Bedrich Smetana Prague National Theater Chorus and Orchestra, Jaroslav Krombholc, Jarmil Burghauser The Secret - A Comic Opera in Three Acts

All tracks have been digitally mastered using 24-bit technology.

Alas, cpo’s otherwise detailed and informative liner notes on the music itself offer nothing by way of biographical data on its composer other than his birth and death dates. I was, however, able to find a Web site dedicated to Wetz’s life and career (Len@musicweb-international.com). The following biographical sketch is based on the essay by Eric Schissel found there.

Richard Wetz was born in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, on February 26, 1875. At first a self taught musician, he ultimately enrolled in the Leipzig Conservatory and, apparently finding it uncongenial, left that august institution after a mere six weeks. From that point, his career was lackluster at best. After seeking private instruction both in Leipzig and Munich, one of his early advocates, Felix Weingartner, secured a conductor’s post for him in Stralsund. He lasted only a few months. He tried another post in Wuppertal with, apparently, similar results. Returning to Leipzig, he steeped himself in the music of Bruckner, Wagner, and Liszt, ultimately writing a book on Liszt in 1925.

In 1906, Wetz received the post of director of the Erfurt Music Society. By that time he had composed two operas to his own librettos, the second of which was a failure. Two years later, his Kleist Overture, op. 16 was premiered in Berlin under Nikisch (not a bad advocate!). Unfortunately, Wetz’s overture was upstaged by its concert mate, Elgar’s Enigma Variations, and garnered only tepid reviews.

Wetz’s career finally took off in 1917 with the premiere of his first symphony. Other works that established him in the German-speaking world include his Gesang des Lebens, op. 29, Hyperion (on texts by Holderlin) for baritone, mixed chorus, and orchestra (op. 32, 1912), and his violin sonata, op. 33.

No date of composition is provided for his Requiem, op. 50. The high opus number, however, indicates that it was produced near the end of his life. He died in Erfurt on January 16, 1935. This release’s liner notes state that the work was last performed in Erfurt on Good Friday, 1943.

By the evidence before me, Wetz is a post-Romantic composer of considerable imagination, skill, and refinement. This requiem is indeed haunted by the ghost of Bruckner, but in its underlying message of consolation for the living, it brings Brahms to mind, and given some of its pastel orchestral shadings and its harmonically chromatic moments, it, especially in its Kyrie, evokes Fauré’s most gentle of requiems. Its Dies Irae gets as close to theatricality as one is to find in this work, but it closes with a sense of resignation, and then consolation. Its final pages are among the finest in this piece. I find it ironic that Lisztian chromaticism, which pops up repeatedly, becomes so similar to that of Fauré, but then, Fauré has often been likened to the French Brahms. Is it a case of cultural diffusion, or merely parallel development?

Without getting into a moment-to-moment analysis of this piece, suffice it to say that throughout this heartfelt work Wetz steers judiciously between the darkness and light inherent in the text. Does this obscure offering by an obscure composer belong in the international standard repertoire? After listening to this fine and illuminating performance, I can answer that question in a single word: absolutely.

FANFARE: William Zagorski

SYMPHONIES, PIANO CONCERTOS, V

martinu sym. no. 4 martin turnovsky; a. navarra, cello;ladislav cery, viola; Pavel Stepan, Ilja Hurnik-piano; L. jasek, violin; Czech Phil. Orch.Prague Chamber sym. Orch. ; Martin Turnovsky great czech conductors martin turnovksy

Innovative and enthralling mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter already has a successful discography, including her critically acclaimed album with Brad Mehldau Love Songs, and her Grammy award-winning Douce France. For this release, Anne has joined with Brooklyn Rider, a trailblazing and frequently favorited string quartet. The project which ensued presents music from iconic artists in both the classical and pop music worlds. Brooklyn Rider is violinists Colin Jacobsen and Johnny Gandelsman, violist Nicholas Cords, and cellist Eric Jacobsen. Based in New York City, the ensemble is known for playing contemporary and unusual repertoire. The group founded the Stillwater Music Festival in 2006. New works written just for Anne Sofie and Brooklyn Rider come from composers Nico Muhly, Brooklyn Rider’s own Colin Jacobsen, and Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw. Works from Brooklyn Rider’s ‘Almanac’ project are also included, which The Boston Globe called “an all-over-the-map stylistic tour and a treatise on present-day quartet writing.”

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REVIEW:

What is so remarkable about Anne Sofie von Otter is her ability to assimilate so many different styles and make them her own. Nowhere on this album is there a sense of a classically schooled singer who tries to incorporate music from another world in her traditional way of singing. She adjusts her way of singing to the material in question—and it sounds natural.

– MusicWeb International

RAVEL Daphnis and Chloé. POULENC Gloria • Bernard Haitink, cond; Jessica Rivera (sop); Chicago SO & Ch (Duain Wolfe, dir) • CSO RESOUND 901 908 (Hybrid multichannel SACD: 77:18) Live: Chicago 11/8–10/2007. Available at www.cso.org


If the name Bernard Haitink doesn’t automatically spring to mind when one considers orchestral performances of Ravel, that is hardly surprising, given the prominence in the discography of Munch, Martinon, Monteux, Abbado, Boulez, and Karajan, just to name a few. Haitink, however, has recorded two collections of Ravel’s orchestral music: with the Concertgebouw in the 1970s (a selection on PentaTone was reviewed by James Reel in 30:6), and with the BSO in the 1990s (reviewed by me in 22:3). This new disc isn’t such an anomaly, then, though the inclusion of the relatively rare Poulenc work makes it more intriguing.


It is the Gloria that is programmed first, and Haitink and his Chicago forces turn in a brightly idiomatic performance: commanding, austere, light-hearted, and celebratory by turns, as the music requires. Soprano Jessica Rivera has the range and sensitivity required for her solos—she was the impressively sensuous Kumudha in Adams’s A Flowering Tree and Kitty in his Doctor Atomic —and she is well matched by the splendid Chicago Chorus. I had not heard this piece for some time, and I was struck again by its beauty, and by how obviously it was one of the sources for Bernstein’s Mass . There is one other SACD available, conducted by Mariss Jansons on RCO Live, reviewed (none too favorably) by Jerry Dubins in 30:5.


Being designated a “middle-of-the-road” or “centrist” conductor often seems like damning with faint praise, but in the case of Ravel it is most appropriate. Haitink balances the precision and acute ear of his Chicago colleague Pierre Boulez with the kind of sonic opulence of Karajan in this music (something the CSO has in spades anyway). In Daphnis , that kind of equipoise is especially effective, giving the drama a much more effective edge; there are sections of this piece that approach Rite -like rhythmic force, the “Dance of the Warriors” particularly, and here Haitink’s precision is most salutary. Yet, in such episodes as the “Sunrise” of the third part, Haitink takes full advantage of the rich orchestral palette that Ravel made such a distinctive facet of his compositions. As is their wont, the engineering team headed by James Mallinson has provided the musicians with a brilliant and full-bodied sound production in SACD and stereo (CSOR 901 906).


In SACD, Munch’s classic account from Boston (RCA) is the only real competition for the Ravel ballet, and it’s a matter of taste as well as budgetary considerations that will decide the issue for most listeners. My advice is to acquire both, and for those already in possession of the Munch disc, the addition of the Poulenc should provide the sweetener. In either case, you won’t be disappointed.


FANFARE: Christopher Abbot

Classical Music

Yes, it's really that Schlemihl, the poor guy in Jewish folklore for whom nothing goes right. The composer describes the work's "orgy" sequence as follows: "A fat naked witch, with breasts and belly hanging down, arrives riding a sow to the tune 'Ach! Du Lieber Augustin'." Now who wouldn't want to hear that? The music actually sounds a bit like the waltz from the second movement of Mahler's Ninth Symphony with lots more percussion thrown in (in fact it was composed a couple of years after Mahler's death). The work's subtitle, "A Symphony Life Story", doesn't really begin to describe it, for the piece is a gigantic parody, principally of Strauss' Ein Heldenleben and Sinfonia Domestica. As with those works it has sections that describe the title character's wife, his child, and his various tribulations, but it's at once less specific than Strauss and if anything even more colorful.


Take the opening, a very funny Wagner/Strauss parody that represents the "hero". All of the clichés are firmly in place: the simple triadic melodies, bold writing for brass, and repeated wind chords. There's only one problem--the music can't make up its mind what key it's in. However, the composer's message couldn't be clearer, and while there's much that's quite beautiful (the music of "the woman" and the entire last few minutes), the overriding impression remains one of good-natured fun. There's even a brief tenor solo toward the end that basically says "Your life hasn't been a total waste and you've earned a rest" (or words to that effect), plus some solemn writing for organ that hits an aptly religious note, but not too seriously. It's all gloriously played by the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Michail Jurowski and fabulously well recorded, and I can't recommend it highly enough.


Reznicek apparently did for Raskolnikoff (of Crime and Punishment fame) what Beethoven did for Leonore. This is the second of two Raskolnikoff overtures that he wrote, and it dates from the 1920s (Reznicek was born in 1860, the same year as Mahler, and died in 1945). While not as interesting as Schlemihl (no surprise there), and despite the fact that it takes a while to get going, the piece is just as immaculately crafted and certainly as well performed here. The ending, with the birdsong from the slow movement of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony putting in a brief appearance, can't fail to please even if it leaves open the question of what any of it has to do with Dostoyevsky. Never mind; Reznicek is a major composer and one of the great discoveries of this (or any) year. CPO's ongoing series of recordings is turning into a major event. Just remember, you heard it here first. [3/5/2004]
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

BEDRICH SMETANA - MA VLAST PRAGUE PHILHARMONIAJAKUB HRUSA - CONDUCTOR BEDRICH SMETANA - MA VLASTVYSEHRADÂ?Â?Â?VITAVASARKAFROM BOHEMIAN FIELDS AND GROVESTABORBLANIK

Classical Music

RCA's new Classic Library series hits a high mark with this excellent Debussy/Munch collection. Charles Munch's Debussy performances always have been treasured for their color, vitality, and seeming oneness with the composer's conception. It's hard to imagine finer performances of Images or the two Nocturnes. Munch's rhythmic sense and timbral distinctiveness vividly render Debussy's multi-layered textures and subtly varied moods. Then there's the Boston Symphony, captured at the height of its glory, offering vibrant, virtuoso playing from all sections. Listen to the burnished brass in the first movement of Iberia, the lively woodwinds in Fêtes, or the silken strings in Nuages. Munch's suave La Mer is at a slightly lower level of intensity and must yield to Boulez's brilliant Cleveland performance on DG.


RCA's sound for the most part is so vivid and dynamic (La Mer carries a bit of tape hiss) that you hardly can believe the recordings are more than 40 years old. If only the missing Sirènes movement from Nocturnes had been included, this would serve as a Debussy orchestral-music library staple. As it stands it's a great--and essential, if supplemental, collection. [5/19/2004]
--Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com

This is a DSD (Direct Stream Digital) recording

Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2

TILL EULENSPIEGEL HELDENLEBEN

SYMPHONIES 3&4

Much heralded as the auspicious beginning of a new--and now defunct--recording contract with RCA, Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony's Romeo & Juliet remains a stunningly good Prokofiev disc. This particular arrangement (compiled by the conductor) follows the sequence of the ballet, providing more narrative continuity than Prokofiev's three suites. Thomas' vibrant and insightful conducting, employing some highly effective and idiosyncratic rubato in many passages, powerfully enhances the drama's ebb and flow. The Balcony scene fairly flows with passion, while light and breezy pacing enlivens the Folk Dance and the Young Juliet. The intense drive of Romeo's Revenge (augmented by bass drum and tambourine at the climax) also rivets the attention.


Underlying all of this is the exceptionally high-caliber playing of the San Francisco Symphony, with its bracing energy, virtuosity, and rhythmic vitality. RCA's warmly spacious, wide-dynamic recording makes a powerful impression (even if it cannot match Telarc's recent SACD version for spatial realism). Considering that Thomas' arrangement contains virtually all the main thematic material from the ballet (minus Prokofiev's many repetitions), for many listeners this hugely enjoyable (and now mid-price) disc will be the one Romeo & Juliet to have and hold. [6/10/2004]
--Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com

This is the recording that introduced most of us "over 40s" to Messiaen's masterpiece, and its domestic appearance on CD is long overdue. Seiji Ozawa was young, his Toronto orchestra willing, and he had the two Loriod sisters at their best wailing away at the piano and Ondes Martenot. Indeed, the balance between orchestra and soloists in this performance remains exemplary, the playing of the band astonishingly fine, and the recorded sound outstandingly clear, if a little lacking in dynamic range and depth by modern standards. The orgiastic fifth and 10th movements still pack quite a punch, and in a very real sense, while many more modern versions have come and gone this one still holds its own with the best of them. You simply can't go wrong with this classic account of one of the seminal scores of the first half of the 20th century. I can only suggest that you reward RCA for its inspired choice of repertoire by voting with your wallet. --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

This selection is a DSD (Direct Stream Digital) recording.

This selection is a DSD (Direct Stream Digital) recording.

Track Listing

1. Concerto for solo keyboard No. 3 in D minor, BWV 974 (BC L194) (after Alessandro Marcello): 2. Adagio
2. Sonatina No. 1, for piano in F sharp minor, Op. 67/1: 2. Largo
3. Piano Sonata in B minor, Op. 5 (TrV 103): 2. Adagio cantabile
4. Intermezzo for piano in A major, Op. 118/2
5. Song Without Words for piano No. 9 in E major, Op. 30/3
6. Song Without Words for piano No. 1 in E major, Op. 19b/1
7. Keyboard Sonata in A minor, H. 30, Wq. 49/1 (Württemberg Sonata No. 1): 2. Andante
8. English Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in F major, BWV 809 (BC L16): 4. Sarabande
9. Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7: 2. Andante molto
10. Pieces (2) for piano, Op. 57
11. Pieces (5) for piano, Op. 3 (TrV 105): No. 1, Andante
12. Intermezzo for piano in B flat minor, Op. 117/2
13. Ballade for piano in D minor ("Edward"), Op. 10/1
14. Intermezzo for piano in E flat major, Op. 117/1: Andante moderato

Includes work(s) by Richard Wagner. Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Lorin Maazel.

This is a DSD (Direct Stream Digital) recording

This is the most physically exciting account of the work yet made, with a finale not even topped by Craft's remake (for Koch). Of course, there have been many other recordings since this one, including fine ones by Dohnanyí, Järvi, and Eschenbach, and those enjoy more modern sonics; but if you only have room for one version of this piece, then this is it. The addition of the Bach/Schoenberg and Schubert/Webern orchestrations, all very well done, only seals the deal.

It's common to poke fun at Schoenberg's opulent orchestration of the Brahms Piano Quartet in G minor, but the arrangement's sometimes gaudy colors make an interesting and valid point about Brahms' music in general, namely that you will find a wider range of forms and melodic archetypes in the chamber music than in the symphonies (leaving aside the larger quantity of the former as compared with the latter). Had Brahms found room in his symphonies for the marches and Hungarian tunes with which he liberally peppers this quartet, he might have felt duty-bound to score them much as Schoenberg does here (well, almost), with entertaining if "un-symphonic" results.

In other words, in his symphonies Brahms (over)compensates for the orchestra's tendency toward programmatic musical display with material that, however beautiful, suggests no such possibility. He feels safe using such material in chamber music precisely because the medium forces the composer to stylize and refine the original and reduce it to its bare musical essence. The danger of distracting programmatic suggestiveness is much less.



All of this is a long way of saying that in its way Schoenberg's orchestration is quite faithful to Brahms' music, and once you get past the enthusiastic brass and kooky percussion, what really stands out is the clarity of the part-writing, the result of a handling of the woodwind section that really is more Schoenberg than Brahms. Certainly this is one of the most striking elements in Robert Craft's now-legendary recording of this work, one in which he has the Chicago Symphony playing the living daylights out of the music.


Questions of musicological rigor aside, this also is the most physically exciting account of the work yet made, with a finale not even topped by Craft's remake (for Koch). Of course, there have been many other recordings since this one, including fine ones by Dohnanyí, Järvi, and Eschenbach, and those enjoy more modern sonics; but if you only have room for one version of this piece, then this is it. The addition of the Bach/Schoenberg and Schubert/Webern orchestrations, all very well done, only seals the deal. A classic returns! [10/9/2006]
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 4 & 5