What NEW discs/music are you adding to your collection?

[maestrob]

It's funny, Joe, but Elektra is the one Strauss opera that I've never quite warmed to. I have Solti's version with Nilsson, and have seen various productions, one live and one on TV from the MET.

It's just bar after bar of ugly music, with a few minutes of acceptable solo music from the title role stuck in the middle.

No accounting for taste, I guess.

Wallingford:

I used to have all three LPs that RCA issued in the Victory at Sea series, now available on CD. I well remember being fascinated with the many, many 1/2 hour chapters that were broadcast on TV during the 1950's. All 26 episodes were later issued on DVD and are still available. Still the best war documentary I've ever seen.

[maestrob]

For many decades your reviewer has held on to Jascha Heifetz in his recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Fritz Reiner as the master interpreter of Tchaikovsky's brilliant Mt. Everest of Violin Concertos, even while many recordings by the following generations, many very impressive, have come my way. I've often criticized conductors for tampering with Tchaikovsky's tempos as many have slowed things down to accommodate difficult passages, or otherwise weakened the dramatic tension so necessary to Tchaikovsky's vision. Johan Dalene, in a stunning debut partnership with conductor Daniel Blendulf leading the Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra from Sweden (founded in 1912) is really the first recording I've heard that surpasses Heifetz in subtlety without losing any of the electric excitement so necessary to sustain the listener's interest. Both in the accompanying Barber Violin Concerto and in the Tchaikovsky (which, like many modern recordings, opens the cut in development in the overlong bridge before the "B" section of the first movement that Reiner saw fit to make), Dalene suffuses each work with new depths using subtle dynamic shifts and bowings that appropriately underline the music without ever being obtrusive or offensive in any way, while Maestro Blendulf, in his skillful preparation of the orchestra, echoes the sentiments in each bar. In passing, let me add that Johan Dalene has also just released a recital album of Scandinavian works for piano & violin that I must hear soon. The above outstanding recording in superb sound is surely a feast for the ears, and wins a rating of five enthusiastic gold stars from your reviewer.

[maestrob]

This is Maestro Herreweghe's third recording of Bach's St. John Passion, and it clearly demonstrates his magnificent obsession with Bach's works. It is also, IMHO, the best of the three. Not having performed this work, I have not studied the score as deeply as the Christmas Oratorio or the B Minor Mass, but on first hearing I find Herreweghe's colorings in the accompaniment darker and more penetrating than in previous versions I have heard. Each bar reflects the agony in the text in a profound way, while his soloists convey the text clearly and with an air of mystery that permeates the entire performance. Of special interest to listeners would be counter-tenor Damien Guillon, while Maximilian Schmidt as the Evangelist and bass Kresimir Strazanc as Jesus excel in their roles. The Collegium Vocale Gent sing with a full yet gentle tone. This is a magnificent recording, and it fully deserves five stars.

[slofstra]

'Full yet gentle' is a good way to put this. I've listened to quite a few of their recordings on my Youtube Music subscription. Their discography is becoming rather massive.

[maestrob]

'Full yet gentle' is a good way to put this. I've listened to quite a few of their recordings on my Youtube Music subscription. Their discography is becoming rather massive.

Indeed. Herreweghe has an amazingly sensitive ear for tone quality and he conveys his concept really well to his performers. I must listen to him more often.

I was put off him by a disastrous performance of the Bach B Minor Mass in Avery Fisher Hall decades ago, a work I have performed myself in Carnegie Hall. He took such a fast tempo in the Gloria that the poor natural horn simply couldn't play the notes, which really angered me. My neighbor began excoriating the horn player for incompetence, at which point I glared at him and corrected him in no uncertain terms that the disaster was the fault of the conductor's unplayable tempo, something he hadn't obviously considered. Why is it that the conductor is never blamed for these things?

At any rate, we sat together in stony silence for the rest of the performance, which was quite ruined for me from that point on. As a result, I ignored Herreweghe for decades, hoping he would come to his senses, and it seems he has at last done so.

[Wallingford]

For just three bucks plus shipping, I got a 1s/1s Living Stereo RCA pressing of Fiedler';s short-lived original issue of Hershey Kay ballets, Stars & Stripes and Cakewalk. As purely musical fare it's in-one-ear-and-out-the-other stuff, and bass reproduction is below RCA's usual standard; but I'm still keeping it.

In order to get the best deal on shipping, the merchant required me to add an extra dollar's worth of goods, so after thoroughly searching the dealer's $1 albums the sole item I was even remotely interested in was a DGG Schoenberg Pelleas und Melisande, led by Karajan. I may or (most likely) may not put it on, as I attempted to listen to the piece 30 years ago and concluded I'd want to hear this about as much as I'd let my attention span wander thru the umpteenth Also Sprach Zarathustra.

This merchant has a pretty damn skimpy classical selection.

[maestrob]

For just three bucks plus shipping, I got a 1s/1s Living Stereo RCA pressing of Fiedler';s short-lived original issue of Hershey Kay ballets, Stars & Stripes and Cakewalk. As purely musical fare it's in-one-ear-and-out-the-other stuff, and bass reproduction is below RCA's usual standard; but I'm still keeping it.

In order to get the best deal on shipping, the merchant required me to add an extra dollar's worth of goods, so after thoroughly searching the dealer's $1 albums the sole item I was even remotely interested in was a DGG Schoenberg Pelleas und Melisande, led by Karajan. I may or (most likely) may not put it on, as I attempted to listen to the piece 30 years ago and concluded I'd want to hear this about as much as I'd let my attention span wander thru the umpteenth Also Sprach Zarathustra.

This merchant has a pretty damn skimpy classical selection.

Schoenberg's Pelleas et Melisande really requires a thorough dive into his compositional technique, very similar to Wagner's idea of leitmotif, and the text of the Maeterlink play. It's really an intellectual exercise, and it comes across as quite dull as stand alone music.

My take is that if you have to draw a map for the music, you shouldn't write it.

[maestrob]

Acquired this unexpectedly fine CD last year on a recommendation and am just now hearing it for the first time. Andrew Manze has made quite a reputation for himself during the past decade or so, and has recorded a fine set of Brahms Symphonies with the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, so I put this recent release on with much positive anticipation, not knowing the soloists at all. My two benchmark recordings for the Brahms Double Concerto have been Von Karajan/Oistrakh/Rostropovich and Bruno Walter's excellent stereo take for Columbia with Francescatti/Fournier. This was the first orchestral score I bought at the tender age of 12 when I discovered I could follow a full score as easily as I could piano music. Maestro Manze here leads the NDR Radiophilharmonie in an energetic and persuasive account of both the Schumann Violin Concerto, played with sensitivity and concentrated respect by Antje Weithaas, and the Brahms which adds the excellent cellist Maximilian Hornung to the mix. Tempos are solid without being ponderous, and the orchestra plays with energy and commitment. Highly recommended at 4 1/2 stars.

[maestrob]

This is easily the most rewarding of the three CDs of Pizzetti's music that I own so far, but I have yet to hear his opera "Murder in the Cathedral." Rather than write my own review, I will defer to Scott Morrison's (a writer with whom I corresponded on the New York Times Classical Music Forum more than a decade ago) insightful and well-researched five star Amazon review from 2014, reproduced below:

Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880-1968) was a member of the so-called 'Generation of 1880' that included fellow-composers Ottorino Respighi, Alfredo Casella and Gian Francesco Malipiero. This group wanted to sweep away what they considered to be the crudeness of the generation before them, the writers of verismo operas such as Puccini, Mascagni and Leoncavallo. They tended to focus primarily on instrumental music rather than opera, although Pizzetti did indeed write a number of operas, the most famous of which was his late (1958) 'Assassinio nella cattedrale' based on T.S. Eliot's verse drama 'Murder in the Cathedral', about the murder of Thomas à Becket. This disc contains his best-known orchestral work, 'Concerto dell'estate' (1928), as well as the Preludes from the incidental music for Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex' (1903), and two pieces never recorded before: Prelude to his last opera 'Clitennestra' ('Clytemnestra') (1962-64) and 'La Festa della Panatenee'('The Feast of the Panathenaea') (1936), a suite of three pieces.

I've known the 'Concerto dell'estate' ('Summer Concerto') for more than forty years from a marvelous recording led by Lamberto Gardelli Pizzetti/Rota/Respighi . Pizzetti called it his 'pastoral symphony' and the three movements certainly evoke recollections of the Italian countryside. 'Mattutino' ('Morning') finds us in a setting with crowing roosters, awakening peasants full of optimism, and temporary fog or mist that clears to a scene of boisterous activity. Pizzetti's mastery of orchestration is in full evidence here. 'Notturno' ('Nocturne') is serene, impressionistic, evocative of the night. 'Gagliarda e Finale' ('Galliard and Finale') is musically neoclassical but almost Renaissance in feeling -- think Praetorius -- and one pictures peasants and nobility joining in joyful yet stately dance before the scene fades into the shadows.

Three Preludes from 'Oedipus Rex': I is ominous, depicting the depredations of a plague in Thebes. II is impulsive and dramatic and has a lyrical middle section with a gorgeous oboe melody. III begins with a sad air but eventually full strings bring an emotional catharsis followed by a serene close.

The five-minute-long Prelude to 'Clitennestra' presages the dark tale to come in the opera: Clytemnestra, wife of the Athenian King Agamemnon, has never forgiven her husband for sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia, and she murders him after he returns from the Trojan War. The music is almost cinematic in its vividness.

'The Feast of the Panathenaea' is a suite of three pieces, incidental music to an assortment of texts by Homer, Sophocles and others. It was written for an open-air production in the ruins of an ancient Greek colony, Paestum, in southern Catania. The music is written in the old Greek modes. The Prelude sets the ancient, hieratic mood and imitates, in the flutes, Pizzetti's notion of the sound of the ancient Greek instrument, the aulos. The second movement depicts a rite of offering to the goddess Pallas Athena. The third movement, 'March and Cortege', portrays a ceremonial procession. The music throughout is evocative of ancient times and rituals.

It is surely not by happenstance that the orchestra in these recordings is from Greece: the Thessaloniki State Symphony, under its conductor Myron Michailidis. This otherwise almost-unknown orchestra, whose earlier recordings of music by Nikos Skalkottas was well-received Nikos Skalkottas: Concerto for 2 Violins; Concertino for 2 Pianos; Nocturnal Amusement , Impressions for Saxophone & Orchestra play, in the Concerto dell'estate', as well as Gardelli and his Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in its old recording. And they certainly catch the character of the remaining works with atmospheric veracity.

https://smile.amazon.com/Concerto-Delle ... sic&sr=1-1

[maestrob]

Out of Christophe (Willibald) Gluck's nearly 50 operas, only a few selected masterpieces have been offered to the public on a regular basis since his "Orfeo ed Euridyce" was revived for Maria Callas in the mid 1950's. Recorded by RCA in excellent early stereo, with Shirley Verett, Anna Moffo and Judith Raskin, that opera has remained a staple, receiving dozens of recordings and live productions. Gluck, who may have spoken Czech as his native language, was highly skilled in libretti both in Italian & French, as required by Marie Antoinette, who learned to play the harp a several other instruments from him in the French court just before the revolution of 1789.

The recording above of Gluck's opera seria "Il Trionfo di Clelia" reveals a master vocal composer who wrote with a skill approaching Mozart's. While we can assess Mozart's compositional abilities from his orchestral, chamber and piano solo repertoire, it's not possible to do so with Gluck, as he concentrated his massive output entirely in the vocal realm, with not even a single oratorio to his name that I can discover. Now that Gluck's other operas are finally being explored, I do hope that his star will rise again. This recording will certainly aid that cause. The singers involved were completely unknown to me, but the standout here in tenor Vassilis Kavayas, who possesses a firm but light and incredibly flexible tone without a hint of strain anywhere in some fiendishly difficult passages. The HIP orchestra, Armonia Atena, led by conductor Giuseppe Sigismundi plays with fervor and perfectly clear articulation, perfectly recorded by DGG's engineers. This release is well worth your time and deserves repeated hearings. My only regret is that a full libretto is not provided. Five stars.

[maestrob]

This delightful 2020 CD features a collection of early 19th century rarely-recorded virtuoso sonatas composed within a few years of each other by Clementi, Dussek, Hummel and Wolfl, played to exquisite perfection by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Bavouzet has managed to make dozens of fine CDs for Chandos, including a complete Beethoven sonata cycle and much French music by Debussy, Ravel and others, establishing himself firmly as an international artist to be reckoned with far beyond his own borders. His committed and respectful interpretations of these hitherto obscure works bring them firmly to our ears with sincerity and quite engaging presence on a modern grand. Wonderful listening, this music deserves many repeated hearings and study. Five stars!

[maestrob]

This extraordinary CD of mostly twentieth century songs by Black composers by baritone Will Liverman has to be heard. Liverman's wonderfully expressive baritone ranges from deep festering anger to sweet loving tenderness with an amazing range of expressive ability in songs by eight Black composers, one of which (Margaret Bonds) was a woman who died as recently as 1972. Pianist Paul Sanchez provides forceful but never intrusive accompaniment at the piano. This is not Liverman's first release on the Cedille label. His first album of songs by Medtner and Vaughan-Williams has received a good review from Fanfare Magazine, but this well-researched release is a world premiere recording that really stands out as an exceptional effort. Five enthusiastic stars.

[Lance]

My copy of "Dreams of a New Day" arrived today. I am looking forward to hearing it. I also am expecting another of his discs. Thank you for the recommendation, Brian.

[maestrob]

My copy of "Dreams of a New Day" arrived today. I am looking forward to hearing it. I also am expecting another of his discs. Thank you for the recommendation, Brian.

Wonderful, Lance! I'm sure you'll be quite taken by this remarkable CD.

BTW: You've got two PMs waiting.

[maestrob]

While we're on the subject of art song, here's a marvelous new release from German baritone Christian Immler, partnered by the go-to pianist of the moment, Helmut Deutsch. This disc features newly unearthed scores by the Austrian Jewish composer, Hans Gal. At one time Director of the Mainz Academy, in 1933 he was forced out of his position when the Nazis came to power and fled back to Vienna, then to the U. K. where he was interred on the Isle of Man. He eventually became a professor of music at Edinbugh University. Only one set of his songs reproduced here (Op. 33) were ever published during his lifetime. His style is very much rooted in early 20th century romanticism, reminiscent of Richard Strauss. This beautifully recorded CD balances baritone Christian Immler's warm, expressive and flexible sound with pianist Helmut Deutsch's tender touch to absolute perfection, and is a must-hear. You can almost smell the incense. Five stars. amazon is currently overcharging ($19.84) for this fine release. Presto has it on offer for $13.

[maestrob]

Maestro Howard Griffiths has made his substantial reputation recording a slew of very fine CDs reviving neglected German and mid-European composers as well as several more pops oriented releases, of which my most recent interest in Dora Pejacevic is but one example. Here we have two Symphonies (in D major 7 C major) from Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754-1812). Hoffmeister's music profits handsomely from the vigorous and committed playing of the Orchestra della Swizzera Italiana, as does his brief overture to his opera "Der Konigssohn aus Ithaka." While not deeply compelling works, Hoffmeister is a skilled and sometimes quite original orchestrator, and his music held my attention throughout. The recording itself is well-balanced and warm, with a natural ambience. Certainly, I'm glad to add this to my collection, and I plan on investigating Griffiths' more than 7 pages of CDs on Amazon as time permits. Four & 1/2 stars.

[Wallingford]

I'm about to unbox a 5-LP set on the Bis label, chronicling the Gothenburg Symphony's early history, before Neeme put them on the map once and for all:

https://www.discogs.com/Gothenburg-Symp ... se/8749269

For complete contents, artists and all, click on the album cover's icon.

A valuable set that I'm happy to recover in my library.

[maestrob]

I'm about to unbox a 5-LP set on the Bis label, chronicling the Gothenburg Symphony's early history, before Neeme put them on the map once and for all:

https://www.discogs.com/Gothenburg-Symp ... se/8749269

For complete contents, artists and all, click on the album cover's icon.

A valuable set that I'm happy to recover in my library.

Interesting repertoire. I may have to get this. Thanks for the alert!

[Rach3]

Dvorak's Piano Quartet No.2, Op.87, Emerson Quartet,Menahem Pressler, 1993 DGG, an mp3 download from UK's Presto Classics , my go to source these days if I dont want an entire cd.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/p ... artet-no-2

I already have the Guarneri / Rubinstein Op.81 Piano Quintet of Dvorak paired on the DGG with the above.

[maestrob]

Dvorak's Piano Quartet No.2, Op.87, Emerson Quartet,Menahem Pressler, 1993 DGG, an mp3 download from UK's Presto Classics , my go to source these days if I dont want an entire cd.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/p ... artet-no-2

I already have the Guarneri / Rubinstein Op.81 Piano Quintet of Dvorak paired on the DGG with the above.

My go-to for those has been this 2CD box from Columbia with Firkusny for many decades. I'll have to give the Emersons a try for sure!



LATER: Just heard the Emersons w/Pressler in the Quintet: absolutely wonderful! Thanks for the suggestion!

So much music, so little time. Don't know how I missed this release up to now.




Also, having heard Vinnitskaya's Chopin 4 Ballades & 4 Impromptus today, I'm extremely tempted by this release as well:

[maestrob]

Alina Ibragimova's 2020 recording of the two great violin concertos by Dmitri Shostakovich, recorded in Russia with the very fine State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia 'Yevgeny Svetlanov,' has received a glowing reception from those in the know, yet after several hearings that left me rather dissatisfied, I couldn't quite pin down exactly why until my latest concentrated hearing this morning. Yes, when she plays with Vladimir Jurowski on the podium, Ibragimova can really catch fire, as does the orchestra: they really sound like they own every note, phrase and chord of this music. However, when it comes to the tough solo cadenza that ushers in the finale of the first concerto, I suspect that Ibragimova spent much time in front of the studio microphone perfecting her reading, as the proceeds turn more and more clinical and the electrifying passion needed to convey the anguish of the moment dissipates like an electric charge in a high humidity atmosphere. The result may be clinical perfection, but there's simply no risk-taking, so the result is an autopsy, rather than the fire and brimstone that Oistrakh (the works' dedicatee) and others (Vengerov (w/Rostropovich) Kavakos (w/Gergiev) evoke. Too bad. Thus, I can barely give this disc 3 1/2 stars and advise listeners to skip over her solo moments altogether. Nice try.

[maestrob]

What a great find this CD is! This is the second I've seen in what looks like a new series of Vaughan-Williams SACDs from The London Symphony, now led by Anthony Pappano. This current release offers the two war symphonies, appropriately aggressively and passionately executed by Pappano and his inspired London forces. I've long sworn by Sir Adrian's stereo cycle, and Leonard Bernstein's electrifying Fourth Symphony, but Pappano really dives in and the sonics will burst your speakers if you're not careful! This splendid release tops my list of best recordings of these two works, bar none. Just released, it's available on both Spotify & Amazon, but do snap up the SACD as a medium to do this magnificent pairing full sonic justice! Five enthusiastic gold stars.

[maestrob]

Violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann has been quietly and almost relentlessly recording truly fine interpretations of everything from Bach to Shostakovich and beyond now for roughly 30 years, yet he has shown great patience in choosing his repertoire, working with like-minded ensembles and conductors who share his vision of how to make superb music happen in a consistent way. Eschewing popularity and publicity, he has nevertheless been the subject of much admiration among those in the know as he has developed a devoted following around the world as he has chosen to record for many different labels throughout his career. That said, the CD pictured above is a very special musical event in his career. Jakub Hrusa (pronounced "Hrusha") is of Czech heritage, as are the musicians of the great Bamberg Symphony, the orchestra founded in Southern Germany by Czechoslovakia's finest orchestral musicians fleeing Stalin's advancing Soviet army as it occupied their homeland in the aftermath end of WWII, freeing them from Hitler's ghastly occupation only to suppress the population further under communism until just before the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1991. Mo. Hrusa and his orchestra are therefore steeped in the traditions of the Czech Philharmonic and Czech music, making them ideal partners for Frank Peter Zimmerman's probing and sensitive accounts of Martinu's two rather neglected (until recently) Violin Concerti. Not quite as sunny as his symphonies, these two works take concentration and dedication to color and phrasing to really convey them at their best, and I'm happy to say that not since Joseph Suk's (Dvorak's great-grandson) fine coupling with the aforementioned Czech Philharmonic led by Vaclav Neumann recorded back in 1973 have I heard these works played with equal involvement and respect. Everyone here really loves this music, and their dedication shows clearly in phrase after phrase. Zimmermann's glowing tone conveys Bartok's Sonata for Solo Violin (Sz. 117) with equal sensitivity and beauty. A very special release, then. Five enthusiastic gold stars!

[Wallingford]

Another album I've been able to reinstate into my library, this set of historical recordings of Beethoven songs--

https://www.discogs.com/Peter-Anders-2- ... se/8946232

[maestrob]

Another album I've been able to reinstate into my library, this set of historical recordings of Beethoven songs--

https://www.discogs.com/Peter-Anders-2- ... se/8946232

Interesting. I used to have a reel-to-reel tape of some of those. Beethoven's songs are still neglected these days, and I found them vastly inventive and entertaining.

[maestrob]

This magnificent recital of XXth century lieder with orchestra by soprano Sandrine Piau may be her finest release to date. Already garnering 10 5-star reviews on Amazon (and available on Spotify of course), this generous disc includes beautifully rendered examples of works by Alexander von Zemlisky, Alban Berg (his Seben Fruhe Lieder) and a deeply felt rendering of Richard Strauss's popular Four Last Songs, all accompanied by the Orchestre Victor Hugo Franche-Comte under the superbly direction of Jean-Francois Verdier. Truthfully, that this album of German music could be recorded, performed and produced by French artists is a testimony to the incredibly high quality of international classical music-making in today's world. The entire program a miracle of refined musicality, and comes with your reviewer's highest recommendation: Five gold stars. Sandrine Piau is a major singer, and this CD makes me crave more of her artistry. This is a must-have.

[david johnson]

I have ordered the Julliard String Quartet recording of the Beethoven quartets. I already have the Guarneri recordings. A few more will not hurt

[maestrob]

I have ordered the Julliard String Quartet recording of the Beethoven quartets. I already have the Guarneri recordings. A few more will not hurt

Good morning, David. I have lived with the Guarneris since they were first available on LP, and the CD box of their complete recordings gets played each year. I rate them one of the finest ensembles ever.

Must explore the Juilliard set.

[Seán]

I have ordered the Julliard String Quartet recording of the Beethoven quartets. I already have the Guarneri recordings. A few more will not hurt

Good morning, David. I have lived with the Guarneris since they were first available on LP, and the CD box of their complete recordings gets played each year. I rate them one of the finest ensembles ever.

Must explore the Juilliard set.

I couldn’t agree more. I love the Guarneri Quartet’s Beethoven cycle. I bought the box set in June 2009 and I regularly listen to it. In fact I am currently enjoying one of my favourite string quartets: Opus 59 No. 1, it’s a lovely performance.
Next up will be the same string quartet performed by the Quartetto Italiano, my benchmark set. They cannot put a bow wrong.

[maestrob]

I have ordered the Julliard String Quartet recording of the Beethoven quartets. I already have the Guarneri recordings. A few more will not hurt

Good morning, David. I have lived with the Guarneris since they were first available on LP, and the CD box of their complete recordings gets played each year. I rate them one of the finest ensembles ever.

Must explore the Juilliard set.

I couldn’t agree more. I love the Guarneri Quartet’s Beethoven cycle. I bought the box set in June 2009 and I regularly listen to it. In fact I am currently enjoying one of my favourite string quartets: Opus 59 No. 1, it’s a lovely performance.
Next up will be the same string quartet performed by the Quartetto Italiano, my benchmark set. They cannot put a bow wrong.

Hello, Sean! Nice to hear from you!

I've had the Quartetto Italiano Beethoven Quartet set since I bought this box in 2017 when it was briefly available. They, too, as you say, "cannot put a bow wrong," and I was finally persuaded to enjoy the Schumann Quartets through their efforts. Their Beethoven is very fine, as is everything else in that set. Not a weak performance on any CD.

[maestrob]

Danish conductor Thomas Dausgaard has been building both a career and a recorded legacy of superb performances during the past several decades working with the vastly improved not so famous orchestras that have, many times under his tutelage, surpassed what used to be known as the "Big Five" in America, as well as the most famous brand-name ensembles in Europe. Dausgaard's unerring instincts for both tempo and subtle expressive phrasing finally brought him to American audiences as Principal Guest Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, an orchestra that has benefitted greatly from Gerard Schwartz's orchestra-building talents during his roughly 30-year tenure there. Dausgaard, having recorded very successful cycles of lesser-known Scandinavian Symphonists in Denmark (Langaard, Hamerik & Berwald among others) has embarked on a compelling cycle of Nielsen's great six symphonies in Washington, and this superb live 2020 release is the second of three planned discs. Although Dausgaard is unafraid to tackle Brahms & Beethoven and does well with Romantic composers, it is in twentieth century music that his talent truly shines, giving this album an electric and enthusiastic presence that deserves to stand next to Bernstein's famed New York cycle (coupled with Ormandy's First Symphony). This could be my new benchmark recording of the First Symphony. Five enthusiastic stars, with a recommendation to hear his CD of the Third & Fourth, along with his recording of Deryck Cooke's third revisions of Mahler's Tenth Symphony with the same orchestra.

[Wallingford]

Ravel played by Freitas-Branco, on Westminster.
https://www.discogs.com/Maurice-Ravel-O ... er/1182953

Even today, as close to the real stuff as one's likely to get. I got a rather well-ground in dust copy, which I just gave a bath with my D4 refill. Hope it improves S/N ratio.

It's an LP tricky to come by!

[slofstra]

Danish conductor Thomas Dausgaard has been building both a career and a recorded legacy of superb performances during the past several decades working with the vastly improved not so famous orchestras that have, many times under his tutelage, surpassed what used to be known as the "Big Five" in America, as well as the most famous brand-name ensembles in Europe. Dausgaard's unerring instincts for both tempo and subtle expressive phrasing finally brought him to American audiences as Principal Guest Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, an orchestra that has benefitted greatly from Gerard Schwartz's orchestra-building talents during his roughly 30-year tenure there. Dausgaard, having recorded very successful cycles of lesser-known Scandinavian Symphonists in Denmark (Langaard, Hamerik & Berwald among others) has embarked on a compelling cycle of Nielsen's great six symphonies in Washington, and this superb live 2020 release is the second of three planned discs. Although Dausgaard is unafraid to tackle Brahms & Beethoven and does well with Romantic composers, it is in twentieth century music that his talent truly shines, giving this album an electric and enthusiastic presence that deserves to stand next to Bernstein's famed New York cycle (coupled with Ormandy's First Symphony). This could be my new benchmark recording of the First Symphony. Five enthusiastic stars, with a recommendation to hear his CD of the Third & Fourth, along with his recording of Deryck Cooke's third revisions of Mahler's Tenth Symphony with the same orchestra.

The Langaard set is stupendous, one of my favourite recordings both for audio quality and performance. Great when you want something loud and a bit strange, in the best sense of that word.

[maestrob]

The Langaard set is stupendous, one of my favourite recordings both for audio quality and performance. Great when you want something loud and a bit strange, in the best sense of that word.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll be looking into those!

[Rach3]

Also, having heard Vinnitskaya's Chopin 4 Ballades & 4 Impromptus today, I'm extremely tempted by this release as well:

Here she is live playing Rach 3 recently:

https://www.rtbf.be/auvio/detail_concert?id=2795875

[maestrob]

Also, having heard Vinnitskaya's Chopin 4 Ballades & 4 Impromptus today, I'm extremely tempted by this release as well:

Here she is live playing Rach 3 recently:

https://www.rtbf.be/auvio/detail_concert?id=2795875

I'll hear this one soon, definitely. Thanks!

[maestrob]

What a great find this recital album is! Generously filled with 73 minutes of salon gems by women composers who are now being discovered by record companies, Antonio Oyarzabal regales us with one delectable discovery after another, from Fanny Mendelssohn to Ruth Crawford Seeger, with Amy Beach and Clara Schumann thrown in for good measure, along with Ethel Smyth and other less well-known figures who should deserve our respect. The piano tone is splendidly recorded and, if you so desire, this winning compilation can be streamed both on amazon and Spotify for previewing. More than just a collection of curiosities, this deeply satisfying music will perk up your ears and make you crave more from these immensely talented composers who happen to be women. Five stars!

[maestrob]

What a magnificent difference a decade can make in a conductor's maturity and depth in his interpretations of great music. Christian Thielemann, along with Daniel Barenboim, both have matured into the two great Bruckner interpreters of their generation, in your reviewer's humble opinion. For some years, critics like myself have bemoaned Thielemann's sometimes uneven performances of Bruckner's great symphonies because Mo. Thielemann inevitably seemed to find slight interventions of tempo and dynamics that undercut Bruckner's soaring granite musical architecture. The 2009 performance of Bruckner's final completed masterpiece (the Eighth) from Dresden is a case in point: there are repeated tempo modifications throughout that make the orchestra's articulation of certain passages more than slightly awkward, while an repeatedly inserted pianissimo in the Scherzo simply indicated to these ears that Thielemann was more than a bit bored with Bruckner's carefully-calculated writing. The one redeeming feature of this Dresden CD is that Thielemann finally allows the finale of the last movement crescendo to play out at its appropriate tempo without interference, and his Dresden forces play their hearts out in response.

The Vienna performance pictured above is on an entirely higher plane, however. This lengthy single-disc release has every right to join the ranks of what are my most revered CDs, those by George Szell in Cleveland and Carlo Maria Giulini, also with the Vienna Philharmonic. Thielemann simply gets out of the way here, allowing his orchestra to revel in Bruckner's great architectural vision. Yes, there are tasteful accelerandi here and there, but nothing over the mark. The finale proceeds from its mysterioso beginning through a gently rising crescendo that builds musical tension enough to bring the requisite chill up your spine that Bruckner sought in this, the final completed statement of his greatest completed symphony. Thus, three stars for Dresden, and five gold stars for Vienna.

[maestrob]

Benjamin Grosvenor's most recent Liszt album pictured above features his first reading on CD of Liszt's towering Sonata in B minor in a carefully and deeply thought-through version that may sound a bit understated to some listeners, but it appealed to your reviewer for its depth and seriousness. Grosvenor has gone beyond highlighting the passages that clearly demonstrate his formidable technical skills into revealing the depth of lyricism that permeates Liszt's gentler moments with such lyricism. This approach drew me in over and over, and I began to appreciate anew Liszt's powers of musical persuasion, winning new respect for this sometimes overdone masterpiece. The true highlight of this recording is Grosvenor's magnificent rendering of Liszt's towering Reminiscences de Norma, Bellini's most successful opera. Grosvenor really lets loose here with both immense technical and emotional skill in a true tour de force! Absolutely magnificent playing throughout. Five gold stars for the entire album, including the sensitive and tender Ave Maria as the final track.

[Wallingford]

Bartok’s Kossuth & 4 Pieces for Orch………..Joo, LSO (Sefel 5005)
Bartok’s Suite #1………………Joo, LSO (Sefel 5006)
Grofe’s Hudson River Suite, misc. pieces………..Kostelanetz (Columbia CL-763)
Blomdahl Sym. #3, Ehrling; Nielsen Sym. #6, Westerberg…………(Turnabout TVS-34318)
Danish Theatre Music—over.’s by Weyse, Kuhlau, Heise, Hornemann,etc……Hye-Knudsen (Turnabout TVS-34308)
Modern French Miniatures—Satie, Poulenc, Milhaud, etc………….Rozhdestvenky, Leningrad PO (Westminster WGS-8310)
D’Indy Sym., Faure Ballade, Franck Variations…Entremont, Dutoit, Philh. Orch.(Columbia M-37269)
Robert Casadesus: A Tribute to a Great Artist, 3-LP set….(Columbia M3-32135)
Bacn Cantatas #88 & #150…………Rilling (MHS-1315)
Mendelssohn Var’s Serieuse, Grieg Sonata………DeLarrocha (London CS-6676)
C.P.E. Bach Sym’s #1 , #3……………Prohaska, VSOO (Vanguard SRV-176)
Horn conc’s of Weber, Schumann, Schoek……..Baumann, VSO (MPS 20834)
Dukas Sym. In C…………Sebastian, Colonne (Urania US-57102)
Toscanini/NBC—Dukas Ariadne Suite, Bizet l’Arlesienne, Roussel Spider, Franck Redemption (Arkadia 11)
Albeniz Iberia exc’s….Sebastian, Colonne (Urania 7085)

[Rach3]

Benjamin Grosvenor's most recent Liszt album pictured above features his first reading on CD of Liszt's towering Sonata in B minor in a carefully and deeply thought-through version that may sound a bit understated to some listeners, but it appealed to your reviewer for its depth and seriousness.

Fww:

Grosvenor live in Warsaw,August 18,2021:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2hmt_BQJR4 ( Decent quality video for YT )


Brahms

3 Intermezzi , Op. 117

Chopin
Piano Sonata in B minor , Op. 58

Liszt
Petrarch Sonnets, Nos.104,123


Ravel

Gaspard de la Nuit

Encore:Liszt, “Gnomenreigen”

[maestrob]

That's a great find, Steve, thank-you! I'll be hearing this very soon.

Later:

EVERYONE should hear this!

Grosvenor is inspired in this recital! This is some of the best playing I've heard, even from him. The Brahms that opens the program is a new window on his talent: he should obviously play more of this composer. The Ravel & Chopin are absolutely inspired, with a range of colors and ease of production that rank this performance with the best I've heard in my lifetime of listening.

Thanks, Rach3, for an extraordinary afternoon!

[maestrob]

Danil Trifonov has done it again! His recent double CD, entitled "The Silver Age," graces his already formidable legacy with works from the early XXth Century that culminate in an outstanding performances of Prokofiev's most popular War Sonata (VIII) and the second recent recording of his suite from L'Oiseaux de feu (The other being Beatrice Rana's superb version). Trifonov then partners very successfully with Valery Gergiev and his newly upgraded Maryinsky Orchestra in two concertos by Scriabin (his Op. 20) and Prokofiev (his Op. 10, the Second), both played with passion, clarity and all the excitement of a well-prepared premiere performance. Trifonov doesn't stop there in this generous release, but treats us to a few serious but obscure works by Stravinsky (his Serenade in A) and a set of shorter works by Prokofiev, his Sarcasms (Op. 17) and the Gavotte Op. 95/2. All of this is wonderfully recorded by DGG's latest technology and can be quite easily absorbed in one 2+ hour listening session. Truthfully, there's not one weak moment in this entire generous program. In fact, this Prokofiev Second Concerto leaps to the very pinnacle of my listening experiences of that masterful work, no small thanks to the detailed and energetic support from Gergiev's now very fine Maryinsky forces. Five enthusiastic stars!

[maestrob]

My personal favorite recording of the Sibelius First Symphony has long been Stokowski's on Columbia, reissued in glowing sound on CD decades ago. This 2020 release from Owain Arwel Hughes with the Royal Philharmonic is fully the musical equal of that one, with absolutely spot-on tempo choices, pacing and ensemble, plus a glowing soundworld from Rubicon's recording team that echoes Stokowski's. Hughes has a perfect sense of shape and timing that rivals the best versions of this and the companion Third Symphony, all while his Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plays at its best with a quality that rivals those recordings made with Andre Previn & Rudolf Kempe. This is the beginning of a new Sibelius cycle from these forces that I plan to follow. If this release is any indication, we could conceivably have a rival cycle to Bernstein & Barbirolli coming our way, not to mention Vanska w/Minnesota. Five golden stars!

[Rach3]

Thanks for the news on the Sibelius symphony release.Nos. 1 and 3 are wonderful works, both arguably under rated among the 7 Sibelius.

[maestrob]

This new release of orchestral lieder with Anja Harteros in her prime led by Valery Gergiev and accompanied by the Munich Philharmonic should go right to the top of the classical charts. Alerted by an email from Presto, I ran to Amazon to stream it and then acquired a hard copy from Presto to live with for a while. This is certainly a great CD, with everyone involved surely aware that they are making great music. Harteros is given room to breathe by Gergiev's sensitive accompaniment. The Munich forces, who are surely experts in Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder, Berg's Sieben fruhe Lieder & Mahler's Ruckert Lieder, expertly prepared and balanced by Gergiev, deliver a lush and beautifully recorded accompaniment that underlines every word without intruding. Highly recommended, with five stars. Curiously, the opening of the first Wagner song was too loud for a second or two, but the level was corrected immediately, at least on my copy. I'm sure this will be fixed in future pressings, of which, I'm sure, there will be many.

[maestrob]

Lise Davidsen's first recital album got a mixed reception from your reviewer. Just like Kirsten Flagstad who premiered Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs, Davidsen struggled a bit with the high tessitura of that great song cycle, and the balance of the album gave hints to these ears that she was not quite ready for prime-time. Still, her potential was obvious, as it was also in her 1-hour pandemic recital prepared for the MET. In this new release, that potential is more than fully realized. Here is a confident and mature artist, sure of her powers that are equally persuasive across the spectrum, from Desdemona's tender & deeply moving "Ave Maria," to Leonore's ardent "Abscheulicher" and a magnificently sung set of Wagner's "Wesendonck Lieder." Ably accompanied by the by now firmly established Mark Elder and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Davidsen is at last in a setting that is worthy of her great talent, in a warmly focused recording by the Decca engineering team. This is one of the most consistently high quality recital CDs I have on my shelves from a most versatile singer. Ladies & gentlemen, a star is born. Five gold stars!

[maestrob]

As a long-confirmed Anglophile, your reviewer was naturally predisposed to have warm feelings about John Wilson's latest (2021) release, this one featuring string music by Britten, Bridge, Bliss & Berkeley. Wilson has been made quite popular in England by his "pops" releases on Chandos, but has also demonstrated his superb musicianship and magical ears for sonority and balance with recordings of works by Aaron Copland, Respighi, etc. all on SACD. This new CD features the plummy strings of the Sinfonia of London in some fine string writing by the above composers: the Berkeley and Bliss were new to these ears, and tenderly played. Wilson has a keen ear for balance and tone quality, coupled with crystal clear intonation in difficult passages, things that are vital in exposed passages, and his color palette broadens your experience of the music. This fine CD brings to my mind the superb recordings of William Boughton for Nimbus made several decades ago. I do hope Maestro Wilson continues to explore the fine repertoire that composers of the British Isles have written for string ensemble. Five stars.

[CharmNewton]

Sony has just released a tribute to Marian Anderson, and it arrived a few minutes ago.



Packaging is deluxe, consisting of a 11" x 11" hardbound book totaling 228 pages, beautifully printed with many photographs from throughout her life. The 15 CDs, which comprise her recordings for the Victor Talking Machine Company and RCA Victor, are housed in easy-to-access holders bound to the front and back covers of the book. The CDs themselves are nicely spaced.

Ms. Anderson made her first recording for the Victor Talking Machine Company on December 10, 1923. She also made recordings for EMI, but those are not included in this collection. I expect Warner will issue those recordings either later this year or early next year on the 125th anniversary of her birth.

I congratulate Sony for their work in compiling this beautiful tribute to a great singer.

John

[Wallingford]

Well, I've conceded that 20 bucks, minus postage, is the best deal I'll be able to get on this 8-LP set---one I've waited 40 years to get--
https://www.discogs.com/Eduard-van-Bein ... e/11726796