After a successful cycle of Chopin works for solo piano, exclusive Chandos artist Louis Lortie plays here works by Poulenc with his duet partner Hélène Mercier. In Aubade and the two concertos they are joined by Edward Gardner and the BBC Philharmonic.

The French-Canadian pianists draw a persuasive portrait of the melancholic Parisian that Poulenc was: playful and depressed, like his tutor, Erik Satie. There is always a sense of palpable anxiety in these pieces, be it the sarcastic joie de vivre of the 'choreographic concerto' Aubade or the ironic melancholy of the explosive Concerto for Two Pianos – Mozartean and Stravinskyan at the same time. Further examples are the contrasting pair of works for two pianos, in which the evocation of the sound of accordion and smell of fried potatoes in L'Embarquement pour Cythère complement the Élégie which, as Poulenc indicated, should be played with 'a cigar in your mouth and a glass of cognac on the piano'.

Similarly, the dazzling and dissonant Sonata for Piano Duet alternates between passages of charme and others that are féroce and strident. 'Inventing his own folk tunes', as Ravel noted, Poulenc took a decisive step in his musical emancipation with this very 'dissident' work.

Louis Lortie also plays the Piano Concerto, in which the traditional concerto virtues are more obvious: memorable tunes, sparkling orchestration, and a wide range of textures in the piano part.

Review:

The distinct attraction of this performance by Lortie with the BBC Philharmonic under Edward Gardner is the way in which orchestral color, as well as piano texture, is so clearly defined and zestfully articulated. Lortie is joined by Helene Mercier for cracking performances of the Two-Piano Concerto and the Sonata for four hands, their distinctive acerbities given whiplash emphasis by both pianists, yet with their more lyrical leanings tenderly voiced.

– Gramophone

In his latest recording for Chandos with his Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi explores pieces by three of Estonia’s earliest composers. The bulk of the works in the programme were composed in the first decade of the twentieth century and are all excellent representations of the birth of Estonian Music, as Estonia transitioned from a territory in the Russian Empire to independent Nation State. As was the norm at the end of the 19thcentury, these composers studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire, and Estonian symphonic music certainly has its roots in the Russian Nationalist style. Like so many other European Musics of this era, ethnic identity is emphasized by the inclusion of native folk tunes and the ‘Nordic’ style of Greig and others is certainly an influence. Kapp’s 4thSymphony, however, was written after WWII, when Estonia and the other Baltic States were occupied by the Soviet Union. Dedicated to the 30thAnniversary of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (although probably not by choice) Kapp also subtitled it ‘Classical Symphony’ and its compact form and light textures deliver a more concentrated distillation of the Estonian style.

There’s a very wide expressive range between the bright and breezy finale of Arnold’s Second Symphony and the angst-filled violence at the start of the Seventh, never mind the long, desolate finale of the Ninth. I suspect it will be a while before this strange, often disturbing, but colorful and compelling sound world achieves the acclaim that it deserves, and it may never get there all, but Arnold’s remains a distinctive voice and these symphonies deserve your attention. They certainly reward repeated listening, and even at their gnarliest they still feature memorable ideas presented with unfailing urgency and flair.

My preference in complete cycles remains Andrew Penny’s on Naxos, both for consistent excitement and the fact that the performances carry the composer’s imprimatur. That doesn’t always mean much, but here the quality of the results speaks for itself. These Chandos versions, however, are just about as fine, even though the cycle is split between two conductors and orchestras, with Rumon Gamba and the BBC Philharmonic in Nos. 7-9 microscopically less impressive than Hickox and the LSO in the first six (but then, Gamba’s team had the tougher job).

If you want to get all of the Arnold symphonies in a single shot, you can’t go wrong with this set.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

This is Volume 1 in a new series devoted to the Works for Solo Piano by Johannes Brahms, starting with a selection of highly personal collections of Capriccios, Intermezzi, Ballades, a Romance, and Rhapsodies. The series also marks the first major project of the internationally acclaimed pianist Barry Douglas as an exclusive Chandos artist. Since winning the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow, Douglas has established a major international career, and his reputation as a pianist and conductor continues to grow. Douglas was the soloist in the 2011 recording of Nino Rota's Concerto soir�e (CHAN 10669), of which International Piano said: 'For pianophiles, the headline message is undoubtedly "Barry's back". a complete Brahms series beckons, for which this definitely whets the appetite.'

"When Debussy's String Quartet is so often partnered on disc by Ravel's, a considerable chunk of the enjoyment to be had from this recording is down to the simple fact that it's a Debussy-only programme. It's true that Debussy left slim pickings for chamber string ensembles, but the Brodsky Quartet have shown here what musical riches are possible with the combination of Debussy and string quartet forces when a bit of lateral thinking comes into play, together with a few guest artists...Just when works suitable for string quartet really are running out, in steps Brodsky viola player Paul Cassidy with his string quartet arrangement of Rêverie, originally for solo piano. Written contemporaneously to the Quartet, Debussy may have intended it as little more than a charming salon piece, but Cassidy's scoring is so similar to that of the quartet that the work has taken on a new identity. Far from feeling like an “And finally...” bonbon, its new gravitas makes it a fitting bookend to the programme, a partner to the Quartet, and an unexpected delight."

- Charlotte Gardner, BBC [04-18-2012]

The Brodsky Quartet celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year. Formed in 1972, the Quartet quickly emerged at the forefront of the international chamber music scene. It has performed more than 2000 concerts and made more than fifty highly acclaimed recordings. Now exclusive Chandos artists, the Brodsky players are releasing their second album on Chandos with guest soloists Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and the harpist Sioned Williams.

The Trio for piano, violin, and cello is an early work, written before Debussy established his own very distinctive musical language heard in pieces such as La Mer. Another early piece, Rêverie, for piano, was written by the young, struggling composer at a time when he was trying to make a living in Paris. The easiest market to break into for a composer was the salon, where songs and not-too-taxing piano music were in demand. Rêverie was one of several charming and tuneful works that Debussy wrote for this scene.

In a somewhat different league, the String Quartet is considered a defining work in the history of chamber music. Sensual and impressionistic, it employs a cyclic structure that constituted a split from the rules of classical form and pointed the way forward. In the words of Pierre Boulez, Debussy freed chamber music from ‘rigid structure, frozen rhetoric, and rigid aesthetics’.

The Deux Danses, made up of the ‘Danse sacrée’ and ‘Danse profane’, complete the disc. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Parisian instrument makers Pleyel invented a ‘chromatic harp’ which dispensed with pedals and achieved the full chromatic compass from two rows of strings that slanted across one another. Debussy was approached to write two pieces intended for a final examination of the Pleyel model. ‘Danse sacrée’ makes use of Church modes, while ‘Danse profane’ is a kind of sarabande. The ‘competition’ aspect of the pieces is highlighted by the fact that, after the opening introduction, the harpist has no more than six bars’ rest. As it happened, the Pleyel model never caught on, and the works are now always performed on a pedal harp.

STENKA RAZIN

BALAKIREV: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 / Piano Concerto in F-Sha

NIELSEN, Inga: Voices - Live and Studio Recordings (1952-200

Rossini, G.: Piano Edition (Complete), Vol. 2

Recorded in: Moscow

Mozart: Piano Concertos, Vol. 10

For their second album on Chandos, Freddie Crowley and his Corvus Consort - joined by the harpist Louise Thomson - turn their attention to a rich vein of choral music written for women's voices and harp. Gustav Holst was a champion of women's voices and taught in several girls' schools, most famously at St Paul's Girls' School, Hammersmith, where he worked for almost thirty years. His contribution to this genre is represented by three works: Two Eastern Pictures, Dirge and Hymeneal, and more substantially his Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda. These works provide a frame for the bulk of the programme - mostly written by British women. Works by Imogen Holst and Elizabeth Poston lead us towards the more recent generations - Judith Weir, Gemma McGregor, and on to Olivia Sparkhall, and Hilary Campbell. The Indian composer Shruthi Rajasekar was invited to compose for this programme in response to the Third Group of Gustav Holst's Choral Hymns. Both Ushas - Goddess of Dawn and Priestess not only add exciting new repertoire for these unusual forces, but explore directly Holst's engagement with ancient Hindu texts.

BAX: Orchestral Works, Vol. 8

SHOSTAKOVICH: Film Music, Vol. 3- Hamlet, The Unforgettable

YOSHIMATSU: Cello Concerto / The Age of Birds / Chikap