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Classical
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SIBELIUS:
Symphonies 1 -7; Tone Poems, etc
Halle orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
EMI CMS 5 67299-2 Reviewed
by JMH
Throughout a long conducting career, Sir John Barbirolli programmed the
symphonies of Sibelius. And did so, moreover, at a time when the composer
was still something of a minority interest with audiences. These five
CDs gather together all the stereo recordings he made with the Halle for
EMI, taped over approximately four years - from January 1966 to May 1970.
The sound, despite two venues, three producers and four different engineers,
is pretty consistent - bright, open, sharp, with that rasping craggy brass
tone that was very much an EMl trademark at that time. Barbirolli plays
the music Con Amore; tempi are for the most part slower than usual, and
phrasing is deliberate and considered. Alas, the Halle was not a world-class
orchestra at that time, and the playing isn't, yet what's lacking in polish
is made for in spirit, and in every bar one senses orchestra and conductor
engaging with the music and giving it their best shot. There's plenty
of excitement in these performances, and through-out you can hear the
conductor's meticulous care in unifying the direction of the string bowing.
It gives a very solid homogenous sound, with powerful penetrating tone
- sample the big tune for massed violins in the second symphony's first
movement - disc 3, track 1 at 1m 27s.
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J
S BACH: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 and 2
Rosalyn Tureck (piano)
DG 463 305-2 Reviewed
by JMH
The perils of buying mail order! I ordered this set thinking it must be
a new recording - a follow-up to Tureck's recent DG 2CD set of Bach's
Goldberg Variations. Wrong! It's her Stone Age 1953 mono MCA set, (issued
on Brunswick in the UK and long since deleted on LP) newly remastered
by DG for this release. Musically the playing has worn well, and it strikes
the ear as surprisingly modern - no Romantic excesses, just the music
played with taste, clarity and respect. It makes one wonder how Tureck
would tackle the '48' today - and why DG didn't take the opportunity to
make a new recording with her in good modern sound? Unfortunately the
engineering on the old set is very dated. The piano tone is pale, flaky
and lacking in firmness, and there are patches of break-up during peak
passages. Pitch stability is pretty good, though judging by the odd dropout
it sounds like the original mastertapes may not have been stored correctly.
I've a couple of the original Brunswick LPs in my collection, and found
the vinyl piano tone richer and more widely shaded dynamically. A fascinating
musical document and well worth hearing. But listeners should sample the
quality before paying top price.
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BEETHOVEN:
Piano Concertos 1 - 5
Alfred Brendel, VPO, Sir Simon Rattle
Philips 462 781-2 Reviewed
by JMH
Given the constant re-recording of standard repertoire, groans of Not
Again! could be excused at the issue of yet another set of Brendel Beethoven
Piano Concertos. The more so since this is Brendel's fourth complete recording
of the works. One could easily assume this great pianist simply has nothing
new to say about the music. Understandable, but wrong - totally wrong.
Far from being routine, this is easily the most intense and vital Beethoven
Brendel has given us. The playing is cultured and assured, yet passionate
and incisive. Speaking personally, I find it hard to respond to these
works as I once did - the freshness has long since been eroded by over-exposure.
Which is why this new Brendel/Rattle set is so remarkable; it has you
listening with new ears, experiencing something of the joy and excitement
felt when hearing this wonderful music for the first time. Yet these are
very much mainstream performances, without tricks or showmanship. What
makes the experience so involving is the keen intelligence that informs
every bar; a palpable tension that's exiting and exhilarating, making
the music sound fresh and alive. Phrasing is supple and articulate; rhythms
sharply pointed and crisply turned. The recordings sound very clean and
tonally natural and clarity is excellent. Strongly recommended - especially
to the jaded!
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MAHLER:
Symphony no. 6
Atlanta SO, YoeI Levi
Telarc CD-80444 Reviewed
by JMH
This is a mightily impressive performance -weighty, powerful, inexorable,
yet sensitive and beautifully shaped. It resonates in the mind long after
the disc has ended. Which is how it should be, of course. This music should
(must!) leave you feeling skewered - unable to listen to anything for
a while. Mahler 6 on one CD is good value, but alas there's a caveat.
The disc runs for about 78 minutes and tempi are for the most part fairly
measured. Which means the first movement repeat is missing - had it been
included the performance would've exceeded 80 minutes and needed a second
CD. That aside there's little to grumble over. Levi (and the Telarc engineers)
are scrupulous over balance, and this allows lots of detail to tell without
obvious microphone spotlighting. Textures are open and transparent without
noticeable manipulation. Indeed, the sound is notable for its smoothness
and integration, though some might wish for a brighter treble. Typically
Telarc, soundstaging is big, spacious, and wide-ranging, with a massive
bottom-end. The Hammer blows in the finale are awesome - though purist
Levi omits the third which Mahler deleted out of superstition. But, on
a big system the effect is undeniably impressive. By the way, Levi follows
convention and places the Scherzo second.
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RACHMANINOV:
Piano concertos 2 and 3
Ashkenazy, MPO / Kondrashin; LSO / Fistoulari
Decca 'Legends' 466 375-2 Reviewed
by JMH
On LP, Ashkenazy's early '60s accounts of Rachmaninov's Second and Third
piano concertos were pretty much standard recommendation for ten or fifteen
years, earning the tag 'classic'. Hearing them again, one is impressed
by the dexterity of the pianist's finger work, and his cool, at times
almost understated approach to these hothouse works. Rachmaninov's reputation
as a great composer is much more secure today than it was in the early
1 960s when these two recordings were made, and listening one senses the
pianist trying to clarify the structural integrity and coherence of the
music, rather than wallowing in its emotional richness and sweep. The
end of the third concerto, which can get rather messy and out of hand,
is kept on a tight leash, and Decca's engineering (Wilkie twiddling the
knobs) ensures every detail can be heard. In this new 24bit/96kHz remastered
transfer, the sound has greater sonority and depth than Decca's previous
issue on Ovation. Tape hiss is lower too, and the music sounds slightly
louder with greater presence. Ashkenazy went on to re-record both concertos
several times, and his interpretations grew freer, richer, and more colourful.
But these original performances - serious and meticulous - have a special
magic all of their own
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SMETANA:
Ma Vlast (My Country)
VPO, Rafael Kubelik
Speakers CornerlDecca SXL 2064-5 Reviewed
by JMH
The Czech conductor Rafael Kubelik had an extraordinary relationship with
Smetana's patriotic cycle of symphonic poems collectively known as Ma
Vlast. He made something like five complete recordings of the work,
and this one for Decca (taped in 1958) was his second - and his first
stereo version. Alas, the sonics were never quite up to Decca's very best
standards; the soundstage is cramped and lacking in range, with an over-full
bottom-end, and there isn't the clarity and impact that characterises
the finest early stereo recordings. This new Speakers Corner 180g LP transfer
is basically a good one, and sounds quite full-bodied, avoiding the shrill
thinness of early Decca transfers - though some pitch instability remains.
Surfaces are clean and quiet, giving the recording every assistance. If
the sound still disappoints slightly, it's down to limitations in the
original master tapes rather than a lack of care taken over remastering.
Kubelik's Ma Vlast is spirited and feisty - a performance of passion and
panache. Of his various accounts, I still prefer the 1971 DC version with
the Boston symphony. The DG sound isn't flawless either, incidentally,
but can impress on a good system. Meanwhile, his 1958 Decca deserves a
hearing.
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Audiophile
Recordings
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Brahms:
Symphony No.2 in D OP.73 Academic Festival Overture
Pierre Monteux, LSO
Speakers Corner / Phillips 835167 AY Reviewed
by RP
The pastoral-like Second symphony with its intriguing blend of romantic
themes, comic spirit and classic craft demands a performance of resounding
stature, and most would have backed an old war-horse like Pierre Monteux
to deliver music of monumental insight. However, whilst this is a solid
workmanlike account (one in which the LSO produce idiomatic playing of
a very high standard) his cannot by any stretch of the imagination be
regarded as a memorable reading. It certainly fails to set the pulse a-racing
in quite the fashion of Kertesz on King Super Analogue's Decca transfer
(KIJC 9221) which, in itself, is not a wholly satisfactory presentation.
The Abbado or Karajan DGG recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic are
far stronger recommendations that are probably also available to Speakers
Corner. Still, my preference would be for an EMI reissue of Boult's wonderfully
expressive and superbly recorded performance with the LPO. Here at least
the Philips engineers do not compound octogenarian opacity with any sonic
cataracts. The orchestra stays focused; individual instruments are nicely
separated and detailed, while a spacious, warm atmosphere surrounding
these images gives a gloss to this slightly disappointing LP
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Chausson
/ Canteloube: Songs of the Auvergne, Poem de l'amour et de Ia mer
Jacquillat, Lamoureux Orchestra, Paris; Victoria de los Angeles
TESTAMENT EMI ASD 2826 Reviewed
by RP
Charmingly played and beautifully recorded, the seductive warmth found
in the voice of Victoria de los Angeles is well-matched to these two lovely
French song cycles - especially in the subtle shading of Chausson's rather
neglected Poeme de amour, where her evocative intonation suits its richer
orchestral texture. The nine songs including Bailero, Three Bourrees,
Lo Fiolaire and Chut, Chut culled from Marie-Joseph Canteloube's Auvergne
settings are here (perhaps) too polished. Undeniably beguiling, de los
Angeles definitely lulls you into a dreamy pastoral world with soft timbres
that have their moments, but do not possess the implicit authenticity
that is present in Netania Davrath's outstanding interpretation available
through Analogue Productions. Davrath, much folkier in style, to my mind
gets the nod ahead of Victoria do los Angeles because an attractive emotional
edge to her singing serves as a constant reminder of the peasant roots
underlying these tunes. However, Testament's remaster (improving on an
EMI original that's still readily available second-hand) sounds better
than those Vanguard tapes reworked by Chad Kassem and Doug Sax. The resonant
bass notes and lifelike woodwind obliggatos are enhanced by the auditorium.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Copland
/ Menotti. Piano Concertos
Aaron Copland and Jorge Mester Conducting Earl Wild, piano.
VANGUARD/A P APC 029 Reviewed
by RP
Earl Wild's spirited plunge into these atmospheric contemporary American
works was a focal point for the Manhattan Centre engineers when they cut
this disc for Vanguard back in 1961. It has stood the test of time well
and Analogue Productions have made a nice job of the transfer. Spotlighting
the piano (unrealistically) and building upon some solid foundations through
a deeply powerful bottom end to the recording (while adding an expansive
soundstage that's littered with fine instrumental detail) will surely
appeal to the sonic sensibilities of a modern-day audience. Traditionalists
can take solace - the attractive orchestral playing, by The Symphony of
the Air, and bravura of a magnificent soloist upstages a controlled reading
given by the composer (Copland) whose jazz-based themes could have benefited
from freer exploration. The Menotti (arguably the lesser of the two concertos)
has a greater fluency under the baton of the then youthful, Mexican-born,
Jorge Mester. Likeable, undemanding, neo-classical flavours reminiscent
of Scarlatti's keyboard pieces (though not as enduring) also prove that
there is more musical substance, Stateside, than a patriotic flag-waver
or tired Gershwin tune.
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Tatsuya
Takahashi and The Tokyo Union - Scandinavian Suite
Three Blind Mice TBM XR 1005 Reviewed
by DD
Originally produced in '77 to mark Three Blind Mice' seventh anniversary,
this is a splendid sliver of Japanese big band jazz. In six parts the
piece represents the composer's (and tenor saxophonist's) impressions
of Scandinavia. It ranges from a rather '70's film theme like intro -
more New York than Stockholm in my book - to a very lyrical third movement
'The Legend of Garbo', which features some fine tenor soloing from Tatsuya
Takahashi. After a homage to Sibelius, the album closes with 'Children
at Play' the opening of which has perhaps the most dated feel on the album
with congas and 'funky' bass, keyboards and synthesiser work. Thankfully
an excellent trombone solo from Eijiro Miyazaki, which recapitulates the
main theme, alleviates this number. The ensemble playing throughout the
album is very tight. Without having heard the original recording, it's
not possible to say how it's benefited from the XRCD process. It's certainly
clean, with a sweet top end but is a little lacking in midrange body and
bass warmth. A highly enjoyable experience for all that, but I'd re-title
it 'Manhattan Suite' 'cos that's what it sounds like to me!
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Mahler:
Symphony No. 4
Otto Klemperer, Philharmonia Orchestra
EMI/TESTAMENT SAX 2441 Reviewed
by RP
In 1961, at the Royal Festival Hall, Klemperer and the Phil, reputedly
gave an imperious and quite captivating performance of this, one of Gustav
Mahler's best- loved works. Inevitably, perhaps, bearing these events
on the Southbank in mind, EMI cut his Fourth Symphony employing the same
personalities. The subsequent release during the following summer included
a lovely sounding, but overly dramatic, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf as soloist
for the song sets. But, and this is a big but, if an even-handed approach
to these thematic uncertainties of life and death is sought, then neither
Klemperer, or the alternative Reiner Living Stereo disc from Classic LSC-2364,
will be ideally suited. Though beautifully recorded, he adopts a heavy
tone, especially in the quiet passages, while our friend Klemperer is
often too pedestrian with his speeds. So although the finale has a wonderfully
relaxed tempo and the Landler is perfectly shaped with his famous meticulous
attention to detail, much of the First Movement is bedevilled by a flagging
rhythm. Contrastingly, the serenity of Mahler's middle Movements is lost
because the music flows too readily. It's a case of the tortoise and then
the hare. Even some ravishing orchestral playing heightened by rich, transparent
and sonorous engineering cannot redeem the reading.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Tony
Bennett and Bill Evans - The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album
ANALOGUE PRODUCTIONS REVIVAL SERIES APR 3004 Reviewed
by RP
In audiophile circles crooners are something of an endangered species.
Exceptions on vinyl are of course the EMI Sinatras, Nat King Cole (DCC)
and this Bennett/Evans collaboration originally engineered back in the
mid seventies by Don Cody at Fantasy's California studios. Taking a break
from jazz trio work - the subtle, unforced opening piano notes of an inspired
Bill Evans go on to provide a spontaneous and wholly convincing accompaniment
to all nine of the slow, seductive numbers here. Touchingly, Tony places
Bill's own 'Waltz For Debby' among his intimate, richly romantic renditions
of 'My Foolish Heart', 'Days of Wine and Roses' and an exquisitely cut,
'Young and Foolish'. Another example of the chemistry igniting when these
two are together is the beautiful Ray Noble song, 'The Touch of Your Lips'.
Bennett (centrestage) can have rarely been as well-recorded and celebrates
with an intoxicating performance where the phrasing, timing and tempo
perfectly matches both the words and music. Underpinning this tour de
force is Stan Ricker's excellent Acous Tech/RTI remaster. Always sensitive
to the material, he and Bruce Leek deliver a clear and natural sounding
LP whose focus and balance are intrinsically right for this session. Anything
more spectacular would be a vulgar betrayal of all involved.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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Stavinsky
- The Firebird
LSO, Antal Dorati
Classic Mercury SR 90226
Stavinsky
- The Firebird
L'Orchestra De La Suisse, Ernest Ansermet
Speakers Corner/Decca SXL 2017
Stavinsky
- The Firebird
Minnesota Orchestra, Eiji Oue
REFERENCE RECORDINGS RR-70 Reviewed
by RP
A wonderful twist of fate brought together the youthful brilliance of
Rimsky-Korsakov's star pupil and the great Ballet Russe impresario. For
it was an impatient Serge Diaghilev who turned to lgor Stravinsky when
an old and increasingly dilatory Liadov failed to deliver his musical
commission based upon the exotic Russian fairy-tale of The Firebird. The
rich pictorial hues and scoring for a gigantic orchestra (which includes
a stupefying array of percussion instruments) make The Firebird a natural
for audiophile release, and we are well-served by the differing displays
of plumage currently on offer. lnterpretatively, Ansermet and Dorati are
chalk and cheese, yet their approaches to the Complete Ballet have equal
validity. The Swiss conductor adopts a slower tempo (especially in the
finale) but this also suits those quieter passages of music where his
sensitivity and delicacy of touch flesh out the tiniest instrumental detail.
The solo violin which signals Prince Ivan's final capture of The Firebird
is a fine example, as are the opening flutes of the Choral Round Dance
between Ivan and the princesses. Ansermet, overbrimming with all this
subtlety, draws upon accomplished brushwork from his OSR players to apply
Stravinsky's aesthetic pigment. The recording (one of their earliest stereo
releases) produces precise, individual images of remarkable clarity. Only
some audible tape hiss, at what I might add was an extravagant listening
level, reveals its 1958 vintage. Alternatively, on LP there is the Mercury.
Watford Town Hall was the venue chosen by the famous Cozart, Lawrence,
Fine and Eberenz team and, with the LSO seated in a normal concert arrangement,
three microphones were suspended along its frontage in an omni-directional
pattern designed to capture what is widely regarded as one of the most
exciting and vividly dramatic version of the ballet heard in this country.
Dorati sacrifices the niceties of Ansermet's reading in favour of a heat-treated
and truly dynamic pace that really ignites in the big tuttis with the
kind of unquenchable passion you would expect of a Hungarian maestro.
Whereas Ernest is content to coax a performance, Antal employs the whip-hand
to drive his musicians ever onwards. Classic's re-cut is the most impressive
of the Dorati/Firebird reissues: the Mercury Golden Import. Phillips and
even an outrageously good budget Contour release that I have at home,
are all pale imitations by comparison. The orchestral flourishes, drum
detonations and spiky brass interventions stand out, while the sweet midrange
strings spread warmth throughout an entire soundstage - though this recording
is marked down for opacity at the furthest reaches of the frequency extremes.
Oue and the Minnesota treat us to Stravinsky's 1919 revision of The Firebird
- a Suite roughly half the length of the whole Ballet. The Song of the
Nightingale and Rite complete the running order, but they cannot compensate
for what is the weakest of the three interpretations. Understandably,
Oue lacks the maturity and direction found among his eminent predecessors
and while this colourful, impressionistic account is justified. the inconstant
speeds are not. There are unaccountable accelerations away from a generally
slow tempo that adversely effects rhythmic cohesiveness. The superb orchestral
playing and brilliance of Keith O. Johnson's wide-ranging HDCD Reference
Recording has a tendency to spotlight these flaws in Oue's approach work.
Transparency, scale, accuracy and an imperceptible noise floor in the
engineering department can be a blight as well as a blessing on these
occasions.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186
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SR 90226 
SXL 2017 
RR-70  
All
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