NEW & RECENT ARTICLES
[New] The Bernstein Centennial - Reflections, Events and Impressions by Rob Barnett
Streaming - Friend or Foe?
by Patrick Waller
Second Thoughts and Short Reviews:
Autumn 2017-1 by Brian Wilson and Dan Morgan
Discovering Erik Chisholm
by John France
Listening Studio Report by John
Quinn
NOTICES
[New] The Sterling label is offering a free sampler CD - see
here for details.
For over 20 years MusicWeb International has never operated a
PayWall. We can keep it free if you can be persuaded to make a donation.
As an inducement we are giving away CDs for donations of Ł15 (Ł20
outside the EU) or more. Click the Donate button top right for more details.
Publishing schedule
Monday: Other reviews (nostalgia, books, other music); Friday: Articles.
Live performance reviews posted daily at
Seen and Heard
Jazz reviews
posted weekly
Shopping on-line? Help us by doing it through the
MusicWeb sales page.
LATEST REVIEWS
Friday September 29th
Cécile
CHAMINADE (1857-1944) Piano Trios, Morceaux - Trio
Parnassus rec. 2016 MDG 3032002-2 [72:32] [DJB] The best readily available option for both trios, but by no means the best on record.
Aaron
COPLAND (1900-1990)
Copland Before the
LP - Aaron Copland, Leo Smit (piano)
Ivor Karman, Jacques Gordon (violin) David Freed
(cello) Ethel Luening (soprano) Louis Kaufman
(violin) rec. 1928-49 PARNASSUS PACD96057
[76:29] [JW] A finely assembled, well annotated
and excellently focused disc.
Nikolai
KAPUSTIN (b. 1937) Piano works
- Sunhee You, Sukyeon Kim (piano) rec. 2014/15
PIANO CLASSICS PCL0082/98 [60:00
& 65:41]
[RB] Sudden
sunbursts … cooling and aerobically athletic
jazz. A metropolitan spirit that projects engaging
sophistication.
László
LAJTHA (1892-1963) Symphony No
7, Suite No 3, Hortobágy suite - Pécs
SO/Nicolás Pasquet rec. 1994 NAXOS 8.573647
[75:41] [PCG] An unchallenged but worthy
recording of Lajtha’s impressive symphony.
Santa RATNIECE (b.1977)
Choral works -
Latvian Radio Ch, Latvijas Radio kora grupa, Sinfonietta Rīga/Sigvards Kļava, Kaspars Putniņš, Normunds Šnē
rec. 2006-10 LATVIAN MUSIC INFORMATION CENTRE LMIC024 [57:42]
[RB] Strange worlds, hard-won by virtuoso voices.
Franz Xaver RICHTER (1709-1789)
La Deposizione -
Czech Ens Baroque O & Ch/Roman Válek rec. 2016 SUPRAPHON SU4204-2 [2CDs: 112:00]
[DC] Well worth seeking out, another genuine masterpiece revealed.
Judith
WEGMANN Le soufflé du temps,
X (Rétro-) Perspectives - Judith Wegmann
(piano) rec. 2016 HAT[NOW]ART 202
[59:53] [DC] Does the Empress have any clothes?
Crazy Girl Crazy Works
by Berio, Berg & Gershwin -
Ludwig O/Barbara Hannigan (soprano & conductor)
rec. 2016 ALPHA 293 [57:23] [JQ] An imaginative programme concept and excellent performances, but the film is a disappointment.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH The
Ear of the Huguenots Huelgas
Ens/Paul Van Nevel rec. 2016 DEUTSCHE
HARMONIA MUNDI 88985411762 [65:09]
[JV] Paul Van Nevel always gets to the heart
of the matter.
Yuri Mazurok (baritone) Arias
& Scenes from
Operas -
Bolshoi Theatre O/Mark Ermler rec. 1966-80 MELODIYA MELCD1002393 [59:34]
[RMo] An hour’s worth of great baritone singing.
Thursday September 28th
Samuel BARBER (1910-1981) Organ Works - Rudolf Innig (organ) rec. 2016 MDG 917 2010-6 SACD [65:04] [DC] The place to be for Samuel Barber’s organ works.
Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony No. 3
-
Staatskapelle Dresden/Christian Thielemann rec. 2016 C MAJOR Blu-ray 740904 [67:05]
[DHu] Another majestic performance which raises the stature of this sometimes maligned Bruckner masterpiece.
Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1848) String Quartets Nos
1-3 -
Pleyel Qt Köln rec. 2013 CPO 777909-2 [55:19] [SG] Although there are no earth-shattering moments here, the music is both lyrical and charming in its own way.
Sir
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) The Black Knight, Scenes from
the Bavarian Highlands - London SO & Ch/Richard Hickox rec. 1995
CHANDOS CHAN10946X [61:24] [EJW] A highly desirable reissue of early choral music by Elgar.
Robert HUGILL (b. 1955) Quickening - Anna Huntley (mezzo) Rosalind Ventris (viola) Johnny Herford (baritone) William Vann (piano) rec. 2016 NAVONA RECORDS NV6121 [64:16] [RB] In the central stream of English song … mournful beauty and sorrowing ecstasy.
John JOUBERT (b. 1927) Missa Wellensis, St. Mark Passion - David Bednall (organ) Wells Cathedral Ch/Matthew Owens rec. 2017 RESONUS CLASSICS RES10198 [69:56] [JQ] A notable addition to the Joubert discography and a very fine 90th birthday tribute to him from Wells Cathedral.
Giacinto SCELSI (1905-1988) Piano Works - Rossella Spinosa (piano) rec. 2016 TACTUS TC901901 [55:35] [DC] Not ideal.
Heinz TIESSEN (1887–1971) Piano Music - Matthew Rubenstein (piano) rec. 2013 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0291 [68:39] [RB] Never a prisoner of tonality yet chose not to stray far from it.
Sylvius Leopold WEISS (1687-1750) Early Works
-
Joachim Held (lute) rec. 2017 HÄNSSLER CLASSIC HC16045 [69:40]
[SSi] An excellent recording which serves to make you wish for more from the performer.
Benjamin Appl (baritone) Heimat - James Baillieu (piano)
rec. 2016/17 SONY CLASSICAL 88985393032 [66:54] [MC] An engagingly performed album from baritone Benjamin Appl that deserves considerable acclaim.
Wednesday September 27th
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony No. 2 Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Symphony No. 34 Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Firebird Suite - Berlin PO/Karl Böhm rec. 1968 TESTAMENT SBT1510 [80:14] [DD] A brilliant “old style” concert, supremely well played. Not just for Böhm admirers.
Enrique GRANADOS (1867-1916) Orchestral Works - Frances Lucey (soprano) Nancy Fabiola Herrera (mezzo) O Filarmónica de Gran Canaria/Adrian Leaper rec. 2000 ALTO ALC1348 [69:20] [RB] Sumptuously late-romantic … caught between sultry tropics of Wagner and Delius.
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Symphony No. 2 - Lucy Crowe (soprano) Jurgita Adamonytė (mezzo) Michael Spyres (tenor) Monteverdi Ch, London SO/Sir John Eliot Gardiner rec. 2016 LSO LIVE LSO0803 BD-A /SACD [64:05] [JQ] A fine conclusion to Gardiner’s Mendelssohn cycle with the LSO.
Sergey RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Piano Concerto No. 2, Études-tableaux
- Boris Giltburg (piano)
Royal Scottish Ntl O/Carlos Miguel Prieto rec. 2016 NAXOS 8.573629
[66:57] Piano Concerto No. 2, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Anna Vinnitskaya (piano) NDR Elbphilharmonie
O/Krzysztof Urbański rec. 2016 ALPHA 275
[56:19]
[DM] Chalk and cheese; but which is which?
Valentin
SILVESTROV (b. 1937) Moments of Memory
II -Iryna Starodub (piano) Kiev Virtuosi
CO/Dmitry Yablonsky rec. 2016 NAXOS
8.573598 [67:59] [RB] A sentimental,
generous and easily accessible entrée to the
world of Valentin Silvestrov.
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Die Frau ohne Schatten
- Matti Kastu (tenor) Siv Wennberg, Birgit Nilsson
(soprano) Walter Berry (bass-baritone) Kungliga
Hovkapellet Stockholm/Berislav Klobucar rec.
1975 STERLING CDA1696/98-2
[3 CDs: 176:10] [RMo] This live recording
certainly satisfies and despite its deficiencies
and cuts, is still worthy of consideration as
a collector’s choice.
Galina
USTVOLSKAYA (1919-2006) Chamber
works - Mikhail Waiman (violin) Oleg Malov,
Maria Karandashova (piano) Oleg Stolpner (cello)
rec. 1961-1985 NORTHERN FLOWERS NF/PMA99122
[71:00] [RB] Nothing of the circus or the
playground here.
Tomás
Luis de VICTORIA (1548-1611) Motets
- Nordic Voices rec. 2017 CHANDOS CHSA0402
SACD [55:40] [DC] There is always
room for this kind of quality.
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) Symphonies
Nos 4 & 6 - Hallé/Sir Mark Elder rec. 2016
HALLÉ CDHLL7547 [64.55] [MC]
Outstanding live accounts of this pair of symphonies.
Elbphilharmonie Hamburg: Grand Opening Concert NDR Ch, Ch des Bayerischen Rundfunks, NDR Elbphilharmonie PO/Thomas Hengelbrock rec. 2017 C MAJOR Blu-ray 741504 [165 mins] [LW] A classy memento of the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie’s grand opening concert.
Tuesday September 26th
Béla
BARTÓK (1881-1945) Concerto
for Orchestra, Music for Strings, Percussion, &
Celesta - Boston SO/Rafael Kubelik, Seiji Ozawa
rec. 1973/6 PENTATONE SACD PTC5186247
[69:53] [LW] Those listeners for whom the
Kubelik is gospel should be happy with this latest
reincarnation.
Leonard
BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) Complete piano
music - Andrew Cooperstock (piano) rec. 2015 BRIDGE
RECORDS 9485A/B [44:09 + 60:13] [DC]
Invest in confidence, enjoy at leisure.
Frédéric
CHOPIN (1810-1849) Fantasy,
Sonatas,
Mazurkas - Craig Sheppard (piano) rec. 2017 ROMEO
RECORDS 7322 [72:49] [JQ] A very fine
Chopin disc.
Carl
Ditters von DITTERSDORF [1739-1799]
Three ‘Ovid’ Sonatas - James Tibbles
& Michael Tsalka (fortepiano) rec. 2014 NAXOS
8.573740 [55:58] [SSi] An intriguing
and interesting disc, one which can only further
the growing appreciation of the music of
Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, especially with
a performance as good as this one.
László
LAJTHA (1892–1963) Symphonies Nos 8 &
9 - Pécs SO/Nicolás Pasquet rec. 1996 NAXOS
8.573648 [64:57] [RB] There's
magnificence and beauty among the blistering tragedy
of these two symphonies of the last century.
Franz
SCHMIDT (1874-1939) Symphony No.
2 Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Festival Prelude - Christoph Anselm Noll (organ)
Beethoven O Bonn/Stefan Blunier rec. 2016 MDG
937 2006-6 SACD [62.33] [PCG] For
those who have yet to make the acquaintance of
these scores, this issue can be heartily recommended.
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813-1901) Don Carlo
- Michele Pertusi, José Bros, Coro Teatro Regio
di Parma/Martino Faggiani, Filarmonica Arturo
Toscanini/Daniel Oren rec. 2016 DYNAMIC
57776 Blu-ray [183 mins] [MC] A model
example of the high quality work that can be achieved
by a regional opera house.
Charles-Marie
WIDOR (1844-1937) Suite Latine, 3
Nouvelles Pičces, Bach’s Memento, Marche
Americaine - Joseph Nolan (organ) rec. 2013-2015
SIGNUM RECORDS SIGCD438 [2CDs:
48:10 + 34:29] [DC] A fine jewel to top the
crown of a superb Widor series.
American
Romantics - The Boston Scene
Works by Foote, Chadwick, Paine, Whiting, Nevin
& Ruthven Lang - Artem Belogurov (piano)
rec. 2013 PIANO CLASSICS PCL0080
[69:24] [RB] A bouquet of American romantic
piano music from the late nineteenth century.
Victor
Schiřler (piano) The Great
Danish Pianist Vol. 2 - Emil Telmányi, Henry Holst
(violin) Erling Blondal Bengtsson (cello) Danish
State Radio SO/Erik Tuxen rec. 1942-57 DANACORD DACOCD781-2 [77:35
+ 78:18] [JW] Danacord is to be congratulated
for its dedication to this outstanding pianist’s
valuable and important legacy.
Monday September 25th
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750), Wilhelm Friedmann BACH (1710-1784)
& Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Works for 2
harpsichords - Harpsichorduo rec. 2016 DUX 1337 [58:11]
[DC] Nice recording, but not a world-changing release.
Louis DUREY (1888-1979) Durey Rediscovered - William Burden (tenor) Sidney Outlaw, Jesse Blumberg (baritone) Adriana Zabala (mezzo) Jocelyn Dueck (piano) NEW FOCUS RECORDINGS FCR184 [66:36] [RB] Concise, lyrical and tuneful songs: a patrimony revealed and one that further enriches the French mélodie genre.
Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907) Lyric Pieces (selection) Janina Fialkowska (piano) rec. 2014 ATMA ACD22696 [64:50] [RB] Ideally strong on poetry and charm and sparing when it comes to drama.
Gian Francesco MALIPIERO (1882-1973) Piano Works
-
Sabrina Alberti (piano) rec. 2013 TACTUS TC881302 [65:00]
[RB] Nothing bland … everything gently accessible.
Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Alexander Nevsky
Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Night on Bald Mountain,
Songs & Dances of Death -
Agunda Kulaeva (mezzo)
Vladislav Sulimsky (bass-baritone)
Gürzenich O Köln/Dmitri Kitayenko rec. 2015 OEHMS OC459 [74:56]
[JQ] A good Alexander Nevsky but Abbado’s
recording still takes some beating.
Emil TABAKOV (b. 1947) Complete Symphonies Vol. 2 - Alexander Zemtsov (viola) Bulgarian Ntl Radio SO/Emil Tabakov rec. 2009/14 TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0410 [73:50] [SG] Definitely worth a punt.
Pyotr Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) The Complete Ballets - Bergen PO/Neeme Järvi rec. 2012/13 CHANDOS CHSA5204(5) [5 SACDs: 394:26] [RMay] Of particular appeal, perhaps, to those who prefer to listen to – rather than watch – ballet.
George TSONTAKIS (b. 1951)
Anasa, True Colours, Unforgettable -
David Karkauer (clarinet)
Eric Berlin (trumpet)
Luosha Fang, Eunice Kim (violins)
Albany SO/David Alan Miller
rec. 2011-13 NAXOS 8.559826 [63.12] [GH] A valuable window into the music of George Tsontakis.
Episodi Works by
Vasks, Cowell, Shchedrin & Schoenfield - AdAstra Piano Trio rec. 2016 CD ACCORD ACD231-2 [65:55]
[RK] This diverse program of recent chamber music classics presents provocative yet accessible music, played with panache.
Walter Gieseking (piano)
The 1950s Solo Studio Recordings APR 7402 [4 CDs: 280:05] [JW] An admirable package.
Other reviews
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Edward GREGSON (b.1945)
Dances & Arias -
Richard Marshall (cornet) Black Dyke Band/Nicholas Childs, Edward Gregson rec.
2016
DOYEN DOYCD369 [73:27] [NB] A magnificent achievement by
all concerned.