A most desirable new release from Hamonia Mundi featuring Jean-Guihen Queyras with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek in Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations

The Cello Concerto in E minor, Op.85 was Edward Elgar’s (1857-1934) last substantial work, completed in 1919 www.elgar.org . The death of his wife in 1920, the social changes following the First World War and the feeling that his music was no longer appreciated all added to his not producing any more works of substance. He did write a number of lightweight works including the Severn Suite and Nursery Suite and, as Anthony Payne’s remarkable ‘realisation’ of the sketches for the Third Symphony indicate, towards the end of his life, an Indian summer of composition may have been likely but for his death in 1934.

Whatever may have been, one thing is certain, Elgar’s Cello Concerto represents the end of an era for the composer, in an autumnal work that is shorter and sparer than his earlier works.

It was first performed by Felix Salmond at the Queen’s Hall, London on 26^th October 1919. Since then there have been numerous recordings of this great concerto. Jacqueline du Pré’s famous recording with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli has become legendary yet there are many more ways to interpret this work than du Pré’s overt emotionalism.

A new release from Harmonia Mundi www.harmoniamundi.com couples the Elgar concerto with Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and two small works by Dvorak, his Rondo, Op. 94 and Klid (Silent Woods), Op.68/5 and features cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras www.jeanguihenqueyras.com and the BBC Symphony Orchestra www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/symphonyorchestra conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek http://jiribelohlavek.com

 

HMC 902148

I have to say immediately that Queyras brings something really special to the Elgar. The immediate impression at the opening of the Adagio – Moderato is of some really muscular playing yet, as the music quietens, Queyras gives some rich dark chords and some impressive hushed moments, wonderfully supported by Jiří Bělohlávek. Occasionally Jean-Guihen Queyras uses little or no vibrato giving an increased feeling of vulnerability. The opening movement is unhurried allowing the music to be reflective as well as wistful. There is an unforced quality that is really appealing.

In the Lento – Allegro molto, Queyras brings some wonderfully atmospheric playing, offsetting thrilling moments with passages of hushed beauty. Bělohlávek provides orchestral moments of great beauty before a superb coda, so fleet yet restrained.

Queyras’ beautiful tone, so evident throughout, reveals itself to the full in the Adagio, a glowing elegy for a lost world. There is some very special playing here indeed, with Queyras showing superb control and intonation. His partnership with Bělohlávek and the BBCSO is perfect.

There is a glorious opening to the final movement with its many changes of mood and marked Allegro – Moderato – Allegro ma non troppo – Poco piu lento – Adagio.

I particularly love Queyras’ deep rich tones, yet there is a mellowness to his entire range. Bělohlávek brings off the central short climax in such a natural way with no sense of pomposity. The lovely poco piu lento, with such lovely, subtle colouring and textures, is superb. The pacing and dynamics throughout are impressive from both cellist and orchestra. And what a great coda there is, rising from a hushed passage to a wonderfully confident, or perhaps defiant, conclusion.

Antonin Dvořák’s (1841-1904) Rondo in G minor, Op.94 is no less impressively played. Written originally for cello and piano in 1891, the composer orchestrated it in 1893, the version heard here www.dvorak-society.org . There’s a quality here that I find it hard to define; the way this cellist projects such a range of tones and colours whilst retaining a mellowness and calm. Yet in the faster, livelier passages he rises to them with such a naturalness. There are moments in this Rondo that really tug at the emotions. Queyras’1696 Gioffredo Cappa cello must contribute to the wonderful, distinctive tone that he produces.

Dvořák’s Klid (Silent Woods), Op.68/5 is played here in an arrangement for cello and orchestra taken from Silent Woods, No.5 of his From the Bohemian Woods, Op.68, for piano duet. Again Queyras uses vibrato very sparingly to great effect. This cellist extracts some lovely colours and tones from his instrument whilst Bělohlávek and the orchestra provide some beautifully turned phrases in a performance that is wonderfully done.

Sadly Tchaikovsky never wrote a cello concerto yet his Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra, Op.33 must be the closest he ever came to doing so. The variations are not on a genuine Rococo theme but on an original theme devised by Tchaikovsky in the Rococo style.

The variations were written during December 1876 for the German cellist, Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, a fellow-professor at the Moscow Conservatory, who gave the premiere in Moscow on 30th November 1877.

After a lovely Moderato assai quasi Andante opening, the theme is beautifully presented by the orchestra before the cellist appears lightly playing the theme, Moderato semplice. As Queyras introduces the Variations I and II, Tempo della Thema, he gives some lovely lithe playing whilst the Andante sostenuto has the most exquisite tones, with Bělohlávek and the orchestra providing the perfect setting for Queyras’ finely judged playing. The Andante grazioso brings finely sprung playing in all the little variants. The terrific cadenza passage in the Allegro moderato is brilliantly played with Queyras extracting some lovely sounds. There is a superb little Andante, quite wistful, with a lovely conclusion, before the lively Coda: Allegro vivo, which receives a sparkling performance with soloist and orchestra seemingly having great fun. Queyras and Bělohlávek certainly make a great team in this terrific performance.

For the Elgar concerto alone this new release must go to the top of the list alongside the very best. With the addition of the Dvorak pieces and such a fine Rococo Variations, this becomes a most desirable disc.

The recording is first rate, picking up in particularly the low frequencies so well, and all the richness of Queyras’ instrument with no hint of plumminess.

I will certainly be seeking out the Dvorak concerto played by this soloist and conductor on a previous Harmonia Mundi release (HMC 901867).

Buoyant, characterful performances of Bach’s Orchestral Suites brilliantly played by Sigiswald Kuijken and La Petite Bande on a new release from Accent

Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685-1750) Orchestral Suites or Ouvertüres were based on the style of the French ouverture popular at that time, usually consisting of a slow introduction, usually repeated, followed by a fugal Allegro and often including movements in some of the many dance forms of the period.

There is, of course, no shortage of recordings of these works to choose from. I first came to enjoy these works through the Decca modern instrument recording by Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martins in the Fields. Since then I have enjoyed performances by such period instrument ensembles as Academy of Ancient Music directed by Christopher Hogwood and the Wiener Akademie directed by Martin Haselböck. With so many fine recordings of these works available on disc any new recording has to bring some new quality or insight.

A new release from Accent www.musicontact-germany.com/v2.php?p=3&a=&i=1&s=0 featuring La Petite Bande directed by Sigiswald Kuijken www.lapetitebande.be certainly brings a fresh sound to Bach’s Orchestral Suites with, as the name of the ensemble suggests, a small number of players that give a transparency of sound together with great rhythmic buoyancy.

 

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It is difficult to date Bach’s suites. Bach scholar, Christoph Wolff, suggests that Nos. 1 and 4 were probably written sometime after 1725, with Nos. 2 and 3 written during his years directing the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig around 1731 and 1738/39 respectively. Sigiswald Kuijken, no mean Bach scholar himself, points out in his excellent booklet notes, that most of the sources for these works date from Bach’s Leipzig years (from 1723 until his death in 1750) though he doubts that they were necessarily intended for the Collegium Musicum that Bach started directing from 1729, since Bach reused the Overture of his fourth suite in the opening chorus of his Christmas cantata BWV110 Unser Mund sei voll Lachens (Let our mouth be full of laughter) dated 1725.

The instrumentation for each suite in these performances is; Suite No.1 in C major: four violins, viola, basse de violon, two oboes, bassoon and harpsichord; Suite No.2 in B minor: two violins, viola, basse de violon, flute and harpsichord; Suite No.3 in D major: four violins, viola, two basse de violon, two oboes, three trumpets, timpani and harpsichord and Suite No.4 in D major: four violins, viola, two basse de violon, three oboes, timpani and harpsichord.

The Belgium period performance ensemble La Petite Bande was founded in 1972 by Sigiswald Kuijken at the request of the record company Harmonia Mundi (Germany) in order to record Lully's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, under the direction of Gustav Leonhardt. The orchestra takes its name from Lully's own orchestra at the court of Louis XIV. All its members are internationally renowned specialists in early music. Although originally La Petite Bande was not meant to become a permanent orchestra, the success of the recordings was such that they began to give concerts regularly. Having initially concentrated mainly on French music, the orchestra's repertoire has expanded over the years to include music by the Italian masters and that of Bach, Handel, Gluck, Haydn, Mozart and others. La Petite Bande has performed in a multitude of international festivals and concert series, in Europe, Japan, Australia, South America and China.

The opening Ouverture of Bach’s Suite No.1 in C major, BWV1066 is light and transparent with the size of La Petite Bande, surely the size band Bach would have expected, really paying dividends. The music is full of life with an agility that is really attractive. A stately yet flowing Courante follows with a real dance rhythm before the Gavotte I and II where Kuijken knows just how to get his players to point up the dance rhythms. The blend of flowing oboes against the more rhythmic strings is wonderful. The Forlane fairly scoots along, making a lovely little connecting piece to the Menuet I and II in which one can imagine an elegant baroque dance scene. The playing from La Petite Bande is incisive, lithe and perfectly blended. Bourée I and II bring some lovely oboe sounds that show through in this lively French dance. With Passepied I and II, Kuijken achieves a tempo and rhythm that is perfect for the Passepied, a fast version of a Menuet.

Trumpets and timpani make a striking entry to the Suite No.3 in D major, BWV 1068, placed second on this disc, with playing of terrific rhythmic bounce. When the Ouverture really gets going there is playing of terrific flare and agility. Bach’s famous Air is not allowed to drag and, in this chamber sized performance, takes on a whole new character, very refreshingly done. In the Gavotte I and II, Bach doesn’t seem to have envisaged this as simple dance music adding, as he does, bright trumpets, nevertheless Kaijken and his band give us a real Gavotte. There is a terrific Bourée that really moves along, with more of those great trumpets sounds. A glorious bouncing Gigue brings an end to this suite.

Suite No.2 in B minor, BWV1067 opens with lovely little flute phrases in the Ouverture, exquisitely played, with a lovely blending of textures with the strings. It is the light, graceful flow of the Rondeau that makes it such a lovely performance. There is a lovely Sarabande, gorgeous in its chamber proportions, a lively Bourée I and II where all the textures of the instruments come and a poised and crisp Polonaise I and II and a beautifully shaped little Menuet. In the final Badinerie (meaning trifle or jest) Kuijken actually maintains a moderate tempo in comparison with some rather more manic performances.

Suite No.4 in D major, BWV1069 sees the return of the trumpets and timpani with this small ensemble making some beautiful full sounds in the Ouverture, buoyant and full of clarity and style. The Bourée I and II have some fine bassoon passages, intricate and fluid and a gloriously done Gavotte, full of stately charm, with some lovely sweeps of sound. After the beautifully turned Menuet I and II, the Rejouissance (Rejoicing) is nicely structured with Kuijken not letting the music run away with itself as some do, giving a rhythmic, light performance with those three baroque oboes and three trumpets adding to a fine conclusion.

These are buoyant, characterful performances brilliantly played by Kuijken and his band. The recording is very fine indeed, full of depth and there are booklet notes by Sigiswald Kuijken himself. 

Some remarkably fine playing from Viktor Bijelovic in a recital of works by Beethoven, Gluck, Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninov and Liszt

Serbian born Viktor Bijelovic www.viktorbijelovic.com is building a reputation both as a solo pianist and a chamber musician. His concerts engagements have taken him to France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malaysia and Poland, as well as venues in Britain.

Winner of several prestigious awards, he has performed at such venues as Sadlers Wells with the Pina Bausch Wuppertal Tanztheater , the Salle Gaveau Concert Hall in Paris, and the Kolarac Concert Hall in Belgrade as well as playing at Buckingham Palace on the occasion of HRH Prince Charles’ 50^th birthday celebrations.

Bijelovic studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London with Professor Patsy Toh and Professor Colin Stone as well as having lessons with Professor Niokai Petrov, Professor Arbo Valdma, Professor Snezana Panovska and Professor Irina Plotnikova.

He was a guest performer at the 5^th ASEAN International Chopin Competition in Malaysia in 2011 and appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2012.

I am particularly pleased to have been given the opportunity to hear a new recording from Bijelovic entitled Empassioned supported by Kickstarter. www.kickstarter.com/projects/viktorbijelovic/brand-new-cd-by-classical-pianist-viktor-bijelovic . This new disc features works by Beethoven, Gluck, Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninov and Liszt.

  



Kickstarter Limited Edition

Bijelovic opens this new CD with a novel feature, a two minute talk about the works played and the reason for his choice. Fuller commentaries on each piece from Bijelovic can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/#viktor-bijelovic. These are very informative with the occasional amusing anecdote.

The first work Bijelovic plays is Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57. ‘Appassionata’. The Allegro assai has a thoughtful opening that contrasts well with the fiery allegro which Bijelovic projects to the full. He has a fine rubato that points up all the drama and a left hand that delivers all the underlying nervous tension. Bijelovic’ technique is first rate. He catches all the ebb and flow, all the tensions in this music with a tremendous fluency, not missing any of the poetry. Bijelovic resists the temptation to overstate the opening of the Andante con moto with playing of reserved control before gently allowing the pulse to increase, allowing a little underlying tension to show through. There is playing of some beauty here in the way that this pianist subtly colours the left hand line. This is finely controlled playing creating an arch like feel as the music returns to its opening tranquillity.

As Bijelovic strides into the Allegro ma non troppo of the finale, again there is that terrific rubato and a left hand line that gives the music so much passion and tension. The Presto brings playing of fire, power and dynamics leading to a tremendous coda.

This is a remarkably fine Appassionata.

This recital continues with Gluck’s Melody from Orfeo and Euridice (arr. Sgambati). Whilst Bijelovic’s poetic side was apparent in his Beethoven, here in Gluck’s Melody he displays it to the full. This is a lovely encore piece that receives a beautifully judged performance. The climaxes are occasionally a little brittle, perhaps due to the recording which is otherwise very fine.

Bijelovic displays a reserve in the opening of Chopin’s Ballade No 1 in G minor, op. 23. What may at first seem rather too steady an opening soon develops into just the right tempo and flow, rising to some fine climaxes. For all the slower tempi in the quieter moments there is a feeling of freedom, spontaneity even – and always that fine rubato. He climbs superbly through this Ballade with playing that demonstrates his fine touch, fluency and sheer technique in an account that is nevertheless finely considered.

Chopin’s Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 1 is a fine choice for this recital with its somewhat dark, unsettled nature  so very well highlighted by Bijelovic who again holds back, never allowing the music to be rushed. In the more volatile passages this pianist shows some terrific playing, fiery yet controlled. His considered approach pays dividends even more this time, bringing out so much more of Chopin’s troubled nature.  

Bijelovic’s degree of reticence brings a new light to Debussy’s much played Clair de Lune from his Suite bergamasque as if he is sitting at the piano improvising. Yet, as before, with his Chopin, when he allows the music to build, it is all the more impressive for his earlier holding back. In many ways this is a mesmeric performance.

Who couldn’t resist Bijelovic’s vibrant performance of Rachmaninov’s Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5, beautifully paced, full of strength and power, with an affecting middle section that draws out so much pathos. I loved this performance.

Viktor Bijelovic concludes his recital with Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No.2, with phrasing and tempi that point up Liszt’s changeable rhythms. He shows some lovely limpid playing as well as the ability to pull together Liszt’s slightly manic changes of mood where one doesn’t often know if the music is atmospheric, serious or simply having fun. This performance is great fun to listen to, showing Bijelovic’s formidable technique with nothing that Liszt can throw at him presenting any problem.

As a calling card this disc is, no doubt, intended to show his versatility and range but I found myself wanting to hear more of his Beethoven and Rachmaninov.

Viktor Bijelovic is a fine pianist that will be worth watching. I am sure that we will be hearing more of him. The new disc is well recorded in the Jacqueline du Pre Hall, St Hilda’s College in Oxford.

Available from Amazon and iTunes

www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dclassical&field-keywords=Viktor%20Bijelovic%20

 

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/empassioned/id674400061

Concertos by Jaakko Kuusisto and John Corigliano sit well together on a new release from BIS Records featuring superb playing from violinist Elina Vähälä with Jaakko Kuusisto and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra

A new release from BIS Record www.bis.se  is headed The Red Violin, the subtitle of John Corigliano’s (b.1938) Concerto for Violin and Orchestra that has achieved considerable popularity since its composition in 2003.

However, this attractive new release also includes two works by the violinist, conductor and composer, Jaakko Kuusisto (b.1974) www.jaakkokuusisto.fi , Leika for symphony orchestra, Op24 and his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op.28 which both precede the Corigliano on this disc. Violinist, Elina Vähälä www.elinavahala.com  joins Jaakko Kuusisto and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra www.sinfonialahti.fi for the concerto performances.

 

BIS 2020 SACD

Kuusisto studied the violin with Géza Szilvay and Tuomas Haapanen at the Sibelius Academy, and with Miriam Fried and Paul Biss at Indiana University. He has studied composition with Eero Hämeenniemi and David Dzubay.

Kuusisto won the Kuopio Violin Competition in 1989, and during the following years took top prizes in the Sibelius, Indianapolis and Carl Nielsen competitions. In 1997 he reached the finals in the Queen Elisabeth competition in Brussels.

Jaakko Kuusisto was appointed concertmaster of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in 1999 and in 2002 he stepped in for Peter Schreier to conduct Schubert's Symphony No.3 when his conducting abilities were recognised. Following that he conducted the orchestra for several weeks a season in Lahti, and received professional tuition from Vänskä. His success has led to guest conducting invitations elsewhere, including performances with the Tapiola and Västeräs Sinfoniettas, the Finnish Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, and Savonlinna Festival Opera. In 2005 Jaakko Kuusisto took up the post of Principal Guest Conductor of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra and made his debut with the Trondheim Symphony and Tallinn Chamber Orchestras.

As a composer he has been increasingly active and his works have been performed at several concerts in Scandinavia, as well as in the UK and the United States. His Between Seasons suite has been recorded by the Helsinki Strings for the Finlandia label, and his children's opera ‘The Canine Kalevala' had outstanding success at Savonlinna in both 2004 and 2005.

Leika for symphony orchestra, Op.24 (2010), in one movement and lasting around eleven minutes, opens with an orchestral outburst before settling down, with woodwind swirls, to a quietly reflective section with delicate percussion. As the music slowly rises again there are some lovely sonorities from the orchestra. This is unashamedly tonal and melodic music full of attractive orchestral sounds with a gently flowing melody running through the whole work. There is a section where the harmonics become dissonant as the music becomes faster and more rhythmic but it soon quietens and slows to a waltz like rhythm that steadily builds to a climax, based on the main melodic theme, before quietening with a clarinet and harp to end.

As would be expected Jaakko Kuusisto and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra give a beautifully judged performance.

Kuusisto’s  Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op.28 (2011/12) opens unusually with a cadenza, at first tentative, but soon developing into music of considerable virtuosity, developing the material on which the movement, marked Moderato – attaca, is to be based. Eventually the orchestra suddenly joins in as the violin expresses a long breathed melody that weaves around the orchestra with some lovely dramatic passages for both solo violin and orchestra. The music continues in a rhapsodic outpouring of melody until a quiet section appears with some lovely harmonics from the solo violin. The music quietly builds again with a greater forward momentum and some lovely orchestration until it reaches a climax with some terrific playing from Elina Vähälä. There is a gentle and quiet lead up to a bravura coda.

The music leads straight into the second movement Lento with delicate percussion and woodwind creating a lovely atmosphere as though painting an image of some nature scene. As the violin enters again it weaves the melody around the woodwind theme, a theme that is presented in many orchestral guises. There are lovely little arpeggios on the violin before the orchestra starts to build to a more dramatic section responded to by the soloist, reaching a climax only to level off before building again. The clarinet joins the violin in a passionate section before the real climax is reached. The music quietens to a mysterious section with a little rising and falling motif in the orchestra and a beautifully hushed coda. Wood block taps and fast, rhythmic orchestral phrases are heard at the opening of the Molto allegro before the violin joins in a frantic, fast moving rhythmic theme. There is incisive playing from Vähälä before the second subject arrives, a flowing orchestral melody, to which the violin soon adds its sweetly flowing voice. When a lighter rhythmic section arrives it builds the tempo, leading to a return of the opening fast, rhythmic phrases and a spectacularly brilliant coda.

This is a terrific concerto, effectively written and distinctively orchestrated and is brilliantly played by its dedicatee Elina Vähälä.

The American composer, John Corigliano (b.1938) www.johncorigliano.com has now written over one hundred works.  He has won the Pulitzer Prize, the Grawemeyer Award, three Grammy Awards, and an Academy Award (“Oscar”) and his works have been performed and recorded by many of the most prominent orchestras, soloists, and chamber musicians in the world. Corigliano has taken traditional ideas such as the symphony or concerto and redefined them in a uniquely transparent style that combines elements of the post-war European avant garde as well as from the American tradition. Corigliano serves on the composition faculty at the Juilliard School of Music and holds the position of Distinguished Professor of Music at Lehman College, City University of New York.

Corigliano has, to date, written three symphonies. His Symphony No. 1 (1991), commissioned by Meet the Composer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra when he was composer-in-residence, has been performed worldwide by over 150 orchestras and twice recorded. This symphony earned him the prestigious Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition. His Symphony No. 2, a rethinking and expansion of the surreal and virtuosic String Quartet (1995), was premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2000 and earned him the 2001 Pulitzer Prize in Music. His Symphony No. 3 Circus Maximus (2004) was commissioned by the University of Texas and has been recorded by Naxos.

Corigliano’s opera The Ghosts of Versailles (1991) succeeded brilliantly with both critics and audiences with triumphs in Chicago, Houston, and Hannover, Germany.

Additionally Corigliano has written eight concertos, including Conjurer: Concerto for percussion and string orchestra (2008) for Evelyn Glennie, and his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra: The Red Violin (2005), written for Joshua Bell.

Corigliano’s Concerto for violin and orchestra ‘The Red Violin’ (2003) arose out of The Red Violin: Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra, a work that drew on his music for the film The Red Violin. The composer added three more movements to follow the Chaconne that became the first movement of the concerto. This first movement opens quietly in the orchestra in a slowly rising theme, tentative at first, until the violin enters with a rising motif, with a quiet delicate orchestral accompaniment. Slowly the violin melody finds its way and becomes increasingly passionate as the music drives forward. Suddenly the orchestra develops a faster section to which the violin joins in a kind of galloping rhythm. This leads to music of great thrust and momentum before a virtuosic working out of the material by the violin.  A sudden scurry in the orchestra collapses the music to a quiet and gentle flute theme against a hushed orchestra. The violin joins this hushed melody in a magical moment. Soon there is a more dramatic section with orchestral outbursts but the violin’s melody continues until there is a cadenza for solo violin. Pizzicato chords from the soloist lead to a grand dramatic flourish to end.

The Pianissimo Scherzo opens with strange, rapid little phrases from the solo violin with quicksilver orchestral accompaniment. A piano is heard amongst the orchestral strings in a snapping rhythm before rapid violin phrases appear again. Strange violin timbres and brittle orchestral sounds continue until the movement ends on a little violin flourish. A rich orchestral melody opens the Andante Flautando before the violin enters in this gentle swaying melody. There is a gorgeous violin melody for the solo violinist who adds little double stopped phrases as the music gently progresses and leads into the Accelerando Finale with the solo violin playing some histrionic phrases before the rapidly increasing motif speeds up to a frenetic pace, often competing with the orchestra. Soon a melody appears, romantic and flowing but the music speeds up frantically, reaching a pitch before a solo passage, with many violinistic effects becoming increasingly rhythmic; the basses of the orchestra giving a sound much like that of a locomotive moving off. This leads to an orchestral outpouring with the solo violin rising above in a frenetic coda.

This is an attractive work superbly played by Elina Vähälä whose beautiful tone, as well as remarkable virtuosity, comes through clearly. Again there is excellent playing from Jaakko Kuusisto and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra.

These three works sit very well together making this an enticing release for those attracted to this music. There is an excellent recording by BIS from the Sibelius Hall, Lahti, Finland and informative notes by both composers.

See also:

http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/terrific-playing-from-evelyn-glennie-on.html

 

Terrific performances of string quartets by Krzysztof Meyer from the Wieniawski String Quartet on a new release from Naxos

Krzysztof Meyer (b.1943) www.sikorski.de/314/en/meyer_krzysztof.html was born in Kraków, Poland and as a boy he played piano and organ, studying composition with Stanisław Wiechowicz in 1954. He graduated from the Chopin Music High School in Krakow before studying composition with Krzysztof Penderecki at the Music Academy. Between 1964 and 1968 he studied in France for several months of the year with Nadia Boulanger and in Warsaw he became a private pupil of Witold Lutosławski.

Meyer was a professor of music theory at the Krakow Music Academy from 1975 until 1987 and, from 1987 to his retirement in 2008, was professor of composition at the Music Academy in Cologne. He was President of the Polish Composers’ Union from 1985 until 1989 and is a member of the Free Academy of the Arts in Mannheim. Meyer knew Dmitri Shostakovich personally and wrote a biography about the composer.

Krzysztof Meyer’s musical roots are in East European neoclassicism, though in the 1960’s he was fascinated with the avant-garde not only as a composer, but as a member of "MW2 Ensemble", with whom he performed experimental pieces, typical for the sixties, in Poland and in some West European countries.

He is firmly convinced that the time has come again to think about a new kind of melodic and harmonic language. The melodic primordial cell as the germ for the formal design of the individual work is characteristic of his music.

His works to date include operas, vocal works, seven symphonies, numerous concertos, chamber music including thirteen string quartets and works for solo instruments.

His Symphony No. 1 was his first work to be performed, in 1964, in Kraków. In 1965, while still a student, he made his debut at the ‘Warsaw Autumn’, as the youngest composer in the Festival’s history with his String Quartet No. 1.

It is his String Quartet No. 1, Op.8 (1963) that together with his String Quartets No’s 2, 3 and 4 have been issued on a new release from Naxos www.naxos.com with the Wieniawski String Quartet www.naxos.com/person/Wieniawski_String_Quartet/84817.htm

 

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Meyer’s String Quartet No.1, Op.8 (1963) is very much the kind of work that one would expect of a Polish composer from the 1960’s that was interested in the avant-garde. The opening Tesi (Thesis) has curious pizzicato phrases and bow taps before, slowly, little motifs appear across the strings. Before long a rhythmic fast passage descends to slow sonorous chords before the movement develops through a series of wild passages. A glissando passage from the lower strings leads to a quieter ruminative conclusion.  Antitesi (antithesis) has little outbursts that populate this second movement to which a melody tries to join but the outbursts continue over a bass harmony. The third and final movement, Sintesi (summary) opens with an undulating theme on the cello before all the players enter playing glissando.  Outbursts occur, at first vying with one another then combining to form a more blended sound. The music resumes a frantic sound before falling to tentative phrases exquisitely played by the Wieniawski Quartet, with such fine detail. Richer chords lead to the coda.

Meyer’s String Quartet No.2, op.23 (1969) is in one movement and opens with sudden chords from all players before the material is developed into a densely layered theme. The opening chords are repeated before the densely layered theme returns. The music then fragments into individual pizzicato and col legno phrases before quietening to a tentative passage with more pizzicato and harmonics. The music broadens, though still a little tentative, before developing into a dense passage of string textures becoming quite intense and full of angst. This dissipates into a passage reminiscent of the opening phrases. Eventually there arrives a long held note with little outbursts before a lovely melody appears quite unexpectedly. It tries to trip itself up but nevertheless continues. Eventually it does fragment but slowly turns into a quiet harmony to end.

There is some terrific playing from the Wieniawski Quartet, great precision, ensemble and dynamics.

String Quartet No.3, Op.27 (1971) has its three movements simply marked I, II and III. I. opens with a sudden pizzicato outburst, by now making one assume that this is a hallmark of Meyer’s style. However, this is soon dispelled by an outpouring of fast, forward moving, swirling strings before quietening to a slower passage that seems to have an underlying melody hovering behind it. There are, again, pizzicato interruptions before a more flowing theme but the pizzicato can’t be held back and returns in an intricate motif. The contrast between the more flowing theme and the pizzicato continues before a sonorous string passage arrives, underlined by a cello played pizzicato in its lower register. The fast moving swirling theme returns before harmonic phrases quietly appear at the end.

The second movement, II, follows on in much the same vein, with a theme that is always seemingly combating pizzicato phrases in constantly changing sounds and textures.  Movement III opens with a vibrant unison outpouring with a real sense of forward momentum and direction. There is more densely packed music to follow, with various instruments providing their own little details and motifs. A repeated pizzicato phrase in unison heralds a series of motifs, slowly increasing in volume, as though rising from below. Eventually a mournful theme slowly arises, surely the finest moment in this quartet that continues to the end, seeming to achieve a kind of resolution.

There is an impassioned opening Preludio interrotto to String Quartet No.4, Op.33 (1974) before Meyer’s favoured pizzicato interrupts. This tension between the impassioned theme and pizzicato playing continues until a tentative passage is introduced, opening on the cello and leading to a richer section, growing in intensity in a tremendously dramatic passage that pulls the listener along before falling to a quieter version of the same theme then fragmenting to nothing. The opening densely rich music suddenly reappears to end the movement.

The second movement, Ostinato, opens with a single pizzicato chord before a little motif is plucked in the sparest of gestures. Fuller pizzicato chords interrupt in this ruminating opening with some first rate playing from the Wieniawski Quartet. Longer bowed phrases appear against pizzicato notes leading to a broad melody, still with little pizzicato interruptions. Quicker, more incisive phrases appear against the insistent pizzicato notes, becoming increasingly insistent and passionate, at times reminiscent of Bartok. Gradually the music quietens to a deep ruminative melody to end. Pizzicato from the cello opens the third movement, Elegia e conclusion, contrasting with pizzicato on the other strings. The cello then plays a bowed melody, full of passion and feeling against little pizzicato notes. The melody builds across the quartet in a mournful outpouring that is very beautiful but eventually the music falls to spare pizzicato notes. Towards the end there is an impassioned outburst for full quartet before the music grows sparer and fades out in the highest registers of the strings.

Whilst retaining a distinctive style, Meyer is shown to have progressed some distance between his first and fourth quartets. If any composers come to mind as influences it must be those of the Second Viennese School and Bartok yet Meyer has a distinctive voice. The Wieniawski String Quartet give terrific performances of these works and the recording is first rate with excellent booklet notes.

Whilst the earlier quartets are fascinating works, it is the fourth quartet that makes me want to investigate the later quartets already issued on three individual Naxos CDs.
 

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Plácido Domingo makes a fine tribute to Verdi 200 with a collection of baritone arias on a new release from Sony Classical

Plácido Domingo http://verdi.placidodomingo.com/desktop/domingo-desktop.html  is surely one of the finest opera singers of all time with a repertoire encompassing 140 stage roles in operas that range from Mozart to Verdi, Berlioz to Puccini, and Wagner to Ginastera He is also a respected conductor and, as former General Director of Washington National Opera www.kennedy-center.org/wnoand General Director of Los Angeles Opera www.laopera.com , a major force as an opera administrator.

Having achieved so much as a tenor he has recently added the title baritone roles of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra and Rigoletto to his list of achievements. During the 2009-10 season, he appeared as Boccanegra at the Berlin Staatsoper, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, and Madrid’s Teatro Real, and in September 2010 he took the role of Rigoletto in a live telecast from Mantua, Italy, the city in which the opera’s story takes place.

In 1990, Domingo and his colleagues José Carreras and the late Luciano Pavarotti formed the Three Tenors, which performed with enormous success all over the world. Domingo has made over 100 recordings of complete operas, compilations of arias and duets and crossover discs.

Born in Madrid in 1941, Plácido Domingo was taken to Mexico at the age of eight where he attended Mexico City’s Conservatory of Music, studying piano and conducting.  Discovering that he had vocal talents, he later took singing lessons, making his debut, at the age of eighteen, in a small role at Mexico’s National Opera. He spent three seasons with the Israel National Opera in Tel Aviv, where he sang 280 performances of twelve different roles, before launching his major international career in 1965.

1965, Domingo made his New York debut as Pinkerton in Madam Butterfly at the New York City Opera. His official debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York occurred on 28 September 1968 when he substituted for Franco Corelli, in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur singing with Renata Tebaldi. His Vienna State Opera debut came in 1967, his debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1968, both La Scala and San Francisco Opera in 1969, the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company in 1970 and at Covent Garden in 1971.

In 2011, Domingo celebrated not only his 70th birthday but also his 50th anniversary as a singer of leading roles and the 40th anniversary of his Covent Garden debut. His energy and enthusiasm remain undimmed.

Plácido Domingo has now recorded an album of Verdi’s baritone arias just released by Sony Classical www.sonymasterworks.com . This new recording entitled Verdi includes arias from Macbeth, Rigoletto, Un Ballo in Maschera, La Traviata, Simon Boccanegra, Ernani, Il Trovatore, Don Carlo and La Forza del Destino. 

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As the world celebrates Verdi’s 200th birthday this year, Domingo’s pays homage to the composer with this new recording. Domingo says, ‘Verdi is a wellspring of great music, and every lyric singer is grateful to him. For me 2013 must be a special celebration and an act of thanksgiving and love toward Giuseppe Verdi.’

Domingo sees Verdi’s baritone parts as a challenge for any singer, not only in terms of mastering the music saying, ‘Verdi experienced so much pain, so many blows of fate – all of which he put into his operas, and especially into the baritone parts. Singing this, you feel as if you are living through it all yourself. Suffering in public on the stage. Not always an easy process.’

Straightaway in the aria Perfidi! All’anglo contro me v’unite! from Macbeth one is hit by the remarkable richness of Plácido Domingo’s voice, so finely controlled. He seems to have grown naturally into the baritone range.

In Rigoletto Domingo’s artistry continually shows through as in Pari siamo! Io la lingua where he shows so many mixed emotions and, indeed, vocal power. What a fine Rigoletto he makes, with a terrific Si, la mia figlia!

In Renato’s aria Alzati! Là tuo figlio (Un ballo in maschera) he characterises the part so well, carefully balanced between anger and pathos. There is a lovely performance of Di Provenza il mar, il suol from La Traviata with more fine control.

Simon Boccanegra is a role that Domingo has taken to his heart and this shows so much in Abbasso le Spade where he is joined by Angel Joy Blue (soprano), Aquiles Machado (tenor), Fernando Piqueras (baritone), Bonifaci Carrilo (bass) and Gianluca Buratto (bass) who reach some fine climaxes, with Domingo providing all the richness, power and character, showing his fine artistry. What a superb Boccanegra he makes, with terrific drama and subtlety in Ecco la spada and some fine orchestral accompaniment from Pablo Heras-Casado www.pabloherascasado.com and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana.

È questo il loco? (Ernani) shows the range of his voice and the simple opening of Oh, de’ verd’anni miei (Ernani) again demonstrates Domingo’s superb vocal technique with powerful, long held notes - effortless.

From Il trovatore Domingo gives us a fine dialogue with Gianluca Buratto (bass) in Tutto è deserto, with Il balen del suo sorriso, so many little inflections and feelings and a brilliantly done Per me, ora fatale with Domingo in fine voice.

There is a fine Don Carlo from Aquiles Machado (tenor) providing the perfect foil to Domingo’s Rodrigo in Son io, mio Carlo. Per me giunto è il di supremo is beautifully done, rich and flowing and in Che parli tu di morte? Domingo’s vocal agility and power are combined. But it’s the tremendous characterisation and emotional presence that marks out Domingo as so fine.

Finally from La forza del destino there is Morir! Tremenda cosa, beautifully controlled, full of drama, rich and varied in vocal texture, a beautifully nuanced Urna fatale del mio destino and a very fine  E s’altra prova rinvenir potessi?...Egli è salvo! Gioia immensa to make a rousing finale to this first rate disc.

This is more than just another disc of arias from Verdi’s operas, including as it does some terrific extracts that set Domingo alongside other fine artists giving a more theatrical feel than usual.

Having heard Plácido Domingo’s Simon Boccanegra from the New York Met in 2010 I approached this disc with great anticipation. Whilst he is in terrific voice revealing textures and timbres that are truly superb, it is his fine artistry, the characterisation of each role that impresses so much. Well recorded, it includes full texts and English translations as well as colour photos of Domingo in various roles.

This is a fine tribute to Verdi 200 from one of the world’s finest artists who shows that he is able to continue to develop his voice.

The Escher String Quartet bring out the many varying colours and textures in Zemlinsky’s third and fourth quartets on a very fine release from Naxos

Alexander Zemlinsky (1871-1942) was born in Vienna to a family with very mixed ancestry. Zemlinsky's grandfather was from Hungary and married an Austrian woman, both from Roman Catholic families.  Zemlinsky’s father, Adolf, was brought up in the Catholic faith but his mother, born in Sarajevo had both Jewish and Muslim parents. Zemlinsky’s entire family converted to the religion of his grandfather, Judaism, and Zemlinsky was born and brought up Jewish. http://orelfoundation.org/index.php/composers/article/alexander_zemlinsky

Zemlinsky studied the piano from a young age and played the organ at his synagogue during holidays. He attended the Vienna Conservatory from 1884 studying piano with Anton Door, theory with Robert Fuchs and composition with Johann Nepomuk Fuchs and Anton Bruckner.

Zemlinsky became a close friend of Arnold Schoenberg, the later marrying Zemlinsky’s sister. It was Zemlinsky that gave Schoenberg lessons in counterpoint.

His reputation as a composer was further helped when Gustav Mahler conducted the premiere of his opera Es war einmal (Once Upon a Time) at the Hofoper in 1900. In 1900, Zemlinsky met and fell in love with Alma Schindler, one of his composition students, who later went on to marry Gustav Mahler.

In 1899 Zemlinsky secured the post of Kapellmeister at Vienna's Carltheater and, later, in 1906, was appointed first Kapellmeister of the new Vienna Volksoper. From 1911 to 1927, he was conductor at Deutsches Landestheater in Prague, premiering Schoenberg's Erwartung in 1924 before moving to Berlin, where he taught and worked under Otto Klemperer as a conductor at the Kroll Opera.

The rise of the Nazi Party led to his fleeing to Vienna where he concentrated on composition. In 1938 he moved to the United States, settling in New York City where he remained neglected and virtually unknown until his death in 1942.   After his death, Schoenberg said, ‘I always firmly believed that he was a great composer and I still believe this. It is possible that his time will come sooner than we think’.

Zemlinsky's compositions are recognized as bridging the gap between late Romanticism and twentieth century modernist styles. His works include eight operas, choral works, works for voice and orchestra including his well-known Lyric Symphony, songs, orchestral works including two numbered symphonies, chamber works including four string quartets and piano works.

It is Zemlinsky’s quartets that feature on a new release from Naxos www.naxos.com with the Escher String Quartet www.escherquartet.com whose members are Adam Barnett-Hart (violin), Wu Jie (violin), Pierre Lapointe (viola) and Dane Johansen (cello).

 

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The quartet takes its name from Dutch graphic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) www.mcescher.com/Biography/biography.htm and draws inspiration from the artist’s method of interplay between individual components working together to form a whole. Founded in 2005 and championed by the Emerson String Quartet, the Escher Quartet have achieved considerable success becoming BBC New Generation Artists for 2010-2012. Having completed a three-year residency as artists of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s “CMS Two” programme, the ensemble has already performed at prestigious venues and festivals around the world. They have been, at the invitation of Pinchas Zukerman and Itzhak Perlman, they have been quartet-in-residence at each artist's summer festival and have collaborated with artists such as Andrés Diaz, Lawrence Dutton, Kurt Elling, David Finckel, Leon Fleisher, Vadim Gluzman, Benjamin Grosvenor, Wu Han, Gary Hoffman, Joseph Kalichstein, David Shifrin, Joseph Silverstein, and Pinchas Zukerman. In August 2012 the Quartet gave their BBC Proms debut, performing Hugh Wood’s 4th String Quartet.

Zemlinsky’s string quartets range across his life and compositional style. String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 4 dates from 1896, his String Quartet No. 2, Op. 15 from 1913–15, his String Quartet No. 3, Op. 19 from 1924 and his last quartet, the String Quartet No. 4 (Suite), Op. 25 from 1936.

The String Quartet No.3, Op.19 (1924) comes from a later period of composition when the composer developed a new style of irregular rhythms and astringent harmonies that are apparent in this work. The opening Allegretto: Gemächlich, innig bewegt is sweet toned but soon interrupted by an outburst. A rising and falling motif provides the material for this movement full of varying moods, tonally free yet retaining a melodic core. At times the playing becomes quietly reflective at others rhythmic and lively. The Escher String Quartet doesn’t miss any of this, responding to every turn in playing that is very fine. The second movement,Thema mit Variationen. Geheimnisvoll bewegt, nich zu schnell – Variationen 1 – VII is in the form of a theme and seven variations. A little leaping motif opens the movement with playful effects, pizzicato and natural harmonics. Zemlinsky’s writing is very transparent and full of quirky ideas, yet always keeping a unity.

The Romanze: Sehr mässige Achtel, Andante Sostenuto opens with rich dark colours before the first violin weaves a melody over the low dark, brooding strings of the other players. The mood lightens a little as the movement progresses but returns to the opening dark colours in the coda. The lively Burleske: Sehr lebhaft, Allegro moderato sweeps away the darkness of the preceding movement with crisp vibrant playing from the Escher Quartet. They bring out all of the playfulness before building to a richer contrapuntal passage, soon dispelled when the playful theme reappears, leading to the coda.

Whilst Zemlinsky had moved away from the romanticism of his earlier works this music is nevertheless still very dramatic with moments of intense lyricism especially as played here.

The String Quartet No. 4 ‘Suite’, Op25 (1936), was written after the death of Zemlinsky’s friend and colleague, the composer Alban Berg, and was one of the last significant works written by the composer. In six movements, the Präludium: Poco adagio opens with subdued unison strings before a little melody emerges. The music builds to a more dramatic section before falling back to a quiet, gentle, melody with pizzicato accompaniment from the cello. The movement ends quietly on a chord. The Burleske: Vivace brings an unsettled theme with a forward driving rhythm. There are occasional lyrical moments but the overall drive always returns with terrific playing and fine ensemble from the Eschers. A tender theme opens the Adagietto: Adagio, quietly and gently played before, slowly, the music grows in intensity. Any tenderness or attempt at an Elegy for Berg is constantly avoided and the movement ends quietly.

The Intermezzo: Allegretto brings some extremely fine playing from this quartet, with such finely controlled playing in this constantly changing movement that ends on a pizzicato note. A sad, yearning theme for cello opens the fifth movement marked Barcarole (Thema mit Variationen): Poco adagio. As the others players join there is a more flowing melody that, nevertheless, sometimes hesitates. There are little emotional outbursts that occur but the overall feel is of intense grieving, perhaps, at last, this is the elegy for Berg. Later a flowing melody allows some release but the music soon builds in drama before suddenly leading into the Finale – Doppelfuge: Allegro molto energico, a frantic fugal finale where the Escher Quartet show more terrific ensemble, with crisp yet flexible playing. There is a terrific moment later as music speeds up even more as it rushes to the end. Wonderfully played.

Zwei Sätze (Two movements) (1927) date from the years between the third and fourth quartets though it is not known for what purpose they were intended.

No.1. Introduction: Andante con moto – Vivace opens with a gentle theme with the cello hinting at a faster theme which eventually arrives for the whole quartet in the form of the Vivace. Again the Escher String Quartet provides some spot on playing, so crisp and dynamic. The gentle theme reappears from time to time, though speeded up by the faster theme, which drags it forward. Later the music is allowed to slow but soon hurtles forward again to a decisive coda. No.2. Adagio, misterioso – Tempo di minuet has a low sonorous opening before the music tries to rise up in a melancholy melody. Soon a pizzicato note is struck to signal a faster section, full of drama. The music alternates between the opening sonorous and more dramatic themes before ending quietly. We may not know for what this movement was intended but it is a wonderful piece.

The Escher String Quartet bring a tautness to their playing, holding together the structure so well. They bring out many varying colours and textures together with great sensitivity and panache. This is a very fine release.

The recording is first class, revealing every little detail.