BAIRSTOW – HARRIS – STANFORD
CHOIR OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY
PETER HOLDEN, organ
JAMES O’DONNELL, director
HYPERION CDA68259 75’40
A truly beautifully presented programme of works by these three influential composers showcases aspects of the Anglican choral tradition in fine performances by the Abbey choir. The larger works include Stanford’s Evening Service in A and Bairstow’s Blessed City, Heavenly Salem and The Lamentations.
LE POISSON MAGIQUE – ORGAN WORKS BY JOHN McCABE
TOM WINPENNY, organ of St Albans Cathedral
RESONUS RES10144 71’43
Presented almost chronologically this programme is a wonderful compilation of John McCabe’s output for organ, much dating from the 1960s but also with works written much later. Alongside the 6 movement Sinfonia, the Johannis-Partita and the work which gives this CD its name (inspired by Paul Klee’s painting) is the set of 7 Carol-Preludes (2008) and Esperanza, written in 2010 for the St Albans Organ Festival. Tom Winpenny is very much at home here, giving fine performances throughout. Features a number of world premiere recordings.
FRANCOIS COUPERIN – QUATRIEME LIVRE DE PIECES DE CLAVECIN
GUILLERMO BRACHETTA, harpsichord
RESONUS RES10240 (2CD) 79’56 & 76’46
This release is the first in a major series which will cover the complete Pieces de Clavecin by Couperin. These recordings bring these characterful pieces to life once more. This is a good entry point for anyone unfamiliar with the baroque keyboard repertoire, who may find the variety and inventiveness here a surprise. Equally for those wishing to build a complete collection this series promises to be a valuable one.
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH – DAS WOHLTEMPERIERTE KLAVIER VOL 1 (BWV 846-869
STEVEN DEVINE, harpsichord
RESONUS RES10239 (2CD) 55’06 & 56’13
This is very familiar territory but a new recording from Steven Devine is always welcome and it is good to hear his scholarly yet musical interpretations of this staple of the keyboard repertoire. He plays a recent instrument by Colin Booth, modelled on an 18th century instrument by Johann Christof Fleischer. Covering Book 1 of the Preludes and Fugues, this is the first of a 2 volume set.
PIANO SONATAS BY HAYDN, MOZART & BEETHOVEN
WALEWEIN WITTEN, fortepiano
RESONUS RES10242 71’29
This collection presents focussed performances of later classical keyboard works on a copy of an 1805 Walter fortepiano. I have to confess to not being a fan of the sound of the fortepiano but these are fresh recordings with Walewein Witten giving an authentic voice to this repertoire.
MARK-ANTHONY TURNAGE – A CONSTANT OBSESSION
NICKY SPENCE, tenor
CHAMBER DOMAINE
THOMAS KEMP, conductor
RESONUS RES10106 59’27
Alongside the many varied releases of earlier music it is good to see Resonus championing the work of contemporary Bristish composers. Mark-Anthony Turnage’s chamber music is the subject of this disk. The title comes from a 6 movement work for tenor and 8 players featuring settings of texts by Hardy, Keats and others. Also featured are Three for Two (piano quartet), Four Chants (violin and piano), A Slow Pavane (piano trio) and Grazioso! (for 6 players). All the music has been written between 2004 and 2010.
BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATAS Op 2 No 1, Op 14 No 2, Op 53 ‘Waldstein’, Op 54
ANGELA HEWITT, piano
HYPERION CDA68220 76’46
This release marks the penultimate point in Angela Hewitt’s complete cycle of Beethoven piano sonatas. It combines the familiar and the less so. As always Angela Hewitt seems completely at ease in these performances and they are beautifully presented here.
SAINT-SAENS PIANO CONCERTOS 3, 4 & 5 ‘L’EGYPTIEN’
ALEXANDRE KANTOROW, piano
TAPIOLA SINFONIETTA
JEAN-JACQUES KANTOROW, conductor
BIS BIS-2300 80’37
This sequence of three piano concertos span nearly 30 years of Saint-Saens’ life. They follow on from perhaps the most well-known concerto (No 2) and make for interesting comparison with that and with the so-called “Organ” Symphony. Christened the “young Tsar’ of the piano”’ and “Liszt reincarnated” Alexandre Kantorow’s coupling with the prolific Tapiola Sinfonietta is very successful.
HIERONYMUS PRAETORIUS – MOTETS IN 8,10,12,16 & 20 PARTS
ALAMIRE
HIS MAJESTY’S SAGBUTTS & CORNETTS
STEPHEN FARR, organ
DAVID SKINNER, director
INVENTA INV001 (2 CD) 57’46 & 42’39
These large scale choral works in these brilliant recordings transport the listener back to a different age and into another dimension. There is much variety here as different forces and compositional styles feature throughout. A very enjoyable collection.
JACQUES OFFENBACH – COMPLETE PIANO WORKS
MARCO SOLLINI, piano
CPO 555287-2 (3CD) 211’33
Offenbach’s piano music is not well known. Here is a complete collection of both original music and arrangements. Much of this music is in dance form and most pieces are short with a few slightly extended pieces. The first CD includes two collections –Decameron dramatique and Les Roses du Bengal.
IL CEMBALO TRANSALPINO from the FITZWILLIAM COLLECTION
SOPHIE YATES, harpsichord
CHANDOS CHACONNE CHAN 0819 65’16
A lovely collection of mostly shorter pieces from the Fitzwilliam Collection. Many of the composers names may be unfamiliar to the listener – the exceptions being Girolamo Frescobaldi, Domenico Zipoli, Peter Philips & Arcangelo Corelli. The latter two have the longest compositions here – Passamezzo Pavan & Galliard (Philips) and Sonata Op 5 No 7.
THOMAS ARNE – THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS
THE BROOK STREET BAND & SOLOISTS
JOHN ANDREWS, conductor
DUTTON EPOCH CDLX7361 67’50
This masque, with libretto by William Congreve, was first performed in 1742. Partially reconstructed due to the full score being lost, this is a world premiere recording. It is good to be able to hear more from Thomas Arne, much of whose prolific output has been lost.
SP