robbins 01 prokofiev ehnesThe latest offering from James Ehnes is an outstanding 2-CD set of the Complete Works for Violin by Sergei Prokofiev (Chandos CHAN 10787(2)). Gianandrea Noseda conducts the BBC Philharmonic in the Violin Concerto No.1 in D Major and the Violin Concerto No.2 in G Minor on disc one, and Andrew Armstrong is the accompanist for the violin and piano works on disc two. Ehnes gives thoughtful and sensitive performances of the two concertos, and is given perfect support by Noseda, a conductor who has few equals when it comes to drawing nuanced, sensitive playing from a large orchestra.

Violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti joins Ehnes in the Sonata for Two Violins, Op.56, and Ehnes gives a spirited performance of the lovely Sonata for Violin Solo, Op.115. The difficult and engrossing Sonata No.1 in F Minor, Op.80, is the major work on disc 2, and Ehnes and Armstrong are outstanding. Although completed in 1946, three years after the sonata we know as No.2, Prokofiev had started work on it in 1938.

The Five Melodies Op.35bis were transcribed by Prokofiev in 1925 from his original 1920 version for voice and piano. The final work on disc two is the Sonata No.2 in D Major, Op.94bis, the composer’s transcription of his Flute Sonata from 1943.

Balance and sound quality throughout are up to the quality you would expect from a thoroughly satisfying CD set.

robbins 02 jennifer kohMy eyes light up whenever I see a new Jennifer Koh CD from the Cedille label, and the latest release from this most intelligent of performers, signs, games + messages (CDR 90000 143) certainly doesn’t disappoint. Koh is joined by pianist Shai Wosner in a recital that features works by Leoš Janáček, Béla Bartók and the 87-year-old Hungarian composer György Kurtág. Koh and Wosner, in a joint statement in the excellent booklet notes, cite their desire to explore the tension between the visionary modernism of the works and the pull of the folk and cultural memory that is so essential to the personal language of these composers, as the spark for this recital.

There really does seem to be a logical progression through the program, from Janáček’s Violin Sonata, through a selection of short aphorisms by Kurtág, to Bartók’s First Violin Sonata. There are four solo piano pieces from the Játékok series and four solo violin pieces from Signs, Games and Messages in the Kurtág works in addition to three duo works, and the piano pieces in particular have echoes of Janáček’s piano series On An Overgrown Path. The Bartók sonata seems to follow naturally from the final Kurtág work, the In Nomine – all’ongherese for solo violin.

Needless to say, the performing and recording standard throughout is of the highest quality. Once again, Koh provides us with a fascinating journey through a carefully chosen and perfectly balanced program.

robbins 03 romantic duosThe husband and wife team of violinist Benjamin Schmid and pianist Ariane Haering are in superb form on the CD Romantic Duos, featuring works by Franz Liszt, Frank Bridge and Edvard Grieg (TwoPianists Records TP1039299). Schmid’s tone throughout is rich, warm and full-blooded; Haering is a true partner with a beautiful piano tone, and the balance and sound quality are perfect.

Although usually attributed solely to Liszt, his Grand Duo Concertant was actually a collaborative effort between Liszt and the violinist Charles-Philippe Lafont, whose Romance, Le Marin is the basis for a set of short variations. It’s a lovely work. Liszt’s brief Consolation No.3 was originally one of six solo piano works, and is presented here in a transcription for violin and piano by Nathan Milstein.

The English composer Frank Bridge only published one acknowledged violin sonata, in 1922, but there is an incomplete sonata that pre-dates the Great War, comprising an opening movement and an unfinished second movement. It is this work that is recorded here, with the second movement completed by the Bridge authority Paul Hindmarsh. It’s a beautifully rhapsodic work that draws terrific playing from the performers. Two short pieces by Bridge are also included: Romanze, from 1904 (the same year as the unfinished sonata); and Heart’s Ease, written in the early 1920s. A passionate performance of Grieg’s Violin Sonata No.3 in C Minor, Op.45, completes an outstanding disc.

robbins 04 duo renard

Another husband and wife team, Mark and Ute Miller, perform as the Duo Renard on a CD of Duos for Violin and Viola in works by Mozart and Brydern (Fleur de Son Classics FDS 58011).

It’s clear from the outset that this will be a “sit back and enjoy” CD:  the intonation is spot on; the ensemble playing, phrasing and articulation are all excellent; the tone, balance and recorded sound are beautiful.

The two Mozart works – the Duos in G Major, K423 and B-Flat Major, K424 – were written to complete a set of six duos that Salzburg’s Archbishop Colloredo had commissioned from the ailing Michael Haydn, Mozart’s friend and the brother of Joseph Haydn. Mozart was a superb viola player as well as a first-class violinist, and his understanding of both instruments is clear for all to hear.

The two works by the German-born and U.S.-based Benedikt Brydern (b.1966) are an interesting contrast. The seven-movement suite Bebop for Beagles was commissioned by Duo Renard, and is a tribute to the couple’s two pet dogs. From My Notebook Vol.2 is a collection of four short pieces from 2000, following an earlier series with the same title for solo violin. Movement titles like “Cookies in Space” and “Flea Control: Mission Impossible” give you a good impression of what to expect here: both works are great fun – and very, very good.

Brahms KhachatryanThe brother and sister violin and piano duo of Sergey and Lusine Khachatryan are back with a beautiful CD of the three Brahms Sonatas (naïve V 5314). These glorious works are the perfect length for a CD and always a great listen; indeed, it would take a pretty bad performance to spoil them.

The Khachatryans make you sit up and take notice right from the start, but for all the right reasons. There is a quiet, introspective start to the G major sonata, and some beautifully expansive phrasing, especially in the piano. The violin vibrato tends to be fairly fast and narrow and is rarely missing, but the sweet tone and thoughtful phrasing mean that there is never any sense of harshness or tightness. The CD was recorded at London’s Wigmore Hall, and the balance and sound quality are ideal.

robbins 05 schumann tetzlaffViolinist Christian Tetzlaff and pianist Lars Vogt are in great form on their CD of the Schumann Violin Sonatas (Ondine ODE 105-2). All three sonatas were written towards the end of Schumann’s life, the Sonata No.1 in A Minor and the Sonata No.2 in D Minor within a few months of each other in late 1851. The Sonata No.3 in A Minor has an odd history. Immediately after contributing two movements to the “F.A.E” Sonata on which he, Brahms and Albert Dietrich collaborated in October 1853 as a birthday gift for Joseph Joachim, Schumann added a further two movements to complete the new work; Clara Schumann and Brahms apparently prevented its being included in the complete edition of Schumann’s works though, and it wasn’t published until 1956.

Tetzlaff and Vogt apparently immersed themselves in Schumann’s late works in preparation for this recording, and it shows; their playing is warm and fluent, and they clearly have a great affinity for the material on a terrific CD. Their performance of the third sonata in particular makes you wonder why it was suppressed for so long.

Two ongoing string quartet series came to an end with recent releases; by coincidence, in-depth reviews of earlier volumes in both series were included in the same Strings Attached column in March 2012:

robbins 06 pacifica shostakovich ivVolume IV of The Soviet Experience, the outstanding Cedille series of String Quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich and his Contemporaries, features quartets numbers 13 to15 by Shostakovich in stunning performances by the Pacifica Quartet (CDR 90000 145). What has added immeasurably to this series, though, is the addition of contemporary Russian string quartets to each volume. This time it’s the String Quartet No.3 by Alfred Schnittke that completes the 2-CD set. Everything about this wonderful series has been of the highest order: the performances; the recording quality; the cover artwork; the booklet notes; the choice of contemporary works. The word “definitive” keeps cropping up in the various reviews of previous sets in this series, and even in the face of some extremely strong competition it’s very difficult to imagine a more compelling or satisfying collection of these wonderful works. Add the fact that all four volumes are currently on sale on the Cedille website for around US$13 each, and the words “must buy” come to mind!

robbins 07 meyer quartetsThe Naxos release of the String Quartets Nos.1, 2, 3 and 4 by Polish composer Krzysztof Meyer is also a fourth and final volume, this time in the series of the complete quartets performed by the Wieniawski String Quartet (8.573165). These early works run from the Op.8 of 1963 to the Op.33 of 1974, and show a developing but confident composer willing to experiment with sounds and forms. The members of this Polish ensemble are completely at home with these important works by their compatriot, and the four volumes constitute an impressive set.

Two other CDs continue ongoing series:

robbins 08 saint-saens sonata 2French violinist Fanny Clamagirand is joined by her regular duo partner, pianist Vanya Cohen in the second volume of Saint-Saëns Music for Violin and Piano (Naxos 8.572751). The main works here are the Suite in D Minor, Op.16 and the Violin Sonata No.2 in E-Flat Major, Op.102; there is also a very early – and very brief – unfinished sonata, although “hardly started” might be a better description. A short Méditation and two works originally for cello – the Romance in C Major, Op.48, and The Swan – round out the CD.

Saint-Saëns’ music may not have impacted the course of musical history, but it’s of a very high quality. Clamagirand and Cohen have exactly the right mix of technical bravura and musical insight to make these works sound terrific. Volume 1, featuring the Violin Sonata No.1, is available on Naxos 8.572750.

robbins 09 maxwell davies concertosThe Naxos series of the 10 Strathclyde Concertos by Peter Maxwell-Davies continues with the Concerto No.5 for Violin, Viola and String Orchestra, coupled with the Concerto No.6 for Flute and Orchestra (8.572354). Both works were written in 1991, and were recorded two years later for the Collins Classics label by the artists to whom the works were dedicated and who gave the premieres: violinist James Clark; violist Catherine Marwood; flutist David Nicholson; and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer. This Naxos CD is a reissue of those recordings. The performances of these high-quality works are clearly definitive, although there is little to stir the blood in either concerto.


robbins 10 schoenberg sherrySchoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht
is available in a new version, this time coupled with the String Quartet No.1 in performances by the Fred Sherry String Quartet and Sextet (Naxos 8.557534). Leila Josefowicz is the first violin here, and the disc is part of an ongoing series of Schoenberg recordings under the direction of the legendary Robert Craft. Despite this noteworthy pedigree, however, I don’t think this performance of Verklärte Nacht quite matches the version by Janine Jansen and friends reviewed in this column in June 2013.

The String Quartet No.1 is worth the price of the CD on its own, though. It’s a large, deeply chromatic work from 1904/05, a pivotal point in the composer’s career, and it’s made even more interesting by the knowledge of where it would lead in just a few years. Four short canons from the series of Thirty Canons that Schoenberg wrote between 1905 and 1949 close out the disc.

robbins 11b schubert haasrobbins 11a schubert diotimaSeveral other works also seem to be cropping up quite regularly these days. There are two new recordings of the Schubert String Quintet in C Major, for instance, although it’s difficult to imagine having too many versions of this outstanding work. Cellist Anne Gastinel joins the Quatuor Diotima in a beautiful performance on naïve (V 5331), while Danjulo Ishizaka joins the Pavel Haas Quartet on a 2-CD Supraphon set that also features Schubert’s String Quartet No.14 in D Minor, Death and the Maiden (SU4110-2). A wide range of dynamics in the latter release makes for some terrific moments in passionate but sensitive performances of both works.

 

 

 

mozart martin frostMozart - Clarinet Concerto; Kegelstatt Trio; Allegretto 
Martin Frost; Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
BIS 1893

Clarinetist Martin Frost can play anything anyone puts in front of him. He’s that kind of monster. He can conduct and dance and who knows maybe serve toast and tea while doing so. He’s musical, he’s tall and Swedish, and he works with really good musicians on this release of Mozart works for the clarinet. So it’s heartening to this envious hack that even he can’t make me like the basset-clarinet, an ungainly extended clarinet with an out-of-proportion lower range that somehow makes me think of Jennifer Lopez.

It is the fashion to try to reproduce the lost or stolen manuscript version of the clarinet concerto K622 by revising the first edition such that certain passages make use of the extra four semitones at the bottom of the basset extension. To this ear that range is an ugly ostrich-ling, and the pitch wonkiness of a normal clarinet is exponentially worsened by the physical length of the lower joint.

Who besides Mozart wrote for the instrument? Franz Sussmeyer, that’s who. The guy who completed the scores of late Mozart works. After that… (deafening silence). Never mind, Frost is wonderful, his musicianship  impeccable and the orchestra he leads is a flexible and united band. I say the rondo is too fast, but after that J Lo crack who’s listening?

Once you’ve enjoyed the concerto, hit pause and let things settle a bit before you jump into the Kegelstadtt Trio K498. The jump in key from A major to E-flat is likely an unintended jolt; some might like aural palate cleanser before continuing. Too rarely-recorded, the trio is a genial conversation. Written for his buddy Anton Stadler, like the quintet and the concerto, Mozart’s trio is named for the hangout where he may have spent many a dissolute hour: a bowling alley. He wrote the piano part no doubt to test a favoured student; it is a mini-concerto for the keyboard, especially the final rondo. The group makes interesting decisions regarding a problem posed by the piece: how to vary the pulse from one movement to the next. Their sense of ensemble is fantastic. The final selection is a reconstruction by Robert Levin of a fragment (93 bars) of a work Mozart began for clarinet and string quartet: a welcome addition to the chamber rep for clarinetists, and a terrific vehicle for Frost’s virtuosity, it’s full of lovely late-Mozartian surprises and innovation.

 

03 early 01 jose lemosIo Vidi In Terra
José Lemos; Jory Vinikour; Deborah Fox
Sono Luminus DSL-92172
sonoluminus.com

Seventeenth-century Italy presents us with images of love, debauchery, power games, murders and ruthless ambition — but at least there were some great Italian composers around to set the romantic elements to music!

Brazilian José Lemos displays his in-depth love for Italian vocal music by selecting not only giants of the period but also lesser-known composers. It is, indeed, a less-well-known composer, Tarquinio Merula, with whom José Lemos opens his recital. His rendition of “Su la cetra amorosa” draws on a very wide range of skills as it combines an almost rushed score with a sometimes highly exhilarating one.

“Io Vidi in Terra” sets lines by Petrarch, and it is a tribute to both Marco da Gagliano and José Lemos that poetry and song of such beauty and sensitivity are to be found on this CD. Just as anguished by love’s pains is “Ardo” by Benedetto Ferrari, bringing out the best in Lemos’ longer notes and drawing on Vinikour’s harpsichord and Deborah Fox’s theorbo.

Instrumental solos feature. Spagnoletta was one of the most popular and longest-lived pieces of the entire Renaissance. Vinikour gives a spirited interpretation of Storace’s complex score — the most demanding this reviewer has heard. And for good measure there is the exuberant Balletto by the same composer.

Lemos starts and finishes his recital with songs by Merula, who deserves to be better known. Listening to this choice of songs, it is easy to see why — this is a wonderful collection of early Italian baroque music.

03 early 02 veneziaSplendore a Venezia – Music in Venice
from the Renaissance to the Baroque
Various Artists
ATMA ACD2 3013

This compilation disc was created to accompany the exhibition presented at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts this season from October to January focusing on the interrelationship between the visual arts and music during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, In addition to paintings, the show features historical instruments, musical texts and manuscripts. For the recording, the ATMA label draws from its catalogue works by composers who figure in the exhibition, including Monteverdi, Gabrieli, Rossi, Vivaldi andAlbinoni, performed by local Montreal artists and their guests. There is a cornucopia of instrumental and vocal works offered, bringing to life the rich, festive tapestry of Venetian society. The Académie baroque de Montréal offers a stunning performance of a Vivaldi concerto with the late Washington McClain as oboe soloist. Perhaps in honour of the string instruments on display at the gallery, such as the Koch archlute, a lovely Ballo secondo by Kapsberger features chitarrone and harp.

Vocal ensemble Les Voix Baroques and Tragicomedia perform Gabrieli’s madrigal Due rose fresche and Monterverdi’s Laetatus sum. Charles Daniels and Colin Balzer delight in Monterverdi’s whimsical Zefiro torna and the superb voice of Karina Gauvin soars through the lovely Vivaldi aria “Addio Caro. A delightful surprise is Benedetto Marcello’s setting of Psalm 15 gorgeously sung by Israeli mezzo Rinat Shaham. For those looking for a reason to brave the cold in Montreal this winter, the exhibit is a must-see; for all others, vicarious enjoyment through the music, complete with a full-colour booklet illustrated with several of the works presented in the MMFA exhibition.

03 early 03 harp concertosHandel; Boieldieu;
Mozart – Harp Concertos
Val
érie Milot; Les Violins du Roi;
Bernard Labadie
Analekta AN 29990

The three concertos on this recording remain a major part of the harp repertoire today even though they were written at the time when the harp was not considered much more than a salon instrument, due to the defects of the single pedal mechanism. Interestingly enough, it was Sébastien Érard, a roommate of Boieldieu, who invented the double-action pedal mechanism that greatly improved the sound and the ability of the harp. All three concertos, featuring Valérie Milot as soloist, were recorded on the modern harp thus adding an array of colours and textures that would have been impossible to achieve at the time they were composed.

Handel’s Concerto in B flat Major is my personal favourite on this recording. It was premiered in 1736 at Covent Garden in London, at a concert dedicated exclusively to Handel’s compositions. This concerto has a wonderfully intimate sound throughout. Elegant baroque phrasing of Les Violons Du Roy complements the crispy, sparkling harp sound — creating an atmosphere that is not overly dramatic yet containing a wide range of emotions.

François-Adrien Boieldieu (1775–1834) may not be a familiar name but he was a popular opera composer and piano teacher at the Conservatoire de Paris. His love for opera is evident in his concerto for harp — dramatic orchestra opening of both the first and second movements and many ornaments in delicately virtuosic harp lines. The last movement has a very enjoyable swaying momentum, evoking the spirit of the times.

Mozart wrote the Concerto for Flute and Harp in C, K299 while he was visiting Paris and happened to become a composition teacher for the Duc de Guines’ daughter, who, in turn, occasionally played the harp accompanied by her father on the transverse flute. This concerto is signature Mozart, bursting with melodies and brightness. The flute soloist, Claire Marchand, plays with sensitivity and clarity, and the two instruments blend very well. Milot has composed cadenzas for both Handel’s and Mozart’s concertos, in keeping with the practices of the times and contributing more authenticity to this recording.

04 classical 02 brahms symphoniesBrahms – The Symphonies
Gewandhausorchester; Riccardo Chailly
Decca 4785344

The Four Symphonies including some revised and original material: Tragic Overture, Haydn Variations, Academic Festival Overture; Intermezzi, Liebeslieder Waltzes, Hungarian Dances (3 CDs in a hard-bound book). Here are some notes to myself as I made them listening to this set in preparation to write a review:

Hits the ground running ... Not traditional weighted-down performance ... Keeps moving ... The music flows ... Thrilling ... Could be the Beethoven Tenth ... Hearing with new ears ... Perfect balances ... Translucent ... Clearly hear the pluck in the plucked basses.

Vivid recording, you can see the orchestra ... Outstanding string section that doesn’t swamp the woodwinds ... Instruments clear without spotlighting ... Clearly hear the inner instrumentation in true perspective.

Feels like hearing the works for the first time ... Outstanding dynamics ... Texture in the horns reminiscent of Szell ... Tempos fluid and forward-looking ... Well-rehearsed but no sense of hearing a routine performance ... No trudging through well-worn paths ... Not dutiful or obligatory.

Gorgeous singing winds ... Excitingly fresh ... Spectacular ... Confident ... Brahms restored ... Chailly, the orchestra a perfect match ... Brings to mind Toscanini’s 1951 recording of the First ... Unique interpretations ... Enthusiastic, firm, clear, articulate, translucent ... This is how Brahms was heard at the first performances before there were any coats of traditions to wear.

I guess what I’m saying is “Highly recommended!”

04 classical 03 yuja wangRachmaninov #3; Prokofiev #2
Yuja Wang; Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela; Gustavo Dudamel
Deutsche Grammophon B0019102-02

This CD is a wonderful pairing of two of the greatest piano concertos ever written and two young superstars, Yuja Wang and Gustavo Dudamel. The orchestra, a third superstar, is made up of young players mainly in their 20s. The combined energy of these artists explodes in these live recordings made in Caracas, Venezuela. Yuja Wang impresses with her intensity and spectacular technique. She performs the Rachmaninov with passion but her playing is also refined and polished. She listens to the orchestra and in Dudamel she has a most sympathetic accompanist. In fact, pianist, conductor and orchestra were so in tune together that some of the concerto even sounded like chamber music and many nuances were brought out that are not normally heard. Reactions to performances of this piece can be sentimental and we all have our favorites. However, Wang’s CD will certainly join my top ten list.

The Prokofiev Second Piano Concerto is a dark masterpiece in four movements. It is an extremely challenging work both for the pianist and the orchestra. Wang gives a thrilling performance. Her voicing of chords in quiet introspective moments achieves a bell-like sonority. Her virtuosic power never overwhelms but enhances the music and her astounding technique is used to shape and sculpt the music. Wang’s intensity and the fiery emotion of the orchestra is hard to resist. This CD is highly recommended, especially for pianists who long to play these two great masterpieces.

Concert Note: The Toronto Symphony Orchestra presents “The Year of the Horse: A Chinese New Year Celebration” hosted by Dashan, featuring Yuja Wang with a special appearance by Song Zuying Monday, February 3 at Roy Thomson Hall.

Back to top