These two short, perfectly proportioned symphonies provide an appropriate ending to the orchestral achievement of a grossly underrated, even misunderstood composer--one of the very few who was self-aware enough to understand exactly what his gifts were and how to make the most of them. Unlike the comparatively more expansive earlier symphonies, both of these works are based on a single short theme or motif, which Wirén then subjects to variations of exceptional ingenuity, all cloaked in staggeringly efficient and colorful orchestration. Although he claimed to revere Nielsen above all other symphonic composers, Wirén's actual technique resembles nothing so much as a sort of Swedish Janácek. His symphonies are, one and all, magnificent mosaics; and while these last two employ more tonally ambiguous thematic material than their siblings, and end slowly and quietly (the kiss of death when it comes to their chances of being played live), they are so beautifully sculpted and so easy to follow that they truly deserve the widest dissemination among music lovers. The delicious ballet suite Oscarsbalen reveals Wirén's gift for gentle parody in a typically glittering orchestral context. Here is the composer of the ever-popular Serenade for Strings, in case you were wondering what happened to him after the two symphonies. The performances here are as distinguished as the music, with the Norrköping orchestra's excellent solo winds seizing every opportunity to shine. Excellent sonics add the finishing touch to a truly memorable disc.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Johann Rosenmüller’s vocal oeuvre is distinguished by textual interpretation that is just as finely sensitive as it is highly imaginative – and this manifoldness is nowhere so clearly revealed as in the seven settings of Psalm 31 (after Luther’s numbering) that have been transmitted to us under his name and form the program on this album. These various compositions based on one and the same text prove to be a genuine kaleidoscope of compositional ideas. Rosenmüller implements changing combinations of singers and richly imaginative motivic work, even in the instrumental parts, which are in part virtuosic in character. The works are divided into sections, and the composer usually creates larger interconnected structures in them by using recurring ritornellos and repeatedly returning to the first verse of the particular work. The text concerns David’s petition for divine assistance in the greatest distress. The psalm has a special significance in the Christian church because according to Luke the words from its sixth verse, “Into your hands I commend my spirit,” were among Christ’s last words on the cross. The variety and wealth of nuances achieved by Rosenmüller in the interpretation of the text and in the textures are considerable, and it is precisely the comparative listening experience that opens our ears to hear the special qualities his contemporaries valued in his art.

Classical Music

Following the premiere of Brescianello's Tisbe, Johann David Heinichen's Flavio Crispo is now the second discovery of a never-performed Baroque opera in an interpretation by Il Gusto Barocco. This Italian opera by Heinichen, one of the most valuable documents of it's times in matters of compositional history, had been forgotten for some three hundred years until the ensemble premiered it in 2016. The historical circumstances behind this opera are very special: a quarrel involving the two world-famous castrati Senesino and Berselli caused a scandal that prevented the premiere of Heinichen's opera at the Dresden court. Some anecdotes relate that the singers accused the composer of imperfect knowledge of Italian and tore the score to shreds during the rehearsal process while he looked on. Others state that Handel had wooed away the Dresden singers during a journey from Italy to London. The score is a masterpiece. To be specific, Heinichen selects a highly exquisite instrumentation in order to depict the purity and fragility of the female character Elena: in the orchestral ritornellos three sorrowful oboe voices are heard without any sort of bass foundation - their song of lament itself is accompanied by the quiet pizzicato of the strings and in our interpretation of the basso continuo by harp arpeggios. This melancholy and fragile Act II finale is an exemplary instance of Heinichen's poetic and highly sensitive setting of this opera libretto.

American Record Guide raves "...These are state-of-the-art early-music performances, German style, with a good deal of technical polish and energy....The soloists are admirable, especially bass Klaus Mertens....Tenor Andreas Post has a light, reedy sound that is well suited to the idiom."

Classical Music

Classical Music

BARTÓK Kossuth. Concerto for Orchestra. Rumanian Dances • Cornelius Meister, cond; Vienna RSO • CPO 777784 (SACD: 65:27)


Cornelius Meister and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra are going to find it hard to compete in Bartók’s very popular Concerto for Orchestra. Among the composer’s orchestral works, the concerto is the most often recorded, with approximately 100 versions currently listed. And among those, there are some classic standouts—Reiner with the Chicago Symphony, for one, or Antal Doráti and the London Symphony Orchestra, for another. There are many other worthy contenders as well. For something more recent, I recommended a recording by Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on Naxos in 36:2.


At the bottom of the popularity list is Kossuth , with possibly fewer currently available recordings than any of Bartók’s other orchestral works. Bartók was only 22 and filled with patriotic fervor in 1903 when he completed this symphonic poem, his first major orchestral score, composed as a tribute to the hero of the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1848–49, Lajos Kossuth. It is said that Bartók was heavily influenced as a student at the Budapest Royal Academy of Music by his encounter with the tone poems of Richard Strauss, and that Kossuth reflects that influence, as well as the influence of Liszt’s tone poems.


We tend to discount the early and formative works of many famous composers—Bruckner, Wagner, Mahler, and Strauss, to name a few—because the music isn’t immediately recognizable or representative of the composers these men would become. Such is the case with Bartók’s Kossuth , a 21-minute tone poem that could easily be taken for a work by Strauss. As a result, the piece appears to have only about a half-dozen recordings, with Amazon listing a few more than ArkivMusic does, though some of Amazon’s listings are only on vinyl or are performed in the composer’s original piano version.


I like Meister’s concerto for orchestra. His opening introduction, mysterious and atmospheric, is very well done. I can’t say the same, however, for the second movement (“Game of Pairs”); at 7:00 it feels cautious and tentative compared to Reiner’s 5:58. Even Alsop’s 6:39, not that much faster than Meister’s, is more teasing and playful. Tempo-wise, Meister’s third movement (“Elegia”), 7:21, is faster than Reiner’s, 7:59, but not far off Alsop’s, 7:30. Again, though, Reiner is best at capturing the shadowy, spectral character of Bartók’s “night music.” Meister makes a comeback in the concerto’s final two movements, leading an adroitly maladroit “Intermezzo interrotto,” with pertinently impertinent trombone glissandos, and a rousing finale.


Make no mistake; this is not a run-of-the-mill performance of the concerto, it’s a very fine one, even if the young Cornelius Meister—31 in 2011 when he made this recording—was not as seasoned as the 67-year-old Reiner when he made his iconic recording of the piece in 1955. But in addition to this being a much better than average performance, CPO’s surround-sound recording will bowl you over. The wide-angle spectrum of the soundstage and the dynamic range are enormously impressive.


As for Kossuth , given the limited number of choices, you’re not likely to do better than this performance, and for good measure, Meister and Vienna Radio Symphony round off their program with Bartók’s ever popular Rumanian Dances . So far, Meister hasn’t recorded much, but he is definitely an up and coming conductor to watch. Recommended.


FANFARE: Jerry Dubins

It Was in Frankfurt Am Main on 16 September 1810 That Carl Maria Von Weber's Opera Silvana Was First Performed. A Box-Office Hit, Silvana Is Practically Forgotten Today, Even Though It Enjoyed a Very Respectable Performance History. CPO Is Now Releasing the First Recording of the Original Version of Weber's Heroic Opera. The Present Recording Now for the First Time Relies on the Materials for the Critical Scholarly Edition of the Work, Including the Dialogues, As Well As Many Changes Weber Made for the Work's Premiere. The Positive Final Result Is Can Now Be Heard on This Release.

Classical Music

Giovanni Legrenzi is another of the many composers who were highly esteemed during their lifetimes but are all but forgotten today. Admittedly, many deserve their obscurity, and while it's difficult to determine Legrenzi's legacy based strictly on these often fascinating Trio Sonatas (he was revered mostly for his numerous operas and oratorios), their evident refinement and consistently high level of invention and versatility distinguish him as one whose neglect is undeserved. In form, for example, Legrenzi eschews the usual tempo and dynamic markings and instead names each sonata after important individuals or clans who were (or who Legrenzi hoped would become) supportive of his talents. The implications of Legrenzi's capricious motives aside, the quality and variety of these inspired dedications suggest that he's taken into consideration each subject's personal, if not unique, character.


In La Cornara for instance, Legrenzi's clever use of descending scales running against the thematic grain are followed by a brief reprieve; when they're subtly reintroduced during the sonata's conclusion, it creates a tellingly introspective portrait. After the nearly 30-second solo theorbo introduction of La Spilimberga, two violins join in and weave a remarkably somber yet sublime melody until the rest of the ensemble enters, and the piece unravels into a highly animated, turbulent finale. La Raspana also delights with its Biber-esque opening string figures and fiercely extroverted concluding march. These are only three of the many examples included in a generous program that lovers of 17th-century chamber music are sure to enjoy.

CPO's sound is quite good, with excellent clarity and ensemble presence. Karl Bohmer's notes are informative and feature many entertaining anecdotes that particularly focus on Legrenzi's influence on some of his better known contemporaries (Bach and Vivaldi especially). Listeners with further interest in Legrenzi should seek out Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante's Invenzioni e Stravaganze--a ravishing recording devoted to the composer and his contemporaries (Opus 111). Warmly recommended.
--John Greene, ClassicsToday.com

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Graf is as little-known today as he was immensely popular in his lifetime, when he enjoyed great esteem as a virtuoso flautist and composer. His works, whether printed or (as most often happened) in manuscript, were disseminated far and wide. The 4 flute concertos on this recording are marvelously entertaining additions to early classical repertoire.