is deserving of far greater
exposure; in the case of the Hartmann, a reminder of a masterpiece.
Tuesday September 29th
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Hector
BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Symphonie fantastique, Lélio
- Chicago SO & Ch/Riccardo Muti rec. 2010 CSO RESOUND CSOR9011501
[114:42] [DM] Superb, even revelatory accounts of both works; top-flight
engineering, too.
David CHESKY
(b. 1956) Joy and Sorrow - Artur Kaganovskiy (violin)
Moran Katz (clarinet) Kristina Reiko Cooper (cello) Ethan Herschenfeld
(bass) Chelsea Symphony/Yaniv Segal rec. 2014 CHESKY JD371
[70:45] [DM] David Chesky’s music is well worth your time and
money; however, I'm not convinced by the disc's USP, Binaural+.
Roger DOYLE (b.
1949) Time Machine rec. 2010/11 HERESY
RECORDS 017 [72:00] [DC] A stage set for some potent and memorable
magic.
Georg Friederich
HÄNDEL (1685-1759) Grand Musical Entertainment
- Martin Schmeding (organ) Münchener Bach-Orchester/Hansjörg
Albrecht (organ) rec. 2014 OEHMS CLASSICS OC1821 [79:15]
[DC] Indeed, a Grand Musical Entertainment.
Erich Wolfgang
KORNGOLD (1897-1957) Suite, Piano Trio - Daniel Rowland, Priya Mitchell (violins)
Julian Arp (cello) Luis Magalhães (piano) rec. 2013 TWO PIANISTS
RECORDS TP1039282 [69:43] [DC] Compelling.
Pietro MASCAGNI
(1863-1945) Rapsodia Satanica Nino ROTA (1911-1979)
Il Gattopardo - Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz/Frank
Strobel rec. 2005 CAPRICCIO C5246 [62:02] [NB] A revelation
and an obligatory listen for all film music aficionados.
Gabriel
PIERNÉ (1863-1937) Orchestral Works Vol. 2 - Jean-Efflam
Bavouzet (piano) BBC Philharmonic/Juanjo Mena rec. 2014 CHANDOS
CHAN10871 [72:58] [DJB] From glittering Romanticism to delicate
Impressionism, these are very fine works.
Sergei
RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Complete Preludes - Boris Berezovsky
(piano) rec. 2004 MIRARE MIR004 [77:52] [RWe] This
version of Rachmaninov’s gigantic miniatures still deserves its
place in the catalogue.
Jean-Philippe
RAMEAU (1683-1764) Castor et Pollux - Colin Ainsworth,
Florian Sempey, Emmanuelle de Negri, Clémentine Margaine, Ens Pygmalion/Raphaël
Pinchon rec. live, 2014 HARMONIA MUNDI HMC902212.13
[69:19 + 70:12] [ST] Much more here to enjoy than to irritate, and it’s
definitely worth a listen.
Franz
SCHUBERT (1787-1828) Fierrabras - Michael Schade
(tenor) Julia Kleiter (soprano) Georg Zeppenfeld (bass) Markus Werba
(baritone) Marie-Claude Chappuis (mezzo) Vienna PO/Ingo Metzmacher rec. 2014 C MAJOR Blu-ray 730804
[174:00] [ST] Fierrabras is well worth exploring, and this
film is as good a place to start as any.
Monday September 28th
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Violin Sonatas 3, 7 & 9 Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Violin Sonatas - Lola Bobesco (violin) Jacques
Genty (piano) rec. 1958 MELOCLASSIC MC2023 [71:28 + 78:38] [SG]
Very welcome additions to the Bobesco/Genty discography. Lovers of fine violin playing won’t be disappointed.
Vincenzo
BELLINI (1801-1835) Norma - Montserrat Caballé
(soprano) Fiorenza Cossotto (mezzo) Plácido Domingo (tenor) Ruggero
Raimondi (bass) London PO/Carlo Felice Cillario
rec. 1972 RCA RED SEAL 88875 073482 [3 CDs: 156.03] [PCG]
As a purely musical experience this still holds
up against the competition.
Alexander GLAZUNOV (1865-1936) Violin concerto Pyotr Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Souvenir d’un lieu cher Ernest CHAUSSON (1855-1899) Poème - Hideko Udagawa (violin) London PO/Kenneth Klein rec. 1989 NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6316 [63:56] [BW]
Very decent performances of the Glazunov and Chausson are eclipsed by other recordings.
Wolfgang Amadeus
MOZART (1756-1791) The Three Prussian Quartets - Stradivari
Qt rec. 2015 SOLO MUSICA SM230 [74.15] [MC] Admirably
committed and engaging playing.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS
(1865-1957) The Seven Symphonies - Lahti SO/Okko Kamu rec.
2012/14 BIS BIS-2076 SACD [3 CDs: 240:13] [DM]
Kamu’s
distinguished Sibelius joins Vänskä’s at the top of the tree;
formidable engineering, too.
Pyotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Iolanta - Olesya
Golovneva (soprano)
Gürzenich O Cologne/Dmitri Kitajenko rec. 2014 OEHMS
OC963 [43:17 + 64:03] [PSt]
If this set were the only recording
of Iolanta I would be quite content with it, but in this field
it comes a definite third.
Joaquín TURINA (1882-1949)
Piano Music Vol. 11 -
Jordi Masó (piano)
rec. 2014
NAXOS 8.573401 [60:30] [JF]
I have become increasingly impressed with Turina. I rate him alongside Debussy, Ravel, Albeniz and Granados.
Francesc VALLS (c.1671-1747)
Misa Scala Aretina -
La Grande Chapelle/Albert Recasens
rec. 2014
LAUDA LAU014 [74:34] [JV]
A production of great importance.
Lotta WENNÄKOSKI
(b. 1970) Soie, Hava, Amor Omnia
Suite
- Kersten McCall (flute) Finnish RSO/Dima Slobodeniouk rec. 2014
ONDINE ODE 1259-2 [54:23] [DC] Well-crafted and highly
imaginative.
Yevgeny Mravinsky (conductor) Béla BARTÓK (1881-1945)
Music for strings, percussion and celesta ta
Arthur HONEGGER (1892-1955)
Symphony 3
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Agon -
Leningrad PO
rec. 1965-68
PRAGA DIGITALS PRD/DS 350087 SACD [78.29] [DBi]
Burningly intense, virtuoso performances worth anyone's time and money.
Other reviews
British Musical Modernism: The Manchester Group and their Contemporaries
by Philip Rupprecht.
Published 2015
Cambridge University Press [JF]
Sets the baseline for all research into the ‘avant-garde’ of the British post-Second World War era.
Friday September 25th
Brett DEAN (b. 1961) Epitaphs, String Quartets 1 & 2 -
Doric String Qt, Allison Bell (soprano) Brett Dean (viola) rec. 2014
CHANDOS CHAN10873 [61:50] [SG]
This appealing release has certainly prompted me to explore Dean's music further.
Wim HENDERICKX (b. 1962) Triptych -
HERMESensemble/Wim Henderickx rec. 2013
HERMESensemble HMES002 [71:25] [DC]
One if you're up for a spiritual challenge and a shot of eternal enrichment.
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Toivo KUULA (1883-1918) Festive march; South Ostrobothnian Suites 1
& 2; Prelude and Fugue -
Turku PO/Leif Segerstam rec. 2015
ONDINE ODE12702 [70:50] [DJB]
Quite a discovery - what a shame there is little else in Kuula's orchestral output.
Simon LAKS (1901-1983) Trois pieces de concert; Cello Sonata; Suite polonaise; Ballade -
Judith Ingolfsson (violin); Leonid Gorokhov (cello); Vladimir Stoupel (piano) rec. 2007/8
EDA RECORDS EDA31 [70:15] [DC]
Neglected but brilliant, Simon Laks deserves your attention.
Douglas LILBURN (1915-2001)
Complete Electro-acoustic Works
ATOLL ACD404 [3 CDs: 214.44 & DVD: 54.48] [PCG]
Fascination rather than whole-hearted engagement.
Ludwig MEINARDUS (1827-1896)
Luther in Worms -
Matthias Vieweg, Catalina Bertucci, Clemens Lvschmann, Rheinische Kantorei, Concerto Köln/Hermann Max rec. 2013
CPO 777540-2 [54:17 + 49:23] [DC]
Resolutely uncontroversial.
Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908) Mozart and Salieri; The Noblewoman Vera Sheloga
- Bolshoi Theatre O/Mark Ermler rec. 1985/86
MELODIYA MELCD1002344 [74.01] [PCG]
To a large degree self-recommending.
Thursday September 24th
Alexander MOSOLOV (1900-1973)
Piano concerto 1,
Legend,
Piano sonata 1 -
Steffen Schleiermacher (piano), Ringela Riemke (cello),
Berlin RSO/Johannes Kalitzke rec. 2014
CAPRICCIO C5241 [55:09] [RB]
An object of curiosity rather than impressed enthusiasm.
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Violin Sonata 2; Märchenbilder Clara SCHUMANN (1819-1896) Romances -
Nurit Stark (violin and viola) Cédric Pescia (piano) rec. 2014
CLAVES 50-1502 [55:51] [SG]
One cannot fail to be won over by the spontaneity and enthusiasm of these two artists.
Fernando SOR (1778-1839) Studies in the Form of Suites -
Paolo Cherici (guitar) rec. 2014
DYNAMIC CDS7722 [59:02] [ZT]
The merit of this CD lies in creative programming not in the performances.
Barbara STROZZI (1619-1677) Passioni, Vizi & Virtu
-
Peggy Bélanger (soprano) Consort Baroque Laurentia/Michel Angers rec. 2012
STRADIVARIUS STR33948 [72.54] [GH]
What’s stopping you buying it immediately?
Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) Violin Sonatas
- Arsenale Sonoro rec.2014 DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI
88875061582 [64:02] [BW] Small
reservations are no detriment to my recommending the album overall.
Ludwig THUILLE (1861-1907)
& Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949) Ein Jugendfreundschaft -
Sabina von Walther (soprano) Helmut Deutsch (piano) rec. 2011
DUX 1217 [69:19] [SSi]
A wonderful evocation of a musical friendship, one that is highly commended.
Amores Pasados Anna Maria Friman (voice and hardanger fiddle) John Potter (voice) Ariel Abramovich, Jacob Heringman (lute) rec. 2014
ECM NEW SERIES 2441 [46:16] [DC]
A very pleasant semi-hour.
