tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79962525955668167002024-03-13T02:43:49.702-05:00Tristan ChordCD and concert reviews, mainly Wagner and Bruckner, by José Luis BermúdezJosé Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-90704845395957421482019-11-24T10:38:00.001-06:002019-11-24T10:46:13.780-06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ligeti, Atmosphères</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Wagner, Prelude to Lohengrin Act 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Berg, Violin Concerto</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Brahms, Symphony No. 3 in F major</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Vienna Philharmonic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Christoph von Dohnányi, conductor</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rainer Honeck, violin</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Musikverein, Vienna (23 November, 2019)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Some problems can be solved with money. Some require time. Getting tickets to a subscription concert at the Musikverein requires both (unless you are prepared to stand, in which case it is pretty easy to pick up a 5 euro ticket). I can't reveal my strategy, of course, but it was certainly worth it to hear the 90-year old Christoph von Dohanyi with the Vienna Philharmonic, which he has conducted many times as a guest conductor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The program opened with the shimmering sound-world of Ligeti's <i>Atmosphères, </i>a good vehicle to display the orchestra's virtuosity and the conductor's grasp of the progession of blocks of sound. As is occasionally done Dohnányi went straight from </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>Atmosphères</i> to the <i>Lohengrin </i>prelude. This worked very well. The juxtasposition reminding us both of how Wagner was pushing the limits of tonality and of how in this piece Ligeti looks back to a very very late Romantic emotional universe. Berg's Violin Concerto also looks back in the same direction. Dohnányi and Painer Honeck highlighted the diatonic lyricism of the piece, where they obviously had a great rapport.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After the interval, Rainer Honeck returned to his regular position as concertmaster for a deeply satisfying performance of Brahm's Third Symphony, as good as any I have heard. Dohhányi is</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> one of the last great conductors
of the post-war era (he took up his first position at Lübeck in
1957), and it was wonderful to hear him working with an orchestra as steeped in Brahms as the Vienna Philharmonic. Brahms's Third Symphony is not easy to carry off well, but it would have been hard to fault this performance, which was justly well received. </span></span></span><br />
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-426064277070062562018-08-12T14:24:00.003-05:002019-11-24T09:47:27.056-06:00Historical performances from SWR Classic (Sanderling and Hindemith conduct Bruckner and Rachmaninov)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Classic is the in-house label for the SWR (<span class="st">Südwestrundfunk =</span>
Southwest German Broadcasting Company), issuing recordings from three principal
orchestras –Baden-Baden and Freiburg (combined), Saarbrücken and Kaiserlautern (combined),
and Stuttgart. Among SWR’s many releases comes a very welcome set of historical
recordings from the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, including these
three recordings, which have been digitally remastered from original tapes in
the SWR archives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
Stuttgart orchestra has a very distinguished history. Founded In 1945 by the
occupying Allied forces, it has had some celebrated principal conductors,
including Sergiu Celibidache, Neville Marriner, and Roger Norrington. It also
hosted a veritable panoply of visiting conductors, including the two
represented here, Kurt Sanderling and Paul Hindemith. </span></div>
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performance of the Third Symphony was recorded in March 1995, when Sanderling
was in his 80’s. Sanderling spent much of his early career in Russia, after
leaving Nazi Germany in 1936. He had a particular affinity for Russian music in
general, and in particular the music of Rachmaninov, whose symphonies he
thought to be sadly underrated. The Third is a powerful symphony, highly
expressive but with subtle orchestration. Sanderling gives a fine performance.
The disc also offers a welcome bonus of the Prelude to Mussorsky’s unfinished
opera <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kovanshchina</i>, evoking the
Moscow river at dawn. </span></div>
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Romantic style is very much to the fore in his December 1999 performance of
Bruckner’s Seventh, which he performs in the Nowak edition. His approach is
expansive, taking 71 minutes for the symphony (longer than the majority of
performances listed in John Berky’s Bruckner discography) and 25 minutes for
the Adagio, which is particularly successful. But he is in no way
self-indulgent (in the manner of Celibidache, for example, who somehow manages
to get 86 minutes out of the Berlin Philharmonic). Sanderling comes across as a
conductor of great discipline, although definitely an old school Bruckner
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Hindemith is certainly better known as a composer than as a conductor (he was
also a leading viola virtuoso), but he led (and recorded with) many of the
leading orchestras of his time, particularly after WWII, when he began to wind
down his viola-playing career. This recording of Bruckner’s Seventh dates from June
1958,five years before his death in 1963. As might be expected from a composer
famous for his neo-classicism, his approach is much more restrained than
Sanderling’s. His performance (of the Gutman edition, which is fairly similar
to the Nowak edition) lasts only 59 minutes, with the Adagio a full seven
minutes shorter than Sanderling. But it is compelling. The composer of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Matthis der Maler</i> symphony was himself a
devotee of counterpoint and clearly is at home in Bruckner’s harmonic language
and musical architecture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
sound quality on all three discs is excellent, even on the Hindemith recording
from 60 years ago. I look forward to more fine performances from the SWR
backlist. </span></div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-5938223739861737902018-08-12T14:21:00.000-05:002018-08-12T14:28:41.767-05:00Thielemann's Bruckner 1 and 3 on Blu-ray<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Staatskapelle Dresden</div>
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Christian Thielemann</div>
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C Major 744704<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Blu-ray)</div>
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Anton Bruckner, Symphony No. 3</div>
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Staatskapelle Dresden</div>
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Christian Thielemann</div>
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C Major 740904<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Blu-ray)</div>
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fine Bruckner cycle with the Staatskapelle Dresden approaches its end. There is
only No. 2 left to go. It is a little unusual to end a Bruckner cycle with the
early symphonies, but here it works well. Thielemann gives powerful
performances that highlight continuities with the later, more developed
symphonies.</div>
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The recording of Symphony No. 1, from a performance at the
Philharmonie Munich on September 6, 2017, is actually the first recording of the
1968 Linz version, as edited by Thomas Röder in 2016. This is a lightly revised
version of Bruckner’s original 1866 score, prepared for the symphony’s first
public performance, and so it offers a chance to hear the symphony as it was
heard by a doubtless bemused audience in Linz on May 5, 1868 – the first public
performance of any of Bruckner’s symphonies. (The original 1866 score, prepared
by William Carragan, has been recorded by Georg Tintner and Gerd Schaller, and
differs only slightly from this version.)</div>
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The First may be the least known of Bruckner’s symphonies,
but it is certainly not a piece of juvenilia (quite apart from the fact that
Bruckner was 42 when he composed it). Bruckner’s harmonic innovation is on full
display. There are sustained dissonances, particularly in the Finale, and some
of what subsequently became Bruckner’s characteristic devices, such as sudden
stop in mid-movement. Thielemann and the Staatskapelle bring out the
weightiness of the piece (while doing justice to the fine part-writing,
particularly for wind).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The Symphony No. 3 is played here in the 1877 version (Nowak
edition). Thielemann makes a strong case for this symphony, which has often
been maligned (most famously by Robert Simpson). It is more rough-hewn than the
later masterpieces, but in the right hands that can be translated into dynamism
and energy. This is perhaps the first of Bruckner’s truly heroic symphonies and
this performance does not hold back, coming to a triumphant conclusion in the
coda of the finale that is met with rapturous applause by the audience in the
Philharmonie Munich.</div>
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As with all the discs so far in this Bruckner cycle, the
production values are first-rate. The two videographers (Andreas Morell for No.
1 and Elisabeth Malzer for No. 3) use the cameras to good effect to shed light
on Bruckner’s orchestration (although I wish they would pan out a little less).
The sound quality is excellent – I listened in PCM stereo, but DTS-HD 5.0
surround sound is also an option. My only minor quibble is with the liner
notes, which are rather sketchy (the notes for No. 1 do not distinguish between
the “real” Linz version recorded here and the subsequent 1877 revision more
often described as the Linz version, despite being prepared in Vienna). But
this is a minor blemish on two discs that live up to the high standards of this
impressive Bruckner cycle. </div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-63996243883429704072018-04-12T21:49:00.000-05:002018-04-12T21:49:14.012-05:00Jorge Bolet RIAS recordings Vol. 1 (Audite)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">JORGE BOLET, THE RIAS RECORDINGS VOL. 1 (1962-1973)</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Franz Liszt</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Années de pèlerinage, 1ère année "Suisse", S. 160 (e1 – VI)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Études d'exécution transcendante, S. 139 (1, 2, 8, 9, 11, 12)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Études d'exécution transcendante, S. 139, Nocturnes
1-3</span><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rhapsodie espagnole, S254/R90, ‘Folies d’Espagne’</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moritz Moszkowski</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Camille Saint-Saens</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Le Cygne (The Swan)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Leopold Godowsky</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Le Salon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Symphonic metamorphosis on themes from Johann Strauss</span><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Frederic Chopin</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Fantasy
in F Minor, Op. 49</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Impromptu No. 1 in
A-Flat Major, Op. 29</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Impromptu No. 2 in
F-Sharp Major, Op. 36</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Impromptu No. 3 in
G-Flat Major, Op. 51</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Fantasy-Impromptu
in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">12 Etudes, Op.
10: No. 5 in G-Flat</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Claude Debussy</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Préludes.
Premier Livre (I, IX, X, XII)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Préludes.
Deuxième Livre (VI, VCII, VIII, XII)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Jorge Bolet,
piano</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">AUDITE 21.438 (3
CDS)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">The Cuban-born
pianist Jorge Bolet was a famously late-blossomer, at least as far as fame
and fortune are concerned. He sprang into the limelight <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at the age of 60, after a celebrated recital
at Carnegie Hall in 1974, a mere 37 years after his first recital in 1937. In
1978 he was signed to an exclusive contract by Decca, the source of most of
the studio recordings we have of his playing. The performances on this fine
3-disc set from Audite all pre-date his rise. They are taken from original
tapes in the archives of RIAS (the </span><i><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-ansi-language: DE;">Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor</span></i><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">, which was a radio and television station broadcasting in the
American sector of Berlin during the Cold War). </span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">As is usual with releases
from Audite, the general production values are first rate. The nicely
produced box includes a long essay by Wolfgang Rathert and full recording
details. The sound quality is also very good, and certainly good enough to
appeal beyond historical recording enthusiasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">As a pianist, Bolet elicited
strong reactions. Hailed as the last great Romantic pianist by some, he was
derided as an empty virtuouso by others. It’s certainly true that he
gravitated towards the virtuoso end of the repertoire. This collection
contains, for example, one of the Godowsky transcriptions of Chopin’s Etudes,
famed for their difficulty. And the second disc ends with a suitably pyrotechnic
rendition of Debussy’s ‘Feux d’artifice‘. </span><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;">The first disc,
though, clearly gives the lie to the idea that Bolet had nothing to
contribute but his prodigious technique. The six pieces from Liszt’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Années de Pélerinage</i> are played with an
emotional range often missing in recordings of Liszt’s solo piano works. I am
not much of a Liszt enthusiast at the best of times, but Bolet makes a
powerful case for the </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Études
d'exécution transcendante</span></i><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in the six pieces that he plays. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the other hand, I suspect that many will find his approach to Chopin
and Debussy too heavy. He is a master of technique and color, but there is
not much of the dance in his Chopin or impressionistic shimmering in his
Debussy. Of course, for others these would be advantages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bolet was a highly distinctive pianist voice and this collection is an
important addition to his discography. The </span><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">pieces on Disc 2 by Moszowski, Saint-Saens, and Godowsky will be a
distraction for some, and a delight to others. But the appeal of this
collection surely lies in more mainstream regions of the repertoire. </span><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is a
must-buy for Lisztians and deserves serious attention from Chopin and Debussy
enthusiasts. </span><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"></span></div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-69153123082582240652018-04-03T21:01:00.001-05:002018-04-03T21:01:26.856-05:00Audite's 1953 Furtwängler Lucerne Festival recordings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Schumann, Symphony No. 4</div>
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Beethoven, Symphony No. 3, ‘Eroica’</div>
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Lucerne Festival Orchestra</div>
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Conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler</div>
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Audite 91.441 (2 SACDs)</div>
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This 2-disc release from Audite of a live performance from
the 1953 Lucerne festival is obviously a real treat for Furtwängler fans. But it
is not just of historical interest. The sound quality is good enough that it
should appeal to anyone interested in outstanding performances of two great
symphonies, as well as of Schumann’s Manfred Overture (here released for the
first time). </div>
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The Schumann and Beethoven symphonies have been issued many
different times before, but typically in private recordings made from the radio
broadcasts. At best, the sound quality has been acceptable for enthusiasts.
This release, however, is based on a remastering of the original tapes
rediscovered in the archives of Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF). The result
is extraordinarily good (both when played in a SACD player and on an ordinary
CD player). The acoustic clarity of the Eroica recording compares well with
Furtwängler’s studio recording for EMI of the same symphony with the Vienna
Philharmonic (admittedly recorded nearly a decade earlier in 1944).</div>
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All three pieces are played with Furtwängler’s
characteristic intensity and depth. The two works by Schumann bring out both
poles of the composer’s complex character, as personified in his two personae,
the extroverted, boisterous Florestan, and the introverted Eusebio. And it is
hard to imagine a better performance of the Eroica, particularly the Funeral
March. This is a must-buy disc for anyone seriously interested in the Romantic
symphony.</div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-7230963617200509602017-07-10T20:01:00.000-05:002017-07-10T20:01:05.451-05:00Thielemann's Bruckner 4 and 6 on Blu Ray<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcT7YBvIEFiM3COMUg3mqXCogvHFTkb3DImEsKsAgStAPSnvJml61ZeN7FQtqX84mSeIOUKxk0wiAqooqJItZC-65BHRUtHqHH2aVx94dN24ErIAm3EnzWg3SLn3hCrt1iZVHodD3V4AY/s1600/Thielemann+Bruckner+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="522" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcT7YBvIEFiM3COMUg3mqXCogvHFTkb3DImEsKsAgStAPSnvJml61ZeN7FQtqX84mSeIOUKxk0wiAqooqJItZC-65BHRUtHqHH2aVx94dN24ErIAm3EnzWg3SLn3hCrt1iZVHodD3V4AY/s200/Thielemann+Bruckner+4.jpeg" width="157" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Anton Bruckner, Symphony
No. 4</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Anton Bruckner, Symphony
No. 6</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Staatskapelle Dresden</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Christian Thielemann</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">C Major 732604 <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Blu-Ray)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">C Major 738304 <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Blu-Ray)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZukN7hXgfRFBiu_iok_ujcOSwTdR0o1fFFbYFuI4ZrFUKagOy6SazeCytueHZrHqDHKiUMY0-h7MElzZRabLAXubBNnhkykppd0yJH59FA7EjdlObZS9kcbV2ygMZvUK3_eURpvJOF3r6/s1600/Thielemann+Bruckner+6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="806" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZukN7hXgfRFBiu_iok_ujcOSwTdR0o1fFFbYFuI4ZrFUKagOy6SazeCytueHZrHqDHKiUMY0-h7MElzZRabLAXubBNnhkykppd0yJH59FA7EjdlObZS9kcbV2ygMZvUK3_eURpvJOF3r6/s200/Thielemann+Bruckner+6.jpeg" width="141" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">These two Blu Ray discs
mark the continuation of Christian Thielemann’s video cycle of the Bruckner
symphonies with the Staatskapelle Dresden (I have reviewed the </span><a href="http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/c/cpo77616a.php"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">5<sup>th</sup></span></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;">, the </span><a href="http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/u/utc16204blua.php"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">8<sup>th</sup></span></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;">, and the 9<sup>th</sup> - all favorably). Thielemann and the
Staatskapelle have stuck with the formula that has worked until now – live
performances in the Semperoper Dresden with the same video directors (Agnès Meth
for the 4<sup>th</sup> and Henning Kasten for the 6<sup>th</sup>, who between
them have covered the other discs in the series.) The sound quality is
excellent (I listened in PCM stereo) and I have no complaints about the
cinematography. Musically speaking, however, the formula works much better for
the later and less familiar 6<sup>th</sup> symphony, than for the frequently
played and recorded 4<sup>th</sup>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">It is hard to fault the
Staatskapelle Dresden in the 4<sup>th</sup>. The playing is of the highest
quality, with the solo parts in particular uniformly excellent. However, to my
ear the performance, particularly in the first two movements, lacks life and
excitement. The Blu Ray box quotes an unnamed reviewer describing the original
performances as “tone-painting” of the highest order. This is a telling comment,
capturing both the strengths and the weaknesses of the performance. The price
paid for tone-painting is a loss of architectural drama – a good example being
the build-up to the climax of the slow movement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Things improve in the last
two movements. The Scherzo reveals an internal sense of structure that is
lacking in the performance as a whole (in, for example, the balance between the
Scherzo and the embedded Trio). The Finale has a much more impressive opening,
clearly helped by a brass section comfortable with the monumental, and the coda
is most effective. Overall, however, this rendition of the 4<sup>th</sup> fails
to convince. It is probably the least successful performance to date of this
cycle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Thielemann and the
Staaskapelle more than compensate in the 6<sup>th</sup>, however. The
well-shaped and dynamic opening sets the tone. The first movement is
chameleon-like in its sudden swings and changes of direction, so maintaining
momentum is crucial for continuity. Thielemann does a great job of setting up a
tremendous coda (well described by Michael Steinberg as one of Bruckner’s most
splendid). The momentum of the first movement is matched by the intensity of
the slow movement, and the Scherzo offers a fine transition to a powerful
Finale. The end of the symphony is met with very strong applause, not just from
the audience but also from the orchestra for the conductor. It is
well-deserved. This is an outstanding performance of the symphony that Bruckner
himself thought his most audacious.</span></div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-47331199454743026002016-11-23T09:17:00.000-06:002016-11-23T09:17:08.703-06:00Barenboim's Parsifal from Berlin on BluRay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">Richard Wagner, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Parsifal</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAnvVu-yysQRtwxqt4XjhLLS8beTl7XZqWhdjVTTTFNXvbv0GizylgwitEn-oKKg7xAAf0odEV-ck9958LiTfxl37r0lNdrRXXT5YJWTbOaUEZFgx6LN07wsP7bJfNo5hSPbNBKZgcY9m/s1600/Barenboim+Parsifal+%2528Berlin%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAnvVu-yysQRtwxqt4XjhLLS8beTl7XZqWhdjVTTTFNXvbv0GizylgwitEn-oKKg7xAAf0odEV-ck9958LiTfxl37r0lNdrRXXT5YJWTbOaUEZFgx6LN07wsP7bJfNo5hSPbNBKZgcY9m/s1600/Barenboim+Parsifal+%2528Berlin%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Amfortas
<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">WOLFGANG KOCH</span> <br />
Gurnemanz RENÉ PAPE <br />
Parsifal ANDREAS SCHAGER <br />
Klingsor TÓMAS TÓMASSON <br />
Kundry ANJA KAMPE<br />
Titurel MATTHIAS HÖLLE<br />
<br />
STAATSKAPELLE BERLIN STAATSOPERNCHOR KONZERTCHOR DER STAATSOPER / DANIEL
BARENBOIM<br />
<br />
Stage direction DMITRI TCHERNIAKOV<br />
Costume design ELENA ZAYTSEVA <br />
Set design DMITRI TCHERNIAKOV <br />
Light design GLEB FILSHTINSKY <br />
Chorus master MARTIN WRIGHT <br />
Dramaturgy JENS SCHROTH</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">HD recording: Staatsoper im Schiller
Theater, Berlin – 04/2015 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bel Air
Classiques Blu-Ray BAC428</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">For
many of us Daniel Barenboim is the finest living Wagner conductor. Some might
demur from quite such a sweeping judgment, but few would deny that he is one of
a tiny handful of dominant interpreters of Wagner. This <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Parsifal</i>, recorded live at the Berlin Staatsoper in April 2015,
further cements his standing and reputation. Musically it is simply outstanding.
Visually and conceptually it falls a little short of outstanding, but it is
never less than thought-provoking. The combination is not quite one for the
ages, as is his celebrated <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ring</i> with
Harry Kupfer from Bayreuth in 1991-2, but it is definitely one of the most
satisfying <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Parsifals</i> that I have come
across for a while. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Dmitri
Tcherniakov represents the home of the Knights of the Grail as what looks
like a cavernous factory interior. Steering away from explicitly modernist
productions, though, this factory has colonnades. Its inhabitants are dressed
in generic mid-twentieth century costumes. Think Warsaw Uprising, postwar
Germany, or a Solzhenitsyn gulag – dark colors and wintry, vaguely military outfits.
In Act 1, Parsifal stands out with brightly colored T-shirts that he
occasionally changes on stage, pulling a new one out of the rucksack that
accompanies him throughout. There is much more color in Klingsor’s palace in
Act 2, which Tcherniakov presents as a schoolroom painted in institutional blue,
with the Flower Maidens wearing school uniforms, supervised by a benign-looking
and bespectacled Klingsor, looking rather like a Latin teacher approaching
retirement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I found
the staging in Act 2 somewhat disconcerting – casting children holding dolls as
temptresses certainly has the power to shock. But the scene where Parsifal is
beset by the (underage) Flower Maidens is suitably de-sexualized, and </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Tcherniakov
certainly offers a new take on this scene, helped by some very fine singing
from the chorus. When Kundry arrives on the scene she certainly has no difficulty
projecting herself as the only adult in the room. The only </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">part of Act 2 that fell flat for
me was the final confrontation with Klingsor, where the sense of drama emerging
from the orchestra pit was not matched by events on stage. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The two most
striking feature of this production are definite additions to Wagner’s
narrative. In Act 1 the celebration of the Knights’ sacred ritual takes a
definitely cannabilistic turn, with the Knights draining the blood from
Amfortas’s wound and passing it around in a chalice. And in the final moments
of the drama, Gurnemanz’s increasing antipathy to Kundry culminates in his
stabbing her (in the back!) while she is locked in a passionate embrace with
Amfortas, turning Wagner’s ideas about Kundry’s redemption on their head (or
alternatively, taking them to their logical conclusion). I was not particularly
moved by either innovation, although both certainly succeed in highlighting the moral
bankruptcy of the Knights of the Grail, who do come across as an even more unpleasant
bunch than usual. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The real
strengths of this production are in the conducting and singing. Barenboim sets
the tone with a masterful and magisterial prelude. His pacing maintains
momentum and drama through the long discursive sections of Act 1, building up
to a spectacular denouement with the massed ranks of the chorus. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Parsifal </i>is hard to pace because it is relatively
static, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barenboim’s feel for the pulse
of the music, and his ability to drive the action on the stage from the pit
while maintaining balance between voices and instruments, is evident throughout.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">There are
no weak points among the principals. René Pape is a fine Gurnemanz, who rises
to his set-pieces (“Titurel, der fromme held”, for example) but is a commanding
presence throughout. Wolfgang Koch offers us a suitably tortured Amfortas in
the opening and closing acts, conveying both the character’s pathos and his
weakness. Tómas Tómason’s Klingsor suffers from the sensible sweater he is
forced to wear, but sounds suitably menacing at the end of Act 2. Parsifal and
Kundry are both first-rate. Andreas Schager’s Parsifal develops from a spoiled
adolescent in Act 1 to a compelling leader in Act, singing with power, control,
and delicacy throughout – a rare combination in contemporary Wagner tenors.
Anja Kampe is a very fine Kundry,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>whose
singing and acting encompasses the multiple personae of this complex role –
from servile handmaiden to passionate seductress, to candidate for final
redemption. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My only
misgivings with this production are the woefully inadequate liner materials (no
more than a sketchy act-by-act summary), and my perennial bugbear of the credits
rolling during the prelude. But sound and visual quality are both excellent,
with two-channel and multi-channel options available. So I recommend this BluRay
very highly indeed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-86148878462092034302016-09-17T10:45:00.000-05:002016-09-17T13:11:46.304-05:00Thielemann's 2015 Tristan from Bayreuth on BluRay/DVD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_07ynwsHynsO87JJA2dhyt4WmJB0tgiE37rjj7Hxj0QE98p88ZX2_T25YCmHh5mGehAri8GIf6_tXrS5KT5-3haG_ECegxr2JOsvJjUBsHmXKFFqsih8L-T5uj9MU8fh9XZzoQ5zf0H5/s1600/Wagner%252C+Tristan+%2528Thielemann%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_07ynwsHynsO87JJA2dhyt4WmJB0tgiE37rjj7Hxj0QE98p88ZX2_T25YCmHh5mGehAri8GIf6_tXrS5KT5-3haG_ECegxr2JOsvJjUBsHmXKFFqsih8L-T5uj9MU8fh9XZzoQ5zf0H5/s200/Wagner%252C+Tristan+%2528Thielemann%2529.jpg" width="171" /></a>Richard Wagner, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tristan und Isolde</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Stephen Gould (Tristan), </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Evelyn Herlitzius (Isolde), </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Georg Zeppenfeld (König Marke), </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Iain Paterson (Kurwenal)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Raimund Nolte (Melot)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Christa Mayer (Brangäne)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Tansel Akzeybek (Ein Hirt)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Kay Stiefermann (Ein Steuermann)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Tansel Akzeybek (Junger Seemann)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra,
Christian Thielemann (conductor) </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Katharina Wagner (stage director)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Deutsche Grammophon BluRay 00440
073 5254</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
This splendid production of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tristan und Isolde</i>, recorded live at the
Bayreuth Festival in 2015, is the first issue in a multi-year collaboration
between Deutsche Grammophon and the Bayreuth Festival, which will see the label
exclusively releasing new productions at the Festpielhaus. On the strength of
this recording, this initiative is looking most promising. Katharina Wagner and
Christian Thielemann have produced one of the most satisfying <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tristans</i> in recent years. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Purists may balk at Katharina
Wagner’s production, but (on this occasion) I have little sympathy with them. If
there is a concept to the production, it is Fate and Necessity. No potion is
needed for the first embrace between Tristan and Isolde in Act 1, for example –
they fall into each other’s arms as soon as they see each other, and in Act II Mark
and his men are plainly in view above the stage, so that their eventual
appearance is more of an inevitable consequence of the great duet than a
surprise. The production is revisionist, but in a thoughtful way plainly
intended to illuminate the drama rather than to score political or other points. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
During the Prelude the camera takes
the viewer on a tour of the set, which for Act 1 is the interior of a ship –
all metal stairs and railings. Usually I actively dislike visuals during the Prelude,
but here they work well, with camera angles used to good effect. The lighting
designer (Richard Traub) is the star of the production in Act II, where the
torch is a spotlight and Tristan and Isolde sing ‘O sink herneider’ against a
backdrop of avatars walking into pools of light (with the avatars turning into
little children at Brangäne’s entrance). Lighting is also very important during
Tristan’s delirious monologue in Act III, where Isolde is a constant on-stage
presence in a triangle of light, constantly disappearing only to reappear in
different places and elevations. It is very imaginative and also (not to give
anything away) on occasion macabre.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Stephen Gould is a terrific
Tristan. He sings with great delicacy in Act II after the arrival of Mark and
his men, and offers a commanding performance in Act III. There is currently no
shortage of heldentenors who can belt out a heroic-sounding Tristan, but few
with Gould’s combination of powerful projection, expressiveness, and careful
phrasing. He is well matched in all these respects by Evelyn Herlitzius’s
Isolde, who enters ferociously in Act 1 and sings with great intensity
throughout. Herlitzius does not have the most classically beautiful voice, but
nor did a number of the great Wagner sopranos of the past. She acts and sings
with power, plainly living her role. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
König Marke has not been done any
favors by the costume designer (Thomas Kaiser), and I was not convinced by his
dragging Isolde off-stage in the closing bars. But the role is sung very well
by George Zeppenfeld, who strikes the right balance between anger, grief, and
resignation. The other two principal roles are very well sung – Iain Paterson
as Kurwenal and Christa Mayer as Brangäne. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
There are not many Wagner
conductors who rank with Christian Thielemann when he is on form, as he most
definitely is in this performance. The Act I Prelude is rich and dramatic and
sets up a flow and pace that the Orchester der Bayreuther Festpielhaus maintains
throughout. Thielemann maintains the balance between orchestra and soloists,
not just in “showpieces” such as ‘Mild und leise’ but also (and even more
tellingly) in busy scenes such as the arrival of König Marke and his men in Act
III. The orchestra maintains a high level of dramatic movement, even though the
characters are actually standing still on the stage. The ending is beautifully
placed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
All in all, I was very enthusiastic
about this first production on first hearing and subsequent listening confirmed
first impressions. The sound and audio quality on the BluRay are excellent (I
listened in PCM stereo, but DTS 5.0 is also included). Highly recommended. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-54738486470144668632016-07-19T09:39:00.000-05:002016-07-19T11:43:47.032-05:00Bruckner's Fourth from the Pittsburgh Symphony (Honeck), and Fifth from the LPO (Skrowaczewski)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgeOjI5U-p9cbMPgwefbfFvB0tLqgayWQqAsXQwtaApK0umBuGk3dHKiBWMF6mOucbZI6DjovQEH8fl9OebyfqLA6BcqJsAcCRwETJirqfmcUyMACwF3RJip_Qry5qMhZX6FhTYt2-iqz/s1600/Bruckner+4+%2528Honeck%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgeOjI5U-p9cbMPgwefbfFvB0tLqgayWQqAsXQwtaApK0umBuGk3dHKiBWMF6mOucbZI6DjovQEH8fl9OebyfqLA6BcqJsAcCRwETJirqfmcUyMACwF3RJip_Qry5qMhZX6FhTYt2-iqz/s200/Bruckner+4+%2528Honeck%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>Anton Bruckner</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Symphony No. 4</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Conducted by Manfred Honeck</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reference Recordings FR – 713 (Hybrid CD/SACD, 5.1 and
stereo)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Symphony No. 5</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
London Philharmonic Orchestra</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
LPO 0090 (CD)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgSEosQSSI1yPtPxMyCujzoXD227DL2Ca0XTW6s8ulm1xBvxgJMRqOmz082ocvW0wQixEl28Y-7rBeXWHel8LHVWdGtpGpZpPDa6z8aou2gKzsM-D43WXo3wJAPfTR322oReNXKQ0gTru/s1600/Bruckner+5+%2528Skrowaczewski%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgSEosQSSI1yPtPxMyCujzoXD227DL2Ca0XTW6s8ulm1xBvxgJMRqOmz082ocvW0wQixEl28Y-7rBeXWHel8LHVWdGtpGpZpPDa6z8aou2gKzsM-D43WXo3wJAPfTR322oReNXKQ0gTru/s1600/Bruckner+5+%2528Skrowaczewski%2529.jpg" /></a>Here are two very different but very worthwhile approaches
to Bruckner, both captured in live performances from the in-house labels of the
Pittsburgh Symphony and London Philharmonic respectively. Compared to
Skrowaczewski, who was 92 in December 2015 when this recording was made,
Manfred Honeck is a mere stripling, and Honeck’s Bruckner discography is a
fraction the length of the legendary Skrowaczewski’s (whose complete and highly
recommended Bruckner cycle with the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra was
recently re-released by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oehms records at
a budget price). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Honeck’s liner notes describe the Fourth Symphony as “almost
a tone poem in the robe of a symphony”. He takes Bruckner’s gushing about
knights on proud horses and rustling forests quite literally and thinks that
they provide a guide to interpretation. Personally I find this most
implausible. Would our appreciation of this great symphony be any the less if
some austere editor had removed all traces of Bruckner’s program? Surely not. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet, setting aside his fondness for the program, Honeck is
certainly on to something when he observes that this symphony does not always
lend itself to what he calls “a rigorous reading of Bruckner as a master of the
organ and counterpoint”. Instead Honeck calls for flexibility of tempi and
expression to bring out the full range of Bruckner’s emotional palette, which
ranges from the earthiness of the scherzo to the deep melancholy of the Andanta
(a melancholy that, as Honeck points out, has ironic overtones). The strengths
of this recording include a great sensitivity to orchestral balance, keeping
the brass on a tight leash so that they do not drown out the strings. He is
particularly attentive to the violas and the richness of the orchestra comes
out very well in the excellent SACD sound (I listened in 2 channel).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Honeck’s approach to the Fourth seems completely
inappropriate, however, for the Fifth, which is Bruckner’s most contrapuntal
and organ-inspired symphony. Despite the odd humorous moment, the Fifth has
little by way of earthiness and rusticity. So it is not surprising that Skrowaczewski
is almost the exact opposite of Honeck, with measured and steady tempi that characterize
the “cathedral of sound” model of performance. It is difficult to fault
Skrowaczewski’s grasp of the architecture of the symphony. This is not the most
dramatic interpretation (listen to the end of the first movement, for example),
but in both the slow movement and the Finale Skrowaczewski and the LPO achieve an
extraordinary consistency of pacing and flow of the musical line. There is
excellent playing from the solo oboe (Adagio) and clarinet (Finale). This is a
terrific performance, as well as a fascinating testament to many decades of
immersion in Bruckner’s music. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both discs are recommended.</div>
</div>
José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-62179684932438325462016-07-14T10:36:00.001-05:002016-07-14T10:36:46.537-05:00Imogen Cooper's Chopin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSj-FM8mkA1t5vwJo-oSD3sRPnEfJEGNSfvmcLYGkcONbre5HDUCtNoKsrzQW6ogyczUJASFR4uSeG_jRaqvrhLQ5mZFG0Cr4OEl_ELsy47lHCru2p0j8bcZv5hSDagYUZwfMXWw2Sn3N/s1600/Chopin+%2528Imogen+Cooper%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSj-FM8mkA1t5vwJo-oSD3sRPnEfJEGNSfvmcLYGkcONbre5HDUCtNoKsrzQW6ogyczUJASFR4uSeG_jRaqvrhLQ5mZFG0Cr4OEl_ELsy47lHCru2p0j8bcZv5hSDagYUZwfMXWw2Sn3N/s1600/Chopin+%2528Imogen+Cooper%2529.jpg" /></a>Imogen Cooper’s Chopin</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polonaise
No. 7 in A flat major, Op. 61 'Polonaise-fantaisie'</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two
Nocturnes Op. 62</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fantasia
in F minor, Op. 49</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ballade
No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nocturne
No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27 No. 2</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ballade
No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nocturne
No. 16 in E flat major, Op. 55 No. 2</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Berceuse in D flat major, Op. 57</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Imogen Cooper, piano</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chandos CD CHAN 10902</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
disc represents Imogen Cooper’s first recorded foray into the music of Chopin.
She is, of course, best known for her probing and often intense explorations of
Schubert and Schumann. Somewhat disarmingly the liner notes contain a few
paragraphs from the performer entitled ‘Why Chopin, why now?’ There she speaks
of her “persistent feeling that Chopin is old-fashioned, difficult to program in
this age of fabulous, exotic, and novel mixtures.” She goes on to ask
(rhetorically): “Does this explain the feeling that a fresh personal discovery
entails a considerable effort, an effort to delete the long accumulated data
and reach for the suffering (and not always sympathetic, let us be honest) man
and poet? To look at his language anew and not take a single note for granted?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cooper
certainly casts a fresh eye. Her playing is refreshingly free of the clichés of
Chopin interpretation, but the mention of suffering is telling. Cooper’s Chopin
is unrelentingly melancholy. For many of us Chopin’s genius lies in his
extraordinary versatility. He could write for the salon, for the dance floor,
or for the confessional – sometimes for all three in the same piece. Cooper’s
selection of pieces are all overwhelmingly introspective. There are no
mazurkas, waltzes, or polonaises (the Polonaise-fantaise is really more of a
fantaisie than a polonaise). The weight of the recital is taken by the first
and fourth ballades and a selection of rather dark nocturnes. Each of the
pieces played is an undisputed masterpiece, but the cumulative effect is to
make Chopin sound rather one-dimensional. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anybody
who cares about Chopin will want to listen to this recording. Cooper is too
important a pianist to miss, and her interpretations are certainly powerful. I
suspect, though, that many will feel, as I did, that there is something missing
here. Even in his darkest moments Chopin had a graceful lightness of touch. Imogen
Cooper plumbs the depths, but leaves behind some of the most important things
that are on the surface. </span></div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-78083037401404340972016-05-15T15:44:00.000-05:002016-05-15T15:44:38.302-05:00Performances of Bruckner 9 by Mariss Jansons and Christian Thielemann<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6_Nz5rXrQyAc_X7SGGkCLQC2p5HTQgW0npr-tfUGMH_dORgMZkykvehEa6yqi2s_EFiinzCJ1yDqHCIYTWe8_bDJtY_N3MzMj_J5IRk0KEI8u0AvPoGCDdCmYjVb1aE9xQjIGYoGyc7E/s1600/Jansons+Bruckner+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6_Nz5rXrQyAc_X7SGGkCLQC2p5HTQgW0npr-tfUGMH_dORgMZkykvehEa6yqi2s_EFiinzCJ1yDqHCIYTWe8_bDJtY_N3MzMj_J5IRk0KEI8u0AvPoGCDdCmYjVb1aE9xQjIGYoGyc7E/s1600/Jansons+Bruckner+9.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Anton Bruckner, Symphony No.
9</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Conducted by Mariss Jansons</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">RCO 16002 (SACD/Multi-channel
DSD 5.0)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Anton Bruckner, Symphony No.
9</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Staatskapelle Dresden</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Conducted<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by Christian Thielemann</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Unitel Classica/C major<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LC15762 (Blu-Ray)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg6a931pbdl_Fx1Xge6xzj8NIdr8WjJ4GQpbv4SnXqC1OdURBeWtUGPUi_c2LPLO99NLxCwpUouSlcJRbEcowC-JTIR3NE6lqGMn4A9L8_BjmuRZ2nQsk-V2ALsKpoYl4iAMWF-Th-J96/s1600/Thielemann+Bruckner+9.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg6a931pbdl_Fx1Xge6xzj8NIdr8WjJ4GQpbv4SnXqC1OdURBeWtUGPUi_c2LPLO99NLxCwpUouSlcJRbEcowC-JTIR3NE6lqGMn4A9L8_BjmuRZ2nQsk-V2ALsKpoYl4iAMWF-Th-J96/s1600/Thielemann+Bruckner+9.gif" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Here are two very different
performances of Bruckner’s Ninth. Both are live, and both are contributions to
ongoing cycles, but the resemblance stops there. The stopwatch tells the tale.
Thielemann’s performance weighs in at just over 62 minutes of music, while
Jansons comes in at 54”44’. I have reviewed Thielemann’s Fifth and Eighth
favorably (</span><a href="http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/c/cpo77616a.php"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> and </span><a href="http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/u/utc16204blua.php"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">,
respectively). In both of those cases the weightiness of his interpretation worked
to good effect. Here I am not so sure. Jansons seems to me to provide a more
compelling interpretation, despite his less distingished pedigree as a Bruckner
conductor. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Thielemann’s interpretation
falls short in the first movement. His approach is too smooth. The problem is a
lack of contrast – not dynamic contrast (of which there is plenty), but rather
affective contrast. It fails to present enough tension for subsequent
resolution. The climax before the coda has all the trappings of drama, but
misses the depths that in the best performances make the coda more effective.
The legacy of the opening movement weakens the later movements. The Adagio is
more compelling taken on its own terms, and the affective contrast works better
– not surprisingly, given that this is some of Bruckner’s most dissonant
music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But considered within the
symphony as a whole it does not have the force that it should have, because it
rests on a weak foundation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">To my ear Thielemann is too
reverential. Many listeners, though, will find Jansons going too far in the
opposite direction. His tempi are definitely on the brisk side (some might say
rushed) and some of his accelerandi and ritardandi are very noticeable indeed.
Nonetheless I found his approach to the first movement more satisfying than
Thielemann’s. There is a real sense of urgency (in the build-up to the first
climax, for example) and as a consequence the tension and drama come across
more effectively. There is a real sense of release with the first movement
coda. Jansons’s scherzo has a more driving rhythm, which sets up the Adagio
nicely. He luxuriates much less than Thielemann in the third movement (and is
nearly six minutes quicker!), but the climaxes and overall structure are at
least as convincing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Curiously, the Jansons
performance, which feels more authentically live, was actually recorded over
three different live performances in Amsterdam in March 2014, while the
Thiemann Blu-Ray appears to have been recorded in a single evening (May 24,
2015). The sound quality is good on both, with the Jansons recording from RCO
Live coming in SACD format with stereo and surround sound options (I listened
in 2-channel, as usual). The videography by Agnes Méth on the Thielemann Blu-Ray
is skillful, but occasionally a little too involved. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Of the two my recommendation
would be Jansons and the Royal Concertgebouw. But I would not dissuade anyone
from buying the Thielemann Blu-Ray. </span></div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-35538139407359310952016-05-11T21:56:00.000-05:002016-05-11T21:56:34.328-05:00Sokolov plays late Schubert and late Beethoven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy72iuLfS9KS1jnkLs5mn6vTM6R_YbwAIlJgOsJ0ESxnyHBYeTS8tCn8v1rA8ktverBdNWNTLgQZK-ohjFlAX3offFlgpqit23mfxMkSNqGaby2qr-KcoXWbzJNfBKQ9CeCIFLd8ImwnnT/s1600/Sokolov+DG+Beethoven%252C+Schubert+etc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy72iuLfS9KS1jnkLs5mn6vTM6R_YbwAIlJgOsJ0ESxnyHBYeTS8tCn8v1rA8ktverBdNWNTLgQZK-ohjFlAX3offFlgpqit23mfxMkSNqGaby2qr-KcoXWbzJNfBKQ9CeCIFLd8ImwnnT/s200/Sokolov+DG+Beethoven%252C+Schubert+etc.jpg" width="200" /></a>Grigory Sokolov: Schubert, Beethoven, Rameau, Brahms</div>
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Franz Schubert, Impromptus D899</div>
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Franz Schubert, Three Piano Pieces D946</div>
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Ludwig van Beethoven, Sonata No. 29 in B flat major
(Hammerklavier)</div>
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Jean-Philippe Rameau, Les Tendres Plaintes</div>
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Jean-Philippe Rameau, Les Tourbillons</div>
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Jean-Philippe Rameau, Les Cyclopes</div>
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Jean-Philippe Rameau, La Follette</div>
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Jean-Philippe Rameau, Les Tendres Plaintes</div>
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Jean-Philippe Rameau, Les Sauvages</div>
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Johannes Brahms, Intermezzo in B flat minor op. 117 no. 2</div>
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Deutsche Grammophon 479 5426 (2 CDs)</div>
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Grigory Sokolov, the legendarily under-recorded genius of
the piano, is now slightly less under-recorded. At the time of writing this
double CD release of concert recordings from Warsaw and Salzburg brings the
recorded repertoire to a grand total of 14 CDs and one DVD – a remarkably small
tally for a pianist widely held to be one of the greatest living exponents of
the keyboard, who won the Tchaikovsky Competition fifty years ago in 1966 at
the age of 16. This set is the second release to emerge from Sokolov’s
exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. I think it’s safe to assume that
the future holds a steady trickle of live performance releases. We should all
be grateful to DG for bringing an end to the lean years.</div>
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The meat of these discs are classic Sokolov repertoire –
late Beethoven and late Schubert. The Schubert pieces were recorded at Warsaw’s
Philharmonia Naradowa on May 12, 2013 and the Beethoven at the Salzburg
Festival on August 23 of the same year. The set is rounded by the six encores
played at the Salzburg concert – five of Rameau’s Pièces de Clavecin, and then
the second of Brahm’s Op. 117 Intermezzi. </div>
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The combination is surprisingly effective, and the encores
are certainly not “lollipops”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nicely
crafted five Rameau pieces provide a delightful counterpoint to the intense
performances that precede them, and the beautifully played Brahms Intermezzo, a
resigned and autumnal piece, is an excellent capstone to the set, as it must
have been to the original concert at Salzburg.</div>
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Still, the recording will be justly celebrated for the
Schubert and Beethoven performances. One of Sokolov’s most distinctive strengths
at the piano (in addition, of course, to his technical mastery) is the depth
and intensity that he brings to slow movements. So he is ideally suited to the
melancholy lyricism of late Schubert. The D899 Impromptus are all very fine,
with No. 1 particularly standing out – at Sokolov’s hands it stretches to over
10 minutes, without any moments of longeur or impressions of self-indulgence. For
me, though, Sokolov is even more impressive in the Three Piano Pieces (D946),
which he succeeds in making as deeply expressive as the famous last three piano
sonatas.</div>
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The highlight of Melodiya’s 2014 release of Sokolov
performing Beethoven, Scriabin, and Arapov (which I reviewed here) was a
wonderful performance of Op. 111, Beethoven’s final piano sonata. That outstanding
performance is matched by the Hammerklavier presented here. The slow movement
in particular is spellbinding – better performances do not readily spring to
mind. And while the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Adagio Sostenuto</i>
is plainly the performance’s center of gravity, Sokolov maintains expressive
balance across the other three movements.</div>
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The sound quality is as good as one would expect from
Deutsche Grammophon (with a little audience noise for verisimilitude). My only reservation
is that the liner notes are breathlessly sycophantic. Hopefully future releases
from DG will have some analysis amid the hagiography. This is a relatively
minor quibble and these two discs are highly recommended to all music-lovers. </div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-15378352647014327022016-04-18T04:35:00.001-05:002016-04-18T04:35:50.698-05:00A few days in Paris: Rattle’s Bruckner and a Mitsuko Uchida recital (April 2016)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Spending a few days in Paris in the second week of April
allowed me to marvel at the wealth and accessibility of the city’s musical
life. On Tuesday April 12 I was able to get a same-day ticket in the afternoon
for Simon Rattle conducting Bruckner’s Eighth and Messiaen’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Couleurs de la Cité Celeste</i> at the
Philharmonie. On Wednesday I could have attended a piano recital by Yundi.
Friday offered a recital by Stephen Kovacevich. Another possibility was an
all-Rachmanimoff program with Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting the Philharmonia
and Boris Berezovsky at the piano. Sadly I had to miss all of these, despite
decent ticket availability (albeit in the higher price brackets) and was only
able to rejoin the fray on Saturday night for Mitsuko Uchida’s recital at the
Théatre des Champs Elyssées. What an extraordinary range of opportunities for a
five-night window! And of course there was much, much else on offer.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Simon Rattle is already developing a strong rapport with the
London Symphony Orchestra, although his contract with the Berlin Philharmonic
does not expire until 2018. Both the Messiaen and the Bruckner were performed
with assurance and precision. The juxtaposition is interesting. The most
obvious resemblance between the two composers is, of course, their deep
religious faith (much more intellectualized in Messiaen’s case than in
Bruckner’s). But from a musical point of view there are more interesting
structural parallels and differences. They both compose in blocks of sound.
Messiaen’s blocks are static, however, whereas Bruckner’s are much more
dynamic. I found that this element of contrast made the start of the Bruckner
symphony particularly effective, as did the contrast between Bruckner’s
prodigious string sections and Messiaen’s scoring exclusively for wind, piano,
and the largest percussion section I’ve seen for a long time.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Messiaen’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Couleurs de
la Cité Celeste </i>requires very precise conducting, to allow the piece’s
articulation and timbres to emerge against its complex rhythms. Rattle and the
LSO were clearly very comfortable with the musical idiom, as of course was
pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard (who won the Olivier Messiaen prize in 1973 and
is a dedicated exponent of contemporary music). Orchestra and conductor then
switched styles effortlessly (after a short interval) and delivered a very
memorable performance of Bruckner’s Eighth. Bruckner is not the first composer
that comes to mind where Rattle is concerned and I must admit to having been
underwhelmed by his Ninth (not least because of his insistence on conducting
the reconstructed finale). But here he and the LSO were terrific, combining
chamber-like phrasing with full-on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sturm
und drang</i>. The pacing was well-judged, consistent across the four movements
and doing justice both to the depth of the slow movement and the powerful
momentum of the outer movements. My only complaint was an occasional loss of
articulation as elements of the musical fabric were drowned out in some of the
climaxes (most noticeably the principal climax in the slow movement).</div>
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<br /></div>
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At the Théatre des Champs Elyssées a few days later Mitsuko
Uchida offered a program that has seen many outings – the Berg piano sonata,
Schubert’s D899 Impromptus, Mozart’s Rondo K.511, and Schumann’s Piano Sonata
No. 1. Each piece played to a different strength. Her fineness of phrasing and
delicacy were on display in the Berg and the Mozart, particularly effectively
in the Berg where she brought out the subtlety of the harmonies. Uchida is very
closely identified with the Schubert Impromptus and the D899 set were well performed,
albeit without the full expressive range on display in her recordings of the
set. The lyricism of No. 3 emerged very clearly, but there was room for more
drama in No. 1 (although I may be prejudiced from having recently reviewed
Sokolov’s monumental live recording from Warsaw). </div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Schumann, in contrast, was outstanding, with
Uchida bringing out beautifully the piece’s many different aspects and
personalities – from the storminess of the first movement through the short but
super-lyrical Aria and jagged Scherzo/Intermezzo to the concluding Rondo where <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schumann’s two alter egos (the reflective
Florestan and the ebullient Eusebius) chase and wrestle with each other. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A spell-binding performance. </span>
</div>
José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-90200328042507398762016-04-05T10:10:00.000-05:002016-04-05T10:10:08.279-05:00Schubert Piano Trios<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicC7JKfNLu9IM_8OY0ybefuWTAQSqFYOLBUIsFjESea2LnGuaywD_Ie6mCc9u9jQQXKwvBs69MJCW4X8cDHC48mgy2RzM-NISzgPAMNO_VzCKaDbKYkiNJHOM-ishrNBNbpVyW26gTDzev/s1600/Schubert+piano+trio+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicC7JKfNLu9IM_8OY0ybefuWTAQSqFYOLBUIsFjESea2LnGuaywD_Ie6mCc9u9jQQXKwvBs69MJCW4X8cDHC48mgy2RzM-NISzgPAMNO_VzCKaDbKYkiNJHOM-ishrNBNbpVyW26gTDzev/s200/Schubert+piano+trio+2.jpg" width="200" /></a>Franz Schubert:</div>
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<br /></div>
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Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat major, D898</div>
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Fantasie for Violin and Piano in C major, D934</div>
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Impromptu for Piano in A flat major, D935/2</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Boris Kucharsky, violin</div>
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Peter Wöpke, cello</div>
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Elizabeth Hopkins, piano</div>
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(CD – Paladino Music PMR 0046)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat major, D929</div>
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Sonata for Arpeggione and Piano in A minor (viola version),
D821 (*)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjrAQmBAa2Er5s_2Fx25eTJonQULFUb6W94g3Po-tJtBNsgC5zOAPD9yTZu8-VGoXVA40zb1qkFfx1hRG6bMxNNbtFXKOFrQ2B72Zl_QXlVYVsHNDkovRf26nU0_qo3BsEjgNUnHQUgwq/s1600/Schubert+piano+trio+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjrAQmBAa2Er5s_2Fx25eTJonQULFUb6W94g3Po-tJtBNsgC5zOAPD9yTZu8-VGoXVA40zb1qkFfx1hRG6bMxNNbtFXKOFrQ2B72Zl_QXlVYVsHNDkovRf26nU0_qo3BsEjgNUnHQUgwq/s200/Schubert+piano+trio+1.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
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Boris Kucharsky, violin and viola (in (*))</div>
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Thomas Carroll, cello</div>
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Elizabeth Hopkins, piano</div>
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(CD – Paladino Music PMR 0047)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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These two discs from Paladino Music offer a charming
perspective on Schubert’s late chamber music, featuring both string trios and
an interesting selection of complementary works clearly designed to play to the
strengths of the individual musicians. With the second disc, violinist Boris
Kucharsky, a former protégé of Yehudi Menuhin, and pianist Elizabeth Hopkins
complete their cycle of Schubert’s music for piano and violin. For the first
piano trio they are joined by Peter Wöpke, principal cellist with the Bavarian
State Orchestra. The British cellist Thomas Carroll, who is also chief
conductor for the Orpheus Sinfonia, does the honors for the second piano trio. </div>
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<br /></div>
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All of the music on these two discs is from the sunnier end
of Schubert’s chamber repertoire, even though it overlaps with some of his
darkest compositions – the lively Rondo in the first piano trio was written at
the same time as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Winterreise</i>, for
example. Discs of late Schubert chamber music can easily leave the listener
rather drained. These two discs have the opposite effect. They remind us of
Schubert’s extraordinary ability, even in the advanced stages of syphilis, of
writing graceful and exuberant music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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The second piano trio is a more substantial work than the
first, with an intense slow movement and a lengthy and magisterial finale. It
was the main item on the program in the only public concert of his music that
Schubert attended in his lifetime. It was a great success, unlike the Fantasie
in C major for violin and piano, which fell on stony ground when premiered in January
1828. The Arpeggione Sonata has been scored for many instruments, but is best
known in versions for viola and piano and cello and piano. Here it is played by
Boris Kucharksy on the viola. The rich timbre of the instrument does justice to
the expressive andante. Elizabeth Hopkins gives a fine performance of the
well-known Impromptu in A flat major. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The playing on these two discs is of high quality and the
sound is first rate. But this is a case, I think, where the whole is greater
than the sum of its parts. The two discs are recommended for the light they
shed on some of the lesser known corners of Schubert’s late chamber music. </div>
</div>
José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-17702668712714623542016-02-17T22:12:00.000-06:002016-02-17T22:17:56.713-06:00Barenboim's Tannhauser from the Berlin Staatsoper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZApaXeorQJ552PYPXoUJr0sTURiqp8SWzlJFB0QVhARGRwR1F3QCxn-8UE-tEUxE2_7o_GJKnz4-z6GDtrc9QKpB4h5uk-BLYCLcPkJZ74bI6cL-lqOg0Fj3G-r35_fKoxjKC0R8uLZn/s1600/Tannhauser+%2528Barenboim%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZApaXeorQJ552PYPXoUJr0sTURiqp8SWzlJFB0QVhARGRwR1F3QCxn-8UE-tEUxE2_7o_GJKnz4-z6GDtrc9QKpB4h5uk-BLYCLcPkJZ74bI6cL-lqOg0Fj3G-r35_fKoxjKC0R8uLZn/s1600/Tannhauser+%2528Barenboim%2529.jpg" /></a>Richard Wagner, Tannhauser</div>
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<a href="http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/a/-/4294"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Peter
Seiffert</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (Tannhäuser)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Marina Prudenskaya (Venus)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ann Petersen (Elisabeth), </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/a/-/2205"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Peter
Mattei</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (Wolfram von Eschenbach) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/a/-/3133"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">René
Pape</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (Hermann, Landgraf von Thüringen) </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Peter Sonn (Walther von der Vogelweide)
</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tobias Schabel (Biterolf)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jürgen Sacher (Heinrich der Schreiber) </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jan Martiník (Reinmar von Zweter)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sónia Grané (Ein Hirtenknabe)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stage direction and choreography by
Sasha Waltz</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Staatskapelle Berlin &
Staatsopenchor</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Conducted by Daniel Barenboim</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Belair Classics BAC422</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recorded live at the Staatsoper in
Berlin in April 2014 this recording of Tannhauser has a lot going for it.
Daniel Barenboim is probably the most authoritative living Wagner conductor and
he is working with a fine orchestra and a cast with no obvious weak links. The
staging is low-key, unobtrusive, and by and large effective. The enthusiastic
applause at the end is well-deserved. This is certainly one of the best
Tannhauser’s available on DVD/Blu-Ray – certainly significantly more satisfying
than Alex Kober’s recording from the 2014 Bayreuth festival, which I reviewed </span><a href="http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/o/opu07171blua.php"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">here</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Barenboim basically offers us the
Dresden version of 1845 with a ballet in Act 1, as per the 1861 Paris version
(coyly described in the program notes as “reference to the Bachanals (Act 1
Scene 1) in the Paris version”). As is well-known, the ballet Wagner added fell
somewhat short of the expectations of the Jockey Club, but any Jockey Club
members who wandered into this Berlin performance would feel, I think, that
they had got their money’s worth. The dancing is extensive with significant
amounts of bared flesh on display in the first and third acts. If I have one
reservation about the production it is that there are really too many visual
distractions. Writhing semi-naked dancers are, I suppose, appropriate for the
Venusberg scenes, but I found the dancing pilgrims returning from Rome rather
jarring. This is a relatively minor quibble, however, since the choreography is
well-judged and the enhanced by the visual impact of the understated designs
which, apart from the giant bamboo curtain in the Minstrel’s Hall, primarily
exploit shadows and suggestions of empty space. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The singing in this Tannhauser is
uniformly strong. Peter Seiffert is a very convincing Tannhauser. He has the
power and volume of a heldentenor but, unlike most of the other current
heldentenors, he can act and sing with real expressiveness. He is also capable
of sharing the stage, which is one reason why the principal duets and ensembles
work as well as they do. The other reason is the quality of the other
principals. Probably the most impressive is Peter Mattei’s Wolfram von
Eschenbach. Mattei’s Wolfram is far from the pedantic and whiny troubadour that
we often find. Despite his odd costume (he looks like Sherlock Holmes in
cavalry boots) Wolfram comes across as a character with real depth, providing
dramatic and musical continuity throughout Act III, in counterpoint first with Elisabeth
and then with Tannhauser. Rene Pape (as Hermann, Landgraf von Thüringen) is
probably the most celebrated member of the cast. His singing is immaculate,
although the role is much less demanding than König Mark, which he has sung
with great distinction.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I do think that Venus is more effective
when sung (as it is here) by a mezzo soprano. Marina Prudenskaya sings with
venom in Act I and she is convincing at both ends of the tessitura. Although a
little more body would have been ideal, Prudenskaya is a compelling Venus. Ann
Petersen’s Elisabeth is a worthy rival to Venus’s charms – and clearly not
immune to the pleasures of the flesh. This role, like Wolfram’s, is often interpreted
in an excessively prissy way. Not so here. Petersen borders on the heroic at
various points in Act III. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Staatskapelle and Staatsopenchor do
fine work for Daniel Barenboim, who has a characteristically strong sense of
drama and architecture. All in all this is a very fine recording. I only have
two complaints. First, the liner notes <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are
extremely thin with no information on the singers or production. Second, and
particularly galling, the credits are projected on the screen during the
overture. Still, the audiovisual quality is excellent and this recording is
highly recommended. </span></div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-64587241423694840202016-01-27T09:23:00.000-06:002016-01-27T09:23:11.285-06:00Mahler 1 from Hannu Lintu and the Finnish Radio Symphony<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdN34cPb6GKVbk0RXLzaIl-qxERjxgvtq5_AQfcuUdISjw4TYlytmM-p2OtqCc2m3u66DMJ9bEHpxndFvcx_PwWMjizZlacWP4JNKlHnqWwWPaEQ0bYPg0Cbw7oSHC3ijUF2eN_sWHjHbN/s1600/Mahler+1+%2528Lintu%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdN34cPb6GKVbk0RXLzaIl-qxERjxgvtq5_AQfcuUdISjw4TYlytmM-p2OtqCc2m3u66DMJ9bEHpxndFvcx_PwWMjizZlacWP4JNKlHnqWwWPaEQ0bYPg0Cbw7oSHC3ijUF2eN_sWHjHbN/s1600/Mahler+1+%2528Lintu%2529.jpg" /></a>Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gustav Mahler, Blumine</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hannu Lintu, conductor</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mahler’s First Symphony is often recorded and issued on its
own. Generous record companies have occasionally partnered it with the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Songs of a Wayfarer</i>, which makes good
musical sense given the role of the second song in the first movement. Another
(less logical) option is the first movement of the Tenth. A quick survey of the
162 recordings available on Archiv Musik suggests that the Blumine movement, included
as the second of five movements for the first four performances of the symphony,
is not as widely adopted as one might imagine. But it is the chosen pairing on
David Zinman’s 2007 recording and quite a few others, including this very good SACD
recording from Hannu Lintu and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, issued by
Ondine. Blumine makes an excellent filling, delightful in its own right and
also giving us a much clearer sense of the symphony as Mahler originally
conceived it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lintu opts, like Zinman, to add Blumine as an optional
extra, rather than present the First in its original five movement form. This
is the right call, I think. Mahler’s judgment seems to have been more secure
than Bruckner’s in evaluating early versions. Blumine is a charming piece that
deserves to be played, but including definitely breaks the continuity between
the opening movement and the scherzo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael Steinberg quotes from a letter Mahler wrote to the
conductor Schalk in which he says: “In the first movement the <u>greatest</u>
delicacy throughout”. Lintu’s approach is entirely in line with this. He sets
the stage with very precise playing in the opening minutes before the
transition to the Wayfarer theme. Favoring delicacy over boisterousness makes
the climax at the end of the movement more telling. The same pattern reappears
in the scherzo, where the end of the movement gains from the relatively
understated playing that precedes it (as well as from the gentle lilt in the
trio).</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unfortunately the element of parody, while not entirely
absent from the third movement funeral march, is certainly not foregrounded.
Lintu’s emphasis is on beauty of sound, and he certainly succeeds in this. In
my opinion the symphony demands a rougher edge in this pivotal movement –in the
opening bass solo, for example. One benefit of Lintu’s approach, though, is
that it highlights the drama of the finale, where the tone is definitely set by
the tempestuous opening. Very expressive playing in the lyrical sections builds
into a rousing and affirmative final hymn with very sturdy playing from the
Finnish Radio Symphony brass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is no shortage of recordings of Mahler’s First (in
fact – no shortage of SACD recordings), but this is a very worthy addition to
the field, more convincing to my ear than the recent DVD/Blu-Ray live
performance from Paavo Järvi and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony (see <a href="http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/u/utc29604blub.php">here</a>
for my review of Järvi’s cycle). Recommended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-89642076881182212202016-01-07T15:09:00.000-06:002016-01-07T15:09:17.572-06:00A tale of two Rheingolds - Rattle and van Zweden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Richard Wagner, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Das Rheingold</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LuWi29mlfkwW0rF7O9y4_-3sYqWVVOoaSGuDX5uXhwx8hEOt0vPE70uiMCXNhJHI4ceU4YDb5GZR-U6sBLdp5ruUbqRDQaMeeRfz9pUqttOjcRn-iVBNEn1PCg3pKOoFJiXTxPerQryh/s1600/Wagner+Rheingold+%2528Rattle%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LuWi29mlfkwW0rF7O9y4_-3sYqWVVOoaSGuDX5uXhwx8hEOt0vPE70uiMCXNhJHI4ceU4YDb5GZR-U6sBLdp5ruUbqRDQaMeeRfz9pUqttOjcRn-iVBNEn1PCg3pKOoFJiXTxPerQryh/s1600/Wagner+Rheingold+%2528Rattle%2529.jpg" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Michael Volle, baritone (Wotan), </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christian van Horn, bass baritone
(Donner)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Benjamin Bruns, tenor (Froh)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Burkhard Ulrich, tenor (Loge)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elisabeth Kulman, mezzo soprano
(Fricka)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Annette Dasch, soprano (Freia)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Janina Baechle, mezzo soprano (Erda)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen
Rundfunks</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Conducted by Simon Rattle</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BR Klassik 900133 (2 CDs)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeMtu41tt5Ato90C7YCUOz_tcTeNFCrrW7HlXbxD7Ge-ZoCEKQ7LN1nLhAAzSF8vR30Z1SV0rkpnfTybJ7oJMZL_F5WUBLM52i-T-JmaPZJcfzqPmgV6rxpXoKr-3ysS6BnBmRP0x_n8x/s1600/Rheingold+%2528van+Zweden%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeMtu41tt5Ato90C7YCUOz_tcTeNFCrrW7HlXbxD7Ge-ZoCEKQ7LN1nLhAAzSF8vR30Z1SV0rkpnfTybJ7oJMZL_F5WUBLM52i-T-JmaPZJcfzqPmgV6rxpXoKr-3ysS6BnBmRP0x_n8x/s1600/Rheingold+%2528van+Zweden%2529.jpg" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Richard Wagner, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Das Rheingold</i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Matthias Goerne, baritone (Wotan)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.pushniak\.com\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: maroon;">Oleksandr Pushniak</span></span></span>,
bass baritone (Donner)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.charles-reid\.com\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: maroon;">Charles Reid</span></span></span>,
tenor (Froh)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.harrisonparrott\.com\/artist\/profile\/kim-begley\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: maroon;">Kim Begley</span></span></span>,
tenor (Loge)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.opus3artists\.com\/artists\/michelle-deyoung\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: maroon;">Michelle DeYoung</span></span></span>,
mezzo soprano (Fricka)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.annasamuil\.de\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: maroon;">Anna Samuil</span></span></span>,
soprano (Freia)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/deborahhumble\.com\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: maroon;">Deborah Humble</span></span></span>,
soprano (Erda)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.hkphil\.org\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: maroon;">Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Conducted by <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.jaapvanzweden\.com\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: maroon;">Jaap van Zweden</span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Naxos Blu-Ray Audio NBD 0049 (also
available in CD)</span></div>
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These performances of the opening drama of Wagner’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ring</i> both originate in concert
performances. The Rattle production was recorded over two days at the
Hwerkulessaal in Munich (April 24-25, 2014), while van Zweden and the Hong Kong
Philharmonic were recorded at the Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall (January
22 and 24, 2015). The van Zweden <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rheingold</i>
is the beginning of a complete <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ring</i>
for Naxos, but I am not aware of similar plans from BR Klassik for Simon Rattle
and the <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. </span></div>
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Concert performances have some, but by no means all, of the
immediacy and power of a live recording. At the same time, though, they provide
a more controlled environment for acoustic fine-tuning and post-production
editing, particularly important for the Naxos issue, which is (to the best of
my knowledge) the first Wagner music drama to be recorded in Blu-Ray audio.
Both recordings have excellent sound quality – although the Blu-Ray disc
version of van Zweden’s performance seems to have been recorded at rather a low
volume. </div>
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The Hong Kong Philharmonic is not known as a Wagner
orchestra, but it clearly has aspirations in that direction. The current <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ring</i> project is the first cycle
undertaken by a Chinese orchestra. Jaap van Zweden, who is simultaneously music
director at the Hong Kong Philharmonic and at the Dallas Symphony, is a good
choice for the podium. He is an excellent Bruckner conductor and his concert
performance of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Parsifal</i> with the
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic (on Challenge Classics) was well received, and
deservedly so. The Symphonieorchester des Baterischen Rundfunks operates of
course at a different level of visibility, particularly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with Sir Simon Rattle at the helm. Wagner,
however, is relatively under-represented in Rattle’s repertoire and
discography, with his first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ring</i>
conducted at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence from 2007 – 2009 (and subsequently
released on Blu-Ray). </div>
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Of the two conductors Rattle has much more fluidity,
particularly with the strings. Van Zweden is flatter and communicates less
energy and momentum. The contrast is particularly clear in the closing minutes
of the Prelude, which Van Zweden conducts like the prelude to Das Rheingold, whereas
Rattle shapes it as the prelude to the entire Ring cycle. Throughout the
performance Rattle is more effective at foregrounding the forward-looking
references in the score.</div>
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The Hong Kong Philharmonic is most effective in the more
intimate, chamber-like sections, but falls somewhat short when drama is called
for – such as, for example, the journeys to and from Nibelheim – not helped by
occasional disjointedness in, e.g., the scene with the giants. Rattle, in
contrast, is at the monumental end of the spectrum. I think that this works
well for him in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Das Rheingold</i>, which
is not easy to bring off (as a single uninterrupted block of music of well over
two hours, without any of the cycle’s signature episodes). Interestingly, van
Zweden is 10 minutes or so longer than Rattle.</div>
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Of the two casts the finest single vocal performance comes
from Matthias Goerne as Wotan. As a highly experienced lieder singer his
enunciation and articulation are of course excellent, and he has the vocal
presence to sing Wotan successfully. We will have to wait until Die Walküre to
see how Goerne copes with the real depths of the character, but all the
indications are very promising. Michael Volle’s Wotan for Simon Rattle is
definitely lighter and overall less impressive, but still dramatically
satisfying. </div>
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In fact, there are no real weak links in the chain in either
performance. Highlights from van Zweden’s cast include Kim Begley’s Loge and
Michelle de Young’s Fricka. The first is sung without the tendency to
caricature that some singers feel necessary in Loge, while Fricka is less
petulant than she often appears. Burkhard Ulrich and Elisabeth Kulman sing the
same roles well for Rattle. Peter Sidhom’s Alberich (in the Hong Kong cast) has
fine moments, but the performance is marred by exaggeration at crucial moments
(e.g. both of Alberich’s curses). I found Rattle’s Alberich (Tomasz Konieczny)
more balanced. Rattle’s Erda (Janina Baechle) has a fine tone, but sounds a
little too light for the weight of her message. The various giants and gods are
all well sung, with Kwangchul Youn’s Fasolt (for van Zweden) particularly
standing out. </div>
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Both of these sets have their merits. There is some very
fine singing from van Zweden’s cast, particularly Matthias Goerne, while Rattle
and the <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks take the orchestral
honors. The Hong Kong performance has the advantage of being recorded on
Blu-Ray audio and offers a surround sound option (DTS-HD 5.1). I don’t think
that either will force its way to the front of a very large field, but each is
certainly worth listening to, and I look forward to the next installments of
van Zweden’s cycle with the Hong Kong Philharmonic. </span></div>
</div>
José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-91498178914146756262016-01-03T20:30:00.000-06:002016-01-03T20:30:18.943-06:00Kurtág, Kafka Fragments<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99FS9dnAvWsm9kG-p055PEHz1Eosa3a_-77k4HNPrE5xq7MuJwDydxMJQh7elJS9Y2548ax-UWGtCMvXQJW2_6mH85zq3vQF-HhHCLeg1v0SbkrtNC3EtlagXFwb9sqnmMqlv9fWvR3UG/s1600/Kurtag+Kafka+fragments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99FS9dnAvWsm9kG-p055PEHz1Eosa3a_-77k4HNPrE5xq7MuJwDydxMJQh7elJS9Y2548ax-UWGtCMvXQJW2_6mH85zq3vQF-HhHCLeg1v0SbkrtNC3EtlagXFwb9sqnmMqlv9fWvR3UG/s1600/Kurtag+Kafka+fragments.jpg" /></a>György Kurtág, Kafka Fragments Op. 24</div>
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Caroline Melzer, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">soprano</i></div>
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Nurit Stark, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">violin</i></div>
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BIS Hybrid SACD 2175</div>
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The Hungarian composer György Kurtág was a fellow-student of
György Ligeti at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest in the late 1940’s and
studied with Olivier Messiaen and Darius Milhaud during the year he spent in
Paris in 1957-8. The Kafka Fragments are one of his best-known and most
frequently-recorded compositions. The origins of this unusual and complex song
cycle for soprano and solo violin go back to his year of exile in Paris. It was
during that year that Kurtág began collecting fragments from the works of Franz
Kafka – not from his published works but from his notebooks, diaries, and
letters. At the same time Kurtág was helped to recover from a major depression
by the psychotherapist Mariann Stein, to whom he eventually dedicated the Kafka
Fragments, which he began to compose in 1985 and completed in 1987.</div>
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The word ‘fragment’ in the title is to be taken quite
literally. This piece contains 40 songs (for want of a better word), divided
into four sections. Each song is drawn from an observation or aphorism. Unlike some
more famous song cycles the texts are a wonderful read without musical
accompaniment, and Kurtág shows great skill as a curator of Kafka’s marginalia.
The flavor of the piece, and perhaps also its central theme, comes across very
clearly in the longest song in the cycle – “The true path”, which is the only
song in the second section. In Kafka’s words (translated by Julia and Peter
Sherwood). “The true path goes by way of a rope that is suspended not high up,
but rather just above the ground. Its purpose seems to be more to make one
stumble than to walk on”. Kafka aficionados will recognize the sentiment.</div>
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The haunting and fragmentary words are set to music of great
expressiveness, but it is an expressiveness that does its work through economy
and suggestion. Many of the songs last less than a minute, with two coming in
at 17 seconds. The combination of soprano and violin is very effective for the
texts. In the final song (“The moonlit night dazzled us”) the soprano enters
into a wordless song, but elsewhere the violin picks up on moods and nuances
hinted at by the words, using the instrument’s full harmonic, rhythmic, and
percussive ranges. </div>
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Caroline Melzer and Nurit Stark are very much attuned to
each other and to the sound-world of the song cycle. The sound quality on this
hybrid SACD is first rate (I listened in two-channel, but 5.0 surround sound is
also available), and the program notes are well-written and informative. I
highly recommend this disc. </div>
</div>
José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-80910395139071770022015-12-13T16:11:00.000-06:002015-12-13T16:11:03.545-06:00Rigoletto in Warsaw<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Guiseppe Verdi, Rigoletto<br />
<br />
Teatr Wielki Opera Narodowa, Warsaw<br />
13 December, 2015<br />
<br />
<br />
Rapturous applause greeted this performance of Rigoletto, which by now is getting rather long in the tooth (it was first premiered in March 1997). Judging by the applause when the curtain rose for Act III much of the appreciation was for the set, which the opera-going audience of Warsaw must have seen many times. Personally I could do without the heavy scenery and lavish interiors, particularly since the scene change between the two scenes in Act 1 required a15-minute interval that broke the flow of the first act.<br />
<br />
Musically, however, there were definitely things to admire. Carlo Montanaro, the music director at the Warsaw Opera, made clear from the opening bars that he would be emphasizing the dark side of the opera. In this he was fully supported by the Mexican baritone Jorge Lagunes in the title role. Lagunes gave by quite some way the most memorable performance of the evening, with a compelling portrayal of the bitter, besotted, and vindictive hunchback, culminating in the roar of self-hatred that ends the opera.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately Lagunes was not well matched by the Kosovan tenor Rae Lahaj as the Duke of Mantua. Lahaj, who has been singing this role and Alfredo Germont to some acclaim in Germany, has a nice voice and certainly looks the part of the mediterranean Lothario, but he falls somewhat sort when it comes to expressiveness.<br />
<br />
Soprano Małgorzata Olejniczak-Worobiej replaced the scheduled Aleksandra Kurzak at short notice. Looking at her history on Operabase this is one of her first principal roles at a major house (although she did sing Gilda in Warsaw in June 2013). After what appeared to be some initial difficulties getting in sync with the orchestra and other participants she gave a fine performance. Her voice is delicate, with a commendable purity of tone, best suited to the more contemplative moments of the role (as opposed to the final quartet, for example).<br />
<br />
The cast was rounded out to good effect by Piotr Nowacki as the assassin Sparafucile. Nowacki was suitably menacing and also strong enough to carry the lead soprano round in a sack. Anna Bernacka was convincing as Sparafucile's sister Maddalena. Likewise Magdalena Idzik as Giovanna. The orchestra and choir of the Teatr Wielki acquitted themselves very honorably.</div>
José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-72669871066095971442015-11-30T22:00:00.003-06:002015-12-21T15:14:04.325-06:00Enescu - Complete Works for Solo Piano and Symphony No. 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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George Enescu, Symphony No. 4 in E minor</div>
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George Enescu, Nuages d’Automne sur les Forêts</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ePAlDi2HVn7tfskmAMZByE98AjhmwukT9fFH4AZzrAlnt3g0VBJT_PuVVITtlue3-p-dm_h9GPo8v0Hbx9ZRO4gAlcajTpoQtiT80YJ858VaBq1iqK7niLcHRs9IBCAhYkm6BASJYPlT/s1600/Enescu+piano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ePAlDi2HVn7tfskmAMZByE98AjhmwukT9fFH4AZzrAlnt3g0VBJT_PuVVITtlue3-p-dm_h9GPo8v0Hbx9ZRO4gAlcajTpoQtiT80YJ858VaBq1iqK7niLcHRs9IBCAhYkm6BASJYPlT/s1600/Enescu+piano.jpg"></a>George Enescu, Chamber Symphony Op. 33</div>
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NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover</div>
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Conducted by Peter Ruzicka</div>
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CPO <a dir="ltr" href="tel:777%20966-2" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0">777 966-2</a> (1 CD)</div>
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George Enescu, Complete Works for Piano Solo</div>
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Suite Op. 3 No. 1 “dans le style ancient (1897)</div>
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Prélude et Scherzo F sharp minor (1896)</div>
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Barcarolle B flat major (1897)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9_fmb1u7FNZLjjzRnoaIAv3ov-WNpyBhs7ijfNMkVLe6VWdVfrt6IoZhxfoQk1-v-t_5PbHQ3RsUecjmRaUsxJFHLJkUjVv94qDbkVv4C4w59cU0j2KaWFA8mu8ATvIARaS2ItaeUVia/s1600/Enescu+Symphony+No.+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9_fmb1u7FNZLjjzRnoaIAv3ov-WNpyBhs7ijfNMkVLe6VWdVfrt6IoZhxfoQk1-v-t_5PbHQ3RsUecjmRaUsxJFHLJkUjVv94qDbkVv4C4w59cU0j2KaWFA8mu8ATvIARaS2ItaeUVia/s1600/Enescu+Symphony+No.+4.jpg"></a>La Fileuse D major (1897)</div>
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Impromptu A flat major (1898)</div>
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Regrets G flat major (1898)</div>
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Impromptu C major (1900)</div>
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Prelude and Fugue C major (1900)</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suite Op. 10 No. 2,
Les Cloches Sonores (1903)</div>
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Nocturne (1907)</div>
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Pièces Impromptus Op. 18 (1913/16)</div>
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Sonantensatz<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>F sharp
minor (1912)</div>
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Pièce sur le nom de Fauré</div>
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Sonata Op. 24 No. 1 F sharp minor (1924)</div>
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Sonata Op. 24 No. 3 D major (1935)</div>
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The Romanian composer and musician George Enescu had an
extraordinary effect on his musical contemporaries. He was a student at the
Paris Conservatoire with Ravel, who described him as “the most skilled among
all of us with Gedalge” (who taught composition). Pablo Casals described him as
“the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart”, while Enescu’s student Yehudi
Menuhin declared that “Enescu gave me the light that has guided my entire
existence”. Nowadays he is a relatively neglected figure, probably best known
for his two Romanian Raphsodies, which are perfectly agreeable but probably not
what Ravel, Casals, and Menuhin were talking about. </div>
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This 3-CD set from Hänssler Classic of Raluca Stirbat
playing Enescu’s complete music for solo piano and CPO’s release of the Symphony
No. 4 and two other orchestral works will help open eyes to the scope and
originality of Enescu’s compositions. It is telling that this is the first ever
recording of the Symphony No. 4 (which, admittedly, Enescu left unfinished),
and there are a number of other firsts among the solo piano works. Yet, almost
all of the pieces reveal a composer with a distinctive voice and innovative
approaches to harmony and structure, and some of them deserve a place in the
standard twentieth century repertoire. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The principal highlights from these discs are the Symphony
No. 4 and the Chamber Symphony. The Symphony No. 4 receives its world première
recording from Peter Ruzicka and the NDR Radiophilharmonie. It was sketched out
in full by the composer, but only the first of the three movements was
completely instrumented. Musicologist Pascal Bertiou completed the
instrumentation in 1996. Enescu considered himself to be primarily a
symphonist, and this symphony reveals him to as a very fine orchestral colorist
with a distinctive harmonic voice and sense of structure. The slow movement is
particularly striking, opening with a funeral march on the horn with hand drum
accompaniment. The march slowly gives way to fragmented melodies in an exotic
harmonic universe, leading to a seamless transition to the final movement –
largely sunny in mood, but with flashbacks to the slow movement. </div>
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The Chamber Symphony occupies a similar sound world to the
opening of the last movement of the Symphony No. 4. It was Enescu’s final work,
composed when he was in very poor health. Particularly memorable is the sense
of intimate dialog between distinct melodic lines, as well as the funeral march
in the third movement. This is a very concentrated and focused work. </div>
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The three CDs of Enescu’s piano music are more or less
chronologically ordered. Enescu was a noted child prodigy, completing his
course of study at the Vienna Conservatory by the age of 14. The works on the
first CD were almost all written before his 20<sup>th</sup> birthday. None of
the pieces are masterpieces, but most bear the distinctive stamp of the
composer – rhythmically in the A flat major Impromptu (with the unusual time
signature of 15/16) and harmonically in the Barcarolle. Enescu’s neo-classical
leanings are also prominent. The Op. 3 Suite, written when Enescu was 16, has
an impressive neo-Baroque fugue, and the 1903 Prelude and Fugue incorporates a
distinctive blend of late Romantic harmonies and expressiveness. </div>
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As Enescu’s career progressed his Baroque leanings receded
more into the background. Compare the Op. 10 Suite with its predecessor, for
example – there are echoes of Debussy and Ravel in the Pavane, and the bell
motif plays an important structural role (the piece is subtitled ‘Les Cloches
Sonores’). Also on CD2 we have Nocturne, which offers a very good introduction
to Enescu’s sound world, and Pièces Impromptus, composed in 1913-1916 but lost
until 1957. Two are particularly striking – the haunting and ghostly Mazurk
Mélancolique and the shimmering sounds of the Carillon Nocturne.</div>
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The principal offerings on CD3 are the two late sonatas. 24
No. 1, dating from 1924, and No. 3, written 11 years later. (Enescu never got
beyond the preliminary sketches for No. 2.) The disc opens with the 1912
Sonatensatz, which was the first version of the Allegro from Sonata No. 1. This
piece, lost until 1993, has a very late Romantic musical idiom, and sprawls
somewhat. The later version in the sonata is much more focused and less
generic. It has a pronounced folk element, although not as much as the second
movement Presto Vivace, which has very strong and percussive rhythms, or the
Andante molto, which sounds like a sort of folk <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nachtmusik</i>. The Sonata No. 3 is, to my ear, the most completely
satisfying of Enenscu’s works for piano. The outer movements combine late
Romanticism with Enescu’s Romanian melodies and harmonies, framing a haunting
slow movement.</div>
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Both of these issues do an invaluable service in bringing
Enescu to the attention of a modern audience. Not everything here is gold, but
there are certainly some gems. Raluca Stirbat, the distinguished Romanian
pianist, is clearly wonderfully well attuned with Enescu’s musical voice.
Likewise Peter Ruzicka and the NRD Radiophilharmonie. The sound and recording
quality is uniformly high. </div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-43612474390619713202015-11-30T21:46:00.000-06:002015-11-30T21:46:01.237-06:00Mahler 6 and 7 from Harding and Chailly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 6</div>
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Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks</div>
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Conducted by Daniel Harding</div>
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BR Klassik CD 900132</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gPYmhJLyykHBUHl5xX9taDi0kjW3f5A9Ap80iprE7BP8XJomPaZPPOsoY0pOSOg3QQi_JTdFhYKfNb7E_n4r6n3iGkaVM9WRnOgB2vg5A5oy_kj_M0IPQCFbHdzp8FS4l31Y24FXO-Fc/s1600/Mahler+7+Chailly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gPYmhJLyykHBUHl5xX9taDi0kjW3f5A9Ap80iprE7BP8XJomPaZPPOsoY0pOSOg3QQi_JTdFhYKfNb7E_n4r6n3iGkaVM9WRnOgB2vg5A5oy_kj_M0IPQCFbHdzp8FS4l31Y24FXO-Fc/s1600/Mahler+7+Chailly.jpg" /></a>Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 7</div>
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Gewandhausorchester Leipzig</div>
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Conducted by Riccardo Chailly</div>
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Accentus Blu-Ray ACC10309</div>
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The liner notes for Chailly’s live recording from the
Leipzig Gewandhaus of Mahler’s Seventh have this to say about the conductor’s
approach –</div>
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Instead of viewing this music as
personal confession – a mirror of autobiographical tragedies, inner turmoil,
and anticipated catastrophes – Chailly returns the focus to the music’s purely
compositional qualities: the innovative formal complexity, harmonic ambiguity,
refined use of instrumental sound, and inexhaustible imagination of Mahler’s
symphonic worlds.</div>
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It is hard to know what to make of this. Of course, music
does have purely compositional qualities, and the list given is a fair
description of the compositional qualities of Mahler’s symphonies in general,
and the Seventh in particular. But compositional qualities are not an end in
themselves. They typically serve an expressive purpose (and of course music can
be expressive without being autobiographical – Mahler’s Sixth, the so-called
Tragic, was written when he was rather unusually contented). </div>
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A little further on the author (Julia Spinola) says that
Chailly takes the music at its word, which “rescues his Mahler interpretations
from false pathos and sentimentality” and allows the music “to be experienced
as a natural phenomenon, a world quite capable of speaking for itself without
the assistance of well-meaning interpreters.” I am sorry to say that this is
nonsense of the first order. Music can’t speak for itself. It has to be performed,
and any performance that is more than getting the notes right is an
interpretation. Chailly is no less of a “well-meaning interpreter” than anyone
else. </div>
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So – on to the music! Chailly’s interpretation certainly
favors lucidity and clarity over high drama and anguish. He is very successful
at bringing out Mahler’s superb orchestration and at times the symphony sounds
closer to a sinfonia concertante than to a symphony (thanks in part also to
some fine and sensitive filming from the team led by Nyika Jancsó). One of
Chailly’s great strengths is coordinating an intimate conversation between
soloists across the orchestra. This comes across particularly clearly in the
Andante Amoroso (the second Nachtmusik).</div>
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Chailly’s conducting is not cold, but he does avoid what
some would describe as Mahlerian excess (and what others, of course, would describe
as the essence of the composer!). Lovers of the kind of approach favored by
Bernstein and Solti will be disappointed. Frankly, they may have a point. Take
the first movement for example. The three marches have great forward momentum
and impulsion, but they lack a certain bite and edge. The first Nachtmusik and
the Scherzo are played very revealingly, but without the undertones of menace
that I was expecting to hear. Chailly’s night is not “dark and full of
terrors”, to borrow a phrase from Game of Thrones. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still the Rondo-Finale ends with all the
affirmation one could want!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl3JxxWzmy0wwuK_YKHbAGP58iKNkjEBxyiUHNlg-hoKW0aXTwVbUdKTt5WV_ysIryI-SjdPmqJTeR89JlNHIGlLudRKOe9lyjRBQVTzeGaTXkdMvM4UpbB9Wnkkinld1t_UWLPWdue9Y/s1600/Mahler+6+Harding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl3JxxWzmy0wwuK_YKHbAGP58iKNkjEBxyiUHNlg-hoKW0aXTwVbUdKTt5WV_ysIryI-SjdPmqJTeR89JlNHIGlLudRKOe9lyjRBQVTzeGaTXkdMvM4UpbB9Wnkkinld1t_UWLPWdue9Y/s1600/Mahler+6+Harding.jpg" /></a>Daniel Harding and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen
Rundfunks share Chailly’s preference for lucidity and clarity, but their
performance is not on balance quite as successful. The best moments in the
first movement (to my ear) are in the other-worldly sections in the middle of
the movement (the cowbell sections) – some of Mahler’s most contemplative
music, played with great sensitivity. But what Harding doesn’t manage to convey
is how this section, and the Alma theme, contrast so powerfully with the grim
marches that drive the movement.</div>
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Harding positions the Andante before the Scherzo (as Mahler
himself did for the first three times he conducted it). The movement is played
with fluidity and gracefulness, but the Scherzo lacks the element of the
grotesque that makes the contrast with the Andante so telling. One
characteristic of Harding’s conducting is an apparent unwillingness to commit
to strong accents (of the type so beloved of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>traditional Mahler conductors), which makes the music sound rather
smooth and emotionally understated. The drama comes back a bit with the opening
bars of the finale. This movement contains much more emphatic contrast than its
predecessors, but it is still missing that element of exaggeration that I think
is so important to Mahler – a case in point is the rather flattened entry of
the harps after the second hammer blow, which it is hard not to hear as a
missed dramatic opportunity.</div>
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Both recordings have very fine sound – CD for the Harding
recording and a choice between PCM stereo and DTS HD surround sound for the
Chailly Blu-Ray (which is also very well-filmed). I think that almost every
Mahlerian will want to buy the Chailly performance of the Seventh. I am not so
convinced by Harding’s Sixth, however. </div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-3922515565340052302015-11-11T09:08:00.000-06:002015-11-11T09:08:03.066-06:00Britten String Quartets on DVD by the Belcea Quartet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ao3rWprAn_2VkXvB3ZvW_z8pvy6KtioD08oItnGH9L8Kbz62nQ9LP9p-nVIZsEsFh2zIqsZbDPhLSl3hYxTlG7z2ZpWIXJblP01aibCou72E0PvlkRt2LGB42XpHsqsamYFfU6ZVODXY/s1600/Britten+Belcea+Quartet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ao3rWprAn_2VkXvB3ZvW_z8pvy6KtioD08oItnGH9L8Kbz62nQ9LP9p-nVIZsEsFh2zIqsZbDPhLSl3hYxTlG7z2ZpWIXJblP01aibCou72E0PvlkRt2LGB42XpHsqsamYFfU6ZVODXY/s200/Britten+Belcea+Quartet.jpg" width="146" /></a>Benjamin Britten, The Complete String Quartets</div>
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Belcea Quartet</div>
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Unitel Classica/Euroarts </div>
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DVD 2072768</div>
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The trend toward Blu-Ray and DVD
issues has largely left both the string quartet and the post-Romantic twentieth
century behind. Most issues are recorded concerts of big nineteenth
century/early twentieth century symphonies and concertos, often simply recycled
TV performances. This very nice disc of Benjamin Britten’s three string
quartets goes some way towards redressing the balance. Hopefully it will
encourage others to make more imaginative use of Blu-Ray and DVD.</div>
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The three Britten quartets
(somehow it seems a little over the top to refer to a total of 80 minutes of
music as the complete Britten string quartets!) were recorded in June 2014 in
front of a tiny audience (a couple of dozen, or so) at the Studio Davout in
Paris – no stage or proper seating, just chairs loosely arranged. The format
works well, allowing the filmmaker, Frédéric Delesgues, to concentrate on the
music. Delesgues does a very good job of bringing out the silent communication
between the musicians, and focusing on a single instrument doesn’t seem quite
as crudely selective as it often does in orchestral videos, where filming can
seem to foreclose on the complexity of the musical texture.</div>
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Britten’s first two quartets were
written a few years apart in the 1940’s, with a 30 year gap to the third in
1975, written a few months before his death. Although plainly not carrying the
weight of the Bartok and Shostakovich cycles, they are very fine pieces,
showcasing Britten’s formal preoccupations and dexterity, as well as his
harmonic inventiveness and haunting melodic imagination. </div>
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The first quartet was composed on
Long Island in July 1941. It is an elegant piece with considerable humor (in
the scherzo, for example). But the emotional tone is set by the shimmering
introduction at the very top of the instruments’ registers. The center of
gravity of the quartet is in the Andante calmo third movement, which has strong
echoes of the introduction. The finale opens with more playful humor, but ends
with percussive drama, well communicated by the Belcea Quartet.</div>
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The second is probably the
best-known of the three, written in 1945 to commemorate the 250<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of Henry Purcell’s death. The three movement quartet is dominated
by the final Chacony (Britten uses the old English spelling of ‘chaconne’), but
the first two movements lay the musical ground most effectively. The chacony
itself is made up of 21 variations on a Purcell-like theme. The variations are
organized into four groups (focusing on harmonic, rhythmic, melodic, and formal
permutations respectively), each separated by a cadenza played by the cello,
viola, and first violin respectively. The musicians of the Belcea quartet rise
to the challenge.</div>
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In the five-movement third
quartet, written when his health was failing, Britten displays more of the
percussive approach to rhythm that we see in the first quartet, particularly in
the second (Ostinato) and fourth (Burlesque) movements. The first movement,
curiously entitled ‘Duets’, does indeed open with a duet, but then morphs into
“duets for four instruments”. The middle movement is a highly expressive, lightly
accompanied solo for the first violin. The final Recitiative and Passacaglia is
its match in expressiveness, while looking back formally to Purcell. This
quartet deserves to be much better known.</div>
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The Belcea Quartet are very
comfortable with Britten’s musical idiom, delivering performances of great
insight and complete technical mastery. This is their second recording of the
Britten Quartets. The first, for EMI in 2005, won the Midem Cannes award, and
was well received. Hopefully these filmed performances will be too. The sound
and video quality are good enough that I thought I was watching a Blu-Ray. Highly
recommended. </div>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-1186684279357097502015-10-25T14:06:00.001-05:002015-10-25T14:06:34.855-05:00Bruckner 5 at Myerson Hall, Dallas (Jaap van Zweden conducting the Dallas Symphony)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecVcXoPzfzfbLiLwZ6KSnQkQ1aE0Kp3VV8UHbliFHQ_FdKEcmc-a4fB7y-0W1E0Md2_42Li4k_dYSZ0EXw1PcYqMczguxCSz3F8tJLPoJL_t2r8k9LtkY6GSEAhyIi2OzIQs_1a0OrzHj/s1600/Jaap+van+Zweden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecVcXoPzfzfbLiLwZ6KSnQkQ1aE0Kp3VV8UHbliFHQ_FdKEcmc-a4fB7y-0W1E0Md2_42Li4k_dYSZ0EXw1PcYqMczguxCSz3F8tJLPoJL_t2r8k9LtkY6GSEAhyIi2OzIQs_1a0OrzHj/s200/Jaap+van+Zweden.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bruckner, Symphony No. 5</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dallas Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jaap
van Zweden</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Myerson Symphony Hall, Dallas TX</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">October 16, 2015</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">With his recently released recording of the
First, Jaap van Zweden has completed his complete Bruckner cycle for Exton with
the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, where he was Chief Conductor before moving
in 2012 to Dallas as Music Director of the DSO. I reviewed the Fourth, Seventh,
and Ninth in the cycle <a href="http://tristanchord.blogspot.com/2012/08/jaap-van-zwedens-bruckner-4th-7th-and.html">here</a>,
and was <a href="http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/bermudez/20120429-van-zweden-dallas.php">very
impressed</a> by van Sweden’s performance of the Eighth with the DSO at Myerson
Hall in 2012. So I had high expectations coming into this concert, and was not
disappointed. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here are the timings for van Zweden’s taut
and well-structured performance (using the 1951 Nowak edition of the 1878
version):</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1 = 20’35”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2 = 17’05”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3 = 12’10”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4 = 22’20”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Van Zweden’s interpretation of Bruckner’s
most cerebral symphony was very warm, but with no compromise on the formal
focus. The acoustics at Myerson Hall seem particularly well-suited to Bruckner,
and the DSO rose to the occasion with a wonderfully rich sound and very fine
playing across the board. None of the soloists disappointed, and the principal
flautist Demarre McGill was particularly impressive.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the first movement van Zweden brought the
contrasting themes into dialog very well, maintaining forward momentum
throughout with a strong pulse and confident brass playing, particularly in the
coda. The slow movement allowed the balanced sound of the DSO to emerge to good
effect, with Van Zweden opting to make the movement sing rather than sound like
a dirge. The scherzo was forceful but supple, maintaining a driving rhythm with
dance steps never very far away. The opening of the finale was very precise,
with the precision persisting into the first fugal passage, which van Zweden
and the DSO managed to play with both clarity and warmth. There was more
confident and focused playing from the brass, nicely balanced with the rest of
the orchestra. The double fugue and closing minutes were extremely powerful.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This was a terrific performance. Van Zweden and
the DSO held the Dallas audience in rapt attention and received a well-deserved
standing ovation. </span>
</div>
José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-50800024719906675962015-09-30T10:08:00.000-05:002015-10-14T08:49:00.970-05:00Bruckner Symphonies 6 and 9: Simone Young with the Philharmoniker Hamburg <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLpEW4YYznOUWMoXanRkEL1v0XA6MVDqo8sNGtnErHrhIku0rKBb_YVgj3qDWNOGETR2VCB6-e3FPr_ppZc6JrNk3na5DJGN2_HdYBk7GjoEnoGm25fv3hMtsiMeS7VjBbaUJDckGGbGA/s1600/Young+%2528Bruckner+5%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLpEW4YYznOUWMoXanRkEL1v0XA6MVDqo8sNGtnErHrhIku0rKBb_YVgj3qDWNOGETR2VCB6-e3FPr_ppZc6JrNk3na5DJGN2_HdYBk7GjoEnoGm25fv3hMtsiMeS7VjBbaUJDckGGbGA/s200/Young+%2528Bruckner+5%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Anton Bruckner, Symphony No.
5</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Anton Bruckner, Symphony No.
9</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Philharmoniker Hamburg</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Simone Young, conductor</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Oehms Classics OC 689 (SACD)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Oehms Classics OC 693 (SACD)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Here are the last two
recordings in Simone Young’s Bruckner cycle with the Philharmoniker
Hamburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The signature theme of Young’s
cycle is using original versions, rather than Bruckner’s later revisions. She
did a fine job showcasing the original version of the Eighth – see <a href="http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/o/oeh00638a.php">here</a> for
my review. Since the Fifth and Ninth each really only has a single recognized
performing version, there are no polemical battles to fight, and it is not
surprising, given Young’s predilection for original versions that she eschews
any of the completions of the Ninth. However, the flip side of the coin is that
with both of these symphonies Young and the Philharmoniker Hamburg have to tackle
a wide range of competitors head on and somehow find a way to stand out in a
very crowded field.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyP4a8x30yUSAwld4TT1D89DXWPk6nLajwyvQBJ6qS30_MtINQZHcUjMScTtEkfOiCEIj9qiihTFSbEcAT7iFmIsT9mQa-vOUxIfMhL7kS0Vqm4t0ylspIA8yEG8-Xsp-NvuAIr3uHS_E/s1600/Young+%2528Bruckner+9%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyP4a8x30yUSAwld4TT1D89DXWPk6nLajwyvQBJ6qS30_MtINQZHcUjMScTtEkfOiCEIj9qiihTFSbEcAT7iFmIsT9mQa-vOUxIfMhL7kS0Vqm4t0ylspIA8yEG8-Xsp-NvuAIr3uHS_E/s200/Young+%2528Bruckner+9%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">By way of comparison I
listened to the Fifth and the Ninth in Stanislaw Skowaczewski’s well-regarded
cycle with the Saarbrucken Radio Symphony. This was not a completely arbitrary
choice. The Skrowaczewski cycle was reissued this year by Oehms Classics, who
also brought us the Young cycle. And, like the Philharmonike Hamburg, the
Saarbrucken Radio Symphony is not one of Germany’s most celebrated orchestras,
so the comparison is not unfairly loading the bases against Young.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The comparison with
Skrowaczewski revealed the principal weakness in these two performances – which
is really one of articulation. By “articulation” I mean the ability to bring
out the large-scale structure of the individual movements within these two
highly complex symphonies. Young’s preference for expansive tempi lets her
down, particularly in the opening movement of the Fifth – the Introduction sets
things up nicely, but then the pace is too slow to allow the musical narrative
to emerge as clearly as it does in Skrowaczewski’s performance, which has a
much clearer sense of progression. In the opening movement of the Ninth, Young
emphasizes the “flow” of the music, as opposed to bringing out the musical
punctuation – again in contrast to Skrowaczewski, who offers a much clearer
sense of the steps on a long musical journey. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Young is at her best in those
sections where the musical structure is much more clearly imposed by the
composer – in, for example, the final section of the opening movement of the
Fifth, the fugal passages from the finale of the Fifth, and the two scherzos.
But she is less successful when it comes to embedding these sections in a broader
context (and, in the case of the two scherzos, in making the contrast with the
trios as effective as it can be). She is also more at home in the lyrical
passages from the slow movements, where she can coax a rich and satisfying
sound from the Hamburg strings. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">So, these are definitely not
the high points of Young’s cycle. Being able to make a powerful case for lesser
known and relatively infrequently recorded original versions doesn’t necessarily
carry over to being competitive with versions where we have literally hundreds
of recordings to choose from. On the plus side, however, the SACD sound is
extremely good and both discs offer a choice between stereo and multichannel
audio. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span>
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996252595566816700.post-10892773482398810532015-09-20T17:54:00.001-05:002015-09-22T14:07:06.076-05:00F. Charles Adler Conducts Bruckner: The SPA and Unicorn Recordings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</style><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mass No. 1 in D minor*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Overture in G minor</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Symphony No. 1 in C minor</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Symphony No. 3 in D minor</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Symphony No. 6 in A major</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Symphony No. 9 in D minor</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Vienna Symphony Orchestra</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Conducted by F. Charles Adler</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(*) Sonja Draksler, alto</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(*) Vienna Radio Chorus</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Music and Arts CD 1283 (5 discs)
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This 5 CD set from Music and Arts is a fascinating
historical document – not least because F. Charles Adler was a very interesting
figure. Born in London, but a teutophile at heart, Adler studied in Munich and
worked with Gustav Mahler on the première of the Eighth Symphony. Director of
the Düsseldorf Municipal Opera when the First World War broke out in 1914, he was
interned as an enemy alien. After the war he remained in Germany until the rise
of Hitler led him to emigrate to the U.S., where he settled near Saratoga
Springs and established a music festival. In 1951, with businessman Norman Fox,
he founded SPA records, originally devoted primarily to small-scale piano and
instrumental works by contemporary composers and subsequently expanded to the
orchestral repertoire, including Bruckner. Most of the SPA orchestral
recordings were produced in Vienna with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra
(operating under various pseudonyms after their contract with Philips in 1952).
By 1955 SPA was broke and Adler started recording for two other labels, Unicorn
and Composers Recordings Incorporated (CRI), before issuing a final recording
for SPA – Bruckner’s D minor Mass in 1957, included here. Adler died two years
later at the age of 70.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Most of the recordings collected here by Music and Arts are from
the SPA catalogue, although the recording of the First is from an LP issued by
Unicorn and the Sixth is from a broadcast on the Austrian radio station ORF. The
recordings have been prepared by Aaron Z. Snyder. Snyder worked from the
original master tape for the First and from LP-to-digital transfers for the SPA
LPs, for which the master tapes have all been lost. The sound quality is good,
which will not surprise anyone familiar with Snyder’s work refurbishing
historical recordings for Music and Arts (e.g. the set of Furtwängler’s
Bruckner live performances which I reviewed <a href="http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/m/m&a01209a.php">here</a>).
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another reason this is a fascinating historical document is
the versions that Adler chose to perform. He typically chose the first
published editions, even when revised critical editions were available. The
First is recorded in the Doblinger edition of the Vienna version; the Third in
the Rättig edition of the 1890; the Sixth in the 1899 Doblinger edition; and
the Ninth in the 1903 Löwe edition. Most of these editions are treated with
disdain nowadays, even with current trends towards eclecticism in performing
versions. Although it is 40 years old, many of the judgments in Deryck Cooke’s article
‘The Bruckner Problem Simplified’ are widely held. He describes the editions
chosen by Adler as “inauthentic” (the First), “unauthentic” (the Third),
“unauthentic” (the Sixth), and “entirely unauthentic” (the Ninth). A quick
search in John Berky’s Bruckner discography reveals that the weight of
recording history is on Cooke’s side. On the First and Sixth Adler’s recordings
stand in almost solitary splendor, edition-wise. He is in better company on the
Third (joining Szell, Knappertsbusch, and Schuricht), but his predilection for
the Löwe edition of the Ninth is shared only by Knappertsbusch. Still, the fact
remains that this is how people performed and listened to Bruckner for a long
time and so it is very instructive to have these performances available,
particularly coming from the baton of a noted Bruckner pioneer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Musically there is a lot to appreciate in these
performances. The Third is an exciting performance, with a driving first movement
and an intense adagio. The finale maintains the momentum of a very dynamic
scherzo. It is easy to see why this version was so popular with mid-century
conductors. There is some marginal orchestral playing, but the brass section is
by and large secure. The First is also at the tempestuous end of the spectrum.
Adler is definitely not from the “cathedral of sound” school of Bruckner
interpretation! His opening movement is very expressive, using contrasting
tempi to good effect, and the finale lives up to its galloping start. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Mass in D minor is an interesting piece, composed a
couple of years before the First, but definitely looking ahead. The Credo
anticipates elements of the mature Bruckner’s outer movements, while the
Benedictus and the Agnus Dei foreshadow the later Adagios. The mysterious
opening to the Kyrie also looks ahead to some of the familiar later openings.
There is some shaky singing initially, but overall the performance strikes a
nice balance between the choir, the orchestra, and the soloists (who include a
fine bass, no details provided in the booklet, unfortunately). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The broadcast of the Sixth (one of only two recordings ever
made of the Doblinger edition) has its moments. Despite some uneven playing,
probably speaking to lack of rehearsal time, Adler’s expressive interpretation
comes across, particularly in the Adagio. The finale, though, contains some
awkward transitions and the final bars of the symphony show that Adler and the
Vienna Symphony are not quite capable of pulling it all together in the
apotheosis. This is the only performance where the sound becomes murky on
occasion, with the wind affected more than the strings or brass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is only in the Ninth that the edition interferes with the
music – most prominently in the Adagio where Löwe eliminates Bruckner’s
climactic dissonance, but also in the scherzo where some sections of pizzicato
are reassigned to flute and bassoon and a ghastly drum interpolation is
introduced in the first transition to the Trio. Adler does a fine job in the
opening movement, which moves majestically at a very broad pace (28’27”, a good
six minutes longer than Knappertsbusch’s 1950 recordings), but he does not help
matters by exaggerated slowing in the Trio. The third movement is less successful
than the first, with the coda taken too quickly to my ear. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This set has been produced with great care at every level.
The booklet is very informative about Adler as a person and conductor, and
contains interesting commentary on each of the performances, as well as technical
notes from Aaron Snyder. The sound is generally very good, particularly given
the material with which Snyder had to work. I recommend this set wholeheartedly
to any Brucknerian interested in the evolution of Bruckner performance and
curious about how Bruckner’s symphonies sounded before the critical editions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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José Luis Bermúdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12855673306235430498noreply@blogger.com2