{"id":2790,"date":"2016-02-12T14:15:25","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T14:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.larkreviews.co.uk\/?p=2790"},"modified":"2016-02-12T14:15:25","modified_gmt":"2016-02-12T14:15:25","slug":"cds-dvds-february-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/?p=2790","title":{"rendered":"CDs & DVDs: February 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"
THE BRITANNIC ORGAN\u00a0 VOL 11 \u2013 Historic Improvisations by British & German organists<\/strong><\/span>
\n Welte-Philharmonie organ, Museum fur Musikautomaten, Seewen.<\/strong><\/span>
\n OEHMS\u00a0 OC 850\u00a0 (2 CDs) 74\u201941 & 68\u201922<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

I continue to enjoy the releases in this series. They can be savoured on different levels \u2013 as a record of the reproducing technology, of the organ itself, as a social history document and here as genuine \u201crecordings\u201d of expert exponents of the art of organ improvisation.<\/p>\n

The first CD contains recordings from rolls of William Wolstenholme, Alfred Hollins and Edwin Lemare \u2013 all of whom are very familiar names from the British concert organ scene. It was not easy to pick out much familiar thematic material on either disc. Here, though, I particularly enjoyed Lemare\u2019s improvisation on The Swannee River (Old Folks at Home) and the more extended Improvisation on a theme of Alfred Hollins<\/i>. The longest track is Wolstenholme\u2019s Ich hatt\u2019 einen Kameraden. <\/i>These longer improvisations provide an excellent range of contrasting registrations.<\/p>\n

The German improvisers on CD2 were not familiar to me. They are Carl Hofner, Kurt Grosse, Paul Mania, Otto Dunkelberg & Henry Burkard. Familiar material can be heard in Mania\u2019s Fantasie uber Wagner\u2019sche Themen<\/i>, the longest improvisation on this disc. His Gavotte<\/i> is much more playful, as is Burkard\u2019s\u00a0 Stummfilm-improvisation<\/i> \u2013 which really does conjure up silent movie scenes. The other familiar thematic material is to be found in Mania\u2019s Fantasie uber alte niederlandische Lieder<\/i> which includes the familiar Pilgrim\u2019s hymn<\/i>.\u00a0Another fascinating volume.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mahler: Symphony No2 (arr for piano four hands)<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Maasa Nakazawa & Suhrud Athavale<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
NAXOS 8.573350<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

Once one has got used to the dynamic range of four hands at one piano to represent the might of Mahler\u2019s orchestration for the Resurrection Symphony<\/i> this actually works really well and allows us to hear many details which pass unnoticed in the vast canvas, particularly of the final movement. At other times it is interesting to hear just how close the musical lines are to each other, with the reduced dynamic helping us to hear afresh the intimacy of much of the writing. This was obviously a labour of love for Bruno Walter making the original arrangement at a time when few would be able to hear the work live, but even today it has an important place among Mahler recordings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Philip Glass: Glassworlds 3; Metamorphosis<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Nicolas Horvath, piano<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
GRANDPIANO GP691<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

This collection includes Metamorphosis I \u2013 V<\/i> as well as the extended Trilogy Sonata based on Satyagraha. <\/i>\u00a0Philip Glass\u2019 compositions transfer easily to the piano and I found this a very appealing recording. All the more so as it includes a number of short works we have not heard on record before, including the very early Piano Sonatina which predates minimalism.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Copland: Billy the Kid & Rodeo<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Colorado Symphony, Andrew Litton<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
<\/strong>BIS 2164<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

A popular collection of familiar pieces with the addition of the rarer An Outdoor Overture<\/i> from 1938, the same year as Billy the Kid.<\/i> All well played and given a bright intensity from the Colorado Symphony.<\/p>\n

Chopin: Piano Concertos\u00a0 51621 & 2<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n
Joseph-Maurice Weder, Berliner Camerata<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n
OEHMS OC 1831<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n

This recording uses a string quintet arrangement rather than full orchestra to enable us to hear a different balance and so reconsider the impact of the orchestration as it affects the way we listen to the piano solo. Where many may consider Chopin\u2019s orchestrations to be limited it is clear from this cd that his harmonic choices and lyrical development are quite secure and not outstripped by the relative enthusiasm of the solo writing.<\/p>\n

Saint-Saens: Cello Concertos 1 & 2; Carnival of the Animals<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
CHANDOS CHSA 5162<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

This is a fine collection of works giving us over 75 minutes of music. The Carnival of the animals<\/i> and the cello concertos may be familiar but the addition of the tone poem Africa<\/i> and the Caprice Waltz Wedding Cake<\/i> make it doubly welcome.<\/p>\n

Respighi: Antiche Danze ed Arie; Gli Uccelli<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Munchner Rundfunkorchester, Henry Raudales<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
CPO 777 233-2<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

Gli Uccelli <\/i>\u00a0may be very familiar \u2013 and is well played here \u2013 but the Antiche Danze ed Arie<\/i> are less so and all the more welcome in a gently understate performance from Munich Radio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE BRITANNIC ORGAN\u00a0 VOL 11 \u2013 Historic Improvisations by British & German organists Welte-Philharmonie organ, Museum fur Musikautomaten, Seewen. OEHMS\u00a0 OC 850\u00a0 (2 CDs) 74\u201941 & 68\u201922 I continue to enjoy the releases in this series. They can be savoured … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2790"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2790"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2791,"href":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2790\/revisions\/2791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.larkreviews.wickedlemon.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}