This recording/performance is also available on MiniDisc.

TCHAIKOVSKY: SYMPHONY NO 5, TH

Classical Music

Twelve years younger than Bach and Handel, Giovanni Benedetto Platti left us a collection of nine Concerti per il cembalo obligato which rank not only among the very early examples of composition for keyboard instrument and strings, but also and above all, the first specimens especially conceived for the fortepiano, the new instrument invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori. Brilliant soloist and regular keyboard player of Zefiro, Luca Guglielmi offers us, for the first time on period instruments three brilliant and foreseeing piano concertos, interspersed with the large-­--scale Piano Sonata in C minor, a very widespread composition at the time, and the baroque Sonata for oboe, with a special appearance by Paolo Grazzi. An astonishing music from a composer who deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest of his time.

The Aldeburgh Recital

Bach: 14 Canons & Orchestral Suites Nos. 2 & 3

SCH?NBERG, SIBELIUS, FAURÈ: PE

Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1, 4 & 6

Fortepiano (Viennese action) was restored by J. van den Hamel, Antwerp 1996 and tuned by Claire Chevallier.

Glenn Gould & Chamber Music

Iberia

Over 500 of Schubert’s songs, recorded between 1966 and 1972 by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Gerald Moore, are reissued here on CD. It is a well-packaged, value-for-money set (the three volumes are also available individually), with each volume in a sturdy box and the individual CDs in slip-covers, to minimise bulk. There are no details of contents on these plain, numbered slip-covers but the booklets are well laid out with translations of all the songs. An alphabetical listing of this massive collection would have been very useful. Vol. 1 begins with some of the earliest songs and has over 100 settings from Schubert’s most prolific year, 1815. Fischer-Dieskau’s technical mastery of effortless long phrases and his expressive delivery of dynamic details ensure that many of the most basic strophic songs yield delightful moments. ‘Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren’ is taken at pitch in A flat, which lies quite high for Fischer-Dieskau; some other songs are transposed, but never more than a third. Just when one feels nearly overwhelmed by the rather morbid Matthisson and Mayrhofer settings, along come some gems like Schlegel’s ‘Der Schmetterling’ or Hölty’s ‘Seligkeit’ – ‘Bliss’ in translation and in execution. Although the order of the songs in Vol. 2 is basically chronological, there are small deviations which provide coherence and contrast and give many of these nine CDs the feel of a recital programme. The vocal risks taken by Fischer-Dieskau to achieve intensity and depth of characterisation afford immense insights, thus minimising any reservations. The contrast and drama of ‘Prometheus’, the insistent ardour of ‘An Sylvia’, then his disarmingly simple delivery of the Seidl ‘Wiegenlied’ – this is a feast of versatility and artistry. The partnership of these two great Lieder exponents – Gerald Moore’s contribution as a musically onomatopoeic piano partner (one brief example, the chiming of the bell in ‘Das Zügenglöcklein’) cannot be considered mere accompaniment – continues through to profoundly moving performances of the song-cycles in Vol. 3. These recordings are refreshingly unreverberant, and both performers are in good perspective. Each of the Vol. 3 song-cycles is already available separately and now there is even a new Fischer-Dieskau Winterreise available on Sony Classical. This is his seventh commercial recording of the work, made in 1990 accompanied by Murray Perahia. At 65, Fischer-Dieskau’s voice no longer maintains its unique seamless sheen but, though he cannot consistently guarantee the quality of his baritone sound, through his extraordinary mental and physical techniques he gives a gripping performance of mature reflection, aided by Perahia’s positive, interactive playing. This is surely Fischer-Dieskau’s last word on the cycle.

-- Elisse McDougall, BBC Music Magazine

Schnittke: Cello Concerto No. 2 & In memoriam

The Rodrigo concerto (double woodwind, 2 horns, 2 trumpets and strings) needs real virtuoso playing—it is one of those works which are harder than they sound—but is most skilfully written. The cheerful first movement, starting up with typical Iberian belatedness from apparently idle introductory strumming, may make the most immediate effect, but undoubtedly the finest part of the work is the introspective Adagio, which shows that in the right hands even such seemingly cliché-bound elements as melancholy cor anglais solos and quasi-flamenco fiorilure can still be moving. Williams's reading differs somewhat from Bream's (which I still think superb): he takes the first movement a thought slower and just misses Bream's élan, but gives the finale actually more bite: he plays the slow movement sensitively, less dramatically and more dreamily than Bream (and incidentally changes the notes of the final arpeggio). It is a throughly musical performance, a worthy rival to that by his distinguished fellow-countryman.

-- Gramophone [7/1966, reviewing Concierto de Aranjuez on LP]

Bach: Goldberg Variations

Classical Music

Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 4 & 5

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 & The Nutcracker Suite

BLACHER Der Großinquisitor • Herbert Kegel, cond; Siegmund Nimsgern (bar); Leipzig R Ch; Dresden PO • BRILLIANT 9437 (59:32 & German only)


This reissue of an Edel recording from 1986 presents Boris Blacher’s wartime (1942) setting of a scene from Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. In this oratorio, Jesus returns to earth in 16th-century Seville. Blacher, banned from Germany because he was Jewish, borrowed the plot from Dostoyevsky, yet wrote his own text in which “some hundred heretics were burnt ad majorem gloriam Dei by the Cardinal Grand Inquisitor.” According to the notes, Leo Borchard, who directed the Berlin Philharmonic at war’s end, assisted Blacher in his work by writing a text for the second part. He suggested the inclusion of “the three temptations by the Devil from Matthew 4:1-11 into the Grand Inquisitor’s monologue, which is directed at Jesus.”


Despite the painfulness of the experience that spawned Der Großinquisitor and its seriousness of plot, the music is often quiet, internalizing the composer’s pain and angst in music that is modern in harmony but conventional in rhythm, and also contains singable melodies. Yes, there are dramatic outbursts, but the score is not consistently loud and angry. Jörn Paulini’s notes claim that the score contains “apparently aimless melody,” but I found the melodic strands fairly easy to follow. Compared to some of Stravinsky’s works, they are models of clarity. I’m glad that the brief notes gave some idea of what was in the text, however, because the libretto included in the booklet is only in German, which was of little help to me or any other listener who does not know the language. One thing I noticed was how, in the second half of the cantata, Blacher used variations and inversions of themes from the first half—a very clever and creative way of tying the music together.


The sound quality of the recording tends to be diffuse and swathed in reverb, which takes the edge off some of the loud outbursts and makes the orchestra sound muffled in the quiet passages. I’m not sure if this was Blacher’s intent, but speaking strictly from a personal bias, I don’t like this kind of sound. Despite this, the performance quality is excellent. Kegel keeps things moving without unduly pressuring the music, although a little more pressure now and then might have been welcome. The Leipzig Radio Chorus is, in a word, superb, both in blend and (thankfully!) diction. Baritone Nimsgern, who appears only in the second half of the work, sings very well with his dark-timbred voice in his role as the Grand Inquisitor.


As with so many works written during this awful, angst-ridden period, one must ask the question if the work of art, good as it is, has meaning for listeners beyond its time and place. The suffering of not only individuals but also large masses of people is not only difficult to put into musical terms, but also difficult to make apply to mankind in general at a different period of time. I think, however, that different listeners in different cultures can imagine particular religious or political situations that a work like Der Großinquisitor could apply to in our present day. I found this to be an excellent work, one whose emotional impact was somewhat diffused for me by the clouded sonics, yet which I can imagine it making a tremendous impact in a live performance.


FANFARE: Lynn René Bayley

A symphony in two movements, Richard Danielpour's "Celestial Night" is inspired by both the hustle of New York City and the serenity of the New Hampshire countryside. The first movement is an exciting and occasionally frightening experience, carried by the hearty choruses of the brass section, and is followed by a more serene second movement. The pairing of these two brings out a sense of wonderment in some achingly beautiful melodies.
The accompanying pieces also deal with the importance of New York in Danielpour's worldview. "Toward the Splendid City" was composed entirely away from the city, and Danielpour gave it his favorite memories. Nostalgia for the Beatles and the Big Apple account for the compositional style. Commissioned by the New York City Ballet, Urban Dances also celebrates the city that never sleeps. Originally conceived as a 24-hour cycle in the life of New York, the dance suite is an evocative example of work from a composer who loves New York almost as much as he loves music.

Classical Music

Riccardo Muti is, of course, a noted Tchaikovskian, and this admirable performance of The Fairy's Kiss approximates the tone and lustre of The Sleeping Beauty ballet.

Tchaikovsky was as much a part of Stravinsky's creative consciousness as Mozart was of Tchaikovsky's. All three composers meet in Le baiser de la fée ("The Fairy's Kiss"; 1928), where Tchaikovsky is at his most overtly Mozartian and Stravinsky at his most elegantly balletic. The score is based largely on Tchaikovsky piano pieces and songs; it was commissioned by the dancer Ida Rubinstein, while sections of it were later selected for a separate work, Divertimento, that went on to achieve rather more popularity than the complete ballet. More recordings, too; some of them of exceptional quality.

Riccardo Muti is, of course, himself a noted Tchaikovskian, and this admirable performance approximates the tone and lustre of, say, The Sleeping Beauty ballet. The very opening has lovingly stressed string accents and a feeling of 'miracles in the offing'. The ensuing Allegro sostenuto is more playful than biting, and while I would have welcomed a keener edge in the third section of Scene I (track 3) and a rather less. sedate approach to the ensuing Vivace agitato, the "Village Fête" is properly buoyant, the third scene's "By the Mill" nicely atmospheric (how utterly Tchaikovskian those oboes and clarinets) and the penultimate "Scene", with its painfully nostalgic references to None but the lonely heart, is played with appealing restraint. Still, it is at that point in particular that memories of Mravinsky's searing 1983 broadcast prompt a quick rush to the shelves, even though imperfect sound and the occasional technical slip-up preclude total rapture. Stravinsky, too, is memorable, a tighter, drier and occasionally more incisive option, while Järvi's characterization and superior sound serve to bolster a third option - and that is about the limit of the competition, at least for the moment. Muti's La Scala strings are sweetly expressive, whereas his winds and brass are not quite in the top league.

The sound is warm, enclosed and scrupulously balanced, a fairly intimate experience, quite appropriate to the music. Ultimately, I would place Muti more or less on a par with Järvi, but not quite the equal either of Mravinsky or of the composer himself.

As to the BartOk Two Pictures, Muti's performance of "In full flower" traces a romantic strain to contrast with Boulez's Debussian axis (see above). Bluebeard is obviously close to hand while the "Village dance" is sleek, witty and very well played, with not much in the way of a native Hungarian accent. It is a good performance and makes for an attractive, if somewhat unexpected, coupling for a worthy Baiser de la fée.

-- Robert Cowan, Gramophone [9/1995]

Prokofiev: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Although Girolamo Frescobaldi is said to have had a beautiful singing voice, it was his talent as a keyboardist that brought him into the spotlight in Italy in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and which allowed him the opportunity to frequent such established composers as John Dowland and Orlando di Lasso.

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467 "Elvira Mad