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Malipiero: Violin Concertos & Per una favola cavalleresca / Symphonic Orchestra of Rome
Naxos · Jun 2022CD$19.99 -
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Fairouz: In The Shadow Of No Towers; Glass: Concerto Fantasy / Popiel, University Of Kansas
Naxos · Nov 2013CD$19.99 -
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Reznicek: Symphony No 1 "tragic", Etc / Beerman, Prudenskaja, Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt
CPO · Jan 2009CD$18.99 -
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Elgar: The Dream Of Gerontius Op. 38 / Elder, Groves, Terfel, Coote, Et Al
Halle · Oct 2008CD$32.99
Malipiero: Violin Concertos & Per una favola cavalleresca / Symphonic Orchestra of Rome
Naxos
CD
$19.99
Jun 10, 2022
This release couples Gian Francesco Malipiero’s two contrasting violin concertos with the world premiere recording of his kaleidoscopic orchestral work Per una favola cavalleresca, evoking legendary scenes of love, tournaments, battles, moonbeams and heroes. Malipiero’s First Violin Concerto is one of his most beautiful and joyful works, a remarkable achievement for a composer who is said to have played the violin badly in his youth. His Second Violin Concerto, written 30 years later, sounds astonishingly different on a first hearing, but reveals itself to be inspired by the same lyrical impulse as the earlier concerto.
Review
Naxos/Marco Polo have been staunch allies of Malipiero of yore. Their example has been all the more admirable since their advocacy dates from a decade or more after the composer’s death. First, they recorded all the symphonies - and there are lots of them - in Russia on Marco Polo. These were done largely with the far too easily overlooked Antonio de Almeida (1928-1997). That multiple-CD series has been reissued on Naxos.
His First Violin Concerto (1932) is in the accustomed furiously confident three movements. There’s no hint of neo-classicism or museum-rigid “Alte Stil”. This is fast-flowing music where the orchestra keep pace with the ardent solo, here played with unblinking skill by Paolo Chiavacci. The writing is juicy and its probing ardour continues into the central Lento and the nicely rounded finale. This is a work and performance that, for me, never descends into tedium.
Per una favola cavalleresca (For a chivalric tale) is in four movements and is the earliest piece here. It is claimed to be inspired by legendary scenes of love, tournaments, battles, moon-beams and burials of heroes, possibly with links to a Malipero opera Lancelotto del Lago. It’s the longest work here, in four unnamed movements, across half an hour. It’s masterfully orchestrated with no strata of the orchestra wasted. Romantic to the hilt and occasionally voluptuous in the familiar manner of Respighi, as in his Ballad of the Gnomes. Even within these bounds it is a full-lipped piece yet with plenty of nocturnal facets as in parts of the third movement. Written at about the same time as Sibelius’s Suite mignonne which, at least in its titles, has its chivalric overtones, it is a very different. The Malipiero is more head-on and drips with juice as you can hear with the no-holds-barred brass fanfaring of the highly coloured finale. One can easily read into this the betrayal of Arthur and his anger, even if the work and the movement does end in a romantic glow.
Malipero wastes nothing - no time beating of useless filler material - both this and the second concerto are over and done with in about twenty minutes. The second - quite a short piece at 19:35 - is cooler. It was written a decade before the composer’s death and confronts a very different world order from the First. It is by no means devoid of passion. Even so, darker emotions are in play. The soloist has to make speedy headway. Disillusion inflects the central non troppo lento which is lichen-hung. The finale is another work of testing virtuosity, but brusque.
Another point to make is that these works, especially the First concerto and the Cavalleresca at times seem wrung from the same harmonic material as Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending but always stand in their own right.
A Malipiero genre admirably tackled by the familiar La Vecchia and his orchestra. They have been most agreeably performed and recorded.
--MusicWeb International (Rob Barnett)
Haydn: The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 10 / Bavouzet
Chandos
CD
$21.99
Mar 04, 2022
"Bavouzet’s Haydn is unmatched in its zest and its wit. But it is also substantial, informed and deeply rewarding."
--The New York Times on Bavouzet's Haydn Sonatas cycle, 2022
His multi-award-winning recordings and dazzling concert performances have long established Jean-Efflam Bavouzet as one of the most outstanding pianists of his generation. This latest album – the tenth – in his cycle of the complete Haydn sonatas is built around the Grand Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI: 50, a late work the first movement of which is one of the most highly developed that Haydn ever conceived for the keyboard. Bavouzet has surrounded this with less well-known works: Two very early sonatas (Nos. 3 & 4) provide a stark contrast to the later works (Nos. 28 & 45). The album ends with the Arietta con 12 Variazioni.
Bavouzet notes: ‘The Variations in E flat major and the Sonata in A major, Hob. XVI: 30, were for me the marvelous revelations of this program. In the E flat major Variations (the lovely theme of which Mozart borrowed in his Sonata, KV 282!). The chief question was to know whether to repeat the theme at the end, as certain editions recommend. After several experiments, I finally opted for a solution perhaps a little anachronistic, by construing the entire last variation as a long, gradual crescendo which takes us from the somber and serious atmosphere of the preceding variation towards the brilliant light of the unadorned chords that conclude this magnificent cycle.’
REVIEW:
There’s one masterpiece on this CD: Sonata 60. From Jean-Efflam Bavouzet comes an almost furtively soft beginning to the first theme, a pondering pause, then loud arpeggiated affirmation, jubilation unleashed as ideas crowd in on one another and repeat gleefully. Second prize on this CD goes to Sonata 45, composed 20 years earlier, Haydn’s only piano sonata played without a break. As in previous volumes, Bavouzet mixes sonatas from various periods, backtracking 14 years earlier for Sonatas 3 and 4. So you experience the learning curve through which Haydn achieved his mature works. In Sonata 3, despite its relative simplicity, Bavouzet brings elegance and chipper, assertive bounce to the opening Allegro and you’ll relish his extra ornamentation in the repeat of the Scherzo’s final strain. In Sonata 4 his neatness and propriety in the opening movement is delightfully offset by the impropriety of repeats’ extra ornamentation[.]
--MusicWeb International (Michael Greenhalgh)
Fairouz: In The Shadow Of No Towers; Glass: Concerto Fantasy / Popiel, University Of Kansas
Naxos
CD
$19.99
Nov 19, 2013
GLASS Concerto Fantasy for 2 timpanists and orchestra (arr. Lortz) 1. FAIROUZ Symphony No. 4, “In the Shadow of No Towers” 2 • Paul W. Popeil, cond; 1 Ji Hye Jung, 1 Gwendolyn Burgett (timpani); 2 J?nis Porietis (tpt); University of Kansas Wind Ens • NAXOS 8.573205 (57: 48)
The opening piece on this CD, Philip Glass’s Concerto Fantasy for two timpanists and orchestra, is heard here in an arrangement for wind band by Mark Lortz, band director at Stevenson University in Maryland. The transcription, from what I can tell (not knowing the original), seems quite fine, crafted with an excellent ear for texture and style. The problem, as usual, is with Glass’s music itself. Although this piece is not as heavily repetitious as most of the composer’s famous works from the 1970s and 80s, it still relies on repetition to make its point, and in this case the “point” is hammered home by the incessant banging of our two timpanists, Jung and Burgett. Let me put it this way: if you really enjoy Benny Goodman’s old arrangement of Sing, Sing, Sing, with Gene Krupa’s interminable tom-tom banging, you’ll love this Concerto. Glass regales us at the outset with a motif that sounds for all the world like the opening of Lalo Schifrin’s Mission: Impossible theme, interspersed with phrases from the Burt Bacharach song Promises, Promises. The second movement retreats from the sound barrier somewhat, but here the music sounded to me reminiscent of such iconic Glass works as Khayanaquatsi. Our two drummers recede somewhat from the sound barrier here, but the pattern they are drumming remains repetitious. The five-minute “cadenza” for the timpanists finally varies the beat a little, making some allusions to jazz, but not quite enough to hold the listener’s attention. (As comedian Stan Freberg once quipped on one of his records, “That’s close enough for jazz!”) Here, too, the timpanists are joined by xylophone for a real percussion funfest. In the third movement, the syncopation continues, but this time in typical Glassian style. Despite the use of some flatted thirds, this music reminded me of a section from Hydrogen Jukebox.
By contrast, Mohammed Fairouz’s Fourth Symphony, based on a “serious” comic book by Art Spiegelman bearing the title In the Shadow of No Towers, is a masterpiece (this is a world premiere recording). Fairouz has managed to capture the horror of the moment and its aftermath without wallowing in mawkish self-pity. Perhaps the liner notes’ descriptions of the four movements will convey to the reader the quality of the music. The first, titled “The New Normal,” shows a family’s interaction with television before, during, and after the events of September 11, 2001. Fairouz manages to suggest the twin towers collapsing by clashing rising woodwind scales with explosive brass chords, but before this Fairouz captures the feeling of unease with quiet music scored in close harmonics that often border on the eerie, and after their collapse returns to the opening material briefly before exploding again, then continuing in what the composer refers to as “a cold and quick funeral march.” The reader may feel from this verbal description that such a manipulation of musical material and emotional response seems calculated or even predictable, but such is not the case. This is damn fine and extremely creative music; not a single bar sounds formulaic, even if one is told and knows in advance what is “coming” in the music. Fairouz introduces themes that are sometimes developed and at other times juxtaposed with other themes; he keeps the listener off balance not with the sound explosions but with the silences in between.
The second movement, “Notes of a Heartbroken Narcissist,” is based on Spiegelman’s cartoon panels of a self-absorbed yuppie deciding how to comb his facial hair and turning into a rodent. It begins at a volume so low that at first I thought that my CD player had stopped working, with players scraping coins across suspended cymbals. The subcontra ranges of both brass and piano continue the gloomy mood. (Personal footnote: the day after 9/11, I went to work in shock, like everyone else in America. Talking to the young minister of a local church, I told her that what went through my mind was the plight of Olivier Messiaen and his fellow-prisoners during World War II, the four of them—all musicians—not knowing if they or the world would survive those horrible years, and Messiaen’s reaction by writing the Quartet for the End of Time. The minister’s reaction was a bit like the narcissist and his beard: “I just don’t know how to rock and roll any more!”) As annotator Paul R. Laird puts it, what emerges from this movement is not the yuppie’s narcissism but a very “heartfelt lament for those who died in the attack.”
The third movement, “One Nation Under Two Flags,” was Spiegelman’s reaction to the divisive split in America during the following years: the United “Red Zone” and “Blue Zone” of America. In Fairouz’s score, neither one is really treated sympathetically. The Red Zone is represented by shrill jingoistic music, the Blue Zone by music that is “just plain angry.” (Art Spiegelman referred to it as “a martial schizo-scherzo.” I call it modern-day Charles Ives.) Once again, Fairouz keeps you guessing as to how the music will play out. A quiet passage for clarinets and soft solo trumpet over piano comes almost as a shock in the midst of the chaos.
The last movement, “Anniversaries,” is based on Spiegelman’s pictorial description of clocks that restarted on September 12 yet seemed to resemble a ticking “time-bomb that occasionally explodes,” after which the ghostly image of the twin towers grows larger than life before fading away. Here, Fairouz does indeed rely on the gimmick of a ticking clock sound as the underlying motif for the movement, but once again his inner ear for harmonic movement and sound color are astonishing. He almost makes of the wind ensemble something entirely different than what we are used to: the sounds that emerge sometimes resemble a harmonium, at other times an organ. It is the musical equivalent of the relentless march of time against a backdrop of horror brought, kicking and screaming, into our lives.
In praising the varied moods of the Fairouz Symphony, one must give special credit to the University of Kansas Woodwind Ensemble and their director, Paul Popeil. This is playing on an extraordinarily high level of a work that is technically and emotionally demanding from start to finish.
A split review, then. It almost seems unfair that so trivial a work as the Glass Concerto is paired on this disc with an incredible masterpiece. It’s rather like putting someone’s Variations on “Blue Suede Shoes” on the same disc with the Górecki Third Symphony. Yet I must urge you to acquire this disc for the Fairouz work. You simply won’t believe how brilliant it is.
FANFARE: Lynn René Bayley
Earthworks
Sono Luminus
CD
$16.99
Apr 25, 2025
Look around at the place you are right now - yes, now. Apartment, house, subway car, tool shed, office, wherever. Now imagine this place, with all it's material elements and constituent parts, intertwined as they are, as living, with a circulatory system and a pulse. With an inner life, a memory, experiences and a story of itself to tell. Now listen. Nathan Davis's Earthworks is a unique acousmatic piece, a 40-minute conceptual and musical love child of land art, environmental activism and music concrete in which the composer orchestrates the sonic outcome of the extraction, processing and use of common commercial materials of our contemporary built environment. It is an audio tapestry of drilling, fracking, stirring, slurring, scraping, cracking, popping and hammering, with the bright thread of one very intimate human voice woven through it. This particular iteration of Earthworks, originally produced as a sound installation for the exhibit "Planetary Home Improvement: From Just-in-time to Geological Time", is immersive in nature - both a recording and a full-body experience, primordial and post-industrial. Davis collected field recordings of the raw materials and created a multi-channel sound environment using the materials themselves as speakers, soundboards, and resonators. It is musique concrete as composed through a big box store, and the effect it had on me was mysterious - compelling and even dreamy. A few times I pictured Morton Feldman walking through the enormous back aisles of a Home Depot - the "modern quarry" from which this work is drawn - with an Earthworks-like soundtrack running through his celestial head. In experiencing Davis's work I often find that in addition to composing in the traditional sense, he is also coaxing and conjuring, often in nature, and often with the most basic elements - minerals, metals, stones, water, air. Much of the power of Earthworks derives from what the exhibition artists describe as "collapsing the ancient and the instant." Of it's audience Earthworks demands close attention and attunement to the elements from which it arises. I fully understand that there is a conceptual sophistication and technological mastery at work in pieces like this - it is experimental music for grown ups - but I think I'd do Earthworks a disservice by overintellectualizing the pleasures inherent in it. By this I mean that there is something childlike about the work. At least, this is least one of the responses it summoned in me. I experience these "lifeless" materials both talking amongst themselves and speaking to me. When Sylvia Milo begins the piece by intoning the names of these orchestral instruments - Galvanized steel sheet. Foam insulation. Polycarbonate panel... - each one followed by the sounding of it's characteristic voice, I'm transported back to my early listening to Peter and the Wolf, when I first heard Boris Karloff introducing the cast of the tale by way of their instrumental voices. As a percussionist Davis possesses a deep attunement to materials and their sonic characteristics. But there are non-material aspects embedded here as well. In this case the political context of the work: it is a response to the industrial plunder of the planet. The experience of listening to these materials speak, hearing their breath and pulses, move us closer to an understanding of this, and to a relationship of awareness and reciprocity with the Earth, whose body we tear apart in order to achieve shelter or convenience, and whose riches we violently transmute into material for use. Ever since the story of Adam and Eve's ejection from the Garden, and certainly before, our human alienation from Nature has been the source of existential grief. Part of the task of poets, artists, philosophers, filmmakers, musicians is to restore us to this Edenic state, in which we are again in peaceful harmony with the Earth and it's elements.
Quartet Integra
Yarlung Records
CD
$21.99
Nov 21, 2025
... four of the brightest young stars in classical music today. We are enjoying another golden era thanks to Quartet Integra. -Martin Beaver, First Violin, Tokyo String Quartet Producer's notes: Yarlung Records returned to Zipper Hall at Colburn School in April, 2025 to record the debut album for Quartet Integra toward the end of the quartet's 3-year residency in Los Angeles. They had just returned from acclaimed performances in Wigmore Hall in London. The quartet left again after our recording for summer concerts (and a little bit of family time) in Asia before moving to Paris and Hannover in the autumn. Quartet Integra begins a two year residency in Paris at the Centre Europeen de Musique de Chambre and will continue study with Oliver Wille at the Hochschule fur Musik, Theater, und Medien in Hannover. We will miss the Quartet badly in Los Angeles and hope they return soon. This extraordinary young ensemble, Kyoka Misawa and Rintaro Kikuno on violins, Itsuki Yamamoto on viola, and cellist Ye Un Park play Classical, Romantic, Contemporary and Renaissance music equally well. In fact, we explore all four eras in this recording. We begin with Beethoven's last published work, String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Opus 135, written in 1826. Beethoven wrote this piece at the height of his Romantic powers, but the quartet looks back with irony and nostalgia to his classical period. Next, Quartet Integra tackles Ligeti's 1968 ground-breaking Sonata No. 2, which they played for me at their audition and which won me over immediately. Kyoka, Rintaro, Itsuki and Ye Un find beauty and repose in this seat-belts-required 25-minute work full of extended techniques and mid-20th-Century sound world while communicating humor and transcendent energy. Kyoka said "When people hear the name Ligeti, many tend to associate it with contemporary music and assume it will be difficult to listen to. But in reality, that's not the case. Especially the String Quartet No. 2, which we're performing this time - it's wild and destructive, yet it holds a kind of breathtaking beauty. It feels almost like watching a movie." Mike Wechsberg, an audience member at our special live concert recording session commented heartily how "Ligeti is not the sort of music I normally like, but THIS was magnificent! Bravo Quartet Integra!" We ended the concert with Green Mountains, Now Black, a new piece by David S. Lefkowitz which he completed in the spring of 2025. Donna Morton commissioned David's piece for Yarlung Artists and Quartet Integra through Yarlung's sister organization Coretet. Donna and her group have steadfastly supported new chamber music including from composers Caroline Shaw, Diego Schissi (who won a Latin GRAMMY® nomination for Nene, which he wrote for Yarlung's Sibelius Piano Trio), Jamie Thierman, Eric Nathan and Benjamin Taylor among others. Donna serves on the boards of both Yarlung Artists and Coretet, and we relished the opportunity to collaborate again as Coretet celebrates it's 10th Anniversary and Yarlung celebrates it's 20th. Beethoven wrote his last major composition, String Quartet Op. 135, in 1826. This was his final statement in his groundbreaking series. Opus 135 premiered in 1828, performed by Ignaz Schuppanzigh and his famous ensemble, a year after Beethoven died. When the members of Quartet Integra suggested we record this work on their debut album instead of Schubert's "Rosamunda" Quartet written only two years earlier, I initially demurred. Who needs yet another superb performance of Beethoven's final masterpiece?" I complained. "Who needs yet another Rosamunda?" Quartet Integra 'cellist Ye Un Park responded within milliseconds. She had a point, and I'm glad we recorded the Beethoven instead, at least on Quartet Integra's first Yarlung album! The ensemble had just performed Beethoven's first string quartet in London's Wigmore Hall in London, as well as "Rosamunda, " and they were game to expand their horizons and capitalize on their "Beethoven High." They also wanted to utilize the superb acoustics at Colburn School while the quartet was still living in Los Angeles, and we knew Zipper Hall would do the Beethoven special justice. Our recording concludes with David S. Lefkowitz' Green Mountains, Now Black. David's piece offers quotations from Monteverdi's earliest extant opera Orfeo (one of my favorites in the operatic literature) and additional quotations from Monteverdi's final opera The Coronation of Poppea, including it's magical and ever-so recognizable love duet between Poppea and the emperor Nero at the end of the opera. Instead of merely transposing my favorite arias, choral passages and this famous duet for string quartet, David wrote a work that explores the very nature of what it means to be a string quartet. And he experiments with the genre, pushes boundaries, and incorporates his own despair witnessing the burning of much of Los Angeles in the spring of 2025. David and his wife Laurie could see flames and smoke not too far away from their home as he composed this work. Nero himself famously allowed a good chunk of downtown Rome to burn, exercising (and bragging about) his dubious leadership in the process. David layers Octavia's farewell to her beloved city with the giddy love duet between Octavia's husband, the emperor, and his mistress Poppea, to tell the story of David's own distress while writing the piece. Green Mountains, Now Black not only refer to Monteverdi himself (Green Mountain) but the fire which turned so many of our spring green mountains to char in Los Angeles. Despite David's gloom and worry during our fires, his iridescent string writing shows itself proudly and his many glorious and lyrical passages outnumber the darker ones. As musicians, the members of Quartet Integra communicate superbly with audiences and with each other as they explore the depths and details of these musical scores. With generous support from Sel, Nick and Martin at Colburn School, we worked with Quartet Integra on April 13-15, 2025 and ended our recording session with a live concert for invited guests from the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society on April 15th. You can enjoy videos of this concert on YouTube's YarlungChannel. Fellow recording engineer and equipment designer Arian Jansen and I used SonoruS Holographic Imaging technology in the analog domain to refine the stereo image, Yarlung's SonoruS ATR12 to record Agfa-formula 468 analog tape, the Merging Technologies HAPI to record 256fs DSD in stereo and surround sound and the SonoruS ADC to record PCM. We used our friend Ted Ancona's AKG C24 microphone previously owned by Frank Sinatra, and Yarlung Audio vacuum tube microphone amplification designed and built by Elliot Midwood. In closing, it was Donna Morton and Martin Beaver who suggested Yarlung support Quartet Integra and Martin coordinated their audition. The Quartet has been lauded as the most exciting ensemble to emerge from Japan (and Ye Un from Korea) since the famous Tokyo String Quartet formed in 1969 at Juilliard. I love a certain symmetry here: two of the non-Japanese born musicians playing as members of the Tokyo String Quartet were Yarlung Special Advisor Martin Beaver, who became principal violin in 2002, and Clive Greensmith, who joined Tokyo as cellist in 1999. Both Martin and Clive performed with the Tokyo Quartet until the ensemble gave their final concerts in 2013, and now Martin and Clive co-direct Chamber Music at Colburn School and have mentored the four members of Quartet Integra. Before their Colburn residency, Quartet Integra won a four-year fellowship with Suntory Hall's Chamber Music Academy where they were coached by Tokyo Quartet members Koichiro Harada, Kikuei Ikeda and Kazuhide Isomura. This is generational integrity and communication worthy of Kyoka, Rintaro, Itsuki and Ye Un. As we celebrate Yarlung's 20th Anniversary, we are enjoying thinking back to our original inspiration. We began working with young musicians starting international concert careers and sharing their transformative performances with the world. Yarlung Records takes it's name from the Yarlung Valley in Central Tibet, which legend holds as a meeting place between heaven and earth. It is in this valley, at the site of Yambulakhang Castle in our Yarlung Records logo, where Heaven and Earth touched in order to transform humanity. What could be a better metaphor for the transformative power of great music? I feel a deep connection between this mythical name for our record label and Quartet Integra. Hearing them play and working with these four good-natured and talented people reminded me why we created Yarlung Records in the first place. Despite my earlier comment, Quartet Integra is not a Japanese ensemble. Three of their members come from Japan and one from Korea, but they are inherently international. Quartet Integra lived in California these past years, and as indicated will spend the next several years in France and Germany. Their ties to the famous Tokyo String Quartet increase the Japanese-ness of Quartet Integra, but Tokyo String Quartet was actually founded in 1969 at Juilliard in New York City, not Japan. In planning their album cover, this image of the Toyosaki Kompira Shrine Torii Gate on the west coast of Hokkaido jumped out at us, and reflected Quartet Integra's refreshing vitality. As does the inspiration for the name of Yarlung Records, a Torii gate symbolizes a portal to the sacred in Shintoism connecting everyday reality with transcendence. -Bob Attiyeh, producer
Reznicek: Symphony No 1 "tragic", Etc / Beerman, Prudenskaja, Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt
CPO
CD
$18.99
Jan 27, 2009
REZNICEK Symphony No. 1, “Tragic.” 4 Songs of Prayer and Repentance 1 • Frank Beermann, cond; Marina Prudenskaja (mez); 1 Brandenburg St O Frankfurt • cpo 777 223 (68:50)
In some ways, Reznicek might be described as the poor man’s Richard Strauss. Cpo, which is engaged in a project to record Reznicek’s orchestral output, has already released the composer’s Second and Fifth Symphonies and two tone-poems, Schlemihl and Raskolnikoff , reviewed by Henry Fogel in 28:2. Schlemihl has been dismissed in some quarters as the effort of a jealous and bitter Reznicek to parody and deflate the puffed up ego of Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, schlemihl being Yiddish for an unlucky, incompetent boob upon whose head every manner of misfortune falls—in effect, the anti-hero to Strauss’s Übermensch . But the non-Jewish Reznicek, as Fogel pointed out, may have misconstrued the caustic connotation of the word, which imparts the flavor of not just a pitiable sad sack, but of a fool who invites bad luck and ridicule; for Reznicek’s trials and tribulations—the deaths of two children and his first wife—were real and indeed heartbreaking.
Like Brahms, who didn’t complete his First Symphony until he was 43, Reznicek was 41 in 1901 when he wrote his Symphony No. 1 in D Major. The original booklet essay written in German by Eckhardt van den Hoogen is, in translation at least, incomprehensible gibberish. I was unable to make heads or tails of its mishmash of arcane literary references and absurdist metaphors—“the Criminal Tango of the first movement and the Jesus Christ Superstar of the last movement”—not to mention the mental imagery of “pulling on the pigtails of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto,” and the depiction of Reznicek’s beard as a “foot muff” that put me off my dinner. From what I was able to glean, it seems that the only “tragedy” that led the composer to subtitle the work “Tragic” was a ride on a crowded city train in which a pretty young girl who caught Reznicek’s eye got up and offered the “old man” her seat.
So what does this “tragic” concoction sound like? Well, a bit like Strauss being badgered by Pauline to go to his room and compose something. Then, beginning at 12:08 in the first movement, a sequence that seems to mimic the development section in the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” makes a discomfiting appearance. Here comes a snippet of Schumann, there a scrap of Brahms, and everywhere the oddments and leftovers of Liszt. This symphony would be a piece of utter trash were it not for the twofold fact that it was obviously written by a master orchestral craftsman of the first order, and that it buys one entrance to a musical circus of clowns dressed up as Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Wagner, and Liszt somersaulting around the ring. I defy anyone to listen to Reznicek’s Symphony No. 1 and not laugh out loud as the parade of jesters passes by. If the piece had been written after Schlemihl instead of before it, a more appropriate subtitle might have been Schlamazel.
Having had my say on the Symphony, let me turn now to the Four Songs of Prayer and Repentance after words of the Holy Scriptures. Reznicek really ought not to be judged by his First Symphony, which has got to be either an aberration or some sort of off-color, politically incorrect joke. He was a serious composer with a quite significant catalog of works to his credit: five symphonies, a dozen operas, numerous orchestral and concerted compositions, at least five string quartets, two piano trios, and a considerable volume of solo piano and organ pieces. Very little of it has been recorded; and, except for the Donna Diana Overture, I’ve no recollection of hearing any of it performed live—which is a shame, because the Four Songs are gorgeous.
Written in 1913, long before Strauss said sayonara with his Four Last Songs , Reznicek’s songs take their cue from Brahms’s Four Serious Songs , though they are not nearly as reverential and austere. Where Brahms chose Biblical texts that reflect the fatalism of his last years—“for that which befalls man befalls beasts”—Reznicek selected verses from Ecclesiastes and The Book of Sirach that focus on comforting, acceptance, and the beauty that is to be found in wisdom—“The pipe and the psaltery make sweet melody, but a pleasant tongue is above them both.” Reznicek’s songs are supple and sensuous, but not sensual in that steamy, erotic way that many of Strauss’s songs are. The orchestral accompaniments caress the words with an angelic tenderness.
Marina Prudenskaja, who is identified as a mezzo-soprano, actually has more of a dark-hued contralto quality to her voice that reminded me a bit of Rita Gorr. She has the right timbre and range, I think, to be an ideal candidate for Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody.
Despite what you may have concluded from my opinion of the Symphony, this disc comes with a hearty endorsement, and not just for the Four Songs , which are lovely beyond description, but yes, for the Symphony, too, which is a laugh-a-minute Hooterville riot. Performances and recording are first-class.
FANFARE: Jerry Dubins
I WISH YOU LOVE: MORE FROM THE BODYGUARD
ARISTA
CD
$14.57
Nov 17, 2017
2017 release. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the iconic film The Bodyguard, Legacy Recordings, is celebrating it's legacy with the release of a collection of Whitney Houston live and studio recordings entitled I Wish You Love: More From The Bodyguard. This is an essential new Whitney Houston collection bringing together a variety of live and studio recordings from The Bodyguard (many previously unreleased or unavailable), including an alternate mix of "I Will Always Love You," which features a spoken word intro of Whitney as Rachel Marron, an A Capella version of "Jesus Loves Me," which has never been released before and a live recording from The Bodyguard World Tour 1993-1995 of "Run To You," which Whitney rarely performed. Also included are film and live versions of "I Will Always Love" You," "I Have Nothing," "Queen of The Night" and more.
LOVE YOU MADLY LIVE AT BUBBA'S
2XHD
Vinyl
$107.49
Mar 07, 2025
This 2021 winner of Postive Feedback's Writer's Choice Award for it's reel-to-reel edition, recorded in 1982 by the legendary Mack Emerman, documents an underrepresented chapter of Monty Alexander's recording output, live at Fort Lauderdale's Club Bubba. It's Monty at his best, with a great band and incredibly high-energy performance! Now available as a 200-gram 45 RPM double LP set! Recorded live at Bubba's Jazz Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on August 6, 1982. 'The more of these albums the 2xHD label uncovers, remasters and releases, the more you appreciate the work it's doing in letting us rediscover superb performances. These live recordings, taken from pianist Monty Alexander's own collection and made in August 1982 at a Florida 'Jazz Restaurant', were captured by engineer Mack Emerman, founder of Criteria Studios - home of many a big-selling recording. Here we find a tight quartet featuring bassist Paul Berner, Duffy Jackson on drums and extra percussion from Robert Thomas, Jr. Performing truly spirited, generous 92 minutes of an exceptionally well-recorded and finely remastered performance. You really don't have to be a beard stroking Jazzer to enjoy this. An ear for a great recording of fine performances will do.' - 5/5 stars, Andre Everard, Hi-Fi News & Review Monty Alexander - Love You Madly 200-gram 45 RPM double LP set 2xHD mastering on Nagra equipment by Rene Laflamme Lacquers cut all-analog at Bernie Grundman Mastering on tube cutting equipment Tracklist: Side A Arthur's Theme Blues For Edith Side B Love You Madly Samba de Orfeu Side C Reggae Later SKJ Side D Fungii Mama
SINGS THE RODGERS AND HART SONG BOOK
VERVE
Vinyl
$58.99
Mar 27, 2026
Ella Fitzgerald -"Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)" The second of her celebrated song book albums and heralded as one of the best vocal jazz albums ever made, Ella and arranger/conductor Buddy Bregman began work on the Rodgers and Hart sessions three months after the release of her Cole Porter Song Book. Like it's predecessor, it features the cream of West Coast session musicians, many of whom graced the fabulous recordings that Frank Sinatra was making around the same time in the same studio. Maynard Ferguson (trumpet), Milt Bernhart (trombone), Herb Geller, Ted Nash & Bud Shank (reeds), Barney Kessel (guitar), and Alvin Stoller (drums). The album is full of standards that everyone knows and loves, but in Ella's hands these songs become even more special. Standouts include "There's a Small Hotel," "You Took Advantage of Me," and the perennial, "My Funny Valentine." Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180g vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.
NOW YEARBOOK 1997 / VARIOUS
UNIVERSAL UK
CD
$22.49
Jul 04, 2025
Step back into one of the most exciting years in pop history - a time when boundary-pushing alternative anthems, flawless dancefloor fillers, global megastars and fresh faces all collided on the charts. NOW - Yearbook 1997 celebrates an unforgettable year of hits with 78 massive tracks across 4 CDs. CD1 kicks off in style, with the stunning jazz-drenched ballad from legend George Michael, 'Older', before Natalie Imbruglia's huge debut single 'Torn'. Texas scored a UK top 5 with 'Say What You Want' and Hanson hit the US & UK #1 with 'MMMBop'. 'Barbie Girl' from Aqua and the Spice Girls' anthemic 'Spice Up Your Life' were both #1s and lead a run of pure pop including Boyzone ('Picture Of You'), Louise ('Arms Around The World'), 911 ('Bodyshakin') and Backstreet Boys ('Everybody (Backstreet's Back)') alongside Steps with their debut '5, 6, 7, 8', and Ricky Martin's global smash 'Maria'. Up next is Elton John's superb 'Something About The Way You Look Tonight' - one half of the biggest selling single of all time. Eternal feat. Bebe Winans hit #1 with 'I Wanna Be The Only One' and All Saints made their debut with 'I Know Where It's At'. en Vogue's powerful 'Don't Let Go (Love)' and Gabrielle's remake of 'Walk On By' lead into the discs closing trio: - the atmospheric 'Out Of My Mind' from Duran Duran, the genre-blending #1 'Your Woman' from White Town, and Pet Shop Boys' brilliant version of the musical classic 'Somewhere'. CD2 opens with another George Michael classic from his 'Older' album, the beautiful 'You Have Been Loved', ahead of a second contemporary masterpiece 'Secret Garden' from Bruce Springsteen. Next Up, Paul McCartney's 'Young Boy' and Sheryl Crow's top 10 hit 'A Change Would Do You Good'. Meredith Brooks makes her debut with 'Bitch' and Robbie Williams' 'Old Before I Die', became his second smash as a solo artist. Different styles of dance pop are celebrated in a run of floor fillers including Jamiroquai's groovy 'Alright', and from Tina Moore ('Never Gonna Let You Go (Kelly G. Bump-N-Go Vocal Mix)'), Whitney Houston ('Step By Step') and Lutricia McNeal ('Ain't That Just The Way'). Finley Quaye and Ginuwine feature before rap from LL COOL J enjoying his first UK #1 with 'Ain't Nobody', and Coolio with the ear-worm 'C U When U Get There'. Soulful vocals close this disc with Mary J. Blige's 'Everything', ahead of great covers from Shola Ama with You Might Need Somebody', and 'Wonderful Tonight' from Damage. CD3 kicks off with Radiohead's defining 'Paranoid Android', and Oasis's huge #1 'D'You Know What I Mean?' - the lead single from their third album 'Be Here Now'. Indie-pop anthems follow from The Seahorses ('Love Is The Law'), Supergrass ('Richard III'), The Charlatans ('North Country Boy') and Ocean Colour Scene ('Hundred Mile High City'). 90s alt-pop continues with Cast's 'Free Me', Kula Shaker's hit cover of 'Hush' and Embrace's 'All You Good Good People'. Echo & The Bunnymen returned in '97 with 'Nothing Lasts Forever', and James also scored a Top 10 hit with 'She's A Star'. The Cardigans had a #2 smash with 'Lovefool' and 'Ready To Go' gave Republica a Top 20 chart debut. Next up, some of the years' electronic dance music highlights: - The Chemical Brothers with the massive 'Block Rockin' Beats' ahead of Moby with his re-imagining of the classic film-series theme: 'James Bond Theme (Moby's Re-Version)'. Orbital provided the theme to the remake of 'The Saint' and Smoke City provide trip-hop brilliance with 'Underwater Love', ahead of the disc finishing with the atmospheric version of 'You Showed Me' by The Lightning Seeds' and Suede's plaintive 'Saturday Night'. The final disc opens with a stellar run of 1997's dancefloor gold. Opening with the club juggernaut and #1 'Professional Widow' from Tori Amos, remixed for single release by Armand Van Helden, ahead of the collaboration between Lisa Stansfield and The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on the remix of 'People Hold On', Olive's UK #1 'You're Not Alone', the huge '97 'Now Voyager' remix of 'You Got The Love' from The Source feat. Candi Staton, and 'Remember Me' from Blue Boy. Ultra Nate and Dannii Minogue had euphoric dance-pop smashes with 'Free' and 'All I Wanna Do', which are featured before pan-European hits from Sash! ('Encore Une Fois') and Dario G ('Sunchyme'). Eurovision glory happened for the UK in 1997, and winners Katrina And The Waves with 'Love Shine A Light' are up next before gems from Celine Dion, Backstreet Boys and the second solo #1 for Gary Barlow with 'Love Won't Wait'. Gina G keeps things 'Fresh', No Mercy hit #2 with the infectious 'Where Do You Go', and N-Trance (featuring Rod Stewart) reimagined the classic: 'Da y Think I'm Sexy'. Five achieved a Top 10 debut with 'Slam Dunk (Da Funk)', East 17 enjoyed their 11th visit to the Top 10 with 'Hey Child', and Wet Wet Wet's 'If I Never See You Again' was another Top 5 hit for the enduringly popular band celebrating their 10th anniversary. The journey back to 1997 closes with the huge #1 ballad from the Spice Girls - 'Too Much' - the year's Christmas #1 and their 6th chart-topper in an unbroken run to date... which ends the collection on a perfect pop high. NOW - Yearbook 1997: A celebration of the diversity and creativity in the charts of a truly magical year in pop.
NOW YEARBOOK 1997 / VARIOUS
UNIVERSAL UK
CD
$25.99
Jul 04, 2025
Step back into one of the most exciting years in pop history - a time when boundary-pushing alternative anthems, flawless dancefloor fillers, global megastars and fresh faces all collided on the charts. NOW - Yearbook 1997 celebrates an unforgettable year of hits and this deluxe format features 78 massive tracks across 4 CDs - housed in 'hard-back-book' packaging, including a 28-page booklet featuring a summary of the year and a track-by-track guide. CD1 kicks off in style, with the stunning jazz-drenched ballad from legend George Michael, 'Older', before Natalie Imbruglia's huge debut single 'Torn'. Texas scored a UK top 5 with 'Say What You Want' and Hanson hit the US & UK #1 with 'MMMBop'. 'Barbie Girl' from Aqua and the Spice Girls' anthemic 'Spice Up Your Life' were both #1s and lead a run of pure pop including Boyzone ('Picture Of You'), Louise ('Arms Around The World'), 911 ('Bodyshakin') and Backstreet Boys ('Everybody (Backstreet's Back)') alongside Steps with their debut '5, 6, 7, 8', and Ricky Martin's global smash 'Maria'. Up next is Elton John's superb 'Something About The Way You Look Tonight' - one half of the biggest selling single of all time. Eternal feat. Bebe Winans hit #1 with 'I Wanna Be The Only One' and All Saints made their debut with 'I Know Where It's At'. en Vogue's powerful 'Don't Let Go (Love)' and Gabrielle's remake of 'Walk On By' lead into the discs closing trio: - the atmospheric 'Out Of My Mind' from Duran Duran, the genre-blending #1 'Your Woman' from White Town, and Pet Shop Boys' brilliant version of the musical classic 'Somewhere'. CD2 opens with another George Michael classic from his 'Older' album, the beautiful 'You Have Been Loved', ahead of a second contemporary masterpiece 'Secret Garden' from Bruce Springsteen. Next Up, Paul McCartney's 'Young Boy' and Sheryl Crow's top 10 hit 'A Change Would Do You Good'. Meredith Brooks makes her debut with 'Bitch' and Robbie Williams' 'Old Before I Die', became his second smash as a solo artist. Different styles of dance pop are celebrated in a run of floor fillers including Jamiroquai's groovy 'Alright', and from Tina Moore ('Never Gonna Let You Go (Kelly G. Bump-N-Go Vocal Mix)'), Whitney Houston ('Step By Step') and Lutricia McNeal ('Ain't That Just The Way'). Finley Quaye and Ginuwine feature before rap from LL COOL J enjoying his first UK #1 with 'Ain't Nobody', and Coolio with the ear-worm 'C U When U Get There'. Soulful vocals close this disc with Mary J. Blige's 'Everything', ahead of great covers from Shola Ama with You Might Need Somebody', and 'Wonderful Tonight' from Damage. CD3 kicks off with Radiohead's defining 'Paranoid Android', and Oasis's huge #1 'D'You Know What I Mean?' - the lead single from their third album 'Be Here Now'. Indie-pop anthems follow from The Seahorses ('Love Is The Law'), Supergrass ('Richard III'), The Charlatans ('North Country Boy') and Ocean Colour Scene ('Hundred Mile High City'). 90s alt-pop continues with Cast's 'Free Me', Kula Shaker's hit cover of 'Hush' and Embrace's 'All You Good Good People'. Echo & The Bunnymen returned in '97 with 'Nothing Lasts Forever', and James also scored a Top 10 hit with 'She's A Star'. The Cardigans had a #2 smash with 'Lovefool' and 'Ready To Go' gave Republica a Top 20 chart debut. Next up, some of the years' electronic dance music highlights: - The Chemical Brothers with the massive 'Block Rockin' Beats' ahead of Moby with his re-imagining of the classic film-series theme: 'James Bond Theme (Moby's Re-Version)'. Orbital provided the theme to the remake of 'The Saint' and Smoke City provide trip-hop brilliance with 'Underwater Love', ahead of the disc finishing with the atmospheric version of 'You Showed Me' by The Lightning Seeds' and Suede's plaintive 'Saturday Night'. The final disc opens with a stellar run of 1997's dancefloor gold. Opening with the club juggernaut and #1 'Professional Widow' from Tori Amos, remixed for single release by Armand Van Helden, ahead of the collaboration between Lisa Stansfield and The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on the remix of 'People Hold On', Olive's UK #1 'You're Not Alone', the huge '97 'Now Voyager' remix of 'You Got The Love' from The Source feat. Candi Staton, and 'Remember Me' from Blue Boy. Ultra Nate and Dannii Minogue had euphoric dance-pop smashes with 'Free' and 'All I Wanna Do', which are featured before pan-European hits from Sash! ('Encore Une Fois') and Dario G ('Sunchyme'). Eurovision glory happened for the UK in 1997, and winners Katrina And The Waves with 'Love Shine A Light' are up next before gems from Celine Dion, Backstreet Boys and the second solo #1 for Gary Barlow with 'Love Won't Wait'. Gina G keeps things 'Fresh', No Mercy hit #2 with the infectious 'Where Do You Go', and N-Trance (featuring Rod Stewart) reimagined the classic: 'Da y Think I'm Sexy'. Five achieved a Top 10 debut with 'Slam Dunk (Da Funk)', East 17 enjoyed their 11th visit to the Top 10 with 'Hey Child', and Wet Wet Wet's 'If I Never See You Again' was another Top 5 hit for the enduringly popular band celebrating their 10th anniversary. The journey back to 1997 closes with the huge #1 ballad from the Spice Girls - 'Too Much' - the year's Christmas #1 and their 6th chart-topper in an unbroken run to date... which ends the collection on a perfect pop high. NOW - Yearbook 1997: A celebration of the diversity and creativity in the charts of a truly magical year in pop.
NOW PRESENTS 12 INCH 80S: VOL 2 1983-1984 / VAR
UNIVERSAL UK
Vinyl
$160.49
Oct 24, 2025
Now Music is proud to announce the second of this vinyl series, 'NOW Presents. 12-inch 80s: Volume Two: 1983-1984', as a stunning 5-LP boxset. Kicking off in 1983 with Wham and the 12-inch version of their #2 smash 'Bad Boys' ahead of the massive collaboration between Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson on 'Say Say Say' in it's extended version. Spandau Ballet, Eurythmics and The Cure with the extended version of 'The Lovecats' complete the first side, and Tears For Fears open the flip side with 'Change' ahead of some of the best extended pop from '83, including from Altered Images, Haysi Fantayzee, Men Without Hats, and finishing with the extended version of the debut hit for Marilyn 'Calling Your Name'. LP2's first side is a celebration of 1983's fusion of synth-pop, electronic beats and hip-hop influence and vocals. First up, the most successful 12-inch single of the decade; 'Blue Monday' from New Order, alongside the massive 'I.O.U' (Megamix) from Freeez, Rock Steady Crew's extended version of '(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew' and the genre-melding 'Double Dutch' from Malcolm McLaren - while over on Side B, huge floor-fillers from Lionel Richie with the 12-inch Version of 'All Night Long (All Night)', KC & The Sunshine Band with the #1 'Give It Up', here in it's 'John Luongo Disco Mix', plus Donna Summer, Laura Branigan and Matthew Wilder's enduringly popular 'Break My Stride'. LP3 contains a mixture of essential 12-inches from both '83 and '84, with a trio of iconic tracks opening; extended mixes of Heaven 17's 'Temptation' and The Human League's '(Keep Feeling) Fascination', along with the first Top 10 hit 'Love On Your Side', the 'Rap Boy Rap' version from Thompson Twins. More peerless pop from Bananarama and Adam Ant finish side A - whilst side B celebrates Hi-Energy gold from Frankie Goes To Hollywood with the 'New York Mix' of 'Relax', Evelyn Thomas and the extended anthemic 'High Energy' alongside Bronski Beat with 'Why' and Dead Or Alive's breakthrough chart hit 'That's The Way (I Like It)' in it's extended version. LP4 opens with a side of massive chart hits from Culture Club with their mash-up US 12-inch mix of 'It's A Miracle' and 'Miss Me Blind' and Tina Turner with her signature 'What's Love Got To Do With It' (Extended 12-inch Remix), 'I Feel For You' hit the top spot for Chaka Khan, and Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel had a massive hit with 'White Lines (Don't Do It)' - the 12-inch Long Version is included here. Flip the LP over for more essential h-energy from Hazell Dean and Divine, plus '80s disco favourites from The Pointer Sisters and Miami Sound Machine. The final LP kicks off with the 'Dance Mix' of Duran Duran's huge #1 'The Reflex' ahead of extended versions of 1984's sophisticated synth pop from Nik Kershaw and Howard Jones, plus Scritti Politti with their sublime 'Absolute' (Version), before the side closes with the 12-inch Version of 'Pearly Dewdrops' Drops' - a timeless gem from the Cocteau Twins and over on the last side three incredible 12-inches: 'The Killing Moon' gave Echo & The Bunnymen their second Top 10 single and has become a contemporary classic - featured here as the 12-inch 'Up All Night Version' - Propaganda made their debut with 'Dr Mabuse' and 'Das Testament Des Dr Mabuse' (12-inch Edit for Germany) still sounds as breathtaking 40 years on - and to close this amazing collection, a second appearance from Frankie Goes To Hollywood: 'Two Tribes', was not only their second single in the decade end Top 5, but also spent longer - 9 weeks - at #1 than any other song - and the legendary 'Annihilation' mix is the perfect way to sign off on this stunning collection, bringing 44 essential 12-inch versions together on one vinyl set.
LAST DANCE
ECM RECORDS
Vinyl
$44.49
Nov 10, 2014
2014 2X vinyl LP pressing. Jarrett & Haden broaden the scope of their duo project to showcase jazz classics like Thelonious Monk's Round Midnight and Bud Powell's spritely Dance of the Infidels. Love songs, however, are to the fore in this selection, with tender versions of My Old Flame, My Ship, It Might As Well Be Spring, Everything Happens to Me, & Every Time We Say Goodbye as well as alternate takes of Where Can I Go Without You and Goodbye, every bit as touching as the Jasmine renditions. 'When we play together it's like two people singing', said Jarrett of his reunion with Haden. The intentions of the song are honored, the shades of meaning in a melody or a lyric explored instrumentally. As Charlie Haden put it, 'Keith really listens, and I listen'. That's the secret. It's about listening'. The music of Last Dance was recorded at Keith Jarrett's home studio.
COZY YOU (AND OTHER NICE SONGS)
VERVE
Vinyl
$21.49
Jun 06, 2025
Vinyl LP pressing. 2025 release. Aron!'s debut EP 'cozy you (and other nice songs)' is a collection of timeless pop jazz songs touching on romance, heartbreak, and life's complexities- all with an inviting warmth and charm. His memorable voice and clever songwriting bring a decidedly modern perspective to jazz that is somehow simultaneously classic and fresh. 'It's singer-songwriter jazz. I've always resonated with the real romantics from the old school. I realized people are going through the same things now as they were back then. Heartbreak is heartbreak, and love is love. We're all humans. I'm doing what feels authentic to me'. - aron!
SINGULAR SIMONE: THE CHRONOLOGICAL 45S 1959-1962
JASMINE RECORDS
CD
$11.99
Sep 19, 2025
One of the highest profile names in black American music, the iconic Nina Simone is worthy of all the praise that has been showered on her across the past six-and-a-bit decades. An earlier 2CD set from Jasmine showcasing Nina's first LPs has been a consistent seller for Jasmine for a few years, and we are now complementing with a single CD that brings together the a sides of her first dozen singles for Bethlehem and Colpix records, plus a handful of selected B sides, for what we believe is the first multi-label overview of her earliest 45s. Several of our featured selections would go on to be associated with her for her entire career, including her first hit 'I Loves You Porgy', 'Work Song', 'Trouble In Mind' and her greatly belated 80s hit 'My Baby Just Cares For Me'. All tracks are featured in their singles versions, and are presented in the order in which they were originally released. Even with an abundance of Nina on the market, we feel there's always going to be room for one that showcases only her early 45s, and that's the raison d'etre behind our release of "Singular Simone" Handsomely presented, with a cover that pays homage to her early albums, this is the perfect introduction to the genuine musical legend that is Nina Simone
I WAS BORN RUTH LEE JONES BUT I AM SINGING AS
GET BACK
CD
$23.99
Oct 21, 2008
An astonishing collection and piece of blues history, this album caresses your ears with some of the finest tunes by the Queen of Blues who, despite her short life, managed to impose her trademark vocal style on generations of blues makers. Featured here are classics like "Evil Gal Blues," "Since I Fell for You" and a remarkable version of "Please Send Me Someone to Love" written by Percy "Hit the Road Jack" Mayfield.
SOUND OF HOLLYWOOD
ELOQUENCE AUSTRALIA
CD
$91.38
Dec 01, 2023
The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra breathed new life into the orchestral pops repertoire, told new stories and brought in new audiences when it was revived under the conductor John Mauceri in the 1990s. At the centrepiece of this collection are all of the original HBO albums released by Philips from 1991-1996. From Gershwin to Ligeti, The Firebird to Edward Scissorhands, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra breathed new life into the orchestral 'pops' repertoire, told new stories and brought in new audiences when it was revived under the conductor John Mauceri in 1990. From the start, they played to capacity audiences at the Hollywood Bowl, where the Los Angeles Philharmonic had been giving concerts since 1922. Now reformed as a separate ensemble - 'the world's greatest pick-up band', auditioned by Mauceri and his colleagues from freelancers across the West Coast - the new Hollywood Bowl Orchestra played a huge repertoire of classical, contemporary, film and Broadway, and recorded the highlights for Philips. The mastermind behind their artistic success and uniquely diverse repertoire was Mauceri, a protege of Leonard Bernstein, who had long worked with equal success in opera, the symphony and musical theatre. Mauceri made the connections that link Holst and Ravel to John Williams and Hans Zimmer, the Korngold and Schoenberg of Vienna to their later identities in California. He showed in sound as well as word how 'Golden Age' Hollywood film scores developed from the world of European late-Romanticism and modernism. Mauceri and his colleagues dug deep into studio libraries to unearth the best, the most original and complete scores available for pieces such as The King and I and familiar 'standards' often heard in much later orchestrations. They worked with great singers from all backgrounds, including (featured in this set) Julia Andrews, Patti LuPone and Sylvia McNair. Each individual HBO album was curated by Mauceri to tell a familiar story - love scenes, nightmares, waltzes, the space age, the passing of a day - from an unexpected angle. The box also includes Mauceri's Decca albums of My Fair Lady, starring Kiri Te Kanawa and Jeremy Irons, and 'Schoenberg in Hollywood' (part of the label's Entartete Musik series). A booklet essay by Peter Quantrill traces the genesis of the revived Hollywood Bowl Orchestra through Mauceri's reflections. Costa Pilavachi, who masterminded many of these recordings for Philips offers his own personal insights. Whichever side of the musical tracks you're from, 'The Sound of Hollywood' will take you on new journeys, to unfamiliar destinations.
WONDERFUL
CELLAR LIVE
CD
$12.40
Feb 16, 2024
Mike Ledonne & Groover Quartet + Gospel Choir - Wonderful / Mike LeDonne expands the sound of the quartet with the most beautiful instrument of all - the human voice by way of a 14 piece gospel choir! - Love is the organic thread that ties the repertoire together. You could say this is a love letter to my wife Margaret and my daughter Mary (pictured on the cover) to whom the title track "Wonderful" is dedicated. It is also meant to shine a particularly bright light on my daughter Mary, who is multiply disabled and truly "Wonderful". I chose the titles for their significance to my life's journey after my daughter Mary made her entrance 19 years ago - a journey that has proven to me, without a doubt, that love is the most powerful force in the universe. I can't even begin to list all the incredible things I've learned from her, but it was my love for her that led me to start the Disability Pride Parade in New York City. The idea was to bring large numbers of the disability community out for a joyous day of celebrating who and what they really are: just another diverse and beautiful aspect of humanity. I hoped that once non-disabled people saw this big party coming down the street, they would want to join it, and that is exactly what happened. Once the hang was on, barriers and divisions fell away, and the word "disability" began to be redefined. When I started out, I had no idea how to create a parade or a non-profit organization, but through Mary I found strengths in myself that I didn't know I had. When people thank me for my work creating the parade, I always tell them it wasn't me - it was Mary. Mike LeDonne
LITTLE GIRL BLUE
BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMEN
CD
$15.49
Aug 13, 2021
Little Girl Blue (also known as Jazz As Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club) is the debut album by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Nina Simone. It was originally released by Bethlehem Records in February 1959. At the time, Simone was in her mid-20s and still aspiring to be a classical concert pianist. The album includes the classic tracks "My Baby Just Cares For Me," "Mood Indigo," as well as "I Loves You, Porgy," which was her first Top 20 hit (#18 / #2 "US R&B"). Pressed on 180-Gram audiophile vinyl. Featuring a brand new stereo remaster by four-time Grammy winner Michael Graves as well as vinyl remastering by Kevin Gray. Includes new essay by author of Liner Notes For The Revolution, Daphne A. Brooks.
FITZGERALD & PASS... AGAIN
ANALOGUE PROD.
Vinyl
$59.99
Sep 20, 2024
Ella Fitzgerald, often referred to as the 'First Lady of Song,' and Joe Pass, a legendary jazz guitarist, collaborated on four duet albums together. This album, their second, has endured as a classic in the jazz canon, remaining highly regarded by jazz enthusiasts and musicians alike. Fitzgerald's performance on this album, released in 1976, won her the 1977 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Fitzgerald's celebrated musicianship remained exceptional after four decades in the limelight, and her ability to get inside the meaning of a lyric and convey it to an audience had been woefully underestimated. Pass, who gets to display the subtler aspects of his own virtuosity and his overlooked strengths as an accompanist, was the perfect partner for an effort where the relaxed 'after hours' feeling intensified the level of communication. Duke Ellington's songbook is generously represented by four titles, 'Tis Autumn' and 'Tennessee Waltz' are transformed, and there are spellbinding wordless performances of 'Rain' and 'One Note Samba.' Cut from existing metal parts mastered by Doug Sax from the original analog master tape, and pressed at Quality Record Pressings for optimal sound quality, this Analogue Productions 180-gram reissue is a must-have for jazz fans. Housed in a single pocket Stoughton Printing tip-on jacket. 180-gram vinyl Cut from existing metal parts mastered by Doug Sax from the original analog master tape Pressed at Quality Record Pressings Housed in Stoughton Printing tip-on single pocket jacket Tracklist: Side 1 1. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues (4:04) 2. 'Tis Autumn (5:05) 3. My Old Flame (4:49) 4. That Old Feeling (2:45) 5. Rain (2:20) 6. I Didn't Know About You (4:41) 7. You Took Advantage Of Me (3:35) Side B 1. I've Got The World On A String (4:05) 2. All Too Soon (4:24) 3. The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else) (4:04) 4. Solitude (3:41) 5. Nature boy (2:26) 6. Tennessee Waltz (3:35) 7. one Note Samba (5:00)
NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL THE 70'S / VARIOUS
UNIVERSAL UK
CD
$23.49
Jun 06, 2025
It's time to celebrate an incredible decade in pop music - and with so many huge hits to choose from we had to make this a 100 track selection across 5 CDs - including more than 40 #1 singles... immerse yourself in rock, glam, disco, punk, new wave, soul, easy listening and pure pop gold... 'NOW That's What I Call The 70s'! Kicking off with one of Queen's best loved anthems, 'Don't Stop Me Now' ahead of the timeless 'Mr Blue Sky' from Electric Light Orchestra, and the brilliant 'Baker Street' from Gerry Rafferty. Four of 1979's #1s are next from The Police, Blondie, Gary Numan and The Buggles - with the latter two pointing the way toward the next decade with their synth led sound. A run of punk and new wave classics from The Boomtown Rats, The Clash, Pretenders, The Undertones and Siouxsie And The Banshees feature ahead of the 1975 chart topper 'Make Me Smile...' from Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, and iconic hits 'American Pie', and 'Maggie May' from Don McLean and Rod Stewart respectively. The first CD closes with 'Mississippi' - a pop-country #1 from Pussycat, Dolly Parton with the unforgettable 'Jolene', and Neil Diamond with the enduringly popular 'Sweet Caroline'. Rock in the '70s is represented on Disc 2 by Bruce Springsteen with his signature 'Born To Run', Meat Loaf with the epic drama of 'Bat Out Of Hell', Status Quo with 'Rockin' All Over The World' - their Top 3 smash from 1977, that nearly 8 years later would open 'Live Aid', and Thin Lizzy with 'The Boys Are Back In Town'. R&B legends Ike & Tina Turner hit with 'Nutbush City Limits', and Joan Armatrading made her debut with the beautiful 'Love And Affection'. Legendary soul follows from Marvin Gaye with 'What's Going On' and The Stylistics with 'You Make Me Feel Brand New' - and staying with huge ballads, Harry Nilsson and Chicago both hit #1 with their masterful love songs. Justin Hayward had a massive hit with 'Forever Autumn', and Billy Joel had his second UK hit with 'My Life'. In the wake of his death, 'Way Down' hit #1 for Elvis Presley, while rock & roll revivalists' close the second disc - Showaddywaddy with their chart topper 'Under The Moon Of Love', and Darts with their debut hit 'Daddy Cool / The Girl Can't Help It'. Disco was a massive genre with some of the greatest stars and biggest hits of the decade featured - Donna Summer opens with her version of 'MacArthur Park' ahead of a trio of #1s from Gloria Gaynor with 'I Will Survive', 'YMCA' from Village People, and Baccara with 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie'. Chic, Sister Sledge and Earth, Wind & Fire all enjoyed massive hits along with Barry White who hit the top spot in 1974 with 'You're The First, The Last, My Everything'. More dance-floor-filling #1s are up next from The Four Seasons, George McCrae and Tina Charles plus more disco smashes from Heatwave and Odyssey before slowing for soul infused ballads from Rose Royce with 'Love Don't Live Here Anymore', and Commodores with their 1978 #1 'Three Times A Lady'. The CD winds down with essential easy-listening-pop from Dean Friedman w/ Denise Marsa, Kiki Dee, Shirley Bassey and #1s from Demis Roussos and Manhattan Transfer with 'Chanson D'Amour'. Stars don't come much bigger than Elton John, and Disc Four opens with his timeless classic 'Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time)' before huge pop #1s from David Essex and Gilbert O'Sullivan. Glam rock & pop ruled the charts from 1972 to 1974 and from those years, Mott The Hoople, Roxy Music, Sparks and Alvin Stardust are featured alongside #1s from Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Wizzard and 1974's biggest seller 'Tiger Feet' from Mud. Also #1 in the same year were The Rubettes with 'Sugar Baby Love', and unforgettable pop gems from Pilot with 'Magic' and Bay City Rollers with 'Shang-A-Lang' are included. The disc moves towards it's close with some of the decade's biggest soul hits; The Three Degrees and Freda Payne topped the charts with 'When Will I See You Again' and 'Band Of Gold' - and Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross reinforced their superstar status. 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' by Simon & Garfunkel has become one of the most loved songs of all time - and this 1970 #1 starts off our final disc, ahead of 10cc's classic 'I'm Not In Love'. The run of stunning ballads continues with Bread, Roberta Flack and 'When I Need You', #1 in 1977 from Leo Sayer. Hot Chocolate hit the top with 'So You Win Again' - and Boney M. not only hit #1 in 1978 with 'Rivers Of Babylon', but it became the year's best seller and sold over 2 million copies. Althea & Donna and Carl Douglas achieved truly original #1s with 'Uptown Top Ranking' and 'Kung Fu Fighting' whilst Jackson 5, Billy Ocean, and The Wombles also enjoyed massive pop success. 1976's biggest seller was the UK's entrant to the Eurovision Song Contest - the winning song 'Save Your Kisses For Me' from Brotherhood Of Man, and it opens a trio of pure pop classics that also feature Dawn feat. Tony Orlando and The New Seekers. Our final five selections from this amazing decade include #1s from Terry Jacks and David Soul, 'Devil Woman' from Cliff Richard which went on to become one of his most popular songs, Olivia Newton-John with the anthemic karaoke favourite 'Hopelessly Devoted To You' from the 'Grease' soundtrack - and
As I Love You - The Complete Shirley Bassey 1956-1962
Frémeaux
CD
$53.99
Jan 23, 2026
CD1 : STORMY WEATHER - THE WAYWARD WIND - AFTER THE LIGHTS GO DOWN LOW - IF YOU DON't LOVE ME - TRALA LA - IF I HAD A NEEDLE AND THREAD - TONIGHT MY HEART SHE IS CRYING - PUH-LEEZE! MISTER BROWN - TAKE MY LOVE, TAKE MY LOVE. BORN TO SING THE BLUES : BORN TO SING THE BLUES - BEALE STREET BLUES - WABASH BLUES - BASIN STREET BLUES - THE BIRTH OF THE BLUES - CARELESS LOVE BLUES - BLUES IN THE NIGHT (MY MAMA DONE TOLD ME) - THE ST. LOUIS BLUES. Shirley Bassey AT THE CAFe DE PARIS : BORN TO SING THE BLUES - SOMEBODY LOVES ME - MY BODY'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY MIND - SEX - I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN - HANDS ACROSS THE SEA - THERE'S NEVER BEEN A NIGHT. CD2. THE BEWITCHING Shirley Bassey : BURN MY CANDLE - NIGHT AND DAY - CRAZY RHYTHM - THE WALL - THE BANANA BOAT SONG - THE GYPSY IN MY SOUL - LOVE FOR SALE - FROM THIS MOMENT ON - KISS ME, HONEY HONEY, KISS ME - YOU YOU ROMEO - MY FUNNY VALENTINE - HOW ABOUT YOU? - FIRE DOWN BELOW - AS I LOVE YOU. THE FABULOUS Shirley Bassey : A FOGGY DAY IN LONDON TOWN - I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN - CRY ME A RIVER - APRIL IN PARIS - I'VE NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE - THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY - 'S WONDERFUL - I'LL REMEMBER APRIL - EASY TO LOVE - NO ONE EVER TELLS YOU - THEY CAN't TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME - THE PARTY'S OVER. CD3. : IF YOU LOVE ME - COUNT ON ME. SHOWBOAT : CAN't HELP LOVIN' DAT MAN - BILL - WITH THESE HANDS - AS LONG AS HE NEEDS ME - ABOVE ALL OTHERS. SHIRLEY : IN STILL OF THE NIGHT - LET THERE BE LOVE - ALL AT ONCE (DeJÀ) - FOR EVERY MAN THERE'S A WOMAN - I'm IN THE MOOD FOR LOV - SO IN LOVE - IF I WERE A BELL - THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU - HOORAY FOR LOVE - TOO LATE NOW - I'm SHOOTING HIGH - EV'RY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE. CD4. : YOU'LL NEVER KNOW - HOLD ME TIGHT - REACH FOR THE STARS - I'LL GET BY (AS LONG AS I HAVE YOU). Shirley Bassey : LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING - THE NEARNESS OF YOU - FOOLS RUSH IN - WHO ARE WE? - ANGEL EYES - TILL - A LOVELY WAY TO SPEND AN EVENING - THIS LOVE OF MINE - YOU'RE NEARER - GOODBYE LOVER - HELLO FRIEND - WHERE OR WHEN - WHERE ARE YOU - CLIMB EV'RY MOUNTAIN - TONIGHT - LET'S START ALL OVER AGAIN. CD5. YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE - AVE MARIA - FAR AWAY - MY FAITH - ANGEL D'AMORE - WHERE SHALL I FIND HIM - IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING. LET'S FACE THE MUSIC : LET'S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE - I SHOULD CARE - LET'S FALL IN LOVE - THE SECOND TIME AROUND - IMAGINATION - ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE - I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - EVERYTHING I HAVE IS YOURS - SPRING IS HERE - ALL OF ME - I CAN't GET YOU OUT OF MY MIND - WHAT NOW MY LOVE - WHAT KIND OF FOOL AM I. DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE : OLIVIER JULIEN
SI
DECCA
Vinyl
$44.99
Nov 16, 2018
Andrea Bocelli has teamed up with some of the hottest musical stars on the planet for his forthcoming album Si reuniting with his friend Ed Sheeran after their chart-topping Perfect Symphony on a brand new song called Amo Soltanto Te (written by Ed with lyrics by Tiziano Ferro) and joining with pop sensation Dua Lipa on the single If Only. Crossover superstar Josh Groban and classical soprano Aida Garifullina also duet with Bocelli on the record, which is released on Sugar/Decca on 26th October. It is his first album of new material in 14 years 16 brand new songs which celebrate love, family, faith and hope. At the centre of the new record is a spine-tingling duet between father-and-son, as 20 year-old Matteo Bocelli steps into the limelight to duet with Andrea on Fall On Me a beautifully poignant song which reflects the bond between parent and child. It will appear in the end credits of the hotly-anticipated new Disney film, The Nutcracker and The Four Realms, starring Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman, to be released on 2nd November. Andrea explains how his voice compares with Matteo's: Technically they are very different, but there is one thing that makes them most similar: the attitude. That characteristic way of expressing yourself through your voice. This makes Matteo and I very similar. But that is something that you cannot learn, that cannot be taught. That is something you are born with.
Elgar: The Dream Of Gerontius Op. 38 / Elder, Groves, Terfel, Coote, Et Al
Halle
CD
$32.99
Oct 01, 2008
A remarkable achievement.
Last year, when I surveyed most of the available recordings of The Dream of Gerontius, I expressed the hope that Mark Elder, as he then was, and his Hallé forces might make a commercial recording of the work. That hope was inspired by the remarkable performance that they had given at the 2005 Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, which, as I commented at the time, made a great impression on me. Having re-listened to it more than once in the off-air recording I made, I now feel it was, quite simply, the finest live account of the work that I ever expect to hear. And now, with almost identical forces, the newly-knighted Sir Mark Elder has made a studio recording. It comes too late for the 150th anniversary of Elgar’s birth but instead, and more fittingly, perhaps, it marks the Hallé’s own 150th birthday, which falls this year.
The inevitable question is: has it been worth the wait for this recording? The answer is an unequivocal "yes".
The American tenor, Paul Groves, reprises the role of Gerontius, as I hoped he would. I hadn’t realised it at the time but we learn from the booklet biography that his performance at the 2005 Proms was his debut in the role, which makes his achievement that night all the more remarkable. His greatest virtue of all, it seems to me, is the clarity and ease of his singing. Every note is hit right in the centre and his voice has an exciting and pleasing ring. The top notes are always true and secure. I followed in the score but, frankly, that was superfluous as far as the text is concerned for Groves’ diction is crystal clear – as, indeed, is that of the other soloists and the choirs.
In Part I Elgar sets his tenor a task that is almost impossible. The singer must try to suggest the frailty of a man on his death bed while, at the same time, he must be able to deliver heroic, dramatic passages, such as ‘Sanctus fortis’. Groves is fully equal to the dramatic sections though sometimes he does sound a little too healthy for a dying man. ‘Sanctus fortis’ is a huge test and it’s one that Groves passes with flying colours. He starts it in ringing, forthright voice but later on, just before cue 48 in the vocal score, he shades off the end of the phrase "Parce mihi, Domine" with great sensitivity. In this aria, and frequently during the performance as a whole, he demonstrates prodigious breath control. One example occurs in ‘Sanctus fortis’, where the whole eight-bar phrase, "For the love of Him alone, Holy Church as his creation" is taken in one span, where most tenors take a breath, quite legitimately, after the comma. Later, the first phrase of ‘Take me away’ is one glorious, seamless whole, as it should be but often isn’t. Returning to ‘Sanctus fortis’, there’s a lovely piangendo at cue 53, when the words "Sanctus fortis" are repeated gently by Gerontius, and then the phrase "O Jesu, help" is truly anguished. Groves’ delivery of the climatic "In Thine own agony", top B flat and all, is magnificent. In all, his performance of this testing keynote aria is very fine.
Part II brings different demands for the tenor soloist. Now he represents the soul of the dead Gerontius. Quite a bit of the music in Part I required the vocal resources of a heldentenor but the opening pages of Part II needs the subtlety of a lieder singer. I’m not sure that Groves is quite successful in these passages. The clear, pleasing singing remains a constant feature but he doesn’t seem to delve as deeply into the words as do some of his distinguished predecessors in the role. As an example, I compared the first solo – "I went to sleep" - as sung on disc by John Mitchinson (for Rattle) and by Anthony Rolfe Johnson (Vernon Handley). Both are so much more responsive to the words and both also sing more quietly. Groves can’t quite match those experienced masters of the role. But he brings his own insights and subtleties to the part and his dialogue with the Angel is intelligently and sensitively sung. Inspired, no doubt, by the presence of an audience, he was a touch more spontaneous at times in the live Proms performance. On the other hand, on that occasion he had to project into a huge acoustic. Here, recording under studio conditions, he can offer a more subtly nuanced reading. The last section of the role, the aria ‘Take me away’, is another hugely demanding solo. Groves’ opening is superb. Later on, perhaps, a little more dynamic contrast would have been welcome but his fervour – not overdone - firm tone and excellent breath control offer ample compensation and the final phrase – "there let me be" – is most affecting.
Alice Coote, who was the Angel in the Proms performance, once again takes the role for the recording. Like Paul Groves she offers much but I found it interesting to compare this performance with her live account. To my ears her voice has a slight edge to it at times in this present performance and her tone doesn’t have quite the same degree of warmth and fullness that she exhibited at the Proms. That said, she is right inside the role, she sings with feeling and commitment and her performance gives a great deal of pleasure. I like, for example, the inflection she brings to the words, "this child of clay". A little later on, she has the right amount of legato and warmth for "A presage falls upon thee." That wonderful passage "There was a mortal" is done with appropriate inwardness – I think she does this passage even better here than in the Proms performance. Her account of the celebrated Farewell is lovely. She brings compassion and dignity to this solo and sends the Soul of Gerontius on his way in a most reassuring way.
There is one change to the line up of soloists that took part in the Prom performance and it’s a significant one. In place of Matthew Best, who sang in 2005, Bryn Terfel sings the two bass solos. This is luxury casting indeed. Terfel is a magisterial Priest. His opening phrases are delivered with all the power and sonority that one would expect from this singer. However, I was delighted to note how, as the aria unfolds, he’s attentive to Elgar’s dynamic markings, which are often quiet, and by so doing he makes the Priest’s words properly prayerful. He’s an imposing Angel of The Agony, singing this dramatic solo quite splendidly. One relishes the sheer amplitude of his voice but, once again, one notes how attentive he is to the dynamic markings – and it makes such a difference. Often I’ve found that a soloist is more suited to one of these two solos than the other but on this occasion Terfel is completely successful in both.
At the Proms performance the Hallé Youth Choir, a mixed-voice choir whose members are aged between twelve and nineteen years, sang the crucial semi chorus parts. Their contribution was important then and I’m delighted to find them similarly involved this time. The involvement of these young singers, for whom this recording must have been a tremendous experience, gives this performance an edge over most of its CD rivals. Benjamin Britten scored a significant coup by using the choir of King’s College, Cambridge as the semi chorus when he recorded Gerontius in 1971 and I wonder if Sir Mark Elder had that precedent in mind. The use of young voices, with their completely different timbre, results in a sharp and very telling contrast and I find the effect is really exciting and atmospheric. The writing for the semi chorus is often extremely exposed but the young Hallé singers rise to the challenge superbly and their fresh, youthful voices add an additional and very welcome dimension to the choral sound. I think their involvement is a major success and I applaud it unreservedly.
Their adult colleagues in the main Hallé Choir are also on top form. They’ve obviously been prepared superbly by their chorus master, James Burton. So, every strand is clear in "Be merciful" and they bring real bite and urgency to "Rescue him." In the Demons’ Chorus their singing is virile and has excellent definition. Perhaps they could have snarled a bit more but it’s an exciting account of the chorus. Equally fine is ‘Praise to the Holiest’ and, towards the end, they are clear, controlled and atmospheric at "Lord, Thou hast been our refuge", never an easy passage to bring off.
The orchestral contribution is, if anything, even finer. From the very start of the Prelude to Part I you sense we’re in for something a bit special. The playing glows here and elsewhere. Dynamics are beautifully observed, the rhythms are well articulated and there’s a consistent feeling that the players are right inside the idiom and playing with belief. Two things are worthy of special comment. Firstly, the engineers have contrived to balance the organ beautifully so that whenever it plays it enriches the textures without being unduly prominent. Secondly, the harp part is hugely important and once again, the instrument is balanced perfectly so that time and again one is aware of its importance yet it never draws unwarranted attention to itself.
But for all the splendour of these contributions the whole is knitted into something much greater than the sum of its parts by Sir Mark Elder. Writing of his Prom performance I suggested that one or two of his tempi were a fraction too fleet. I have no such feelings here. I cannot recall a single bar in the whole score when I felt that the pacing wasn’t just right. Elder has demonstrated in several previous Elgar recordings and performances that he is a master interpreter of this composer. This superb interpretation confirms that judgement in spades. His shaping of the Prelude is masterly and that sets the tone for the whole performance. He is scrupulous in his observance of Elgar’s markings and in many ways that’s the key to success in Elgar performance for the composer was copious in the indications he gave in the score and if a conductor trusts Elgar and follows the markings that’s more than half the battle.
The performance has huge sweep and conviction but there are also many small points that show Elder’s meticulous and perceptive attention to detail. One example comes in the Prelude a couple of bars before cue 17 when the orchestra plays a quiet, stabbing chord, with the gong adding a frisson. Elder places and balances that chord to perfection. Move on to the short, hushed Prelude to Part II, for the strings alone. Elder obtains miraculous, luminous textures from his players and in a mere twenty-six bars he establishes an otherworldly atmosphere, just as Elgar intended. Best of all, at cue 3 the dynamic marking is an incredible pppp. Elder achieves precisely that and the effect is superb. Only one other conductor in my experience has matched this, namely Simon Rattle in his 1986 EMI recording, but to be honest, I think even Rattle is put in the shade at this point. These are very small points in themselves but they catch the ear and show the scrupulous attention to detail that has gone into the preparation of this performance.
Elder, however, is anything but a micro-manager. He is magnificent in the big moments. The end of Part I, after the chorus has joined the bass soloist at "Go, in the name of Angels and Archangels", is brought off expertly. Every strand of Elgar’s many-layered tableau is given its proper weight and the whole passage causes the eyes – or my eyes, at any rate – to prickle, as it should. Even better is the long build up to ‘Praise to the Holiest’. This long passage, after the Angel’s solo "There was a mortal" is challenging, but Elder’s direction is superbly assured. Once again, all the various strands - semi chorus, chorus, orchestra and two soloists - are knitted together perfectly. One thing I admired particularly is the way in which Elder paces the several short sections marked Poco più animato with a vernal eagerness and then observes the decelerations, marked by Elgar, to perfection. Here the ladies of the chorus and the younger ladies in the semi chorus sing with a wide-eyed freshness that is completely appropriate to Angelicals. The whole passage is an unqualified success and Elder builds the tension and the atmosphere so that when the choir erupts at "Praise to the Holiest" it is as if great gold doors have been thrown open to reveal blinding light. Elder handles the ensuing chorus masterfully. The last pages, from cue 94 onwards, are tremendously exciting without recourse to excessive speed as Sakari Oramo does on his CBSO recording (see review). The end of the chorus bids fair to lift the roof off the Bridgewater Hall yet Elder’s forces have more to give and manage to observe the crescendo on the last, long chord. It’s a thrilling moment.
One more example of Elder’s perceptive command of the score and of his forces will suffice. In Part II, starting at cue 114, is the remarkable passage where Gerontius sings, "I go before my Judge", followed by the choir’s muffled entreaties, "Be merciful". Elder distils the most incredible atmosphere in these bars. The music has an awestruck quality that I’ve never heard brought out so well. It sounds as if everyone – Paul Groves, the choirs, the orchestra – is on tenterhooks, scarcely daring to articulate the notes. It’s the most remarkable piece of music making imaginable.
So how can I sum up this recording? I think it’s a remarkable achievement and I have been greatly moved by hearing it. Paul Groves and Alice Coote both deliver very fine performances. I feel that both gave a little more in terms of spontaneity during the Proms performance, inspired by the presence of an audience. On the other hand, under studio conditions they achieve some subtle points that were not possible in the huge arena that is the Royal Albert Hall. Bryn Terfel is a superb addition to the cast. The choirs and orchestra are on inspired form and Sir Mark Elder confirms that he is the finest Elgar interpreter now before the public. Under his inspired leadership the white-hot inspiration of Elgar’s visionary score comes alive.
The performance is captured in excellent, atmospheric sound. The recording doesn’t quite have the punch and presence of the Oramo recording but it’s not far short in terms of immediacy. The forces are splendidly and truthfully balanced and the whole project is a great success for the engineers. The notes are by Michael Kennedy and up to that fine writer’s usual immaculate standard.
It has been well worth the wait for this recording. For over forty years Sir John Barbirolli’s great 1964 recording of Gerontius has dominated the catalogue. I’m sure he would rejoice that, in their 150th anniversary year, his beloved Hallé and their distinguished current Music Director have produced a worthy successor and one that offers irrefutable proof that the Elgar tradition of the Hallé is being maintained in the twenty-first century. Let us hope that Sir Mark will go on to give us new and equally fine recordings of Apostles and Kingdom but even if that doesn’t happen they have done Elgar proud with this distinguished recording which I have found to be a very moving experience.
-- John Quinn, MusicWeb International
Last year, when I surveyed most of the available recordings of The Dream of Gerontius, I expressed the hope that Mark Elder, as he then was, and his Hallé forces might make a commercial recording of the work. That hope was inspired by the remarkable performance that they had given at the 2005 Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, which, as I commented at the time, made a great impression on me. Having re-listened to it more than once in the off-air recording I made, I now feel it was, quite simply, the finest live account of the work that I ever expect to hear. And now, with almost identical forces, the newly-knighted Sir Mark Elder has made a studio recording. It comes too late for the 150th anniversary of Elgar’s birth but instead, and more fittingly, perhaps, it marks the Hallé’s own 150th birthday, which falls this year.
The inevitable question is: has it been worth the wait for this recording? The answer is an unequivocal "yes".
The American tenor, Paul Groves, reprises the role of Gerontius, as I hoped he would. I hadn’t realised it at the time but we learn from the booklet biography that his performance at the 2005 Proms was his debut in the role, which makes his achievement that night all the more remarkable. His greatest virtue of all, it seems to me, is the clarity and ease of his singing. Every note is hit right in the centre and his voice has an exciting and pleasing ring. The top notes are always true and secure. I followed in the score but, frankly, that was superfluous as far as the text is concerned for Groves’ diction is crystal clear – as, indeed, is that of the other soloists and the choirs.
In Part I Elgar sets his tenor a task that is almost impossible. The singer must try to suggest the frailty of a man on his death bed while, at the same time, he must be able to deliver heroic, dramatic passages, such as ‘Sanctus fortis’. Groves is fully equal to the dramatic sections though sometimes he does sound a little too healthy for a dying man. ‘Sanctus fortis’ is a huge test and it’s one that Groves passes with flying colours. He starts it in ringing, forthright voice but later on, just before cue 48 in the vocal score, he shades off the end of the phrase "Parce mihi, Domine" with great sensitivity. In this aria, and frequently during the performance as a whole, he demonstrates prodigious breath control. One example occurs in ‘Sanctus fortis’, where the whole eight-bar phrase, "For the love of Him alone, Holy Church as his creation" is taken in one span, where most tenors take a breath, quite legitimately, after the comma. Later, the first phrase of ‘Take me away’ is one glorious, seamless whole, as it should be but often isn’t. Returning to ‘Sanctus fortis’, there’s a lovely piangendo at cue 53, when the words "Sanctus fortis" are repeated gently by Gerontius, and then the phrase "O Jesu, help" is truly anguished. Groves’ delivery of the climatic "In Thine own agony", top B flat and all, is magnificent. In all, his performance of this testing keynote aria is very fine.
Part II brings different demands for the tenor soloist. Now he represents the soul of the dead Gerontius. Quite a bit of the music in Part I required the vocal resources of a heldentenor but the opening pages of Part II needs the subtlety of a lieder singer. I’m not sure that Groves is quite successful in these passages. The clear, pleasing singing remains a constant feature but he doesn’t seem to delve as deeply into the words as do some of his distinguished predecessors in the role. As an example, I compared the first solo – "I went to sleep" - as sung on disc by John Mitchinson (for Rattle) and by Anthony Rolfe Johnson (Vernon Handley). Both are so much more responsive to the words and both also sing more quietly. Groves can’t quite match those experienced masters of the role. But he brings his own insights and subtleties to the part and his dialogue with the Angel is intelligently and sensitively sung. Inspired, no doubt, by the presence of an audience, he was a touch more spontaneous at times in the live Proms performance. On the other hand, on that occasion he had to project into a huge acoustic. Here, recording under studio conditions, he can offer a more subtly nuanced reading. The last section of the role, the aria ‘Take me away’, is another hugely demanding solo. Groves’ opening is superb. Later on, perhaps, a little more dynamic contrast would have been welcome but his fervour – not overdone - firm tone and excellent breath control offer ample compensation and the final phrase – "there let me be" – is most affecting.
Alice Coote, who was the Angel in the Proms performance, once again takes the role for the recording. Like Paul Groves she offers much but I found it interesting to compare this performance with her live account. To my ears her voice has a slight edge to it at times in this present performance and her tone doesn’t have quite the same degree of warmth and fullness that she exhibited at the Proms. That said, she is right inside the role, she sings with feeling and commitment and her performance gives a great deal of pleasure. I like, for example, the inflection she brings to the words, "this child of clay". A little later on, she has the right amount of legato and warmth for "A presage falls upon thee." That wonderful passage "There was a mortal" is done with appropriate inwardness – I think she does this passage even better here than in the Proms performance. Her account of the celebrated Farewell is lovely. She brings compassion and dignity to this solo and sends the Soul of Gerontius on his way in a most reassuring way.
There is one change to the line up of soloists that took part in the Prom performance and it’s a significant one. In place of Matthew Best, who sang in 2005, Bryn Terfel sings the two bass solos. This is luxury casting indeed. Terfel is a magisterial Priest. His opening phrases are delivered with all the power and sonority that one would expect from this singer. However, I was delighted to note how, as the aria unfolds, he’s attentive to Elgar’s dynamic markings, which are often quiet, and by so doing he makes the Priest’s words properly prayerful. He’s an imposing Angel of The Agony, singing this dramatic solo quite splendidly. One relishes the sheer amplitude of his voice but, once again, one notes how attentive he is to the dynamic markings – and it makes such a difference. Often I’ve found that a soloist is more suited to one of these two solos than the other but on this occasion Terfel is completely successful in both.
At the Proms performance the Hallé Youth Choir, a mixed-voice choir whose members are aged between twelve and nineteen years, sang the crucial semi chorus parts. Their contribution was important then and I’m delighted to find them similarly involved this time. The involvement of these young singers, for whom this recording must have been a tremendous experience, gives this performance an edge over most of its CD rivals. Benjamin Britten scored a significant coup by using the choir of King’s College, Cambridge as the semi chorus when he recorded Gerontius in 1971 and I wonder if Sir Mark Elder had that precedent in mind. The use of young voices, with their completely different timbre, results in a sharp and very telling contrast and I find the effect is really exciting and atmospheric. The writing for the semi chorus is often extremely exposed but the young Hallé singers rise to the challenge superbly and their fresh, youthful voices add an additional and very welcome dimension to the choral sound. I think their involvement is a major success and I applaud it unreservedly.
Their adult colleagues in the main Hallé Choir are also on top form. They’ve obviously been prepared superbly by their chorus master, James Burton. So, every strand is clear in "Be merciful" and they bring real bite and urgency to "Rescue him." In the Demons’ Chorus their singing is virile and has excellent definition. Perhaps they could have snarled a bit more but it’s an exciting account of the chorus. Equally fine is ‘Praise to the Holiest’ and, towards the end, they are clear, controlled and atmospheric at "Lord, Thou hast been our refuge", never an easy passage to bring off.
The orchestral contribution is, if anything, even finer. From the very start of the Prelude to Part I you sense we’re in for something a bit special. The playing glows here and elsewhere. Dynamics are beautifully observed, the rhythms are well articulated and there’s a consistent feeling that the players are right inside the idiom and playing with belief. Two things are worthy of special comment. Firstly, the engineers have contrived to balance the organ beautifully so that whenever it plays it enriches the textures without being unduly prominent. Secondly, the harp part is hugely important and once again, the instrument is balanced perfectly so that time and again one is aware of its importance yet it never draws unwarranted attention to itself.
But for all the splendour of these contributions the whole is knitted into something much greater than the sum of its parts by Sir Mark Elder. Writing of his Prom performance I suggested that one or two of his tempi were a fraction too fleet. I have no such feelings here. I cannot recall a single bar in the whole score when I felt that the pacing wasn’t just right. Elder has demonstrated in several previous Elgar recordings and performances that he is a master interpreter of this composer. This superb interpretation confirms that judgement in spades. His shaping of the Prelude is masterly and that sets the tone for the whole performance. He is scrupulous in his observance of Elgar’s markings and in many ways that’s the key to success in Elgar performance for the composer was copious in the indications he gave in the score and if a conductor trusts Elgar and follows the markings that’s more than half the battle.
The performance has huge sweep and conviction but there are also many small points that show Elder’s meticulous and perceptive attention to detail. One example comes in the Prelude a couple of bars before cue 17 when the orchestra plays a quiet, stabbing chord, with the gong adding a frisson. Elder places and balances that chord to perfection. Move on to the short, hushed Prelude to Part II, for the strings alone. Elder obtains miraculous, luminous textures from his players and in a mere twenty-six bars he establishes an otherworldly atmosphere, just as Elgar intended. Best of all, at cue 3 the dynamic marking is an incredible pppp. Elder achieves precisely that and the effect is superb. Only one other conductor in my experience has matched this, namely Simon Rattle in his 1986 EMI recording, but to be honest, I think even Rattle is put in the shade at this point. These are very small points in themselves but they catch the ear and show the scrupulous attention to detail that has gone into the preparation of this performance.
Elder, however, is anything but a micro-manager. He is magnificent in the big moments. The end of Part I, after the chorus has joined the bass soloist at "Go, in the name of Angels and Archangels", is brought off expertly. Every strand of Elgar’s many-layered tableau is given its proper weight and the whole passage causes the eyes – or my eyes, at any rate – to prickle, as it should. Even better is the long build up to ‘Praise to the Holiest’. This long passage, after the Angel’s solo "There was a mortal" is challenging, but Elder’s direction is superbly assured. Once again, all the various strands - semi chorus, chorus, orchestra and two soloists - are knitted together perfectly. One thing I admired particularly is the way in which Elder paces the several short sections marked Poco più animato with a vernal eagerness and then observes the decelerations, marked by Elgar, to perfection. Here the ladies of the chorus and the younger ladies in the semi chorus sing with a wide-eyed freshness that is completely appropriate to Angelicals. The whole passage is an unqualified success and Elder builds the tension and the atmosphere so that when the choir erupts at "Praise to the Holiest" it is as if great gold doors have been thrown open to reveal blinding light. Elder handles the ensuing chorus masterfully. The last pages, from cue 94 onwards, are tremendously exciting without recourse to excessive speed as Sakari Oramo does on his CBSO recording (see review). The end of the chorus bids fair to lift the roof off the Bridgewater Hall yet Elder’s forces have more to give and manage to observe the crescendo on the last, long chord. It’s a thrilling moment.
One more example of Elder’s perceptive command of the score and of his forces will suffice. In Part II, starting at cue 114, is the remarkable passage where Gerontius sings, "I go before my Judge", followed by the choir’s muffled entreaties, "Be merciful". Elder distils the most incredible atmosphere in these bars. The music has an awestruck quality that I’ve never heard brought out so well. It sounds as if everyone – Paul Groves, the choirs, the orchestra – is on tenterhooks, scarcely daring to articulate the notes. It’s the most remarkable piece of music making imaginable.
So how can I sum up this recording? I think it’s a remarkable achievement and I have been greatly moved by hearing it. Paul Groves and Alice Coote both deliver very fine performances. I feel that both gave a little more in terms of spontaneity during the Proms performance, inspired by the presence of an audience. On the other hand, under studio conditions they achieve some subtle points that were not possible in the huge arena that is the Royal Albert Hall. Bryn Terfel is a superb addition to the cast. The choirs and orchestra are on inspired form and Sir Mark Elder confirms that he is the finest Elgar interpreter now before the public. Under his inspired leadership the white-hot inspiration of Elgar’s visionary score comes alive.
The performance is captured in excellent, atmospheric sound. The recording doesn’t quite have the punch and presence of the Oramo recording but it’s not far short in terms of immediacy. The forces are splendidly and truthfully balanced and the whole project is a great success for the engineers. The notes are by Michael Kennedy and up to that fine writer’s usual immaculate standard.
It has been well worth the wait for this recording. For over forty years Sir John Barbirolli’s great 1964 recording of Gerontius has dominated the catalogue. I’m sure he would rejoice that, in their 150th anniversary year, his beloved Hallé and their distinguished current Music Director have produced a worthy successor and one that offers irrefutable proof that the Elgar tradition of the Hallé is being maintained in the twenty-first century. Let us hope that Sir Mark will go on to give us new and equally fine recordings of Apostles and Kingdom but even if that doesn’t happen they have done Elgar proud with this distinguished recording which I have found to be a very moving experience.
-- John Quinn, MusicWeb International
