Music of Stefan Wolpe Vol. 6

David Holzman

Bridge Records Bridge 9344 (www.BridgeRecords.com)

Stefan Wolpe (1902-1972) is still one of the underappreciated great composers of the twentieth century. It has been said by someone that Wolpe has all the complexity of Carter or Boulez, but with the added bonus that Wolpe can swing.

Pianist David Holzman is a persuasive advocate of Wolpe, having known and studied with him. This is his second disc for the Bridge label’s ongoing Wolpe series, his first from 2002 garnering a Grammy nomination. The works span 1926-1959 and range from epigrammatic to large-scale forms. The breadth of Wolpe’s character is in evidence here. An impassioned dramatic sense, rigorous intellect, lightness and wit all have a place.

Four Studies on Basic Rows (1936) is a work for only the most intrepid pianists, exploring particular intervallic relations while making extraordinary pianistic demands. The fourth of these, Passacaglia is a masterly construction of tempestuous drama and brooding introspection. Mr. Holzman’s ability to bring clarity to the dense counterpoint and thick textures is remarkable. An entirely different interpretation from Peter Serkin’s excellent 1986 recording on the New World label, Holzman brings an earthiness to this important work. The Toccata in Three Parts (1941) is a similarly challenging work, its double-fugue finale again presenting Mr. Holzman’s virtuosity.

The disc also features many aphoristic miniatures. Pastorale, a gem from 1941 will surprise those familiar with Wolpe with its gentleness and lyricism. Wolpe’s interest in Jewish folk music is represented by the dance-like Palestinian Notebook (1939), written after his sojourn in Jerusalem (1934-38).

One very enjoyable feature of both of Mr. Holzman’s Wolpe discs are his own liner notes, with a personable and sometimes amusing quality.

Astounding complexity and unabashed simplicity co-exist in Wolpe’s musical world. The concluding miniature Lively. Why not? will put a smile on anyone’s face.

Land of Living Skies - Canadian Woodwind Trios

Members of Estria Woodwind Quintet

Centrediscs CMCCD 16811

“Land of Living Skies” is an intriguing disc featuring Étienne de Médicis, oboe d’amore; Pauline Farrugia, clarinet; and Michel Bettez, bassoon ― all members of the Estria Woodwind Quintet (l’Estrie being Quebec’s Eastern Townships). The five recent works by Quebec composers show the group’s commitment to commissioning new music and promoting the reed trio.

Denis Gougeon’s poetic Le Chant de Pauline is a highlight. From the opening solo clarinet section onward the composer displays an assured voice, maintaining an active line that carries through the breaks and fissures of trills, bend tones, and flutter-tonguing. Clarinettist Farrugia, the work’s dedicatee, handles everything confidently and with feeling, as do de Médicis playing oboe d’amore in the ensuing duet, and Bettez completing the trio on bassoon. Ensemble and intonation are impeccable and all obviously believe in this work ― perhaps as a life journey?

Sudbury-based Robert Lemay’s atonal Fragments also impresses. Each of the nine miniatures has a distinct profile, with such arresting effects as microtonal pitch variations and pulsating dynamics. I like the mysterious static passages in Alain Perron’s Land of Living Skies II, and the use of chant and chorale in Marc O’Reilly’s Le poisson rouge. Stewart Grant contributes his neoclassical Serenata Estria to the reed trio’s repertoire, his mastery of free counterpoint being a clear inspiration to all.

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Alex Pangman

Justin Time JTR 8569-2 (www.justin-time.com)

Toronto teems with jazz vocalists, but few, if any, are as faithful to the genre’s early years as “Canada’s Sweetheart of Swing” Alex Pangman. Reminiscent of Connee Boswell, Mildred Bailey and the youthful recordings of Fitzgerald and O’Day, smooth-voiced Pangman has carved out her niche by charming listeners the old-fashioned way. Beginning with a jubilant take on the seldom-sung I Found a New Baby, this, her fifth recording, is devoted to songs made popular in 1933.

In her ongoing quest to uncover hidden American songbook gems, some of the album’s best cuts include a cheerful homage to Connee Boswell (Hummin’ to Myself), a timeless Jack Teagarden specialty (A Hundred Years from Today) and a pair of Bing Crosby rarities (Thanks and I Surrender Dear, the latter a poignant duet with Ron Sexsmith). It is Pangman’s immaculate diction, delivered ever so earnestly, that makes her an ideal candidate to rescue these titles from obscurity. That said, lyrics aside, the success of this recording owes plenty to Alex’s seven-piece band, The Alleycats. Pianist Peter Hill swings mightily as always, as does Drew Jurecka, who skilfully doubles on violin and alto saxophone; both Hill and Jurecka contribute clever arrangements. Also sensational throughout are clarinettist Ross Wooldridge and trumpeter Kevin Clark. As Ella Fitzgerald would say, “this band will swing you to good health!” On that note, this is Pangman’s first recording since undergoing a double-lung transplant in 2008. A triumph!

At Somewhere There

Evan Parker; Wes Neal; Joe Sorbara

Barnyard Records BR0321 (www.barnyardrecords.com)

Without a hint of condescension, veteran British tenor saxophonist Evan Parker allies his skills with the talents of Torontonians bassist Wes Neal and drummer Joe Sorbara in this first-class essay in free improvisation. During the single track, recorded live at local performance space Somewhere There, rhythms, pitches and tones are mixed, matched, mulched and multiplied with a timbral blend that makes it seems as if the trio members have collaborated for years.

Balancing methodical plucks and brawny strums with a hint of sul tasto extensions, Neal marshals his strings to create an unremitting chromatic pulse. For his part, Sorbara pops, plucks, strikes and bounces rhythms on the sides and tops of his drums to tint and roughen the narrative. Delicate bell pings, rattling chains and, more frequently, the harsh application of a drum stick along a cymbal, mark transitions.

Meanwhile Parker, who has been involved in similar ad-hoc improvising since the mid-1960s, varies his output from intense flutter tonguing to glottal punctuation; and from flattement smears to cadenzas of bird-like twittering. Yet even as his inventive free-flowing timbres inflate, constrict or propel the performance in unexpected directions, he never loses its linear thread. A master of cooperation not dominance, even his intervals of nearly superhuman circular breathing are not challenges but an invitation to further group counterpoint. By the finale his occasional pan-tonal bent notes and nephritic explosions have become merely one element in this group’s sonic picture, separate but equal to the bassist’s double stopping or the drummer’s ruffs and rolls.

A key participant in the Koerner Hall Aspects Of Oscar concert series was bass ace Dave Young, who’s now recorded an 11-track studio version that swings with both simplicity and strength. Dave Young Quintet - Aspects Of Oscar (Modica Music MM0111 www.daveyoung.ca) features on six Peterson tunes and five standards A-list jazzers Robi Botos (piano), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), Reg Schwager (guitar) and Terry Clarke (drums), all in top form. The opening OP classic Wheatland showcases authoritative bass propulsion and relentlessly appealing playing by bandsmen before Broadway standards time. Then it’s OP’s best ballad (When Summer Comes) given poignant treatment, as were Chaplin’s Smile and Bernstein’s Somewhere. The legend’s bouncy tune Cake Walk energizes Clarke, Just Friends roars, but perhaps the best jazz comes with OP’s rare excursion into the classical world, his Bach Suite (recorded with Young, Joe Pass and Martin Drew in 1986). Here are the utterly winning Andante and Fugue movements plus Bach’s Blues.

Nancy Walker has played enough piano to know how to keep listeners interested however hard she pushes the boundaries of familiarity. Her 11 original compositions on Nancy Walker - New Hieroglyphics (Indie NW 2011-01 www.nancywalkerjazz.com) are often fiercely inventive, while some amazingly seem ripe for dancing. The opening Mehndi pulses with life, drummer Ethan Ardelli permanently on fire, bass Kieran Overs a big-toned mainstay and guitarist Ted Quinlan always ready to wail or deliver strong counterpoint to the pianist’s delightful ideas, always confidently expressed - later he brings new levels of intensity to Federico. The title piece (and others) exploit elements of musical theory but you don’t need to drown in semantics to enjoy the off-kilter keyboard fancies plus a vigorous pulse. Imprint has bravura guitar and expansive imagination, Companion Moon has many memorable moments while with Take You There it’s back to the dance floor. A fine album well worth seeking.

The Walker-Overs team is also in action on Mikko Hilden Group - Nova Scotia (Addo AJR007 www.addorecords.com), the first recording by the Swedish-born, Hogtown-based guitarist, one of many trying to find an individual voice amid the tsunami of string practitioners. He just about succeeds, however, with ringing tones cleanly struck, a passion for lyrical melody and uncommon improv. Hilden penned the six originals – lasting just a miserly 38 minutes – which exercise a quartet rounded out by drummer Will Foster. Willowbrook has a bold core with good piano comping, Secret Sun’s forceful, unusual theme is compelling with Walker’s counter-theme rebellions, while Rocket Fuel catches fire when Hilden’s tough lines assault snaky piano phrases. The title tune has profound moments with expert idea development, generating a powerful sense of collective achievement. June 14 2008 mournfully commemorates the drowning death of E.S.T. leader Esbjorg Svensson.

Another stylish CD that boasts original content and elegant execution while examining different approaches is Reg Schwager Trio - Chromology (Rant Records 1039 www.regschwager.com). Schwager composed eight of the 11 songs and works comfortably with bass Jon Maharaj and drummer Michel Lambert. The album engages the listener for 53 minutes.

Self-taught Ottawa pianist Peter Hum is likely more known in the jazz community for his prodigious blogging but clearly has wordless talent too, as attested by his debut release Peter Hum Quintet - A Boy’s Journey (PJH001 www.peterhum.com). Leading three other Ottawa-born bandsmen - tenor saxman Kenji Omae, alto and soprano Nathan Cepelinski and bass Alec Walkington – plus drummer Ted Warren, the boss cruises through ten neat, original tunes secure in his players’ long-established musical camaraderie. However, more than once the apparent comfort level seems complacent, with tempos sedate and drive and urgency at a premium. Horns get plenty of room, with rugged tenor and alto slither easy to differentiate, and this aids interesting tracks like Take The High Road, Big Lou and Sojourner’s Truth, Hum showing electric piano skill on the last two. Best jazz comes with the energized Unagi and the cleverly structured closer Three Wishes with its snarling saxes.

A while ago I raved (in an unpublished review) about pianist Chris Donnelly’s debut disc Solo declaring it as good an entry in the crowded keyboard stakes as any recently experienced, with technical prowess, mesmerizing touch and effortlessly imaginative approach evident. The Canada Council commissioned him to compose music based on the work of Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher. The result is Chris Donnelly - Metamorphosis (Alma ACD32212 www.chrisdonnellymusic.com). More words from my earlier piece apply here too – “swashbuckling verve”, “truly accomplished” “crammed with subtlety”, “significant musical event.” There are ten movements, with the music working as a concert with minimal interruption. Of most note are the particularly dazzling You enter the fountain, the invigorating In the chimera of notes, the percussive You hear the voice and the bustling Saying you are the azure. I have two problems, however. It sounds too much like a classical recital à la Glenn Gould – and the cover art is absurd.

*The Dixie Demons CD Fossil Fuel won the 2011 Canadian Collectors Congress album-of-the-year award. The band narrowly beat out Jeff Healey’s Last Call and the Vic Dickenson–Jim Galloway Quintet’s Live In Toronto albums, says Congress spokesman Gene Miller. The Toronto-area Demons are co-leaders Dan Douglas (trombone) and Ross Wooldridge (clarinet) plus Steve Crowe (trumpet), Phil Disera (banjo), Chris Lamont (drums) and Doug Burrell (tuba). The 13^th annual award was presented at the annual meeting of the Congress, which specializes in classic and traditional jazz, on April 30 in Toronto.

More than 60 years after the big band era, improvising musicians still organize large ensembles to take advantage of its wider scope and range of colors. Such is the versatility of the arrangements possible with large bands as these sessions demonstrate, that each sounds completely unique while maintaining the same excellence.

Over nearly 71 minutes on Totally Gone (Rai Trade RTP J0021 www.italianinstabileorchestra.com), the all-star aggregation of 17 of the country’s most accomplished players who make up the Italian Instabile Orchestra (IIO) demonstrate the combination of technical skills and rambunctious good spirits that has kept the band going since 1990. Unsurprisingly the climatic track, Ciao Baby, I’m Totally Gone/It Had to be You, is a case-in-point instance of the band’s expansive talents. Switching between timbral dissonance from squeaky spiccato strings and snoring brass slurs on one hand with sibilant, staccato section work that could have migrated from Fletcher Henderson’s band, the IIO’s texture is simultaneously mainstream and avant-garde. This is made clearest when a sequence of pure air forced from Sebi Tramontana’s trombone turns to plunger polyrhythm as he’s backed by harmonized reeds and strings, and ends with him vocalizing the second half of the title backed by Fabrizio Puglisi’s key-clipping piano and Gianluigi Trovesi’s undulating clarinet obbligato. This sense of fun is also expressed on No Visa, a jazzy hoedown which leaves room for sul ponticello fiddling from violinist Emanuele Parrini, funky tenor saxophone vamping from Daniele Cavallanti, a brassy mid-range fanfare and the entire band vocally riffing in unison. This doesn’t mean that compositional seriousness isn’t displayed alongside the theatricism. The multi-tempo Gargantella, for instance is as much a nocturne as a capriccio. Here closely-voiced and massed horns and strings move adagio beneath strained brass notes and a snorting, altissimo showcase for baritone saxophonist Carlo Actis Dato until the tone poem is completed by polished, string movements given shape by the clattering cymbals and wood block pops of percussionists Vincenzo Mazzone and Tiziano Tononi.

With rock-influenced electric piano and guitar prominent, Pierre Labbé’s 12-piece big band takes a different approach on Tremblement de fer (Ambiances Magnétiques AM 202 CD www.actuellecd.com), performing a seven-part suite the saxophonist composed for a Montreal festival. A POMO sound essay, the composition is animated by contrapuntal clashes between sections which include four bowed strings, two brass, two reeds, plus guitar, piano, bass and percussion. Although linked, each track can be appreciated on its own. Despite its Arabic title, Le 2e Souk is actually a showcase for Jean Derome’s improvisations on successively, alto saxophone, flute and bass clarinet. Throughout his staccato peeps, sibilant slurs and flutter tonguing are matched by tremolo slides, sawing and scratches from the violinists, violist and cellist. Lavra, on the other hand masses Balkan-sounding string discord with irregular pulses from guitarist Bernard Falaise and drummer Pierre Tanguay as soprano saxophonist André Leroux carries the melody. Resolution comes when trombonist Jean-Nicolas Trottier abandons plunger tones to slurp his way up the scale, accompanied by the strings and pianist Guillaume Dostaler’s steady comping. Tanguay, whose hand taps are suitably exotic when playing darbuka, contributes muscular ruffs throughout. His steadying backbeat is particularly necessary on the final La Fille et la grenouille. Sounding like what would happen if a street-corner Sally Ann band wandered into a country music session, the tune mixes up the bugling from the brass players, rooster crows and spits from the reeds, a bow-legged rhythm with cow-bell pings from Tanguay, and Falaise contrasting his best pseudo-steel-guitar C&W twangs with the somewhat schmaltzy tutti horn lines.

Taking a different tack is percussionist Pierre Favre’s Le Voyage (Intakt CD 186 www.intaktrec.ch), which mutates standard big-band harmonies with unique sound blocks in the drummer’s compositions. Utilizing a saxophone choir of soprano, alto, tenor and baritone to create concentrated organ-like chord pulsations, Favre’s intermezzos parcel the solos out among guitarist Phillipp Schaufelberger, trombonist Samuel Blaser and clarinettist Claudio Putin. With the rhythmic thrust doubled by string bass and bass guitar, the results evoke baroque ballads as certainly as big band swing. An example of the latter is Wrong Name where Putin’s florid twitters trill chromatically, while around him harmonized reeds throb in unison, prodded from adagio to andante tempo by cross-patterning cracks and pops from the drummer. Les Vilains on the other hand could be modernized Renaissance court music, with the reeds playing formalized close harmonies as if they were a string quartet, with cascading and irregular timbres doled out from Schaufelberger’s harsh, slurred fingering. Favre’s sound architecture is most obvious on Akimbo where reed shading becomes sonically three-dimensional as the drummer’s clips emphasize the symmetry between the guitarist’s string snaps plus Blaser’s plunger grace notes.

Practically standing the big band tradition and its head, American gigantism is emphasized on Fred Ho and the Green Monster Big Band’s Year of the Tiger (Innova 789 www.innova.mu) since the Chinese-American composer bursts with so many sociological and musical tropes that a 21 musicians are needed to express them. A Marxist populist Ho packs within 70 minutes, a five-part suite honouring African-American big bands; a trio of Michael Jackson songs; the Johnny Quest TV show theme song; a couple of Jimi Hendrix hits; plus excerpts from his chamber opera featuring the band plus an adult and a children’s choirs. These extracts are notable for how he blends formalist bel canto singing with instrumental looseness from an improvising ensemble, whereas Ho’s arrangement of the Hendrix melodies play up their jazz-rock linkage as tremolo trombone slurs and roistering sax vamps parallel the double-tracked vocals. More seriously, adding an anti-capitalist recitation from poet Magdalena Gomez to Jackson’s Bad and Thriller, already evocatively sung by Leena Conquest, defines the werewolf and zombie sound effects within the context of mindless consumerism, mocked by guffawing brass and a slurping tenor sax solo. The CD’s heart is contained in the six selections of Take the Zen Train, which manages to reference both Pete Seeger and Duke Ellington. Using instrumental pulsations and layering, with bellowing brass reverb and tension-and-release variants plus the vibrancy of frequent tempo changes, Ho composes tonal portraits for his soloists. Outstanding are cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum’s whispering and peeping ballad feature; the stop-time slurs and gutbucket expansions from bass trombonist David Harris; plus an interlude which matches alto saxophonist Jim Hobbs’ reed masticating alongside the composer’s snorting baritone sax runs. Seeger’s left-wing orientation is apparent in some of the tune titles including Quarantine for the Aggressor. Whether used for program music or for timbral amplification, big bands remain a preferred form of expression for players and composers.

She Was A Boy

Yael Naim; David Donatien

tot ou tard 3231742 (www.yaelweb.com)

Having one of your songs hand-picked by Apple CEO Steve Jobs to represent the launch of a new product is a little like winning the lottery. It can be a blessing and a curse, but French-Israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naim and partner David Donatien took advantage of the windfall brought by New Soul to hole up in their Paris apartment and take time and care producing “She Was a Boy,” the third album in Naim’s young career.

At first listen, the collection of 13 songs sounds much like a lot of releases by female singer-songwriters these days: quirky, cute and catchy. But if you dig into the lyrics a bit you’ll hear depth and anguish that belie the bouncy melodies. (I guess having the Israel Defense Forces as your musical training ground will do that to a girl.) The opening track Come Home speaks of the pain and guilt of being independent from one’s family, accompanied by a lively New Orleans-style party track.

Naim also accomplishes what many musicians attempt but few achieve: a true melding of musical cultures. Man of Another Woman beautifully marries Indian melody with Western modality and the laid-back bluesy lament Never Change sounds like a modern, humbler Billie Holiday. One of the main strengths of “She Was a Boy” is the light-handed use of an arsenal of instruments which enhance but never overwhelm the charm of the songs.

Danse des Bresloques

Fanfare Pour Pour

Monsieur Fauteux m’attendez-vous? MFMV? 18 (www.actuellecd.com)

In a bad mood? Listen, laugh and dance to the uplifting “Danse des brelogues” by Fanfare Pourpour. This is happy music from an eclectic happy “big band” of 20 performers well versed in musical idiosyncrasy, style, wit, and technical know-how (not to forget a superb taste in haberdashery!). Nothing atonal here, as the styles range from French waltzes to jazz to Klezmer-like tunes to tango and samba beats to everything in between played on trumpets, saxophones, clarinets, guitars, banjo, accordions, violins, percussion, euphonium, and musical saw, plus vocal soloists and a choir.

Under the direction of Jean Derome and Nemo Venba, the players are a smorgasbord of Quebec musical masters – Altobelli, Babin, Belanger, Bourque, Derome, Duguay, Del Fabbro, Guilbeault, Hubler, Lajeunesse, Letarte, Menard, Nicolas, Nisenson, Poizat, Proulx, Sabourin, Tanguay, Venba and Vendette. A number of these great musicians provide the fifteen original compositions featured on this, the band’s fourth release. The works are group specific or originate from dance, theatre or film. The arrangements of the tunes are so strong, and designed to illuminate the group’s tight ensemble sense while maintaining a continuous improvisational feel. There are also a few tiny aural treats to remind one that the performers are “new musicians” as well.

Sound quality is superb. The French language only liner notes are thorough. Time to take out whatever moves you and boogie along with Fanfare Pourpour’s freewheeling musical spirit.

De la nuit au lever du jour

Azam Ali

Terrestrial Lane Records 013111 (www.azamalimusic.com)

I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that a collection of lullabies isn’t a terribly upbeat album, but “De la nuit au lever du jour” also has an unexpected solemnity and stateliness to it. These aren’t your everyday cute little bedtime ditties, at least not to my Western ears. Iranian-Canadian singer Azam Ali has chosen songs from a variety of Middle Eastern cultures, plus a few of her own compositions, and sings them in Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish and Azeri. Unless you understand these languages (or the French the lyrics are translated into in the liner notes), you’re free to enjoy these songs from a purely musical standpoint and Ali’s skill and beauty as a singer are undeniable. Her childhood spent in India and her comfort with the quarter-tone are also apparent in some of her compositions, such as Tendresse, written for her son, and the Kurdish Lai Lai. Ali has enlisted expert musicians from each of the regions to accompany her on traditional instruments, such as oud and saz, as well as the contemporary, Montreal-based Bozzini String Quartet. “De la nuit au lever du jour” is a meditative, transporting work.

The Metropolitan Opera has instituted a program to issue classic Saturday afternoon performances from the past preserved on their own archive tapes, entrusting them to Sony Classical which is issuing them at re-issue prices. The first batch includes Tosca, Die Walküre, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Le Nozze di Figaro, Romeo et Juliette (Gounod), La Bohème, and Il Barbieri di Seviglia.

The first two to come my way are Tosca and Die Walküre. The Tosca, dating from April 7, 1962, finds Leontyne Price in the title role with Franco Corelli as Cavaradossi and Cornell MacNeil as Scarpia. The conductor is Kurt Adler (804682, 2 CDs, mono). My intention was to first dip in at significant points but I was immediately engaged from the opening bars, listening through to the finale of the Third Act. A little history... on a Sunday afternoon in January 1955 a younger Leontyne Price’s Tosca was heard and seen across the continent in the NBC Television Opera Theatre with David Poleri as Cavaradossi. She was back in The Magic Flute as Pamina in 1956 and finally in 1960 she was Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Judith Raskin and Cesare Siepi. Hence, she was no stranger to the MET audience who accorded her an enthusiastic ovation as she arrived on the stage in Act One, even before she had sung one note. Her Tosca heard on these CDs is inspired and beautifully characterized opposite Corelli whose voice was quite incomparable for its beauty and ease of delivery, making this an important document. The sound is clean and clear throughout. The booklet includes a complete synopsis of the events on stage and all the cues (30) are given but no libretto. Let’s hope that future releases will include the legendary 1961 Turandot with Corelli and Nilsson conducted by Leopold Stokowski.

The Die Walküre is from February 24, 1968 with Jon Vickers, Leonie Rysanek (Siegmund and Sieglinde); Karl Ridderbusch (Hunding); Thomas Stewart is Wotan, Birgit Nilsson is Brunnhilde and Christa Ludwig is Fricka. The conductor is Berislav Klobucar (85308, 3 CDs, mono). This was part of the Ring Cycle brought to the Met by von Karajan who was to be in charge of every aspect of the productions from casting to sets and stage lighting. It didn’t turn out too well, beginning with an inevitable clash of personalities between MET general manager Rudolph Bing and Karajan. In total, Karajan conducted only the premier performances of this production on November 21, 24, 27 and December 2 and 5, 1967 to the critical acclaim of both audience and press, with Gundula Janowitz as the first Sieglinde. For this February performance the conductor was the Croatian Klobucar and Rysanek replaced Janowitz. To hear this ensemble of singers performing live in faultless sound will be reason enough to acquire the discs.

Music lovers with an enquiring mind, who also have some interest in Mahler, particularly the unfinished Symphony No.10 and how it found its way, more or less (actually more) to the concert stage will applaud a new release from Testament (SBT3-1457, 3CDs at a reduced price). Deryck Cooke, critic, musicologist, pianist, author, etc. aroused the music world’s attention when he announced that he had prepared a performing version of Mahler’s unfinished symphony. On December 19, 1960 listeners to the BBC Third Programme heard Deryck Cooke introduce and explain the journey to Mahler’s Tenth, followed by the performance by Berthold Goldschmidt and the Philharmonia Orchestra, annotated by Cooke. The third CD in this set contains the recording of the first ever performance played by The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Goldschmidt. The complete performance dates from August 1964 predating Ormandy’s “first recording” by over a year. Certainly a unique and fascinating release.

Deryck Cooke also authored a fascinating study of Wagner’s Ring, I Saw the World End (Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780193153189, paperback). Intended to be a multi volume study, the author died before he finished but what there is here is a scholarly yet unpretentious and thought provoking revelation and a definitive statement on aspects and illusions in the monumental opus. A must read for some. Cooke also devised and narrated a unique exposition on The Ring in a two CD set, An Introduction to Der Ring des Nibelungen (Decca 443 5812). Cooke identifies the various leitmotivs and follows their permutations and combinations as they appear and re-appear, which can be a revelation and illumination to even those who know it all. Quite important to the narrative are the passages where the character is saying one thing but the music beneath discloses that what he or she really means or intends is something quite different. The illustrations are from Decca’s Solti cycle with The Vienna Philharmonic. The discs can be heard and re-heard without any sense of ennui.

Following his big win in Moscow’s Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 1958, Van Cliburn was a hot ticket, playing to sold out houses wherever he appeared. He played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Fritz Reiner during April 1960 and RCA was there to document the performances. They taped the Brahms Second Concerto on the 8^th and the Schumann A minor on the 12^th. Unreleased until now, these RCA recordings have finally been issued (Testament SBT2-1460, 2CDs at a reduced price). The performances are sunny and uncomplicated with all concerned in top form. The Schumann enjoys a beautiful presentation, sensible phrasing and a distinctive conversational collaboration. The Brahms is just a wee bit lower on the adrenalin scale. In excellent stereo sound, one wonders why we had to wait so long. 

Musica Intima could well be the title of my column this month as I find myself immersed in new recordings by two duets and a trio. The ChromaDuo is comprised of Canadian guitar virtuosos Tracy Anne Smith and Rob MacDonald. Founded in 2009, the duo is active across the continent and internationally. They specialize in music of the 21st century and have a body of commissioned work, some of which is showcased on their debut recording Hidden Waters where four of six tracks were written especially for them. The disc opens with one of the two exceptions, The Raw and the Cooked by British composer Stephen Goss, a set of miniatures drawing on a number of musical influences from Django Reinhardt to David Byrne to the Mahavishnu Orchestra. While the composer’s program note does not convey any direct link to the book of the same name by anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, it does explain that the influences are in some cases near the surface (the Raw) and in others buried deeply within the texture (the Cooked). Even when the inspiration is as distinctive as Astor Piazzolla the music is not obviously derivative or clichéd, and although many of them originate in popular forms these compositions are firmly rooted in world of art music. The nine selected movements from Goss’ suite are followed by Still the Sea, which Goss composed for ChromaDuo in 2009. This primarily gentle set of pieces pays tribute to the music and on-going influence of the late, great Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, himself no stranger to writing for the guitar, and Takemitsu’s own self-stated influences Debussy, Nature and Duke Ellington. The music of Goss gives way to two pieces composed for Chroma by American Christopher William Pierce in the form of an Adagio and Fugue, inspired by Bach and Debussy, and Three Pieces for Two Guitars which adds influences of Ligeti to the mix. Here introspective pieces are contrasted with a central Allegro Ritmico which while reminiscent of a gentle spring rain gives way to momentary tempestuous outbursts. The title of the disc in derived from another piece composed for the duo, Niterói, which means “hidden waters” in Tupi, a native language of Brazil, and is the name of the Brazilian city which provided the inspiration. This multi-layered work has dense textures, complex rhythms and employs a number of extended techniques providing the duo with an opportunity to really show their chops. I am very impressed with their consummate ensemble work and the cleanness of their sound – no extraneous finger noise audible here, perhaps in part due to the impeccable recording skills of engineer Norbert Kraft who seems also to be a mentor for the group. If you missed the CD launch at Gallery 345 on April 22 you can find the disc on Tracy Anne Smith’s website: http://tracyannesmith.com/discography.

The next disc is one that I should probably have turned over to Terry Robbins for his “Strings Attached” column, but citing “Editor’s prerogative” I have chosen to keep it for myself. Interwar Duets (Analekta AN 2 9971) features familiar and unfamiliar works for violin and cello performed with aplomb and vigour by Olivier Thouin and Yegor Dyachkov. Most familiar is the Sonata for Violin and Cello completed in 1922 by Maurice Ravel. I remember once, after not hearing this extremely virtuosic work in a decade or so, tuning in to a radio broadcast during the Vif, avec entrain final movement and wondering “Oh that’s so familiar, which quartet is that?” – such is the dexterity required of the two musicians. Thouin, currently associate concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and well known soloist Dyachkov take it all in stride. They make it sound easy, even effortless, while capturing all the excitement and nuance of the moment. This consummate musicianship is on show throughout the disc, which includes lesser known but delightful duets by Martinu and Honegger. But the real gem for me is the offering by Erwin Schulhoff, composed in 1925. More and more music of this Nazi-designated “Degenerate” composer is gaining attention in recent years and with each new discovery our awareness of the tragedy of the composer’s death in a concentration camp becomes more acute. Schulhoff’s Duet is in the classical four movement form of the sonata. Framed by dramatic rondos utilizing “modal language pushed to the edge of atonality,” the central movements include Zingaresca - a rollicking Gypsy dance - and a sombre Andantino. Although one might wonder whether the stark combination of violin and cello could sustain the listener’s interest for the duration of the disc, I had no problem with attention deficit during these marvellous performances.

I cannot say the same for the final disc Haydn Baryton Divertimenti Volume One (FofM 36-811 www.smithsonian.org) which features five trios for baryton, viola and cello performed by the Smithsonian Institute’s resident Esterházy Machine (Kenneth Slowik, Steven Dann and Myron Lutzke). This is not to say that I did not find the music and performances of interest, simply that taken as a whole I found the 66 minute experience a bit “much of a muchness.” I think I would likely feel the same if offered a steady diet of Haydn piano trios or string quartets however, so that being said I find this recording has a lot to offer if taken in moderation. The baryton, a favourite instrument of Haydn’s Esterházy patron Prince Nicholas the Magnificent, is an unusual instrument, kind of a hybrid viol and lute, which is pretty much extinct today. The instrument played here by Kenneth Slowik, presumably from the Smithsonian Collection, was built in 1986 by George Cassis of Baltimore, Maryland after 18th century Viennese models. With six (or seven) gut strings and a fretted neck, the baryton resembles a viol da gamba and is similarly held between the knees and played with a bow. The difference is a rank of brass and steel strings which run under and through the hollow fingerboard in such a way that they can vibrate sympathetically or be plucked individually by the thumb of the left hand through the open back of the neck to create counterpoint with the melody strings. The effect is more subtle than a written description may suggest. There is nothing resembling the resonance of the sympathetic strings of the sitar here for instance, but rather a delicate extension to the overall ambience of the melodic playing and added colour from the plucked steel strings producing a harp-like texture. The range of the baryton overlaps with the viola and cello so that there is a lush blending of the instruments and we are not always sure from which the melody is originating, which can make for some intriguing listening. We are often amazed at Haydn’s prolific output – 68 string quartets, 104 symphonies – but these numbers pale in comparison to the more than 170 works which incorporate the baryton, including 123 trios for the forces here. Taken two or three at a time they make for pleasant, entertaining listening, but I must confess I hope that “Volume One” does not imply that we can look forward to another 23 volumes to complete the set!

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David Olds

DISCoveries Editor

discoveries@thewholenote.com

Swell, Burst and Dye

Gabrielle McLaughlin; Lucas Harris

Independent (www.cdbaby.com/cd/gabriellemclaughlin)

The celebration of melancholy is as prevalent in music for singer and lute in the early 17th Century as the double-entendre. And the well-chosen title of this recording makes ample use of both. This phrase, “Swell, burst and dye” ends each of the three parts of Griefe keep within, composed by John Danyel for a funeral in which he advises the grieving wife “Mrs. M.E.” to shun excessive displays of sorrow. He then presents music as both the vicarious expression and the cure. This central piece is a wonderful find along with many others chosen by soprano Gabrielle McLaughlin and lutenist Lucas Harris to take the listener on a life journey through “pubescent drama toward the resignation of adulthood and the sometime despondency of middle age.” Selections by Danyel and John Dowland start sweetly and progressively lean toward a darker side, turning first to Dowland’s characteristic melancholy in I saw my Ladye Weepe, Semper Dowland Semper Dolens, pavan for lute and culminating in Thomas Campion’s spooky When thou must home to Shades of Underground and The Sypres Curtaine of the Night.

Gabrielle McLaughlin has a wonderful pure, even, declamatory style equally perfect for portraying smitten youth, heartbroken lover or gamine sprite. Her emotive qualities shine forth particularly well in her excellent phrasing. And the interplay between the singer and lutenist meet in perfect synchronicity. Cover design by Martin Chochinov is suitably disturbing and worth mentioning also are the playfully authentic spellings in the liner notes.

Haydn - Arias

Jane Archibald; Orchestre Symphonique Bienne; Thomas Rösner

ATMA ACD2 2661

Papa Haydn was an extremely successful musician - and not just by the standards of his era. He was, one could argue, the first musical entrepreneur. In the period of transition from “composer as a servant” to “composer as an artist” he took advantage of the circumstances to sell his works many times over and ended up a wealthy man. He also had a dramatic impact on the development of the Western European musical idiom and established his symphonies as ideals aspired to by many. It is however in the 20 years of service to the Duke Esterhazy when Haydn wrote over 20 operas. Most of them have disappeared from the standard repertoire, but like so many works of Papa Haydn, once brought back, they have a lot of staying power. I am talking here of the comedic Il Mondo della Luna, the classic Orlando Paladino and his last opera, yet another take on the story of Orfeo et Euridice, written in the year of Mozart’s death. Arias from these and other operas are brought to record by the Canadian coloratura soprano, Jane Archibald. Although a fair musical distance from her typical repertoire of Zebrinetta, Musetta, Olympia and Queen of the Night, they provide a showcase for her vocal agility and provide a foreshadowing of the COC performances of next season as Zebrinetta and Semele. An added bonus of the CD is the inclusion of overtures, played beautifully by the Swiss Bienne Symphony, presided over by Thomas Rösner, a very talented Viennese maestro.

Walter Braunfels - Die Vogel

Désirée Rancatore; Brandon Jovanovich; James Johnson; Martin Gantner; Los Angeles Opera; James Conlon

ArtHaus Musik 101 529

“Trust the text!” – this much repeated, often ignored theatrical incantation proves its wisdom in the Braunfels opera The Birds. Too frequently, composers, directors and producers think that the play’s strength is not nearly enough for its success. Hence, we are frequently left scratching our heads. Just a few seasons ago, the Stratford Festival staged the almost 2,500 year old play by Aristophanes in a truly bizarre fashion that led my seat companion to call it “Sesame Street on acid.” Fortunately, Walter Braunfels was a man of tradition. While the Viennese School was transforming music of the early 20th century with their atonal experiments, Braunfels fully embraced German Romanticism. When The Birds premiered in 1920, none other than Bruno Walter conducted and lavished extreme praise on the work and its author. Alas, Walter Braunfels, as one of Germany’s assimilated Jews, stood no chance against the regime that emerged in the 1930s. His brutal dismissal and almost complete purge of his works from the public realm, was not overturned in the composer’s lifetime and the first post WWII production of The Birds took place in 1971, seventeen years after his death.

In this production for the Los Angeles Opera, both conductor James Conlon and the stage director, Darko Tresnjak, treat Braunfels’ work with the same respect he had shown for Aristophanes. By playing up to its Romantic tradition and easy charm, the best of Braunfels the composer and Braunfels the author is on display. The strong cast, especially Désirée Rancatore as Nightingale and Brandon Jovanovich as Good Hope, only emphasize the reasons why Braunfels’ return to the stage, while long overdue, is much appreciated.

The Business of Angels - English Recorder Music from the Stuart Era

Alison Melville; Lucas Harris; Nadina Mackie Jackson; Borys Medicky; Joëlle Morton

Pipistrelle Music PIP1110

The recorder enjoyed great popularity in the Stuart Era and many instructional manuals and collections with repertoire of excellent quality were published in London. The preface of one such, The Genteel Companion, printed by Henry Salter in 1683, provided this recording with its title... “Musick, beloved of Heaven, for it is the business of angels; desired on earth as the most charming pleasure of men.” And while the recorder may have been fairly accessible, it takes a skilled and sensitive hand to do justice to an art of heavenly origins. And who better in modern times to lend a light and supple touch than local virtuoso Alison Melville, accompanied by Lucas Harris, guitar and archlute; Borys Medicky, harpsichord; Joëlle Morton, bass viol; and Nadina Mackie Jackson, baroque bassoon.

One of the delightful aspects of a cosmopolitan city like London in the 17th and 18th centuries was the constant trading and intermarrying of styles, creating new perspectives on traditional forms. Thus we have French-born composers like Luis Mercy setting Scottish ayres, and theatrical pieces such as Handel’s Rinaldo overture made especially delightful when transcribed for more intimate performance. Melville has scoured through ancient collections to gather sweet and refined sonatas by James Paisible, Godfrey Finger and William Topham set alongside Corelli’s well-loved Folia, and complemented by jaunty Divisions on popular grounds by Eccles and Tollett. A lively and charming portrayal of London’s sweeter side.