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MENDELSSOHN: Symphonies 1 through 5 – Yannick Nezet-Seguin & Chamber Orch. of Europe – DGG 

MENDELSSOHN: Symphonies 1 through 5 – Yannick Nezet-Seguin & Chamber Orch. of Europe – DGG 

by | Jul 6, 2017 | Classical CD Reviews

MENDELSSOHN: Symphonies 1-5 – Yannick Nezet-Seguin & Chamber Orchestra of Europe – DGG 479 7337 CD 1 73:01, CD: 2 66:57, Cd 3 60:12, (6/16/17) ****: Rarely heard compilation of all five Mendelssohn symphonies played live by the sparkling Chamber Orchestra of Europe. There has never been any argument about Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies. They are synonymous with classical music itself. At once the most enduring product of the industry and the standard by which greatness is measures, they sit cozily in their boxes as radiant and redundant exemplars of musical genius. Brahms follows next as a cultural icon. His Four are as cosmologically complete as the compass points or the seasons. Recently, the rise in Schumann’s reputation has seen increasing attempts to assemble his symphonies, too, as a summation and epitome of his musical career. The recording under review attempts to make a rare case for the Mendelssohn Five. It seems plausible enough, but let’s examine the reasons why it has been so seldom attempted. First, there is the big Lobsgesang  symphony-cantata, the longest by far, which is never performed. Directly inspired by Beethoven’s Ninth, it attaches a substantial chorale to three conventional movements. The texts are echt Lutheran piety, […]

ELGAR: Enigma Variations; In the South, Carillon; etc. – BBC Scottish Sym. /Brabbins – Hyperion

ELGAR: Enigma Variations; In the South, Carillon; etc. – BBC Scottish Sym. /Brabbins – Hyperion

by | Feb 3, 2017 | Classical CD Reviews

Need another Enigma Variations? Listen to this one. ELGAR: Enigma Variations, Op. 36; In the South “Alassio”, Op. 50; Carillon, Op. 75; Une voix dans le desert, Op. 77; Le drapeau belge, Op. 79; Pleading, Op. 48 – Florence Daguerre de Hureaux, narrator/ Kate Royal, sop./ Yann Ghiro, clar./ BBC Scottish Sym. Orch./ Martyn Brabbins – Hyperion CDA68101, 81:57 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] ****: When an English orchestra takes up the Enigma Variations, the record company must have put a great deal of thought behind it. After all, this venerable piece has been carved out (and up) by virtually every British conductor and orchestra for the last 80 years. Toscanini had the first really great one years ago with the BBC, and there is a special pride that comes with being the only nation qualified to accurately interpret this work. Maybe. Leonard Bernstein came up with one for the ages, and they hated him for it. Slatkin they loved. Sargent, in my opinion, still has the best one on record. But one of two things has to be English—the orchestra, or the conductor. Here we have both, sort of. Since the Scottish attempt at independence failed, I guess we can […]

MENDELSSOHN: Syms. Nos. 1 & 4 – London Sym./Gardiner – LSO Live

MENDELSSOHN: Syms. Nos. 1 & 4 – London Sym./Gardiner – LSO Live

by | Jan 20, 2017 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

A vigorous and incisive Italian, with a fresh and even more exhilarating “First”. MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 1 in c, Op. 11; No. 4 in A, Op. 90 “Italian” (1833 version) – London Sym. Orch./ John Eliot Gardiner – LSO Live multichannel Pure Audio Blu-ray & SACD LSO0765 (2 discs, on audio-only Blu-ray), 62:11 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: Mendelssohn’s tour of Europe from 1829-31 ended with a sojourn in Italy, where the 22-year-old immediately began writing a symphony that would reflect his experiences. It is easily the sunniest of all his compositions, though it did cause him heartache, so much so that he decided to revise it in 1834. But since it was never published in his lifetime, it is the earlier version commonly played today, and so Gardiner offers it here. I expected something rather on the quick side, and he does not disappoint. What is most surprising is the ability of the LSO to articulate some of the fast triplet passages in the first and last movements as clearly and cleanly as they do, a real tribute to the virtuosity of the orchestra. This is an exciting if predictable performance (there have been others in this mold as […]

“Double Triple Koppel” = Michala Petri on recorder & others – Decapo / BEAMISH: The Singing – Works of that composer cond. by Martyn Brabbins – BIS

“Double Triple Koppel” = Michala Petri on recorder & others – Decapo / BEAMISH: The Singing – Works of that composer cond. by Martyn Brabbins – BIS

by | Oct 1, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

“Double Triple Koppel” = ANDERS KOPPEL: Concerto for Recorder, Saxophone, and Orchestra; Triple Concerto for Mezzo Saxophone, Cello, Harp, and Orchestra ‒ Michala Petri, recorder / Benjamin Koppel, saxophones / Tine Rehling, harp / Eugene Hye-Knudsen, cello / Odense Sym. Orch. / Henrik Vagn Christensen ‒ Dacapo multichannel SACD 6220633 [Distr. by Naxos]; 67:25 (8/14/15) ***1/2:</br> “SALLY BEAMISH: The Singing” = The Singing: Concerto for Accordion and Orchestra; A Cage of Doves; Under the Wing of the Rock; Reckless; Trumpet Concerto ‒ James Crabb, accordion / Branford Marsalis, sax / Håkan Hardenberger, trumpet / Royal Scottish National Orch. / Nat. Youth Orch. of Scotland (Trumpet Concerto) / Martyn Brabbins ‒ BIS multichannel SACD BIS-2156 [Distr. by Naxos]; 73:56 (10/9/15) ****: Two contemporary composers who manage to do up the old wine of the classical concerto in surprising new skins. Here we have two very different approaches to the concerto from two very different contemporary composers. Anders Koppel (b. 1947) is the son of the distinguished Danish composer Herman D. Koppel. In fact, Anders is now better known than his father, thanks to a loyal following among enthusiasts of crossover music, and specifically those who appreciate the melding of classical music […]