Gluck: Orphee et Euridice
Lyric Opera Chcago, Harry Bicket
CMAJOR 714308
This recording arrived the day after I had been to see ENO’s new production of Gluck’s Orfeo. There were some unexpected parallels. Both dispense with the all-important chorus, replacing them with dancers. This made a little more sense in John Neumeier’s Chicago staging as he has changed Orpheus into a choreographer and re-created the narrative as a nightmare following Eurydice’s death in a car accident. This is somewhat easier to take on DVD where most of the visual impact is in close up than it might be live and the chorus are singing off-stage. Dmitry Korchak brings a strong tenor to the lead part – unusual when so often cast as an alto or counter-tenor. His acting is convincing within the limits of the production and the final scenes are certainly effective. Andriana Chuchman has to dance as well as sing and does so with quite confidence, but the most engaging singing comes from Lauren Snouffer’s delightful Amore.
I am increasingly surprised that opera directors seem to find it impossible today to simply tell a story without having to fill out the psychology in graphic detail. It is as if we have no ability to use our imaginations any more. It seems ok for the cinema to indulge in fantasy but not the stage!
Bach Violin Concerti
Kati Debretzeni, violin, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner
SOLI DEO GLORIA SDG 732
A splendidly lively rendition of the two familiar violin concerti and two which lie on the edges of the canon. The A minor BWV 1041 and E major BWV1042 are joined by an arrangement of BWV 1053, originally scored for harpsichord solo and BWV 1052 whose origins have long been argued over – arguments which continue today. No such problem with the outcomes which are convincing in all cases with bright, crisp playing from all concerned and exceptional clarity of line.
Virtuosa of Venice
Fieri Consort
FIER003VOV
Female composers are still overlooked today, and early music composers probably more than others. All the more welcome then this disc of works primarily by the 17th century Venetian composer Barbara Strozzi. She was an acclaimed singer before she started to compose and these works sit beautifully for the voice. They are light and captivating, and the voices are accompanied by a small chamber ensemble of viola da gamba, theorbo and baroque harp.
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 5
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons
BR KLASSIK 900104
This cd is linked to the new catalogue from BR and is a strong indication of their overall approach to recording. Taken from a live broadcast, it has all the frisson one could hope for and a great deal of exciting playing. Maris Jansons is a key conductor for the label and continues to impress with his ability to see an entire series of works as a whole.
Beethoven: Piano Concertos 1 & 2
Boris Giltburg, piano; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko
NAXOS 8.574151
Beethoven: Piano Concertos 0, 2 & 6
Sophie-Mayuko Vetter, piano / fortepiano; Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Peter Ruzicka
Two releases of Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto – though on this occasion we have to be very careful about the titles. It is a familiar truth that the second concerto pre-dates the first, but less well known that there was an even earlier concerto, written when the composer was only 14. This has become known at No0 and is here recorded on an 1806 fortepiano which brings it to life in a highly convincing way. At the other end of his life, Beethoven had started work on a sixth concerto, though little of it survives. Here we have an opulent Allegro completed by Nicholas Cook and Hermann Dechant. Effectively, Beethoven intended to compose seven piano concerto rather than the five we conventionally know. Strong performances on each disc though I am particularly glad to hear the two rarer works.
Dohnanyi: Symphony No1
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Roberto Paternostro
CAPRICCIO C5386
This recording of the first symphony is coupled with the five Symphonic Minutes Op36. The symphony was written in 1901 at a time when the composer had achieved early success. Though his name is still familiar to us, the symphony certainly isn’t and it quickly becomes obvious why this might be so. The work is finely scored and has much warmly rich writing, but the actual melodic ideas don’t abide in the memory and the overall impact is somewhat less than its parts. The cover photo is striking but seems to have nothing to do with the works recorded!
Mahler: Symphony No4
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Roger Norrington
SWR MUSIC SWR19524CD
Another live performance from 2005 with all the vigour and immediacy that one might expect from both orchestra and conductor. Anu Komsi is a gentle soloist at the end and brings the symphony to a reflective end.
Avet Rubeni Terterian: Symphonies 3 & 4
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Karabits
CHANDOS CHSA 5241
I found that the way in to these two symphonies is very much through the two extra items between them. Two short works for duduks (an Armenian double-reed instrument) give the folk background and something of the feel of the works before one launches into the symphonies which are both highly charged and demanding. They are worth the effort of investigating but I doubt if they would ever sit happily within the western musical tradition.
Darkness Illuminated; works by Scriabin and Stanchinsky
Nafis Umerkulova, piano
UA UA0012
The fascinating items here are the works by Stanchinsky, a name all but unknown in Britain. They sit very comfortably alongside the works by Scriabin which may be more familiar – if only stylistically. Most of these are short pieces but none the less demanding on both player and listener, though very much worth the effort. Nafis Umerkulova is a highly convincing exponent and a delight to listen to.