This is an excellent set, intelligently assembled, scrupulously prepared, lucidly recorded, played with a freshness and wit that serve these delightful pieces well.

Mendelssohn's extraordinary precocity is nowhere more comprehensively shown than in the 13 early string symphonies, and though it is extraordinary that these were unknown until 1960, it is scarcely less so that there are still works in Berlin awaiting editing and performance. The symphonies are exceptional, though, in that the range of their invention far exceeds what might be expected of even so prodigiously talented a boy. He had been rigorously schooled in Bach counterpoint, and in harmony partly by way of the chorale; and impressive examples of his diligence have been published in R. Larry Todd's Mendelssohn's Musical Education (Cambridge: 1983). But the inventiveness with which this schooling was put into effect remains dazzling, as with (to take only two examples) the chorale idea in the Minuet of the Sixth Symphony or the brilliant contrapuntal writing in the Eighth Symphony, in which the more immediate inspiration was Mozart, and in particular the Jupiter Symphony.

Roy Goodman makes use of the version with wind instruments for this symphony, which Mendelssohn made within three days of having written the original, and (with one reservation) accepts Mendelssohn's astonishingly fast tempo markings. He brings them off brilliantly, even the helter-skelter bass pizzicatos in the Trio of the Minuet. He also shows, with the use of period string techniques, how quick Mendelssohn's ear was for novel sonorities. An affection for the still underprivileged viola may have come from Mozart, but Mendelssohn would also have heard these sounds pioneered by Weber (who otherwise barely influenced him in these works). There are beautiful string sonorities even in the very earliest works, especially in the often darkly-hued slow movements; and the finales have all the pace and wit of the more mature Mendelssohn (that is to say, when he was in hisleens). Goodman judges tempo well, which is to say he has a shrewd sense of weight as well as of pace. He also directs from the keyboard, which it is certain Mendelssohn himself would have done at those famous Sunday morning concerts in his parents' Berlin house, and he permits himself the occasional contribution: both in theory and in practice, this is entirely in style.

This is an excellent set, intelligently assembled, scrupulously prepared, lucidly recorded, played with a freshness and wit that serve these delightful pieces well. It includes the Sinfoniesatz, an isolated piece of romantic baroque with a slow introduction and a quasi-fugal fast section, less attractive than the other works but worth including for curiosity value.

-- Gramophone [1/1996]

Hei-Kyung Hong, the formidable Korean soprano, sings a selection of arias perfectly suited for her rich soprano voice. A soprano in the league of Schwarzkopf, te Kanawa, and Fleming, Hong is one of those artists who can easily change hats. She is equally comfortable as The Countess singing "Dove sono" as she is portraying Violetta in 'La Traviata.'
Her interpretation of "Caro nome" from 'Rigoletto' is enchanting and touching, while her flair for lighter repertoire comes alive in "Quel guaro il cavaliere" from 'Don Pasquale.' Hong's singing of "Ach, ich fühl's" rings of the frustration of lost hope and love that Pamina feels, and Micaela's aria from 'Carmen,' "Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante," is deeply heartfelt. Conductor John Fiore, a fixture at the Metropolitan Opera House, adeptly leads the Orchestra of St. Luke's in this thoroughly satisfying disc.

The King's Singers: Nightsong

"Galway’s silvery timbre is well suited to Faure. He does not miss the sonata’s simplicity of line and he makes his own special colouring tell in the soaring Andante, while the scherzo is deliciously vivacious, although here the resonant recording refuses completely to separate flute and piano. Fortunately Galway is sympathetically partnered by Christopher O’Riley and they are very well balanced. Both play the tripping theme of the finale with an engaging insouciance.

The surprise in the programme is the Widor Suite, a wonderful quiz item – for who would guess that this was by the composer of the famous organ Toccata? The delightful, flowing opening movement has much in common with the Faure (although it was written 23 years earlier), and the lively Scherzo is most engaging. Then comes a beautiful, slightly sentimental (and very French) “Romance” with a swirling cadenza before the winning reprise. The finale sets off gaily, then produces yet another pleasing lyrical idea, before giving the soloist plenty of opportunity for bravura roulades in its scintillating closing section. Most enjoyable and a real find."

-- Ivan March, Gramophone [8/1996]

PUCCINI: LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST

LISZT: PIANO CONCERTOS NOS 1 &

Patti LuPone: Live

In his review of RCA’s complete Monteux recordings, Jed Distler pointed out that some of the earliest recordings of the music of d’Indy used the original transfers from the previous Monteux box, and therefore were pitched about half a step flat. This was later corrected in the individual releases from the earlier set–specifically, Volume 9 of the old Monteux Edition, containing the splendid and historically noteworthy performances of the Symphony on a French Mountain Air, Symphony No. 2, and the Prelude to Fervaal–where the transfers were managed by the always impeccable Ward Marston. Needless to say, in compiling the new box, the older transfers were used rather than Marston’s corrected versions. Stupid, for sure, but there it is.

Fortunately, for those who are persnickety about such things, the old Volume 9 usually isn’t all the difficult to find, whether used or new. ArkivMusic.com offers it “on demand” as well. The real question is: Does it matter? There’s no question that RCA should have offered the transfers at proper pitch; it was a mistake to do otherwise, plain and simple. On the other hand, the reason such things happen in the first place is because, gross errors excepted, it’s often not that important. Of course, lower pitch equals a slower tempo, marginally, in this case something around a second for each minute of music. Direct comparison will always favor the higher pitch for anyone who prefers speed, but then we don’t listen to the same performance in real time at different speeds.

The fact is that pitch always has been relative. Period performance groups select an “A” that’s often a whole step (or more) flatter than our normal, A=440. Modern orchestras may tune higher or lower than this for various reasons–if, for example, a pipe organ has to be added into the mix. In this particular case, we are dealing with recordings from the early 1940s that were captured over phone lines to Los Angeles while the musicians actually played in San Francisco. Under those circumstances, pitch is the least of the listener’s problems. I am not making excuses: proper pitch is proper pitch, but what I am saying is that collectors should not get overly excited by the carryings-on of historical transfer cultists or absolute pitch fanatics (and they exist, especially on the internet). If you’re really bothered, get the corrected transfers. If not, just sit back and enjoy. A half-step isn’t going to gum up the works appreciably.

-- ClassicsToday.com

Recorded in January 1997. Includes liner notes by Arthur C. Danto.

Personnel: Adrienne Csengery (soprano).

Audio Mixer: Dante de Sole.

Audio Remasterer: Dante de Sole.

Recording information: Magyar Radio, Budapest, Hungary (01/1997).

Jonathan Bepler wrote the score for Matthew Barney's provocative, experimental film Cremaster 5. Working with the Budapest Philharmonic Orchesta, which is conducted by Gergely Kaposi and features soprano soloist Adrienne Csengery, Bepler has created a haunting, ethereal score that is reminiscent of oratorios.

The Heifetz Collection, Vol. 30

Tracklist:
1. In My Life
2. Rose, The
3. On Golden Pond (Main Title)
4. New Hampshire Hornpipe - (from "On Golden Pond")
5. Three By Mancini / Loss Of Love (from "Sunflower") / Whistling Away The Dark (from "Darling Lili") / Moon River (from "Breakfast At Tiiffany's")
6. Somewhere Out There - (from "An American Tail")
7. Way We Were, The
8. Never On A Sunday / Theme From Zorba The Greek
9. I Will Wait For You - (from "Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, The")
10. Beauty And The Beast
11. Over The Rainbow / We're Off To See The Wizard
12. Gabriel's Oboe - (from "Mission, The")
13. The Godfather Suite / Speak Softly Love (love theme from "The Godfather") / Godfather Tarantella
14. Somewhere In My Memory - (from "Home Alone 2")
15. Love Story
16. More (Theme From "Mondo Cane")
17. Cavatina - (from "Deer Hunter, The")

This is not a particularly generous collection: it was originally published in 1983 but never previously issued in the UK. It shows Richard Stoltzman, with his succulent tone and infectious bravura (so easily displayed in the finale of the Weber and the very operatic Rossini Variations), at his best, while the Mozart Andante, if it is to be transcribed for clarinet, needs a lighter touch: here the rich, rather deliberate phrasing loses the music's simplicity and charm. In the Weber the orchestral tuttis are somewhat hefty for a group called the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, but this is primarily the effect of the resonant acoustics of the unnamed hall where the recording was made. One tends to think of Weber's concertos as being rather more than halfway between the classical and romantic traditions; here the romanticism is very much in the ascendent. But overall the performance of the F minor Concerto combines a lively impetus in the outer movements with warmth in the Adagio whilst the orchestra—notably the horns—add much to the listener's enjoyment.

-- Ivan March, Gramophone [10/1989, reviewing RCA 60035]

This disc is also available in the complete 65-CD Jascha Heifetz set (RCA 61778).

BRAHMS: QUARTET 2 SCHUMANN:

TSCHAIKOWSKY: SYMPHONY NO 6