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Wednesday 6 November 2013
The first thing I thought when I saw this
disc was “not another Brahms violin concerto!” It is after all a rather
saturated market, with so many recordings of the great violin concertos by
Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Brahms and their ilk. I think it is easy to
get rather jaded by the commerce-driven record industry, who can churn out
recordings of established artists playing well-known masterpieces, seeing it as a risk free way of making money in today’s difficult record industry.
With this in mind it
took me a while to get round to listening to this ‘war horse’ of a concerto. The
main attraction for me was the soloist, Leonidas Kavakos, having been
interested in his career since hearing his rendition of the Sibelius violin
concerto on BIS. Right from his first entry my attention was held, and what
followed was playing of miraculous technique and tone. Kavakos seems to bring
so much insight to this work. His playing has an individual character and an
acknowledgement of the gypsy idiom that Brahms was so keen to assimilate in this
concerto. The disc is programmed very thoughtfully, with Joachim's arrangements of some of Brahms' Hungarian Dances for violin and piano (and also Bartok's two Rhapsodies for Violin and Orchestra, again in violin and piano arrangements), continuing the gypsy/folk aspect of the music. Kavakos is a remarkable musician and you
would have to go far to find playing of similar calibre.
A marvellous new recording from Hyperion of Russian chamber music. The two composers featured came from the same
stable, but were poles apart in many respects. The stable in question was
the Moscow Conservatoire, and the composers: Taneyev and Arensky. Both of them form an interesting link
between the composers of the generation before (the brothers Rubinstein,
Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky) and after (Rachmaninov and Scriabin).
Listening to the G minor Piano Quintet on this
new disc, I can see why Taneyev has been dubbed the
‘Russian Brahms’. It certainly has the heady mix of swagger and counterpoint
associated with the German master, and is also music that is brilliantly
constructed. It has a dense texture, the
music working through the motivic relationships in a tight structure, again much like Brahms. It treads the line between spontaneity and
academia. Reading the liner notes I came away with the impression that Taneyev
did not lack self confidence in his abilities - his teacher, none other than one Piotr Tchaikovsky, had to put up with his star pupil advising him on rewriting
the variation section of his great Piano Trio in A minor!
By contrast, the Arensky Piano Quintet certainly
sounds far more rhapsodic than the taut
structure of the Taneyev quintet. Where Taneyev is constantly developing, Arensky writes with a more open, jovial feel; there is more space to breath in this music. You might say it is an ideal foil
to the work of Taneyev. Indeed I think these two works perfectly demonstrate their respective approach to composition.
The recording by the Goldner String Quartet and
Piers Lane is quite exceptional, but then again based on their previous productions on
the Hyperion label I was expecting great things. This is really worth buying !! Get it !!!
P.S.
Congratulations to Hyperion for a wonderful choice of artwork ('Vasilisa the Beautiful' from Russian Fairy Tales (1899) by Ivan Bilibin). Icing on an
already delicious cake I think.
with Christian Gerhaher; Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal conducted by Kent Nagano
‘A symphony must be like the world. It must contain
everything’.
When discussing Mahler this quote is never far from my mind.
The quote comes from a conversation between Mahler and Sibelius, both of them
great symphonists but different in so many ways. Sibelius viewed the symphony
as the apotheosis of form, a concentration of organic unity and above all the
music was about nothing but itself. By contrast, Mahler viewed the symphony as
a grand statement, taking on huge philosophical ideas. His symphonies are all-encompassing and deal with many facets of life. However, the symphonies are
only one aspect of Mahler’s genius; his complexity as an artist can only be
fully appreciated when one listens the songs in addition to the
symphonies. The songs help to explain the thematic origins
of the symphonies and also deepen understanding of his symphonic works.
The three groups of songs appear on this new disc by baritone Christian Gerhaher, with Kent Nagano and the Montreal Symphony
Orchestra. One could hear the disc as a travelogue - it takes us on a journey
turning from naïve sentimentality to cynicism in the first song cycle on the
disc (lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, often translated as ‘songs of the
wayfarer’). We then enter the realm of the morbid ‘kindertotenlieder’
(songs on the death of children). These songs are a reminder of Mahler’s
preoccupation with mortality, and portray the anxiety of parenthood and
the unconditional love of the parent/child relationship. This cycle is an
internal journey from grief and doubt to comfort and eternal love. Finally, the disc ends with not a cycle but a group of songs
inspired by the poetry of Friedrich Ruckert (1788-1866). These songs are
contemporary with the fifth symphony, a period of great creativity in Mahler’s
life. As is evident in the fifth symphony it was also a time when Mahler had
been studying the scores of Bach, resulting in an increased density and
contrapuntal complexity in his own music. One famous setting in this group of
‘Ruckert songs’ is ‘Um mitternacht’ (At midnight). It depicts the lonely
nocturnal thoughts of a person in turmoil and deals with isolation and self
analysis. The orchestration starts out very sparse, just a rocking, sighing
motive in clarinets, then a deep brass descending scale. It sounds lonely,
isolated. It eventually arrives at resignation and spiritual fulfillment. You
may notice a common thread - Mahler is always travelling from one state to
another, the listener is always taken from one place and ends up in a different
place. In the symphonies it is a large scale, slow process. In the songs it is
over a shorter time period and the process is far more explicit.
The performances on this new disc are very fine indeed. I think
you would have to go back to Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to find performances of a
similar calibre. Gerhaher has a beautiful tone, made even more focused by his
lack of vibrato. This results in a very expressive reading. Please listen to
this and then try to resist buying it!
What is the connection between a sixteenth-century mass
setting and an instrumental work that was to continue for well over 150 years?
The answer is the words ‘in nomine’.
In the early sixteenth-century, John Taverner composed a
mass setting based on the antiphon ‘Gloria tibi trinitas’. In the Benedictus
section of the mass, Taverner scores the words ‘in nomine Domini’ for a reduced
number of singers (four parts). This portion of the work became popular and
instrumental arrangements emerged soon after. However these were more than just
mere arrangements; the melody was used in numerous different ways and composers
wrote free, imitative counterpoint around the melody. This is known as ‘cantus
firmus’, literally ‘fixed song’. Music in England seemed to evolve in parallel
with the latest trends in the rest of Europe. Instrumental groups made up of
viols flourished in England whilst in Italy the violin had been invented and
string writing was rapidly changing to a more virtuosic style. There was also a
shift away from contrapuntal harmony writing towards functional harmony; florid
counterpoint had lost its dominance and a more homophonic style had taken its place.
By the early seventeenth–century composers had started a new chromatic style, and
text was expressed in a very direct and sometimes radical way.
Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613) is perhaps one of the best known
composers from this period. His music places the expression of the text at the
forefront, making the music serve the text and not the other way round. Even to
21st century ears his music can sound strange - Gesualdo connects
distant harmonies with ‘pivot’ notes, sometimes resulting in highly chromatic
passages. This highly expressive style previously associated with
madrigals is also present in his sacred works. His music for holy week is full
of beautifully expressive passages, reflecting the sombre nature of the text.
Over the past 40 years, the Tallis Scholars have produced a
formidable number of high quality recordings, and on the 14th August
they will be celebrating this remarkable anniversary at the BBC Proms, with
music by Taverner and Gesualdo.
Rachmaninov’s first symphony had a far from auspicious
premiere. From the beginning it received criticism from Rimsky-Korsakov and
Glazunov (who would turn out to be the conductor on the rostrum for the
premiere).
Rachmaninov had written a symphony before (The Youth Symphony)
but it bore little resemblance to this new, dark and foreboding work. Despite
its poor reception at the first performance (Glazunov is thought to have been
slightly drunk at the time) this work has since become regarded as one of the
finest symphonies of it time.
This symphony was written several years after Tchaikovsky had
completed his ‘Pathetique’ symphony, and much like the last three symphonies of
Tchaikovsky, it employs a ‘motto’ theme to draw the work together, uniting the symphony
as a whole. This ‘cyclic’ form had been in use for decades in works by Berlioz,
D’Indy, Franck and other composers wishing to bring thematic unity to a four
movement symphonic structure.
Rachmaninov inscribed on the score “vengeance is mine, I
shall repay” (Romans 12:19). These words from St. Paul echo through the mind as
you hear the symphony progress from its oppressive opening right through to the
closing pages of the symphony, drawing towards its inexorable climax.
This new recording on the BIS label by the Singapore Symphony
Orchestra under Lan Shui completes arguably one of the finest of the recent
Rachmaninov symphony cycles.
The market is certainly a crowded one, but this cycle has
the bonus of pianist Yevgeny Sudbin; his superb performance of the first piano
concerto makes this an even more desirable disc to add to any collection.
A rumble from the timpani and a lonely clarinet solo…
That is how Sibelius embarked upon one of the great symphony cycles. This modest opening contains much of the material of the first movement. Osmo Vanska takes this movement at a lively pace, which for me makes sense when it comes to the tempo changes that come at a later point. Vanska gives the scherzo an energetic bite, often missing from many recordings. In the finale Vanska really displays his flair for this music, taking the marking of Quasi una fantasia at its word.
The other work on the disc is the dark and brooding fourth symphony. Sibelius wrote this work during a health scare (throat cancer symptoms which turned out to be benign). Its fragmented nature has made this symphony the least performed of the seven numbered symphonies. Vanska is a great ambassador for this work as he seems to have a deep understanding of it. He makes the most of its thick string textures and dark orchestral hues.
"Exceptional: incredibly tense and energetic, yet teeming with detail. The orchestral sound, lithe and sparse, suits Vanska's unsentimental approach" The Times, 27 April 2013
"The Halle strings conjure up wondeful dark hues in the opening of Pohjola, and a silvery lightness to underpin the dancing woodwing in The Oceanides. Elder's approach to the symphony is a measure, slow-burning one. He's careful no to ratchet up the drama too early." The Guardian, 16th May 2013
Summer is here and with comes the release of the Bath Compact Discs Summer Newsletter. For the last 4 years we have produced a quarterly newsletter advertising new releases and back-catalog promotions. The launch of our website left many customers with the alarming impression that we would not longer be sending out our newsletters! But do not fear, the newsletter is still going strong, if you would like to receive a copy drop and email with your name and address to Bathcds@btinternet.com or give us a call on +44 (0) 1225464766.
We have many discounts on our website to coincide with the release of the summer newlsetter. In particular we have two exciting Labels on promotion in the way of Chandos Records and LSO Live, both available at 20% off for a limited time. We have also put the most exciting picks a selection from the newsletter in an easily accessible place to help make browsing our website for special offers easier for you.
Chandos Records was founded in 1979 and has become of of the world's premiere record companies, their focus is on "superb quality recordings. LSO Live recordings are owned by the London Symphony Orchestra itself. The musicians not only choose what should be recorded, but are also involved throughout the production process, ensuring only recordings they are happy with get released.
We have endeavoured to get as much of the available catalogue onto the website but there are a few gaps that we will continue trying to fill in. As usual if there is anything you can't find email us and we will do our best to help you!!
Robert le Diable (Robert the Devil) is a five act
dramatic opera composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer to a libretto by Eugene Scribe
& Germain Delavigne. It was first performed on 21st November 1831. Frederic
Chopin was in the audience and was astounded, saying "if ever magnificence
was seen in the theatre, I doubt that it reached the level of splendour shown
in Robert...It is a masterpiece...Meyerbeer has made himself immortal."
It is
certainly true that with Robert le Diable,
Meyerbeer launched his career. He was given the libretto after it had passed by
the censor in 1827; prior to this he had largely produced Italian operas.
Originally Robert le Diable was to be
a comic opera in three acts but following a change in theatre (owing to financial
difficulties) the Paris Opera had ordered it to be re-written into a five act
dramatic opera.
The
storyline concerns various legends surrounding “Robert the Devil”. It has often
been said that this was a nickname given to Duke Robert the Magnificent of
Normandy, the father of William the Conqueror, who was alleged to be the son of
the Devil. However, it is more likely that “Robert the Devil” was a fictional
character around at a similar time and their names became confused sometime
during the middle-ages.
By 1834 Robert le Diable had been performed over
100 times in Paris, performances followed in Berlin, London, Dublin & New
York and Meyerbeer was launched as an international composer. The initial
success of the opera was partly due to the to the provocative "Ballet of
the Nuns" scene in Act 3 during which a crowd of ghostly nuns off their
habits, dust themselves off and throw themselves into the delights of past
lives. Robert le Diable continued to
be a success throughout Meyerbeer’s lifetime, by the time of his death the
opera had been performed over 470 times in Paris alone!
During the
20th Century performances dwindled slightly, this may partly be due
to the scorn pcast upon Meyerbeer by Wagnerians Wagner was not a big fan of
Meyerbeer (putting it lightly) and many have accused him of creating the
character Sixtus Beckmesser in Die
Meistersinger von Nurnberg as a parody of Meyerbeer. Nevertheless, there
have been a few performances of Robert le
Diable in recent years, particularly worthy of note is the Berlin State
Opera's production from 2000 starring Jianyi Zhang as Robert and conducted by
Marc Minkowski.
This new
release comes from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and premiered on 6th
December 2012, the first time Robert le
Diable has been performed there since 1890. The production is directed by
Laurent Pelly and conducted by Daniel Oren. Bryan Hymel – starring as Robert –
was nominated for an Oliver award this year for his performance in Berlioz’s Les Troyens and gives an equally amazing performance here. This is a fresh and dramatic production on a grand scale and is certainly worth a watch. It is available both as a DVD and a Blu-Ray.
It seems to be a common occurrence for classical musicians to turn their attention to popular music, it is far rarer for popular musicians to make a switch to classical composition. Ólafur Arnalds began his composing career from the unusual starting point of being a heavy metal drummer.His move to classical composition came when he was asked to compose and record a piano introduction to another heavy metal band’s album. A few months later, he was approached by Erased Tapes Records to compose and record an album of similar music. Tracks from Arnalds’ previous albums have been used in films including The Hunger Games & Looper. He has also composed the soundtrack for several films, most recently for the BBC drama production Broadchurch.
This is Arnalds’ first release since signing to Mercury Records in November 2012. The influence of the larger record label is apparent throughout the album with members of the Icelandic National Orchestra called in as session musicians. This is also the first of Arnalds’ albums to include vocals, the lyrics are written and sung by Anór Dan Arnarson. Arnalds has said that the lyrics are intentionally vague, even allegorical so as not to prescribe meaning to his compositions.
A Stutter sets the tone for the album with a minimalist piano melody above an ambient background, Anór Dan's vocals and violin and cello melodies are added to this to create a beautiful texture. A similar sound-world can be heard in several tracks throughout the disc including Only The Winds, a live performance of this track can be seen below. The album leans towards different musical styles throughout, with a much more edgy sound to Brim, and a more ambient quality to Carry Me Anew. Old Skin & Reclaim are perhaps the closest Arnalds comes to popular music, although Reclaim also has the largest orchestral presence. We (Too) Shall Rest is by the far the most electronic track on the album, it also seems to feature more development than many other tracks.
Ólafur Arnalds has cast doubt on whether this album can be considered classical, suggesting that calling it "classical" is something of a marketing technique. There are strong minimalist and contemporary influences however equally strong are the threads of electronica and ambient sound. Arnalds creates stunning textures throughout the album and the whole album blends together in such away that it is hard to stop listening once you have started the first track.
Ólafur Arnalds first release on Mercury Records. Beautiful minimalist compositions accompanied by vocals by Anór Dan. Building and expanding on his previous more minimalist work, Arnalds’ new album is his first to involve a full orchestra (co-arranged by Nico Muhly) and a vocalist (Agent Fresco lead singer Arnór Dan) on selected tracks, making it his most broadly appealing work to date
Einaudi's latest album In a Time Lapse features electronics far more than his previous releases. Violinist Joshua Bell also partners with Einaudi for several tracks on this disc. Einaudi’s aim when writing In A Time Lapse was to guide the listener through a reflection on time, transcending its constraints, saying “it is only when we become aware or are reminded that our time is limited that we can channel our energy into truly living”.
Following the great success
of their previous release (Schutz's Musicalische Exequien RIC311) Vox Luminis
present a discs of music written for English monarchs. A disc of funeral music
may not be full of the joys of spring, but nonetheless is a joy to hear such
beautiful performances.
The programme begins with
what could be one of Purcell's most perfect creations. 'Hear my Prayer' is
simply a mini masterpiece, comprised of arching melodies much like the splendid
fan vaulted canopies of a baroque cathedral. There then follows music familiar
to some as the opening music to the Stanley Kubrick classic 'A Clockwork
Orange', the 'Queen's Funeral March'. Its scoring for trumpets and drums gives
the piece solemnity and gravitas.
The centre pieces of the
disc are the funeral sentences by Thomas Morley. Having both the Purcell and
Morley settings on the same disc really highlights how music had changed during
the 17th century. Morley sets the funeral texts in a syllabic, homophonic
style. Purcell on the other hand, throws every device available to him to
express every line of text, sometimes with dramatic results. This is a knock
out disc.
The video
below shows Vox Luminis at the recording sessions for this CD performing Thomas
Weelke's "Death hath deprived me of my dearest friend", a
eulogy on the death of Thomas Morley in 1602.
After 100 years the 'Rite of Spring' has lost none of its power to shock and enthrall.
In recent years there have been many superb recordings of the work. As one would expect from an iconic masterpiece, it provokes extreme opinions on interpretation. Some prefer a more late romantic approach while others may not like their 'sacre' too sucre (sorry, couldn't resist that one).
If a more technically precise performance is more your thing then the new recording from Rattle and the BPO may be for you.
As is usual with Rattle, he is meticulous on the detail but always keeps a firm grasp on the work as a whole and paces it beautifully. Its a work that in the wrong hands can sound disjointed. The 'Rite' is a work of thematic relationships and organic unity. The more one listens to the work, the more of this facet is revealed.
Having been a fan of his previous recording with the CBSO, my expectations were set quite high. Rattle seems to coax an even more finely detailed reading out of the BPO. It is certainly a very controlled performance, almost to the point where the headlong manic ending feels calculated, but this is a minor quibble.
2013
seems to be a year dominated by Wagner, Verdi and Britten. All three of them
wrote great works for the theatre. Consequently, one composer is at risk of
being overshadowed.
Witold
Lutoslawski (1913-1993) wrote mainly symphonic works, arguably amongst the
finest examples of the modern symphony. His symphonic output charts an
evolution in style from an almost Bartokian style right through to more radical
compositional methods.
Throughout
his career he was involved with the political upheaval in his own country. He
was subjected to artistic constraints put in place by the soviet regime. Lutoslawski
seems to have remained quite indifferent to trends in compositional technique,
although influences can be detected, albeit limited to certain aspects of his
music. His ideas of harmonic colour and orchestral texture can be traced back
to Debussy, while his later "aleatoric" method, a technique involving
composition by chance operandi, owes a great deal to John Cage. Despite these
influences he still maintained his integrity and his music seems to have its
own particular sound world.
This year seems an ideal opportunity to celebrate and reevaluate this giant of
twentieth century music. The latest offerings on the market come from Chandos
as part of their 'polish music series'. These recordings by the conductor
Edward Gardner and the BBC Symphony Orchestra will become the new benchmark
both in interpretation and sound quality. The recording engineers have captured
the orchestral textures and colours with such clarity, resulting in a very
direct and visceral experience. So far, Chandos have released three volumes of
orchestral music and another disc of vocal music (CHAN10688).
Each
disc is programmed to include a work from different parts of his career. For
instance, volume one (CHSA5082) contains the Concerto for Orchestra and the Symphony No. 3, works separated by 3 decades. The Concerto for orchestra, from 1954,
is representative of his early style. Much of the work is based on folk
inspired melodies, along with other pieces written around the same time.
Lutoslawski was fascinated with the rhythms and melodic structure of Polish
folk melodies, incorporating them in large scale orchestral works, just as
Bartok had done 11 years before in his concerto for orchestra. Lutoslawski also
shared a similar approach to Bartok, many of them not 'real' melodies but a
reproduction of their respective cultural folk song heritage. Both composers
had assimilated the folk idiom by having plenty of exposure to it and
internalising their subtle language.
By the 1980's, Lutoslawski had changed his style considerably, employing more
extensive use of orchestral colour and from his second symphony onwards he
began to use aleatoric methods to produce a hybrid style, often coined 'limited
aleatoricism'. This would involve using chance methods for some sections of the
compositional process and having those sections cued by the conductor. Often
Lutoslawski would only have rhythm dictated by chance but later in his career
this had spread to having whole sections written out but their rhythmic
coordination being subject to chance. This is most explicit in his 'Jeux
Venitiens' of 1960-61.
When
given the opportunity to traverse the output of this composer in this way, the
connections are explicit between the works and the differences are subdued.
Despite the constant change in style, there is one voice, an innate lyricism and
an organic unity that informs every bar of his music.
Chandos' fifth and final release of Lutoslawski's music in Edward Gardner's Polish Music Series is now available.
It features the wonderful talents of Michael Collins (clarinet) playing the Dance Preludes and Tasmin Little (violin) playing the Partita for Violin & Orchestra and Chain II.
Also part of the Chandos Polish music Series, Edward Gardner and the BBC Symphony Orchestra begin surveying Szymanowski's orchestral music. This Volume include the Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4 and the Concert Overture.
BBC Music Magazine said of this disc: "These performances prove ideal, finding luminosity at the opening, and delivering a taut, energetic fugal finale"
March 2013 sees the release of Tine Thing Helseth's new album TINE. Helseth's second release on EMI features a program of works written for trumpet such as Enescu's Legende and Hindemith's Sonata for Trumpet and piano alongside some of Tine's own transcriptions of songs and violin works by Puccini, Falla and Kreisler.
Norweigian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth is only 26, but already has many awards to her name and a stunning solo career, she has performed with many top-level orchestras including the Wiener Symphoniker, Beethoven Academie, the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. She is equally at home playing Jazz repertoire as classical repertoire. Tine signed to EMI last year having previous released two albums on Simax. Her debut album on EMI Storyteller was released to critical acclaim in April 2012.
For those who enjoyed Storyteller as much as we did, there is much to be enjoyed here; the song transcriptions demonstrate Tine's wonderfully sensitive approach towards her work whilst the more serious works on the disc showcase Tine's wonderful flexibility and technical excellence. Legende is played sensitively, almost held back in it's approach. There's no showy trumpet pyrotechnics here and the result is fantastic. I often find modern trumpet music focusses too heavily on the technical capabilities of the instrument and lacks a sense of melody. Tine's interpretations find the melody in these works and draw the listener in very convincingly.
The Puccini transcriptions are a magical addition to the programme providing melodic relief from the slightly more esoteric works by Hindemith and Ibert. Given the limited repertoire available for solo trumpeters there will always be overlap between artists' recorded repertoire. In particular there are other recordings of transcription of Rachmaninov's Vocalise and De Falla's Siete Canciones populares espanolas by other trumpeters. Tine's transcriptions of these works are wonderfully bright and energetic and make for very enjoyable listening.
Still at the beginning of her career, Tine is certainly one to watch, this new CD solidifies her place as a fantastic soloist and an imaginative artist. TINE is released on 4th March 2013.
