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Classical Music

Haydn: The Six Paris Symphonies Nos 82-87
Orchestra of the 18th C; Franz Bruggen
Philips 462 111-2 Reviewed by JMH
Having completed his recording of the 12 London symphonies some years back, Franz Bruggen's leisurely stroll through the Haydn symphonies finally reaches Paris - specifically the celebrated Paris' symphonies, written to fulfil a commission from a concert association called Le Concert de Ia Loge Olympique. Haydn responded with six of his most diverse and inventive symphonic creations that bridge the gap between the stormy passionate middle period symphonies and the aristocratic grandeur of the late period 'London' symphonies. Bruggen's performances have the expected swagger and robust charm that followers of his Haydn series will expect. The playing exudes an earthy vitality and directness that suits this composer handsomely, and one senses everyone - players, conductor, audience - enjoying themselves hugely. Taped live in three different venues, the sound varies somewhat. Bruggen always favours contrast and attack over refinement, and sometimes draws a prickly sound from his period forces. You need a refined yet dynamic-sounding system to recreate these recordings properly. Symphony 82 (one of three symphonies actually recorded in Paris) gets perhaps the worst sound of the set (rather boxy and shallow) but the sound is basically good providing your equipment copes with the onslaught. If you've sampled Bruggen in Haydn before, you'll know what you're in for!

Mahler: Symphony No 1
Boulez, CSO
DG 459 610-2 Reviewed by JMH
Boulez is now fairly well advanced with his DG Mahler cycle, having previously recorded four of the symphonies. This new account of the first symphony displays most of the virtues and drawbacks of the cycle thus far. The orchestral playing is excellent; clean, precise, and well drilled. And DG's 4D recording is smooth yet nicely detailed and very naturally balanced, with an effortlessly wide dynamic range - the conclusion of the first movement, and the start and end of the finale really expand. Bass is deep and firm and the high treble is focussed yet sweet. The performance is good too, if just a shade perfunctory at times - though the finale has some trenchant moments. We know Boulez does not take an intensely emotional subjective view of Mahler (unlike Leonard Bernstein for example), so it's hardly fair to moan about the coolness of his approach. But, given a work as frequently recorded as Mahler 1, any new performance has to be something special to justify its existence - and this one sits on the fence a little too much to be recommended unreservedly. On the other hand, if what's wanted is a straight direct performance lacking in gimmicks or exaggeration, then Boulez is your man! Personally, I'd opt for Bernstein (DG) or the remarkable budget priced Naxos account with Michael Halasz. But you won't get the colourful cover art.

Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky: Serenade Melancolique
Ricci, Fjeldstad, LSO
SPEAKERS CORNER/DECCA SXL 2077 Reviewed by JMH
During his lifetime, and arguably beyond, Heifetz made the Sibelius violin concerto his own. His famous pre-war HMV version on 78s for the Sibelius Society under Beecham was the first ever recording of the work, while the 1959 stereo remake with Walter Hendl conducting the CSO became for many the definitive performance. Ricci's Decca recording also dates from 1959. The original is pretty rare, though reissue copies on Decca's Ace of Diamonds label occasionally turn up. I don't have an original SXL copy of Ricci's Sibelius, but I do have the Ace of Diamonds reissue, and I must say, it sounds far more full-bodied and dynamic than this rather anaemic reissue. Cutting levels are low, and the sound is thin and lacking in weight - though the pressing is beautifully silent and clean. Ricci's performance is very acceptable, but it lacks focus and real personality; there have been far stronger versions during the past forty years. Why, even Heifetz' pre-eminence has been challenged - though his stereo recording (an early Living Stereo) - still sounds very good technically. This is the second disappointing Speakers Corner Decca reissue to come my way (the other was FaIIa's Amor Brujo with Fruhbeck de Burgos); surprising, since their past LP transfers were invariably excellent - as good as, and sometimes preferable to, expensive vintage originals. What a pity!

Sibelius: Symphonies 4 - 7; The Swan of Tuonela; Tapiola
Herbert von Karajan, BPO
DG 457 748-2 Reviewed by JMH
Karajan's advocacy of Sibelius was unusual, and spanned most of his conducting career. Although the Finnish composer's music always had a loyal following in Britain, America, and Scandinavia, it was never much liked in the rest of Europe. That a great European Conductor like Karajan chose to perform (and record) six of Sibelius' seven symphonies (the enigmatic third symphony he never touched) was something of a gamble - for concert promoters, record companies, and perhaps even the conductor himself. His celebrated Deutsche Grammophon accounts of symphonies 4, 5, 6, and 7 were taped between 1964 and 1968, and set high standards which have stood the test of time. The orchestral playing is beautifully refined and sumptuously rich, but there's no lack of sinew or concentration when the music demands a deeper earthier response. Karajan's ear for sonority and atmosphere served him well in Sibelius, creating a seamless arch of rich burnished tone colour. Likewise, his fabled ability to sustain broad tempi and thereby conjure an impression of stasis while keeping things moving (so potent in Bruckner) brings out the sonic beauty and intellectual gravity in this music. DG's analogue recordings, newly re-mastered for their splendid The Originals series, sound clear and well balanced, while tape hiss is fairly low. Playing time is generous too.

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 5
Valery Gergiev, VPO
Philips 462 905-2 Reviewed by JMH
Recorded live at the Salzburg Festival on 1998, Gergiev's performance of Tchaikovsky 5 is a powerful passionate heart-on-sleeve affair. The playing is concentrated, yet fiery and intensely alive; Tchaikovsky with nerve-ends jangling and all the stops pulled out. Tempi are on the fast side, though Gergiev's speeds are flexible - he's not afraid to speed up or slow down as the mood takes him. Fortunately the orchestra follow his beat accurately, making every accent and detail sound logical and inevitable; one never feels the music is being excessively pulled about. Perhaps more so than any of his other symphonies, the highly subjective inspirational quality of Tchaik 5 invites a spontaneous emotional directness from the conductor that reflects the heat of the moment. Gergiev provides this in spades. The live recording, by Austrian radio, sounds forward and well balanced, but the heavy brass are sometimes a bit raw during climaxes. However, this helps convey the intensity of the playing; a smoother more typically refined 'Philips' sound would've been easier on the ear, but might also have softened the impact of the performance. At a little over 46 minutes, the disc offers short measure - one wonders what Gergiev and the orchestra played in the first half of the concert?

Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
Dresden Staatskapelle, Karajan
EMI 5 67086-2 Reviewed by JMH
Old George Bernard Shaw knew a thing or two about opera, and wasn't wrong when he famously described Wagner's Mastersingers as "...a wonder, and a treasure of everything lovely and happy in music" - words that apply abundantly to Karajan's celebrated 1970 EMI recording of the work. It was the first studio recording in stereo, and the first time Karajan had conducted the Dresden Staatskapelle - then part of communist East Germany. The logistics of organising such a venture must have been fearsome, but EMI braved it and were rewarded with a superlative performance that has stood the test of time. Since then there have been other recordings of Mastersinger, yet none in my view has the youthful freshness and life of Karajan's. His shaping of the work and the stellar playing of the orchestra are wonderful, at times miraculous. The casting of young singers Rene KoIIo and Helen Donath as Walther and Eva came in for criticism, and some felt the Sachs, Theo Adam, lacked gravitas and maturity. Perhaps. Yet when I hear the set, I always feel these are the real characters - warts and all. Karajan's was the first Mastersinger I encountered. No one has ever paced the scene on the village meadow like Karajan - it's perfection! The recording sounds well in EMI's new remastering; nicely focussed and detailed, with slightly more bite than the LPs. A landmark set!

Audiophile Recordings

Various artists - The Art of the Ballad
Mapleshade 06132 Reviewed by DD
The first in a The Best of Mapleshade' series, this collection forms an excellent introduction to a fascinating (new to me) label. Mapleshade claim that their studio has 'warm, natural acoustics musicians decide when they want to play and when they want to stop. There are never any time limits… artists take more chances and play with more fire'. All Mapleshade CD's are recorded live to 2-track analogue with no added EQ, reverb, overdubbing or noise filtering, and this is certainly born out on every one of the samples on this CD. Whether in the delicacy of the Rebecca Kane Sextet, the big, breathy 'Websteresque' sax of Hamiet Bluiett, or the woody tones of Warren Smiths marimba from the intriguingly titled 'Some Cats Are Stealing My $Hit'. None of the music is particularly challenging, but it is real music making, sensitively recorded and light years away from the awful audiophile horrors that other labels have inflicted on an all too gullible public in years gone by. On my copy, the track listing is somewhat shuffled from the sleeve notes, but who cares this is an unusually consistent selection which, as intended, forms a great introduction to a fine label.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Antill: Corroboree / Ginastera: Panambi
Goosens, LSO
CLASSIC/EVEREST SDBR - 3003 Reviewed by RP
Classic's finally gone native, continent hopping through Aboriginal dance ceremonies and the primitive tribal themes of South American Indian legends with this unusual and demanding repertoire. For many these Ballet Suites will be a step into the unknown instead of a familiar pirouette. Being lead by the hand amongst the animism and spirits of the Southern Hemisphere could be an uncertain and disconcerting experience, which is my main bone of contention. While releasing esoteric works is praiseworthy, I think that the motives hem were probably audiophile dictated as opposed to music driven. The lure of so many percussive instruments, especially in Corroboree with its thunder sheets, bull roarer, gongs, trora sticks, Chinese temple clocks and tom-toms was just too great The clarity and precise, pinpoint location of these images across a massive soundstage is irresistible to the sonic-obsessive. Yes, Witchetty Grub men, a Rain Dance and the Fire Ceremony's mimicry of Cockatoo, Lace Lizard and Honey Ant are expressive and entertaining, but perhaps not enduring. Attention always returns to the "special effects". By comparison Ginastera's orchestral colours are more traditional and far less dayglo. His scoring is imaginative - brass and percussion only for the Invocation - its an atmospheric rather than sensational composition. Goosens and the LSO give agreeable performances of both works and, even though I carp, part of me hankers to hear an Australian orchestra play the Antill.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Mahler: Das lied von der erde
Eiji Oue, Minnesota Orchestra, Michelle De Young, Jon Villars
REFERENCE RR-88 Reviewed by RP
Each successive Reference release has proved more satisfying than the last, and 'das lied von der erde' (the song of the earth) is no exception. However, this interpretation of Mahler's demanding, richly poetic and complex score, shows Eiji Oue's growing maturity as a conductor. He handles the epic symphonic scheme through a remarkable self-control and sensitivity. It's needed, because orchestral patterns criss-cross between contrasting and connecting tones, and rapid mood swings and discordant outbursts bed-down together. Though he does not yet possess the stature of seasoned Mahlerians like his mentor, Leonard Bernstein, this is a performance good enough to enhance reputations all-round. Refreshingly expressive soloists, Michelle De Young (contralto) and Jon Villars (tenor), are beautifully reproduced - their emotional and musical impact perfectly weighted. Keith O. Johnson's familiarity with both the acoustic properties of Orchestra Hall Minneapolis and the HDCD format make this a compelling recording. Expect smart dynamic shifts; sweet midrange strings; powerful extended bass notes; transparency; detail, and a top end where the upper vocal register and percussive splashes just keep going.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Proteus 7 - For Your Ears Only
Dorian xCD-90258 Reviewed by DD
This is a very silly album. Very silly and something of a surprise from the normally polite Dorian. The debut album from the Proteus 7, it is for want of a better description, a strange marriage of wind septet and blow the cat out of the back door sound effects. Opening with a thunderstorm by way of a mild introduction before things get REALLY loud you are quickly launched into the Bond themed opening section complete with helicopters, terrorist attacks, and laughably cheesy vocals. The whole effect is pretty strange to say the least, partly due to the wincingly awful spoken word sections: breathy girls intoning 'Oh James' from left and right speakers followed by a laugh from 'James' that belongs in a Victorian pantomime. In addition to the Bond themed pieces, the album also takes in (takes on?) the Pink Panther theme, the Mission Impossible theme and others. It's a bizarre experience and although the playing is very competent and the recording suitably cat bothering, I can't imagine any sane being sitting through the whole thing. Best considered as a sort of modern day 'Bob and Ray'. I'm sure it'll crop up in more than a few demos. But, like the label warns 'exercise extreme caution when listening to protect your hearing and equipment' I'd add 'brain' to this list.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

The Pianists

Prokofieff: Piano Concerto No 3 in C Major
Ravel:, Piano Concerto in G major
Martha Argerich, Abbado, BPO
SPEAKERS CORNER DG SLPM 139 349

Chopin: Etudes Op.10 and Op.25
Maurizio Pollini, Piano
SPEAKERS CORNER DG 2530 291

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 1
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Giulini, VSO
SPEAKERS CORNER DG 2531 302 Reviewed by RG
This is the third in a series of releases, collaborations between respected audiophile record label Speakers Corner and Universal Music. First we had Conductors, then Violinists, and now Pianists. The re-issued recordings are drawn from the extensive Deutsche Grammophon analogue back catalogue, and whilst they might not be the sonic equals of the Decca SXL's that are more normally associated with Speakers Corner, they certainly don't lack musical interest. But what sets these box sets apart from the re-issue crowd, is the full weight of Universal's marketing department behind the packaging and presentation. The sleeves, multi-lingual booklet and outer box are sumptuous - akin to an original RCA Soria, rather than the insipid efforts made to copy them. These boxes are so far ahead of anything else produced by the re-issue industry that it's hard to believe they come from the same source. Underneath the wrapping, you'll find pristine and perfectly flat 180g pressings, and for anybody brought up amongst the Dodgy Grungaphon jokes of the seventies, surprisingly good sonics. The choice of repertoire is hard to fault, and the Pollini in particular is beautifully recorded. His Chopin Etudes has long been a standard recommendation, bringing exceptional range and expression to these most complex and demanding pieces. His faultless combination of precision and delicacy is under pinned by his mastery of the contrasting contributions of the left and right hands. Op.10 Nos 2 and 3 are highlights, but the whole performance is close to perfection. Less familiar is Michelangeli's individualistic Beethoven, but again the quality of both the playing and the orchestral accompaniment lift the performance above the 'showpiece' recordings made by so many other artists. Which brings us to the Argerich disc, and her monumental performance of the Prokofieff. You want fire and dynamic contrast, look no further. Argerich's legendary intensity brings both these works to life. These limited edition box sets have been extremely popular, and sell out quickly. By the time you read this, The Pianists will have been available for a month already. Don't even think about hesitating. This is gorgeous.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

The Heifetz / Living Stereo Re-Issues

Brahms: Violin Concerto
Heifetz, Reiner, CSO
Classic Records LSC 1903

Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Heifetz, Hendl, CSO
Classic Records LSC 2435

Bruch / Vieuxtemps: Scottish Fantasy, Concerto No 5
Heifetz, Sargent, NSO London
Classic Records LSC 2603 Reviewed by RG
In any decent classical back catalogue, there are the crown jewels. For Decca it's the Argenta and Ansermet recordings, for EMI the English Music Series and Berglund. When Classic Records embarked on their mammoth RCA Living Stereo re-issue programme I don't think anybody was surprised to see a flood of Reiner/Chicago recordings, particularly given the talking-up they'd received in TAS (and other US magazines). But what left me puzzled were the omissions from the release list: no Platigorsky, no Julian Bream, and above all, no Heifetz! Now Heifetz is not to everybody's taste, and he can be accused of over stylising pieces, the musical equivalent of the cult of personality. However, it is difficult to ignore his reputation. The man was a genuine giant of his instrument, and of his stature occasionally allows his technique to vie with the composer for attention, then at least you know what to expect. His performances are characterised by the intensity and control of his playing and his flawless mastery of pitch and tone. (When one of the RCA engineers offered to edit out a bum note, Heifetz replied "Leave it in - it'll make a lot of people happy"). These three recordings follow on from the earlier Tchaikovsky release (a logical place to start as it gives full rein to the Heifetz lyrical intensity and taste for the dramatic flourish). Ironically, it is the Brahms, the only Reiner recording, which is the weakest of the trio, with a strangely meandering quality that robs the work of tension and bite. But bear in mind that weak here is a relative term. Both the Bruch and the Sibelius are copybook examples of the large yet coherent acoustic and instrumental warmth that typify RCA's better efforts. But whilst the boldness of Heifetz' bowing and the solid foundation of the orchestral playing are welcome, they suit the cocktail of pathos and fireworks that make up the Bruch better than they do the Sibelius, where I miss the fragility and plaintive quality that Haendel or Wicks bring to this plaintive music. So the Scottish fantasy shades it by a head, but don't misunderstand me. These may or may not be the definitive performances which the Tchaikovsky certainly is, but they are Heifetz, and as such they hold a special attraction which makes them indispensable to a serious classical collector. Given the cost of second hand copies, these Classic re-issues are welcome indeed.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Sassy - Sarah Vaughan with Hal Mooney and his Orchestra
SPEAKERS CORNER/EMARCY MERCURY MG 36089 Reviewed by RP
Wow! Where to begin. Blessed with Ella, Billie and Nina releases, I'm now listening in disbelief to the rich contralto cadences of a woman who in 1956 was clearly at the height of her powers. Sarah Vaughan's was by then a worldly-wise voice that had lived; performed, and matured to the very point where a song like Benny Carter's 'Lonely Women' holds no illusion. She gives it the treatment. Her natural, unforced inflexion takes emotion to another level. Keen, piercing, bitter, painful and melancholic - all In the space of a few seconds - and this is just but one of a dozen numbers which include 'A Sinner Kissed An Angel', Cole Porter's 'I Loved Him', and the outstanding opener, 'Lush Life'. Rightly, Hal Mooney's accompaniment is understated. His lightness of touch is warm and relaxing with the orchestra never allowed to become intrusive. They worship their Goddess from afar and this allows the Mercury close miking arrangement to spotlight Vaughan's expressive abilities. Praise also for Classic's engineers, whose generous recut with its immediacy, low noise floor and focus, reveal more of the energy in this emotional experience. One of the great easy listening / jazz cross-over albums.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade OP.35
Beecham, RPO, Steven Staryk, Solo Violin
TESTAMENT/EMI ASD 251 Reviewed by RP
I've stopped counting the number of Scheherazades there are in my collection but this is certainly one of several truly fine performances from the Golden Age. At the outset, Beecham adopts a lavish stance - one full of elegance and sensuousness. A magnificent RPO wind section, and the sublime solo violin of Steven Staryk, if anything, heightens the nobility in this posture. Of course as a performance there is an obvious alternative: Reiner! His definitive reading from 1960 with the CSO (CLASSIC RCA LSC-2446 or CHESKY RC-4) is wrapped in romance and drama. Sonically, the RCA recording has always out-stripped its English peer, but where recording qualities between the EMI and Testament discs are concerned, I agree with JMH. This re-issue is a vast improvement over an ageing white label ASD, which has now been consigned to the record archives. To their credit Testament have recut at a much higher level and, in doing so, recover far more instrumental detail, texture and clarity from the mastertape. The flabby bass of the old LP is also stiffened (though it still doesn't go very deep) and a tepid, cloying sound with a coarseness amongst the brass and strings has been huffed into an attractive ambience where incisive horns, trumpets, trombones, violins and cellos apply a top-gloss to Beecham's vision.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Ludus Danielis
New York's Ensemble for Early Music. Frederick Renz, Director
Fone 88F09 Reviewed by RP
A healthy Medieval tradition exists among New York music societies - Frederick Renz, founder and artistic director of the Ensemble (and incidentally, a former Pro Musica harpsichordist), brings his musicians to Rome for a vivid recording of this liturgical drama that employs both authentic instruments and performance techniques. Its staging within the Basilica of Santa Sabina is perfect. There's a remarkable entrance and procession around the Church with resonant shawms, (an early twin-reeded oboe), pipe and tambourine snaking towards the microphones. Episodes from Daniel's life are then recounted predominantly thorough the male vocal roles. The phenomenal clarity, richness and depth of colour present in these voices is spell-binding - the intensity when he's cast into the lion's den is almost unbearable. An ecclesiastical setting, with it's wonderful resonances (acoustic and historical) lends proportionate authority, reverence and integrity to the performance. This is no mausoleum. Everything, from the bagpipes to carillon chimes and the plucked strings of a psaltery, have been enlivened by the dynamics and transparency of Ricci's recording. Even the extraneous non-musical observations, like the distant bells of local churches, enhance an overriding sense of reality.
Supplier: UKD - www.ukd.co.uk

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor
Milstein, Walter, Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York
CLASSIC/COLUMBIA MASTERWORKS ML 4001 Reviewed by RP
Records of intrinsic musical and historical significance shouldn't be overlooked merely because of perceived acoustical shortcomings. This reissue of the F Minor Concerto is a case in point. No real "top" or "bottom" end worth mentioning in a recording that seems to exist within a narrow midrange band. To examine this LP from a sonic perspective is meaningless. Just getting the legendary Walter/Milstein reading onto 180g vinyl is an achievement in itself. Originally appearing as a 78, it was later dubbed directly from those lacquers to become the first Columbia Record release back in 1948 - Classic's fiftieth anniversary edition being the latest guise. Mendelssohn's skilful orchestration and lucid textures demand a symbiotic relationship between conductor, orchestra and soloist. This particular partnership is a great one. Milstein is, of course, Milstein. His stupendous technique allows his deliciously rhapsodic tone to unfold (in the process drawing forth every last ounce of emotion) while leaving the surrounding musical structure intact. The ceaseless orchestral role, with Walter on the podium, boson impeccable sense of conviction, dignity and priceless insight - factors which remain unaffected by the recording. So, all you technophiles buy a record for reasons other than sound quality.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

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