Our Lovely Day
Patricia Hammond
Imperial Music and Media IMMPLC002
www.patriciahammond.com

Canadian born and London (UK) based mezzo-soprano Patricia Hammond has a luscious classically trained voice that has graced the stage with numerous opera companies and symphonies. But on Our Lovely Day she performs a collection of “parlour” songs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that she has performed in recital for the elderly in British hospitals and nursing homes. Her joyous interpretations, haunting tone colour and in-depth background knowledge create a brilliant presentation of historical accuracy and contemporary flavour.

The Hammond-penned liner notes combine historical facts with personal reminiscences from her performances, childhood and recording sessions which aids to a better understanding of each track. It is great to hear the rarely performed verses included in Button Up Your Overcoat and Always. Love’s Old Sweet Song is a bit quick for my liking yet Hammond’s clear diction saves the day. She cleverly adds in a bit of baroque-like ornamentation at the close of Drink to Me Only, while the rocking band instrumental leading into the Did You Ever See a Dream Walking showcases her tight backup orchestra and the colourful work of arrangers/musicians Nicholas D. Ball and Matthew Redman.

Our Lovely Day will appeal to all age groups, from the very young to the not so very young. My experience allows me to stress that the songs here are extremely tricky to perform, but Hammond makes them all sound so easy and fun!

In march 1960 the 18 year old Maurizio Pollini won first prize in the Sixth International Chopin Competition in Warsaw. The prize earned him a three LP contract with EMI. The first, completed by April 21, 1960, was the Chopin First Piano Concerto, recorded by with Paul Kletzki and the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. The second sessions were in September when he recorded the two sets of Etudes, Op. 10 and 25. Although he gave no specific reason, Pollini refused to allow them to be released. EMI paid the cancellation penalty for the third recording and said goodbye to Mister Pollini who, ironically, would re-emerge as a superstar on Deutsche Grammophon.

Testament has issued the now legendary complete Chopin Etudes (SBT1473, stereo CD) and we can only wonder why the pianist said no at the time. Listening to these reproachless performances is completely disarming. Peter Andry, the producer for these recordings, writes that “When I heard him play, his strength and flair for the piano were prodigious. Hearing him perform the first of Chopin’s complete sets of etudes that we recorded was a spine tingling experience, with great rolling waves of sound coming from the grand piano. This was pianism of the very finest kind. Rarely had I heard such perfection. He seemed to play these demanding works effortlessly. I remember the occasion even now as one of my greatest musical experiences.”

Why Pollini withheld permission to release the Etudes is explained by Peter Andry in his book of enticing memoirs, Inside the Recording Studio, published in 2008 as a quality paperback by Scarecrow Press (ISBN 13 978-0-8108-6026-1). Aware that EMI was losing interest in Pollini, DG was wooing him and promising that they would record the Etudes. They eventually did so ... in 1972. The DG recordings are fine performances but quite different from the EMI whose recorded sound is cleaner and more pleasant to the ear. There is a higher level of virtuosity in these early performances, his lighter touch befitting the repertoire. This recording would be a gem in any thoughtful collection and is recommended without reservation.

For the first half of the 20th century HMV was, by default, the only recording company that meticulously documented the art of singing lieder, particularly, but not exclusively, Schubert Lieder. The HMV catalogue was populated by the leading artists of their time — Leo Slezak, Elena Gerhardt, Frieda Hempel, Alexander Kipnis, John McCormack, Richard Tauber, Meta Seinemeyer, Georges Thill, Vanni Marcoux, Feodor Chaliapin, Lotte Lehmann, Charles Panzera, Elisabeth Schumann, Gerhard Hüsch, Frida Leider — to mention some of the pre-c.1950 luminaries of the field. Adding to this cast were the many lesser known but not lesser artists of the period. The generation of singers since then should be familiar to concert goers and record collectors; Schwarzkopf, Pears, Baker, Hotter, Ameling, Ludwig, Fischer-Dieskau (he has his own disc), Wunderlich, Bostridge, Hampson, and others. Die Schöne Müllerin is given to Peter Schreier, Schwanengesang to Olaf Bär, and Winterreise to Thomas Hampson. Hampson is also heard on the 17th disc in a discussion, Schubert’s Journey: An Exploration of his Lieder. The grand total is 91 singers singing 213 songs in Schubert Lieder on Record 1898-2012 (EMI 3275752, 17 CDs). Clearly, some singers sing more than one song and some songs are sung by more than one singer. Erlkönig has seven versions including the spine-tingling 1930 recording with tenor Georges Thill, sung in French with a baritone and a boy soprano.

This set has a heritage. Schubert Lieder on Record 1898-1952 was released in 1982 on a mammoth (for the day) 8-LP set (later on six CDs) compiled by the late Keith Hardwick. The invaluable Hardwick was the engineer who did many of the transfers from 78s for EMI’s acclaimed series Great Recordings of the Century on LP.

Expanded to 17 CDs with recordings made since 1952, the spiritual worth of the interpretations herein can’t be measured. The recording dates are given in the enclosed booklet but no translations. This unique collection will give endless satisfaction to the select group of devotees of this repertoire.

A generation or two ago it was the Budapest String Quartet that came first to mind when someone mentioned string quartets. In the 1930s they recorded several of the Beethoven quartets for HMV and in 1951 and 1952 Columbia recorded a complete monaural cycle for release on LP. Columbia returned them to the studio for a stereo remake in sessions that spanned 1958 to 1961 with Josef Roisman, first violin; Boris Kroyt, viola; Mischa Schneider, cello; and Alexander Schneider replacing second violinist Jac Gorodetzky. Fifty years later, time has not reduced the charm and beauty of these later committed performances. Sony has reissued these valuable stereo recordings, in immaculate sound at an ultra-budget price, as The Budapest String Quartet Plays Beethoven – The Complete String Quartets (Sony Masters, 886977 767821, 8 CDs). Arguably, one hasn’t really experienced these works unless you’ve heard such performances as these. Devotees may wish to compare these late performances with the highly regarded 1951/52 mono recordings that are available in fine sound from United Archives (NUA01, 8CDs) at a somewhat higher price. Founded in 1917 by four members of the Budapest Opera Orchestra, the Budapest String Quartet disbanded in 1967.

For about three decades circa 1940 to 1960, Hungarian-German pianist Julian von Karolyi’s popularity was such that both DG and EMI signed and recorded him in solo and in concerted works. His performances were insightful, authoritative and assured. Karolyi attained his popularity with audiences from numerous concert appearances without the kick-start of being a competition winner.

His recordings are starting to appear on CD, the latest being from DOREMI (DHR-7984). Heard on this new re-issue are two staples of the concerto repertoire, the Tchaikovsky First and the Schumann A Minor, both in collaboration with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra. The 1948 Liszt Hungarian Fantasia from Munich is an attractive bonus. The word collaboration is well considered. Karolyi is a team player who displays strength and sensitivity in partnership with the orchestra, not jockeying for position. The two concertos are in stereo. 

A Poet’s Love through the eyes of Heine, Schumann & Lysenko
Laura McAlpine; David Ellakis
Independent
lauramcalpine@mac.com

Two song cycles based on selected texts from Heinrich Heine’s Buch der Lieder are offered on this recording, the first being Robert Schumann’s famed and well-loved Dichterliebe. This cycle is most often performed by male voice, yet, lest we be mistaken that Laura McAlpine’s fine performance is without precedent, this was actually first dedicated to a woman, German soprano Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient.

McAlpine’s clear, expressive voice does justice to the light-hearted as well as the more dramatic songs. While I sometimes feel she could achieve even more expressiveness by taking more liberties with the rhythm “as written,” pianist David Eliakis provides an excellent foil by use of measured rubato that, nonetheless, stays perfectly in sync with the singer.

The second part of the recording is a cycle of texts by Heine set by Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko (1842–1912). Despite pressure to embrace “Great Russian” culture from the Russian Imperial Music Society which had funded his studies abroad, Lysenko devoted himself to Ukrainian music, setting all his vocal compositions, including this, in his native language. A challenge for many singers, but McAlpine has clearly done her research, mining her resources as well as her family heritage to deliver these texts naturally and with fine artistic sensibility.

Janácˇek – The Makropulos Affair
Angela Denoke; Raymond Very;
Peter Hoare; Jurgita Adamontye;
Johan Reuter; Wiener Philharmoniker; Esa-Pekka Salonen
Cmajor 709508

Success came late to Leoš Janáček (1854–1928) and his best, most deeply felt operas were written in his 70s. The idea of eternal life comes naturally to any person at that age and when he came across Karel Čapek’s play on this subject he eagerly accepted it for his new opera in 1926. His heroine, Emilia Marty (née Makropulos), a beautiful woman who managed to live over 300 years with a miracle drug invented by her father, a Greek alchemist in the court of Rudolf II in 1585, was in fact a personification of Janáček’s unrequited but very passionate love for a much younger woman. The opera’s strong emotional drive and beautiful music can be attributed to this “happy” coincidence.

One can rest assured that anything coming out of the Salzburg Festival is a world-class, extraordinary event. Director Christoph Marthaler takes full advantage of the Gross­festpielhaus’ wide stage with a tripartite arrangement. The centre is made out to be a courtroom, as the opera centres on a lawsuit and most of the action takes place here. On the left is a glass soundproof box where two women cleaners discuss eternal life while chain-smoking themselves to death, but the dialogue cannot be heard.

Acting, even more than the singing, is crucial here. All of the cast is perfect in both respects, but Angela Denoke, one of today’s best with credits too numerous to mention, a stunning German singer/actress (following a tradition carried by Elizabeth Soderstrom and Anja Silja) towers above the others and it seems as if the opera has been written for her. A great coup for the Festival in securing Esa-Pekka Salonen as conductor, whose interpretive skill, depth of musical understanding and inspirational leadership is almost unequalled in today’s shallow, sensation-and-cheap-thrill-seeking world.

Jake Heggie – Dead Man Walking
Joyce DiDonato; Philip Cutlip; Frederica von Stade; Measha Brueggergosman; Houston Grand Opera; Patrick Summers
Virgin Classics50999 6024632 5

In the last few years, Broadway producers looking for a sure-fire success embraced the idea of making popular movies into musicals The Producers, Spiderman, How to Succeed in Business, Sister Act, Once, Priscilla Queen of the Desert — this list could go on. Not nearly as often, a modestly successful and thoughtful film becomes an opera. Dead Man Walking — the movie — may still be remembered because of Susan Sarandon’s portrayal of the anti-death penalty crusader, Sister Helen Prejean. Unlike many films, this is a great subject for an opera. The themes of life and death, crime and redemption, desperation and grace play well on the grand stage. They would not, however, play half as well were it not for the music of Jake Heggie, an American composer whose personal love of the operatic genre is showcased in the inspired use of the negro-spiritual and pop-music idioms.

Just over a decade after its premiere, this opera shows a lot of staying power. The performances are impressive — Joyce DiDonato, reprising the role originated by Frederica von Stade, layers the performance with nuances of conviction, weakness, doubt and anger. Measha Brueggergosman delivers a powerful performance in the small role of Sister Rose. Finally, von Stade this time appears as the murderer’s mother, rounding off this stellar cast of mezzos and dramatic sopranos. This is so much more than just an opera of a film — this is by now a part of American standard repertoire.

L’Olimpiade – The Opera
Romina Basso; Franziska Gottwald;
Karina Gauvin; Nicholas Phan;
Ruth Rosique; Nicholas Spanos; Venice Baroque Orchestra; Markellos Chryssicos
NaïveV 5295

This recording is cheeky and timely. L’Olimpiade was yet another Metastasio libretto (like La Clemenza di Tito) set many times by various composers to gain applause with a new version of a well-known text. The plot centres around the prize of a king’s daughter at the Olympic games, and in this release a bunch of arias were jumbled together from the earliest setting by Caldara in 1733 to Torchi in 1792, in time to coincide with the upcoming Olympics in London. So far, so fun! The voices range from excellent to adequate. Excellent are Karina Gauvin as Argene, Ruth Rosique as Aristea, Romina Basso as the athletic Megacle who competes disguised as his friend Licida (Franziska Gottwald). Nowadays it’s steroids; back then evidently the latest scandal was impersonation!

The problem is the definition of “pasticcio” which is what this concert is called. The notes are by the Oxford Professor of Music, Reinhard Strohm who translates this word as “patchwork.” The word describes a pastry or pie containing various fillings held together by the blending of tastes — and in opera, the recitative. As with culinary art, there can be good and bad taste. Do it badly and you get the Met’s Enchanted Island or the earlier Opera Immaginaria.

This new effort is a delightful assortment, but no decent director would have yoked together such a disparate selection. Even amongst the composers selected (including neither J.C. Bach nor Beethoven) one of the most famous arias of the period, Superba di me stessa by Lampugnani, is omitted for a mediocre setting by Hasse. But since this is pleasant summer listening and the singers ornament well, it gives a lot of pleasure.

You could turn off the TV volume, and turn up the sound for these CDs. I’m afraid the inevitable next step will be a staging of L’Olimpiade with naked counter tenors, but I had better not say that too loud. “Propriety” is a word like “pasticcio” that seems to have fallen into disrepute.

Bach – Flute Works
Daniel Pailthorpe; London Conchord Ensemble; Julian Milford
Champs Hill RecordsCHRCD031

Upon first seeing this disc, one might well ask if we really need another recording of J.S. Bach’s flute music. However upon listening to it there is much to recommend this CD, a much-cherished project of BBC Symphony co-principal flutist Daniel Pailthorpe. Playing on a modern wooden instrument, a rarity in the contemporary flute world, Pailthorpe’s warm and unforced sound is most pleasant, and he and his colleagues play with complete engagement. The Sonata in B Minor for flute and obbligato keyboard is very well considered, beautifully balanced, and the teamwork between Pailthorpe and pianist Julian Milford is impeccable. Also on the program is the Sonata in A Major, the outer movements of which are performed with wit and ingenuity. In his rendition of the sonata for solo flute, Pailthorpe’s deft phrasing, wise appreciation of the underlying harmony and intimate sensibility are much appreciated.

The Second Orchestral Suite ends the disc and receives the same focused treatment, though this particular modern string sound is a bit of a vague throwback to the 1960s. While some will still prefer to hear this repertoire played on baroque instruments, this is a very fine CD carried by the players’ obvious affection for Bach’s music and their exemplary playing in the style of their choice.

Mozart – Piano Concertos 20 & 21
Jan Lisiecki; Bayerischen RSO;
Christian Zacharias
Deutsche Grammophon4790061

Canadian Jan Lisiecki is an incredible young artist who has recorded the Mozart piano concertos Nos.20 and 21 at the age of 16. I enjoyed his performance of the D Minor concerto for its dynamic contrasts and the dramatic intensity of the cadenza. His playing is clear, structured and without pretence. The emotions within the music were expressed honestly and not coated in pretty or exaggerated stylism. His technique is virtuosic with articulate scales and arpeggios cascading up and down the keyboard in a refined tonal palette. The interpretations are artistically thought through and mature enough to defy his age. His touch was lovely in a pure Mozart style. The second movement, Romance did not melt my heart as some other performances (Perahia, Uchida, etc.) but he captured the natural flow of the music and his phrasing was impeccable. The Rondo: Allegro Assai with the cadenza by Beethoven was brilliantly played with crisp trills and ornaments and the “dark energy” Lisiecki speaks of in the program notes is evident in the intensity of his playing.

Conductor Christian Zacharias is most sympathetic and supportive. A well-respected pianist himself he responds to every nuance of the soloist. The orchestra is brought into the performance with spontaneous conversational zest. I always think of Mozart’s piano works, solo, chamber or concerto, as opera for the keyboard. It is a singing conversation and I was pleased to read in Lisiecki’s notes that this was what he also thought of as a key to Mozart’s music. “With almost all the composers I play, I think of a human voice. If you play as you speak and sing, you will produce the most natural phrasing. Mozart’s piano concertos sometimes have positively operatic qualities. In the third movement, Allegro vivace assai of the C Major concerto, for example, one can imagine having different characters speaking with one another onstage.”

In the Piano Concerto No.21 in C Major K467, Lisiecki performs impeccably, light as air in touch, texture and mood but intense and deep in contrasting sections. Lisiecki wrote his own cadenza which was short but well-written and it fit into the concerto stylistically. The famous Andante was crystal clear and moved me with the singing line. Maturity will season this movement in time. Lisiecki has found the key to successful Mozart playing and seems to channel Mozart’s exuberance, humour and singing voice.

Schumann – Piano Concerto in A minor
Angela Hewitt; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Hannu Lintu
Hyperion CDA67885

Schumann – Chamber Music
Nash Ensemble
Hyperion CDA67923

Schumann – Piano Quintet; Piano Quartet
Alexander Melnikov; Jerusalem Quartet
Harmonia Mundi HMC 902122

Robert Schumann once wrote: “In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of.” If only it were as simple as that! Whatever mental afflictions Schumann may have suffered over the course of his lifetime, there is no denying his place among the great Romantic period composers, and three recent discs will surely please all those who delight in music by the master from Zwickau.

When Ottawa-born pianist Angela Hewitt made the world take notice back in 1985, it was for her interpretation of Bach. Since then, she has proven her talents extend much further, and this Hyperion CD featuring the Schumann Piano Concerto Op.54 plus two lesser-known works for piano and orchestra with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the direction of Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu is a case in point. The concerto was completed in 1845 as a gift for Schumann’s wife, concert pianist Clara. It proved to be an instant success, with one critic noting the “beautiful alliance” between orchestra and soloist. Here, Hewitt and the DSOB comprise a formidable partnership, her technical brilliance pairing splendidly with the warmth of the orchestra’s strings and woodwinds. The inclusion of the Introduction and Allegro appassionato Op.92 and the Introduction and Concert-Allegro Op.134 are added bonuses, rounding out this most satisfying recording.

I’ve long been a huge fan of the London-based Nash Ensemble. As resident chamber ensemble of Wigmore Hall, it has rightfully earned a reputation for musical excellence, and this latest offering (also on Hyperion) featuring Schumann’s smaller chamber music, is no exception. All the music here was composed between 1849 and 1853, and includes the Märchenbilder Op.113 for viola and piano, the Märchenerzählungen Op.132 for clarinet, viola and piano and the Violin Sonata No.1 Op.105. The playing is elegant and intelligent, whether it be the elegiac opening to the Adagio and Allegro Op.70 for horn and piano or the cheerful optimism of the finale from the clarinet and piano Fantasiestücke Op.73.

Schumann had scarcely written any chamber music before 1842, but before that year was out, he had produced three string quartets, a piano quartet and a piano quintet. Both the piano quartet and quintet are presented on a recent Harmonia Mundi recording featuring the Jerusalem Quartet with pianist Alexander Melnikov. Now a major player amongst chamber ensembles, the Jerusalem recently won its third BBC Music Magazine award and together with Melnikov, has produced an exemplary recording. The playing is confident and exuberant without being bombastic (as is often the case in other recordings of these pieces), with Melnikov displaying a particular sensitivity to the demands of the score. Do I foresee another award for this ensemble in the near future? With this level of quality, it wouldn’t be surprising.

In all, these are three fine additions to the catalogue — great music, superbly performed. We can hardly ask for more.

Liszt – The Concertos
Daniel Barenboim; Staatskapelle Berlin; Pierre Boulez
Deutsche Grammophon477 9521

This live performance of the Liszt piano concertos is an interesting listening experience. The first revelation for me is Boulez conducting music that he had once thought of as empty, virtuosic fluff. The second is Barenboim’s deep, dark, dramatic, yet poetic interpretation. He brings an operatic and devilish Faustian edge to the music.

Boulez is known as one of the 20th century giants in contemporary music as both composer and conductor. Barenboim is acclaimed for his fine Beethoven and Mozart playing. Together the two masters have created a palette of astounding orchestral and pianistic colors emulating a wide range of conflicting emotions. These performances are not simply a showcase for virtuoso technique. I admire the control and attention to the structure of the music. Every detail is carefully nuanced and articulated in both piano and orchestra. We have to remember that Franz Liszt was not only a great pianist, a rock star in his time who had an immense technique and repertoire, but also a successful conductor and a prolific composer.

Alan Walker in his biographies of Liszt has called his piano piece Nuage Gris the gateway to modern music. Liszt pushed chromaticism to the limit in his orchestral tone poems and used the piano pedals to create exotic soundscapes. He was the new music composer of his time. In this performance I found myself listening to the orchestra as much as the piano. Boulez has always been known for his keen ears and his remarkable ability to clarify complex orchestral sounds. He doesn’t disappoint here. I heard lines and details in the orchestra that sounded very fresh and convincing. Barenboim plays the piano with an edge that is aggressive at times but so focused and intense that it became hypnotic. He also articulates the melodic line with passion but tenderness as well.

These are very personal and unique interpretations and maybe not for everyone. The tone of the piano is sometimes too harsh and the tempos are slower than in other performances. The ensemble in the first movement could be tighter. However, I find these performances masterful and exciting, brimming with new ideas and swirling emotions. The encores, Consolation No.3 and Valse oubliée No.1 are a real bonus, exquisitely performed with a deep sensitivity that will melt your heart.

Mahler – Symphony No.1
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden and Freiburg; Francois-Xavier Roth
Hänssler ClassicCD 93.294

Mahler – Symphony No.7
Bamberger Symphoniker; Jonathan Nott
Tudor7176

Mahler – Symphony No.3
Michaela Schuster; Gurzenich-Orchester Koln; Markus Stenz
Oehms ClassicsOC 648

Though the double anniversaries of Gustav Mahler’s birth (1860) and death (1911) have now drawn to a close the hits keep on coming. A new Hänssler disc of the First Symphony commemorates the inaugural concert of French conductor François-Xavier Roth, recently appointed chief conductor of the Baden-Baden based radio orchestra, a highly accomplished ensemble well known for its expertise in contemporary music. Roth’s approach to Mahler is typically rigorous and hard-driven, a strategy well suited to the bucolic Scherzo and sure-fire finale but one which gives short shrift to the emotive plasticity and elegant phraseology a true Mahlerian such as the late Rafael Kubelik brought to the other movements. The album includes a bonus performance of a rarely-heard early work by Anton Webern, In Sommerwind (1904), notable for its surprising French influences and sprawling episodic structure.

Sad to say, there is some question as to whether this radio orchestra will survive much longer in light of austerity measures recently proposed by the state broadcasting authority. Petitions are flying to ensure its continuation and contemporary German composers are in a panic. Let us hope they have more of an impact than we observed here in Canada some years ago.

Though we have not received their discs at The WholeNote, I feel compelled to mention the ongoing Mahler cycle by another financially challenged orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony under the direction of Manfred Honeck on the Japanese audiophile Exton label, available from the orchestra’s website. Honeck’s visceral interpretation of the First symphony deeply impressed me when I first heard it (the Pittsburgh orchestra boasts a fabulously lusty sounding horn section, an essential component in this work); superlative performances of Symphonies Three, Four and Five are also available.

British conductor Jonathan Nott, director of the Bamberg Symphoniker for the past decade, has passed the halfway mark in his cycle of live performances of the complete Mahler symphonies with the release of the Seventh Symphony. I’ve not heard the others, but on the present evidence his is a no-nonsense, objective approach, more intellectual than passionate. Much depends on the orchestral musicians in such a case; thankfully, the Bamberg artists do not disappoint and the recorded sound is decent enough. Yet one has to ask of this conductor, where is Mahler? Nott’s novice shortcomings (this is evidently his first ever performance of this work) are painfully evident in the Finale, which flies by in a blur, missing the many textural details and eccentric mood swings of Mahler’s mock triumphalism. You might almost think this is the black sheep of the cycle, as the contentious liner notes suggest. Try any performance of this work by Abbado (preferably the most recent Lucerne Festival DVD) and you’ll become convinced otherwise.

I’ve saved the best for last: a real winner of a disc from Markus Stenz and the wondrous Gürzenich orchestra in a compelling performance of the Third Symphony featuring contralto Michaela Schuster and an ensemble of children’s voices from the Cologne Cathedral and Opera choirs. The first five of the symphonies and a disc of vocal works have been recorded in the Stenz cycle so far; all are excellent, but this one in particular has a surpassing beauty. Stenz has a deep understanding of Mahler which shines through and the admirable sonic engineering is spectacularly transparent. Tempi are refreshingly nimble in the inner movements, lending a delightfully Shakespearian sense of fantasy to Mahler’s symphonic cosmos; there’s nary a dull moment over the course of this mighty, six movement double CD performance. From the opening depiction of summer’s awakening to the deeply felt, amorous conclusion, Stenz and his magnificent orchestra bring us sheer delight from first to last.

— Daniel Foley

The Danish composer Rued Langgaard (1893–1952) is a new name to me, but if the music on String Quartets Vol.1 (DACAPO 6.220575) is anything to go by then I’ve really been missing something. Denmark’s Nightingale String Quartet is simply superb in this first volume of a series of all nine quartets by a composer described in the excellent booklet notes as an eccentric outsider who was virtually ignored by the Danish musical establishment in his lifetime. The works are essentially in the late romantic style, but mixed with a startling modernity: listen to Train Passing By, the short second movement of String Quartet No.2, written in 1918 and revised in 1931, and you could swear you were listening to two minutes of Philip Glass or Steve Reich; the following slow movement, Landscape in Twilight, is a simply beautiful pastoral episode. The String Quartet No.3 from 1924, the quite lovely single-movement String Quartet No.6 from 1918 (Langgaard’s numbering system is quite confusing!) and the variations on the chorale melody Mig hjertelig nu laenges complete a revelationary CD.

Beautifully recorded at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and issued on Denmark’s national record label, these performances are as close to definitive as you can get. Wonderful stuff, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the series.

The chamber music of the Irish composer Sir Herbert Hamilton Harty (1879–1941) is featured on the 2-CD set Hamilton Harty String Quartets & Piano Quintet, performed by Australia’s Goldner String Quartet and pianist Piers Lane (Hyperion CDA67927). Dating from the opening years of the 20th century, all three works — the String Quartets in F Major (1900) and A Minor (1902) and the Piano Quintet in F Major (1904, revised 1906) — are virtually unknown today, the second string quartet and the piano quintet apparently remaining unheard from the year of their premieres until the present recording. Like so much British music of the period, these are highly competent and really lovely works, given absolutely beautiful performances here. There are the expected hints of Mendelssohn and Brahms, but it’s Harty’s love of Russian music that seems to predominate, particularly with the echoes of Borodin in the quartets. The faultless recording quality and the excellent booklet notes make this a very attractive set.

The Jasper String Quartet is back with another volume in their excellent series of string quartets by the American composer Aaron Jay Kernis, this time pairing Kernis’ String Quartet No. 1 “Musica Celestis” from 1990 with Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden” quartet in The Kernis Project: Schubert (Sono Luminus DSL-92152). I enthusiastically reviewed the earlier volume pairing a Kernis quartet with a Beethoven quartet some time ago, and have no hesitation in being just as enthusiastic this time around. The performances are top-notch, and the recording quality is equally good. If you don’t know this series, then you’re really missing something; apart from anything else, it is all the proof you could ever need that there are contemporary composers adding magnificent and significant works to the string quartet repertoire.

The Brilliant Classics label lives up to its name once again with a 2-CD reissue of the excellent 1990 recordings by The Britten Quartet of the String Quartets Nos. 1-4 by the English composer Sir Michael Tippett (2CD 9257). Tippett’s life (1905–1998) spanned almost the entire 20th century, and his quartets come from both ends of his creative career: Quartets Nos.1-3 are from 1934–1946; Quartet No.4 was written in 1977–78. The composer’s early obsession with Beethoven’s quartets can be discerned, but it is Tippett’s characteristic emphasis on line and counterpoint — especially in the earlier quartets — that stands out.

The six string quartets of Bela Bartók comprise arguably the most significant series in that genre since the Beethoven quartets, and the Dutch mid-price label Newton Classics, distributed here by Naxos, has reissued a 2-CD set of Bartók: String Quartets Nos.1-6 in the 1975 recordings by the Guarneri Quartet originally issued by Sony (8802111). The Guarneri Quartet was in top form in these performances of works which span Bartók’s entire career, and the set — especially at the price — can be recommended without reservation. The original recording and transfers are all excellent. 

Premieres: Music by Bruce Broughton, Ronald Royer and Kevin Lau
Conrad Chow; Sinfonia Toronto;
Ronald Royer; Bruce Boughton
Cambria Master RecordingsCD-1204
www.cambriamus.com

The concept of this project is new works that are inspired by earlier musical styles. Bruce Broughton’s Triptych: Three Incongruities for violin and chamber orchestra (in this case 15 solo instruments) is essentially a type of concerto, with each movement written in a different style. Thus, we hear influences of J.S. Bach’s violin music in the first movement, Prokofiev and more romantic expressions in the second and rhythmic, dance-like elements of Scottish fiddle music in the third. Another composition by Broughton, Gold Rush Songs, is based on three American songs associated with the California Gold Rush.

Ronald Royer’s Rhapsody displays influences of French impressionism and Spanish violin music, among others, with mysterious elements in the first movement and more rhythmic expressions in the second. Royer’s In Memoriam J.S. Bach is based on different motifs from Bach’s works. Sarabande is expressive, even romantic at times, while Capriccio carries playfulness coupled with recognizable Bach rhythms.

Joy for solo violin and string orchestra by Kevin Lau is a lyrical, meditative piece that lets the soloist explore different colours and textures. Conrad Chow’s tone has a wonderful quality of sweetness, which is most prominent in Chopin’s Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor, No.20 Op. posth., the encore piece on the album. His playing is rhythmical and precise, and he easily traverses the variety and depth of expression in each piece.

Some may argue that contemporary classical music should be forward-looking and not an evocation of the styles and musical tastes of the past. This, however, should not limit the scope of creativity and inspiration, which can spring from all objects and times. If your musical tastes enjoy revisiting compositional styles of the previous centuries while using contemporary expressions and techniques, this recording is a wonderful opportunity to hear Toronto composers in collaboration with Toronto musicians.

Pasión
Beatriz Boizán
Galano Records GLO–2813 
www.beatrizboizan.com

Latin American piano music is not commonly found on record. Even the Brazilian master, Hector Villa-Lobos, only sometimes gets acknowledged for his piano output. How refreshing then, that the Cuban-born Canadian pianist Beatriz Boizán has decided to change this on her debut disc. Oh, sure, there is an occasional Soler and Albeniz here, but the spirit of this album is an unbridled fiesta. The pianist has a light, precise touch that serves her well in the break-neck pace of some of the pieces, and infuses the whole with a sense of fun.

Most of the pieces will be both unfamiliar and very familiar at the same time, as they reflect the region’s tradition of rhythmic dance. Whether filled with carnival fervor or moments of whimsy, the music of Lecuona, Cervantes and Ginastera shimmers with light and colour — and of course, the “Passion” of the title. This delightful disc is a musical equivalent of sangria— a perfect accompaniment to a hot summer evening. Muy caliente!

English Recorder Concertos
Michala Petri; City Chamber Orchestra Hong Kong; Jean Thorel
OUR Recordings6.220606

Of the many works written for the recorder over the last century, few of the neo-classical or neo-impressionist examples ever make it onto concert programs or CDs, so it’s good to see the release of this recording. Opening the program is Richard Harvey’s Concerto Incantato, written for soloist Michala Petri in 2009. Using a variety of sizes of recorder over five movements, Harvey writes beautifully for the instrument and the piece also sweetly reflects his sensibilities as a composer for film and television. Here’s hoping that the piece receives more performances by recorder players around the world!

Following the Harvey is Malcolm Arnold’s diminutive Concerto Op.133, written for Petri in 1988, and his inclusion of winds in the orchestration makes for a welcome colour change. Gordon Jacob’s exemplary seven-movement Concerto for alto (and sopranino) recorder and strings closes the program. Written in 1957 for Carl Dolmetsch, it blends the strengths of both string and recorder worlds and is given a definitive and expressive reading here.

Conducted by Jean Thorel, the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong is superlative throughout, and Michala Petri, one of the recorder’s leading figures of the past 40 years, is completely at home in this repertoire.