Passione
Charles Di Raimondo
Independent CDR012 (www.charlesdiraimondo.com)

In the interpretive arts, there is no substitute for life experience – although a good imagination may work for a while, ultimately only genuine, experience-driven emotion transcends the mists of time. In Charles Di Raimondo’s debut CD, not only does he display a highly trained vocal instrument of terrific scope, but he has also literally infused each song with his deeply personal engrams of a life abundantly (and no doubt passionately) lived.

Co-Producers Raimondo and Glenn Morley have created an eclectic program, highlighting Raimondo’s versatility. On the opening track, Raimundo (who also contributes lyrics, music and arrangements) wraps his rich baritone around Ennio Morricone’s theme from the cinematic masterpiece Cinema Paradiso, which sets an impressively high bar for the rest of the recording. 

Of note is a freshly reworked rendition of the contemporary classic, Time to Say Good-bye. The rock-infused production, pleasant baritone placement and double-tracked vocals result in a sumptuous, hearty version, quite unlike any of the more familiar takes from Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. The spare, emotional Caruso (Lucio Dalla) employs gorgeous acoustic guitar work as the perfect complement to Raimondo’s intensity. Also consummately performed is E Lucevan Le Stelle (from Tosca), with another breathtaking acoustic guitar solo placed against Raimundo’s fully charged vocal. Closing out the program are two more stunners: the Italian folk-inspired Mamma (Nell ‘Eterna Melodia) and the lilting and romantic Aquella Noche en Madrid – sung in Español perfecto!

This is a delightful and expertly produced recording that will no doubt be satisfying to both lovers of classical and contemporary vocal music. Although Raimondo’s debut CD may have been a while in the making, the results have been well worth the wait.

Although Gramophone Magazine recently determined that Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw Orchestra was the finest orchestra in the world, other surveys have given that honour to the more highly esteemed Vienna Philharmonic. Unlike the Concertgebouw and other orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic does not engage a permanent conductor. It draws its members from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera and its home is Vienna’s illustrious Musikverein where most of its recordings are made. TV viewers around the world know the Musikverein thanks to the annual telecast of the Philharmonic’s New Year’s Day concert.

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is a democratic, self-governing body founded in 1842 by composer Otto Nicolai (The Merry Wives of Windsor) and since then the greatest conductors of their time have stood before them, from Hans Richter, Gustav Mahler, Felix Weingartner and Wilhelm Furtwangler to Arturo Toscanini, Bruno Walter, Clemens Krauss and George Szell. The list goes on to include the maestros who are heard in the Wiener Philharmoniker Symphony Edition from Deutsche Grammophon (4790718, 50 CDs) containing 95 symphonies by 13 composers.

In June 1984, James Levine recorded Mozart symphonies 28, 29 and 30, initiating what would become a complete cycle. A year later, in June 1985, he set down six more, with further sessions in December 1986, December 1987 and June 1989, with the final two sessions in February and December 1990. Levine was George Szell’s apprentice in Cleveland in 1964 and 1965 and assistant conductor until 1970. Levine absorbed Szell’s characteristically crisp articulation and clarity of the melodic line, qualities that serve Mozart well. Unavailable for many years, the return to active duty of this complete cycle, occupying the first 11 discs, is more than welcome.

Discs 12 and 13 are devoted to Haydn’s symphonies 88 to 92 and 105 conducted by Karl Böhm whose traditional Kapellmeister elegance will charm those who look for such music making (1972/73 recordings). Discs 14 to 18 find the nine Beethoven symphonies divided up between Bernstein (1, 3 and 9); Abbado (2 and 4); Kleiber (5 and 7) and Böhm (6 and 8); judiciously allocated, as demonstrated by the selection of Böhm’s perfect realization of the “Pastoral” from 1971.

Discs 19 and 20 contain Schubert’s 3, 5, 8 and 9 with Kleiber, Böhm and Gardiner while disc 21 has Gardiner again in Mendelssohn’s 4 and 5. Discs 22 and 23 have Bernstein’s final recorded interpretations of Schumann from 1984/85 revealing an understanding and commitment beyond him ten years earlier in New York. Discs 24 to 26 find the Brahms symphonies allocated to Bernstein (1, 2), Giulini (3) and Kleiber (4). No arguments here. Discs 27 to 32 have six of Bruckner’s nine, with three given to Abbado (1, 4 and 5), Karajan’s swan song 7 (1989) and 8 (1988), with the 9th under Giulini. Discs 33 to 35 have Karajan’s arguably finest performances of Tchaikovsky’s 4, 5 and 6, all from 1984.

Discs 36 and 37 offer only four of Dvořak’s nine: unexpectedly by Myung-Whun Chung (6, 7) and Maazel (8, 9). Discs 38 to 47 offer an almost complete Mahler cycle: Abbado (2, 3, 4 and 9), Bernstein (5, 8 and the Adagio from 10) and Boulez gets the 6th.

Discs 48 to 50 are given to Leonard Bernstein conducting astounding performances of Sibelius 1, 2, 5 and 7 and finally the 6th and 9th by Shostakovich. Both Sibelius and Shostakovich receive performances of a lifetime, no ifs, ands or buts. A supercharged, over-the-top coda to this exemplary, ridiculously inexpensive collection.

We know Menahem Pressler primarily as the pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio, the group that he founded in 1955 which soon became one of the most respected chamber groups in history. He also performed and recorded outside the trio as a soloist and in concerted works. The trio disbanded in 2008 but Pressler continues to perform as soloist and accompanist. DOREMI has issued a set of CDs featuring Pressler’s Chopin recorded c.1960 (DHR-7989/90, 2 stereo CDs). Heard are three works with orchestra, the two concertos and the Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brilliante, Op.22 together with three polonaises and five mazurkas. Pressler was evidently in top form on each occasion and we witness his Chopin to be expressive and eloquent with touches of refreshing originality.

The sound is pleasantly warm and quite convincing due to the tube-based electronics used for the meticulous transfers. I must comment that, as in the original LPs, the sound in the three concerted works (all with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra) tends to favour the piano. This is volume two in a series and I am informed that volumes three and four contain Pressler’s entire Mozart, Prokofiev and Shostakovich recordings including concertos.

When Classical Barbra was issued in 1976 a few “classical music lovers” expressed righteousness indignation at the thought of Barbra Streisand even attempting to perform “their” repertoire. Claus Ogerman made the arrangements and conducted the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. Ten tracks were issued on the LP and then on a CD which has never left the catalogue. It is now exactly 40 years since these songs were recorded and Columbia has taken the opportunity to remaster the ten originals and add two unreleased songs (Sony 92255-2).

No one is claiming that any one of these is the best version but Streisand fans will enjoy 40 minutes of hearing her distinctive voice in unusual and attractive, evocative repertoire including chansons of Debussy, Cantaloube and Fauré and lieder of Wolf, Schumann and Schubert among other offerings. 

Schumann at Pier 2 – The Symphonies
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen; Paavo Järvi
Cmajor 712004

At last; an exultation of Schumann (my favourite composer) that finally and decisively disproves the myth that he was an inept orchestrator. Järvi’s brilliant, no-holds-barred performances are realizations of Schumann’s four symphonies without any editing and “corrections” by others (including Mahler) to suit their taste, an accepted practice that has tainted performances for generations. These indispensible performances radiate from the inside… exciting, highly charged and, where called for, meltingly poetic. Textures are sinewy but never lean. Audio and video are state of the art. 

In addition to four definitive performances there is an appreciation of these original scores. Movement by movement, we are treated to extracts from the rehearsals with observations and illustrations from some of the players but most informative and enlightening are Jarvi’s discerning thoughts and annotations:

“If you only use your brain to dictate the choices you will never actually get to the bottom of what Schumann’s music is all about because the music comes from the heart. It is incredibly emotional. You have this sense of neurotic extreme and you have to allow yourself to feel it in performance otherwise it will not fly, it will not explode, it will not make you cry… One of the problems is that we need to have enough courage to actually go with what Schumann writes because sometimes one thinks that, wait a minute, it cannot possibly be that impulsive, it cannot be so neurotic, it cannot possibly be so, um, extreme… I don’t think that I know of any other composer, even from the same period that brings that type of energy and that type of extreme into music… and that is something that all the great old maestros tried to fix. They tried to make it more academic, closer to Brahms, more correct. All the corners that were a little too sharp they tried to make smoother and what we end up with is a sort of a smooth correct, improved – quote, unquote – version of Schumann that takes away the essence which is the incredible neurotic energy… with all the insecurities and all the doubts, you know that Schumann knew, somehow, that he was one of the great voices.

“After performing the whole cycle of Schumann symphonies, you come away from that experience knowing that everything that you have been taught in school in the beginning is just nonsense. Basically, Schumann’s symphonic music is truly great. If one goes into it with complete commitment and one has courage to forget a little bit about so-called tradition and really see what’s in the music, you realize that this is absolutely stunningly original, touching and emotionally powerful music.”

The proof is here to be heard.

Life Death Tears Dream
Orchid Ensemble
Independent OE2012 (www.orchidensemble.com)

The Juno nominated Vancouver world music trio Orchid Ensemble consists of leader, singer and erhu (Chinese violin) player Lan Tung, Yu-Chen Wang on the zheng (Chinese zither) and percussionist Jonathan Bernard. Life Death Tears Dream is the ensemble’s third CD. In it they explore several common yet paradoxical categories: West and East, ancient and modern, composed and improvised, in the end product proposing a diverse yet cohesive musical fusion of Chinese, Spanish, Taiwanese and Jewish diasporas.

Original compositions by Canadian west coast composers Mark Armanini, Moshe Denburg, Barry Truax, Lan Tung and Yawen V. Wang proudly stand beside idiomatic arrangements of ancient Chinese originals, i.e. Three Variations of Plum Blossom 梅花三弄 by Huan Yi (c. 350 CE), arr. Lan Tung (2006).

Lan Tung’s Dancing Moon 月舞 (2009) is an effective example of the Orchid Ensemble’s cultural and stylistic accommodations and of the rich palate of timbres they employ to expand the work’s sonic space. Couched in a quick, pulsing 5/4 groove the main melody is inspired by a southwestern Chinese folk song in the course of which improvisations are taken. The centrally-placed zheng solo is particularly masterful, culminating in a torrent of nine-beat cycle phases reminiscent of Indian classical music, while shifting tonalities and rhymes may have a Balkan inspiration. Lan Tung’s vocals on lyrics by a Tang dynasty poet set the narrative stage evoking an energy-filled moonlit nightscape: a celestial stream flowing through an ancient forest of clouds swirling over green mountains. It’s well worth repeated listening.

Alfredo Casella – Concerto for Orchestra
Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma; Francesco La Vecchia
Naxos 8.573004

Alfredo Casella – La Donna Serpente; Introduzione, aria e toccata; Partita
Sun Hee You; Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma; Francesco La Vecchia
Naxos 8.573005

These two discs present world premiere recordings (except for the Partita) of Alfredo Casella’s music. They join a series of his complete orchestral works on Naxos, a stellar accomplishment by conductor Francesco La Vecchia and the Rome Symphony Orchestra. Piano prodigy and gifted conductor, Casella (1883-1947) was a leading instrumental composer in opera-soaked Italy.

 The excellent first disc includes music from three phases of Casella’s career. Modal harmony and 18th century dance genres in the early neo-classical Suite reflecthis teacher Fauré’s influence. The lively Overture, pensive extended Sarabande, and assertive Bourée are all delivered impeccably by the Rome Symphony. The ensemble is equally adept in the more adventurous five miniatures of Pagine di Guerra (War Pages). Startling sounds bombard us with the mechanical horror of World War I; perfectly-tuned wind chords subtly evoke dissonant cathedral bell timbres. The three-movement Concerto for Orchestra is the disc’shighlight, which according to David Gallagher’s fine program notes Casella considered his most mature orchestral achievement. Particularly moving is the epiphanic ninth variation of the Passacaglia where high violins linger deliciously over a procession of brass and wind solos.

The second disc’s Introduction, Aria and Toccata has both strengths and weaknesses. His easy way with a long line make the Aria a delight; La Vecchia captures its tasteful sentiment and tender moments.Strings are appropriately biting in the outer movements, which unfortunately also illustrate the composer’s penchant for lumpy Mussolini-era marches. Casella was piano soloist in the premiere of the Partita in 1925, where Stravinsky’s neo-baroque influence shows. In the Sinfonia, pandiatonicism (simultaneous sounding of any notes in a major scale), prominent use of winds and detaché strings are all Stravinskian, but rhythms are more four-square. Pianist Sun Hee You delivers a clear, spiky performance with impeccable ensemble throughout; the orchestra’s trumpet trio shines in the rapid-fire Burlesca. La donna serpente (1928-31) which presents orchestral fragments from Casella’s opera based on a fabulous drama about a snake-woman by Gozzi, evokes a very different world. From the sumptuous strings in the opening Music for King Altidòr’s Dream onward, La Vecchia balances well blocks of orchestral sound with instrumental solos. The War March showcases a fine horn section; the Battle and Finale abounds with exciting ensemble flourishes supported by ample percussion.

The neglect of Casella’s orchestral music after the Second World War had several possible causes: his troubling support for Il Duce’s regime even after racial laws were imposed in 1938; his too-numerous musical influences; and his re-working of compositions in later works. Keeping these important caveats in mind I am still very partial to this music’s bright liveliness and range of feeling, recommending especially the first disc for the curious.

Florent Schmitt – Complete Original Works for Piano Duet and Duo 1
Invencia Piano Duo
Grand Piano GP621

The lengthy career of the Alsatian-born French composer Florent Schmitt (1870-1958) began quite auspiciously at the beginning of the 20th century. Awarded the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1900, his early orchestral work La Tragédie de Salomé (1907) and his setting for chorus and orchestra of Psalm 47 (1904) met with great praise and are still performed today. By the 1930s however he had completely fallen out of favour; it did not help matters that he had since developed a reputation as a notoriously vituperative music critic and shameless German sympathizer. Be that as it may, for a nominally late Romantic composer Schmitt’s progressive tendencies remain compelling and at his best he reveals the voice of a true original.

Schmitt contributed some 88 pieces to the duo piano repertoire written between 1893 and 1912. The Virginia-based pianists Andrei Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshyn, known collectively as the Invencia Piano Duo, have made it their mission to record all of these works in a series of four CDs to be released sequentially on the Grand Piano label distributed by Naxos. Volume One offers a familiar work followed by two world premiere recordings. The first item, the Trois Rapsodies for two pianos Op.53 (1903-1904), receives its fifth recording on disc. It is vintage Schmitt, rhythmically supple, harmonically inventive, and beautifully scored with telling thematic interchanges between the two pianos. The earlier Sept Pièces, Op.15 (1889) dates from Schmitt’s student days. Scored for two pianists at a single piano, the sonorities are more intimate and homophonic. Though it seems to me that Schmitt has either not quite found or is intentionally suppressing his distinctive creative voice here for academic reasons, this low-key, Schumann-esque multi-movement work is winningly genial and technically assured in every respect. The final item, the Rhapsodie Parisienne, also for four-hand piano, makes a stronger visceral impact. A spirited, asymmetric and impulsive waltz, the manuscript of this unpublished work from 1900 may have been intended to become a larger orchestral work presaging Ravel’s later La Valse. I look forward to future unknown gems from this very interesting composer.

Le Cauchemar d’Hector
La Marmite Infernale
ARFI 2012 AM052 (www.arfi.org)

French Romantic composer Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) declared in 1859 that “music is free” so what better group to put a new spin on some of Berlioz’s compositions than Lyon-based free music ensemble La Marmite Infernale?

Asked by the Festival Berlioz, that takes place annually in the composer’s birthplace, to re-imagine works by France’s most iconoclastic 19th century composer, the 18-piece band treated Berlioz’s compositions as it does strains from the folk tradition, preserving the melodies, but appending solos and passages relating to improvisational jazz’s freedom, punk-rock’s unyielding beat and advances in electro-acoustic programming. Probably the most radical reworking occurs on La fantastique nain de Sophie where sampler player Xavier Garcia mixes extracts from the composer’s Symphonie fantastique with the live group playing its version of the work in arrangements midway between those for symphony orchestra and for jazz band.

Less radical, but more affecting, Marche funèbre, based on Berlioz’s Grande Symphonie Funèbre et Triomphale which was composed for a 200-strong wind band, removes the original piece’s nationalistic militarism but retains its melodic strength, substituting strained grace notes from trombonist Alain Gibert and trumpeter Guillaume Grenard plus splintery buzzes from saxophonist Eric Vagnon sparked by Christian Rollet’s rattling percussion. The climactic and close-knit result validates the composition not the jingoism. Then there’s Scène aux champs which confirms Berlioz’s bucolic interpretation of a pastoral scene, while simultaneously burlesquing it, by having the piece played by 12 guitars in unison.

Although classical purists may blanch at the liberties taken with the compositions here, it’s possible that Berlioz, with his sympathy for free expression, may have been impressed and honoured. For the adventurous listener of any stripe though, taken as a whole the CD is no cauchemar or “nightmare” of Hector, but rather a satisfying rêve or “dream.”

The Long and the Short of It

Ken Aldcroft; Joel LeBlanc
Trio Records TRP-D502-016

Notes on the Miasms
Andy Haas; Ken Aldcroft
Resonant Music 010

Toronto guitarist Ken Aldcroft displays his formidable guitar technique and improvising acumen in two new “free improv” releases.

The long and the short of it features him with fellow guitarist Joel LeBlanc in two contrasting short and long works. Each “short” is a concise tidbit of colour and rhythm which sets up a lengthier (over 20 minutes) set. The Long (I) is a mellow soundscape which seems to emulate the soothing environment of the wilderness. The minimalistic patterns and atonal guitar effects are precisely placed in the relaxing soundscape. In contrast, The Long (II) is a wall of sound, giant stadium extended rock guitar extravaganza. It sounds like one giant guitar – riffs, extended solos and in-your-face sound bolts, combined with humour and wit in a stunning example of superb music.

Notes on the miasms features Aldcroft improvising with Andy Haas on sax and electronics. The music is more atonal than the above release making it perhaps a bit more of a difficult listening exercise for those not accustomed to this type of music. Haas’ rapid saxophone lines against Aldcroft’s guitar colours are brilliant in their textures, phrasing and energy. The occasional reference to traditional jazz and blues is a welcome musical commentary.

These two releases are fine examples of the flourishing creative music scene in Toronto. The improvisation skills, talent and dedication of musicians such as Ken Aldcroft guarantee a vibrant improvising future for players and listeners alike.

Division-Musicke – English duos for viol and lute
Susanna Pell; Jacob Heringman
Pellingmans’ Saraband PS001

According to Christopher Simpson in the 1659 publication The Division Violist, as quoted in the Harvard Dictionary of Music, the term Division refers to the prevailingly English practice of a harpsichordist playing a ground bass to which a viol or flute player, “having the said ground before his eye, plays such a variety of descant or division in concordance thereto as his skill and present invention do then suggest to him.” Pellingmans’ Saraband perform eighteen divisions on this, their maiden CD. They adventurously describe playing these often complex and demanding divisions as the equivalent of jazz improvisation!

 No one can fault their dedication to the art of the division. Barafostus’ Dream is truly testing – Susanna Pell rises to the challenge of the solo version specifically scored for treble viol. On the CD she follows with the exhilarating divisions based anonymously on Greensleeves.

 The divisions selected were written between the late 16th century and the early 18th. Two factors the pieces have in common are the complexity of their divisions and the sense of joyfulness with which they are played. This is certainly true of Gottfried Finger’s Divisions, where Pell’s spirited playing livens up more formal compositions.

 Very often, the collection features popular dance tunes which were arranged by established composers. The names of some of these composers have come down to us. Others remain anonymous, but Jacob Heringman plays Green Garters with sympathy and zest; Pell’s Paul’s Steeple, which immediately follows, equals it in both qualities.

 The divisions are not confined to English composers. London-based Giovanni Battista Draghi’s aptly named Italian Ground is sensitively performed by both musicians. The same is true of three pieces by Solomon Eccles, who was one of the last composers of divisions before Italian sonatas became popular.

 Both musicians tackle their divisions with relish. The Leaves be Green always demands virtuosic skills; Heringman obliges. Pell responds with A New Division to a Ground by Eccles. This compilation also comprises some more Elizabethan favourites such as Go From My Window, but a division by Christopher Simpson scored for bass viol looks towards the Baroque future. Note: physical copies of these CDs are exclusively available from www.heringman.com and www.pellingman.co.uk.

Tchaikovsky – Iolanta; Stravinsky – Persephone
Teatro Real Madrid; Peter Sellars; Teodor Currentzis
Teatro Real TR97011DVD

Artists dispute the trope that the greatest art comes from great suffering, but one can be excused for thinking that it does when listening to Iolanta, Tchaikovsky’s last opera. A period of immense suffering, resulting in the composer’s suicide, was triggered by an absolute rejection by the object of his obsessive love, his teenage nephew Bob. It was 1891 and Tchaikovsky’s homosexual desire for the 18-year-old was not something that Russian society, nor indeed Tchaikovsky himself, was ready to accept. Plagued by guilt and shame, the composer spiralled into a debilitating depression. In the process he composed Iolanta, a one-act work of haunting beauty and rare daring. Years before Stravinsky’s winds-dominated Rite of Spring caused a riot at the occasion of its premiere, Iolanta’s overture was scored exclusively for winds, followed by a first scene with a string quartet and four voices only. Judged a failure at its Russian performances, Iolanta received deserved appreciation when staged for the first time in Hamburg, with Gustav Mahler conducting. Tchaikovsky, alas, did not see that triumph – he was too sick to travel.

In this recording, Peter Sellars, the ground-breaking theatrical and operatic director, skilfully highlights the beauty of the music, while reducing superfluous stage movement and letting the austere set be the backdrop for a beautiful interplay of shadow and light. The singing is superb throughout, with special accolades reserved for Ekaterina Scherbachenko (Iolanta) and Dmitry Ulianov (King Rene).

In contrast, Stravinsky’s Persephone is a result of a curious collaboration – that of a resolute White Russian and a French communist poet, André Gide. Their collaboration did not last long; nor did Gide’s fascination with the new Soviet regime (” When we were hoping for a dictatorship of the proletariat, we were not hoping for just a dictatorship,” he wrote.). Nonetheless the result is a lasting contribution to the theatrical repertoire. In this production, Dominique Blanc plays the role of the Greek goddess who forsakes her worldly kingdom and enters Hades, only to re-emerge each spring. This superb DVD is an early contender for the ranks of the best of 2013.

Leonardo Vinci – Artaserse
Radiotelevisione Svizzera; Concerto Köln; Diego Fasolis
Virgin Classics 5099960286925

In 2008 the soprano Simone Kermes recorded Lava,a disc of arias from 18th-century Naples, which included two scenes from Leonardo Vinci’s Artaserse. Since then both Cecilia Bartoli and Karina Gauvin have recorded arias by Vinci and now we have this recording of all of Artaserse. It features a cast of six: five countertenors and one tenor. I heard Alfred Deller, who revived the countertenor voice, in recital 50 years ago and I liked what I heard. All the same, the differences in sheer virtuosity between the early pioneer and modern practitioners like Philippe Jaroussky and Franco Fagioli is staggering.

Artaserse was first performed in Rome in 1730. The performance was truncated, since it coincided with the death of the Pope and, once that death was announced, the performance could not proceed. The opera was, however, revived in Vienna and in a number of Italian opera houses in the 1730s. In the Papal States women were not allowed on the stage and consequently the soprano and mezzo parts were sung by castrati. Where this restriction did not apply female singers like Francesca Cuzzoni and Vittoria Tesi took part in these early revivals.

Brilliant though the singing is on these discs, I found myself longing for a woman’s voice well before the first act was over. We no longer have castrati but the modern practice of combining women’s voices with those of countertenors works well.

The National Youth Orchestra of Canada has released a 2-CD set documenting its 2012 adventure under the baton of Alain Trudel. Russian Masters – Canadian Creations (nyoc.org) includes sterling performances of selections from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and Shostakovich’s Symphony No.10 in E Minor alongside new works from young(ish) Canadian composers Nicolas Gilbert and Adam Sherkin. If the playing on this disc is any indication, the future of orchestral music in this country is in good hands. The playing is dynamic and nuanced with strong attention to detail and line. Trudel is to be commended for his work bringing these young musicians from across the country into a cohesive and convincing whole. My only complaint is with the lack of musicological information. There is a booklet with extensive details about the organization — mission statement, audition process, training and touring programs — and a biography of Trudel, a complete list of the musicians and even the recording personnel, but not a word about the composers or the music. Perhaps the “Russian Masters” need no introduction, but this is a real disservice to the Canadians. I assumed that they were commissioned to write these works specifically for the NYOC and a visit to the website confirms this was the case for Gilbert’s Résistance but that is the only information I can find there. Sherkin’s Terra Incognita remains “unknown” with no mention of its origin or context. (A Google search turned up the information that this work was developed at an orchestral workshop of the Buffalo Philharmonic and a revised version was performed in 2005 at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto under Trudel’s direction.) Both works make full use of the orchestra’s resources skilfully although neither breaks any particularly new ground.

Montreal’s Nicolas Gilbert’s chamber music has been heard in Toronto in several contexts, performed by the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, New Music Concerts and Continuum, and in recent years he has served as host on the ECM’s cross-country “Generation” tours. Sherkin is a Toronto-based composer and pianist with a burgeoning international career whose new Centrediscs release of solo piano compositions is reviewed by Nic Gotham further on in these pages. It is great to have the opportunity to hear large scale orchestral compositions by these two; I only wish we were given some background information.

There is no shortage of information on the CD Sharp Edges featuring music of Toronto composer Robert A. Baker (robertabaker.net) who completed his doctorate at McGill University in 2009 and now makes his home in Maryland. The notes start with an Artistic Statement which states in part “At the heart of my musical imagination is a fundamental contradiction. On the one hand I want to hear music of the distant past, maintain a sense of connection to my musical heritage, and in this way feel a part of humankind. On the other hand, I feel an irresistible curiosity; a need to consider sound in as objective a manner possible, embrace any sonic option that is relevant and practical, no matter how unconventional, and attempt to hear what I have not yet heard, and say what I have not yet said.”

In addition to his activities as a composer, pianist, conductor and teacher, Baker is an active researcher on contemporary music analysis and philosophies on the perception of musical time. These concerns are exemplified in the seven compositions showcased on this excellent recording. A series of four works titled Valence,ranging from solo piano to an ensemble of six instruments, are interspersed with independent pieces including the title track for four strings and percussion, another piano solo and a string quartet. This last which “evokes an array of references ranging from the distant to the recent past in Western musical history” was premiered at the Canadian Contemporary Music Workshop in Toronto in 2004. This recording of the two part ethereal then angular piece features Toronto’s Elgin Quartet. The Valence series was composed between 2008 and 2011 and is presented here in reverse chronology. The disc begins with the final instalment, scored for clarinet, trumpet, piano, percussion, violin and cello, and ends with the solo piano precursor. It is intriguing to hear how the treatment of the material changes from incarnation to incarnation. Sharp Edges is not only the title of a 2009 composition for violin, viola, cello, double bass and percussion, but also an apt description of Baker’s uncompromising music which encompasses the past while embracing the future.

In March 2012 the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s New Creations Festival was curated by Hungarian conductor and composer Peter Eötvös. During the week Toronto audiences had the opportunity to hear a number of his works thanks to both the TSO and New Music Concerts. One of the highlights was the Canadian premiere of the Eötvös’ violin concerto Seven, a memorial to the astronauts of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The number seven provides the shape of not only the musical materials of the piece, but also the layout of the orchestra into seven mixed instrumental groups and the placement of the six tutti violins (seven violins counting the soloist) throughout the hall, distant from the stage, “in space” as it were.

A new recording of this stunning work appears on Bartók/Eötvös/Ligeti featuring violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble Modern under Eötvös’ direction (Naïve V 2585). The 2-CD set also includes Bartók’s Violin Concerto No.2 dating from 1939 and the five-movement version of Ligeti’s Violin Concerto from 1992, the premiere of which was conducted by Peter Eötvös in Cologne. Spanning roughly 70 years, this recording effectively brings together works by the most important Hungarian composers of the 20th century in sparkling performances by the young Moldovan violinist.

The Bartók concerto has of course become a classic of the repertoire and this recording reminds us why. The Ligeti, scored for a chamber orchestra of 23 players including natural horns and four winds doubling on ocarinas, is an extremely challenging work first heard in Toronto with Fujiko Imajishi as the soloist with New Music Concerts in 1999. (She later reprised the work with Esprit Orchestra.) Described in the notes as “a characteristic example of Ligeti’s late work ... Elements of music from the Middle Ages to the Baroque, Bulgarian and Hungarian folksong, polyrhythmic superimpositions as in the piano rolls of Conlon Nancarrow and an exorbitantly difficult solo part are forcibly yoked into complex constructs that liberate undreamt-of sonic energies and make listening into an adventure.” It is all that and more.

My final selection for the month also has a (perhaps tenuous) Toronto connection. Chinese born American composer Tan Dunwas selected by Glenn Gould Prize laureate Toru Takemitsu for the City of Toronto Protégé Prize in 1996. A recent Naxos release, Tan Dun – Concerto for Orchestra (8.570608) includes two compositions from 2012, the title work and the Symphonic Poem on Three Notes, juxtaposed with 1990’s Orchestral Theatre performed by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under the composer’s direction. This disc provides a welcome entrée into the concert music of the composer who came to international attention with the score to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The Concerto, which employs material from Dun’s opera Marco Polo, is especially effective in its extended percussion cadenzas and its blending of vocalization with instrumental accents. With nods to Stravinsky, Bartók and Lutosławski while referencing his Asian heritage, this work is very effective.

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Handel – Giulio Cesare in Egitto
Marie-Nicole Lemieux; Karina Gauvin; Romina Basso; Emoke Barath;
Il Complesso Barocco; Alan Curtis
Naïve OP30536

Still remembering the brilliant pairing of soprano Karina Gauvin and contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux with “Il Complesso Barocco” on the CD of Handel duets Streams of Pleasure, one is overjoyed at the prospect of hearing them together as the main characters of a full (over three hours) Handel opera. This is one of Handel’s best and the performance is nothing short of glorious! Lemieux is superb at portraying Julius Caesar’s commanding presence as is Gauvin with Cleopatra’s seductive wit and bravado. The two handle the characters’ romantic moments equally well. For example, Lemieux is a veritable cyclone spewing Caesar’s fierce vengeance in “Quel torrente,” but demonstrates such playful tenderness in “Se in fiorito,” where the composer provides a delightful interplay between the singer and the violin (as a little bird). Gauvin captures Cleopatra’s sensual nature beautifully in “Tutto puo donna”and “Venere bella” while her controlled and softly sustained tones characterize a sense of resignation in “Piangerò.”

There is some marvellous casting of the second leads, notably contralto Romina Basso who evokes the depth and regal bearing perfect for a noblewoman in mourning who is, nonetheless, pursued by no fewer than three suitors in her time of grief. Countertenor Filippo Mineccia displays an impishly evil tone in his portrayal of the murderous Ptolemy. The orchestra has some great moments, with sinfonias enhancing the sensuality of Cleopatra’s staged appearance in Act II as well as the triumphal entrance during the finale.

Haydn – The Creation
Amanda Forsythe; Keith Jameson; Kevin Deas; Boston Baroque; Martin Pearlman
Linn Records CKD 401

Although The Creation was a great success when it was first performed, it was almost forgotten by the end of the 19th century, outside Vienna at least. The first recording dates from 1949; now there are about 70 recordings available. They divide into two groups: those with modern instruments and symphony orchestras and, on the other hand, performances with period instruments that are attentive to late 18th-century performance style such as this CD. Tafelmusik recorded the work in 1993. I like the soloists on that recording (especially the soprano, Ann Monoyios) but the conducting by Bruno Weil is unimaginative.

By contrast, Martin Pearlman’s conducting has the right momentum. The soloists are very good. The tenor, Keith Jameson, has the right lyricism. The soprano, Amanda Forsythe, sings with lightness; yet her voice is full and warm. The bass-baritone, Kevin Deas, sings with a great deal of vibrato in a manner that might seem more appropriate for Porgy and Bess or the Brahms Requiem, bothofwhich are in his repertoire, but that is less important than the power and the sonority that he brings to the part. Just listen to his account of the dangerous creeping worm in Part II, a premonition of what will destroy the bliss achieved at the end of the work. If you are looking for a historically informed performance with period instruments which also shows passion and drama, I would recommend this version.

In Dreams
Philippe Sly; Michael McMahon
Analekta AN 2 9836

This is bass-baritone Philippe Sly’s first recording for Analekta. It’s a well-chosen program and presents him with several stylistic challenges that he handles impressively.

Every young singer needs to conquer the repertoire standards, so it’s no surprise to find Sly singing the Schumann Dichterliebe, Op.48. Here Sly captures the essence of Heine’s poems so well that we understand why they inspired Schumann and others to song writing. Wonderfully supported by accompanist Michael McMahon, Sly is free to engage his vocal line with the piano to create the kind of partnership the composer intended. The happy product of this is what every lieder performing duo seeks — those moments of indescribable oneness where separate parts cease to exist. Sly and McMahon achieve this many times throughout this 16-song cycle, but no more convincingly than in “Allnächtlich in Traume.”

The Guy Ropartz settings of six Heine poems call for a very different approach reflecting almost a century of art song evolution. Sly is very comfortable moving from Schumann into the more modern French style and honours the same poet’s muse with a new musical and textual language. Never demanding much of the chesty operatic voice, the Ropartz songs show the lighter, truly lovely mid and upper range of Sly’s voice.

The disc’s most interesting tracks are the Three Tennyson Songs by British composer Jonathan Dove. Written for Sly after their first meeting in Banff in 2009, Dove’s songs seem perfectly suited for Sly’s voice, which sounds more at home in these contemporary works than anywhere else on the disc. They are, among other things, a reminder of how wonderfully suitable the English language can be for art song.