August 2000 part 5

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A remarkable record of one of the best kept secrets in the history of audio engineering; the development of tape recording.

Reg Williamson

Violin Sonata No. 4 (1936) [10.26]
AARON COPLAND
Violin Sonata (1942-43) [18.17]
BENJAMIN LEES
Violin Sonata No. 2 (1973) [19.67]
LEON KIRCHNER
Sonata Concertante (1952) [19.35]
Ives and Copland: Jaime Laredo (violin) Ann Schein (piano)
Lees: Rafael Druian (violin) Ilse von Alpenheim (piano)
Kirchner: Jaime Laredo (violin) Ruth Laredo (piano)
PHOENIX PHCD 136  [68.20]

The Ives Sonata is one of his most probingly exploratory. It slips and slides as if memories were focusing and blurring all the time - not exactly intimidating just rather leading edge. It echoes with strained memories of children's summer camp meetings in the 1870s-1890s. It has its moments of ecstasy as in the largo - a swelteringly soporific version of 'Yes, Jesus Loves You' - Delian in its irresistible decay.

Antonio Lysy (cello)
Pelleas 0106 [70 min] [PW]

this CD will have a local appeal, particularly for people who had enjoyed the recital.

Garth Knox
Naïve  (Montaigne-Auvidis) MO782082 [66.02]

Nothing naïve about this co-production with Auvidis Montaigne -WDR! It is the best solo viola CD I have come across and I recommend it strongly - even to those who have been put off by the list of composers and might not have intended to read further?

CHANDOS BRIT 0014 [75.55]. Bargain Price

A collection of bits and pieces superbly recorded and performed advertising Chandos's catalogue of British Music. Formerly supplied as a free disc attached to magazine fronts. This issue should be so supplied and not charged for.

This is a thoroughly invigorating and entertaining collection of music related to the Futurism movements in Italy and Russia

Jenny Lin (piano).
BIS CD1110 [DDD] [79'45] [CC]

Enthusiastically recommended. A veritable treasure trove of delights!!

Chamber Orchestra Works
London Sinfonietta/Edmund Colomer
Ensayo Perspectives ENY-2001 [50.05]

This is an attractive collection, apparently of fairly recent Spanish music from the Barcelona area, but I am hesitant because the documentation is sparse in the extreme, with no information about the composers nor dates of their works.....It is a pity not to know more about the genesis of this CD, but there is plenty of accessible, enjoyable music for listeners curious about the Spanish scene, which remains relatively obscure in UK.

Paul Barritt (violin)/Catherine Edwards (piano)
Hyperion CDA 67096 66' 55"

We are all familiar with the celebrated violinist Fritz Kreisler's activities as a composer, writing encores and salon piece which he at first attributed to various eighteenth century names. Less well known is the fact that the great English violinist Albert Sammons was also an expert turner of such delightful trifles....This is a beautifully presented discovery.

Lewis Foreman

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Aribert Reimann & Hermann Reutter (piano)
EMI Classics CMS5 67349 2 [76.12, 73.44,73.53] [PW]

So this is an uncommon collection, of uncommon interest, and if it does not sell well it will presumably soon disappear for ever.

(1930-95)
Saxophone Concerto No. 2.
Jean RIVIER (1896-1987)
Concerto for Saxophone, Trumpet and String Orchestra.
Patrice SCIORTINO (b1922)
Sonances.
Daniel Gremelle (saxophone); Antoine Curé (trumpet); Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra/Bystrík Rezucha.
Marco Polo 8.225127 [DDD] [53'55]. [CC]

Daniel Gremelle is a convincing exponent of his chosen repertoire.....There are plenty of opportunities for Gremelle's virtuosity to shine....

Complete track listing and artist rosta below
NIMBUS NI7052-3 2CD [2hr 30m]

It has been a pleasure to refresh my memories of the miraculously alive sounds of voices from the early days of recording in my Prima Voce collection. The standard in this new compilation is enviably high, reflecting the vast collection of mint-quality ancient 78s upon which Nimbus can draw for their unique processing method, which is a model of discretion, with strictly limited remastering interference.

John Kenny (trombone) with David Home (piano) John Kitchen (organ) Tom Bancroft (drums) John Whiting (sound projection) Chamber Group of Scotland.
British Music Label BML 016 [DW]

The carnyx was a long Celtic trumpet known throughtout Europe as long ago as 200BC. Romans used it to terrify enemies and in John Kenny's piece for four carnyxs we are impressed, alarmed and excited by primitive, blood-curdling sounds of bellicose pageantry.

Brass Partout Hermann Baumer.
BIS CD 1054 72m DDD. [GF]

...a splendidly vivid interpretation by Brass partout. This group is a top-class brass ensemble and their sheer musical prowess is never in doubt.

Lewis Foreman

Works by: Schutz, Scheine, Bach, Draeske, Bruckner etc.
Dresdner Kreuzchor Roderich Kreile.
DG 453-484-2 76m DDD.[GF]

This well filled CD contains a host of beautiful music from the 16th century Schutz onto the relatively modern Reger.....a must for the choral enthusiasts who should have this splendid boy's choir in their collection.

Leeds Cathedral Boys Choir. Leeds Cathedral Choir.
Julie Crosby (organ) Joseph Cullen (director).
Foxglove Audio F0X036.[DW]

This collection of 19 items is a curious mixture of a programme and quality. The organ is a superb instrument and the inadequate CD notes should have told us about it.

1. Ovchinnikov: Piano's Melancholy Sound
2. Kushenov-Dmitrievsky: Cosaque
3. Sychra: Divertissement sur des Airs Russes
4. Cavos-Sychra: "My Dear Friend" (aria from the opera-ballet
The National Guard, or Love to the Fatherland)
5. Gornostaev: Caprice Militaire
6. Ladyzhensky: Grande Fantaisie
7. Ladyzhensky: Valse
8. Vetrov: Elegy
9. Vetrov: You Won't Believe
10. Liakhov: I'll Go Scythe the Grass
Oleg Timofeyev (Russian seven string guitar)
DORIAN DOR-93203

A chance, for we guitar enthusiasts familiar with those western European guitar composers of the late 18^th and 19^th century's such as Fernando Sor (1786-1838) of Spain and the Italian Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829), to hear that there existed a parallel tradition of guitar playing complete with its own composers and rich repertoire of music.

Hossein Omoumi (ney) Sima Bina (vocal) Madjid Khaladj (tombak, daf) Madjid Derakhshani (tar)
Nimbus NI 7060/1 [70.03+57.28] [PW]

the effect is often of a conversation between passages in the breathy lower register answered with the more liquid tone of the higher. It is seductive and compelling music, with melodies elaborated in some dozen modes.

(1931-87)
sings RUSSIAN, YIDDISH, ISRAELI FOLKSONGS
42 songs in orchestral arrangements
VANGUARD CLASSICS OVC 8058/9 [70.02+66.08] [RB]

....Her voice is tender, strong, nasal, arch, shy, abandoned, free from vibrato, pure and clean and distinctly un-operatic. She has that platinum quality of voice that is unsophisticated and girlishly innocent..... A splendid and generous collection or all admirers of Davrath's art and the crystal stream of folk music.

Wagner: Overture: Tannhäuser. Overture: Rienzi
Beethoven: Symphonies 3 and 7
Grieg: Last Spring
Gade: Echoes of Ossian
Børresen: Prelude to the Royal Guest
dacapo 8.224158-59 2CDs [146:20] [IL]

Probably King Frederik IX of Denmark was unique in the annals of royal patronage, in extending his love of music to a passion for conducting, as his favourite pastime....An intriguing release

Sir John Barbirolli
Haydn: Symphony 83 "The Hen"; Johann Strauss II: Selection of pieces; Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier - Suite; Lehar: Gold and Silver Waltz
Halle Orchestra (9 August 1969, Royal Albert Hall, London)
BBCL 4038-2 [76' 28"]

Sir Adrian Boult
Schubert: Unfinished Symphony; Bizet: Jeux d'enfants - Suite; Ravel: Daphnis & Chloe - Suite 2  (30 July 1964, Royal Albert Hall);
Sibelius: Symphony 7* (8 March 1963, Royal Festival Hall, London)
Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra*
BBCL 4039-2 [73' 56"]

I shall not belittle either conductor by giving marks. Both CDs enjoy good stereo sound, Boult's is a minute shorter than stated (the above timing is correct) and I prefer the order of Sibelius, Bizet, Schubert and Ravel for continuous (programmed) listening. If, on this occasion, the Barbirolli issue is a souvenir (with the Haydn considerably more than that), Boult's CD is an immensely important release.

Colin Anderson

Ed HENDERSON (b1932)
Milagros de Navidad [18.38]
Jon WASHBURN (b1942)
Noel Sing We! [11.14]
Lo, how a rose e'er blooming [3.04]
The Star [8.52]
Hernando FRANCO (1532 - 1585)
Magnificat secundi toni [9.35]
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750)
Weihnachlieder [6.19]
Phoenix Bach Choir
Robert Tree Cody. Native American flute.
Frank Koonce. Classical Guitar.
Mark Sunkett. Percussion.
Jon Washburn. Narrator.
Conductor Jon Washburn
Recorded Jan 17 - 20 1997 All Saints Episcopal Church, Phoenix. DDD
Soundset Recordings SR1005 [58.22] [HD]

This CD might appeal for Christmas if sampling in the shop is possible.

This is the third volume of Henry-Louis de La Grange's magisterial biography of Gustav Mahler, one of the greatest literary undertakings of the last century.

Marc Bridle

DANTE: La Divina Commedia.
'The Inferno', 'Purgatory', 'Paradise'.
Read by Heathcote Williams.
Naxos Audiobooks 3 volumes. 9 discs DDD.
Inferno: NA309912 237m Purgatory: NA314312 257m Paradiso NA317912 237m [GF]

A truly great project and one to treasure in the audiobook field.

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