Blogger Musical (Beautiful Classical Music): septiembre 2011

Mozart · Concerto for Two Pianos · Flute & Harp Concerto · Horn Concerto

“The finest work here is the sparkling Concerto for Two Pianos, K365. …Jos van Immerseel and Joko Taneko, using copies of pianos by Anton Walter (one of whose instruments Mozart himself owned), give a dazzling performance and they are sympathetically accompanied by Anima Eterna.” -- BBC Music Magazine

“Director and fortepianist Jos van Immerseel is a veritable pioneer of period Mozart. Belgian period-instrument orchestra Anima Eterna's exuberant performances reveal a natural union of pioneering spirit and refreshing musical flavours." -- 2010 Gramophone Classical Music Guide

"Outstanding concert from an orchestra on home ground and a distinguished soloist." ..."All the performances on this CD are given with such zest and affection that all possible criticism is swept aside." -- Gramophone

All three pieces here were composed in the period 1863-8, though In Autumn was revised in 1887 and the Concerto in 1873 (and Grieg was always retouching it – even as late as the last year of his life). The Symphony was an exercise undertaken at the behest of Gade, but Grieg suppressed it after hearing Svendsen’s marvellous First Symphony in 1867.

George Philipp Telemann, more famous in his lifetime than Johann Sebastian Bach, was one of the most prolific composers of the early 18th century. The Darmstadt Overtures date from around the 1730’s, creating a perfect mix of vivacity and relaxation. There is no lack of expressive eloquence or wit in a series of works that today we would describe as ‘Suites’. Each overture contains a number of movements, many in dance rhythm, providing members of the orchestra with a virtuoso solo section. This entertaining music would make an ideal start to anyone discovering the composer.

Benchmark Recording (Serenade No 2) 'a really beautiful performance of the second serenade ... A delight - this seems to me a new benchmark. It goes without saying that the playing is excellent: the LSO can probably play Brahms symphonies in its collective sleep' -- BBC Music Magazine

'enchanting ... The sense we have here is of a musician re-discovering a piece he once loved and mistakenly thought he knew' -- Gramophone

The music is unmistakably Vivaldi, of course, but ranges from brilliant violin figuration to creamy slow-drawn chords, and from vocal transcriptions to short fugues (and what enjoyable fugues, too!). The cumulative effect of it all is like visiting a workshop and finding there examples of all the things an artist might do when freed from the demands of a particular public.

Concerto Italiano’s performances cannot be faulted. Alessandrini has a knack for vital and exciting music-making that is utterly straightforward and free from overworked mannerism.

Milan’s acclaimed period performance specialists Accademia Bizantina conclude the Haydn anniversary celebrations with an invigorating rethinking of his concertos for harpsichord and violin.

Accademia Bizantina, esteemed by critics and music lovers as one of today’s foremost period performance ensembles, is especially renowned for its respectful mastery of 17th- and 18th-century Italian repertoire

During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, every good musician had to be a complete master of the art of improvising ornamentation and variations on universally known themes. As the modern descendants of this tradition, the virtuosi of Hespèrion XX here give a dazzling performance of some of these glosas on popular dances like the folía, canario and jácara - little masterpieces of invention.

It was the distinguished conductor Charles Munch, Alsatian-born in 1891 but a French citizen from 1920, who arranged for the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, a body he had directed between 1938 and 1946, to be re-organised in 1967 as the Orchestre de Paris.

Millions of people have discovered classical music through the movies. And, in turn, the great movie classics have inspired many composers writing today.

This compilation provides two-and-a-half hours of the most beautiful love music from the movies – from classics by Bach, Mozart, Rachmaninov and Ravel’s steamy Boléro (used to terrific effect for Bo Derek in 10), through to contemporary classics by John Williams (Star Wars), Elton John (The Lion King) and many more. They’re all instantly recognizable tracks and lusciously arranged.

“a classic Bartoli offering – an almost painfully slickly produced product that nevertheless sees off critical cynicism with its dramatic, technical and vocal prowess...[The arias'] virtuosity and range of emotion are as remarkable as Bartoli’s excitingly, flawlessly passionate delivery of them.” -- BBC Music Magazine

"To judge by the enchanting performance of Vivaldi of "I Solisti Veneti" ... Venice today must be as passionately in love with the violin as it was around 1700. Claudio Scimone proved a worthy heir to ancient tradition through his inventiveness in devising all manner of instrumental shades and colours ... one of the best foreign orchestras that we heard..." -- London Times

'Another winner from the ever-imaginative Stephen Hough. In all these pieces Hough's magic is presented in full, clear Hyperion sound' -- Gramophone

'Powerful, sympathetic and beautifully recorded, and his fans everywhere will be thrilled' -- BBC Music Magazine

“Concerts with The Harp Consort have the spontaneity of improvised jazz and the perfection of state-of-the-art Early Music… a stupendous mixture of historical accuracy and improvisatory freedom… breaking the concert mould… Music-theatrical fascination… gypsy dances… Spanish Humour… French elegance… thrilling …a magical collage of text, sound and dance: The fabulous Harp Consort”
-- Frankfurter Allgemeine, Rundschau, Neue Presse & Main-Ech

"To both concertos plus the two separate movements...Bezaly brings pure, delicately coloured tone - beautiful throughout it's range - phenomenal agility and breath control, and an impish sense of fun." -- The Gramophone

TUTTI!
An Orchestral Sampler
"The Absolute Sound Super Disc List"

AAC 320 · 169 MB

Josef Myslivecek · Symphonies · 5 Overtures

One may find a certain simplicity and naïveté in Josef Myslivecek's early Classical symphonies and overtures, since they are fairly rudimentary and barely distinguishable in form; and, lacking the sophistication and complexity found in Haydn's and Mozart's later, fully developed works, they may seem weak and unrewarding to all except scholars and fans of Rococo music.

By today's standards, there's nothing particularly jarring or seemingly progressive about the mature works of Gabriel Fauré. In his own time, however, he was often criticized for his curious, almost experimental use of harmony in his chamber music, and for what some saw as his neglect of the individual qualities of the instruments for which he was composing. Some of these sentiments have endured and resulted in the infrequent performance of many of his chamber works, in this case the two sonatas for cello and piano.

This delightful double-album features two historic "Terz" guitars, from the first half of the 19th century. The "Terz" guitar is smaller, with an intimate sound, and a higher register. It was much in use in the romantic era, and the repertoire features popular music from that time: Fantaisies and Divertissements of Fernando Sor, Rondo and Grand Pot-Potpourri of Giuliani and works of Pettoletti and Caspar Joseph Mertz: all very pleasing, charming music, played with taste and delicacy by the Belgian Duo.

Johann Gottlieb Graun and his slightly younger brother Carl Heinrich Graun both worked in the Berlin-based court of Frederick the Great, whose musical cabinet also included Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Superficially, the music of the Grauns can seem similar enough that in terms of attribution, their works are often confused, particularly when "Graun" is the only name provided on a given manuscript. Curiously, at least concerning the track listing, Accent does not try to identify which of the four concerti on their Graun: Concerti belong to Johann Gottlieb and which to Carl Heinrich.

"Praise for Chloë Hanslip's confident excursion into unfamiliar territory." -- Gramophone

This is an absolutely delightful disc. French composer Benjamin Godard wrote tons of music before his early death (in his mid-40s) in 1895, and his Second Violin Concerto must surely rank high not just in opus number--131--but in musical quality as well. The booklet compares him to Saint-Saëns, and it's easy to understand why. The craftsmanship, winning melodic gift, sparkling orchestration, and somewhat conservative harmonic stance all point to the French master.

Taking the music seriously while avoiding portentousness, Dichter offers scintillating flair and sharp-focus characterisation of each work. -- M.H. BBC Music Magazine

“This is the most technically accomplished set of the complete [Liszt] Rhapsodies that I have yet heard.” -- Gramophone

Gergiev's Shostakovich justly has a vast following. This five-disc set of the War Symphonies brings together six performances that represent an emotionally exhausting journey.

‘Howard Shelley plays with brilliance and much sensitivity, and Alwyn admirers will be glad to have the work available on record …’ -- The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs

‘Hickox is naturally attuned to the idiom and it obviously fires him …Howard Shelley combines a real sweep with gentle, introspective lyricism. The recording is on a comparably large scale and is very believable.’
-- Gramophone

Alone or in the company of other instruments, the harp’s unique sonority can evoke either the wind blowing or the heart beating. So it is not surprising that such an instrument inspired the poet Alfred Tennyson to write, “Love took up the harp of Life, and smote on all the chords with might; / Smote the chord of Self, that, trembling, pass’d in music out of sight.” This recording takes the listener through the 20th century, building in intensity as it reveals the harp’s many facets, whether in a solo, accompaniment or chamber music setting. Through the works presented here, the V of Valérie becomes the roman V, the soloist becoming part of a quintet.

Michael Daugherty is one of a talented and eclectic group of American composers who have successfully worked in both rock and classical music styles. His compositions celebrate American popular culture--his latest opera, Jackie O, is based on the life of you know who. His largest and most ambitious work to date is this suite of pieces based on characters and events from the Superman comic strip. Rumor has it that the original title was supposed to be "Superman" Symphony, but DC Comics wouldn't give permission to use the name. In any case, the music is jazzy, snazzy, faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to ... you get the picture. --D.H

Schoenberg had absolutely no sense of humor, but he surely had his tongue in his cheek when he claimed to have orchestrated this chamber piece exactly as Brahms would have done. Brahms agonized over using trombones or a single triangle, while Schoenberg writes for a huge orchestra including muted brass, xylophone, and celeste--in short, an ensemble guaranteed to make Brahms shudder.

But because Schoenberg had no sense of humor at all, he paints the mustache on this particular Mona Lisa with such care and craftsmanship that the result is a masterpiece in its own right. It just ain't Brahms! The Bach orchestrations are more respectful, but just as much fun. This is a terrific recording. -- Classicstoday

“This series has been as much an exploration of the mind of Debussy as a traversal of the works themselves. Bavouzet combines a probing intellect with a sensuality of touch that is enthralling. …a remarkable achievement…” -- Gramophone

“it’s a musical adventure for everyone, and Bavouzet has more than achieved what he set out to do. Anyone familiar with Debussy’s shimmering orchestral colouration will recognise it translated into piano form, and anyone who isn’t will find their imaginations filling in the blanks.” -- C.G. BBC Music Magazine

The Berlin Philharmonic play like angels throughout these colourful works but they truly come alive in 'The Golden Spinning Wheel' which is executed with fabulous imagination. Here, I also retain affection for Beecham's unique interpretation (available on Dutton) with the RPO but Rattle's conducting is truly marvellous.

The same goes for 'The Wood Dove' which is also magnificent although Chalabala is still an important benchmark here. The woodwind is fabulously clear in 'The Water Goblin' which is also pretty masterful. -- Classical net

Alexander Ivashkin, ably partnered by Geoffrey Tozer (and the pianist needs to be a virtuoso), proves a powerful advocate for some splendid, virtually unknown cello-piano repertoire (everything except the tiny Ode is a first recording). Tcherepnin’s three pithy and brilliant sonatas from the early Twenties, with their manic toccatas, scintillating ostinati, resourceful use of extreme registers in both instruments and their soulful, deeply Russian melodic invention, show clearly why the young composer was regarded for a while as a direct rival to Prokofiev.

This performance was named Recording of the Month in Gramophone on its original release. This only available recording of the Symphonic Suite is coupled with the popular Russian Overture and Summer Night Suite and released on our Classics label.

‘Jarvi and the Philharmonia Orchestra are thoroughly ay home in these scores, and the Chandos recording is characteristically spectacular. This is well worth exploring.’ *** Stars, Penguin Guide

Mats Lidström is that rare thing, an original musician. The sheer mercurial energy which drives his performances can be both engaging and disturbing, but there is always a searching intelligence at work. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra lost much when its compelling, if unpredictable, lead cellist departed. These two concertos show him at his persuasive best, bringing lesser known works to life.

Kabalevsky’s 1964 Concerto stretches and yawns with slow pizzicato before springing into urgent life. Sub-Shostakovich in its motifs and tonality, it is nevertheless well-constructed and uses the saxophone to great effect.

The best things are the ‘Pie Jesu’ solos: Popp sophisticated and secular, Te Kanawa warmer and franker. Otherwise, the Fauré turns slow, bland and bourgeois in an over-Anglican way, despite the professional chorus. Nimsgern sounds wobbly and wan. Davis is less inhibited nowadays but, even twenty years ago, the more innocent and expansive Duruflé loosened him up so that the big moments achieve their proper thrills, while the prevailing calmer moods remain tender, rather than chilly. -- BBC Music Magazine

August 23rd 2011 will see Anne-Sophie Mutter’s 35th anniversary on stage. Anne-Sophie Mutter is not only one of the world’s top violinists but an international bestseller, having sold more than 5,000,000 units worldwide − and counting.

In celebration of this achievement, Deutsche Grammophon releases a new album featuring world-premiere recordings of two new works written for Mutter: Wolfgang Rihm’s Lichtes Spiel and Sebastian Currier’s Time Machines, recorded with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

"The Sweet and technically agile voice..." -- New York Times

"A beautiful, sparkling voice with a bright shining height and a pleasant and rich centre." -- Opernglass

With this Volume 22, Opus 111 continues its ambitious project to record more than 450 Vivaldi manuscripts housed in the National University Library at Turin. Like many of the performances in previous installments, these--three bassoon concertos, two for oboe, and one double concerto for oboe and bassoon--also are characterized by widely contrasting tempos, sharply delineated dynamics, and especially here, a stylish in-your-face approach. From bassoonist Sergio Azzolini's quite audible intake of breath before beginning the Concerto in D minor and continuing throughout this captivating program, rarely have Vivaldi's wind concertos been rendered with such a consistent sense of urgency, vitality, and well, attitude.

Simply put, if you enjoy 18th-century violin music, you'll find an hour of pure pleasure listening to this expertly played program of unusual, rarely heard concertos by mostly lesser-known Neapolitan composers (Pergolesi excepted!). Elizabeth Wallfisch and her colleagues deliver performances that can only be described as ideal--sensibly paced, articulate, and to the point. They just play the music, albeit with sincere attention to its innate rhythmic energy and assertive melodic character.

“Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's flexible virtuosity and innate grasp of Debussy's style and sound world yields ravishing, freshly minted interpretations of the Images and Etudes that proudly rank with (and sometimes surpass) the catalogue's reference versions.” -- Gramophone

“Anyone who doubts Bavouzet's abilities should sample the playful romp through the third of the Images, the quasi-Etude 'Mouvement', or his beautifully atmospheric 'Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut'.” -- BBC Music Magazine ****

Primarily a commander of turgid orchestral forces and vibrant musical landscapes, Finnish composer Jean Sibelius brought his formidable musical gift to just a single concerto. It is for violin, unsurprisingly; early on, Sibelius had aspired to a career as a concert violinist. His understanding of the instrument, his gargantuan Wagnerian orchestration, and his unabashed lyricism have succeeded in putting that single concerto at the heart of the violin repertoire, and it remains one of the most popular concertos written after 1900.

The Lindsay version gives the impression that one is eavesdropping on music-making in the intimacy of a private concert. They observe the first movement exposition repeat and the effortlessness of their approach does not preclude intellectual strength. In the ethereal Adagio they effectively convey the sense of it appearing motionless, suspended, as it were between reality and dream, yet at the same time they never allow it to become static. Their reading must rank at the top of the list; it is very well recorded. It now comes coupled at mid-price with an equally memorable version of the Death and the Maiden Quartet – a virtually unbeatable paring, with the Quartettzatz thrown in for good measure. -- Penguin Guide to Classical Music - 2008 Edition

“The technical perfection, and the easy informality with each other and the music, with which these pieces are performed, makes for a captivating listen...Meld Philippe Jaroussky's sweet countertenor into the mix (who is also letting his hair down) and you've got something that is very special, and very surprising.” -- BBC Music Magazine

‘A range of styles are explored…with a genial ease that belies the technical brilliance and musicianship without which it couldn’t possibly work. Aside from their superb music-making, the players convey a sense of utter conviction in what they are doing’ -- Gramophone

Beate Altenburg, born in 1975 in Cologne, Germany, graduated with a Masters degree from the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2003. As a soloist, she has played with renowned orchestras in Europe and South America. She has been a prize-winner of numerous festivals.

This CD, her brilliant first solo recording showcases great works for solo cello from Bach to the moderns.

Giovanni Benedetto Platti had his musical apprenticeship in Venice, where his teachers may have included older contemporaries such as Vivaldi. From 1722 until his death in 1763 he was employed at the episcopal court in Würzburg, described as an oboist and violinist, greatly respected for his virtuosity. His Flute Sonatas, presumably composed over a number of years, range from the late baroque to the early classical in style.

Nicola Grimaldi (1673-1732) was the "Primo Uomo Assoluto" the undisputed first castrato on all great opera stages of this time. His voice was so unique that great composers like Scarlatti and Händel wrote arias especially for him. For this recording Dmitry Egorev and La Stagione Frankfurt select some of the most outstanding arias to honor legendary singer.

This well-filled disc is a testament to the high performance standard reached by the L'Oiseau-Lyre label in the late 1970's and early 1980's especially in works by Mozart. Having already recorded a pioneering period instrument set of the complete symphonies, Christopher Hogwood turned his attention to the wind concertos with predictably delightful results.

October 1990: Hugo Reyne, known until then as the 'recorder-player of Les Arts Florissants', presented the first-ever completed recording of the Symphonies pour les soupers du Roy with his ensemble La Simphonie du Marais, founded three years previously. Delalande's music with full historical accuracy. It is just as relevant and up-to-date today!

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