Daily Archives: 4 April, 2014
The Regency Singers
The Regency Singers gave a Spring Concert at St Luke’s Church last Saturday. In many ways this was a sad occasion for it was to be the last time Stephen Page acted as Musical Director and Conductor for the group, but there was no sense of depression in the air for an eclectic range of song and instrumental music.
They opened with Bridge Over Troubled Water, followed by Moon River and Take the A train – all geared to helping us relax, sit back and enjoy. Two items from Les Miserables followed, with the men obviously in their element with Do you hear the people sing.
Elgar’s As torrents in summer made a refreshing interlude and led gently in The gypsy rover. Pianist Andrew Daniels, who accompanied throughout, vamped his way delightfully through The Sunny side of the Street before the meater offering of a selection from Evita.
Fine renditions of You Raise Me Up and All Things Bright and Beautiful in the John Rutter setting, brought us to a more serious point in the afternoon and this slipped into a three minute overview of the whole of western music.
With the Samuel F Dallady organ now fully restored and in superb condition it was good to hear Stephen Page play a Bach Arioso. The tremulant is now back to its original condition and its soft, almost hesitant, impact is superb.
A medley from Joseph and Rutter’s Blessing brought the afternoon to a close, just in time for tea and cake.
Those wishing to hear the Dalladay organ in full flow will be welcome at St Luke’s for a concert on Saturday 26 April, which will also include the book-launch of Organs of 1066 Country which includes a biography of the organ-builder.
April CDs / DVDs
Mendelssohn in Birmingham
CBSO, Edward Gardner
CHANDOS CHSA 5132 66:04
An interesting way of bringing familiar works together, though the evidence that any of these works was actually performed by the composer in Birmingham is not forth-coming. That Mendelssohn worked regularly and to critical acclaim in the city is without doubt, and the CBSO under Edward Gardner bring us lively and committed readings of all of the works here. Listen to the hushed opening of the Hebrides Overture to get a flavour of the sound world evoked.
The Voice of the Dove
The Sixteen
CORO COR16119 70:58
The Sixteen, in their usual fine form, turn their attention to lesser known composers of Renaissance polyphony, drawing on works from the Eton Choirbook. There are three extended compositions by Davy and Mundy, while the rest comprises shorter antiphons. A captivating glimpse of rarely heard works.
Shostakovich: Complete quartets
Borodin Quartet
MELODIA MELCD 1001077
This release brings together the complete string quartets Nos 1-15 alongside the Piano Quintet and two pieces for string octet. Where Shostakovich is more popularly known for his symphonies, string quartets were a vital part of his output over the whole of his creative life. The recordings date from the 1980s but there is no indication of their age in the transfer. The Borodin quartet are joined by Sviatoslav Richter for the Piano Quintet. The accompanying notes are verbose and very poorly translated; one is advised to simply listen to fine performances.
CPE Bach: Piano Concertos
Michael Rische, Rainer Maria Klaas, piano; Kammersymphonie, Leipzig
HANSSLER CD 98.027 58:47
Delightful, sprightly playing from the two pianists and well balanced accompaniment from the Leipzig Kammersymphonie. Entertaining throughout.
Vivaldi: 5 concertos for Bassoon, strings and basso continuo
Valery Popov, bassoon; State Chamber Orchestra of the Belorussian SSR, Valery Polyansky
MELODIA MELCD 1002098
A new recording of works which are today more familiar than they were a few years ago. With so many concerti to choose from it is not wonder that, even now, we are presented with charming works we have never come across before. Recommended.
Joachim Raff: Symphony No5, overtures
Orchestra de la Suisse Romande, Neeme Jarvi
CHANDOS CHSA 5135 80:55
I have only recently discovered Joachim Raff and am constantly amazed that he is not far more familiar in our concert halls. Those who love late romantic compositions – Dvorak, Smetana, Tchaikovsky – can’t fail to like this collection of works from an exhilarating overture to Dame Kobold written in 1869 to the more expansive pleasure of the 5th Symphony. Though it has a conventional structure, it is strongly programmatic, being based on Burger’s poem Lenore and reflecting the tensions of the Franco-Prussian war.
Britten: Death in Venice
ENO
OPUS ARTE OA 1130 D 153:00
I recall this being a highlight of my visits to the London Coliseum last year – the full review is available elsewhere on the site – and the DVD does ample justice to the production and all involved. Don’t be put off at the beginning if the image seems a little blurred – John Graham-Hall is behind a front cloth! Highly recommended.