Excellent performances from Michala Petri (recorder) and Helen Davies (harp) with the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra under Henrik Vagn Christensen in attractive work that fuses classical, world and jazz in a new release from OUR Recordings

The Danish jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger and record producer Palle Mikkelborg (b.1941) www.mikkelborg.dk  started playing professionally in 1960, and has since been a dominant figure on the Danish and international progressive jazz scene.

He has more than a hundred published credits and has collaborated with such artists as Gil Evans, Terje Rypdal, Miles Davis, Jan Garbarek, Gary Peacock, Shankar and Done Cherry. In 2001 he was awarded the Nordic Council Music Prize.

In 2004 Mikkelborg was asked to write a major work for two soloists and string orchestra which resulted in the work on a new release on the OURRecordings label www.ourrecordings.com , Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart. The inspiration and title, Mikkelborg tells us, came from the title of a book by Mark Epstein Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart. This phrase summarised Mikkelborg’s own attempts, in this work, to embark on a spiritual journey touching on his meeting with musicians from many cultural spheres.

Originally written for harp, violin and string orchestra, the violin part was revised for recorder in 2012 for Michala Petri www.michalapetri.com  who performs on this disc together with Helen Davies (harp) www.helendavies.dk  and the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra www.sdjsymfoni.dk  under Henrik Vagn Christensen, as well as the composer playing trumpet.

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Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart is in twelve sections or movements played without a break.

The Dawn Chorus opens this work with a slightly distanced ethereal sound of a solo recorder before the strings and harp arrive. This is a wonderful opening, very still and atmospheric and beautifully played by Michala Petri. Strings and harp create some wonderful sounds before the dawn arrives with the return of the recorder and the feel of awakening activity.

A calm melody for recorder and hovering strings introduces Morning Raga. The harp eventually enters to continue the calm melody. Sunrise appears with the recorder and shimmering strings before the recorder introduces a lively tune with harp accompaniment. Strings enter again to fill out the tune, which has something of a South American feel or certainly ethnic feel. The music calms as the recorder joins in a quieter melody with a repeated string motif behind it.

A playful little theme for recorder and harp leads into The African Girl. Strings join quietly as the recorder and harp die away but the recorder and harp return with little surges from the strings. At times the strings create an atmosphere of open spaces, before the music builds to a climax, then quietening for A Summer Nightfall where the harp plays gently to a string accompaniment. The recorder interrupts several times with a lovely tune, again slightly distanced. This is a terrific moment, very atmospheric, with ethereal strings, so hushed – fully evoking a summer night in a warm climate.

Chanting Monks opens with heavier strings slowly ruminating over a theme. The melancholy sounding recorder enters, followed by the harp before the strings build the melody with harp and recorder contributing lovely arabesques and flourishes. The music quietens and the solo harp plays, before the strings join, as does the recorder in a meditative section. Gentle Summer Rain has a descending motif before strange sounds appear, created by plucked strings giving an attractive sound of rain drops in quite an original way.

A bold recorder theme is soon taken up by the harp in A Spiritual Carousel, before the strings enter, imitating a version of the rising and falling motif as the music increases in dynamics and tempo in a kind of moto perpetuo. The music eventually leads to a playful theme shared between the recorder and solo violin with strings accompaniment. There is a violent surge from the strings before slowly quietening with the recorder and harp joining in a strange theme, conjuring up an ancient atmosphere with the feeling of ethnic pipes imitated by recorder. The moto perpetuo suddenly leaps in before the music quietens. 

The strange sounds of A Golden Mystery has the recorder providing ghostly sounds before being joined by the harp and strings in a more serene moment to which the recorder responds in a lovely movement. Both Michala Petri and Helen Davies give some terrific playing.

Strange harmonies in the strings open quietly in The Chinese Girl before a melody slowly emerges. The recorder suddenly enters with a flourish before the harp and strings continue this subtly oriental melody with further interruptions from the recorder. There is a lovely recorder part beautifully played by Petri. A solo section for harp with fine playing from Davies leads to Lullabies While the Adults are Talking. Murmuring voices are slowly joined by the solo recorder. The recorder and voices eventually give way to a string melody with the recorder occasionally joining in. Soon the murmuring voices return with the solo harp joining them and picking out a melody with some lovely flourishes. It is as though a child is dropping in and out of sleep. Helen Davies provides some particularly fine harp playing here. Eventually the strings, harp and recorder join together in drooping phrases leading to the final movement.

Shadow Waltz opens with the recorder taking up a theme to quietly swirling strings and harp accompaniment creating a kind of dreamlike waltz, ending quietly on a low harp note and recorder phrase.

Palle Mikkelborg states that he wished to include the sound of his trumpet in this journey using some of the themes and orchestrations. This resulted in Afterthoughts which opens with fragmented trumpet phrases entering against string sounds. Jazz like in their sound, it creates a strange yet compelling combination. The music fades before string chords heave slowly from the depths. The trumpet sounds a few fragmented notes whilst the strings appear almost imperceptibly providing strange sounds. The solo trumpet builds a lively melody before the strings alone make strange sounds again created by plucked strings. The trumpet again joins in jazz like short phrases whilst the strings create some ethereal sounds with drooping phrases and discords. The languid sound of the trumpet appears before giving an upwards flourish, leaving the strings alone to fade out.

Mikkelborg has created a real fusion of classical, world and jazz, not merely some kind of cross over. If musical boundaries are really to be broken then surely this attractive music shows at least one way to do it.

Performances from the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra under Henrik Vagn Christensen are excellent and there is superb playing from Michala Petri and Helen Davies and the composer himself playing the trumpet. These artists draw so much colour and atmosphere from this unusual music. The recording is excellent and there are informative booklet notes including a short essay from the composer.

Proms 2013 – A memorable Last Night from Marin Alsop and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with Joyce DiDonato, Iestyn Davies and Nigel Kennedy

Much has been made of the fact that tonight’s (7^th September 2013) Last Night of the Proms www.bbc.co.uk/proms was to be conducted, for the first time, by a woman. I prefer just to say that it was conducted by one of the finest and most versatile conductors that we have today, Marin Alsop.

Marin Alsop www.marinalsop.com and the BBC Symphony Orchestra www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/symphonyorchestra  opened the evening  with a BBC commission by Anna Clyne www.annaclyne.com, Masquerade, that opened with a swirling of strings that led to dance like passages with ever changing variations and full of brass and percussion at the end.

Wagner’s overture Die Meistersingers von Nürnberg followed, receiving a weighty performance with terrific breadth and sweep.

Marin Alsop, who was a student of Leonard Bernstein, brought great vitality to the opening of his Chichester Psalms, with some gutsy orchestral playing in the opening section. Iestyn Davies www.iestyndavies.com was magnificent in Psalm 23 as were the BBC Chorus in Psalm 2. Searing strings opened Part 3 before some moments of exquisite tender and sensitive playing. There was a fine choral Psalm 131 and a beautifully hushed Psalm 133 to end. A terrific performance.

Nigel Kennedy www.nigel-kennedy.net  joined Marin Alsop and the orchestra to give a truly rhapsodic performance of Vaughan Williams’ Lark Ascending. What a gorgeous tone Kennedy showed, full of character and together with Alsop and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, he brought out so much from this lovely piece with such freedom of expression.

Britten’s The Building of the House Op. 79 brought another psalm setting in this work of which the opening contains somewhat diffuse chromatic writing that only opens up when the chorus enters. This was nevertheless a fine performance with a terrific choral ending.

Surely mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato’s www.joycedidonato.com voice has it all; power, accuracy, control, richness, agility and purity which she showed to the full in Massenet’s Je suis gris! Je suis ivre! from Chérubin, Handel’s Frondi tenere e belle from Xerxes and Rossini’s Tanti affetti in tal momento! from la Donna del Largo, all superbly sung.

The second half of this final Prom of the season featured the overture to Bernstein’s Candide in a lively performance which brought out much of the symphonic nature of this overture followed by Make our Garden Grow, also from Candide with the BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra giving a lovely performance, showing what a melodic gift Bernstein had.

The BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra followed this with a fine performance of Verdi’s Va, pensiero (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco.

Joyce DiDonato again joined the orchestra for some lighter fare in the form of Harold Arlen’s Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz.

Nigel Kennedy then reappeared, to have great fun in a spectacular version of Monti’s well-known Csardas, including a lively duet with the leader of the orchestra, Stephen Bryant. Marin Alsop and the orchestra kept up with Kennedy’s improvisations magnificently.

Joyce DiDonato returned to sing an attractive arrangement by Chris Hazell of The Londonderry Air and Richard Rodgers’ You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel with ample support from the Prommers.

The night was brought towards a nautical theme in a finely judged performance of Bantock’s The Sea Reivers, his 1920 piece based on a Hebridean Sea-Reivers song.

Another composer, who had a neat melodic gift, was George Lloyd whose HMS Trinidad March received the first performance of the version for orchestra. This was a terrific ship’s march written for the ill-fated HMS Trinidad, making an ideal piece for the last night of the Proms, leading as it did to Arne’s Rule Britannia with Joyce DiDonato, resplendent in a pastel Union Jack gown.

Marin Alsop proved to be a natural conductor for the Last Night of the Proms and fully at home in traditional last night fare of Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, Parry’s Jerusalem and Britten’s effective arrangement of the National Anthem as well as giving a fine speech which was received with great enthusiasm by the Prommers.

This was a memorable Last Night to conclude one of the finest seasons for a long time as well as breaking records with fifty seven sold out performances.

A fine recording of songs by Korngold and vibrant performances of Busnois on a re-release from Harmonia Mundi on their Musique D’Abord label

Harmonia Mundi www.harmoniamundi.com  have released further recordings in their Musique D’Abord series of which I have selected two that show the range of music and quality of performance and recording.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) http://korngold-society.org is still known to many only for his film scores, yet from his early days as a child prodigy in Vienna it was classical composition that held his attention. His operas included three written when he was in his childhood and teenage, Der Schneemann (1908-09/1910), Der Ring des Polykrates (1914/1919) and Violanta (1914-1916). These were followed by Die tote Stadt (1920), Das Wunder der Heliane (1927) and Die Kathrin (1939). Towards the end of his life he wrote a musical comedy Die stumme Serenade (1951).

In addition to his operas, as well as choral, orchestral, chamber and piano works, Korngold was a prolific song writer throughout his life from his early Knabe for voice and piano (1905) through to Sonett für Wien (1950).

Harmonia Mundi’s re-release features Dietrich Henschel (baritone)   www.dietrichhenschel.de and Helmut Deutsch (piano) performing a fine cross section of Korngold’s songs spanning 1911 to 1953.

 

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Zwölf Lieder ‘Op.5 So Gott und Papa will’ (1911) was a set of twelve songs on poems by Josef von Eichendorff, written as a gift for the 14 year old Korngold’s father in 1911 and inscribed as ‘opus 5’ though only three, numbers 1, 2 and 3, were ever published as Opus 9 no’s 1, 2 and 3. They are all performed here beginning with the published Das Standchen where baritone Dietrich Henshel displays a lovely musical voice in the songs, where Korngold gives his usual finely detailed touches that make his songs stand out.

There are many fine performances in this cycle such as Das Mädchen, brilliantly sung with attractive accompaniment from Helmut Deutsch who makes the most of Korngold’s fine piano writing and Schneeglöckchen, a fine song so beautifully controlled. There is a finely phrased Aussicht and Nachtwanderer, with its lovely little descending motif for piano and so passionately sung by Henschel. Vom Berge is so quintessentially Korngold and Waldeseinsamkeit allows Henschel to show the range of his voice with some lovely rich lower notes.

Three more individual Eichendorff songs follow, an attractive Reiselied, a beautiful Vesper with bell like piano accompaniment so finely played and a superb performance from Henschel who draws on every little subtle turn of the music and Die Geniale, short but full of energy and brilliantly done.

Three songs from Sechs einfache Lieder Op.9 (1911-13) follow, adding to those included in the Zwölf Lieder ‘Op.5 So Gott und Papa will’ that were published as Op.9. These are all setting of Louis von Fraenkel-Ehrenstein opening with the beautiful Liebesbriefchen Op.9 No.4 so finely controlled.  Das Heldengrab am Pruth Op.9 No.5 has a lovely piano opening from Deutsch, with Henschel responding to every turn and Sommer Op.9 No.6 makes a lovely conclusion.

Nachts is a setting of Siegried Trebitsch, where Korngold, in his distinctive vocal style, adds so many little chromatic turns.

Vier Lieder des Abschieds Op.14 (1920/21) is these days best known for its orchestral version but is heard here in the original piano version. Sterbelied, a setting of Cristina Rossetti, with its gentle opening, shows all of Herschel’s fine voice right up to the fortissimo ending. In Dies eine kann mein Sehren nimmer fassen, an Edith Ronsperger setting, Henschel brings out so much of the powerful, controlled emotion of the song. Perhaps one of Korngold’s most beautiful songs is Mond, so gehst du wieder auf, a setting of a poem by Ernst Lothar, with Henschel responding so well to all the subtle little shifts and dynamics. Finally in this set there is the lovely Gefaßter Abschied, this time setting words by Ernst Lothar.

Drei Lieder Op.18 (1924), settings of Hans Kaltneker, brings dissonant piano chords in In meine innige Nacht, a dark song, followed the passionate Tu ab den Schmerz, so finely sung and an exuberant Du reine Frau, with a fine piano contribution.

Korngold was living in America in 1948 when he wrote Fünf Lider Op.38 (1948) drawing on music he had used in his film scores. All the songs in this set are in English. I wish you bliss is a lovely song and the following Wings, though attractive in its own way, is not the best. Old Spanish Song, perfectly sung by Henschel, has the feel of a traditional song as does the boisterous Old English Song. With My Mistress’ Eyes we return to a more Korngoldian sound world in this passionately sung setting.

Surely Korngold was pining for his beloved Vienna when he wrote Sonett fur Wien Op.41 (1953). This passionate song, a setting of words by Hans Kaltneker, is given a fine performance.

The comic Die Gansleber im Hause Duschnitz, that follows on this disc is brilliantly done and, at times, bordering on sprechgesang.

Next are two songs from Korngold’s Unvergänglichkelt Op.27, settings of Eleonore van der Straten, Das eilende Bächlein, a lively setting, evoking a flowing river, and the beautifully simple little Das schlafende both beautifully done.

Was du mir bist? a song from Drei Lider Op.22, again setting words by Eleonore van der Straten, concludes this very attractive disc, another lovely, distinctive Korngold song so finely sung and played by these two artists.

This generously filled disc is excellently recorded. There are notes but sadly no texts provided, which is a pity given that so many of the songs are unpublished. Nevertheless this does not detract from the enjoyment of this re-release.

The second re-release is of music by the 15^th century French composer, Antoine Busnois (c. 1430-1492). Believed to be a native of Picardy, he studied with Okegham before becoming chaplain at the Cathedral of St. Gatien, Tours. He served at the Court of Bergundy before becoming director of the choir of the church of St Sauveur, Bruges. Featuring The Orlando Consort, www.orlandoconsort.com  the main work on this disc is Busnois’ Missa O Crux lignum which is framed by a number of Chansons and Motets.

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In the Motet: Gaude caelestis Domina the voices of the Orlando Consort bring a variety of sounds, elevating this motet with many colours and textures as it moves forward in a flowing, woven tapestry of sound. The Chanson: A une damme j’ay fait veu is a repetitive but attractively woven chanson for three of the Orlando’s voices. The Chanson: Amours nous traitte honnestement/Je m’en voy is a lovely work, with a lightly rhythmic lilt to the music.

Another chanson follows, the Chanson-Motet: Resjois-toy, terre de France/Rex pacificus with some unusual rhythms and phrasing so typical of this composer, making this a particularly attractive piece, terrifically sung by this fine choir. The Hymn: Conditor aime siderum has plainchant alternating with Busnois’ lively rhythmic style.

Centrally placed on this disc is Busnois’ Missa O Crux lignum with a beautifully textured and flowing Kyrie, a densely woven Gloria where, nevertheless, individual voices sound out to great effect, each attractive in their own right and a fast flowing Credo where, as each voice slowly joins, the richness develops beautifully with Busnois knowing just how to develop the intensity. There is a powerful Sanctus with lovely use of voices, a Benedictus where a tenor and countertenor take the lead before the whole Consort joins in, and a more thoughtful Agnus Dei still providing a brilliantly flowing woven sound, sung to perfection.

Of the four pieces that follow the mass there is a Chanson: Ja que li ne s’I attende where three voices weave a lovely line through this fine setting, the Chanson: Vostre beauté/Vous marches du bout du pié, a vibrant, rhythmic, skilfully woven chanson finely sung, and the Chanson: Est-il merchy de quoy on pueut finer? where the three voices of the Orlando Consort perfectly weave a lovely sound, so evocative of a time and place.

Finally the Motet: Incomprehensibilia/Praeter rerum ordinem opens with a tenor voice holding a long held, chant like note against the other voices to great effect in this fine motet. As it continues there is a lovely weaving of voices in this wonderful motet, so beautifully sung and a highlight of the disc.

It is the vibrancy of these performances that adds so much to Busnois’ music. There is a fine recording but again no texts though this is less of a problem with these Latin settings.

BBC Proms – David Hill directs the BBC Singers and Choristers of the Temple Church with countertenor Iestyn Davies in works by Benjamin Britten and George Lloyd

Last night’s BBC Prom www.bbc.co.uk/proms, one of this summer's twelve Late Night Proms, featured works by Benjamin Britten www.brittenpears.org and George Lloyd www.georgelloyd.com , whose centenaries are being celebrated this year.

Britten’s A Boy was Born (1933) comes from early on in his compositional career, whilst George Lloyd’s Requiem was the last work that he wrote.

The BBC Singers www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/singers  and the choristers of the Temple Church www.templechurch.com were directed by David Hill http://www.caroline-phillips.co.uk/artists/conductor/david-hill/index.php, arguably one of the finest choral conductors we have today. Their performance of A Boy was Born, a work that in many ways encapsulates much of Britten’s compositional style, was superbly done. What always strikes me about this choir is their consistently individual sound and, indeed, their phenomenally high standards.

In the rhythmic part writing, where the young Britten does not spare his singers, the BBC Singers showed great precision with superb dynamics. The choristers of the Temple Church were no less accomplished with a fine contribution from their solo treble.

For Lloyd’s Requiem (1998), composed in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, and receiving its London première, the BBC Singers were joined by countertenor Iestyn Davies and organist Greg Morris. Gone is the colourful orchestral writing so familiar in Lloyd’s music - Lloyd knew he would not be able to complete such a work - leaving a strikingly beautiful swansong.

In the often quieter reflective sections, the choir showed immense sensitivity with David Hill and his forces, making much of the more dramatic parts. Greg Morris provided some thrilling playing, particularly in the Dies Irae and the Confutatis, whilst elsewhere achieving a fine balance with the choir in the large acoustic of the Royal Albert Hall.

Davies proved to be an ideal interpreter in a role that calls for a low countertenor voice, reaching the lower notes beautifully and with fine, rich timbres. When he entered at the beginning of the Agnus Dei, it was with singing of great freedom and spontaneity, a magical moment. In the Lux Aeterna, Morris played the gentle, subtle dissonances with the choir beautifully, showing Lloyd, despite his melodic style, to be a composer very much with his finger on the pulse of late 20^th Century music.

These two works sat remarkably well together in these performances that reinforced the English choral tradition as refracted through the vision of two distinctive composers. 

The finest Grieg disc to be issued for a long time from the WDR Sinfonieorchester Koln conducted by Eivind Aadland on Audite

Whilst prolific as a composer Edvard Hagerup Grieg (1843-1907) www.griegmuseum.no wrote comparatively few orchestral works compared with the number of piano works and songs that he produced.

Audite www.audite.de  have just released the third in their five volume series covering all of Grieg’s Symphonic works as well as his incidental music with the WDR Sinfonieorchester Koln www.wdr.de/radio/orchester/sinfonieorchester/index.html conducted by Eivind Aadland www.maestroarts.com/clients/index.php?title=Eivind%20Aadland . Born in Norway, Aadland studied conducting under Jorma Panula and went on to become Chief Conductor of the Trodheim Symphony Orchestra for seven seasons from 2003 and has worked with many other Scandinavian orchestras as well as many other orchestras around the world.

 

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This new release opens with Grieg’s early Konzertouvertüre ‘Im Herbst’ op.11 (Concert Overture ‘In Autumn’) which receives a performance that brings out all of Grieg’s natural melodic gifts, with much of the mature composer evident despite the Mendelssohnian touches. There are moments of dramatic, incisive playing from the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Aaland and a thrilling coda.

Grieg published ten volumes of Lyriske Stykker (Lyric Pieces) for piano between 1867 and 1901. He arranged his fifth volume, from 1891, for orchestra as the Lyrische Suite Op.54. Eivind Aadland gives us a beautifully shaped, Andantino expressive, Gjætergut (Shepherd’s Boy), knowing just how to coax out every little nuance. There is an irresistible Ganger (Times), beautifully paced before the Notturno, where Aadland never allows the music to flag, highlighting so many lovely moments. The final piece, Troldtog (Troll’s March), is terrifically played, fleet and rumbustious with a haunting little Poco piu lento central section.

The original piano version included a Scherzo as the fifth piece and a final Glockengeläute (Klokkeklang) (Op.54 No.6) (Bellringing) that was included in some editions of the orchestral version but not in the later ones. It seems that Grieg had concerns over the advanced nature of the music. Aadland includes the sixth piece, an andante, here and a striking piece it is too, opening with Hardanger sounding harmonies and, as this strange work slowly rises and falls with strange and magical sounds, before the brass and cymbals signal the coda. Without a doubt this is one of Grieg’s most progressive pieces which makes one wonder what he might have gone on to achieve, had he thrown caution to the wind.

Altnorwegische Romanze mit Variationen Op.51 (Old Norwegian Romance with Variations) was composed at Grieg’s house,Troldhaugen, south of Bergen, Norway, in 1890. Designed by Grieg's cousin, the architect Schak Bull (1858-1956), it was completed in 1885. The name comes from trold meaning troll and haug from the Old Norse word haugr meaning hill or knoll. Altnorwegische Romanze mit Variationen was another work arranged for orchestra, though this time from a two piano composition.

The Poco tranquillo brings all of Grieg’s poignant melancholic style whilst the vibrant Poco Allegro leads to the crisp, bracing rhythms of the Energico, with some terrific playing from the WDR SO as there also is in the Allegro leggiero. There is a lovely flowing Poco Andante followed by a tremendously played Maestoso, with its brass opening where the recorded sound shows off this fine orchestra to the full. After the Allegro scherzando e leggiero, a quicksilver piece with some superb playing, there is the strange little Andante, so perfectly caught. There is some lovely orchestral rubato as the Andante molto tranquillo moves forward with the lovely Romanze theme showing through.  Aadland gives us a fleeting Presto, so lightly and sensitively played, a Tempo di Menuetto, a lovely variation where the Romanze theme again flows by and a dancing Allegro marcato. The Tempo di Valse has so many varied dynamics before the Adagio molto expressivo brings a darker atmosphere, with lovely orchestral sonorities, and leading into a glorious Finale, full of fire with a lovely Andante molto tranquillo to end.

 

How Eivind Aaland shapes all these variations is miraculous, giving us one of the finest performances of Grieg I have heard for a long time.

The final work is the Drei Orchesterstücke aus ‘Siugurd Jorsalfar’ Op.56 (Three Orchestral Works from ‘Sigurd the Crusader’) instrumental music for play by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832-1910) written in 1872, the incidental music consisted of two songs and three orchestral interludes which Grieg arranged as an orchestral work premiered in 1892. The grand Vorspiel. In der Königshalle (Prologue in the King’s Hall) gives way to a gentle, wistful, melodic central section. The passionate Intermezzo, Borghilds Traum (Borghild’s Dream) is wonderfully pointed up and the final Huldigungsmarsch (Homage March) receives a really fine performance with all of Grieg’s varying moods, from rhapsodic to grandly regal, so well judged, yet at times chamber music in scale.

With a superb recording from the Philharmonie, Koln, this is the finest Grieg disc to be issued for a long time and, if the other volumes in this series are as good, then this series will prove hard to beat.

A beautifully produced disc from Vivat Music with much fine artistry from The Kings Consort directed by Robert King

Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (c.1567-1643) was born in Cremona, Italy and was one of the most important composers in the development of the new musical genre of opera with works such as L'Orfeo, L'Arianna, Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria and L'Incoronazione di Poppea. But at the heart of Monteverdi’s music are his madrigals, of which there are nine published books between 1587 and 1651.

Vivat Music http://vivatmusic.com/have brought together fourteen pieces of Monteverdi’s finest secular music drawn from L'Orfeo and L'Incoronazione di Poppea as well as many of his books of madrigals.

This new release features the Kings Consort http://tkcworld.org directed by Robert King with sopranos Carolyn Sampson, Rebecca Outram and Julie Cooper, mezzo sopranos Sarah Connolly and Diana Moore, tenors Charles Daniels, John Bowen and James Gilchrist  and basses Robert Evans and Michael George. I fine line up if ever there was one. www.carolynsampson.com    www.sarah-connolly.com www.rayfieldallied.com/artists/diana-moore  www.charles-daniels-society.org.uk www.hazardchase.co.uk/artists/charles-daniels   www.jamesgilchrist.co.uk/home.html

 

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The Kings Consort has a fine instrumental line-up that includes three violins, two violas, a bass violin, a violone, two chitarrrone, two guitars, a double harp, two cornets, three sackbuts and organ and harpsichord that produce a terrific sound under the direction of Robert King.

The toccata from L’Orfeo makes a grand opening with the lovely sounds of the Kings Consort, before the Ritornello and Dal mio permesso from that same opera, with further glorious sounds from the consort in the opening that precedes the entry of that fine soprano, Carolyn Sampson, in exquisitely fine voice, flexible, musical and with rich timbres. Tenors Charles Daniels and James Gilchrist blend and play off each other brilliantly in Zefiro torna from Scherzi musicali of 1632, with such fine Italian feeling.

Ohimè, dov’è il mio ben is from the Seventh Book of Madrigals with Carolyn Sampson and Rebecca Outram providing some fabulous singing in ‘Alas, where is my love? Where is my heart?’, with these two fine sopranos making a perfect blend of voices, full of feeling. What lovely control at the end. Again from the Seventh Book of Madrigals comes Chiome d’oro where, after a buoyant opening from the Kings Consort, Carolyn Sampson and Rebecca Outram enter together, perfectly balanced and with such a light touch.

A Dio, Roma, the Lament of Ottaria from L’Incoronazione di Poppea opens with gloriously rich notes from the chitarrone before mezzo soprano Sarah Connolly sings an intense ‘Farewell, Rome, my Fatherland, my friends, Farewell’ in another stunning performance from another fine artist. As the aria continues, the drama and intensity increase with some beautiful accompaniment from the instrumentalists of the Kings Consort. A Dio, Florida bella, from the Sixth Book of Madrigals features Carolyn Sampson, Diana Moore, Charles Daniels, John Bowen and Michael George. Charles Daniels enters as Floro singing ‘Farewell, Florida, my aching heart’ before Carolyn Sampson as Florida sings ‘Dearest Floro, farewell: may Love console.’ When the solo voices come together, they complete a fine performance, with each voice so fine yet making a lovely ensemble.

Charles Daniels and James Gilchrist provide another strong duet with Interrotte speranze from the Seventh Book of Madrigals, finely built in drama, slowly rising with terrific support from the Kings Consort, particularly those amazing chitarrone who make some lovely sounds. Lamento d’Arianna “Lasciatemi morire” from the Sixth Book of Madrigals, again has Carolyn Sampson, Diana Moore, Charles Daniels, John Bowen and Michael George providing a perfectly blended and controlled ensemble to open this lament ‘Let me die, let me die. How can I console myself?’ This is fine artistry.

Passente spirto from L’Orfeo brings the strong voice of  Charles Daniels, beautiful in the decorations and very much conjuring up the feeling of which he sings in the words ‘Powerful spirit, awesome deity’ with a palpable sense of awe. The cornettes of the Kings Consort provide a melancholy sound with the double harp adding a further striking sound. This is a wonderful performance from Daniels. Carolyn Sampson and Rebecca Outram again bring a lovely blend of voices in O come sei gentile from the Seventh Book of Madrigals. It is the way they achieve such finesse and balance that marks out this duet.

Charles Daniels, John Bowen and Michael George bring a slightly satirical manner to their richly blended Lamento della Ninfa from the Eighth Book of Madrigals. When Carolyn Sampson arrives she brings a sense of loss, responded to in a serious vein by the male singers, who sound exquisite as they sing ‘Miserella’. Cruda Amarilli from the Fifth Book of Madrigals brings Carolyn Sampson, Julie Cooper, Charles Daniels, John Bowen and Michael George again showing how the solo voices blend as an ensemble, yet with distinctive vocal sounds, as they sing ‘Cruel Amaryllis, who with your name to love, alas, bitterly you teach.’

Finally there is the incomparable Hor che ‘I ciel, e la terra from the Eighth Book of Madrigals with Carolyn Sampson, Diana Moore, Charles Daniels, John Bowen, Robert Evans and Michael George. From the quiet, tentative opening, ‘Now that the heavens, earth and wind are silent’ a tremendously expectant atmosphere is built. ‘Wakeful, I think, burn, weep’ is wonderfully sung, dramatic, and thoughtful, with so many great contributions from individual voices in the faster, dramatic sections. There are some lovely parts where the voices slowly rise and, at the end, a stunningly performed part when the upper voices rise into the heights and the lower voices to the depths. This is terrific and a fine end to this disc.

This is a beautifully produced disc, finely recorded, with first rate notes. If I were only able to have one disc of works by Monteverdi this would have to be the one.

BBC Proms – Anika Vavic’s Prom debut with Vladimir Jurowski and the LPO in works by Bantock, Prokoviev, Sibelius and Richard Strauss

This year’s BBC Proms www.bbc.co.uk/proms  feature no less than five works by Sir Granville Bantock. Tonight’s Prom (30^th August 2013) concentrated on tone poems by Bantock, Sibelius and Richard Strauss inspired by writing as diverse as Shelley,  the Finnish Kalevala and Nietzsche interspersed by Prokoviev’s Third Piano Concerto.

The late Vernon ‘Tod’ Handley almost single handedly brought about a renewal of interest in the music of Granville Bantock through his recordings. Bantock’s The Witch of Atlas (Tone Poem No. 5) (1902) was inspired by Shelley’s poem of the same name. Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra www.lpo.org.uk/about/jurowski.html brought some evocative instrumental sounds to Bantock’s distinctive orchestration before the mellow romantic melody, beautifully played by the LPO. The lively central passage was wonderfully caught by Jurowski and the orchestra, who knew just how to bring out the drama hidden in this largely sensuous work, highlighting the cyclical form of the work.

Jurowski and the orchestra were joined by the Serbian pianist Anika Vavic www.anikavavic.com in Prokoviev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C, Opus 26 (1917–1921). For all Prokoviev’s acerbic wit, this is also a sublimely lyrical concerto, something which Anika Vavic’s light touch helped to draw out in the Andante – Allegro. Jurowski’s accompaniment, with a broad sweep, helped to reinforce this view, providing much poetry. Vavic’s unassuming virtuosity was a delight. Prokoviev’s rhythmic phrases were finely caught and she gave us a whirlwind of a coda, full of clarity. In the Theme et Variations, Vavic responded to the mood changes brilliantly, showing fine clarity of articulation, something of a keynote for the performance as a whole. Both pianist and orchestra provided some beautifully languid moments, full of atmosphere. The Allegro ma non Troppo was slowly built from its steady opening through moments of finely wrought tension to an inevitable coda, with Jurowski and the LPO revealing some of the beauties of Prokoviev’s orchestration.

Sibelius’ Pohjola’s Daughter began the second half of the night’s Prom with Jurowski and the LPO bringing out all the darkness of the opening, with some fine playing from the principal cellist of the LPO. As the music developed, I would have liked a little more long drawn tension, but in the lighter Largamente section, Jurowski produced some lovely moments with a most affecting coda. If this performance gave fleeting, quicksilver moments of beauty at the expense of some of the drama it, nevertheless, revealed new aspects to the work.

Richard Strauss’ Nietzschean inspired Also sprach Zarathustra saw Jurowski in his element with the Albert Hall organ in full flight in the impressive opening, an imposing sunrise. Jurowski allowed an organic development from the Introduction right through to the lovely hushed coda, by way of moments full of ardour, mystery, swagger and dance, magnificently built to exploit all the drama of this work. A fine Zarathustra.