Suk: piano works

Jonathan Plowright

HYPERION CDA 68198

Those of us who know Suk essentially as an orchestral composer having heard his romantic tone poems may have overlooked his reputation as a fine pianist which is certainly reflected here in these intensely romantic piano works. Spring, Summer and Moods speak for themselves while the Piano Pieces Op7 are equally descriptive in their writing. Jonathan Plowright brings warmth and intimacy to his playing which is entirely in keeping with these lovely works which deserve a wider audience.

The Nightingale’s Response

Fontanella Recorder Quintet

BCR 015

If ever there was a recording for a gentle summer’s evening this must be it. The scores range from Merula and Van Eyck in the seventeenth century to George Shearing and Joseph Kosma. The nightingale itself is heard as the programme continues and it says a great deal for the sensitivity of the planning that there is no problem in continuity. The Quintet play a wide range of recorders giving a freshness and range to the works, all of which are captivating in their impact.

Percy Grainger: Wind Band Classics 3

Royal Norwegian Navy Band, Bjarte Engeset

NAXOS 8.573681

Readers who are aware of my enthusiasm for the earlier volumes in this series will not be surprised to find that I am equally pleased with this latest issue. The sixteen items include two longer works – The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart and the complete A Lincolnchire Posy.  As previously it is the immediacy and apparent ease of so much of the writing which appeals. Though Grainger frequently took a long time over writing, The Power seems exceptional in that it was commenced in 1918 and not completed until 1947. Unusually it includes an organ which the composer stipulates must be electronic/theatre – anything but a church organ. Though he was fond of the work he admitted it simply is grouchy .. grumbling at the sad condition of tyranny

Elgar: Symphony No 2; Serenade for Strings

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner

CHANDOS CHSA 5197

After the fine recording of the First Symphony it was to be hoped that this Second Symphony would follow and it does not disappoint. The contrasts in mood and dynamic are strongly marked, with an emphasis on life a vibrancy rather than dwelling on the potentially morose. The power of the Rondo impresses but does not overshadow the finale, which can often happen. We can, hopefully, look forward to Edward Gardner’s own approach to the reconstructed Third Symphony soon. The addition of the Serenade for Strings is an added bonus.

Solitude; Mendelssohn, Shostakovich & Weinberg

Dudok Quartet of Amsterdam

RESONUS RES 10215

Solitude does not here simply mean quiet reflection. Yes, there certainly is a good deal of this in the shape of the Shostakovich Elegy and brief works by Josquin des Prez and Gesualdo, but the Weinberg quartet is astringent and challenging in its intensity. If the Mendelssohn leads us in gently we should be fooled into thinking there are not real depths even within the beauty of the line.

The Dudok Quartet bring sensitivity and fine balance to these works which justify the unusual programming.

Venice 1629

The Gonzaga Band

RESONUS RES 10218

In 1629 Schutz came to Venice to meet Monteverdi. It was a pivotal time for Baroque music as this first recording by The Gonzaga Band demonstrates, with works by both composers and their contemporaries Dario Castello, Alessandro Grandi and Biagio Marini. Though the Band comprises only six musicians, the range of instruments and voice creates great variety and a freshness of approach. Soprano Faye Newton is particularly appealing, and her ornamentation of the musical line is very pleasing. The cd is also greatly helped by the acoustic in St Mary’s College Chapel , New Oscott, which gives a rounded ambiance and warmth to the sound.

Handel: Johannes-Passion

La Capella Ducale, Musica Fiata, Roland Wilson

CPO 555 173-2

The recording is issued under Handel’s name though there is considerable doubt as to whether it is actually a very early work of his or not. It certainly does not sit comfortably alongside his known early compositions and – as the notes carefully point out – at no time did he borrow any of the better music, which he regularly did with anything worth retrieving. That said this brief setting is musically pleasing and well performed by a small ensemble made up of eight singers who also take the solo parts and eight musicians, with Arno Schneider providing the essential organ part.

Handel: Acis and Galatea

Early Opera Company, Christian Curnyn

CHANDOS CHACONNE CHSA 0404(2)

No doubting that this certainly is Handel – and Handel at his exhilarating best. Christian Curnyn brings a crisp brightness to the score and this extends easily to his soloists. Lucy Crow and Allan Clayton are young sounding lovers trilling enthusiastically in Happy we, against the bluster of Neal Davies’ Polyphemus in O ruddier than the cherry. It was also a delight to hear the recorder during Hush, ye pretty warbling choir  and even accompanying Polyphemus.

Mozart: Flute Quartets

Sami Junnonen, flute, Chamber Domaine

RESONUS RES 10216

This recording brings togther all of Mozart’s flute quartets which range over a considerable period of the composer’s lifetime. They are structurally different and reflect the specific time in which they were written – ranging from the early Mannheim quartets to the last composed while working on Figaro  and Don Giovanni.  The playing here by the Finnish flautist Sami Junnonen is highly convincing as is the string playing from Chamber Domaine who are better known for their championing of more modern scores and composers.

Bruckner: Symphony No 7

Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hans Knappertsbusch

ORFEO C 915181B (mono)

This recording dates from 1963 but holds up very well. I was fortunate enough to attend Parsifal in Bayreuth in the 1960s when Knappertsbusch was still conducting there, and the memory is still very strongly etched. If tempi are on the slow side and the sound is very much mid-twentieth century this is still a recording well worth hearing alongside more modern versions.

Respighi: La Campana Sommersa

Teatro Lirico de Cagliari, Donato Renzetti

NAXOS UNITEL 2.110571

Though we tend to think of Resphigi as a romantic orchestral writer his works spread far wider. This opera was first performed to great acclaim in 1928 and was taken up in the United Sates. It is a fantasy, somewhere between Pelleas and Rusalka, with richly orchestrated sound from the pit though the vocal lines rarely live up to the melodic grace of the orchestral compositions. This heavily naturalistic production from Cagliari is finely sung by a large cast and the orchestral playing is as sumptuous as you could wish. I suppose the work might turn up at a Festival – Wexford / Garsington / Holland Park? – though it is unlikely to be seen on major stages given the need for large audiences for long runs.

Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini

Dutch National Opera, Mark Elder

NAXOS 2.110575-76

This production by Terry Gilliam was a great success when first staged for ENO but here, in its original language with the Dutch National Opera, presumably has a better chance of international sales. Not that there is any lessening in my enthusiasm for the production as all the strengths of the original are certainly very much in evidence and the singing throughout is convincing with John Osborn a fine Cellini. It would have been good to have had the original ENO cast but such are the exigencies of recording these days.

Niccolo Jommelli: Il Vologeso

Stuttgart Opera, Gebriele Ferro

NAXOS 2.110395-96

No, I had not heard of Niccolo Jommelli before this recording arrived but I really don’t understand why apart from the obvious problems of history. The score is fluent and frequently heart-meltingly moving as it depicts the emotional turmoil of individual characters. It seems that the reason the scores have been overlooked is that, when they were written in the mid-eighteenth century, the book/libretto and the scenery were more important than the score. Consequently, while there were many different versions of the text set to music, audiences came to the play not the setting. As such, once Jommelli’s setting had been heard a number of times it fell out of favour and a new score was commissioned. Thus almost all of Jommelli’s scores were archived until in recent years an attempt has been made to revive them – an attempt which here shows itself to have been distinctly worth the effort. Hopefully Garsington or Wexford may take up the cause?

Mozart; Don Giovanni

National Theatre Prague, Placido Domingo

CMAJOR 745208

There are two reasons to recommend this recording. The first is Placido Domingo’s handling of the score. The second is that this is the theatre for which Mozart wrote the opera. We were fortunate, when visiting Prague a few years ago, to attend Don Giovanni in the Estates Theatre in this production and it is fascinating to do so as the work comes across very differently from the vast expanses of many major opera houses. That intimacy is found here both in the production itself and the singers. Worth investing in on both accounts.

Schubert: Piano Sonata; Four Impromptus

Marc-Andre Hamelin

HYPERION CDA 68213

Marc-Andre Hamelin’s muscular approach is linked to enormous sensitivity which makes for a highly exciting and engaging performance. The B flat piano sonata is particularly effective with the brooding introspection of much of the opening movement easing into its intense lyricism. All of this is achieved with apparent ease of fluency throughout. His reputation may go before him but is more than justified by this most recent addition to his recorded repertoire.

Smetana: Festive Symphony

Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Darrell Ang

NAXOS 8.573672

For all Smetana’s popularity this symphony is almost unknown. This is the result of politics rather than musical appreciation. Soon after its composition, the rise of Czech nationalism found the Austrian national anthem unacceptable and there was no way Smetana could rewrite the work to remove the quotations. As a result it was quietly dropped. A great shame, as this recording shows, for it is a lively and engaging work which sits happily alongside the excerpts from The Bartered Bride which make up the rest of the cd.

Erik Satie: Gymnopedies, Gnossiennes and other works

Giacomo Scinardo, piano

DYNAMIC CDS 7820

Giacomo Scinardo takes a leisurely approach to many of these works with relaxed tempi and many moments of near stasis – all of which is entirely in keeping with the works themselves. The pieces are formed into a convincing programme which splits up the suites rather than recording each as a set in its own right, which makes it easier to hear as a whole, closer to a recital programme than a recording. Highly recommended.

The Romantic Piano Concerto: 75 Ferdinand Ries

Piers Lane, piano, The Orchestra Now, Leon Botstein

HYPERION CDA 68217

Volume 75? Is there no end to the series? Well obviously not when the quality of works continues to impress. Ferdinand Ries was taught by Beethoven, and his own father had taught Beethoven the violin. The influence is clear here but in no sense derivative, the rich romantic writing looking forward to the mid-nineteenth century rather than back to Mozart or Haydn. If you have been following the series this is clearly a fine example of re-discovering works which should never have been lost.

G P Telemann: Concerti

Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra & Chamber Players

CHACONNE CHAN 0821

You might be forgiven for thinking you were listening to Handel’s Water Music when encountering the Concerto Suite TWV 54, so close are they in style and musical ideas. However this is Telemann at his sparkling best  and the recording brings together for the first time the composer’s three remaining Concerti-en-suite. These are closer to a concerto for soloist and ensemble but are built around dance suites rather than the conventional classical three movements. They are charming and engaging throughout.

J S Bach: Partitas WV 825-830

Menno van Delft, clavichord

RESONUS RES10212

These partitas are more familiarly known as Clavier-Ubung though the cd cover makes no mention of this and it is not until one delves into the booklet that one realises that they are one and the same. The two cds cover all six partitas and Menno van Delft brings a bright enthusiasm to his playing throughout. Though there are many versions of these works this is certainly a strong addition to the range.

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas

Angela Hewitt

HYPERION CDA 68199

This most recent cd opens with the Sonata No17 in D minor Tempest followed by No13 in Eb major. This is the twin to the more familiar Moonlight Sonata and as such often overlooked. There is no problem here with relegation as the performance is effortlessly beautiful. Additionally, we have an exhilarating reading of No25 in G major which sparkles throughout and a gentler, more reflective reading of No30 in E major with its unexpected hushed conclusion. A fine recording which I know I will return to.

The Nutcracker and I

Alexandra Dariescu (piano)

Lindsey Russell (narrator)

Jessica Duchen (story)

SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD542

It’s an attractive package – a slim CD-sized book, perfect for small hands, with a slot for the CD inside the front cover. The idea of a narrated account of the Nutcracker story with piano transcriptions of the music is interesting too.

The young reader can follow the story in the attractively illustrated (by whom?)  book as she – or let’s hope he – listens to the CD. My children used to love following stories as they were narrated and I think it helped them with reading skills. I shall happily pass this CD and book on to my seven year old granddaughter, who already loves ballet, when I’ve finished with it.

Dariescu plays the transcriptions (by various people) beautifully and some of them require terrific technical skill with contrary rhythms across the keyboard. She also ensures that we hear a lot of colourful left hand work – melodic lines which are often lost in the orchestral texture. The musical interludes are quite long too so that it’s free to be narratively expressive and it feels respectful rather than in any way dumbed down.

Duchen’s story presents Clara as an ambitious child pianist who goes on an adventure with her Nutcracker-turned-Prince. He shows her that she can, with work and determination, be a virtuoso. He teaches her to believe in herself by taking her through doors to exotic countries to hear music and watch dance. Drosselmeyer has gone. The mice are more realistically saurine than the baddies they’re usually portrayed as.  It’s ingenious and attractive with some really pleasing lyrical prose such as flying to the Land of Sweets “on the wings of the music” and admiring the “ornate turquoise tiling and filigree metalwork”. It’s also compelling, uplifting and affirmative – just what children need. Lindsey Russell gets the right  story telling tone too. She sounds slightly breathy, childlike and enthusiastic.

The CD is presented in 14 bands to represent the scenes – pretty much as they occur in the original although of course it’s heavily abridged. It means that you can select just one section if you wish which could be useful for parents and teachers seeking to introduce The Nutcracker by drip feed.This CD and book are a quasi preview of the stage show which Dariecu (also the artistic director and producer for this project) is touring this year. I shall be seeing and reviewing it for Lark Reviews in October.

Susan Elkin

MIDNIGHT AT ST ETIENNE DU MONT

Joseph Nolan, organ of St Etienne du Mont, Paris
SIGNUM SIGCD470 78’35

This 9^th Signum CD by Joseph Nolan celebrates the Parisian organ tradition and is recorded on the organ that Durufle knew so well, St Etienne du Mont. Presented here are Suite, Op 5 by Durufle alongside movements from Vierne’s Symphonies 5 & 6 as well as Fantomes from the 24 Pieces de fantasie, Op 54. Durufle’s transcription of Tournemire’s Improvisation sur le Te Deum opens the disc and David Briggs’ substantial Le Tombeau de Durufle concludes the recital. The name of the CD is inspired by Woody Allen’s film Midnight in Paris. It is easy to imagine being shut into the church through the night luxuriating in this evocative music.
(There is a mistake on the back cover insert – the last item plays for much longer)

FREEDOM OF SPIRIT 2 – David Briggs improvises ‘Live’ in Concert
David Briggs, organs of Trinity College, Cambridge, & Hofkirche, Luzer, Switzerland
& piano in Igreja de Lapa, Portugal
CHESTNUT  CD013   69’11

David Briggs has developed a reputation as a fine improviser, working with a range of material and producing some impressive, varied and well structure music. Here we have another collection of some of these one-off events, all from last year. The first, recorded at Cambridge is in the traditional French Catholic tradition – Suite Improvisee dans le style du Grand Siecle. This is followed by the three movement Triptyque Symphonique Improvisee sur deux themes. A shorter piano Improvisation in the style of Beethoven leads to the final Symphonie Improvisee en quatre mouvements recorded on the Luzern organ. It is very interesting to hear the way that Mr Briggs develops his material as well as his use of each instrument to bring colour and variety. It is also good to know that these “live” events have been preserved for future listening.

DOMENICO SCARLATTI –  COMPLETE KEYBOARD SONATAS VOL 20

Artem Yasynsky, piano

NAXOS 8.573604   58’55

This series has reached volume 20. Although this music is very worthwhile and is performed and recorded to the highest standards I continue to wonder at the value of these extended “complete” series, apart from for reference.

GEORGE PHILIPP TELEMANN – THE GRAND CONCERTOS FOR MIXED INSTRUMENTS VOL 5

La Stagione Frankfurt, conductor Michael Schneider
CPO 555 082-2   70’03

This 18^th Century music written for courtly celebrations reflects the importance of hunting and dancing in the recreational life of the aristocracy. A varied selection of such music includes Divertimento in E flat major and Sonata in D major alongside 3 concerti for various wind & string combinations.

THE SECRET MASS – CHORAL WORKS BY FRANK MARTIN & BOHUSLAV MARTINU
Danish National Vocal Ensemble, conductor, Marcus Creed
OUR Recordings 6.220671   64’13

This is a very interesting disc of unaccompanied choral music from two composers born in different countries in the same year, 1890. They have left numerous works but few for unaccompanied voices and this release collects those works together. The title of the CD alludes to the fact that Martin’s Mass was not made public until 40 years after composition. The forces involved (double choir) mean that it has not been heard that often and recordings are always welcome. Alongside Martin’s Mass for two four-part choirs we hear his  Songs of Ariel and Martinu’s Four Songs of the Virgin Mary and Romance from the Dandelions.

PASSION & POLYPHONY – SACRED CHORAL MUSIC BY FRANK MARTIN & JAMES MacMILLAN

Sonoro, conducted by Neil Ferris
RESONUS RES10208  66’31

It’s a bit like buses… Here is another recording of Martin’s Mass for Double Choir. This time it is bookended by works from contemporary composer James MacMillan – Ceclila Virgo, Children are a heritage of the Lord, Miserere, Hymn to the Blessed Sacrament, Bring us O Lord God, Data est mihi omnis potestas  & concluding with the now very familiar (but still striking) O radiant dawn. This programme also works very well.

MON DIEU ME PAIST – PSALMS BY CLAUDE LE JEUNE

Choir of St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, Edward Wickham (conductor)
RESONUS RES10206   58’26

This is a very interesting and enjoyable release. Psalm-settings by this 16^th Century Franco-Flemish composer from his Psalm collection, Dodecacorde, are paired with hymn settings of the same psalms from the Calvin Psalter. Beautifully sung in French under Edward Wickham’s direction, this collection takes its title from Psalm 23.

SERA D’INVERNO – SONGS BY ILDEBRANDO PIZZETTI
Hanna Hipp (mezzo-soprano) & Emma Abbate (piano)
RESONUS RES10209  55’20

Here is a good selection of songs from Italian twentieth century composer Ildebrando Pizzetti, showing something of the drama and emotion with which he sets the texts of a variety of authors, exploring themes of life and death, love and spirituality. Full texts and translations are included in the informative booklet.

SIGFRID KARG-ELERT – THE COMPLETE ORGAN WORKS VOL 15
Stefan Engels, Steinmeyer organ of Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway
PRIORY PRCD 1185

Another long-running “complete” series ends with Volume 15, comprising the remaining original works of Karg-Elert,the major work here being Kaleidoscope, Op 144, a four movement suite lasting just under 20 minutes. Alongside this are some of his transcriptions of well-known classics including Handel’s Harmonius Blacksmith  and the Pastorale from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

THE COMPLETE ORGAN SONATAS OF JOSEF RHEINBERGER
Roger Sayer, organ of The Temple Church, London
PRIORY PRCD 1165 (6 CDs)

Despite my reservations about some “complete” releases here is one that is very welcome. In a neatly packaged box set these 6 CDs provide excellent recordings of all 20 sonatas played here on this well-known but little recorded organ by Roger Sayer. This works as a useful reference but with the sonatas arranged as they are these are CDs that can be enjoyed in their own right.

J.S. BACH FROM SALISBURY
David Halls, organ of Salisbury Cathedral
PRIORY PRCD 1197 

Priory has released some very interesting series over the years, not least the Great European Organ series which reached its 100^th, and final, CD a little while ago. The label has recently embarked on a new series combining accomplished organists with great cathedral organs and selected music by Bach. The intention is to make available something of the experience of Bach played on the organs of the English cathedral tradition as a contrast to recordings made on historic and modern “authentic” instruments. This new project began with a recording from Durham and here now moves to Salisbury with an enjoyable selection of Preludes & Fugues.

J.S. BACH FROM LIVERPOOL

Ian Tracey & David Poulter, organs of Liverpool (Anglican) Cathedral
PRIORY PRCD 1191

The next release in this series has a selection of chorale preludes, transcriptions from various works by Ian Tracey, the Trio Sonata No 1 in E flat, and bookended by two larger works, Fantasia in G and Prelude & Fuguein G major, BWV541. Ian Tracey, long associated with the cathedral plays half the programme on the main organ, whilst David Poulter, until recently the cathedral’s subsequent Director of Music, plays the Lady Chapel instrument. It is lovely to have both organs featured together on one CD, highlighting the differences but effectiveness of this pair of Willis organs. Altogether this is a varied and enjoyable programme.

Stephen Page

Mozart: Cosi fan tutte

Royal Opera, Semyon Bychkov

OPUS ARTE OA 1260D

This 2016 production by Jan Philipp Gloger works very well on the small screen, where the updating is smoothly effective as well as often genuinely amusing. It also has the great benefit of young singers who come over well in close-up. There is a fine conceit at the start where the protagonists come up out of the audience as if the opera has just ended and they come on stage discussing what they have just seen, only to find themselves drawn in to the realities of the emotional world of the original. This approach, added to fine singing and some exceptional playing from the orchestra under Semyon Bychkov make this a valuable addition to the many already available.

Percy Grainger: Complete Music for Wind Band – 2

Royal Norwegian Navy Band, Bjarte Engeset

NAXOS 8.573680

Having greatly enjoyed the first cd in the series I am delighted to say that this is certainly its equal. A few better known arrangements – Children’s March, Danny Boy, The Merry King – sit alongside rarer items. The final, unexpected, piece is a lengthy arrangement of Liszt’s Hungarian Fantasy for piano and wind band with Joachim Carr at the piano. This was apparently a favourite of Grainger himself, often performing it in public, and it works surprisingly well with wind band.

The Inner Child

Antonio Oyarzabal, piano

ORPHEUS OR 7351-0685

Given the popularity of many of these pieces individually, it is surprising that they are not brought together more often. Antonio Oyarzabal’s deft approach maintains the innocence within the individual movements while clearly defining their emotional content as well as the very different approaches of the four composers. If the Schumann and Debussy seem the most disarming, the Mompou pieces, by their more obvious unfamiliarity convince with their immediacy before a return to the comfort of Ravel’s Ma mere l’oye.  This may be a corner of the market which has been neglected previously.

Guitar Music of Mexico

Cecilio Perera, guitar

NAXOS 8.573674

The cd notes that contemporary guitar music in Mexico is very vibrant with a number of familiar professional guitarists composing on a regular basis. Drawing on a rich heritage of guitar music, most of it unfamiliar to European listeners, the cd is composed almost entirely of new or recent music with only one traditional piece La Ilorona arranged by Julio Cesar Oliva to connect us to this heritage.

Cecilio Perera includes a recording of his own Marina which is certainly in keeping with the high quality and enjoyable nature of the whole.

Schubert: Works for solo piano Vol 3

Barry Douglas, piano

CHANDOS CHAN 10990

This third volume, on a par with the first two fine volumes, opens with the posthumous Piano Sonata D958, followed immediately by the delightful Moments musicaux Op94. These two take up a major part of the disc but at the end we have two Liszt transcriptions of Schubert, Sei mir gegrust D741 and Auf der Wasser zu singen Op72 D774. Barry Douglas playing is as mellifluous as ever and the rest of the series is eagerly awaited.

Sibelius: Chamber works

Chamber Domaine Thomas Kemp

RESONUS RES10205

There is always a good case for introducing the listener to unfamiliar works by placing them alongside the well-known. The only potential problem is that the collector may already have a number of recording of the Andante Festivo and not welcome another – which would be a pity as it is not only the gentle nature of the playing here but the range of smaller works which rarely get into the concert hall. These include the suite Rakastava (The Lover), and arrangements of The Oak-tree, Nocture and a flute solo from Scaramouche.  None are world-shattering but that is not the point here. What we have is a finely balanced programme of engaging and finely played pieces.

CPE Bach: Solo Keyboard Music Vol 35

Miklos Spanyi, tangent piano

BIS 2260

I have to admit I did not know what a tangent piano was and am grateful for the photo on the back cover of the notes. The immediate response is that it must be a harpsichord, for it is certainly that shape and size, with reversed colour keyboard; however this is not so. The instrument recorded here was built in 1998 by Ghislain Potvlieghe in Belgium based on a 1799 instrument by Baldassare Pastore. The notes give a detailed description of the specific benefits of the tangent piano which fits somewhere between a clavichord and a forte-piano, enabling the works CPE Bach wrote for both to be recorded with both the intimacy of the earlier instruments and the vigour of the later.

There is a reference back to Vol19 for reference where a parallel set of variations was recorded. With a composer so prolific one wonders how many more there will be in this series – though given the enjoyment it is giving we are not looking for an end!

Mozart: Piano Duets Vol2

Julian Perkins and Emma Abbate

RESONUS RES 10210

This recording follows the earlier volume of piano works for four hands and uses instruments from the Richard Burnett Heritage Collection – a fortepiano of 1800 by Michael Rosenberger and a square piano c 1820. In addition to two Mozart sonatas and an unfinished Allegro & Andante they also sneak in a sonata by Clementi.

Directed by Handel: Music from Handel’s London Theatre Orchestra

Olwen Foulkes, recorder

BCR 019

Though Handel was adept at turning out scores in great rapidity he was surrounded in London by many other contemporary composers, and what we have here is a collection of delightful items which were written and played during the height of Handel’s operatic fame. Olwen Foulkes investigated these while taking part in a residency at Handel House in 2015 and much of this recording is the result of that research. It includes pieces by Corelli, Sammartini and JC Smith as well as Handel himself. It is good to see such a valuable undertaking coming to such enjoyable fruition.

Bach: Mass in B minor

Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Stephen Layton

HYPERION CDA 68181/2

There is a lightness, a sense of joy, which pervades this new recording even in its most serious moments. The Sanctus in particular floats with seemingly effortless ease, mirroring the outpouring of excitement at Et resurrexit in the Creed. When this is added to the fine line up of soloists, including Iestyn Davies mellifluous counter-tenor (listen to the meltingly beautiful Agnus Dei) and the crisp direction of Stephen Layton, the whole is highly recommended.

Brahms: Three Violin Sonatas

Tasmin Little, violin; Piers Lane, piano

CHANDOS CHAN 10977

When one realises the long association Brahms had with a number of great violinists it is strange that so little music was composed especially for them. These three sonatas – Op78 dating from 1878 and the other two Op100 and Op108 dating from a decade later – are all that survive for piano and violin though they more than make up for any lack of number with the quality of the compositions themselves which are here given exemplary performances.

Handel’s last Prima Donna

Ruby Hughes, soprano, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Laurence Cummings

CHACONNE CHSA 0403

The purity of Ruby Hughes voice makes an ideal vehicle for this collection which reflects the repertoire of Giulia Frasi, the soprano in all of Handel’s late works. She is movingly effective in the two arias from Theodora and the lament from Jephtha. The real bonus, however, is the inclusion of arias by Philip Hayes, John Christopher Smith and Thomas Arne which demonstrate the quality of composition being provided by Handel’s rivals at the same time. She is accompanied throughout by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under the sensitive baton of Laurence Cummings.

Haydn: String Quartets Op64

Doric String Quartet

CHANDOS CHAN 10971

A bargain here as the two cds include all six quartets of Op64. They were written at a pivotal point in Haydn’s career as he made his first visit to London. Moreover, not only were they printed for sale and therefore performance by amateur players at home, but were, most unusually, included in some of Salomon’s London concerts, thus giving them public as well as private airing. The Doric String Quartet have already brought us fine recordings of Op20 and Op76 – to which these new cds of Op64 are equally welcome.

Beethoven: Violin Sonatas

Chloe Hanslip, violin, Danny Driver, piano

No1 in D major Op12/1; No3 in E flat major op12/3; No6 in A major Op30/1; No8 in G major Op30/3

Vol 1  Rubicon RCD 1010

No4 in A minor Op23; No5 in F major Op24 Spring; No7 in C minor Op30/2

Vol 2  Rubicon RCD 1011

The complete Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano were recorded live in Southampton’s Turner Sims Concert Hall in concerts given across 2017. The first two releases are listed above and benefit from the immediacy and rapport of a live performance, particularly important with these early works by the composer which benefit from the intimacy of a live response. Chloe Hanslip and Danny Driver obviously know the works well and bring love and enthusiasm to their performances throughout.

Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame

Dutch National Opera, Royal Concertgebouw, Maris Jansons

UNITEL 743908

Stefan Herheim’s production is built around the final days of Tchaikovsky’s life with the composer himself on stage almost the whole time and playing Prince Yeletsky. It is impressively carried through once one has accepted that there is nothing naturalistic on stage. Many moments are vividly impressive, not least Hermann’s anguish following the death of the countess, when the whole stage dissolves into a rage matching his own and the vast chandelier swings like an enormous Botafumeiro.

A strong cast are led by Misha Didyk as Hermann, Svetlana Aksenova as Liza and Alexey Markov as Count Tomsky. Mariss Jansons conducted with fire and brings an unexpected edge to the production as a whole.

(with apologies for lateness as the Editor has been on holiday!)

JS Bach: St John Passion

Bach Choir and Orchestra Mainz, Ralf Otto

NAXOS 8.573817-18

Lent normally brings a number of interesting new Bach issues and this certainly has a great deal to commend it. It draws on the final 1749 revision, but incorporates many of the additional items from 1725 later removed. As such it goes for the best of both worlds yet flows with a simple grace.

Ralf Otto’s tempi are brisk and workmanlike, his choral forces lean and precise. Evangelist Georg Poplutz and Jesus Yorck Felix Speer are excellent but the smaller parts are obviously drawn from the choir and don’t command quite the same weight. However this is not a problem for a recording which holds its own in comparison to far more expensive versions.

Guitar Music of Venezuela

Nirse Gonzalez, guitar

NAXOS 8.573631

The works here were all entirely new to me but none the less enticing and I will certainly return to the recording to get to know them better. Gentle dances by Carlos Silva and Evancia Castellanos sit comfortably alongside contemporary composers Pedro Mauricio Gonzalez and Federico Ruiz. Well worth an indulgence given the price.

Clarinet Fantasies

Nadia Wilson, clarinet, Martin Butler, piano

PRIMA FACIE PFCD 076

This recording is built around Martin Butler’s own Barlow Dale pieces which have lived an interesting if somewhat chequered history, re-emerging recently when Nadia Wilson realised she had been aware of them when Martin Butler himself assumed they had fallen out of both performance and interest. They are lively pieces depicting the cats who are the protagonists of his aunt’s book Barlow Dale.  As such they are enchanting and make a fine central feature for slightly more serious pieces by Bax, Horovitz and Ireland – though I have to admit I enjoyed the Butler settings the best!

Dag Wiren: orchestral works

Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Rumon Gamba

CHANDOS CHSA 5194

Dag Wiren tends to be remembered for a tiny handful of pieces today and it is therefore too easy to overlook his larger output. This cd brings together the third symphony, Serenade Op11, Divertimento Op29 and the Sinfonietta Op7A. The Serenade is the earliest work, dating from 1937 with the Divertimento completed in 1957. If the Serenade is deliberately light in both texture and atmosphere then the other works take on a more serious tone, though they are always mellifluously easy on the ear.

Granados – works for piano

Xiayin Wang, piano

CHANDOS CHAN 10995

This is an entirely romantic recording with a great deal to indulge and enjoy. Very much a Catalan, Granados seems to exploit the romanticism of his environment and lure this into both the scores themselves and Xiayin Wang’s fine playing.

Telemann: Melodious Canons & Fantasias

Elysium Ensemble

RESONUS RES 10207

The Elysium Ensemble is here represented by Greg Dikmans, flute, and Lucinda Moon, violin, in a series of very finely performed chamber pieces for flute and violin. If anything it is all almost too intimate. The recording, while having a slight warmth to it, could easily be in a large front room and as such it makes these pleasantly domestic if not actually personal in their impact. It is as if the musicians are playing just for us – which is probably what Telemann intended. It is entirely convincing.

Brahms: Complete works for piano

Barry Douglas

CHANDOS CHAN 10951(6)

The six cds which make up this set were recorded between 2012 and 2016, being released complete now for the first time. It is impossible within the scope of so brief a review to do justice to the set as a whole – let us simply say that I was delighted to be able to review it and indulge myself in such fine playing and such captivating performances. Nothing singled out here – there is far too much to choose from. If you did not get the individual recordings when first released this is your chance to catch up – and you won’t regret it.

Percy Grainger: Complete Music for Wind Band 1

Royal Norwegian Navy Band, Bjarte Engeset

NAXOS 8.573679

A most unusual collection with more promised to follow. Grainger’s arrangements are often idiosyncratic with hand bells and Hammond organs to the fore – but always used to fine effect. Alongside many of his own compositions come arrangements of other composers’ works. Most interesting is the orchestration of Franck’s Second Chorale – normally an organ piece but here given a far wider range of texture and tone. This is a fascinating dive into unfamiliar territory and I look forward to further volumes.

Debussy: Piano Music Vo.V

Michael Korstick

SWR 19044CD

While this new cd includes some familiar pieces – L’isle joyeuse, Masque- it is most noteworthy for the two sets of Etudes. Late works, Debussy deliberately leaves much to the performer with little indication of fingering or pedalling. Michael Korstick brings a clarity and often a severity to the pieces which seems very forward-looking and is immensely pleasing in impact.

The notes with this cd include information on the piano version of Jeux which is available for download.

From Baroque to Fado

Os Musicos do Tejo, Marcos Magalhaes

NAXOS 8.573875

This proved to be an unexpected pleasure as much for the high quality of performance throughout as well as the wide range of music included. Few of us will be aware of the range of Portuguese music and so the twenty tracks on the cd offer a valuable insight into the range of music which came out of the country over the last three hundred years. The Fado items are a delight, sitting comfortably alongside composed works by eighteenth century composers Palomino and da Silva Leite, and living composers Carlos Goncalves and Pedro Ayres Magalhaes. Most of the tracks may be short but the balance between them means that the programme flows without any uncomfortable jumps.

Beethoven, Hiller & Schubert

RESONUS RES 10203

Mozart Piano Trios

RESONUS RES 10168

Rautio Piano Trio

The Rautio Piano Trio have a growing reputation which is amply demonstrated by these two cds even if the cellist is not consistent. The Mozart cd uses original instruments and a fortepiano to create a warm ambience throughout though there is no lack of intensity of attack where needed, and real sense of enthusiasm for the scores.

The more recent cd includes the premiere recording of Ferdinand Hiller’s Piano Trio No 6 in C minor Op186, which unusually has five movements including a central notturno which links it to Beethoven’s Ghost Trio and Schubert’s Notturno D897. This is intelligent programming as it brings a fine, if unknown, work to our attention alongside familiar works which stand strong comparision with other recordings. We can look forward to further recordings from the Rautio Piano Trio given the large range of music available to them and the relatively small number of current recordings.

Elgar: Falstaff; orchestral songs

Roderick Williams, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Davis

CHANDOS CHSA 5188

It is the song recordings – with the ever reliable Roderick Williams – which make this a valuable new cd. While The King’s Way and the brief Kindly do not smoke may only be of passing interest, the Op59 & 60 cycles are far more important and could sit comfortably alongside the more familiar Sea Songs. Added to this are two movements from the incidental music to Grania and Diarmid and a complete performance of Falstaff. Andrew Davis draws the best from these scores, even where they are not necessarily first rank, and the whole makes for a fine programme.

MONTEVERDI AND REFLECTIONS; tears of a lover

Fieri Consort

Fieri Records www.fiericonsort.co.uk

This is a debut release produced by John Rutter on its own Fieri Records label. It includes recent settings by Ben Rowarth alongside those by Monteverdi and Luca Marenzio. The Fieri Consort use the complex harmonies of both the sixteenth and twenty-first centuries to challenge the ear as well as draw comparisons between the emotional impact of the two approaches despite the large disparity in time.

J G Janitsch; Rediscoveries from the Sara Levy Collection

Tempesta di Mare Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, Gwyn Roberts

CHACONNE CHAN 0820

Johann Gottlieb Janitsch (1708-62) was little more than a name in the record of composers whose works had been lost until the remarkable reappearance in 2001 of the Sara Levy collection in Kiev in 1999, which was subsequently returned to Germany. Sara Levy was a fine musician in her own right and great-aunt to the Mendelssohns. The collection includes about 90 works by Janitsch, about thiry of which were previously unknown. All of this would be an excellent reason to welcome the new recording which proves to be a delight if conventional in both style and approach. The cd has four sonatas for chamber forces and an overture grosso written for two orchestras.

Copland: Orchestral works 3

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, John Wilson

CHANDOS CHSA 5195

This recording brings together a range of works which illustrate Copland’s adaptability. An Outdoor Overture was written for the High School of Music and Art, New York, in 1938 as a result of a commission to work with students. The lack of concert halls with organs (to say nothing of the difficulties organists had dealing with the time lag between the conductor’s beat and the note sounding) meant that the First Symphony had to be rescored to leave out the organ itself – the latter version being recorded here. The Dance Symphony is a much darker work than the title may imply, being an arrangement of music intended for a Gothic ballet. The BBC Philharmonic under John Wilson give spirited interpretations of these less familiar scores.

JS Bach; Musikalisches Opfer

Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki

BIS 2151

This is an enjoyable new recording based around the various sections of the Musical Offering and a set of Canons taken from the ground bass of the Goldberg Variations. The Canons are all very brief and could seem like little more than academic exercises to test just how far Bach could go with this experimentation. Needless to say they are far more musically alive than this, and might benefit from being played by a single instrument or ensemble rather than the regular change of instrumentation.

TENORS UnLIMITED: The Journey

TUNLCD05

Forget opera – think Rat Pack – but then think opera when it comes to quality of voices and an ability to sing convincingly in a range of languages. Add to this a dynamic ability to belt popular numbers with enthusiasm but sing reflective songs with pathos. The Journey brings together a very diverse range of music from West Side Story to O Sole Mio taking in a generous collection along the way.

Scott Ciscon, Paul Martin and Jem Sharples have a deservedly strong reputation and this is certainly born out in this recording. The arrangements are always apt with an intimacy often missing in popular recordings. I really liked their version La Mer, sung for most of the time in French, before the more familiar Somewhere beyond the sea.

If you are reading this before 16 Dec – then you can catch them at Opus Theatre in Hastings on that day. If they can fill the Royal Albert Hall, they can surely do the same closer to home.  A real Christmas treat!

JS BACH FROM DURHAM
James Lancelot, organ of Durham Cathedral
PRIORY PRCD 1179

James Lancelot is perfectly at ease with music and instrument in this fine recording from Durham. Opening with Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C and including the Prelude & Fugue in A (BWV 536) the rest of the programme features less familiar settings of chorale material by Bach. These include the Kanonische Veranderungen on Von Himmel Hoch(BWV 769) and the lengthy Partite on Sei gegrusset, Jesu gutig (BWV 768). A pleasing programme.

MESSIAEN – LA NATIVITE DU SEIGNEUR / LE BANQUET  CELESTE
Colin Walsh, organ of Lincoln Cathedral
PRIORY PRCD 1194

A good pairing of familiar music makes this a welcome disc. The fact that this was recorded live at a performance in the cathedral adds something to this listening experience.

GRANDE SYMPHONIE
David Leigh, organ of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork
PRIORY PRCD 1190

This very enjoyable CD pairs recordings of two symphonic works – Franck’s Grande piece symphonique with Lemare’s Symphony No 2 in D minor, Op 50. Both works suit this less familiar cathedral organ, rebuilt in 2013. Shorter 20^th century works by Fernando Germani, Jonathtan T Horne & Eoghan Desmond make up the rest of the inventive programme splendidly performed by David Leigh.

ORGAN PARTY
Kevin Bowyer, organ of Glasgow University Memorial Chapel
PRIORY PRCD 1171

I really enjoyed this very eclectic disc. Kevin Bowyer has amassed a wonderful assortment of unusual 20^th Century pieces, many in a more light-hearted vein. Included are Martin Stacey’s Little Stanmore Suite (including the movement Ach, mein wig hast blown off!) & The Naughty Boy by Paul Fisher, inspired in part by Monty Python. There are two hymn/spiritual arrangements by Mons Leidvin Takle, The Lord Warden’s Rondo by one-time organist of St Mary’s Rye, Charles Proctor and a lovely arrangement of Bucolosi’s The Grasshoppers’ Dance. I was particularly pleased to find included here Nos 3 & 4 (!) of Peter Warlock’s Two Cod Pieces. Oh, and I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts!!
Who says that organists can’t let their hair down?

MUSIC FOR SUNDAY
Choir of Salisbury Cathedral, director David Halls, organist John Challenger
PRIORY PRCD 1173

This is a lovely recording of the Cathedral Choir singing contemporary and older service music. David Halls’ own Missa Festiva & Will Todd’s Shorter(Evening) Service are joined by a lengthy anthem by Howard Moody, In the hand of God. There are shorter works by Richard Shephard and Thomas Tallis, traditional Anglican chants for Psalms 82, 84 & 85, morning canticles by Purcell & two traditional hymns. This is a timely reminder of the quality and variety of choral worship being offered week by week.

GREAT HYMNS FROM LIVERPOOL
Choir of Liverpool Cathedral, director David Poulter, organ Ian Tracey
PRIORY PRCD 1180

This does what it says on the tin! Mostly very familiar hymns sung and accompanied brilliantly in the wonderful Liverpool (Anglican) setting.

MOTHER OF GOD, HERE I STAND
Choir of Nottingham Cathedral, director Alex Patterson
PRIORY PRCD 1196

Recordings by UK Catholic choirs are less numerous than their Anglican counterparts and this one is particularly welcome. It draws together a collection of music all of which gives particular focus to Mary and covers a range of periods and styles of composition. It is punctuated throughout by ancient chant and includes compositions by Byrd, Palestrina, Philips, Victoria and de Lassus alongside contemporary works from Britten, Tavener, Celia McDowall, Howard Skempton and Alex Patterson’s own Ave Maria. It is wonderful to have all this music collected here in commited performances by the Nottingham choir.

A CAVALIER CHRISTMAS
The Ebor Singers, Chelys Consort of Viols, conducted by Paul Gameson
RESONUS RES 10202 66’28

It is always good to see imaginative themed releases such as this fascinating CD, which is a follow up to a previous recording, Music for Troubled Times. As the sleeve notes point out the music reflects the style in which Charles I wished to continue to celebrate Christmas in contrast to the Puritans who sought to abolish any Christmas observance. Less familiar names such as William & Henry Lawes , George Jeffreys & John Jenkins sit alongside Byrd, Gibbons & Dering. The period instruments do much to transport us back to the time of the English Civil War.

LO, HOW A ROSE E’ER BLOOMING – MUSIC FOR CHRISTMAS
The Queen’s Six
RESONUS RES 10204  72’01

This is the third releasefor Resonus by this ensemble. Polished performances are given throughout in this eclectic mix of old and new, sacred and secular songs for Christmas. Traditional carols sit alongside less familiar choral items including Tye’s Laudate nomen Domini  and Richard Rodney Bennett’s Out of your sleep. I am not usually keen on mixing in such secular items as Let it Snow and Jingle Bells but in the arrangements and performances here they seem to fit in well.

RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONARIES VOL 1 – VICTOR EWALD & OSKAR BOHME
The Prince Regent’s Band
RESONUS RES 10201  77’02

Marking the centenary of the Russian Revolution this release is the first in a survey of late 19^th & early 20^th Century Russian brass chamber music. I have to admit that I found the music less interesting than I had hoped – but the performances and production are excellent. I can only hope that further releases will throw up music that sounds more revolutionary to my ear. I await them with interest.

Wagner: Die Walkure

Salzburg Easter Festival 2017

Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann

UNITEL 742808

Those of us who have been attending Wagner performances now for over half a century will recall Gunther Schneider-Siemssen’s massive settings from the 1960s – none more so that the Solti Ring Cycles at the Royal Opera House.

This new release is a strange hybrid. To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Herbert von Karajan’s opening of the first Salzburg Easter Festival with Die Walkure they have recreated Schneider-Siemssen’s sets but then added in new costumes and a new production. The second and third acts work better as the world of the gods sits more comfortably within the vast ring. Not so the first act where Peter Seiffert’s finely sung Siegmund sits rolling a cigarette before calling out to his father, very much at odds with the heavily stylised setting, which has no doors or sense of the domestic about it, dampening the intimacy of the music.

Thankfully Thielemann and his orchestra are in magnificent form and the end of act one thrills, as to many other key moments. Anja Kampe is an engaging Brunnhilde and a fine foil for the slippery Wotan of Vitalij Kowaljow. Christa Mayer’s Fricka has more to do in this production than is often the case and is only too happy to see Siegmund killed.

In the end, the compromise works, though it might have been even more interesting to have reconstructed and original production as an entity rather than in part.

Wagner: Siegfried

Hon Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden

NAXOS 8.660413-16

This is proving to be the finest Ring cycle currently available and I can’t wait for next year’s Gotterdammerung. It is excellently sung throughout and Jaap van Zweden’s conducting is light and flexible – just what the score needs and all too often fails to get. There are many magnificent moments. I particularly enjoyed Falk Struckmann’s Fafner, who hints at the lumbering stupidity of the giant even as he roars out his contempt for Siegfried. Matthias Goerne adds the Wanderer to his earlier Wotan, with a world-weary edge which is most convincing. Valentina Farcas is a sprightly woodbird and both dwarves are incisive and nasty. At the heart of the work, Simon O’Neill brings authority to the title role as well as flexibility to the musical line which always pleases. For this recording to be available on a bargain priced label makes it all the more worth snapping up.

Lehar: Schon ist die Welt

Munchner Rundfunkorchester, Ulf Schirmer

CPO 777055-2

This was the last major work from Lehar and the most operatic. The second act is effectively through-composed, a fact which did not go down too well with some of his followers who preferred a more conventional operetta format. There are some lovely melodies however and more to enjoy here than might at first seem obvious. It is certainly worth a second hearing.

The only minor flaw is that the dual casting means you need to have an idea of the story line to ensure you know which character you are supposed to be listening to at any one time!

Silver Voice

Katherine Bryan, flute, Orchestra of Opera North, Bramwell Tovey

CHANDOS CHSA 5211

While there is much to enjoy here and some very fine playing I am unsure just who the audience are for this recording of operatic arias arranged for flute. The tunes range from Gershwin to Mozart and are all instantly recognisable, but am I simply being snobbish to suggest that if I wanted operatic arias I’d rather have them sung rather than played here as what comes close to background music rather than a cd I would deliberately sit down to enjoy.

Debussy: Preludes Book 1 & 2

Angela Brownridge, piano

CHALLENGE CC72727

A full recording this, with both books of Preludes plus L’Isle joyeuse. What impresses is the range and delicacy which Angela Brownridge brings to the recording, meaning that we can indulge individual pieces but equally experience the books as a whole, moving from one emotional encapsulation to another. She seems to create links with ease, enticing us even when the content is complex and challenging.

A fine recording with hopefully many more to follow.

Arturo Benedetti

ORFEO C 943171B

This recording dates from 7 August 1965 and was recorded live at the Salzburg Festival. Arturo Benedetti is at the height of his career at this time, and here performs Busoni’s arrangement of Bach’s Chaconne aus Partita BWV1004 and Beethoven’s Sonata No3 in C major Op2 No3. The quality of the recording is not an issue, and the quality of the playing radiates throughout. it may now seem a dated approach to the scores, in terms of what we have come to expect from current pianists, but the magnificence of the sound is never in doubt.

Shostakovich: The Gadfly – complete original film score

Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Mark Fitz-Gerald

NAXOS 8.573747

The Gadfly is best remembered today for the longer arrangement of Youth though the score as reconstructed here has a good deal of music which is equally impressive. It also draws on the full orchestral resources Shostakovich required for the film – including church bells, organ, guitars and mandolin – which are absent from the normal orchestral suite. There is also an added bonus in the inclusion of The Song of the Counterplan from the score of that name.

Mahler: Symphony No 5

Bayerischen Rundfunk symphonieorchester, Mariss Jansons

BR KLASSIK 900150

Maris Jansons finds the joy inherent in this score and brings it out time after time, lurking even in more sombre moments. The familiar Adagio has a warmth to it which carries us easily into the romp of the finale.  As with his other Mahler cds, this benefits from being a live recording with the added sense of atmosphere and tension.

‘Aqua’ – Arta Arnicane

(Solo Musica label on Sony Music)

The planet looks likely to need artistes like Arta Arnicane. The Latvian pianist’s ingenuity and imagination combined again to create an enriching and rewarding songlike programme by her piano-cello DUO Arnicans at their International Interview Concert at Worthing in November 2017. But few places in Britain have yet tasted her appealHer new CD album ‘Aqua’ is a beautiful piece of work. Do not be surprised at its class. The disc, the music, the booklet, the personally-written narrating booklet accompaniment, the guest photography, the packaging, indicate that Arnicane promises a future flow of contributions to the wellbeing of her listeners.

‘Aqua’ amounts to a sort of soul hydrotherapy. We know of the physical and spiritually therapeutic effects of water, and here she presents a 16-item sequence of solo piano music designed to seep inside ourselves. Our majority-water composition as human beings subliminally determines our  affinity and receptiveness to that – and if science has yet to research this process, Arta Arnicane here issues their prompt.

Scientists now confirm the imminent increased water domination of our existence: the oceans are on their way upwards to meet us. Indeed, prescient on this album is Waterfall of P?rse, which portrays an actual waterfall lost to the rising level of the river Daugava. It is one of seven pieces by Latvian composers, some actually acquaintances of Arnicane, and who on ‘Aqua’ are rubbing shoulders with music’s already established master water painters.

Latvia gave us Mikhail Baryshnikov, Mischa Maisky, Mariss Kansons, Andris Nelsons, Gidon Kremer. Like all these, who were born in the winter by the Baltic Sea, at the mouth of the Daugava, Arnicane hails from Riga. I have named only male compatriots. But Mirga Gražintye-Tyla from neighbouring Lithuania has lately broken through the glass door of recognition and now chief-conducts Birmingham’s famous orchestra.

No Latvian woman has hit full international musical consciousness outside opera. But Arnicane could emerge from that shade with her own angle on great music. In ‘Aqua’, she creates both an alluring and invigorating ambience, and a refreshing and rejuvenating listening experience. Relaxation comes in the knowledge that, heard end-to-end, ‘Aqua’ has taken the hearer to a new plane of perception and understanding – even repose.

I firmly recommend that your first listening is done without knowing all the titles, or the running order, nor having read the inside booklet. Failing that, not having them in front of you.

This greatly empowers the undulation of the programme’s trajectory and energy, and increases the listener’s feeling of discovery, for discoveries lie in wait. Approach ‘Aqua’ like a 1970s concept album heard in the dark.

Arnicane, to use circus billing, is already a virtuoso. But in’Aqua’ her prize gift to the hearer is not from the necessary servant dexterity and strength but the priority of the scenic depiction and the poetry. She wants you to shut your eyes and visualise, not to seek bedazzlement. And her instinct and innate sensitivity of planning leaves you with the final feeling of ‘and so to bed’. Magic is abroad and know also that this is a record you could give unhesitatingly to a child.

From our wealth of sea, lake, river, stream, brook and rain music, Arnicane draws on Berio, Debussy, Ravel, Liszt, Schubert, Chopin, Grieg  (people you’ve heard of) and Jazeps Vitols, Arvids Žilinskis, Janis Keptis, Pauls Damis and Romualds Jermaks – the important newcomers who make this record the treasured one it will become. Providing that you, I trust – like everyone else – are made of water.

Richard Amey

Details and special video: https://www.artaarnicane.com/aquacd

DUO Arnicans’ self-titled CD of Chopin and Dohnanyi Sonatas, plus two other unexpected Chopin items is out on the same label.