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Webern:
Passacaglia; Five Movements for Strings; Six Pieces; Five Pieces; Symphony;
Variations
Ulster Orchestra/Yuasa
Naxos 8.554841 Reviewed
by SG
Anton Webern remains one of the most influential composers of the 20th
Century, despite only crediting thirty-one of his works with opus numbers.
While his early influences were clearly the leading romantic composers,
following studies with Schoenberg, he gave priority to atonality and serial
composition, and would later inspire the likes of Stravinsky, Boulez and
Stockhausen. While Karajan's and Boulez's recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic
on DG have the Berliner's famous tonal beauty, and may demonstrate more
of the momentous turmoil that is the fundamental nature of Webern's compositions,
this disc reveals an excellent performance and a very good recording,
that still manages to reveal resounding climaxes. Takuo Yuasa's direction
is splendid, with articulation and delicately considered minimalism presenting
wonderfully anxious virtues. He guides the Ulster Orchestra to generate
an abundance of detail and a considerable scale of expressiveness, while
their playing is of a very high order, achieving great tonal poise. Highlight
is the remarkable Funeral March from the fourth of the Six Pieces, where
Yuasa generates the escalating intensity more vividly than any previously.
With relatively few tempting recordings of Webern's work available, this
CD is a welcome introduction, making it yet another highly recommended
release from Naxos.
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Rimsky-Korsakov:
Scheherazade
Borodin: Polovtsian dances
RPO, Beecham
EMI 5 66983-2 Reviewed
by JMH
With his love of the unusual and exotic, Sir Thomas was in many ways the
ideal interpreter for Scheherazade - one who revelled in its bright vulgar
colours and unabashed sonic splendour. His 1958 LP of Rimsky's great orchestral
showpiece was justly celebrated as one of the finest ever issued. And
hearing it almost half a century later on CD the magic remains undimmed.
Of course he had an outstanding orchestra at his disposal; listen to the
way the strings shimmer and soar in the first movement, or the characterful
individuality of the winds in the second. Some say Scheherazade is 'second
rate' stuff. Maybe so. But heard in a performance like this, the music
positively glows. Luckily, EMI's Kingsway Hall recording wears its years
lightly, sounding vivid, clean, and well balanced, with low tape noise
and excellent fine detail. The Polovstian Dances (complete with chorus)
were taped a year or so earlier, but sound well -just a shade brighter
and more forward than the main work. The performance is lusty, full-blooded,
and very committed, with that curious Beecham mix of driving power and
relaxed genial sensuality. The close of the work is sensational - the
sort of thing to bring any audience to its feet stamping and cheering.
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Saariaho:
Graal Theatre; Chateau de Lame; Amers
Kremer / Upshaw / Karttunen / BBC SO / Salonen
Sony SK 60817 Reviewed
by SG
During the last decade, Kaija Saariaho's style of musical composition
fundamentally changed. These are three of her major works and bridge this
transformation, with Amers, from 1992, belonging to the earlier style
that established her reputation. This work is composed for cello (Anssi
Karttunen), ensemble and electronics, and consists of sounds dancing in
fields of textures, coloured by ever altering conformity. The Graal Theatre
was the first major work to concentrate on more uniform melodies, exhibiting
stronger patterns of rhythm. It is a powerful violin concerto, in two
remarkable movements, with the challenging solo part written specifically
for Gidon Kremer. His instrument leads the orchestra through diverse musical
settings until they finally establish themselves in conflict with each
other. Chateau de L'ame is a set of ecstatically absorbing pieces for
soprano (Dawn Upshaw), choir and orchestra, set to Indian and Egyptian
texts of love. The supporting musicians make them wonderfully expressive
pieces by providing each with contradictory acoustical characteristics.
The engineering is very good, especially in the two works recorded in
Finland, from where there comes a more open and detailed sound. With very
good performances by all, this is an excellent introduction to Saariaho's
imaginative writing.
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Janacek:
A Recollection
Schiff
ECM (New Series 1736) 461 660-2 Reviewed
by SG
Andras Schiff is a distinctly unassuming, yet intelligent, pianist who
lets the elegance of his playing and the expressions in the composition
do the talking. This was clearly evident in his recent "Chopin and his
idols" recitals at the Wigmore Hall, and is also apparent here, with Schiff
exhibiting a wonderful finesse and fluidity. This approach matches the
expression and intensity of Janacek's poignant writing perfectly, with
pianist and composer fused into one delightfully persuasive entity. Whether
it is the furtive, sonata-like In the Mist, the tragic masterpiece of
Sonata IX 1905, which commemorates a Czech worker bayoneted by Habsburg
soldiers on the date in the title, the superbly introspective An Overgrown
Path or the reflective A Recollection, it is the subtlety of phrasing,
combined with tense breaks in tempo, that make this performance so beautifully
satisfying. Schiff shows a great understanding for the polyphonic aspects
of these works, as well as a sense to their true proportion, and so brings
out the elegance and sophistication that is present throughout. Combined
with a wonderfully resonant recording, Schiffs benchmark performance of
some of Janacek's intensely intimate, yet far too rare, keyboard miniatures
can simply be described as exquisite.
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Boccherini:
String Quartets, Op. 32, Nos. 3-6
Quartetto Borciani
Naxos 8.555043 Reviewed
by SG
Following the Borciani s first disc of Luigi Boccherini's String Quartets
(Naxos 8.555042) comes this even more enchanting disc. While his chamber
music may not be as well known as that of either Haydn or Mozart's, due
to it not exhibiting the resolute aspirations of his two more celebrated
contemporaries, Boccherini's does incorporate some delightfully genial
writing, and splendidly distinct structures, as in the Allegro bizzarro,
at the opening of the Quartet in C major, Op. 32, No. 4. The Quartetto
Borciani play the four works here with obvious enthusiasm, revealing a
certain amount of passion and exhilaration when the music warrants it,
with the finale of the Quartet in G minor, Op. 32, No. 5 - Capriccio ad
libitum -revealing both composer and players at their most lively. They
characterise each distinct movement magnificently, and manage to urge
even the more serene pieces forward with lively playing and wonderfully
constant tempos, giving the music some additional support. The Quartet
also possesses a wonderful Italianate character that is decidedly suggestive
of their predecessors, the wonderful Quartetto Italiano. Naxos' sonics
are excellent with natural tones and a nice amount of reverberation assisting
the performance, making this a highly enjoyable recording.
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J.S.Bach:
Keyboard concertos 1, 2, and 4
Murray Perahia (piano), ASMF, Marriner
Sony SK 89245 Reviewed
by JMH
Playing baroque music on modern instruments seems to be coming back into
fashion again. And why not? After decades of purist performances using
slimmed-down authentic forces, it's good once in a while to hear the music
of Bach and Handel played with the warmth and fullness of tone one gets
from contemporary instruments. Not that the present performances sound
excessively lush or rich. Agreed, the sound picture is darker and fuller
than it would be with authentic baroque forces. But fast tempi and crisp
articulation ensure that the sound remains clean and transparent. The
soloist is balanced quite closely, but the clarity of the recording ensures
plenty of orchestral detail. Wisely, I think, Perahia and Marriner dispense
with harpsichord continuo. Historically it might not be correct, but (to
my ears at least) it sounds right not to have it. Instead, a discreetly
balanced Theorbo is employed, and its softer tone quality compliments
the rounder sound of a modern Concert Grand. Marriner's complete EMI set
of these concertos from the '80s with pianist Andrei Gavrilov included
a harpsichord, and it was strange to hear it tinkling away in the background
with a modern Klavier playing the solo part. Sony's recording is smooth,
clean, and very refined, with excellent clarity and believable balances.
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Audiophile
Recordings |
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Dave's
True Story - Sex Without Bodies
Cheskey JD164 Reviewed
by RP
Dave's True Story is vocalist, Kelly Flint, who can certainly hold a tune,
and guitarist, David Cantor, who can't. However, as author of twelve of
the thirteen songs here, his contribution should never be under estimated.
Soft focus, stylised jazzy melodies for upright bass, vibes, tenor, and
baritone sax, clothe intriguing lyrical constructs. There's a laconic
title-track, dealing with phone sex, or, 'Ned's Big Dutch Wife', who leads
a double life running a brothel. The quirky, 'I'll Never Read Trollope
Again', and 'Spasm', with its' raw instinctive sexual advocacy, Cantor
throws together some fascinating and unexpected images. Witticisms aplenty,
too, in the shape of "The men with their inner lives / As grim and as
grainy as super B / There's no manner of appetite / That Ned's big Dutch
wife won't sate", are diva-delivered in a timeless and quite beautiful
fashion. An incongruous scenario? Well, almost, as, for a second, you're
seduced by Flint's hypnotic cadences and, in the next moment, slapped
back to consciousness through Cantor's unconventional language, proving
the attractiveness of opposites. An unlikely church setting of St. Peters
Episcopal, New York enshrines these performances with a resonant, highly
revealing and pristine acoustic.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Love
- Forever Changes
Sundazed LP5102 Reviewed
by RP
When folk label, Elektra moved into the realms of progressive rock their
first signing was an innovative band familiar to the LA club circuit -
Love. The second group to put pen to paper was none other than the Doors!
Forever Changes (Love's third album, released in 1967) was and is a sensational
soft-focus psychedelic record that no serious collection should be without.
At it's centre lies the wayward genius of Bryan Maclean and Arthur Lee,
a partnership which did not survive the mercurial brilliance of an album
that switches back and forth between those darkly powerful images buried
within literally-titled songs like 'A House Is Not A Motel' (with it's
ominous echoes of South East Asia) and the comforting melodies offered
up in the lovely, 'Andmoreagain: When you are a black man fronting an
ostensibly white rock band in "civil rights era" America, I suppose you
will breath, eat, sleep and awake smelling the contradictions. Duality
permeates Lee's imagination - revealing itself thematically and structurally
through those expansive and lush sounding arrangements. The tactical application
of keyboard and electric guitar overdubs bakes in these sentiments. Each
will have his or her favourite moment, and mine will always be the breezy,
over-optimistic evocation, 'Between Clarke And Hilldale'. Outstanding
music.
Supplier: The Cherished Record Company - www.cherished-record-company.co.uk
(44)(0)1579 363603
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John
Lee Hooker - It Serve You Right To Suffer
Speakers Corner/impulse AS-9103
Reviewed by RG
There will always be a market for John Lee Hooker discs, so synonymous
is his name with the blues. So much so that it's easy to assume a degree
of cynicism as regards the consistent flow of re-issues. However, that
would be misplaced in this instance. Speaker's Corner have unearthed a
real gem in this 1965 recording, featuring seven Hooker originals and
the Berry Gordy penned 'Money'. Taped in a single day, there's a real
sense of performance here, critical to great blues and absent from far
too many recordings, including many of those on 'audiophile' labels. This
is the real thing, with Hookers gritty vocals the perfect counterpoint
to his spare, incisive guitar. Fronting a four piece, things never get
too cluttered, tempos never lag as the band fall perfectly into his footsteps.
Having said that, the highest point here is the down-beat, virtually unaccompanied
'Country Boy'. Even with things slowed right down, Hooker's sense of pace
and his metronomic command of rhythm, never desert him. His tempo is emphatic,
towering, driving power into his words. It's why his blues are so enduring,
and why, at the end of the day, he remains the man.
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Ravel:
Complete Orchestral Works
Cluytens / PCO / Rene Duclos Choir
Testament EMI SAX 2476-9
Reviewed by RP
This is an immensely satisfying and genuinely delightful compendium which,
across these four open-sounding LPs, vividly traces those remarkable developments
in personality, style and technique that define the evolving art of a
master orchestrator. So effectively so, in fact, that we have largely
forgotten that these sparkling concert hall favourites in a delicate 'Le
Tombeau', languorous 'Alborada' and deliciously sentimental 'Pavane pour
une infante defunte', were originally scored for piano only. Meanwhile,
an exhilarating Spanish-influenced 'Rapsodie Espagnole' with it's pleasing
rubato and subtle tonal shifts, together with these piquant, bitter-sweet
textures in a hedonistic 'Valse Nobles' are beautifully realised. As is
a magnificent evocation of ancient Greece for 'Daphnis et Chloe'. Conductor
and orchestra revel in such sensual music. Splendid all-round musicianship,
then, especially throughout the many flute solos and harp passages which,
consequently, stand out with startling clarity. The two flutes heard at
the opening of 'Ma Mere L'oye' actually light up what is usually considered
to be a remote and ostensibly cool composition. Thus placing a notably
different emphasis on proceedings. Rarer, impressionistic pieces like
'Une barque' and that earlier and quite weighty 'Menuet antique' from
1894 are important inclusions. The former is a bobby-dazzler in the 'Alborada'
vein. Both being drawn from the piano suite, 'Miroirs', while the 'Menuet,
charts Ravels emergence from under Chabrier's shadow. They definitely
have their place as, I suppose, does that hypnotically swirling 'Bolero'
which I could personally live another lifetime without. Sonically, these
Testament remasters major on warmth and, reputedly, deliver a far greater
degree of transparency than was to be found on the originals. The cut
on to lacquer at EMI's Abbey Road Studios and the 1809m pressing at their
Hayes plant are exceptional, with residual tape hiss kept to a minimum.
Moreover, this all adds to the success of a recording where instruments
like those prominent flutes or, elsewhere, the woodwind for 'Daphnis'
and horns of the 'Pavane', impose themselves without becoming uncomfortably
strident. A nice sense of balance is struck here and yet the precise detail,
shape and form of individual images is still there to be heard. In 'Daphnis'
this solidity and assurance extends to a flawless reproduction of the
chorus. Proving, overall, that we should role back the decades in an unprejudiced
way and think of these recut performances as rightly being forty years
young.
Supplier: The Cherished Record Company - www.cherished-record-company.co.uk
(44)(0)1579 363603
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Image
Hi-Fi
Vinyl Essentials - The Ultimate Pickup Test Record
Image Hi-Fi LP003 Reviewed
by RG
A decent test record is indispensable when it comes to optimising LP replay
systems. All the measurements and calculations in the world are no substitute
for practical testing of what is after-all a mechanical process. Tools,
like decent alien keys and a nice large spirit level keep things tight
and level and their necessity is easily understood. Just consider this
as another tool. As well as the standard channel and phase checks (essential
to check correct cartridge and tonearm wiring) you also get the important
stuff. That means a cross-talk test, tone arm resonance test and tracking
test. Of these, the last two are the really critical ones. The instructions
are clear and concise (and in English as well as the native German), ensuring
that you achieve the correct results. The resonance test in particular
is essential if you want to achieve optimum damping performance from a
tonearm with a fluid damping option, such as the various SMEs. What's
even more interesting is the fact that Image provide three identical tracking
tests, so that rapidly repeated use of the high level tracks won't cause
premature wear (to the disc or your nerves as you try to track a damaged
signal). The heavy pressing is also flat, which helps, unlike some of
the competition. Highly recommended.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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