Outstanding … full of rich, sonorous and decidedly beautiful choral music.

Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707) is a major figure in the music of the Baroque period. But his innate worth as a composer of beautiful and profound music exists regardless of period. His historical significance in Baroque organ music is hard to overstate. Yet here we are at the eleventh volume of his complete works conceived and executed by one of the most accomplished and respected directors of the 'early' music movement, Ton Koopman, and next to no attention is being paid to the enterprise, presumably at about its half way point.
 
To be charitable, that relative neglect could in part be due to the spate of anniversaries lately. To the fact that Buxtehude's music is still poorly known, despite its influence on Bach. It was to hear Buxtehude play that Bach famously walked over 200 miles (from Arnstadt to Lübeck) in October 1705, remember. Moreover, the former's style and achievements greatly influenced the latter. The neglect - of Buxtehude's wonderful music, and of this recording project - could also be due to a fear that Buxtehude's style is inaccessible, his writing foreign, over 'academic', or otherwise unremarkable.
 
One by one, Koopman's double CDs on his own label, Antoine Marchand (with Challenge), have dispelled such myths and persuasively advocated the variety, beauty and originality of Buxtehude's music. To be sure, his reputation has tended to rest hitherto on his organ music. And indeed Koopman has more than done justice to that segment of the composer's output. Remarkably innovative, it represents the culmination of seventeenth century organ music.
 
Yet Buxtehude's vocal music is exciting, full of sonority, inventive and of great beauty and vigour. This release is the fourth surveying that body. It consists of a dozen and a half or so arias, concerti and cantatas. Unlike most of Buxtehude's organ music, which was composed in the course of his duties as organist at Lübeck, many of the vocal commissions were for the public concerts held in the winter evenings at St Mary's there … the Abendmusiken. Many of the oratorios which we know Buxtehude wrote have not survived, although - tantalisingly - we do have some printed texts. There are even a couple of works on these CDs which may not be by Buxtehude at all. Koopman has included them so that we can enjoy them nevertheless; and then make up our own minds without the benefit of definitive scholarly conclusions.
 
Koopman suggests that these Abendmusiken occasions may have had the kind of selection of different styles, genres and durations, arrangements, scoring and formats that are presented on these CDs. Apart from Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg [CD.2 tr.2], none is particularly long: between five and ten minutes - to German, Swedish and Latin texts. Indeed, the variety of works here aids our appreciation significantly. It's performed in a pleasing order, too … little is known about the chronology of Buxtehude's works generally.
 
The music is neither cold, nor particularly seasonal. One of the first aspects of the music that the listener new to it will notice is the Italian influence. The brass writing in Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg [CD.1 tr.9], for example, could almost be by Gabrieli. Certainly by Schütz, who studied with him.
 
A key form is the strophic aria, which - like the other forms - makes use of instrumental, solo and choral passages and sections interspersed. These range from the direct to the highly sophisticated. The concerti, again, acknowledge the development in Italy of the form. It's tempting to think of these as ingredients in the emerging and more substantial cantata form, to which Buxtehude made significant contributions. In common with those of Bach, Buxtehude's cantatas (of which there are half a dozen or so here) contain chorales, arias and instrumental concerti - to biblical prose and poetic texts.
 
The soloists, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir are on top form. The articulation is idiomatic, the tempi are without exception convincing and the attention to detail is as thorough as if we knew the music intimately. Pahn, Dürmüller and Mertens perhaps stand out for their solid grasp of the need for and success in expressiveness. No maudlin or indulgence, but fully communicative performances, that bear many many listenings.
 
The CDs come with a highly informative booklet, notes and texts - in the originals and English. The acoustic of the Waalse Kerk, Amsterdam, is just right: there is enough atmosphere to complement the music; but not to overwhelm or disguise its impact. It almost goes without saying that, if you're already collecting this series, you shouldn't hesitate for a second before adding this instalment. If you're not, to begin here with the vocal works may surprise. It's highly likely to get you hooked and go looking for the earlier volumes. You won't regret it.
 
-- Mark Sealey, MusicWeb International

Includes work(s) by Dietrich Buxtehude. Ensembles: Amsterdam Baroque Choir, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Ton Koopman. Soloists: Bogna Bartosz, Donald Bentvelsen, Jörg Dürmüller, Andreas Karasiak, Klaus Mertens, Patrick Van Goethem, Johannette Zomer, Bettina Pahn, Hugo Naessens.

Classical Music

Classical Music

The 19th, and penultimate, volume in Ton Koopman’s remarkable survey of Buxtehude’s Complete Works! This volume is also the ninth one in the series devoted to Buxtehude’s vocal works, with more gems to discover for all Baroque music lovers.

"Koopman varies them intelligently in this sequence of 10 numbers, and the performances have the unfussy directness that one associates with his music-making." - The Guardian

Classical Music

Once upon a time, a country once renowned for its cultural life and relatively enlightened government policies on the arts and education held a general election. This election was held in a time of financial crisis; and in an atmosphere of artificially induced fear and resentment towards people from different countries propagated by people in nice, neat suits. The people in nice neat suits won, and set about rescuing their citizens from the financial crisis by getting rid of ‘elitist’ organisations in the arts. They stopped short of burning books in the streets, but only just ...

This release is part of the Netherlands Broadcasting Music Centre or MCO’s attempt to remain in existence. Imagine a government deciding overnight to do away with, say, all of the BBC orchestras and choirs. It doesn’t take much imagination to see how far those ripples would spread into British cultural life, but if there is one thing the anti-intellectual leadership of The Netherlands lack it’s imagination and forethought. The MCO website is in Dutch, but does have links to its orchestras whose sites have English versions, including the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in this Berlioz recording, a superb orchestra which has acclaimed releases on the Hyperion and BIS label – yes, that Shostakovich symphony cycle with Mark Wigglesworth. Let’s just do away with it all, OK everyone?

Well, erm, no – not OK, not by a long way. At the time of writing this situation is by no means resolved, and we are in no way out of the woods. The booklet for this CD contains an open letter from Bernard Haitink which uses terms such as “shameless outrage” and puts the nature of this very idea in a nutshell: “The moral condition of a society can generally be gauged by its flourishing cultural life ... Such a measure is therefore a bad omen for the state of things to come in The Netherlands.” I’m not going to stay on my soapbox much longer, but, given this subject is pretty much the entire raison d’être for this release I couldn’t let it go unsaid, and I’m pretty amazed at how few reviewers elsewhere mention all of this. It’s not as if this is a super deluxe release with all texts given in nine different languages, because it ain’t. Former director of the Concertgebouw and current chairman of the Holland Festival and more Martijn Sanders does also write in the booklet, outlining the reason for choosing this remarkable live performance of La Damnation de Faust, which had been one of the 1999 ‘Carte Blanche’ concert series for Bernard Haitink: “...a magnificent document with two top-level ensembles, four phenomenal vocalists and a conductor of world fame who started his career before the Radio Philharmonic.” This is therefore presented as a kind of Exhibit A. of what Dutch cultural life can and has achieved in recent years. It is also evidence of the lack of consultation and discussion which was engaged in before the decision was taken to discontinue the MCO. If musicians have no voice other than in presenting concrete examples of the success of their productions, then here you have it: Exhibit Berlioz.

So, is this recording worth having? The simple answer is an emphatic yes. Even without a desire to support our beleaguered colleagues, this is a stunningly vivid live recording of what must have been an electrifying evening at the Concertgebouw. French native speakers may turn their noses up at a few touchy corners of pronunciation, but all of the soloists are good and at their best they are brilliant. Thomas Quasthoff is a particularly fine Méphistophélès, and the chorus also seems to adapt its sound to create quite a convincingly French, at times almost nasal sound, and certainly with plenty of passionately expressive vibrato. The recording is on the cooler side, a touch more ‘blue-filter’ in the balance than one might expect from the Concertgebouw acoustic, but this trades off into a sound which has terrific immediacy and a fine sense of openness and refreshing clarity. The orchestra provides a superb sonic texture and more than just a backdrop for the singing, with very fine solos and sectional work throughout Berlioz’s remarkable scoring. Favourite moments such as the Marche hongroise in the first part are done with terrific verve and blazing brass, pushing all the right buttons and carrying us forward on waves of exhilaration.

Everyone seems to rave about Sir Colin Davis’s ‘LSO Live’ recording of this work, but while I agree it is very good and the French diction of the soloists is frequently a few degrees more convincing, I always find it rather hard to live with the stuffy Barbican acoustic and feel the music opens out more and creates a more physical reaction in this live version from Bernard Haitink. Giuseppe Sabbatini is more operatic and melodramatic than Vinson Cole in his more lyrical approach in the role of Faust, and which of these you prefer will be a matter of taste. Thomas Quasthoff is also less inclined towards dark suggestiveness than David Wilson-Johnson as Méphistophélès, and Charlotte Margiono’s soprano is more fruity in the lower octaves than Enkelejda Shkosa, whose vibrato is a touch tighter and more intense – all pretty much cases of swings and roundabouts, but if like me you prefer more expressive melodic lines as well as plenty of drama then Haitink is the man. Sir Colin also creates his own accompanying vocal role from the conductor’s rostrum, which becomes intrusive and irritating after a while. No, I’m very happy to have made the acquaintance of this performance from Bernard Haitink, and prefer its sappy vitality to the rather dry sounding LSO version.

Summing up, I was initially afraid I would have to defend this ‘non profit initiative’ release from hot competition, but in the end it’s been easy to welcome it as a top-level production in its own right, and one which need have no fear in standing alongside any of its rivals in the current catalogue. It doesn’t have texts or informative booklet notes, but that’s not the point. This release makes it easy to support a worthwhile cause by giving you a tremendous listening experience. Don’t allow the Dutch government to sweep an entire set of national and internationally valuable cultural institutions into the cold and dirty North Sea. You know what will happen: if they succeed it will only give other governments bad ideas ...

-- Dominy Clements, MusicWeb International

Classical Music

BEETHOVEN Triple Concerto . Piano Trio in B?, op. 97, “Archduke” • Storioni Tr; Jan Willem de Vriend, cond; Netherlands SO • CHALLENGE 72579 (SACD: 71:15)


It’s a good thing I fell in love with this CD before I read about it. I deliberately left the notes for later, like a self-sequestered judge. This has been my year for the Triple Concerto , and I have reviewed CDs of it from The Knights and the Claremont Trio, not to mention rehearing a legendary one from Karajan and company. But nothing has gotten under my skin so much as this vital, beautifully balanced and executed performance. It represents one gloriously weighted, pulse-racing leap through the loudspeakers and has a remarkable ability to keep your attention. The recorded sound is natural and spacious, in the nice unforced way one so often encounters now with SACD.


Still, I burst out laughing, when I first read about the musicians. What a can of worms Roger Norrington and his movement have surely opened! Here we find a Barenreiter-influenced interpretation, but from an absolutely enormous orchestra. The instruments are modern, with steel strings, except for the brasses, which are early instruments. The Storioni Trio play on gut strings, but use considerable vibrato, and to confuse things further, feature the fortepiano.


In other words, this should be some sort of ghastly artistic hodgepodge. Somehow it isn’t. The fortepiano, once you get used to its damped sonority, works well. Still, at times it sounds like a harp made of tin cans. And when the finale’s cadenza hits a powerful series of low-octave trills, you might be convinced there were three harpsichords gone mad in a coat closet. But the gut strings, I find, sound a touch sweeter than steel ones. It would have been nice to hear the whole orchestra strung with them. And both performances are actually lovely, once you get past the “what the hell is that!?” of hearing the fortepiano. The notes, once I read them, were informative and fortunately not pretentious. Nothing is more annoying in music than a theory in love with itself!


FANFARE: Steven Kruger

This is volume 3 of Jan Willem de Vriend’s complete cycle of the Beethoven symphonies, of which volume 1 is reviewed here. I greatly enjoyed what this team did with the Beethoven Violin Concerto, so needed no second bidding to investigate some of this new symphonic work.

The booklet notes are nicely written though somewhat subjective, and there is nothing about De Vriend’s approach to interpreting Beethoven other than the rather coy final sentence, “As always, they delve into the depths of the symphonies and from these depths, they elevate themselves to a higher level... in their understanding of Ludwig van Beethoven” Come on people: that’s not content, that’s worthless column filler fluff. Left to the evidence of what we hear, I agree with John Sheppard’s summary of these being “essentially clean, well recorded performances, combining many aspects of the modern trend towards historically informed performance.” With their SACD recording as a potentially important selling point, they immediately run into an already complete cycle and one of my favourites, that with Osmo Vänskä on the BIS label.

I don’t dislike Jan Willem de Vriend’s Beethoven at all. His Symphony No.7 has a spring and a drive which tops Vänskä for urgency in most of the faster movements, while not sounding over impetuous or rushed. The final Allegro con brio reaches fever pitch for example, and is remarkably exciting. The recorded balance is brighter on the whole, but this might have something to do with the string balance, which is a tad fuller and a good deal warmer from the BIS label, or is it the orchestra? My impression is that there is sometimes not quite enough weight in the string sound during tuttis with the NSO, or at least when the brass is in full flow. This is by no means always the case, but there are moments where the string counterweight to the brass interjections seems to struggle a little. See if you agree at 10:10 in the first movement of the Symphony No.7 where the melodic shape from the strings is actually quite hard to track. Intonation isn’t always perfect either, and the little flute solo at 10:50 in the same movement sounds plain sharp. There is plenty of detail in the recording though, and no really substantial complaints on a technical level.

The character of the brass in the Symphony No.7 is rather special in this recording, with some nicely growling horns creating a sense of drama at numerous points. The period nature of the performance of course means little or no vibrato in the strings, so there will no doubt be comments about their thinness of sound. I’m rather used to this now, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you have an allergy to this practice. The famous funereal Allegretto starts fairly urbanely but builds convincingly, and the timpani thwacks here and elsewhere are allowed free rein.

The pairing of the 7th and 8th symphonies is a good one, with the brooding and theatrical drama of the one contrasting with the frequently good natured sunlight of the other. Once again, this Symphony No.8 is very good, though while the lyrical touches in the winds are nicely phrased the legato from the strings is a little less clean. De Vriend moves everything along with a light touch and everyone at ease with his driving tempo and wide dynamics in the opening Allegro e vivace con brio. Timpani played with harder sticks tell in favour for De Vriend and against Vänskä here, whose fatter sounding drums rumble more like a storm in the background rather than being a real part of the ensemble, though that quiet ending is so tight from the Minnesota band it ends up having the last and best word. De Vriend’s Allegretto scherzando is a bit ‘twixt and between – neither really light and refined nor filled with the surprise and variety we have from Vänskä. His touch is also a mite heavy with the Tempo di Menuetto, coming from a baseline soft dynamic which isn’t really that soft. Vänskä gets his players almost down to nothing where he wants; allowing plenty of space for dynamics without having to raise the roof each time there’s a forte. There are plenty of good things here though, and certainly enough testosterone-filled meatiness to go around if you like your Beethoven assertive and masculine. Funnily enough, after so many hard-driven fast movements it is in the finale of the Symphony No.8 that De Vriend eases his foot off the pedal just a little. This allows all those late Beethoven inner voices to speak with that much more clarity, which I rather enjoy. The little off-beat timpani strokes at 2:22 are a delight, and there is plenty of colour and texture to relish, as well as a fine feel of quasi-descriptive narrative in De Vriend’s almost operatic response to this movement.

This is a fine recording and a brace of performances which has much to recommend it. There are one or two mild and mostly minor qualitative issues with the playing, and if you are looking for the most refined of Beethoven then Vänskä is still your man. Jan Willem de Vriend does have a way of making these symphonies sound fresh and exciting however, even a little dangerous – in a different and good way. These don’t quite knock the best recommendations off the top, but as a SACD choice I would certainly choose De Vriend over the heavier Philippe Herreweghe.

-- Dominy Clements, MusicWeb International

BEETHOVEN Symphonies: No. 1; No. 5 • Jan Willem de Vriend, cond; Netherlands SO • CHALLENGE CC72364 (SACD: 56:19)


This is Volume 2 of a cycle-in-progress of the Beethoven symphonies, Volume 1 of which I reviewed in Fanfare 34:4. I was, on the whole, quite positive, though I reserved judgment until further volumes were issued. Vriend, like Herreweghe and Järvi before him, has benefited from the research and recordings of the period-instrument movement; what’s different is a less dogmatic approach than those of the earlier pioneers or of more recent antiques-only cycles. This orchestra can summon the kind of power we associate with modern ensembles, and Vriend isn’t loath to take a more leisurely stroll around this familiar scenery.


That said, those familiar with, and appreciative of, the kind of performances produced by the conductors named above will have no qualms about these new ones. The performance of the First Symphony is exuberant, playful, and full-bodied (and the Menuetto is uncut). Compared to Järvi (with an identical program, RCA), the acoustic is more reverberant, resulting in a sound that is more atmospheric and resonant than RCA’s drier production. Järvi is unflinchingly fleet while Vriend allows the music more room to breathe; otherwise, they are very similar performances, though I prefer Vriend’s recorded sound.


The first movement of the Fifth Symphony is urgent and peremptory while the second is very much con moto , though its more powerful characteristics tend to over-balance the songlike qualities. The spirited third movement Allegro is an interesting amalgam of fluidity and discontinuity: the variant of the Scherzo theme becomes atomized almost to the exclusion of the melody—it’s all a bit too analytical, at least until the lead-in to the finale. The powerful forward momentum of that movement robs the music of some of its grandeur. Gardiner (Archiv), at a similarly brisk tempo, manages to make the movement sound less harried and more triumphant. A measure of elegance returns with the echo of the Scherzo, and then the performance plays out to the end in bumptious exuberance.


I like the fullness of the orchestral sound of these performances, and Vriend’s combination of period and modern instrumentation and practice is quite successful. This is a cycle to watch, and it may ultimately be the benchmark for the new “third stream” in Beethoven recordings.


FANFARE: Christopher Abbot


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On first acquaintance, a listener familiar only with the "popular" Beethoven symphonies would hardly recognize Symphony No. 1 as a work by the same composer (instead probably thinking of Haydn, or perhaps Mozart). Yet Jan Willem de Vriend and the Netherlands Symphony succeed in bringing out the nascent "Beethovenian" elements of the score--especially in the finale (which, interestingly, de Vriend takes slower than you would expect from his quick tempos in the first movement and scherzo). De Vriend achieves this by emphasizing the music's dynamic contrasts, underlined by pointed and powerful timpani playing.

Winds and brass are also prominent (including "watery" sounding horns), which is all to the good. However, the period-styled strings slightly annoy in Symphony No. 5, where the players' apparent inability to sustain long notes undercuts some of Beethoven's effects--most notably the dramatic held G at the end of the first statement. Here it wimps out quickly, requiring de Vriend to rush to the next phrase.

But this is the only flaw in an otherwise enthralling performance, a rendition that, especially in juxtaposition to the First symphony, reveals the work's revolutionary nature. The first movement blazes, the Andante glides, the scherzo stalks, and the finale becomes a euphoric release of all the previously accumulated tension. The recording's narrow-focused acoustic (albeit with a solid sense of depth) projects the power of the playing. Despite the above concerns, this is a Beethoven symphony disc that had every good reason to be made. You really should hear it.

--Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

A refreshing new recording of the Beethoven symphonies (volume 1), through the eyes of conductor Jan Willem de Vriend and his orchestra. De Vriend's name as a symphonic conductor is emerging fast now in the music world, and this first volume of the Beethoven series is a fine musical signature, with which he and his musicians perpetuate themselves.

Classical Music

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 • Jan Willem de Vriend, cond; Annemarie Kremer (sop); Wilke te Brummelstroete (mez); Marcel Reijans (ten); Geert Smits (bar); Consensus Vocalis; Netherlands SO • CHALLENGE CC72532 (SACD: 63:14)

Jan Willem de Vriend completes his survey of the Beethoven symphonies with this exciting new Ninth. His excellent orchestra is a modern ensemble with the addition of period brass (I presume from the sound that natural horns are employed). This cycle is the latest addition to the relatively small number of sets available in SACD multichannel sound; for that reason alone it deserves some attention.

The performance begins with a dramatic, emphatic opening with timpani pounding home the punctuation. Vriend creates excellent tension through the contrasting major and minor modes, the former theme especially poignant. Philip Herreweghe, in the Ninth included in his own compendium of the symphonies, isn’t as intensely dramatic, and his touch is lighter in the percussion. I prefer Vriend, who is closer in spirit to Paavo Järvi (RCA), though Järvi employs a brisker tempo, and his orchestra hasn’t got the punch of Vriend’s full-size outfit.

The exuberant energy of the Scherzo is manifest in this performance, and the timpanist is once again an impressive presence. Repeats are observed, and the tempo seems perfect, the Trio not too fast but still providing contrast with the Scherzo theme. Vriend allows the Adagio to take its time without any sense of drag; Herreweghe is about 30 seconds quicker but doesn’t inject quite the same level of cantabile phrasing as is heard in this new account.

The clamorous opening of the finale is fast and furious; the basses and cellos then have their say—Vriend has his cellos up front to the right, with basses behind, so this episode is especially vivid. Baritone Geert Smits has the timbre of a bass-baritone, and his delivery is heroic but never brusque. The Consensus Vocalis sounds like a medium-size choir, numerous enough to add heft to their contributions. Vriend’s Turkish March allows Marcel Reijans the space to hold forth with spirit (and breath). The double fugue is truly joyful, while the four soloists are exemplary in their subsequent quartet. Vriend guides the symphony to a triumphant close with a presto that is coherent but exhilarating.

The sound is excellent, though some may prefer an aural perspective that is closer. I initially felt that the production was bass-shy, but within this mid-hall perspective, the orchestral balance is actually truer than productions that feature a booming bass sound, and the amount of instrumental detail is also notable.

With this release, Vriend’s entire cycle is enhanced, so that I would now place it on par with that of Herreweghe on PentaTone (though this Challenge set now consists of six discs to the five of Herreweghe). Given the overall excellence of the performances and sound, I can recommend this new Ninth as worthy of even the more fully stocked Beethoven collection.

FANFARE: Christopher Abbot

Chamber music arrangements of symphonies were very common in the late 18th and early 19th century, and it is probably true that a large proportion of the people who were familiar with the symphonic repertoire at the time were so because of them. The Second Symphony is the only one for which Beethoven himself produced an arrangement, although there is evidence that his student Ferdinand Ries did the bulk of the work, with Beethoven adding the finishing touches. One of the three piano trios published under op. 1, the second announces its pretentions to the symphonic genre earlier than its siblings and has several common points with the Second Symphony that was written ten years later. The Allegretto in E flat, Hess 48, probably was one of the first works for piano trio that Beethoven wrote, dating back to the early 1790s. Its form is a short, but humorous conversation between three different instruments.