Search results: Search results
685 results
Products
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Corrette: Symphonies Des Noëls, Concertos Comiques / Arion, Et Al
Early-music.com · Nov 2008CD$18.99 -
-
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; Double Concertos / Ormandy, Brusilow, Oistrakh, Stern
Sony Masterworks · Apr 2011CD$11.98 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
SaleBeethoven, R. Schumann, Saint-Saëns: Symphonies for Piano Duo vol. 2 / Uys & Schoeman
SOMM Recordings · Apr 2022CD$20.99$15.99 -
-
-
-
The Most Happy Fella: 1992 Broadway Cast
Music and lyrics written by Frank Loesser.
Principal cast includes: Spiro Malas (Tony); Sophie Hayden (Rosabella); Claudia Catania (Marie); Buddy Crutchfield (Ciccio); Tad Ingram (Postman); Liz Larsen (Cleo); Mark Lotito (Pasquale); Bill Nabel (Giuseppe); Charles Pistone (Joe); Scott Waara (Herman).
Recorded at BMG Studio A, New York, New York on March 23, 1992.
Tracklist:
1. Prelude 1:13
2. Ooh, My Feet 2:15
3. I Know How It Is 4:33
4. Somebody, Somewhere 2:12
5. The Most Happy Fella 3:52
6. Standing on the Corner 2:40
7. A Long Time Ago 1:56
8. Joey, Joey, Joey 3:38
9. Rosabella 2:38
10. Abbondanza 1:39
11. Sposalizio 2:41
12. Benvenuta 3:04
13. Aren't You Glad 2:46
14. Don't Cry 3:25
15. Fresno Beauties 3:13
16. Love and Kindness 2:10
17. Happy to Make Your Acquaintance 3:56
18. Big 'D' 5:01
19. How Beautiful the Days 3:09
20. Warm All Over 2:15
21. I Like Everybody 1:46
22. My Heart Is So Full of You 3:11
23. Mama, Mama 2:49
24. Song of a Summer Night 2:54
25. Please Let Me Tell You 1:27
26. I Made a Fist 1:05
27. Finale 2:15
IN THESE TIMES
Mozart Legendary Interpretations - Robert Casadesus
Though the very brisk finale of No. 21 in C is performed with tremendous bravura and sparkle, Casadesus's style is seldom self-consciously extrovert; he lets Mozart speak for himself. The playing in the slow movements is exquisite; colours are delicately shaded, dynamics subtly handled. The same comment applies to the secondary material of first movements, where Szell's authority is also telling. Concerto No. 22 in E fiat is marvellously played and my own favourite, No. 23 in A, captures that special blend of brilliance and underlying nostalgia that is the hallmark of this work. The Corona/ion (No. 26 in D) and the last concerto (No. 27 in B flat) both bring really memorable performances, in fact among the finest in the catalogue. Altogether this set is an essential purchase for any Mozartian who has not already invested in the separate issues.
-- Gramophone [9/1991]
----------------------------------
The ravishing slow movement of K 467 has never sounded more magical than here...this is exquisite Mozart playing, beautifully paced and articulated.
-- Penguin Guide [2003/2004]
Dreamer - Original Soundtrack
1. Dreamer, film score: Theme from Dreamer
2. Dreamer, film score: The Stand Off - 1st Ride
3. Dreamer, film score: First Race
4. Dreamer, film score: Ben Asks Pop For Help
5. Dreamer, film score: Soñador in Harness
6. Dreamer, film score: Popsicles
7. Dreamer, film score: Manny's Story
8. Dreamer, film score: Testing Soñador's Leg
9. Dreamer, film score: 2nd Ride - Thunderpants
10. Dreamer, film score: Runaway Horse
11. Dreamer, film score: Exercising Soñador
12. Dreamer, film score: The Noble King
13. Dreamer, film score: New Owner Montage
14. Dreamer, film score: Training Montage
15. Dreamer, film score: Smart and Beautiful
16. Dreamer, film score: Soñador Chosen
17. Dreamer, film score: Cale Won't Sell Soñador
18. Dreamer, film score: Leaving Sadir's
19. Dreamer, film score: She's Ready to Run
20. Dreamer, film score: She Wants to Race
21. Dreamer, film score: Last Race
22. Dreamer, film score: End Credit Medley
23. Dreamer, song (for the film Dreamer) - (Film Mix)
24. Dreamer, film score: Main Title (Film Version)
25. Dreamer, song (for the film Dreamer)
Composer: John Debney.
Personnel: John Debney (acoustic guitar); Weldon Dean Parks (guitar); George Doering (acoustic guitar, dulcimer); Dean Parks (acoustic guitar, mandola); Gayle Levant (harp); Eun Mee Ahn, Assa Drori, Al Hershberger, Ron Folsom, Irina Voloshina, Anatoly Rosinsky, Katia Popov, Tamara L. Hatwan, Robin Olson, Mark Sazer, Ana Landauer, Barbara Porter, Ken Yerke, Phillip Levy, Rene Mandel, Sungil Lee, Eric J. Hosler, Jay Rosen, Kevin Connolly, Lisa Sutton, Mark Robertson , Sid Page, Joshua Bell, Jacqueline Brand, Roberto Cani, Bruce Dukov, Julie Gigante, Peter Kent, Natalie Leggett, Sara Parkins, Roger Wilkie, Armen Garabedian, Darius Campo, Michael Markman, Liane Mautner, Dimitrie Leivici, Berj Garabedian, Endre Granat, Haim Shtrum (violin); Shawn Mann, Andrew Picken, Karie Prescott, Steven Gordon, Carrie Holzman-Little, Rick Gerding, Michael Nowak, Brian Dembow, Keith Greene, Jennie Hansen, Roland Kato, Janet Lakatos, Simon Oswell, Dave Walther, Piotr Jandula, Victoria Miskolszy, Darrin McCann, Denyse Buffum, Andrew Duckles, Shanti Randall (viola); Christina Soule, Trevor Handy, Timothy Landauer, George Kim Scholes, Dennis Karmazyn, Antony Cooke , Larry Corbett, Stephen Erdody, Armen Ksadjikian, Dane Little, David Low , Andrew Shulman, David Speltz, Sebastian Toettcher, Cecilia Tsan, Todd Hemmenway (cello); Steve Kujala, Geri Rotella, David Shostac (flute); Steve L. Roberts, Gary Bovyer (clarinet); Chris Bleth, Phil Ayling (oboe); Michael O'Donovan (bassoon); Jon Lewis , Warren Luening, Malcolm McNab (trumpet); Alvin Veeh, Alan Kaplan, Stephen Holtman (trombone); Jim Self (tuba); John A. Reynolds, David Duke, Phil Yao, Steve Becknell, Rick Todd, Brian O'Connor (horns); Richard Ruttenberg, Michael Lang , Mike Lang (piano); Alan Estes, Terrence Schonig, Tom Raney, Peter Limonick, Donald Williams (percussion).
Recording information: Todd AO Scoring Stage, Culver City, CA.
Composer John Debney (Sin City, Passion of the Christ) may seem an odd choice to score a film about a horse trainer, his precocious daughter, and their quest for the Breeder's Cup, but he rises to the occasion with a rousing piece of recycled Americana that's sure to bring a lump in the throat to even the grumpiest moviegoer. Like Mark Isham's similarly predictable score for the 2004 hockey drama Miracle, Debney represents the best of the genre, utilizing a not-so-subtle blend of soft pianos, warm strings (courtesy of Indiana-born violin wunderkind Joshua Bell), and patriotic brass motifs to paint a rural backdrop reminiscent of both Aaron Copeland's "Appalachian Spring" and The Natural-era Randy Newman. ~ James Christopher Monger
COME RAIN OR COME SHINE
PITTSBURGH
Shorty Rogers - Short Stops
1. Powder Puff
2. Pesky Serpent, The
3. Bunny
4. Pirouette
5. Morpo
6. Diablo's Dance
7. Mambo del Crow
8. Indian Club
9. Coop de Graas
10. Infinity Promenade
11. Short Stop
12. Boar-Jibu
13. Contours
14. Tale of an African Lobster
15. Chiquito Loco
16. Sweetheart of Sigmund Freud
17. Blues for Brando
18. Chino
19. Wild One, The (Hot Blood)
20. Windswept
Personnel: Shorty Rogers (trumpet); Art Pepper (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Bud Shank (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Herb Geller (alto saxophone); Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Cooper (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Bill Holman, Bill Perkins (tenor saxophone); Conrad Gozzo, John Howell , Maynard Ferguson, Pete Candoli, Ray Linn (trumpet); John Graas (French horn); Milt Bernhart, Harry Betts, John Haliburton, Jimmy Knepper, Bob Enevoldsen (trombone); Gene Englund (tuba); Hampton Hawes, Marty Paich, Russ Freeman (piano); Shelly Manne (drums).
Liner Note Author: Todd Selbert.
Recording information: RCA Studios, Hollywood, CA (01/12/1953-??/??/1954).
This double LP offers listeners a strong introduction to the trumpet playing and arrangements of Shorty Rogers, but unfortunately it has gone out of print and was the first and last in its series. The 32 selections feature six different groups headed by Rogers during 1953-1954, ranging from an octet to a big band; all of the bands feature sidemen who essentially formed a who's who of West Coast jazz. Among the other soloists are altoist Art Pepper; tenors Bill Holman, Bill Perkins, Zoot Sims, Bob Cooper, and Jimmy Giuffre; trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison; pianist Hampton Hawes; and altoists Herb Geller and Bud Shank. The majority of the selections are Rogers originals; there is music from the Marlon Brando film The Wild One and a Count Basie tribute set. Swinging and surprisingly fiery "cool jazz" that deserves to be reissued on CD in full. ~ Scott Yanow
Shostakovich & Pupils, Vol. 1 / Damiano
The first volume in an adventurous new series juxtaposing the piano music of Shostakovich with his most talented pupils. All three of the younger composers here demonstrate the individuality of their own voice.
Least known of them now is German Galynin (1922-1966). In 1951, the year in which he paradoxically obtained the Stalin Prize for his Epic Poem on Russian Themes, Galynin began suffering from schizophrenia that he was admitted to an asylum, and continued to received psychiatric care for the rest of his short life. He wrote this five-movement Suite in 1945, while still a student at the Conservatoire, and it alternates somewhat prophetically between moods of mania and melancholy.
Shostakovich himself cited Alemdar Karamanov (1934-2007) as one of the most original composers of his time. Ukrainian born but of Turkish parentage, he studied in Moscow before returning to Crimea, converting to Christianity and thus consigning himself to obscurity at the time, and his later music shares an experimental, visionary quality with contemporary pioneers such as Schnittke, Denisov, and Gubaidulina. The Variations for piano (1962) belong to the last phase of his Moscow period.
The career of Boris Tchaikovsky (1925-1996) proceeded along smoother lines. The single-movement Sonatina from 1946 is again a student work, albeit a highly talented and disciplined one, with the kind of thorough-going understanding of Classical form which Shostakovich evidently instilled in and expected from his students.
Fernanda Damiano juxtaposes these pianistic rarities with several pieces which demonstrate the breadth of style and confidence of artistic personality that made Shostakovich stand out from his contemporaries. Alongside the fleet-fingered brilliance of the Three Fantastic Dances and the Polka from his ballet The Golden Age, she plays a trio of Preludes and Fugues (Nos. 1, 7 & 24) from the collection he wrote for Tatiana Nikolaeva, another pupil, in 1950-51.
STOMPING OFF FROM GREENWOOD
ALL ABOARD 1
Corrette: Symphonies Des Noëls, Concertos Comiques / Arion, Et Al
CORRETTE Symphonies des noëls: No. 2 in D; No. 4 in D; No. 5 in a; No. 6 in A. Concertos comiques: No. 4, “Le quadrille”; No. 7; No. 19, “La Turque”; No. 24; No. 25, “Les sauvages et la Furstemberg” • Arion (period instruments) • EARLY-MUSIC.COM 7768 (67:32)
What a delightful disc this is! These examples of light, humorous music still amuse us nearly 300 years after they were written. Michel Corrette may have been more important for his work in fields other than composition. He published 15 methods to instruct students in all of the common instruments. He was active as a publisher of his own works and the music of others. But he also was very active as a composer of, among other things, cantatas, ballets, motets, organ pieces, harpsichord sonatas, and symphonies. He was the first composer in France to compose concertos for wind instruments and for organ.
Today Corrette is probably best remembered for his 25 Concertos comiques , published between 1733 and 1760. The concertos are based on well-known songs and popular tunes. Corrette performed these delightful works during the intermissions of performances of the Opéra-comique at the St. Laurent and St. Germain fairs. The Symphonies des noëls are suites of variations based on popular noëls, which are “profane airs, dance tunes, drinking songs, and New Year’s pieces” according to one description. The melodies are immensely pleasing, and Corrette’s variations testify to his enjoyment in working with them.
The music is performed by seven members of the Canadian period-instrument group Arion. Their tempos are lively but not rushed. The performers are obviously very talented and expert.
This recording was issued on the Atma label in 1999; it does not seem to have been reviewed in Fanfare . Two of the Noëls and Concerto comique No. 25 are available elsewhere, but there is no other collection that allows us to hear so many of these splendid works. I cannot imagine anyone whose spirits would not be lifted immediately on hearing this disc. My only regret is that Arion did not follow up with recordings of the other works from these two collections. Highly recommended.
FANFARE: Ron Salemi
Between Then & Now
Milken Archive - Amram: Symphony, Etc / Wilkins, Et Al
Here we have three works by Philadelphia-born composer and “Renaissance man of American music” (according to the Boston Globe), David Amram (b. 1930). His biography is long and colorful, and, as always, fully documented by Neil Levin’s encyclopedic notes. In a nutshell, Amram has had a mixed musical and cultural background, studying at the Manhattan School of Music under Vitttorio Giannini, Gunther Schuller, and Dimitri Mitropoulos, while simultaneously becoming involved with a number of prominent jazz musicians and ensembles. He has written a considerable amount of music, from incidental scores to Shakespeare plays, Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, Camus’s Caligula, and plays by Eugene O’Neill and T. S. Eliot; to the sound track for an experimental documentary film by Jack Kerouac; to a number of well-known film scores, including Splendor in the Grass, the Manchurian Candidate, and The Young Savages; to over 100 orchestral and chamber works. Amram’s 1987 Symphony, subtitled “Songs of the Soul,” is in some respects similar to Weisgall’s T’kiatot discussed above. Programmatic movement titles notwithstanding, it is a three-movement orchestral score that may be heard as purely abstract music. The work reflects Amram’s interest in authentic Jewish/Oriental ethnic musical modalities. Put that together with the composer’s film-score background, and you have a richly Romantic, exotically perfumed work that could play well as the sound track for a Biblical docudrama. Don’t get me wrong. This is gorgeous sounding music. I’m just trying to describe it and put it into context so you’ll know what to expect. It is performed here by Christopher Wilkin conducting the Berlin Rundfunk Orchestra, in co-production with German Radio and the ROC Berlin.
In 1960, Amram became yet another recipient of one of Cantor Putterman’s commissions to write a liturgical work for his long-running Sabbath Eve Service program. For more information on Putterman and his program, please see the entry under Diamond noted above in Fanfare 27:7. From Amram’s Shir L’erev Shabbat we hear five numbers. According to Neil Levin’s notes, the work was premiered in 1961, but the CD back-flap dates it 1965, perhaps referring to a subsequent performance at the Hebrew Congregation in Washington, DC. Make no mistake about it, Amram is at heart a Romantic composer. The melodic and harmonic language is liberally spiced with 20th-century seasonings, but the idiom remains essentially tonal.
Much the same can be said of the three excerpts heard here from The Final Ingredient (1966), Amram’s second opera. In fact, passages from scene 5, the first of the three excerpts, kept reminding me of the section near the end of Verdi’s Requiem where the solo soprano is set against a cappella choir. The literary reference at least may be an appropriate one in that Amram’s opera is a Holocaust story that tells of the indomitable spirit of a group of Belsen concentration camp inmates determined to observe the ritual of the Passover Seder. The “final ingredient” refers to the egg, one of the items required for the traditional Passover plate, and the one that symbolizes the renewal and continuity of life. As the headnote indicates, a large cast is involved in the production. I hesitate to single out any individual vocal soloist, for all are outstanding, but I will give special mention to Kenneth Kiesler and the University of Michigan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, who do a superb job of cementing together what might otherwise turn unwieldy.
Jerry Dubins, FANFARE
Click here to view all available releases in the Milken Archive Series at ArkivMusic.
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; Double Concertos / Ormandy, Brusilow, Oistrakh, Stern
This is an attractive performance of a work that remains astonishingly fresh and delightful. I don't suppose it will please the purists—some continuo bits filled in with strings, not enough harpsichord anyway, and no doubt somebody will complain about ornamentation—but at this price the record is obviously intended for a wide public and the important thing is that Brusilow and the Philadelphia strings present the music in a most engaging way.
Anshel Brusilow is a new name to me. He is a most accomplished player and, with Ormandy, gives a vivid and musical performance, very well recorded. The lively movements are robust, the slow ones are beautifully played.
In case any reader hasn't yet heard these extraordinarily delightful concertos and is the sort who isn't normally attracted by early eighteenth-century music anyway, I do urge him to risk so small a sum on a record of The Four Seasons.
-- F. T.H., Gramophone [7/1962]
"We are so accustomed nowadays to Vivaldi being played by specialist groups such as the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, the ECO, I Musici and others that we have almost forgotten how the music was played before the Vivaldi revival really gathered momentum. There is no lack of panache and virtuosity in these accounts recorded by Stern and Oistrakh whose playing roused Denis Stevens's enthusiasm on the disc's first appearance. "It really does make a difference when violinists of the calibre of Oistrakh and Stern combine to play a double concerto... The performances are so fluent and musical that one's attention is held from the first groove to the last". Indeed the violin playing as such will excite the admiration of all aficionados for there is superb brilliance in the outer movements and expressive playing in the inner movements."
-- R.L., Gramophone [10/1975]
Voices In Harmony / Mormon Tabernacle Choir
1. How great Thou art
2. Ode to Music
3. Sweet Hour of Prayer
4. The Long Day Closes
5. I'll Walk with God
6. Suddenly You're Older
7. Love at Home
8. I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked
9. The Windows of the World
10. One Voice
11. The Lost Chord
12. Danny Boy
13. Home on the Range
14. Nearer My God to Thee
SMILES
LOVE YOU MADLY
Androcles and the Lion / Original Television Cast
Tracks:
1. Opening 4:45 – Orchestra
2. Velvet Paws 5:45 – Norman Wisdom
Dialogue: Norman Wisdom and Patricia Routledge
3. Follow in Our Footsteps 1:52 – Ed Ames and Chorus
4. Strangers 5:00 – Inga Swenson and John Cullum
Dialogue: Inga Swenson and John Cullum
5. A Fine Young Man 6:45 – Ed Ames
Dialogue: Ed Ames and Brian Bedford
Strength Is My Weakness – Norman Wisdom and Ed Ames
Dialogue: Norman Wisdom, Ed Ames, Inga Swenson and Brian Bedford
6. Gladiators’ Ballet 3:07 – Orchestra
7. The Emperor’s Thumb 2:47 – Noel Coward
Dialogue: Noel Coward, Inga Swenson, Kurt Kasznar and Clifford David
8. No More Waiting 4:50 – Inga Swenson and John Cullum
Dialogue: Norman Wisdom, Inga Swenson and John Cullum
9. The Arena Pantomime 3:55 – Norman Wisdom and Orchestra
10. Don’t Be Afraid Of An Animal 4:51 – Noel Coward and Norman Wisdom
Dialogue: Noel Coward, Norman Wisdom and Bill Hickey
11. Reprise: No More Waiting 4:23 – Inga Swenson and John Cullum
Dialogue: Noel Coward, Norman Wisdom, Ed Ames, Inga Swenson and John Cullum
Velvet Paws – Norman Wisdom
BLACK SWAN SAMPLER / VARIOUS
Abrahamsen: 10 Preludes & 7 Pieces / Ensemble MidtVest
It is magic through transparency. The music of Hans Abrahamsen, dark yet alluringly innocent, exhibits a pure, strong naivete that opens up into a genuine magical world of both the bright and the sombre kind. Performing two of his early works - Six Pieces for horn trio and his first string quartet 10 Preludes - Ensemble MidtVest brings out Abrahamsen's characteristic clear, precise tone. The same clarity inhabits his arrangements of Erik Satie's Trois Gymnopedies and Carl Nielsen's Fantasy Pieces, exploring and evoking the original works in a new, unmistakably Abrahamsenesque way.
Beethoven, R. Schumann, Saint-Saëns: Symphonies for Piano Duo vol. 2 / Uys & Schoeman
SOMM Recordings is delighted to announce the eagerly-awaited second volume of the Tessa Uys and Ben Schoeman Piano Duo’s ground-breaking series exploring Franz Xaver Scharwenka’s transcriptions of Beethoven Symphonies. A composer of no mean stature in his own right, Scharwenka’s transcriptions were once widely admired, his treatments of Beethoven’s symphonies a high-watermark of the genre. Volume 1 (SOMMCD 0637) met with universal acclaim; Gramophone praising the “mastery” of the performances, BBC Music finding it “utterly beguiling” and MusicWeb International declaring “I was blown away by this magnificent recording”. Volume 2 features the first recording of Scharwenka’s transcription of Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony for piano duet. Claiming a direct connection to Beethoven via his teacher Franz Kullak, who had studied with Beethoven’s pupil Carl Czerny, Scharwenka provides a virtuosic re-imagining of the Fifth’s tremendous scale, organic growth and seething energy. The Variations on a Theme of Beethoven by Saint-Saëns show him, Robert Matthew-Walker says in his informative booklet notes, “at his most brilliant and searching... beautiful, imposing and elegant, as well as humorous”. Robert Schumann’s Andante and Variations in B-flat reveal Romanticism’s quintessential musical poet at his most emotionally acute: “overhung with a pervading sense of intimacy, the music unfolds as a series of reflections upon the Andante theme, refracted in genuine variation styles of tempo, rhythm, tonalities (beautifully implied) and character”.
Review
Hot on the heels of the first volume of this enterprising series comes volume 2, this time including what is perhaps the most famous symphony of all time, Beethoven’s 5th, here given its world premiere recording in the transcription for piano duet by Franz Xavier Scharwenka.
As with the previous volume and the “Eroica” (see my earlier review here), the 5th needs no introduction or apologies and Scharwenka expects both pianists to be virtuosi. The opening chords are surprisingly not written for double octaves as might have been expected; Scharwenka saves those for later on when even more firepower is required. Again, throughout this transcription, multiple solutions are offered to deal with the problem of arranging a work for full orchestra for piano and all is superbly realised by the duo. The opening tempo for the first movement is perhaps a little slower than expected at the start but that is more than made up for later as both pianists flamboyantly navigate the complex writing. Also, as before, the notation is subtly arranged to make it playable on two pianos and this has the added bonus of making some detail clearer than in the orchestral version.
The second movement comes across very well too – all the details are present and presented via the medium of twenty fingers. The contrasts are beautifully pointed out: a sense of calm serenity pervades this music and the pianists respond excellently to the challenge. The rippling accompaniment starting at 2:39 - but also occurring elsewhere - is cleverly written and perfectly judged. There some surprises here too; harmonies are clarified and details that perhaps would normally be lost are brought to the fore. Both pianists make a superb job of this movement and it contains just as much drama as a performance for full orchestra. The fortissimo sections make an excellent contrast to the nervier and quieter moments and the ending of the movement, with its defiant chords, is splendid.
The Scherzo follows with its weird march like chords and repeated loud interruptions, all of which are again played with aplomb. The crazy scrambling section from about two minutes onwards sounds just perfect and the cunning interjections by the second pianist (I presume) that ultimately derail this trail of music are wittily done. The build up to the cheerful, blazing finale is excellently judged and that final ‘Allegro’ part starts with a bang, with bagfuls of virtuosity from both participants and continues in the same vein. There are lots of powerful tremolandos here, judiciously used and all of which add to the drama. The build up to the quieter section at about five minutes is excellently controlled and sounds absolutely right. The ending where Beethoven applies the brakes to the music before restarting again with renewed vigour is miraculously realised – listen out for the notes originally on the flutes in the last two minutes sounding almost woodwind-like but on a piano. The ending with sustained loud and powerful virtuosity from both performers is just brilliant. This is an awesome performance of a magnificent transcription; comparisons with Liszt’s transcription (S464 no.5) are perhaps inevitable but here Scharwenka has the advantage of using twice as many fingers so the overall effect is somewhat “fuller” than Liszt’s absolutely astounding and craftily realised version. This is another example of such a skilful transcription that you almost forget that the original was for full orchestra. I’ve run out of superlatives here, but suffice it to say that this performance is absolutely top notch and the joyfulness and intelligence of the performers and the committed nature of the playing make it absolutely worth hearing.
I should say that the Beethoven transcription is for piano four hands and played on a rather splendid sounding Fazoli piano whereas the remainder of the disc is played on two Steinway model Ds. There is little difference in the recording level or sounding between the instruments and I am more than happy to listen to either.
In a well-thought-through contrast to the blazing conclusion of the Beethoven transcription, Schumann’s rarely heard variations published as Op.46b follows next on this disc. This work exists in two versions – it was originally written for two pianos, two cellos and a horn but following a suggestion from Mendelssohn, Schumann later revised for just two pianos as heard here. These open quietly with a rather lovely slightly melancholy tune that receives a whole gamut of variation from beautifully quiet and reflective ones (heard at the outset of the piece) to bouncy march like ones (as at 4’50’’) and all points in between. As with the preceding Beethoven, the playing throughout is very intelligent and the two pianists react well to each other’s playing, producing a result full of musicality. The slower variations are deeply affecting and the quasi-funeral march one at about six minutes is especially good; the way it segues into the following faintly sad variation is perfectly handled. Schumann was, as usual, channelling his inner Florestan and Eusebius in the composition of this work but there is perhaps a slight preference for the latter, as overall the work has a dreamy and melancholy mood. Surprisingly, towards the end of the piece, Schumann brings back the opening theme completely unadorned, and uses it to generate a suitably fitting conclusion to this wonderful piece. I have to say that prior to hearing this recording I was only dimly aware of this work but on repeated listening, I have really grown to appreciate its many wonderful turns of phrase and clever writing.
The disc concludes with Saint-Saëns’ epic variations on a theme by Beethoven. As I have said before, this is a work that I have previously had issues with; I have no idea why but it just doesn’t strike me as the composers’ best work and it has always seemed a little laboured. However...I am now much fonder of the piece. The opening is mysterious and only hints at the theme which he uses (from the Trio of the Scherzo from Beethoven’s E flat Op.31 no. 3 Sonata – sometimes nicknamed “The Hunt”) but once the theme emerges, it is subjected to ten contrasted variations including a complex, virtuosic fugue. The opening variation is a scurrying, “catch me if you can” treatment of the theme in scales and is here played very fast, with plenty of wit and character. The following variation is a complete contrast: a rather lovely lyrical treatment of the theme with some clever darker episodes and throughout some nice examples of the pianists bouncing off one another to create a spontaneous atmosphere. Thirdly, a strange inverted version of the theme; again, the Scherzo like character here is abundantly obvious and the playing is excellent. Variation 4 is extremely entertaining: bouncy repeated chords and much interaction between the pianists who again spark well off each other. Variation 5 is again a change of pace and the difference from the previous one is very marked. Here, trills and some very pretty playing join to make a splendid little creation with plenty of harmonic invention and humour. We return to scales for the following variation, with some added arpeggios for good measure. I particularly like the way the ends of phrases are rounded off here – this is a most astute and intelligent performance. I especially enjoyed the mock funeral march that is variation 7; this is just weird in comparison to the other, more conventional variations here - the playing is almost hysterical with grief and matches the mood of this variation perfectly. As the work progresses into variation 8, it becomes more and more difficult to follow the progress of the variations but we have a restatement of the spectral opening that gradually evolves to the complex fugue that is variation 9. This is the core of the work and is perhaps the composer’s reaction to Beethoven’s Eroica variations (Op.35). Here, there are plenty of notes for both performers to negotiate and they do so with the same high level of virtuosity and commitment that they display throughout this disc. This is such a witty take on the theme and to my ears the way that the textures are handled hints at the Scharwenka transcription from earlier in the disc and thus fits in very well here. This variation leads directly into variation 10, the conclusion of the work and featuring the tune neatly divided between the two performers who give a sparkling performance. Right at the very end, the theme emerges almost unadorned as if to remind us how far the music has travelled during the progress of this marvellous work.
As I said for volume 1, this is a magnificent recording; the sound quality is superb, the cover notes are excellent and the playing is exemplary throughout. Full marks to all concerned; I am once again waiting impatiently for the next volume.
--MusicWeb International (Jonathan Welsh)
THIS LIFE
BEST OF TONY BENNETT
Better Boot That Thing - Great Women Blues Singers Of The 1920s
1. I'll Forgive You 'Cause I Love You, But the Wrongs You've Done I Can't Forget
2. I'm Gonna Lose Myself Way Down in Louisville
3. My Old Daddy's Got a Brand New Way to Love
4. Sugar - Fats Waller
5. Beale Street Blues
6. Fort Worth and Denver Blues
7. Penitentiary
8. Better Boot That Thing
9. Bogey Man Blues
10. Whistling Woman Blues
11. Blood Hound Blues
12. Dirty Tee Bee Blues
13. Moaning the Blues
14. Telephoning the Blues
15. Showered With Blues
16. Wrong Doin' Daddy
17. Elm Street Blues
18. When You Lose Your Daddy
19. Mr. Forty Nine Blues
20. Good-Bye Rider
Recorded from 1927 to 1930. Includes liner notes by Billy Altman.
Digitally remastered by Jay Newland (June 1992, BMG Studios, New York City).
