roa builds up exciting dramatic momentum. Yet even in the most emotionally weighty passages, his phrasing is graceful and his textures clear. Berlioz’s Le Corsaire Overture effectively contrasts the tenderness of Berlioz’s gorgeous melodies with the extravagantly propulsive rhythms. Figueroa’s brilliant handling of the evocative colours, sumptuous harmonies and intricate rhythms of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2 recalls the origins of this score, with its detailed scenario, in an extended ballet. The spectacular sunrise is accompanied by the sounds of bird songs and splashing waterfalls. Daphnis and Chloe enact the story of Pan and Syrinx, ending with Pan’s mournful flute solo, splendidly played here. The orchestra brings down the house in the increasingly wild Dance générale.
 
The natural, realistically balanced sound does justice to Figueroa’s carefully shaped textures. But it also reveals that audiences in balmy Albuquerque cough as much as freezing Torontonians.
 
This recording certainly creates an awareness of a committed and spirited ensemble. Other, more well-known orchestras, like the London Symphony, have successfully produced their own recordings, and the Philadelphia Orchestra is apparently about to try. The rejuvenated Toronto Symphony, now sounding better than ever, should take note.
 
Pam Margles
 
Concert Note: The TSO performs Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2 on June 8 and 9 at Roy Thompson Hall.

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Mahler – Lieder Quasthoff; Urmana; von Otter Wiener Philharmoniker; Pierre Boulez Deutsche Grammophon 00289 477 5329

Mahler Symphony No.3 Anne Sophie von Otter; Wiener Philharmoniker; Pierre Boulez Deutsche Grammophon 474 038-2

 
This Mahler Lieder album is among the many outstanding new releases from Deutsche Grammophon in celebration of Pierre Boulez’ 80th birthday. There is both genuine sorrow and unfeigned elation in baritone Thomas Quast-hoff’s moving interpretation of the youthful Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Soprano Anne Sophie von Otter brings a similar intensity to the disturbingly morbid Kindertotenlieder song cycle; her heart-felt interpretation of the cataclysmic finale, In diesen Wetter, is particularly harrowing. Regrettably, the Latvian contralto-turned-soprano Violeta Urmana does not rise to the same dramatic standard with her pedestrian reading of the 5 Rückert-Lieder. Boulez proves yet again what a superb vocal accompanist he is in these performances, which are stunningly recorded and authoritatively played by this supreme orchestra.
 
Boulez’ previous recording with von Otter dates back to the 2003 release of Mahler’s Third Symphony. This is not your grandfather’s Mahler. Pierre Boulez’s lucid interpretation of the sprawling, six-movement work exemplifies the stand he outlined in his 1976 essay on the performance of Mahler’s music: “The more one gives in to impudent ecstasy, even in the hysteria of the moment, the more the initial motivation is disturbed… [the music will] degenerate into the confused, chaotic, disoriented motions of an oaf!” This strikingly brisk and sure-footed account is a welcome breath of fresh air, the perfect antidote to the habitually cloying interpretations this work has attracted in the past. The excellent pacing of the lengthy, turbulent first movement and the superbly controlled crescendo of the slow, ecstatic finale has rarely sounded so architecturally convincing. The vocal fourth and fifth movements feature exceptional singing by soprano Anne Sophie von Otter and the Vienna Boys Choir.
 
Daniel Foley

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Caprice Sylvia Shadick-Taylor, piano Arktos 200482

This disc is indeed a great DISCovery. Sylvia Shadick-Taylor is a young, very talented virtuoso pianist from Alberta who has toured Canada, US, Germany and Japan and even played Carnegie Hall. This, her third CD, is an ambitious and extremely difficult yet entertaining programme. As the unifying title suggests the ten pieces played here are “caprices” or “capriccios”. They are all whimsical and light hearted, sometimes dreamy, even passionate and none are easy - a great way to showcase pianistic talent.
 
She immediately captivates with her delicate touch and freewheeling spirit in Moszkowski’s Caprice Espagnol especially in the “leggieramente” central part with its Spanish rhythms.
 
Pieces by Mendelssohn and Weber follow but with her delectable, idiomatic playing of the Brahms Capriccio it seems as if she is poking fun at good old Brahms. Coming from this pianist, I am sure he would not have minded at all.
 
From this point on the disc seems to take off like a bird and her youthful exuberance is catching. In Gottschalk’s Caprice de Printemps she shapes the rondo Mazurka so lovingly that one thinks that her playing is better than the work itself. In the monumental Liszt A Capriccio she conquers all technical difficulties and is truly inspired although the length and difficult overall shape of this work may require more maturity.
 
She sails effortlessly through Dohnanyi’s incredibly difficult Konzertetude where the already fast tempo just keeps doubling and tripling as it goes on. Wow!
 
Need I say anything more?  Most enjoyable and satisfying indeed.
 
Janos Gardonyi
 











>
The Symphony in C minor was written when she was 24 years old and was very favourably reviewed at the first performance in November 1863. The Illustrated London News said that “Miss Smith’s symphony, especially coming from the pen of a young lady, was a striking proof of the sound studies and high attainments of the female votaries of the art in this country.”
 
The later Symphony in A minor is equally resolute and effective.
Almost a century and a half later, thanks to pianist turned conductor Howard Shelley, Chandos offers convincing proof of Smith’s authoritative mastery of orchestral writing. None of the three works is derivative although without knowing the author, a listener would guess at an unfamiliar piece from the time of Mendelssohn and Schumann.
 
Presented in excellent sound, these works reward repeated hearings.
 
Bruce Surtees

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Brahms – Concertos and Piano Pieces Anton Kuerti Analekta AN 2 9205-7

 
Toronto pianist Anton Kuerti’s new recording of Brahms’ late piano pieces confirms his place in the top rank of pianists today. These brief works are ‘spontaneous, simple and natural’, as Kuerti writes in his enjoyable booklet notes. Kuerti’s restrained tempos, judicious use of pedal, and natural-sounding rubato emphasize the poetic aspects of these exquisite works. 
 
Kuerti is a warm, persuasive artist. By going beyond Brahms’ surface complexities and getting at the heart of his introspective yearning, Kuerti achieves ineffable poignancy. He brings out Brahms’s constantly shifting perspectives, from the playfulness of the Capriccio Op. 76 no. 2, the soul-searching of the Intermezzo Op. 76 no. 7, the tumultuous passion of the Rhapsodie Op.79 no. 2, and the profound tranquility of the Intermezzo Op. 119 no. 1.
 
In Brahms’ two piano concertos, the relationship with the orchestra tends to be intense and volatile. Kuerti forges a real dialogue. Rescigno and the Orchestre Métropolitain provide responsive support, with fine solos, especially from the timpani in the first concerto, and the cello in the second.
 
This is a most attractive and desirable set. Yet there is no mention in the booklet or on the case that the piano concertos were previously released by Analekta in 1998. Only the disc of solo works is a new release. The photo of Kuerti on the cover is terrific.
 
Pamela Margles

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Dvorak – Symphonies (complete) Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra; Vladimir Valek Supraphon SU 3802-2

 
With influences from Brahms, Smetana, Mendelssohn, Schubert and Czech folk music, Dvorak is a distinctive composer with a natural freshness and a great gift for melody. Unlike Brahms, his chief mentor, Dvorak didn’t procrastinate in composing his first symphony, forging ahead in youthful fashion unconcerned about the consequences. His first two symphonies show compositional weaknesses, but there are also inklings of greatness that increase with each successive work.
 
The 2nd symphony is already a vast improvement over the meandering 1st. It is over 50 minutes long with an abundance of melodies, in a restless, rhapsodic, ever pulsating style full of dynamic contrasts and great forward momentum sustained very well by this conductor. The heavenly melody in the last movement will win many converts to this neglected work. By the heroic 3rd Symphony, his originality and exuberance begin to assert themselves and he gets into full stride with the “Pastoral” 5th, noticeably different even in the very first notes. His final 5 symphonies show fully developed compositional strength and a masterly handling of the orchestra, especially the woodwinds and the brass.
 
By this time Dvorak had established an international reputation and the 6th symphony was commissioned by the Vienna Philharmonic. Much inspired by the Brahms 2nd, this a wonderfully relaxed work and is a joy to listen to. At the beginning the full orchestra bursting out ff is like the sun coming out from the clouds. The very Brahmsian second subject truly sings on the cellos and the flutes in the development section sound like birds twittering. Valek builds solidly to a Coda where his brass rings out in full glory. After the lovely cantilena, a long sustained string melody in the 2nd movement, comes a typical Dvorak scherzo, this time a Furiant, a wild country dance played with full-blooded spirit. In the last movement the playful second subject goes through many ingenious transformations and the symphony builds to an exciting finale. A fine performance.
 
Vladimir Valek is a talented, energetic conductor passionately in love with Czech music. Unfortunately his exuberance sometimes backfires like the last movement of the sombre 7th. It is so furiously driven it harms the performance. The beautifully idyllic account of the 5th symphony is eroded by the long awaited final punch of the main subject not accentuated enough. But just listen to those four glorious trumpets at the first bars of last movement of the marvelous 8th symphony…! And at the end of the set we are amply compensated by a vivid, exciting performance of the New World Symphony that I will not hesitate to listen to over and over again.
 
Janos Gardonyi

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Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4; Berlioz - Le Corsaire; Ravel - Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2 New Mexico Symphony Orchestra; Guillermo Figueroa New Mexico Symphony Orchestra NMSO 5 (www.nmso.org)

 
These live recordings were made at the first concerts given by the New Mexico Symphony under music director Guillermo Figueroa. Clearly, there was immediate rapport between them. The orchestra is terrific, and the conductor dynamic.
 
In Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 Figueroa builds up exciting dramatic momentum. Yet even in the most emotionally weighty passages, his phrasing is graceful and his textures clear. Berlioz’s Le Corsaire Overture effectively contrasts the tenderness of Berlioz’s gorgeous melodies with the extravagantly propulsive rhythms. Figueroa’s brilliant handling of the evocative colours, sumptuous harmonies and intricate rhythms of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2 recalls the origins of this score, with its detailed scenario, in an extended ballet. The spectacular sunrise is accompanied by the sounds of bird songs and splashing waterfalls. Daphnis and Chloe enact the story of Pan and Syrinx, ending with Pan’s mournful flute solo, splendidly played here. The orchestra brings down the house in the increasingly wild Dance générale.
 
The natural, realistically balanced sound does justice to Figueroa’s carefully shaped textures. But it also reveals that audiences in balmy Albuquerque cough as much as freezing Torontonians.
 
This recording certainly creates an awareness of a committed and spirited ensemble. Other, more well-known orchestras, like the London Symphony, have successfully produced their own recordings, and the Philadelphia Orchestra is apparently about to try. The rejuvenated Toronto Symphony, now sounding better than ever, should take note.
 
Pam Margles
 
Concert Note: The TSO performs Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2 on June 8 and 9 at Roy Thompson Hall.

---

Mahler – Lieder Quasthoff; Urmana; von Otter Wiener Philharmoniker; Pierre Boulez Deutsche Grammophon 00289 477 5329

Mahler Symphony No.3 Anne Sophie von Otter; Wiener Philharmoniker; Pierre Boulez Deutsche Grammophon 474 038-2

 
This Mahler Lieder album is among the many outstanding new releases from Deutsche Grammophon in celebration of Pierre Boulez’ 80th birthday. There is both genuine sorrow and unfeigned elation in baritone Thomas Quast-hoff’s moving interpretation of the youthful Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Soprano Anne Sophie von Otter brings a similar intensity to the disturbingly morbid Kindertotenlieder song cycle; her heart-felt interpretation of the cataclysmic finale, In diesen Wetter, is particularly harrowing. Regrettably, the Latvian contralto-turned-soprano Violeta Urmana does not rise to the same dramatic standard with her pedestrian reading of the 5 Rückert-Lieder. Boulez proves yet again what a superb vocal accompanist he is in these performances, which are stunningly recorded and authoritatively played by this supreme orchestra.
 
Boulez’ previous recording with von Otter dates back to the 2003 release of Mahler’s Third Symphony. This is not your grandfather’s Mahler. Pierre Boulez’s lucid interpretation of the sprawling, six-movement work exemplifies the stand he outlined in his 1976 essay on the performance of Mahler’s music: “The more one gives in to impudent ecstasy, even in the hysteria of the moment, the more the initial motivation is disturbed… [the music will] degenerate into the confused, chaotic, disoriented motions of an oaf!” This strikingly brisk and sure-footed account is a welcome breath of fresh air, the perfect antidote to the habitually cloying interpretations this work has attracted in the past. The excellent pacing of the lengthy, turbulent first movement and the superbly controlled crescendo of the slow, ecstatic finale has rarely sounded so architecturally convincing. The vocal fourth and fifth movements feature exceptional singing by soprano Anne Sophie von Otter and the Vienna Boys Choir.
 
Daniel Foley

---

Caprice Sylvia Shadick-Taylor, piano Arktos 200482

This disc is indeed a great DISCovery. Sylvia Shadick-Taylor is a young, very talented virtuoso pianist from Alberta who has toured Canada, US, Germany and Japan and even played Carnegie Hall. This, her third CD, is an ambitious and extremely difficult yet entertaining programme. As the unifying title suggests the ten pieces played here are “caprices” or “capriccios”. They are all whimsical and light hearted, sometimes dreamy, even passionate and none are easy - a great way to showcase pianistic talent.
 
She immediately captivates with her delicate touch and freewheeling spirit in Moszkowski’s Caprice Espagnol especially in the “leggieramente” central part with its Spanish rhythms.
 
Pieces by Mendelssohn and Weber follow but with her delectable, idiomatic playing of the Brahms Capriccio it seems as if she is poking fun at good old Brahms. Coming from this pianist, I am sure he would not have minded at all.
 
From this point on the disc seems to take off like a bird and her youthful exuberance is catching. In Gottschalk’s Caprice de Printemps she shapes the rondo Mazurka so lovingly that one thinks that her playing is better than the work itself. In the monumental Liszt A Capriccio she conquers all technical difficulties and is truly inspired although the length and difficult overall shape of this work may require more maturity.
 
She sails effortlessly through Dohnanyi’s incredibly difficult Konzertetude where the already fast tempo just keeps doubling and tripling as it goes on. Wow!
 
Need I say anything more?  Most enjoyable and satisfying indeed.
 
Janos Gardonyi