KHACHATURIAN PIANO CONCERTO; CONCERTO RHAPSODY; MASQUERADE PIANO SUITE, Iyad Sughayer, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Andrew Litton/BIS While Khachaturian’s music has long appealed to audiences, there has been a certain snootiness on the part of the critical fraternity, although, thankfully, there are signs of that tendency softening, and recent writing has shown an appreciation of the composer’s colourful, dynamic music with the perceived ‘vulgarity’ no longer a problem. This new recording of Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto may well add to the growing critical acclaim for his music, particularly as it also boasts the first recording on SACD of the Concerto Rhapsody, a more elusive piece, but one which admirers of the composer will relish. The only caveat for the issue is the fill-up, the Masquerade suite in a piano version that simply leaves the listener thinking how much more attractive it sounds in its orchestral form. Composed in 1936, the Piano Concerto was the work that established Khachaturian’s name. Cast in the customary three movements, it is scored for a sizable orchestra, with notable contributions from both side drum and military drum in the percussion section. In the second movement there is also an extensive solo for a so-called ‘flexatone’; it is often put forward that Khachaturian in fact intended the part to be played on the musical saw, as it is on the present recording.
STRAVINSKY: SYMPHONIES, DIVERTIMENTO, etc., BBC Philharmonic, Sir Andrew Davis/CHANDOS For those who love Stravinsky’s iconic ballet scores written for Diaghilev, it is sometimes a source of regret that the composer abandoned his dynamic earlier style when he fell under a variety of influences, notably neoclassicism and (for his least ingratiating later works) serialism. But there were late works which recaptured the energy and vivacity of Stravinsky’s earlier music, notably the remarkable Symphony in Three Movements, and it’s particularly engaging here in this new performance from the BBC Philharmonic under Sir Andrew Davis, couched in impeccable Chandos surround sound. Particularly important in the Stravinsky piece is the concertante piano part, and here that registers with all the ear-tingling vitality that is so necessary. The other pieces are given equally persuasive readings. In this all-Stravinsky programme, the Symphony in C and Symphony in Three Movements feature alongside the Divertimento, Greeting Prelude, and Circus Polka.
SCRIABIN: THE POEM OF ECSTASY; PROMETHEUS, Yevgeny Sudbin, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Lan Shui/BIS One of the key elements that make surround sound recordings such a welcome innovation in the classical record industry is the fashion in which they recreate the ambience of the concert hall in all its 360° splendour. And there are, of course, certain pieces which blossom when recorded in the medium — such as Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy. Over the years, the signature piece by this visionary composer has enjoyed some impressive recordings (not least in the SACD medium), but this new take from Yevgeny Sudbin and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra is something special, with a full-blooded performance showcased in the best possible sound. Alexander Scriabin had a lifelong obsession with occult and mystical ideas. Initially under the influence of Chopin, Wagner and Liszt, his music later became more complex, taking on an expressive power which provoked extreme reactions from audiences – of adulation as well as repulsion. The unusually large orchestra and a wordless choir produces a kaleidoscope of contrasts, colours and sounds caught up in an ecstatic whirl.
BRAHMS: SYMPHONIES 1-3, London Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink/LSO LIVE One has to applaud the initiative of the LSO Live label in rejigging these classic performances in a new guise that does full justice to the dynamics of the original recordings – that’s to say, remastered in Dolby Atmos and SACD. There is, of course, much competition in this area (how many complete sets of the Brahms symphonies are there on disc?). These are notably competitive, particularly in their new dress. Bernard Haitink’s revelatory Brahms recordings with the LSO demonstrated why fresh new interpretations of his major works are so important, and why the composer’s music is still so relevant today. Along with the symphonies, this release also includes Brahms’ Double Concerto, Tragic Overture and Serenade No. 2.
RACHMANINOFF: SYMPHONY NO. 3, VOCALISE, THE ISLE OF THE DEAD, Sinfonia of London, John Wilson/CHANDOS As Graham Williams notes in the review opposite, John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London here deliver an authoritative version of Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony, in impressive SACD surround sound, along with The Isle of the Dead and Rachmaninoff’s own orchestral version of the Vocalise.For many years, the yardstick for the Third Symphony has been the full-blooded take by Vladimir Ashkenazy, and although the new disc has a markedly more wide-ranging sound picture, Ashkenazy’s still maintains its place, not least for its impressive recording of the crucial percussion parts, slightly recessed in this otherwise admirable Wilson disc. Nevertheless, for those who want an SACD take on the work, this will become the gold standard.
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: FANTASIA ON THE OLD 104th HYMN TUNE etc., Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hilary Davan Wetton/Resonus There are some unfamiliar pieces in this unusual Vaughan Williams set, notably the uncharacteristic Piano Quintet in C Minor and the Romance for Viola and Piano. These are given deeply committed performances which makes one wonder why the composer’s chamber music has been relatively neglected. But some may query whether we need the version for violin and piano of The Lark Ascending which really requires the exquisite orchestral writing, the version in which it is most familiar. Nevertheless, for those who want the piece in this iteration, it’s hard to imagine it better done than here.
TCHAIKOVSKY: SYMPHONY NO. 5, RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: KITEZH SUITE, London Symphony Orchestra, Gianandrea Noseda/LSO LIVE There are many conductors who make striking initial impressions but who steadily lose their lustre. And there are others who maintain that pole position through a combination of star quality and impeccable musicianship. Gianandrea Noseda is unquestionably in the latter division, and his performances – both in the concert hall and on disc – are proving to have a truly magisterial quality. This new take on Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony is a measure of his continuing achievement, particularly with its welcome fill-up Rimsky-Korsakov’s Kitezh Suite. The latter, impressive as it is, does not unseat some earlier takes on this piece (such as that from Pentatone).
TRUMPET CONCERTOS: ARUTIUNIAN, WEINBERG, SHOSTAKOVICH, RNO, Hans Graf, soloists/NAXOS Some may question why on a disc labelled ‘trumpet concertos’ Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is included – despite its prominent trumpet part, it is essentially a keyboard concerto. Nevertheless, it receives a lively performance here, as do the pieces which will be (to most listeners) far less familiar The trumpet has had many concertos written for it by composers from the Soviet era and beyond. Appealing in its unabashed melodies and nostalgic idiom, Arutiunian’s Trumpet Concerto became popular in the West, while Weinberg’s emotive Trumpet Concerto in B Flat Major was summed up by Shostakovich as a ‘symphony for trumpet and orchestra’.
POULENC: LES ANIMAUX MODÈLES, SINFONIETTA, BBC Concert Orchestra, Bramwell Tovey/CHANDOS This is a particularly welcome issue, given that Poulenc’s colourful scores absolutely cry out for the kind of breathtaking sound pictures that Chandos can provide with its SACD recordings. Of course, however impressive the recording, if the performance does not match it in terms of achievement, it’s almost a pointless exercise. Fortunately, here the late Bramwell Tovey has the full measure of these pieces, finding every ounce of their piquancy and weight – and in a recording in which in its forensic detail registers with total faithfulness. Tovey and the BBC Concert Orchestra revel in the charm, wit and humour of some of Poulenc’s finest orchestral pieces. Sadly, this was Tovey’s final recording, and the album is dedicated to his memory.
RAVEL: VALSES NOBLES ET SENTIMENTALES, MENUET ANTIQUE, FRONTISPICE, SHÉHÉRAZADE OUVERTURE, MA MÈRE L’OYE (Complete Ballet), Robert Trevino, Basque National Orchestra/ONDINE Virtually every orchestral piece by the composer Ravel has enjoyed copious numbers of recordings over recent years, but there is a novelty here which will be unfamiliar to most: Pierre Boulez’s orchestration of his piano work Frontispice. However, before enthusiasts become too excited, it should be pointed out that the piece is extremely brief. Nevertheless, the other familiar pieces on the set are given very striking performances under Robert Trevino. The conductor’s first album together with the Basque National Orchestra featuring orchestral works by Ravel received an excellent response. The programme in this second volume is perhaps more ‘French’ in nature, but the Basque orchestra gives dazzling performances of these works by their own national composer. While the first album was focused on some of Ravel’s most popular orchestral works, this album includes some rarities, including Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose) in its complete ballet version.
SANTORO: SYMPHONY NO. 11 & 12 etc., GPO, Neil Thomson/NAXOS If you are the kind of classical listener who has been looking for something outside the standard repertoire, this inexpensive disc may act as something of a revelation. The music of Claudio Santoro is full of virtuosity and orchestral invention, and is here provided with the greatest possible advocacy – in fact, it’s a disc that will have listeners wondering what other pieces by Claudio Santoro the enterprising company Naxos may provide us with in future. The composer’s prolific output includes a cycle of 14 symphonies that is widely recognised as the most significant of its kind from Brazil. All of the works in this programme come from Santoro’s remarkable final decade, in which he allied more traditional and eclectic styles to his earlier experiments.
A SHROPSHIRE LAD: ENGLISH SONGS ORCHESTRATED AND PERFORMED BY RODERICK WILLIAMS, Sir Mark Elder, Hallé, Roderick Williams/HALLÉ Apart from being one of the most distinguished baritones at work in the UK, we now learn that the singer Roderick Williams has skills as an orchestrator, as proved in this enterprising collection of songs and song cycles which have enjoyed many performances and recordings ov er the years in their original piano form, but glow here in orchestral dress. This album represents the culmination of what the leading British baritone described as ‘a dream come true’. Vaughan Williams apart, the album features the work of composers who were killed in the First World War: George Butterworth, William Denis Browne and Ernest Farrar; the disc is is released to coincide with Remembrance Day. These songs portray the composers’ evocative responses to the poetry they set, and Williams’s orchestrations further convey the songs’ meanings through highly effective use of orchestral instruments and textures.
SIVELÖV: SYMPHONY NO. 1 (NORDICO), etc., Malmö Opera (opera company), Joachim Gustafsson/Naxos Here is another unfamiliar symphonist, a recipient of the recording industry’s search for new material, and while Sivelöv’s music may not initially impress as some other discs in this month’s batch do, it nevertheless rewards close attention, particularly performances as persuasive as they are here. Niklas Sivelöv has proved a prolific symphonist over the past ten years or so, with six completed symphonies and a seventh currently in progress. The Symphony No.1 (Nordico) was written in the summer of 2013, during a surge of creativity following the birth of the composer’s son in July of that year.
TCHAIKOVSKY: SERENADE, ETC., United Strings of Europe, Julian Azkoul/BIS The classical catalogue has many recordings of Tchaikovsky’s beguiling Serenade, but this new performance under United Strings of Europe and Julian Azkoul deserves close attention, particularly with its attractive fill-ups. After two stylistically diverse anthologies – In Motion and Renewal – the United Strings of Europe and their director have chosen to devote their latest project to a single composer: Tchaikovsky. They open with the composer’s Serenade, a tribute to Mozart’s divertimentos, but infused with the the Russian composer’s characteristic pathos and melancholy. It is one of his most popular works, with the especially beloved Waltz as its second movement and a finale featuring Russian folk songs. The other works included on this recording are arrangements tailor-made for the ensemble by Azkoul.
FLORENCE PRICE: SONGS OF THE OAK, CONCERT OVERTURES, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, John Jeter/NAXOS The ‘Me-Too’ movement has resulted in (among other things) a sea change of representation in the women in the arts as much as it has the taking down of influential men after a variety of accusations. Might it be argued that the new attention paid to women composers is a corollary of this trend? Whether or not that is the case, there is now a slew of recordings of the previously neglected composer Florence Price, and listeners are able to judge for themselves a composing achievement which has for many years been neglected. Songs of the Oak is a tour de force of Hollywood-influenced storytelling, while the two Concert Overtures explore Price’s engagement with spirituals. These works are performed by the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen under John Jeter.
Short Notices
BRITTEN: COMPLETE MUSIC FOR STRING QUARTET, Emperor Quartet/BIS These remarkable recordings of Britten’s elusive string quartets have appeared before, but are very welcome in this compilation, giving listeners the chance to appraise a lesser-known aspect of Britten’s compositional genius. The Emperor Quartet have the full measure of the pieces.
BABBITT: WORKS FOR HIGH VOICE, Nina Berman, Steve Beck/NEW FOCUS The composer Andre Previn once expressed his view of the music of Milton Babbitt; while he admired its professionalism, he pointed out that he found it uningratiating. Here’s a chance for listeners to make up their own minds; listeners, that is, of an adventurous disposition.
LOST IN VENICE: VIVALDI, VERACINI, MARCELLO, Infermi d’Amore, Vadym Makarenko/EUDORA Despite the presence of music by Veracini and Marcello, the key selling point here is the selection of works by Antonio Vivaldi, and there is no denying the sheer verve with which the Italian master’s compositions are delivered in this extremely attractive set.
BEETHOVEN: PIANO CONCERTOS 1-5, Haochen Zang, Philadelphia, Natalie Stutzman/BIS The classical catalogue groans under the weight of recordings of Beethoven symphonies and concertos, but new takes are always welcome in stylish iterations. That is the case with the performances by Haochen Zang, and while they do not unseat many of the existing versions, the recordings are very musicianly, couched in typically impressive BIS surround sound.
ALFVEN: SYMPHONY NO. 2, etc., DSO Berlin, Lukasz Borowicz/CPO The days when the composer Alfven was known for only a handful of works are now firmly in the past, and recordings of his music have allowed his profile to rise to something like its justified position. This version of the Second Symphony from Lukasz Borowicz will add to that upwards trajectory.
BRITTEN, HAGEN, STRAUSS: BRIDGE VARIATIONS, etc., Ensemble Allegria/LAWO CLASSICS This is a curious mix of disparate composers and music, but the Ensemble Allegria are fully committed to the individual pieces, and Britten’s Frank Bridge Variations in particular is given a strong reading.