Classical Music

Classical Music

This hybrid disc plays on both CD & SACD players.

BACH Cantatas: No. 17; 1,2,3,4 No. 19; 1,3,4 No. 45; 2,3,4 No. 102 2,3,4 • Masaaki Suzuki, cond; Bach Collegium Japan (period instruments); 1 Hana Blažíková (sop); 2 Robin Blaze (ct); 3 Gerd Türk (ten); 4 Peter Kooij (bs) • BIS 1851 (SACD: 76:24 Text and Translation)


Masaaki Suzuki continues his estimable series with Volume 46 of the complete Bach cantatas. The latter half of the year 1726 saw the creation of these pieces, done at a time when Bach was not writing as many of his own and making use of the work of other composers in his churchly duties. Johann Ludwig Bach composed the texts for these cantatas, from a cycle of the church years published in Meiningen in 1704, and evidently a great inspiration for Sebastian Bach. All except No. 19 are bipartite in form, beginning with a quote from the Old Testament, followed by a parallel quote from the New at the beginning of part I. No. 19 is dedicated to Michaelmas.


But what sets these apart is the almost symphonic conception of the opening choruses, boisterous and energetic, and even the timings indicate that something is up—4:07, 4:08, 5:19, and 5:35, respectively (according to the order in the head note) are quite extensive for the cantatas in general, and it gives Bach ample opportunity to develop his music in the way that perhaps only the Passions allow. The extended division of the works also gives him time to accentuate the differences in mood among movements, more dramatically than in some other cantatas. Though these pieces are taking place in comparatively bland seasons—10th (102), eighth (45), 14th (17) after Trinity, and St. Michael (19) Sundays, respectively, the depth of compositional effort is a little startling. The last particularly was always celebrated with much splendor and high drama, and Bach does not disappoint; right from the start, without benefit of orchestral introduction the choir enters the fray with blazing coloraturas. This is after all, music about a war in heaven. But the trumpets and timpani ensure that by the end no one is in doubt as to the victor, and all leave the church suitably exalted.


O Lord, Are Not Thine Eyes Upon the Truth (No. 102) must have blown away some parishioners with its massive sweep and concise themes used as the basis for the entire cantata. No. 45, He Hath Showed Thee, O Man, What Is Good takes as its theme obedience, and Bach demonstrates this musically by using only one theme in the opening movement, expanding the argument brilliantly combining fugal and concertante elements. This is perhaps the most relaxed of the works on this disc, each movement in possession of noble bearing and high stature. Whoso Offereth Praise Glorifieth Me (No. 17) is the most joyous on the disc, amplified by the tight and unified structure of the opening movement, even though the final chorus may be considered more reflective as it speaks of mankind’s very short passage through life, and implores pity from the Father.


As I have mentioned before, Suzuki’s renderings are definitely a believer’s Bach, more impassioned and assertive than others. Recently I have had a chance to listen to all of Koopman’s recordings and have to fess up to a mistaken judgment; while they are not as demonstrative as these, they are a valid take on a many-faceted music, and I now reverse myself on my previously harsh opinions. Even so, this one sounds great in Super Audio, and if push came to shove I would still recommend these over all others currently offered. Bring on Volume 47!


FANFARE: Steven E. Ritter

Recent reviews Artistic Quality 10/10 Sound Quality In a previous review (well, several) I mentioned the fact that a lot of basic repertoire is being recorded merely to take advantage of SACD multi-channel technology, often with no justification either interpretively or sonically. Of course, a great performance is its own justification, and here, happily, we have just that, as well as state-of-the-art sonics that will thrill high-end audiophiles (at least so I assume, as I am not one of them but was mightily impressed). As with most BIS recordings, the dynamic range is very wide, and the volume needs to be set higher than usual, but once that's done everything snaps into focus and the result is stunning whatever your preferences: regular stereo, SACD stereo, or surround. Andrew Litton has the Bergen Philharmonic playing at a world-class standard. Sure, they don't have the crushing power of the biggest American or European orchestras, but Litton compensates (to the extent necessary, and it's really not) by turning in high-voltage readings of both works, full of excitement and textural nuance. In The Rite he reminds us that despite the extremes of volume and dissonance this is still a folk-music-based work. The tunes (or bits of them) really sing, with such vibrancy and freshness that you might think you are hearing them for the first time. Such is the case with the polyrhythmic Procession of the Sage, while the conclusion of Part One will lift you out of your seat. In Part Two, the battle between the Stegosaurus and the T-Rex (oops, that's Fantasia, isn't it?) packs a huge wallop but also sounds somehow musical, while the final sacrificial dance, lean and mean, doesn't wimp out in the post-mayhem coda. If anything, Petrushka is even better, certainly the best recording of the 1911 original scoring since Boulez/New York many decades ago. Litton shapes the music of the two outer tableaux with unflagging imagination, and the Bergen players are with him every step of the way. It's amazing to hear passages normally treated mechanically, such as those repeated-note string refrains in the opening scene, actually phrased and given purpose. In the two central tableaux, all that gestural stuff between Petrushka, the Moor, and the ballerina, really sounds like something meaningful is happening between them. You can visualize the action in your mind; there are no dead spots at all. In short, this is as colorful and intelligent a reading as you will ever hear, and it deserves the highest possible recommendation. [2/28/2011] --David Hurwitz During the 1910's, at a time when late-romanticism had been taken about as far as possible, the collaboration between Igor Stravinsky and the ballet impressario Sergei Diaghilev had a huge influence on the development of music. Performed by Diaghilev's company Les Ballets Russes, their first joint effort, The Firebird, was a great success in Paris in 1910, and within the space of just a couple of years two further landmarks of twentieth-century music followed: Pétrouchka and Le Sacre du printemps. Stravinsky's clear-cut textures, strong primary colours and almost percussive treatment of the orchestra staked out a route later explored by many of his colleagues. Particularly striking in the case of Pétrouchka was the extensive use of scraps of folk song and street music, treated with extreme refinement and often biting irony - the character of Petrushka, a puppet come to life, was described by Stravinsky as 'the immortal and unhappy hero of every fair-ground in all countries'. On the present recording the original 1911 version is used, giving an even more immediate and exciting effect. As for The Rite of Spring, the scandal at its 1913 premiere has become legendary - a scandal probably caused as much by Nijinsky's choreography as by Stravinsky's score. But even today, the music offers an extremely powerful experience, above all through its rhythmic qualities. Static rhythms, repeated for long stretches, generate enormous latent energy and are contrasted with irregular rhythms that change at bewildering speed. Both scores belong to the pinnacles of 20th-century orchestral music, and are here performed by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by its music director Andrew Litton. Most recently this team have released a highly praised cycle of Mendelssohn's symphonies, but their Russian credentials are also impeccable, with their recording of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Suites being described as 'glittering, colourful, spirited ... and with a striking attention to detail' on the website Klassik-Heute.

Lera Auerbach's music is direct, immediate in impact, volatile in mood, and never at a loss for big gestures. As I indicated in my review of an earlier Auerbach BIS release, the composer clearly has imbibed from the bountiful Shostakovich/Schnittke watering hole, but her own voice always comes across, especially in her gift for pulling ingenuous surprise endings out of the blue. Following the same key scheme as Chopin's Op. 28 Preludes, Auerbach's own group of 24 provides plenty of stimulating listening and comprehensive pianism. In the G major and B minor Preludes, for example, Auerbach takes the slow, obsessive repeated-note aesthetic of Ravel's Gibet to new and dramatically disquieting levels, while sprinkling sparse, dissonant melodic droplets on top of a lulling left-hand ostinato in the F-sharp major. The E-flat starts out like a brooding chorale prelude injected with late Shostakovich gloom and doom, then builds to a slow-motion, frenzied climax. The G-sharp minor contains more harmonic spice than most brutally pounded-out marches.

Although stylistically similar to the Preludes, the Ten Dreams Op. 45 are much darker in tone and last half as long (they take 21 minutes to the Preludes' 45). The opening movement of the Chorale, Fugue and Postlude is the work's strongest, where resonating B minor chords with endless fermatas stand as pillars for slow, processional chorale-like phrases that seem to provide their own Russian male choir.

I'm glad that BIS has taken advantage of the composer's keyboard prowess, because Auerbach plays Auerbach marvelously. She commands a huge sonority and wide dynamic range, along with fluid, flexible fingers that can handle anything. In particular, Auerbach is a past master at balancing those closely-voiced chords she loves so that each note stands in clear relation to its neighbor, like jewels in a tiara rather than grains in mush. She may not push the composer/pianist tradition into new terrain, yet there's no doubt that Lera Auerbach has something quite potent to say.

--Jed , ClassicsToday.com

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Some of the most colourful music to come out of Sweden - and indeed some of the most Swedish music there is! - was composed by Hugo Alfvén (1872- 1960). Take for instance the Swedish Rhapsody No. 1 - also known as Midsummer Vigil. This evocation of Sweden's most important seasonal festival combines all the dancing, aquavit, wild-flowers, folk costumes and eroticism one could possibly ask for. Indeed, this work went out into the world as a brightly coloured picture-postcard, becoming a test case for the newly formed Society of Composers, which used it to ascertain the efficacy of the copyright laws in view of the various unauthorised arrangements which soon cropped up. Another well-known work is the brilliantly orchestrated Suite from the Mountain King - one of the most frequently performed pieces of Swedish music. But Alfvén is also highly regarded as a symphonist and himself claimed that his Symphony No.1 was the first to be written 'in the Swedish language.' This attractively priced box brings together all of the symphonies, the three Swedish rhapsodies as well as several other works - all in all a large part of Alfvén's output for orchestra. Previously released on five separate CDs, these recordings by Neeme Järvi and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra were greeted with great enthusiasm by the reviewers. The playing was deemed to be 'marvellously responsive and committed', 'of total distinction' and - according to one critic - sounding as if the orchestra was 'having a ball'. Järvi's readings were 'spectacularly vivid', 'superb', 'finely honed' and standing 'head and shoulders above its rivals'. And, finally, the recordings were described as 'state-of-the-art' and 'superlative'. All in all, the original discs were 'indispensable' and 'recommended with enthusiasm' - and we still believe they are worth every word of praise. But don't take our word for it - please try this very special issue for yourselves!

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Conceived under the sign of the sun, this is a series of works for saxophone and orchestra by French composers with a specific affinity for the Mediterranean, its atmosphere and culture(s). Painting these varied landscapes is Claude Delangle, joined by the forces of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra led by Lan Shui.

In 1806, Beethoven composed two concertos - the Fourth Piano Concerto followed by the Violin Concerto Op. 61. In both cases the composer soon returned to the works to produce new versions, and it is these later versions that are presented here. At the public première of the Fourth Piano Concerto in 1808, Beethoven performed the piano part very 'capriciously' according to his pupil Carl Czerny, playing many more notes than are to be found in the printed edition. A clear indication of what Beethoven played comes from his copyist's orchestral score, in which the outer movements contain annotations in the composer's hand. These have been transcribed by Beethoven scholar Barry Cooper who, in his insightful liner notes, describes this rarely recorded 1808 version as 'strikingly inventive' and 'more sparkling, virtuosic and sophisticated than the standard one'. In the case of the Opus 61 concerto, Beethoven succeeded in writing what many consider to be the quintessential violin concerto. Less well-known is the fact that soon after the first performance, Beethoven produced an arrangement of the solo part for piano, modifying the violin part slightly in the process. When the work was first published, it was as a concerto for violin or piano. Worth noting is that although Beethoven did not compose any cadenzas for the violin, he did so for the piano version. The one for the first movement is especially striking, in that it includes a part for timpani, reminding us of the timpani solo that begins the entire work. Ronald Brautigam and the Norrköping SO under Andrew Parrott have received acclaim for two previous discs of Beethoven's works for piano and orchestra: 'These well-known works emerge as if freshly minted' wrote International Record Review about Concertos Nos. 1 and 3, while the German magazine Piano News hailed the release of No.2 and the youthful Concerto WoO4 as 'a magnificent recording in which Brautigam demonstrates his stylistic expertise, and which shows what a splendid pianist he is.'