Rachmaninov from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

“Vengeance is mine, I shall repay…”

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.

Rachmaninov: Symphony No.1 Op.13, Piano Concerto No.1 Op.18

Yevgeny Sudbin, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Lan Shui

BIS2012 (Hybrid SACD)

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Written by Jason Hatton

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.

This second release from BIS of this cycle is most welcome and compliments Vanska's previous cycle from the Lahti SO on the same label.

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Written by Jason Hatton

Sibelius - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4
Minnesota Orchestra & Osmo Vanska

"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

Sibelius - Symphony No. 2, The Oceanides & Pohjolas Daughter The Halle Orchestra & Sir Mark Elder

"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 Special Offers!!

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!!

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Written by Matt Elson

Meyerbeer - Robert le Diable

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 20^th 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.

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Written by Matt Elson

Ólafur Arnalds - For Now I Am Winter

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.

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Written by Matt Elson

Ólafur Arnalds - For Now I Am Winter

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

Ludovico Einaudi - In a Time Lapse

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”.

Vox Luminis - English Royal Funeral Music

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.

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Written by Jason Hatton

English Royal Funeral Music

Now available at a special low price for a limited time from www.bathcds.co.uk. Given the success of Vox Luminis' previous recordings, this is set to be one of the major events of Spring 2013.

Schutz - Musikalische Exequien

Vox Luminis' Award winning record of Heinrich Schutz's greatest choral work. This recording received the prestigious Gramophone Record of the Year award.

Stravinsky - The 'Rite' Blog

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. 

This recording can be counted as one of the finest to appear for some time. It is currently available on our website for a special offer price of just £10.99!

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Written by Jason Hatton