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Classical Music

Britten String Quartets, Vol. 2
Maggini Quartet
Naxos 8.554360 Reviewed by SG
The Maggini Quartet's work I have heard has all been marvellous, but this, the follow-up to String Quartets, Vol. 1, 8.553883, is impeded by the recording of the the Simple Symphony- the sound being dark, with the bass totally immersed in reverberation. The rest of the album is fine, with natural tones and a more realistic soundstage, but here all is amiss. I can only put this down to differing engineers - two are credited as the recording location is constant for all works. The music represents the extremes in period of Britten's chamber works, with the aforementioned Symphony being written in 1923 (aged nine!) and the String Quartet No. 3 one of his last achievements. The intervening Quartettino and Alla Marcia come from the early thirties. All the pieces are accessible, although the later the work, the more enigmatic it becomes. The Maggini, as usual, play superbly, with the violins enjoying life and verve. Each piece is handled with aplomb, whether in the sinister march of Alla Marcia or the subtle textures of the String Quartet. What a pity about the Symphony's sound (ignored in the rating) but at this price, where else can you find a performance of these works that comes close?

Bartok: Violin Sonata No. 2 / Rhapsodies Nos.1 and 2 / Romanian Folk Dances
Isabelle Faust / Florent Boffard
Harmonic Mundi HMN 911702 Reviewed by SG
This budget-priced CD is an invaluable follow-up to the duo's first, award winning disc, fulfilling the expectations left by that acclaimed release and matching it perfectly. The intricate performance of the exhilarating Sonata is full of deep and thoughtful vigour, and played with impassioned virtuosity, while the other works, including the far too rarely heard Rhapsodies, are more simplistic, with expanded phrasing and less lavish tones. Bartok's music is brimming with Hungarian and Romanian influences, and this feel to the music is skilfully conveyed, with help from Faust's drive and vibrato. The pair plays as one, with Boffard's exceptional piano work not just an accompaniment, and neither performer overwhelms the other. The uncomplicated recording is admirable, without being overly impressive - being not too closely miked - with fine, clear detail and a fair amount of separation between the performers. Although there is little in the way of a natural soundstage, the acoustics are excellent, for a studio recording, and the music is allowed to live and breathe. An all-round excellent CD of engaging and well-crafted Chamber music, that further consolidates Faust's status as a poignant and talented artist.

Walton: Piano Quartet / String Quartet
Donohoe / Maggini Quartet
Naxos 8.554646 Reviewed by SG
Many audiophiles and music lovers will know Walton for his orchestral works, but this CD shows that he was also an important composer of chamber music. The String Quartet, of 1947, encapsulates Walton's craft perfectly, with a mixture of solemnity and powerful attack. The Maggini play with refinement and joy, and portray these feelings perfectly - whether in the wistful and moving lento, or the vibrancy of the presto and their phrasing is beautiful. The earlier Piano Quartet is fresher and more lyrical, with strains of Ravel, Elgar, and Vaughan Williams. Donohoe communicates the fluidity and energy of the piece splendidly, and obviously has a great instinct for the work. The sound produced by Naxos is one of their best and, with 20-Bit technology used, there is a real presence to the performance. While the piano can sound a little distant at times, this is preferable to it being in your face, and the Quartet is positioned superbly, within a natural acoustic spare. This is a wonderful CD of some great, yet sadly neglected, pieces of chamber music, and shows another side to Sir William's visionary work. A great accomplishment, and at a bargain price, it should be purchased without hesitation.

Rachmaninov: Symphony No.3 / Symphonic Dances
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra / David Zinman
Telarc CD-60331 Reviewed by SG
This coupling of two of Rachmaninov's later works, begs comparison with earlier recordings from Previn and Johanos respectively. This 3rd Symphony is closer in feeling to Previn's EMI reading than his earlier RCA performance, sounding more nostalgic with occasional vigour and rhythmic drive, overlaying the lyrical tension supplied by the excellent Baltimore strings. Zinman understands and communicates Rachmaninov's perceptions of homesickness and melancholia beautifully. The Symphonic Dances is much the livelier of the two pieces, with its strains of the composers own Dies Irae absorbed by folk music and plenty of palpable energy. Here Zinman sounds more uncompromising than Johanos, disclosing an underlying tenacity and fortitude. Sonically this CD is exceptional, with a massive soundstage and excellent imagery and bloom which give the feeling of a live performance. There is a phenomenal frequency range, with dynamics to die for. Every nuance of this recording is brought out by the wonderful acoustics of the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, and well implemented, audiophile, recording equipment. A knockout "demo disc". A marvellous issue, of two great performances, presented on one of the best sounding orchestral CDs I have come across. A must have for all audiophiles and lovers of great music.
Available from www.hififorsale.com Tel: 0870 2412469

Mozart: Piano Concertos 5,14 and 16
Levin / Academy of Ancient Music / Hogwood
Decca/L'Oiseau-Lyre 458 265-2 Reviewed by SG
I have always regarded Mozart as a composer of infectious vitality, and nowhere is that better confirmed than here. Mozart believed that to hold the audience's attention, there should be conflict between the fortepiano and the orchestra. This is realised by the dramatic textures articulated by the performers, and rhythms are tight and buoyant, further emphasising the composes intentions. All the performers hold an obvious love for this music and play with a sparkling fluidity, but it is Levin who holds the spotlight. His cadenzas leave you breathless, and show a spirit of improvisation rarely found, but central to Mozart's music. The whole performance is refined, gracious, and totally appropriate. The recording is detailed, with fairly good separation, and the soloist is accurately caught, centre stage. The orchestra is situated well back, in a large soundstage, and sounds powerful, even for one using authentic instruments. But, these results were only gained by reversing the polarity at the speaker terminals something I do with many recordingsotherwise the sounds were typically "digital", with a brightness and edginess to the sound. This CD represents the pinnacle of a continuing and excellent cycle, holding the benchmark for at least two of these concertos.

Puccini: La Boheme
Pavarotti, Freni, Ghiaurov Berlin PO, Karajan
Speakers Corner Decca SET 565-6 Reviewed by RG
La Boheme has always been Puccini's most compact and intensely bleak opera, and this Decca double album has always been the one to own. It finds Pavarotti at the height of his powers and Freni makes a seductive and refreshingly fragile Mimi. Karajan may polarise opinion, and I for one find his orchestral recordings hard going, but his touch foe opera is quite another matter (witness the fabulous RCA Soria Carmen with Leontyne Price). Here he handles the score's naturalism well, but mare importantly he maintains the sense of a coherent performance, undoubtedly helped by the tong takes and holistic acoustic of the recording venue, a Berlin Church rather than a studio. The performance is dramatic, the singing full of range and the necessary humour, and Karajan conjures towering crescendos to contrast with the many quieter moments. The Speakers Corner pressing follows their current pattern, losing a little transparency and atmosphere compared to the original, but compensating the listener with wonderfully quiet surfaces and a solidity and bandwidth that escape the Decca versions. The Libretto is nicely reproduced, as is the box, and for once they also stand comparison with the originals. The drama, natural acoustic and warmth of vinyl come into their own with opera, making this one of Speakers Corner's most welcome re-issues. Encore please!
Supplied by Vivante. Tel:(44)(0)208 9776600

Audiophile Recordings

Eric Bibb and Needed Time - Good Stuff
Opus 3 LP 19603 Reviewed by SG
Like Spirit and the Blues, Good Stuff is now available on 45rpm vinyl, and, like that album, it is vastly superior to its CD incarnation. The music is a personal mix of Eric Bibb's favourite styles, and is very much a follow-up to the previous release - being performed and recorded in a very similar vein. The performances are expressive - as in ail of Eric's work - and the whole album is relaxed, yet at the same time, stimulating. While the CD had an "in the room" feel to it, the LP is more "you are there", with the listener being transported back to the recording session. There is simply more life to the performance, with more natural tones and an incredibly realistic acoustic. Extra nuances add to the appreciation of the performance, such as the inflections in Eric's voice, giving a better insight to the changes in energy, and therefore emotion, that he wishes to portray. You can hear the heavenly voiced Deacons positioned behind and around Eric, and when listening to 'Where The Green Grass Grows', their bass singer clearly turns his head as he first sings the words "under my feet". A wonderful album, that deserves to be in all good collections.
Available from www.hififorsale.com Tel: 0870 2412469

Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini / Hamlet
Leopold Stokowski conducting The Stadium Symphony Orchestra Of New York
EVEREST / DCC LPZ 1001

Richard Strauss: Don Juan / Till Eulenspiegel / Salome
Leopold Stokowski conducting The Stadium Symphony Orchestra Of New York
EVEREST / DCC LPZ 1002 Reviewed by RP
Stokowski's fondly remembered 550 Tchaikovsky and Strauss performances at the Manhattan Centre Ballroom in New York both date from the July of 1958, and with the exception of Till Eulenspiegel and Salome, which were 35mm film recordings, they were re-cut directly from Everest's original three-channel master tapes by DCC back in 1994. The pick is of course those truly wonderful (definitive?) readings of Francesca do Rimini and Hamlet Leopold Stokowski's whirlwind approach single-handedly resurrected works which had previously been considered somewhat lack-lustre. Under the circumstances another release of this famous recording (despite the secondhand availability of an Everest SDBR 3011 pressing or a later World Record Club reissue) was inevitable. Is it as good as four decades of hype would have you believe? Yes, I think it probably is! Francesca instantaneously catches fire right from the opening bars, as soaring speeds build with the theme of the lovers intertwining passions until its tension becomes too great to bear and we get that tremendous polyphonic climax. Who says the "Classics" can't be sexy! Hamlet is a more dignified piece - its passion has a sombre, introspective quality as befits Shakespeare's emotionally tortured Prince of Denmark. Stokowski is totally convincing here. He has an eye for a dramatic gesture which combines well with Tchaikovsky's instinctive Russian feel for an epic tale. A big sounding, tight, sometimes fierce, recording is not for the faint-hearted. The brass tuttis are especially gripping because their rawness suits that emotional intensity found in circumstances that are thematically spiralling out of control.
The Strauss recordings, too, are of a uniformly high standard - inner details like the weeping violin and delicate percussive touches near the opening of Don Juan are nicely revealed. Occasionally, though, when strings leap upwards or chest-thrusting horns push forward to their furthest points, the sound does top out Fortunately Stokowski holds back a little on the great unison horn call of Don Juan. It would be interesting to know if he was trying to accommodate the engineers after an earlier playback. For Salome he gives an unashamedly sensuous interpretation. Musically, she is made to seductively pine until it's possible to believe that her dance did indeed become too much for Herod and that he had no option but to put her to death. The elaborate conceit which culminates in Till Eulenspiegel's posthumous epilogue is also carried off in some style. Sonorous interruptions by woodwind and a more pointed intercession from the flute lay a real comic foundation here. Of course laughing with Richard Strauss is always slightly uneasy when one recalls his ardent anti-semitism. But who said listening to great composers would be a tea-party?

Tchaikovsky

Strauss

Brahms: Symphony No. 4
Bruno Walter / CSO
COLUMBIA / CLASSIC MS 6113 Reviewed by RP
Excursions into the Columbia Masterworks back catalogue are a rarity - which is a pity as we've missed out on some tremendous sessions from the likes of Szell, Ormandy, Bernstein and, above all, Dr Bruno Walter. His legendary readings of the Brahms and Mahler Symphonies were released (more often than not) in the U.K. on the Philips SABL label and were splendidly recorded. Classic will have returned to the Columbia archives for the original mastertapes while, all those years ago, Philips used second generation copies for their European cuts. This classic reissue is characteristically wellbalanced throughout and possesses an admirably spacious, transparent and warm string tone - which is important as this reinforces a sense of an all pervasive and beautifully lyrical opening Allegro. Walter's interpretation and the performance from his Columbia Symphony players for these big romantic works are inspired. His strength and authority builds from that gentle simplicity of the Allegro into an exhilarating coda. The slow movement is finely structured, while an intense Allegro giocoso has spine-tingling vitality and great impetus - culminating in those superbly executed final variations and coda.

Beethoven: Symphony No.4 / Leonore Overture No.3
Pierre Monteux / LSO
RCA / CLASSIC VICS-1102 Reviewed by RP
Recut from an original 1965 RCA Victrola recording and not a Living Stereo re-issue, Beethoven's Fourth Symphony was only released in the year after Pierre Monteux's death at the ripe old age of Eighty-Nine. Its popularity came from both an understandable wave of nostalgia for this renown conductor and through the excellence of his performance and the recording quality - which is fortunate because 180gr alternatives are today limited to a Klimo box set of the complete Symphonies under Rene Liebowitz' s baton. Sandwiched between a monumental Eroico and the tumultuous Fifth, this much gentler Symphony with its serene (almost statuesque) nature has been somewhat overshadowed - a pity because this is a lovely work. Monteuxs handling of an ethereal violin melody in the slow movement is sublime and the Finale (in typical Monteux fashion) is incredibly exciting, though his detractors might call it hectic! Excellent musicianship, and the kind of understanding one would expect from an orchestra and its resident conductor, help to make this a memorable LP. The clear, deeply resonant lower strings from the first movement's Adagio and Allegro, together with real weight in the climaxes creates a wonderfully expansive whole.
Supplier: Vivante. Tel. (44)(0)208 977 6600

Various Artists- Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival 1972
Atlantic/ Classic SD 2-502 Reviewed by DD
Forget audiophile quality recordings, BUT if you want a dose of unadulterated festival atmosphere (and this is oozing with it), with the added benefit of clean toilets (well mine are, I can't vouch for yours), this recording is right on the money. Featuring an eclectic mix from Hound Dog Taylor, by way of Dr John, and Freddie King right through to the mighty Sun Ra Et His Solar Myth Arkastra, this Classic re-issue places you smack in the middle of the crowd. The double album is packed with gems from which I'd single out Koko Taylor performing an incendiary 'Wang Dang Doodle', Junior Walker doing the same with 'Roadrunner, Howlin' Wolf belting out 'Highway 49', Muddy Waters, Otis Rush you see the problem. If these albums don't stir your bones you're probably beyond help. If I had to select a favourite number it'd either be the Howlin' Wolf or maybe the Bonnie Raitt'Tribute to Fred McDowell'. The fact is the standard throughout is so high there's little point in choosing favourites, just pour a drink, light up, crank up the volume to 11, sit back and enjoy.
Supplier: Vivante. Tel. (44)(0)208 977 6600

Led Zeppelin- (1)
Classic / Atlantic SD821 6 Reviewed by DA
I have no idea where Classic have sourced the masters for this 180gm re-issue, as rumour has it that the original analogue 2 tracks were lost in the seventies, hence the re-masters for CD. If there's been any PCM in the chain I can't hear it, and with an album as cymbal heavy as this one it's usually pretty obvious. My own copy dates from the early eighties and is pretty poor, but not as bad as the second album pressed in the same period. Whatever! This version is as shiny as a new pin, bringing out the power and intensity of Zeppelin in the period where the arrangements came as much from band interplay as from the dots. Things would never be quite the same again. Not my favourite Zep album, 2 gets that (dubious) honour, nevertheless the trademarks are all there, Page's superb use of the riff, Plant's inspired and inspirational wail, Bonham's big, big drums, all nicely tied together by Jones' understated bass. Despite being released in 1969, for me this album never seems to date. The bass lead in to 'Dazed and Confused' still send shivers down my spine just as it did when I first heard it nearly 30 years ago. Unless you are the proud possessor of a mint original pressing (what were you doing in the 70s?) then take the opportunity to enjoy this all over again. This Classic re-issue should be top of your Christmas list.
Supplier: Vivante. Tel. (44)(0)208 977 6600

Kari Bremnes - Norwegian Mood
ARS FXLP221 Reviewed by RG
The female voice has always held a particular fascination for audiophiles, partly because it's something that hi-fi systems actually do well! The latest in along (and all too often far from illustrious) line is this offering from ARS in Germany. What makes this project slightly unusual is its co-sponsorship by CIearAudio, Phonosophie, Acapella and Audio Physic, a case of high end audio putting its money where its mouth is. Kari Bremnes is, not surprisingly, a Norwegian chanteuse, and judging from the credits on this album, a member of an impressively extended musical family. The lyrics, all sung in English, are mostly hers, and are delivered in a pleasingly pure contralto, backed by sensibly sparse acoustic arrangements. In fact, everytime I hear this record I think of Judy Collins' bigger sister, the one with an accent. The music is the same intelligent and gentle folk, the diction has the same clarity. Whether or not you'll like the music is down to personal taste, but it's hard to fault the recording. The voice is immediate and natural, but it's the transparency of the acoustic space and the wealth of beautifully presented low-level detail that takes the breath away. The shimmer and decay of cymbals is wonderfully natural, underlining how false they generally sound, and that quality encompasses the entire audio range.
Supplier: Vivante. Tel. (44)(0)208 977 6600

Lorna Hunt - All In One Day
Classic Records RTH1015 Reviewed by RG
If the Kari Bremnes disc represents one extreme of the audiophile craving for the perfect female vocal, then Lorna Hunt's All In One Day is at the other. An ultra naturalistic recording of what amounts to alive set, these are self penned gritty folk songs in the American tradition, laid down direct to two-track, and all the more immediate for that. This record doesn't have the astonishing transparency and detail of the ARS disc, but has other qualities that, arguably, more than make up for that. These are musically far more holistic, with a much greater sense of artistic tension. The sparse, in some cases almost sporadic support of the band is all the more powerful for its restraint and the way it focuses attention on Lorna Hunt's voice. And what a voice. It has the natural purity of tone and pitch that is a prerequisite for an audiophile recording, but it has an edge and underlying strength to go with the beauty. Stand out tracks are 'Long Hard Road', 'Don't Forget Me' and a fabulous 'Whipping Post', the only cover on the album. The beauty of the performance creates a powerful contrast with the bleak material, and for once the excellent recording and pressing is totally sympathetic. Evidence that Classic are losing that cynical streak. I think it might just be.
Supplier: Vivante. Tel. (44)(0)208 977 6600

A Musical Nativity - Two sides to an audiophile Christmas by Simon Groome

Star of Wonder
Reference Recordings RR-21Reviewed by SG

Cantate Domino
King Super Analogue PROP 07762 Reviewed by SG
When we think of music at Christmas, we usually summon images of carol singers on a frosty night, and it is indeed the carol that has been the musical basis for the celebration of Christ's nativity since the Middle Ages. But more recently two sides to this traditional form of adoration have developed, with two audiophile recordings representing the opposing camps - one from the new world, the other from the old.
In the New World corner is Reference Recording's Star of Wonder, which has long been regarded as an audiophile recording of the highest order - having appeared on "Super Disc" lists since the late 1980s. While there are still a few vinyl copies to be found, it is now only readily available in its HDCD format. The performances include a mixture of choral music (the San Francisco Choral Artists), sometimes with various harp, flute and organ accompaniments, and occasional tracks of bell-ringing (the Ringmasters). The majority of works are carols, but with new arrangements their purity and simplicity is corrupted. The motets come across better, due to the lack of modification, but even these spiritual works appear without essence. While the music is always pleasant, it is never inspiring, and what is produced seems sterile. The choir sounds as if they are enjoying their experience, but the traditions of the music are disregarded, and the tracks featuring the Ringmasters are intrusive. The final track, Deck the Hall, fades out to sounds of laughter and merriment - far too corny! While crisp and detailed, the recording is not perfect. The acoustics of St. Ignatius Church produce a large, but rather shallow, soundstage with natural tones, but it is the recording of the flute and harp accompaniment that bother me most - sounding far too close and overwhelming.
Cantate Domino has also been around for sometime, having been recorded in 1976, and winning the Swedish Grammofon Prize in 1977.
The music here comes across as more thoughtful and is produced with feeling, summoning up a more traditional view of Christmas. The performers are the Oscars Mottetkor, conducted by Torsten Nilsson, Marianne Mellnas (soprano) and Alf Linder on organ. While the works here also include carols and motets, with singing in the language of the music's origin, whether English, German, Latin, or Swedish, melodies are immediately more expressive, drawing feelings of compassion, inspiration and joy. Even the occasional brass accompaniment is in keeping with the perception. The only track that spoils this feeling of inner peace is White Christmas, and while the singing is excellent, it is the organ, sounding like a Wurlitzer, that demeans the experience. The recording is more appropriate than on Star of Wonder, with a deeper soundstage and more distant performers, giving a sense of scale and power -especially with regard to the sound of the organ. The portrayal of the performers within a natural space is paramount in allowing this type of music to live and breathe, and this is shown here better than on any other choral recording I know. Many audiophiles know and appreciate the Decca/London reissues of Japan's King Record Company. Their Super Analogue pressing of this album transcends the original Proprius release in every way, which in turn trounces the CD. The last, limited numbers, of these very natural sounding pressings are still available.
As for the two sides of Christmas, they can be summed up as traditional and commercial. For those audiophiles who wish to enjoy the traditional, do not hesitate to grab one of the superb King Super Analogue pressings of Cantate Domino. While some of you will still want Star of Wonder, for its recording quality, this album is one of those audiophile recordings where sound comes before music, and you will end up listening to the kind of music that plays in any Oxford Street store all December long!
Available from www.hi-fiforsale.com Tel: 0870 2412469 Or Pentacone. Tel/Fax: 01924 445039

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