Classical Music

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

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This CD recommends itself. Cellist Steven Isserlis has recorded Martin?’s three excellent sonatas. His accompanist is composer Olli Mustonen, a master of the idiom who also contributes his own recent sonata to the program. There’s another substantial bonus in Malinconia, a powerfully dark cello piece by Jean Sibelius. It’s all recorded in a hybrid SACD by the BIS engineers.

Those facts alone make it an important release. I feel like my job is simply to let you know that the album exists, so you can look for it. In case you need to read anything else, Isserlis delivers the goods in his usual highly impassioned, expressive style; consider the Sibelius piece, which dates from 1900 but foreshadows the grim, violent power of the Fourth Symphony. It was written after the death of the composer’s daughter, and makes the listener share his grief.

Isserlis writes useful, detailed notes on the fifteen-minute sonata Olli Mustonen composed, which fits into the program well. That is to say, it shares with Martin? a focus on emotional ambivalence and internal conflict, plus excellent craftsmanship. The second movement is a sort of scherzo-in-reverse, slower material bookending an incredibly virtuosic, spinning cello part. We then get the real scherzo, and a finale that at last offers us a long, breathtaking melody teased upward into the highest notes Isserlis can play.

The three Martin? cello sonatas are from late in his career, the first two dating from 1939 and 1941. The first sonata cycles through many moods, with a haunting slow movement that the booklet rightly calls “funereal.” It was premiered by a dream team: Pierre Fournier and Rudolf Firkusný. The second sonata has a lot in common with his symphonies: the opening piano statement sounds reduced from an orchestral original, and the main melodies could have been deployed in the Third or Fourth symphonies. There’s masterful drama in the dialogue and conflict between these instruments; it’s a troubled, brilliant piece that alternates between easy lyricism and abrupt outpourings, with a hint of triumph in the finale.

The third sonata is the most lyrical, and the happiest, with the shadows of wartime years into the past. The finale in particular is a joy, with an unexpected baroque-style piano cadenza. It provides an affirming conclusion to the recital. BIS’s sound is as excellent as ever, and Mustonen and Isserlis have an easy chemistry. Isserlis reports in his liner notes that they’ve been friends since they pulled pranks on one another in school days, and I wonder if the cover photo is another prank. Either way, I hope it’s not the last of this partnership on record. This disc is outstanding, just as you’d expect.

– Brian Reinhart, MusicWeb International

The Oktoechos ensemble, a sophisticated female vocal ensemble led by the specialist Lanfranco Menga, in this release presents a program entirely dedicated to the union of music and politics in the Venice of the early fifteenth century, time of its greatest economic growth and territorial expansion. The naval power of the “Serenissima” and the consequent commercial vitality of the Republic inevitable created the preconditions for a parallel artistic growth, witnessed by the contributions of the greatest artists of the time alternating within the Palatine Basilica of St. Mark at the service of the Dogi and the bishops, composing a great deal of celebratory music that exalted their power and that of the city itself: the city “where the merchants were kings, where Saint Mark was, where the Dogi were used to marry the sea with a ring”

Harpist Anne Vanschothorst's work has been characterized as ‘avant garde,’ ‘innovative,’ ‘minimal,’ ‘lyrical,’ ‘cinematic,’ and ‘very touching and intense.’ She is known for an equal clear sound in bass and melody; the lower register speaks in a deep inner voice while the higher notes are talkative and enchanting. She is one of the few creative and edgy harpists in the world who records original, contemporary classical, crossover and instant music for MultiMedia & ARTprojects.

WINTERREISE SCHWANENGESANG

Beriot: Violin Concertos Nos. 1, 8 and 9

This fall, Cantaloupe Music will release Julia Wolfe's Dark Full Ride: Music in Multiples, her first album since 2003. It consists of four new compositions, each clocking in at over 15 minutes, each written for multiples of individual instruments--nine bagpipes, four drum sets, six pianos, and eight double basses. Wolfe says, "Like staring for a long time at a Rothko painting, I imagined each of these pieces as an exploration of one color. But in truth an instrument isn't really a single timbre. There are a myriad of worlds within each sound." Working closely with the performers during the composing process, Wolfe uncovers a never before-heard music. For example, while writing "LAD," she discovered the initial drone produced while filling the bagpipe with air, using that as the piece's introduction. The first seven minutes of the title track "Dark Full Ride" use only a drum set's hi-hats. "my lips from speaking" builds on the piano riff from a classic R&B song to showcase the instrument's ferocity. Finally "Stronghold" shows the bass isn't just about low end. Says Wofe: "With each piece I tried to dive into a psychedelic landscape, at once multilayered, fractured, ecstatic, silent, driving, cacophonous, and direct." " "Sales Inventory

Since 1999, So Percussion has been creating music that explores all the extremes of emotion and musical possibility. It has not been an easy music to define. Called an “experimental powerhouse” by the Village Voice, “astonishing and entrancing” by Billboard Magazine, and “brilliant” by the New York Times, the Brooklyn based quartet’s innovative work with today’s most exciting composers and their own original music has quickly helped them forge a unique and diverse career.

Threads, written for So Percussion in 2005, is a half-hour long “cantata” for percussion quartet in ten short movements. There are three “threads” that are interwoven in the piece: Arias and Preludes that focus on the metallic pitched sounds of vibraphones, glockenspiel and pipes; Choruses in which drumming predominates; and Recitatives made largely from Cage-like noise instruments, bottles, flower pots, crotales, etc. The aim of the different threads is to highlight the wide range of qualities that percussion instruments are capable of, from lyrical and tender to forceful and aggressive, and weave them into one continuous “thread”.

-- Paul Lansky

Liszt’s musical precocity can be measured by the fact that at the age of thirteen he had begun work on what was to become his Op.6, the Etude en douze exercices. After later revisions this became the Grandes Études of 1837 and, with simplifications, the Études d’exécution transcendante of 1851. The monumental 1837 studies were composed after years of travel and at a time when Liszt’s virtuoso status was near its zenith. He transformed the earlier prototype studies, through the prism of his own transcendental technique, into etudes of coruscating technical difficulty and extraordinarily vivid characterisation.

Born in Buenos Aires to French parents, pianist Suzanne Husson now lives in Geneva. She has performed as a soloist on television and radio, at important festivals and in concert throughout Europe, the U.S. and Latin America, and has collaborated with distinguished conductors, orchestras and colleagues. She boasts a vast repertoire comprising both the classics and modern music and her award-winning discography includes recordings on numerous labels, including Naxos. Vol. 39 of Naxos' Complete Piano Music of Liszt features his transcriptions of select Bach works, played by Ms. Husson.

Before his thirtieth birthday the young Catalan composer Antonio Soler had become maestro di capilla and organist at the Escorial palace, positions he held for hte rest of his life. Many of his keyboard sonatas were written for Don Gabriel, son of King Carlos III, and they represent his greatest compositional achievement, effortlessly embodying the dual influences of Domenico Scarlatti and the emergent Viennese school. Each sonata in Volume 6 has its own distinctive character, from the ingenious contrasts of No. 63 in F major and the harmonic sophistication of No. 64 in G major to the delicious Iberian colours evoked in No. 66 in C major.

No brass series would be complete without Giovanni Gabrieli, and his music is the starting point as Septura continue on their counterfactual course, imagining that four titans of the counter-reformation had written for brass. The sacred choral works of these renaissance masters- Victoria, Gabrieli, Palestrina and Lassus- are a perfect fit for the musical and emotional compass of the brass septet, and the result is a stunning survey of the culminations of the Spanish, Venetian, Roman and Franco-Flemish schools.

Reviwew:

There is an overwhelming sense of sincerity present in both the skilfully crafted new arrangements, made by the ensemble’s artistic directors, Simon Cox and Matthew Knight, and the execution of performance, which is characterised by an approach to sound concept and turn of phrase that is seemingly laced with historical consideration and musical purpose.

– Brass Band World

BABBITT Around the Horn. 1 Whirled Series. 2 None but the lonely flute. 3 Homily. 4 Beaten Paths. 5 Play It Again, Sam. 6 Soli e duettini. 7 Melismata 8 ? William Purvis (hn); 1,2 Marshall Taylor (a sax); 2 Charles Abramovic (pn); 2 Rachel Rudich (fl); 3 Peter Jarvis (snare dr); 4 Thomas Kolor (mmb); 5 Lois Martin (va); 6 Susan Palma (fl); 7 David Starobin (gtr); 7 Curtis Macomber (vn) 8 ? NAXOS 8.559259 (75:17)


Gratitude and plaudits are due to Naxos for reissuing the splendid series of American chamber-music discs originally released in the mid 1990s by Koch International Classics. So far, we have seen the return of Feldman?s String Quartet and mixed trios by Charles Wuorinen. One hopes Wolpe is waiting in the wings. Meanwhile, here is a group of remarkable instrumental works (one trio, one duo, and six solos) by Milton Babbitt, composed between 1982 and 1993. The New York-based Group for Contemporary Music is comprised of musicians whose playing is of such high quality it demands acknowledgement, so I?ve listed the soloists in the headnote.


Babbitt, 90 this year, was one of that group of serial or post-serial American composers who flourished from the late 1950s on. Their work is often dismissed as dense, intractable, and tuneless, especially from the vantage point of today?s nouveau accessibility?but once you broaden your idea of what constitutes a tune, you?ll find such criticisms miss the mark. (You?ll also find you can?t lump Babbitt, Wuorinen, Carter, Perle, and company together: any similarities are superficial.)


As a young man, the Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim was awarded a scholarship to study privately with Babbitt. The supposed incongruity of this pairing is sometimes remarked upon, until you realize that both composers approach the craft of composition in the same way: as a series of intricate puzzles to be solved. This is, I think, the key to Babbitt?s world. His work is high-wire, intellectual game playing and it exudes a bracing air of playfulness as it revels in the process. This music doesn?t relate to anything except itself; it is truly abstract (a term often used pejoratively to describe mid-20th century visual and graphic art). The bouts of twittering in the piano?s extreme upper register during the trio Whirled Series , for instance, have nothing to do with the avian realm, for all that they suggest a day in the life of Messiaen. They are simple (or complex) melodic fragments, sometimes the same ones heard simultaneously in the low saxophone part, only played at mach speed.


In the solo pieces, melodic lines are kept in balance by having the solo instrument make wide leaps from one register to another, thus achieving the effect (or, more accurately, solving the problem) of having simultaneous themes moving in counterpoint. The result may sound disjointed at first, but once you get comfortable with the technique it becomes clear and exciting. A good memory for pitch helps! I should mention to those unfamiliar with Babbitt?s idiom that this working-out of ideas is done nimbly and, above all, quickly: no endless drones or pregnant silences here, the ball is kept in the air at all times. In the duos, to quote the disc?s original review by Art Lange in Fanfare 20:2, ?the parts seldom seem related, until they do.? (Perfectly put! If you?re interested in this bargain reissue, look up Lange?s detailed commentary.) At such moments of synchronicity, the listener is deftly reminded that there is an omniscient intelligence at work organizing all this busy activity.


A notable feature of this disc is the sheer virtuosity Babbitt demands from his performers. William Purvis?s mastery of the horn?such an obstinate instrument in the wrong lips?is a wonder in itself, and that accolade may be applied to every one of these musicians. They shape and color each moment of this technically demanding music, and seem to be having almost as much fun as the composer.


The original Koch issue came on two CDs, one of which featured Babbitt reading his essay On Having Been and Still Being an American Composer . That set also contained Four Cavalier Settings for solo tenor. Those items have been dropped to squeeze the remaining works onto one CD, which in this case strikes me as a sensible way to go, not only for hip-pocket reasons but also because it brings together a succinct program of Babbitt?s instrumental chamber music. The sound is very good, performances are in a class of their own, and?as colleague Lange also pointed out?these pieces are among the composer?s most approachable.


FANFARE: Phillip Scott

Since there are dozens of recordings of Il trovatore available, of which a half dozen are more than good, no one would have guessed that the world needed another. But here, taken from a series of live performances at La Scala in December of 2000, Riccardo Muti gives us a thrilling reading, filled with a type of energy we rarely encounter live and even more rarely on disc. The score is presented complete, with all repeats, and no optional high notes. (Muti attempts to justify the omission of Manrico’s optional high C at the close of “Di quella pira” in the booklet; it reads like nonsense: “…he runs off to save this crazy old lady he is not even sure is his mother…. This is someone who sings and holds high Cs? Where is the truth in that?” Huh, Riccardo?). Nevertheless both Leonora and Azucena add tiny but appealing embellishments (more like variations) to their vocal lines once or twice: so how is that justified?

Never mind—Muti whips the orchestra into a fantastic frenzy during Manrico’s manic cabaletta; elsewhere it sighs with Leonora or accompanies ideally. Perhaps the most impressive thing about this set is its rhythmic thrust and accuracy; no singer is allowed to hold back the musical line, and by not permitting any star-turn rubatos the action remains vibrant. The Leonora/di Luna duet in Act 4 moves along at a remarkable clip, almost breathlessly, reminiscent of Donizetti at his best. And there is less of the oom-pah-in-the-orchestra effect audible in this performance than in any other of this work I can think of; and while the ghastly story unfolds well, it is the peaceful, one-on-one moments that stay in the memory.

Frittoli is an elegant Leonora, singing with accuracy and dignity. The sound itself is not soft and caressing, but she does nice things with words and dynamics. The late Salvatore Licitra would appear to have been a real “Italian” tenor, capable of nice mobidezza in “Ah si, ben mio,” and in the soft scenes with Azucena; elsewhere he’s generous of voice and exciting. Violetta Urmana has a voice almost too beautiful for Azucena; we’ve all come to prefer a chestier, more aggressive sound (Cossotto, Bumbry, etc), but here she’s in keeping with the intimacy Muti’s after and she sings not only realistically but gorgeously. Leo Nucci is a bit long in the tooth to be a brute of a di Luna, and he wavers from pitch occasionally, but his innate musicality saves the day.

The La Scala forces play and sing for Muti as if they feared for their lives—you can draw your own conclusions. The engineers have captured the stage ambiance and balance beautifully while keeping extraneous sounds very limited; the audience was apparently forced to sit on its collective hands until the end of acts and were threatened with death if they coughed or sniffled. In all, this Trovatore is an ear-opener.

--Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com

A pupil of Tchaikovsky, who called him the "Russian Bach", Sergey Taneyev is best known today for his four symphonies, although he also composed a sizable body of chamber music, including nine complete String Quartets.

Quartet No 9 is a memorably melodic work, while the beautifully crafted No 6, his last completed quartet, is rather more austere, though marked by a playful Jig, and even more masterful in construction. One of the most unique and sought-after chamber ensembles on the concert stage today, the Carpe Diem String Quartet are also involved in several most noteworthy educational and community outreach initiatives that bring music to those with limited access to it, or are otherwise unable to access it at all.

Recording information: Juilliard School Recording Studio (12/01/2008); Juilliard School Recording Studio (12/19/2008).

ROSSINI: Sonatas for Wind Quartet Nos. 1-6

Classical Music

Originally released in 1995. Directed by Frank Scheffer, Andrew Culver. Starring John Cage.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

"Illustrating the impact of Appalachian folk music on his compositional style, Appalachian Inspiration, composer John Beall’s debut album on Ravello Records, features three piano and string pieces that represent Beall’s expressive grasp of both folk tunes and traditional formal techniques. John Beall has been Professor and Composer-in-Residence at West Virginia University since 1978 His compositions have received performances by both chamber groups and orchestras."

Preludes & Dances for a French Harpsichord

Includes concerto(s) for violin by Béla Bartók. Soloist: Silvia Marcovici.