Tientos y Glosas in Iberia
Jesus Martìn Moro, organ
Dominique Vellard / Ensemble Gille Binchois
Tempéraments TEM 316014 76:40 / SRI
  Recorded
in 1998 on the newly restored João Fontanes de Maqueixa 1765 organ in the São Vicente de
Fora convent in Lisbon, this album of 16th and 17th century organ music is beautifully
realized in every way. Brief vocal selections present the works that inspired these organ
compositions by Antonio and Hernando de Cabezòn, Juan Cabanilles, Francisco Correa de
Arauxo, Pedro de Araujo, Nicolas Gombert, Estacio Lacerna, and Cipriano de Rore. This
organ does not include a pedal board but has a lovely selection of the stops that give the
organs of the Iberian peninsula their unique character. The liner notes are extremely
thorough, including a complete history of the instrument and the stop list for each of the
selections, but they lack the customary cue list for the 19 works included on the back of
the CD. The performances are faultless and the recorded sound is inspired. Highly
recommended. -V. Wagner
George Gershwin : Porgy & Bess
Sony Masterworks Heritage MH2K 63322 (2 CDs)
Pour sa première sortie en compact, le plus ancien enregistrement
(1951) à peu près complet du chef-d'oeuvre de Gershwin fait peau neuve. Les amateurs de
l'oeuvre s'en réjouiront, car le résultat est de loin supérieur aux repicuages en
disques de vinyle, souvent médiocres. Ce qui fait le prix de cet enregistrement, c'est
son authenticité. Certains membres de la distribution, entièrement noire, conformément
aux voeux du compositeur, avaient fait partie de la production originale de 1935. Les
interprètes des rôles principaux sont tous excellents au plan dramatique, mais parfois
inégaux au plan vocal. Cet enregistrement est le moins complet des intégrales de
l'œuvre. Dans les années 1950, on commençait à peine à restaurer les nombreux
passages coupés par le compositeur dans le contexte de la production originale. Les deux
disques sont présentés sous un format, avec pochettes de carton, qui rappelle les
«albums long jeu» de l'époque. On y retrouve des notes et un synopsis détaillé en
trois langues, y compris le français, de même qu'un livret complet, mais en anglais
seulement. - Pierre M. Bellemare
Brahms : Piano Concertos No. 1 & No. 2
Anton Kuerti / Orchestre Métropolitain
Analekta Fleur de lys FL23139-40 (2 CD)
Kuerti is a great and eccentric pianist, with plenty of surprises up
his sleeve. In this program of Brahms’s two piano concerts, Kuerti saves the day
whenever the orchestra slips into mediocrity. His musicality in the slow passages is
especially gorgeous. The orchestra does deliver some hypnotically beautiful playing,
notably in the second movement of Concerto No. 1, thanks to Maestro Rescigno. Note:
Anton Kuerti plays a solo recital in the CBC-McGill Concert Series 19H30, March 18. Tel.
(514) 398-4547.
For the End of Time
Leila Josefowicz violin / John Novacek, piano
Philips 456 571-2
Leila Josefowicz’s latest CD, recorded in June 1997, adds
chamber music to her solo and concerto discography. The program — including
Falla’s Suite populaire, Grieg’s Sonata No. 3, Op. 45, and
Josefowicz’s favourite Bartók Sonata No. 1 — is varied, interesting and
masterfully played by Josefowicz and pianist Novacek. The album takes its name from
Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps, the last movement of which is
included. Fine recorded sound. Note: Leila Josefowicz plays with the Montreal Symphony
Orchestra March 2,3, 1999. See calendar and related story in this issue.
Beethoven : Concertos pour piano nos 1 et 2
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
Kurt Sanderling / Bavarian Radio Symphony
Philips 454 468-2
L’audace est toujours grande de lancer sur le marché
international une intégrale des concertos de Beethoven: après Solomon, Rubinstein,
Gilels, Backhaus, Kempff, et bien d’autres encore, il n’est pas facile de se
tailler une place dans la discographie d’un tel recueil. Même si cette version
n’est pas le sommet absolu (il faut entendre William Kapell dans le Concerto no 2),
elle ne s’en situe pas moins à un niveau très élevé. Uchida a un goût assez
marqué pour la « propreté hôpital », mais la précision et la mesure de son jeu,
contrôlé à chaque instant, nous conduit à une vision globale de l’œuvre. Le
toucher immatériel de la soliste reste indéniablement un peu sec. Malgré son
utilisation fréquente de la pédale, Mitsuko Ushida sait suivre les différentes voix
avec une merveilleuse continuité. Les tempi sont assez lents, on savoure chaque note.
Vivaldi : Famous Concertos
Naxos 8.554040
This is an excellent collection of concerti for trumpet, cello,
mandolin and violin gathered from seven previously released Naxos CDs. Trumpeter Crispian
Steele-Perkins and oboist Stefan Schilli are top notch, though cellist Rafael Wallfisch
sounds a bit stressed playing rapid passages on his period instrument. Recommended.
Preisner : Requiem for my friend
Jacek Kaspszyk / Sinfonia Varsovia (68 min)
Erato 3984-24146-2
Polish film music composer Zbigniew Preisner’s minimalist Requiem
is dedicated to director Krzystof Krieslowski, who died on March 13, 1996. We are not
told how he died or what he meant to the composer. All we have is the memorial music, a
hauntingly sad and soothing work in the style of Arvo Pärt. Solo voices sing the Latin
requiem texts, accompanied by string quintet and organ, recorded in acoustically
reverberant churches for full atmospheric effect. Tonality and structure are traditional,
like Carl Orff played very, very slow. The only weakness is the the extremely high writing
for soprano, which often sounds shrill. Part 2 of this disc is devoted to a series of
vocal compositions called Life (contrasting with the Requeim’s death
theme). The orchestral writing ranges from chic movie soundtrack music to the kind of
dreamy soprano vocalise one associates with tampon commercials. Texts are sung in Greek,
Latin and Polish. Despite uneveness of inspiration, this disc will appeal to fans of
recent Baltic / Slavic choral music with a New Age spiritual twist.
Favourite Cello Concertos
Julian Lloyd Webber, cello / Various orchestras
Philips Duo 462-505-2
A valuable collection of cello concertos and solo cello works,
including a fine recording of the Dvorak concerto with Vaclav Neumann and the Czech
Philharmonic. Several transcriptions of Schumann, Bach, and Albinoni provide variety. The
studio recordings are generally good, though the sound can be a bit thin on Philips’s
budget duo transfers.
24 Preludes
Catherine Perrin, harpsichord
ATMAACD 212172
This collection of harpsichord preludes by composers from Bach to
Daveluy is a wonderful introduction to the instrument’s expressive possibilities.
Most of the CD is devoted to traditional composers such as Couperin, Rameau and the Bach
family, but the contemporary works by James Gelfand, Raymond Daveluy, Scott Ross and Jean
Lesage are all exciting discoveries. Catherine Perrin, well-known as an announcer on Radio
Canada, proves to be an accomplished performer with good technique and plenty of
personality. You can tell she cares deeply about this repertoire. The recorded sound is
superb.
Howard Hanson : Merry Mount
Tullio Serafin / Metropolitan Opera
Naxos Historical 8.110024-25 (2 CD)
Merry Mount, l'unique opéra de Howard Hanson (1896-1981),
raconte l'histoire de Wrestling Bradford, le chef d'une communauté puritaine du
Massachusetts du XVIIe siècle, succombant à la tentation de la chair et du satanisme. La
musique rappelle celle des maîtres de l'opéra italien de l'époque (Montemezzi,
Zandonai, Malipiero, Respighi, Casella), mais c'est surtout un parallèle avec l'opéra
russe, et en particulier Moussorgsky, qui s'impose. Les amateurs d'opéra américain et
les fans de Lawrence Tibbett se réjouiront infiniment de cette nouvelle parution, une
première au catalogue numérique. L’enregistrement restauré dérivé d'acétates et
de disques de métal provenant de la collection personnelle de M. Tibbett nous révèle la
splendeur d'une grande œuvre servie par des interprètes de haut calibre. Pas de
livret, mais un synopsis extrêmement détaillé (en anglais seulement) qui permet de
suivre l'action plage par plage. - Pierre M. Bellemare
Vivaldi: Concertos for Strings
Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà
Analekta fleur de lys FL 23128
This is Quebec violinist Angèle Dubeau’s first CD with her
11-member female string ensemble La Pietà, named after the female musicians of
Venice’s 17th-century L’Ospedale della Pietà. The group offers 7 concertos, a
sinfonia, and a sonata, played with engagement but without risk on modern instruments
— hence their smooth and homogenous sound. Even strangers to classical music will
find that this disc serves as soothing background music. Purists will notice minor
intonation problems and some unpolished solos. Glacially slow and overexposed adagios are
less successful than the snappy allegro movements. Either reverb was added in
post-production or perhaps the Église de la Nativité in La Prairie, Quebec is strangely
reverberant. The booklet is in both English and French. Note: Angèle Dubeau and La
Pietà perform at the Centre Pierre-Péladeau, Montreal, 20H00, February 2. Tel: (514)
987-6919.
Previn : A Streetcar Named Desire
Previn / San Francisco Opera
Deutsche Grammophon 459 366 2 (3 CD)
 This
live recording of A Streetcar Named Desire, André Previn’s first opera,
captures much of the excitement of the San Francisco premiere last September, including
discreet laughter and applause. As a work of musical theatre, Previn’s version of
Tenessee Williams’s famous play is successful only in parts. One quickly tires of the
jazzy soundtrack-type incidental music, completely lacking in dramatic development. There
are three charming arias, Blanche’s "Soft people" and "I want
magic", Stella’s "I can hardly stand it" and Mitch’s "You
know when it’s the right thing." Fleming sings Blanche a bit over-excitedly,
especially in the lengthy recitatives. Her fake southern accent wreaks havoc with her
diction, though she sounds lovely in the arias. Elizabeth Futral (Stella) has a more
natural southern accent and is a young singer of the first order. Her post-coital vocalise
is a brilliant touch. Tenor Anthony Dean's Griffey is splendidly phonogenic, an exciting
discovery. The recorded sound is excellent. The copious notes are in French, English and
German but the libretto is in English only.
An Hour with C.P.E. Bach
Les Coucous Bénévoles
Music and Arts CD-1037 (www.musicandarts.com)
The Benevolent Coocoos sounds like a punk rock band but despite the
name, this Toronto-based baroque music group is no joke. This charming CD of sonatas and
trios by C.P.E. Bach is played masterfully from start to finish. The four players (viola,
violin, harpsichord, cello) are generally excellent, especially flautist Elissa Poole.
Recorded sound is good. Notes by Colin Tilney in English only.
Shostakovich, et al: Chamber Symphonies
Roland Melia / Dalgat String Ensemble
Naxos 8.550953
 |
A very fine recording of two melancholy, menacing
Russian string symphonies by Myaskovsky and Shostakovich. The St. Petersburg-based Dalgat
String Ensemble plays steadily, past masters of this repertoire. |
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (piano version)
Noriko Ogawa, piano
BIS-CD-950
Piano reductions of symphonies had a purpose in the days before home
stereos and radios. Now they are forgotten novelties. The Japanese pianist Noriko Ogawa
plays Richard Wagner’s very difficult arrangement of Beethoven’s final symphony
magnificently. The Asian soloists in the choral finale are adequate and Sakurada the tenor
is excellent. But what’s the point?
Moszkowski : Piano Concerto Op. 59, etc.
Markus Pawlik, piano
Anton Wit / Polish National Radio Symphony
Naxos 8.553989
 Naxos’s Romantic Piano
Concertos series is a precious source of new and neglected repertoire. Moszkowski’s Concerto
(1898) and the suite From Foreign Lands (1884) offer plenty of enjoyable melodies
and catchy rhythms, reminiscent of Rachmaninov and even Gershwin, played with gusto by the
German pianist Pawlik and Wit’s Polish forces. Other equally interesting volumes
include Piano Concertos No. 1 & No. 2 of Eugen D’Albert (Naxos
8.553728) and Weber Piano Concertos No. 1 & No. 2 (Naxos 8.550959).
Isabelle Panneton : Cantate de la fin du jour
Les disques Fonovox VOX 7824-2
Isabelle Panneton fait partie des grandes figures de la musique
contemporaine québécoise et ce disque nous en donne une excellente preuve. Outre trois
brillantes œuvres instrumentales, Trois fois passera (1991), Mimésis (1992)
et Tierces en rondo (1990), ce sont les deux pièces pour ensemble et voix qui
m’ont le plus secoué. L’âme saule (1994) pour soprano, clarinette et
piano sur un magnifique texte de Lucie Normandin contient des récitatifs d’une rare
intensité dramatique. De plus, le poème, qui raconte le drame secret d’une fillette
confrontée au monde des grandes, est d’une sensibilité et d’une beauté qui
laissent pantois. En guise de finale, la très puissante Cantate de la fin du jour
(1993), construite d'après le premier motif mélodique de la Cantate no 4 de J.S.
Bach, est un chef d’oeuvre de contrastes vocaux sur un texte sublime du poète Daniel
Guenette.
-Jean-Claude Thériault
Alexandre da Costa : Violin and Piano
Amberola ambc cd 7101
 The new Montreal-based label
Amberola offers a very fine recital by the local 19-year old musician Alexandre da Costa.
He displays his violin talent in Sarasate’s Airs Tziganes, Saint-Saëns’ Introduction,
Rondo Capriccio, and La Havane, and Monti’s Czardas. His volin
playing is spirited and gutsy. He seems wise beyond his years. Da Costa’s piano
selections (Schumann, Pierre-Max Dubois) are slightly less successful, but Da Costa can be
proud of his achievement as a fiddler. The acoustic of the Chapelle Historique du
Bon-Pasteur is rather dry and cold.
Rossini : L'Assedio di Corinto
Franci / La Scala de Milan
OPERA D'ORO OPD-1134 (2 CDs
Ce soir-là, à la Scala, les applaudissements fusaient et il y
avait de quoi : le temple milanais de l'art lyrique accueillait deux des plus nobles dames
de la grande résurrection rossinienne d'après-guerre, Marilyn Horne, mezzo, et Beverly
Sills, soprano, solidement épaulées par Justino Diaz et Franco Bonisolli. Les divas
américaines, spécialistes des splendeurs et des acrobaties vocales, étaient alors au
sommet de leur gloire. Leurs admirateurs ne se tromperont donc pas en faisant
l'acquisition de ce bijou du bel canto héroïque au prix très abordable. La musique est
tout à fait dans la manière du Rossini «sérieux» de la maturité : brillamment
échevelée, mais aussi plus dramatique et plus grave qu'on ne l'admet généralement. Le
boîtier ne contient pas de textes, ce qui est dommage car, l'oeuvre étant rare, peu de
gens en auront un livret sous la main. Au plan technique, l'enregistrement (de la radio?)
est tout à fait acceptable. Les voix sont assez bien définies (mieux que l'orchestre,
légèrement distant). -Pierre M. Bellemare
Rossini : Cantatas Vol. 1
Chailly / Orchestra Della Scala
London 289 458 843 2
 Rossini’s
little-known cantatas are full of dramatic fascination. La morte de Didone (circa
1809) was revived at the 1990 Pesaro Rossini Festival after a century of neglect.
Reminiscent of Berlioz’s lamentatious Dido, it is a highly charged piece for
soprano (here the fabulous Mariella Devia) and male chorus. The Cantata in Honor of
Pope Pius the Ninth (1847) is Rossini’s last work in this genre. The Pope
amnestied political prisoners in 1846 and Rossini soon composed a work of outrageous
flattery for a 200-voice-chorus. Paul Austin Kelly as Public Welfare has a bright reedy
tenor pushed to the max; the other soloists (Hope and The genius of Christianity) are
fine. This occasional music remains fascinating for the light it sheds on Rossini and the
political aesthetics of his time. Notes in English, texts in Italian and English.
Verdi : Romanze e Canzonette
Ning Liang, mezzo-soprano
Cord Garben, piano
CPO999 425 2 / Naxos Distribution
Anyone unaware of Verdi’s songs is missing an exquisite treat.
This collection of Verdi’s hit songs is a good introduction. Ning Liang has a rich,
expressive operatic voice. She’s a real medium / high mezzo with a warm, feminine
timbre. Her Italian diction is good. The recorded sound is sensitive, clear and balanced.
Cord Garben accompanies a bit too slowly, so Margaret Price’s recording of these
songs remains the first choice. |
