CD Reviews - November 2020

Violinist Kinga Ujszászi and harpsichordist Tom Foster have been exploring the riches of an amazing archive of around 1750 works from the late 17th and early 18th centuries that has miraculously survived all that time in Dresden and is now fully digitised and freely available online. Known as ‘Schrank II’ after the cabinet in which it was stored, it gives the name to their new recording, ‘Cabinet of Wonders’ - also tantalisingly ‘Volume 1’, promising more to come. The composers - Johann Vilsmayr (1663-1722), Gasparo Visconti (1683-1731) and Johann Schreivogel (fl.1707-1749) - will no doubt be unfamiliar, but the music chosen here certainly deserves the title. Vilsmayr’s Partita in E flat major which opens the disc is remarkable, not least for the extreme ‘scordatura’ - where the strings are unusually tuned to create unusual sonorities and harmonic possibilities. The opening Prelude is arresting, with a ghostly sound initially from the violin, leading into a virtuosic Presto with beautifully sweet double-stopping here from Ujszászi. There are two lyrical Arias, the second of which is particularly mournful, then a fabulous Passacaglia is kicked off emphatically by Foster here, with Ujszászi’s rasping unison double-stops (courtesy of that scordatura) reminiscent of the hurdy-gurdy. After a brief Menuett, the Finale is a real improvisatory display, with clever echo effects, and Ujszászi really takes flight here. We then have two Sonatas by Visconti, who was a pupil of Corelli’s. The C minor Sonata is full of complex embellishments, with some oddly unexpected turns in the melodic line. 

The central movement has lots of stop-start dramatic gestures, whilst the final movement is lilting and graceful, with some unusual chromatic slides in the melody. The F major Sonata has a sweetly straightforward opening movement, and a lightly dancing Allegro to follow. The otherwise delightful Adagio has some slightly odd moments harmonically, but the Finale is captivating - a set of variations on a courtly minuet, with double-stopping mimicking hunting horns. Here again, both Ujszászi and Foster enjoy the opportunity to display their virtuosic command to the full. The three Sonatas here from Swiss-born Schreivogel are perhaps the most polished compositions, with some beautifully lyrical lines for the violin. The crying suspensions in the E minor Sonata’s opening movement, and the melancholic slow movements of the D minor Sonata, with sweet trills and embellishments, stand out in particular. The final Sonata here, the only work not from the ‘cabinet’, is a later work from Schreivogel, demonstrating how the composer’s style developed. Its lyrically operatic central movement is flanked by two fast showpieces, and in the lilting final movement, Ujszászi’s virtuosic string crossing and rapid finger work is highly impressive and a delight to listen to. On the basis of this stunning offering from the Cabinet of Wonders, roll on volume 2!

Various. 2020. Cabinet of Wonders, Vol. 1. Kinga Ujszászi, Tom Foster. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR89.

Moving forward a couple of centuries, we enter the world of the 19th century salon for a completely different but equally fascinating collection from Vaughan Jones (violin) and Marcus Price (piano), in ‘History of the Salon — Morceaux caractéristiques (1823-1913)’. Once again, most of the composers here (fourteen in all) will be unfamiliar, apart from one or two. And inevitably, particularly with this genre of essentially pleasing and melodic miniatures, some stand out more than others. So the virtuosic energy and joyful rhythms of the two Mazurkas from Aleksander Zarzycki (1834-1895), and the heart-on-sleeve operatic sentimentality of Alfredo d’Ambrosio’s (1871-1914) Aria perhaps stand out more than, say, the admittedly sweet melody of the otherwise unremarkable Méditation by Joachim Raff (1822-1882), and the pleasing nostalgia but lack of real emotional depth of the Valse Triste from Frank von Vecsey (1893-1935) (the final dedicatee of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, which he first performed aged 13). But when performed with such commitment and virtuosic flair, as is the case here, even the lightest of offerings is a delight to listen to. There are a couple of more familiar composers here - there’s a sweet operatic Cantibile e Valzer from Paganini (1782-1840), and a lilting Barcarole with a swirling central section from Louis Spohr (1784-1859). And occasionally, the piano accompaniments rise out of the background, such as when imitating the guitar in Moritz Moszkowski’s (1854-1925) Guitarre, and in Jones’ own beautifully atmospheric arrangement of Granados’ (1867-1916) Oriental from his 12 Danzas españolas. Jones’ tone is always sweet, but he avoids sugar overload with lightness of touch and effortless virtuosity when required, such as in Franz Schubert’s (1808-1878) (not that one - a tough break to be a composer with the same name as one of the greatest composers of the time, if not ever, so he became known as ‘François’ Schubert) popular encore piece, L’abeille (The Bee). Listening to the whole collection in one go, there will inevitably be a few casualties in terms of grabbing your attention, but in isolation, each piece is a delight in its own right, affectionately performed here by Jones and Price.

Various. 2020. History of the Salon - Morceaux caractéristiques (1823-1913). Vaughan Jones, Marcus Price. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR80.

Chicago born pianist Steven Graff has performed and recorded many piano works by fellow Chicago composer John Carbon (b.1951), who I have to say was new to me. On his latest recording, he plays three sets of pieces, the longest, ‘Astro Dogs: 12 Zodiacal Pieces’ giving the disc its title. Before that come two shorter sets, the first of which, Madeleines, inspired by a trip to France with his sister when he was a student. As the name would suggest, these five short pieces are atmospheric, evoking memories and moods. There is a wistful improvisatory, almost Chopinesque feel to the opening ‘Mémoire triste dans un café’, and a darker, more funereal nostalgia in ‘François et ses yeux dangereux’, remembering the death of a boy they had met in Paris. The final piece, ‘Madeleine déteste les devoirs’, on the other hand, has a driving rhythm, with disobediently boisterous hints at children’s songs.

John Carbon

 The three Impromptus, clearly inspired by the pieces of the same name by Chopin and Schubert in particular, are dreamy and again nostalgia features highly, particularly in the wandering second. The third however is much livelier, with its almost mechanical syncopated dance reminding one of Prokofiev or Kabalevsky. Astro Dogs apparently follows an earlier guitar suite, Astro Cats (of course), and in the drily humorous notes, Carbon explains how each piece connects a particular breed of dog with each of the 12 signs of the zodiac. These are great little character pieces, from the quirky, even eastern-inflected melody of ‘Beagle (Aquarius)’, and the humorous rhythmically uneven ‘goofy gait’ of the ‘Labrador Retriever (Sagittarius)’, to the cartoonishly playful ‘Irish Wolfhound (Aries)’, with its energetic variations on ‘The Irish Washerwoman’ melody.

Steven Graff

‘Saint Bernard (Leo) is slow and rhapsodic, whilst hints of Prokofiev return in the prancing ‘Standard Poodle (Libra)’. I’m not sure I get the zodiac references, not being an astrology expert, yet despite being a cat person (I must check out Astro Cats), the characters of the dogs are cleverly portrayed here, and Graff brings this out with great variety of articulation and expression. A great discovery - and always a good sign when a recording of a ‘new’ composer makes me want to seek out more of their music.

Carbon, J. 2020. Astro Dogs and Other Piano Works. Steven Graff. Compact Disc. Convivium Records CR057.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, November 2020)

CD Reviews - July 2019

Edward Elgar's The Music Makers has received a frankly stunning reading from the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under Sir Andrew Davis, with Dame Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano).  From the orchestra's opening introduction, with its Enigma theme quotation, to the sequence of dramatic choruses delivered with excellent precision and clear diction, the combined BBC forces here are exemplary, and Davis manages the rapid tour through extremes of dynamics with rhythmic energy and drive.  Setting the Ode by Arthur O'Shaughnessy in its entirety, Elgar draws on a great deal of self quotation, including The Dream of Gerontius, the Sea Pictures, both his Symphonies and the Violin Concerto, as well as the Enigma Variations. Yet it is a work of remarkable coherency and feeling, and Connolly's heartfelt passion, backed by the full sound of the chorus, whips us along with the emotionally charged (if rather self-indulgent) text.  This is an excellent recording, with full dynamic range, rich orchestral textures and fine singing from soloist and chorus. The Spirit of England is setting of three poems by Laurence Binyon, written between 1915 & 1917. Composed for soprano or tenor soloist, chorus and orchestra, it is often performed with two soloists, and this is in fact the first recording with a tenor (Andrew Staples) taking all three sections.  This is Elgar in more ostensibly patriotic mode, and Staples' suitably declamatory delivery is supported by the incisive chorus in the opening 'The Fourth of August' (the date of declaration of war on Germany).  There are tender moments, but this is full-on Elgar, yet Davis never allows the weighty orchestration to totally overpower proceedings.  'To Women' has more stillness in its dark colours, and here Staples is allowed to show a greater dynamic range, in some particularly tender moments.  The final setting, 'For the Fallen', contains considerable variety in Elgar's detailed setting of the text, with dark irony in its almost jaunty march rhythms.  Once again, the chorus excels in its precision and diction throughout, and great tenderness when Staples joins them for the repetitions of 'We will remember them'.  Overall as a work, The Spirit of England has perhaps not travelled through the years as well as The Music Makers, but this is an excellent recording from all concerned. 

Elgar, E. 2018. The Music Makers, The Spirit of England. Dame Sarah Connolly, Andrew Staples, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Sir Andrew Davis. Super Audio Hybrid Compact Disc. Chandos CHSA 5215.

Ibrahim Aziz is a viola da gamba player from Malaysia, now living in London. He has recorded a fascinating programme, Risonanze, exploring what he sees as the particular resonances of the instrument, a member of the viol family and a fretted cousin of the cello, although with perhaps a darker tone and less power of projection.  He starts with a transcription of the Cello Suite No. 2 by J S Bach, and immediately we hear the difference - perhaps a less consistently warm tone, but a definite ringing, enhanced by a highly resonant recording. Aziz makes his instrument sing, particularly in the final dancing Gigue.  He follows this with 'Suite Estiu', by the Spanish composer, Carlos Martínez Gil (b.1959).  Estiu, an anagram of suite, also means summer in Catalan, and the five movements here correspond to the five senses, and the composer's recollections of the sensations of summers spent in northern Spain.  We begin in the sound world of Bach, but slowly, use of pizzicato, more jagged rhythms, or slightly unexpected harmonies in the rocking 'Roces' (meaning 'brushing lightly) take us in a subtly different direction, ultimately feeling like meditations on the earlier soundworld.  Next, Three unaccompanied pieces by composer and virtuoso gamba player, Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787).  The first is a beautifully rippling study, 'Arpeggio', and Aziz maintains a beautifully steady flow throughout its shifting harmonies.  A somewhat gentle 'Allegro' is followed by softly singing 'Adagio', and here again Aziz brings out a beautifully resonant tone.  Rebecca Rowe (b.1970), herself a viola gamba player, wrote 'Journeying' for Aziz in 2018.  Rowe uses resonant, spread chords, and there's a moody, almost eastern flavour to the brief snatches of melodic line, and Aziz performs this with assurance. The remainder of the disc is given over to the Sonata No. 5 by Johann Schenck (1660-1712).  We're back in Bach territory, although as a gamba player, Schenck’s set of seven movements, a suite in all but name, perhaps better captures the idiomatic resonance of the instrument that Aziz refers to. Aziz definitely achieves his aim of demonstrating the resonant qualities of his instrument, as well as his own considerable talent.

Various. 2019. Risonanze - Music for viola da gamba. Ibrahim Aziz. Compact Disc. First Hand Records. FHR83.

Flauguissimo Duo, Yu-Wei Hu (flute) and Johan Löfving (guitar) are alumni of Brighton Early Music Festival's BREMF Live! scheme, so will be familiar to some, and they specialise in historically-informed performance of 18th and 19th century music.  Music for the two instruments flourished in the salon culture of the time, and their debut recording takes inspiration from the fashion of taking tunes popular in the opera houses into domestic settings.  So the centrepiece of this disc entitled 'A Salon Opera' is their own arrangement of the Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Gluck's (1714-1787) opera, Orfeo ed Euridice.  Hu is allowed to shine in the opera's beautifully lyrical flute solo, and her breath control in its long sustained lines is impressive.  However, the Cantabile from virtuoso violinist-composer Paganini (1782-1840) is their delightful opener, allowing the duo to establish their delicate, sophisticated soundworld.  The recording is close, which suits the intimacy of the instruments and the repertoire.  Marginally less successful for me are the arrangements of three Schubert songs. Whilst it is certainly authentic to include such arrangements in a recreation of a domestic music-making gathering, it is hard not to miss the nuance of Schubert's expert setting of text. The arrangements here can't be faulted, and Hu's lyrical line is matched nicely by Löfving's deft accompaniment, with a suitably emphatic central section in Frühlingstraum from Winterreise, but it is hard to capture the full emotional contrast of love and loss inherent in Müller's text.  An die Nachtigall and Heidenröslein fair better, with their lighter melodies subtly ornamented by the flute.  Francesca Molino's (1768/75-1847) Notturno is a delight, with a particularly operatic Rondo, in which Hu enjoys the operatic coloratura to the full.  Fernando Sor's (1778-1839) Introduction and Variations on a Theme of Mozart, Op. 9 for guitar takes it's theme from Mozart's The Magic Flute, and after a dramatic introduction, the theme is presented in increasingly virtuosic variations, and here Löfving plays with great delicacy and bright tone.  After the Gluck, a dramatic Tarantelle for guitar by Johann Mertz (1806-1856) provides some welcome edge and rhythmic energy in an otherwise mostly lyrical programme, performed here with humour and bite.  They conclude with the Grande Serenade by Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829), with a graceful opening theme and variations movement, allowing both instruments to shine in turn.  Following a dainty minuet and slightly livelier trio, then a jaunty march, is an operatic 'Brillante' finale. Overall, a pleasing collection, performed with style.

Various. 2019. A Salon Opera. Flauguissimo Duo. Compact Disc. Resonus Classics. RES10233.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, July 2019)

CD Reviews - August 2017

Early music ensemble Collegium Musicum 90, directed from the violin by Simon Standage present ‘Maestro Corelli’s Violins’, with music by three violinist-composers who worked with Corelli.  So no music by Corelli here in fact, but instead some fabulously vibrant and energetic music from these lesser-known composers following in his footsteps.  Regular readers might recognise Antonio Montanari (1676-1737) from a recording I reviewed of his Concertos performed by Johannes Pramsohler and the Ensemble Diderot (more from them next month). The two recordings share two of the Op. 1 Concertos – Nos. 6 and 7, and Collegium Musicum 90 also perform No. 2.  It’s great to hear this wonderful music on disc again so soon, and to have the chance to hear two slightly different takes on some of Montanari’s music.  Standage’s approach is a little more full-blooded, emphasising the energy of these works, perhaps in keeping with the rest of his disc’s programme, whereas Pramsohler brings out more of the subtlety in the solo writing – but both relish the mystery in the striking slow movement of No. 6.  Sadly, little else of Montanari’s music has survived, but it’s great to have two such excellent exponents championing what we do have.  Standage’s disc opens with a fabulously energetic and lively Concerto (Op. 7 No. 11) by Giuseppe Valentini (1681-1753).  Its six movements include a stately Largo, a driven Allegro with typical Corelli-esque rapid violin figuration, and a lively jig to finish.  Standage drives this with great spirit and fun, although the central Grave sections feel a tad aggressive.  The two Concertos by Giovanni Mossi (c.1680-1742), from his Op. 4 set of 12, are real gems, full of inventive use of interplay between the solo instruments – no fewer than four violins and a cello in No. 12, with four further violins and no viola in the accompanying ‘ripieno’, creating an unusual and complex texture.  Here, the bright sound and infectious energy from the Collegium players is a delight.  Overall, this is a joyous disc, giving great insight into music beyond Corelli from 18^th century Rome.  Highly recommended.

Various. 2017. Maestro Corelli's Violins. Collegium Musicum 90, Simon Standage. Compact Disc. Chandos Chaconne CHAN 0818.

Another period instrument ensemble, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, has ventured into later territory for their CD, ‘The Romantics’.  For these live recordings they are joined as Guest Director by violinist Shunske Sato, who is also the soloist in Niccolò Paganini’s (1782-1840) Violin Concerto No. 4 which ends the disc.  But they open with a warm and energetic performance of Edvard Grieg’s (1843-1907) Holberg Suite – subtitled a ‘Suite in the Olden Style’.  It is suite of dance movements, in the Baroque style, yet Grieg’s Romantic sensibility shines through in the rich writing for strings – Grieg said it the string orchestra for this should ideally be sixty players.  As is often the way when period instrument groups move into later repertoire, they bring a welcome incision and attention to detail.  Sato also introduces more Romantic stylistic approaches into the mix, such as extensive portamento (slides), particularly in the Air, where it is a little overdone.  However, it is full of life, as is the String Symphony No. 3 by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) that follows.  Remarkably, Mendelssohn wrote twelve string symphonies between the age of 12 and 14.  Produced when he was having composition lessons from Carl Friedrich Zelter, they nevertheless only precede works of genius such as the String Octet by a couple of years, so Mendelssohn clearly learned fast and honed his skills of melodic invention, harmony and counterpoint in these delightful pieces.  A bit like the Grieg, these look backwards to Baroque style, sounding quite Handelian.  And again, a performance from a period instrument outfit brings out these roots in the music, and the ABO play with great precision and poise.  The finale of their concert is the Paganini Concerto, with the ABO Artistic Director, Paul Dyer now conducting.  Paganini composed six Concertos, which he performed himself, and the scores were not published until after his death.  They are of course showpieces for his phenomenal technique, and the orchestra is there pretty much as backing accompaniment.  Sato is highly impressive here, and seems to breeze through the technical demands that Paganini throws at him, particularly in the crazy Rondo galante that finishes proceedings.  The melodramatic funereal slow movement is wonderfully over the top, and Sato milks the sobbing solo part for all it’s worth.  This is all about the soloist, and Sato certainly does not disappoint.  A fun conclusion to a highly entertaining programme.

Various. 2017. The Romantics. Shunske Sato, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer. Compact Disc. ABC Classics 481 4952.

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet is on his sixth volume of Piano Sonatas by Franz Joseph Haydn (1731-1809) – given that he wrote roughly 60, there’s still some way to go! Here we have another five, none of which are particularly well known or regularly performed.  Yet as ever, Bavouzet brings his dedication and insight, making this another enjoyable collection.  Numbering of Haydn’s sonatas is problematic, with two numbering systems and uncertainty about the provenance of a few – I’ll stick with the more recent Landon system.  Bavouzet begins with No. 11, with its bright, crisp opening movement, and touching slow movement.  He combines energy and clarity in the former with delicacy and a beautifully singing tone in the latter.  This sets the pattern for the whole disc, with that combination of crisp clarity and sensitivity shining through.  No. 43 that follows has the same brightness and energy, but with greater virtuosity, which Bavouzet makes sound effortless, particularly the hand-crossing show of the final Presto.  As with other volumes in the series, Bavouzet exploits ornamentation and decoration in the repeats with exquisite taste, managing to add interest without it ever feeling intrusive.  Nos. 34, 35 and 36 make up the rest of this volume – although again, the numbering is deceptive here, as the chronological order is far from clear.  There is even some uncertainty that No. 35 is actually by Haydn, although the argument in his favour is strong.  Regardless of such doubts, it is a joyful and playful sonata, and Bavouzet exploits the humour here to great effect.   No. 34 has a beautiful central slow movement, followed by a clever Minuet with variations, and No. 36 that finishes the disc has a poised Adagio, ending with a lively Presto.  Bavouzet is a delight throughout, and despite being one volume in an extended project, he raises this way above a catalogue exercise.

Haydn, F. J. 2017. Piano Sonatas, Volume 6. Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10942. 

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, August 2017)