Bach - Violin Concertos - Perlman,Zuckerman,Barenboim-English Chamber Orchestra (EMI) / Fischer,Sitkovetsky,Academy of St.Martin in the Fields (DECCA)

Trying to find the best possible version (for my taste) of three of my favorite works in the entire musical universe, Johann Sebastian Bach's violin concertos, has proved a difficult experience. My old version with Takako Nishizaki and the Capella Istropolitana on Naxos needed some authentic-instruments company and I found it with Andrew Manze’s version with the Academy of Ancient Music on Harmonia Mundi. After listening to that last one, I needed another one with modern instruments (my favorite taste for the baroque era) played at slower tempos. I ended up buying not one but two additional recordings.

First I bought a commonly-celebrated EMI version with Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and the English Chamber Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim. The album is relatively cheap but has a few excellent reviews. In my case, I was a little disappointed. The sound, for starters, is quite weak, even for a 1973-75 recording. There’s too much echo, the sound appears to come from a gigantic hall with the instruments located in the back, and there’s not enough balance between the highs and the lows, with the former being the absolute dominant force of the aural experience. As for the music itself, it's hard to make such glorious music feel flat, but that's precisely what happens at times here. The tempos are overwhelmingly slow (even for my taste, not too fond of baroque versions that seem to run at double speed), and not in a solemn, ceremonial way, but in a dragging one. The playing by the soloists is OK, but I’ve been pleased more by other versions, where more bravura, more gusto is displayed. This is especially evident in the third movement of the A-minor concerto, the glorious Allegro Assai that from a marvelous dance of notes and colors in Bach's score turns into a rather numbing march of limping, boring aristocrats on this version. The energy and unearthly magic of the double-violin concerto is still there, but its impact is lowered. All in all, this was not what I expected.

2.5/5


Looking for a new, fresh face, encountered a version by Julia Fischer and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields on Decca which had received positive comments. My only concern was that this seemed like the kind of record aimed more at the general population who likes some background-classical music than at the classical music aficionado, with the good-looking violinist adorning the cover and all pages of the booklet and Bach’s and the orchestra’s name mentioned just as a secondary consequence of the star’s presence in the record. I had bought versions like this before and been positively surprised (like with Sarah Chang’s superb rendering of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”) so I gave it a try. The results? Light Bach. The concertos are well-played, the tempos slightly faster than average, the violinist impeccable, but there’s something missing. There’s little spirit, little soul on this recording. Fischer plays with perfect technique but little fire. The slow movements are beautiful because the music is incredibly beautiful, but Fischer doesn’t add one bit of it. The same with the outer movements, fiery and dazzling because of Bach, not because of his current interpreter.

In the end, I went back to my Naxos and Harmonia Mundi recordings and realized they were perfect already. Manze’s one-semitone-lower version in period-instruments has all the fire and the speed, plus an absolutely superb third movement in the A-minor piece, still unsurpassed (I’ve heard a few other versions that I don’t own). My previous review of that recording needs some amending, definitely.

But it’s the lower-priced, no-name recording in Naxos that really is my favorite. No flashy names in the cover, no celebrated orchestras, just a perfect performance with all the right tempos, all the right energy, all the devotion and dedication to the music that seems to come from inside. It’s still my preferred version in modern instruments, even more so than my former favorite with Henrik Szerying and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (conducted by Marriner, and not at the expense of a star-violisist).

I own 4 recordings of these concertos. Probably I’ll end up with more. Music such as this gets new every time one listens to it and even more so if the interpreters have changed. Bach’s violin concertos are my favorite violin concertos in the entire musical cosmos, and it can only please me to find more and more versions, even underwhelming ones.

3/5

Mahler, Copland - Orchestral Works - Jeremy Benk (Pianist) - New World Symphony Orchestra - Michael Tilson-Thomas - Miami, April 10, 2010

Last Saturday I attended a concert by the New World Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michael Tilson-Thomas that took place at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. The programme included Aaron Copland’s Piano Concerto and Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony in C-sharp minor. The soloist for the Copland piece was American pianist Jeremy Denk.

Tilson-Thomas founded this orchestra and is its artistic director. There’s no doubt about the connection and dedication that he feels towards this ensemble made of young musicians taken from all over the United States. Deemed as the “America’s Orchestral Academy”, this group of instrumentalists gave me a great impression on my first time seeing them perform live. The sound of the orchestra is pure and precise; the percussion section is quite amazing. And it’s clear they hold Tilson-Thomas in a special place in their hearts and minds, since the dialogue between all the instruments and the conductor was free of obstructions, they communicated perfectly and in total harmony. Tilson-Thomas sometimes-awkward body motions were followed with exact execution by the performers, who, is evident, know who is in command.

I was also very pleased with the acoustics of the Arsht Center. I sat in second row (one could even say first, as the actual front row didn’t circle the entire round-shaped stage). I had the big grand piano in front of me through Copland’s entire piece, and the second violins were pretty much in my face. But I could listen to all instruments, with crystalline clarity, and with perfect balance. From the snare to the trombone to the bass, I was able to enjoy all the details of the performance.

Aaron Copland’s Piano Concerto was new to me. I’ve heard plenty of works by the American master but this concerto was not one of them. I can honestly say the piece left me undecided. On one hand, it is exciting, full of energy, with a tremendous percussion section and quite dazzling piano acrobatics; on the other hand, the jazzy/ragtime elements incorporated in the music make it feel rather mundane, even vulgar. Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” came to my mind, though in that work the popular-music flavor is evident and welcomed; here, in Copland’s concerto, I wasn’t sure what the intentions were when the piece was composed. Anyway, in general, the work is entertaining (specially seeing it performed live) and Jeremy Benk’s playing was nothing short of amazing. At times I was caught surprised at abrupt time changes, dissonant chords and plenty of “wrong” notes, but that was all Copland’s invention.

After the performance, Benk stayed for one extra little dessert: by petition of Tilson-Thomas (according to Benk), he performed Charles Ives’ “Scherzo” for piano, a little quickie piece, an adaptation of a popular American theater melody (the name of which escapes me) that served as a perfect showcase for the soloist’s abilities.

After the intermission, the orchestra came back for the main event. The piano was (thankfully) taken under the stage, and Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony kicked off. What a change! This is a monumental piece of music, my third-favorite work by Mahler after his Sixth and his First symphonies, and the rendition was amazing. The first movement was all drama and emotion, from the fanfare that opens the work to the ending of the march. The brass section performed perfectly, though there was one occasion when I noticed something wrong, though I failed to point out exactly what it was (I saw some musicians looking at each other with grins on their faces, so I was not alone). The second movement got the same treatment, with a perfect balance between fortissimo and pianissimo. The tempos, all of them, were spot on for my taste. The stormy scherzo that marks the middle point on the symphony was fiery, chaotic, a musical pandemonium. The most famous movement of the symphony, the adagietto, was especially beautiful, and probably the orchestra’s best moment of the night. How beautiful this music is! It almost brings tears to my eyes, the way the violins and other strings cried with tenderness, in mourning. This was a glorious lament, sad, human, a musical gem. The final movement, triumphant and loud, was superb. All the gigantic orchestra this symphony requires comes into effect here. This is a magnificent conclusion that, nevertheless, leaves the listener with an ambivalent feeling: it’s not totally optimistic, hardly so, but it’s not sad. The orchestra conveyed those emotions perfectly.

The concert ended after several rounds of applause for the young musicians and their revered master. This was a fantastic concert, the best I’ve attended so far in the US, and it leaves me wanting to hear more and more performances of this outstanding group of young musicians who, under the expert direction of their director, show that classical music has a bright future in their hands.

Handel - "Messiah" - Sir Andrew Davis - Toronto Symphony Orchestra - (ANGEL - EMI)

I'll say it straight away: this is an outstanding version of Georg Friedrich Handel’s masterpiece, one of the best ever. Of all the oratorios I have heard, “Messiah” has always been my favorite (even toppling Bach’s “Matthew Passion”), but I never found a complete recording that pleased me in all levels. With this double-disc set, I finally fulfilled my wishes.

The soloists are incredible, especially the tenor, John Aler, who gives me probably the best “The Trumpet Shall Sound” I’ve ever heard. All the big numbers of the oratorio are played perfectly, from the incomparable beauty of “I Know my Redeemer liveth” to the joyous festivities of “For unto us a child is born”. The orchestra is flawless, and the tempos are exactly where they should be: not too fast lest they become too playful, nor too slow lest they become tiresome. The music’s solemn, grandiose character is perfectly portrayed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra which has no problem with the instrumental pieces like the opening “Sinfony” or the larghetto that splits the first part in half. The chorus deserves a special recognition: all its numbers are excellent, acting like a choir of angelical voices when the opportunity requires, as well as bringing joy and pomp to the proceedings when the music asks for it. The most famous (and deservedly so) number of the entire oratorio gets here probably its best version ever: the “Hallelujah!” on this disc is so overpowering, so out-of-this-earth, that we really feel this music is created for a divinity, a superior being, and we feel the need to stand up, just like King George II did at the London premiere of the work.

This music needs modern instruments. Period instruments fail to convey the majesty of the subject; their dry sound lacks the depth to portray music dedicated to the highest of divinities. Sir Andrew Davis and the Toronto Symphony knew that, and it shows in their approach to this music, which they make feel solemn, superb.

The sound of the recording is clean, clear, but not perfect. The clarity is not in the same level as newer recordings with more modern technologies. But the sound is good enough, we can hear every detail, every little note, every little color. If we add this to the fact that this double-disc comes at an extremely affordable price, we can’t but give it the highest possible recommendation. This is some of the best music ever written, and with this cost, no fan of music can be excused of obtaining a copy of this particular version, one of the best in the entire catalogue.

5/5

Vivaldi - "Le Quattro Stagioni" (The Four Seasons) - Anne Sophie-Mutter (violin) - Trondheim Soloists - (DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON)

Is not every day that I find I classical recording that absolutely baffles me. This one is one of those.

Anne-Sophie Mutter is a revered violinist in the classical music world. Her technique and skills are amazing, she’s a virtuoso beyond question. I never figured her as much of a baroque expert, though. When I was looking for a new version, in modern instruments, of Antonio Vivaldi’s magnificent “Quattro Stagioni” (The Four Seasons), I certainly got very optimistic when I saw her in the cover, though I also felt somewhat cautious. Would she do a overly romantic reading of the score? Would she play it safe?

It turns out, she really did whatever she wanted with Vivaldi’s music. This is no mere romanticizing of a baroque work; this is 100% making it a virtuoso fest, suited totally to the emotions and the desires of the interpreter. Mutter, leading the Trondheim Soloist in this recording, makes the most out of the music for her own benefit, sometimes getting on the way of a more fluid discourse for the score. The slow parts are excruciatingly slow, the pianissimo parts are so low they can’t be heard, and on the other hand, the forte parts are loud as thunder, and the fast parts played at speeds that would probably make Vivaldi faint in amazement. Though it works from time to time, Mutter’s playing with the tempos and the accents got on my nerves in more than one occasion.

“Spring” is harmless enough. By the end of the last movement, we’re certain a storm is about to arrive, and not just one created by Vivaldi in the music. “Summer” is a complete different beast. It starts glacially slow and quiet, then it builds up tension, until it explodes in the fast section. All works well enough though the solo violin parts seem to have been taken from a Paganini concert instead of from a Vivaldi one; the last movement of the concert, though, just leaves me trying to catch my breath. The speed is unbelievable, the ensemble and the soloist trying to show us how fast this music can really go. The breaks in-between the bursts of speed are contrastingly slow, to a point where the work starts to feel more like a rhapsody made of different barely-related parts than like a baroque violin concert. “Autumn” gets a very solemn treatment in the last movement (the one where recordings usually fail to impress me), the hunting march moving forward with an impulse and determination rarely heard. “Winter”, as the darkest, at times fastest concert of the four, is probably the more chaotic here, and the rhapsodic feel returns, with stark contrasts that go from pianissimo to fortissimo in the blink of an eye, with fast sections played so violently that, without exaggeration, make the music sound almost like metal.

In the end, this is an unusual reading of the score, probably not one for baroque purists, but one that, once understood, can provide a lot of enjoyment. It certainly is one of the most romantic, expressive, and definitely, FASTEST “Four Seasons” around. I’d recommend it but with reserves. Try a more relaxed version first. Then aim for an authentic-instruments one. Then you will be ready for the display of pyrotechnics that this album contains.

As a side note, there’s also a recording of Giuseppe Tartini’s “Devil Trill” Sonata in the album. Though it totally pales in comparison with Vivaldi’s superb music, it’s a nice piece that showcases a more earthly, less thunderous side of Mutter’s playing.

3.5/5

Bach - Brandenburg Concertos - Christopher Hogwood - The Academy of Ancient Music (DECCA)

This is the first time I have heard one of my favorite works, Johann Sebastian Bach’s 6 Brandenburg Concertos, played in authentic instruments. I had always preferred recordings of baroque music with small-size ensembles, but played with modern techniques and in modern instruments (with the exception of the harpsichord, which, in the presence of a continuo part, must be included, or the music wouldn’t feel “baroque” to me.) The dry, cold sound of antique instruments can’t compete with the fuller, richer, warmer sound that contemporary ones can provide. But the current trend in classical music is to have baroque music played with the same forces and techniques that must have been the norm when they were composed and performed back in the late 17^th, early 18^th century. Thus, it was just a matter of time before I faced an authentic version of Bach’s orchestral masterpieces.

After having heard modern-instrument recordings of the Brandenburg Concertos for all my life, I can say I am less disappointed than I expected to be with my first taste of authentic-Brandenburgs. Though the dry sound and the lack of techniques like vibrato are all here, the music is played very energetically by The Academy of Ancient Music under the direction of Christopher Hogwood. His tempos, though faster than most (and faster than I would like) are consistently good and he never lets his musicians give anything but their best to make this set of concertos quite a satisfying but flawed experience. Though at times the dry and uneven sound of antique instruments gets in the way (like in the first movement of the first concerto where the horns practically devour all the rest of the instruments with a harsh, crude sound –could be the engineering, too-), the performance never sounds mechanic, it’s always full of vibrant life (it’s almost impossible to drain the life out of Bach’s music anyway).

Going into specifics, the rendering of the second concerto is one of the best I’ve heard, with all the right tempos, perfect phrasing, and a fantastic solo trumpet; the third, one of my favorites, is one of the weakest of the set, with an opening movement that fails to capture the spirit of Bach’s superb music, and a third one clear in its counterpoint but without the purely-musical drama that other versions have conveyed (I’m glad there were no bizarre experiments like in Marriner’s version; Hogwood left the cadence between the first and last movement intact); the fourth is efficiently played, the fifth is vibrant and another success, while the six, my least favorite concerto out of these 6 masterpieces, receives a by-the-number treatment that makes it the most forgettable one.

There’s but one real BIG complain here: in the spirit of being as authentic as possible, Hogwood used manuscript copies of the concertos for the orchestration and the music, and because of that, we’re deprived of the first concerto’s third movement and the Polonaise section in the last movement. There’s a few other changes in the instrument parts in all concertos, but the second most radical change appears in the fifth concerto, where Hogwood pretty much eliminated the long harpsichord solo at the end of the first movement. Though interesting ideas, these changes make this set suffer in comparison with other ones where the music itself has been left untouched. For this reason, I can’t recommend this version as the first one for someone trying to get familiar with the Brandenburg Concertos. This is an excellent addition to a collection with at least one other recording of these concertos already there.

Alongside the Brandenburgs we get three concertos that we usually find thrown around to fill space in recordings of Bach’s orchestral music: BWV 1060, here adapted for violin and oboe, BWV 1062 for two harpsichords, and BWV 1064, arranged by Hogwood himself for three violins. There are better versions of all three concertos, and their presence here, though welcomed, doesn’t make or break this album, which is worthy of recommendation, but with the reserves I’ve pointed out

3.5/5

Bach - St. John Passion - Benjamin Britten - English Chamber Orchestra (DECCA)

"Bach almost persuades me to be a Christian."

Roger Fry, quoted in Virginia Woolf, Roger Fry (1940)

I’m not a believer. While I can’t presume to know the truth either way, I’m more inclined to believe there is none out there. But I can’t be certain of that either. I doubt. That’s the best way to put it. But just as some events in life bring me closer to absolute denial, there are a few things that sometimes make me wonder: “what if it’s true?” Of those, probably Johann Sebastian Bach’s religious music is the more important, the one thing that always makes me doubt towards the other side, the believing side, for only an illuminated mind could write music of so high, so unreachable beauty. Bach’s devotion didn’t hinder him from expressing himself; on the contrary, it stimulated him, it helped him create works of gigantic scope and reach, music that sounds like nobody else's before or after him, sounds that transport us to places that are not of this Earth. I’m not a believer, but when I listen to some of Bach’s religious music, I believe. He makes me do so. And one of those works is this Passion.

The St. Matthew Passion has always overshadowed this other, less famous work. While parts and excerpts of the St. Matthew Passion have even been used in popular media, the St. John Passion remains largely unknown except for classical music aficionados. The magnitude of the work is a little smaller, the scale of the forces needed and the duration of the composition not as sumptuous as its big sister. But the same beatific melodies, the same consolatory passages, the same devotion is here. All it takes is a few minutes to realize we’re listening to another masterpiece in the same level as the St. Matthew Passion or Handel’s “Messiah”: the opening, quiet, continues to grow with a wave-like ostinato below the chorus that brings to mind images of thousands of souls singing for their Lord, moving and flowing like a river, like a sea before the arrival of a terrible storm. The music is beautiful yet there’s a hint of danger, of sadness, of gloom, we are let know that upcoming events will leave us like orphans. The music ascends to the heavens, yet it somehow predicts the suffering that is yet to come.

This is just the first movement. For me to describe all the recitatives and chorales and arias would be pointless (and difficult). People already familiar with the art of the composer will know the kind of music that is to be expected here. A little more intimate than the St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion is another one of those rare musical works that make me doubt my doubts. It really is divine music. Sad, nostalgic, but full of hope, as were, supposedly, the last days of the life of Jesus. At the end of the piece, after more than 130 minutes have elapsed, we leave terribly sorry for what has happened but very optimistic of the future. We leave resurrected.

A note about this recording (and the only reason I don’t give it a perfect score): while the playing, in modern instruments, is perfect and the conduction impeccable (with all the right tempos and understanding of the devotion in the music), I don’t like the fact that the vocals are sung in English, using a translation of the German original. We don’t all understand German, but that’s not necessary, that’s what the texts that come with the discs are for. Music such as this could be in any language, and we’d always understand what it means.

4.5/5

Bach - Great Organ Works - Helmut Walcha (DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON)

The organ, that all-powerful, gigantic, extremely-loud instrument that has always been linked to religious music, had in Johann Sebastian Bach its undisputed master of all times. Later centuries brought about a lot of good music for organ, but the work of the German composer has never really been equaled. Nowhere is this more evident than in this great double set of recordings by German musician Helmut Walcha, the blind organist who, because of his lack of sight, penetrated the depths of the instrument like few had before him, forming a relationship where all the facets of the music shined through in all their glory. Free of visual noise, Walcha’s senses could concentrate on sound; he had to use his ears to make up for the shortcomings of his eyes. On this record, his strong integration with the aural world can’t be more obvious, as he understands the strengths and weaknesses of the big pipe organ and makes the most out of every detail. Walcha is probably the best possible partner for Bach’s majestic music.

The set, divided on two discs, contains many of Bach’s best-known organ works. Three Toccata & Fugues, including a vibrant version of the famous one in D-minor and a more controlled version of the one known as “Dorisch” (“Dorica”). Especially in the former, Walcha’s playing is more relaxed, less virtuosic but more connected with the material than Karl Richter’s version (one of my favorites, too). The only moment where I prefer the Richter version now is by the end of the fugue, where Walcha’s recording lacks the menacing emphasis of the Richter one.

Other works included here are two Fantasia & fugues, two Prelude & fugues, the glorious (and famous) Passacaglia & Fugue in C-minor (which receives the best treatment I’ve found yet), a Trio Sonata in D-minor, and two sets of more religious-oriented pieces: the Canonic Variations on “Von Himmel hoch, da komm ich her”, and the exquisite 6 Chorales “Schubler”, including the famous one based on the melody of the middle choral movement of the cantata “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”. All of these, while less exciting than the larger, more purely musical-oriented works like the toccatas , the passacaglia and the preludes, show the devotion of the man to the music and of the man to his god in a very eloquent way. One can easily tell that, just as Bach’s devotion for his God was absolute, so was the faith the interpreter had for both the same divinity and the music of the baroque master.

The recording itself, made in two organs in two different occasions, is good; especially considering it was made more than 40 years ago. I recommend this disc as a perfect introduction to the organ music of the composer who best understood the instrument, played by one of the musicians who better understood that relation.

4/5

Bach - Six Favourite Cantatas - Joshua Rifkin - The Bach Ensemble - DECCA

Johann Sebastian Bach’s religious music is, arguably, the best in its kind ever to grace the Earth. There’s no need to give any more evidence but to name a few of his more majestic works: The St. Matthew Passion, the St. John Passion, the Magnificat, and his glorious Mass in B Minor, all stand as the pinnacles in music written inspired by a higher power. If we add Bach’s cantatas to his gigantic catalogue, there can be no doubt as to the certainty of the original claim.

On this double-disc by DECCA we have a collection of six of Bach’s most loved cantatas. All of them require rather small orchestral and vocal ensembles, but they demand a lot from them. From the beautiful chorales to the fugues to the tranquil recitatives and the expressive arias, there’s just too much good music on this set. Bach plays with the instruments and soloists and the meaning of the texts with a use of symbolism that requires more knowledge than average to be detected, but just a good pair of ears to be appreciated. Everyone can enjoy the peaceful music of these Cantatas, from the layman to the expert, and also from the deeply religious to the sharply atheist. This music doesn’t demand you to believe in god, it just asks you to believe in the art of a man whose faith inspired him to create some of the best music in history.

In the collection, probably the most known of the six cantatas are “Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben”, with its very famous choral (twice repeated) commonly known as “Jesu,Joy of Man’s Desiring (the melody of which is not Bach’s original but an arrangement of “Werde Munter” by German violinist and composer Johan Schopp) and tremendous fugal introduction, and “Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns die Stimme”, with its famous, beautiful choral “Zion Hort die Wachter Singen”, adapted as one of the Six Organ Chorales later in Bach’s life. But one of my favorites is certainly also “Liebster Gott, wann wird ich sterben”, with one of the most poetic openings in all of the works. “Ein feste Burg”, “Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen” and “Jesu, der du meine Seele” are also plethoric of musical delight and artistry.

The recording here by The Bach Ensemble lead by Joshua Rifkin is made on authentic period instruments and with a total respect for the original scores. As such, for example, in “Ein Feste Burg”, the trumpets and timpani commonly heard in the first and fifth sections of the work have been eliminated, as they were added by Bach’s son, Wilhelm Friedemann, after the master’s death. The playing is quick and agile, very relaxed, with little of the pomp given to Bach cantatas by larger, modern-instrument orchestras, but a sense of intimacy and connection with the thematic material higher than in competing versions. In general, this is a fantastic double set and one I strongly recommend.

4/5

Bach - Complete Harpsichord Concertos - Trevor Pinnock - The English Concert - ARCHIV

Let’s get this out of the way first: this collection really has one of the worst covers I’ve seen in a classical album by a major label. I’m not sure what the pink background and the three berries have in relation with Bach’s Harpsichord concertos (maybe one berry for each disc?) but to say they could have done so much better is a major understatement.

This is a re-release of a collection I used to own in vinyl. I hadn’t realized that until I searched in the internet and realized this was the same ensemble and soloist that played in a 4-vinyl set I used to have when I was around 12 years old. The music immediately reminded me of my loved, lost version. One quick search revealed me that this was indeed the same version I had with a proper harpsichord in the cover performed (as shown below - compare that with the berry cover) by Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert (at 12 years of age I really didn’t pay as much attention to the performers as today).

On to the music and the recording. This collection of all of Johann Sebastian Bach’s harpsichord concertos is outstanding in its price and in its completeness. Here we have all the pieces that the Eisenach master composed and/or transcribed for the keyboard instrument. We have all concertos for solo harpsichord, as well as 2 for 2 harpsichords, one for 3, and one for 4. All the pieces but one (BWV 1060) are transcriptions made by Bach of concertos for other instruments, and as such some of them are not as brilliant as the others. I absolutely love BWV 1052, in my view one of the best compositions by the Kantor, with a first movement that mesmerizes the listener with the musical plight the main theme endures in order to return at the end, and a third movement filled with an energy that has rarely been rivaled since. Other highlight is the concerto in F-minor BWV 1056, with its haunting opening theme, much more subdued in its character than the virulent BWV 1052. The only concerto thought to be initially written for harpsichord, BWV 1060 for 2 harpsichords, breathes with a grace and elegance presaging the classical masters of the late 18th century, its finale rivaling the violin concertos and the BWV 1052 in sheer musical drama. BWV 1057 is a transcription of the 4th Brandenburg Concerto and doesn’t suffer in the transition. On the other hand, I’m not too fond of the transcriptions of the violin concertos, especially the one in E-major (here in D major to accommodate the harpsichord’s range), which loses its vivacity and turns into a good if irrelevant piece. The re-working of the glorious concerto for 2 violins also pales in comparison to the original, even though, if one didn’t know the latter, one would be still marveled at the music of the former. BWV 1065 for 4 harpsichords is a transcription of a concerto by Vivaldi and its different origin is evident, especially in the outer movements.

This recording was made using authentic, period instruments. While I’ve been less than thrilled to listen to baroque music in baroque instruments in the past, this is slowly starting to change. I still prefer the emotion and passion that modern instruments and techniques can bring to the music, but with art so high as Bach’s, the music in the end shines through and actually reveals new facets when performed in antique instruments. As far as the versions go, I’m happy with the tempos and the character given to the pieces, and Pinnock is a fantastic soloist who brings these concertos to life in a exploding fashion, with none of the coldness of other performers I’ve heard who play mechanically as if the music wasn’t meant to be an interaction between three parts: composer-performer-listener. Pinnock and his soloists get this right.

I can’t do anything else but recommend this collection to everybody. Great versions of magnificent works at an unbeatable price. Go beyond the awful berry-cover, and you’ll find a treasure where every little penny you spend will be rewarded 10 times over. Or more.

4.5/5

Bach - Das Wohltemperierte Klavier 1 and 2 - Gustav Leonhardt (harpsichord) - DEUSTCHE HARMONIA MUNDI

It’s an undertaking of sorts to listen to the entire two books of Das Wohltemperierte Klavier by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are a monumental work and an essential contribution to the musical vocabulary and the development of music of all times and all genres, including non-classical ones. But they are, after all, 48 preludes and fugues, all played in the same instrument, and in the case of the harpsichord, one with no dynamics capabilities, so trying to listen to all of them in one seating can be quite exhausting. Of course, I didn’t attempt that. I listened to 12 preludes and fugues each day, and I re-listened them at will. The experience was thus much less demanding and much more pleasing.

The music needs no comment. Only Bach could’ve written so academic a work and made it sound so fresh, so inventive, so alive. Only he could have managed to write one prelude and one fugue in each one of the 24 scales of equal temperament and made each one sound so different, so distinct when compared to the other ones. The amount of imagination displayed here is just astonishing. Even with the lack of dynamics of the harpsichord, the music carries an inner beauty and, at times, drama (especially in the minor-key works) that listening to all of the parts does not become an excruciating ordeal, but a revealing adventure. One doesn’t have to endure these works, one has to learn from them.

As for the performance, I have only a few other references to compare this with. I’ve heard some of the preludes and fugues as played by Glenn Gould on the piano, and, also, on the harpsichord. Of course the piano version possesses the dynamics that the ancient instrument can’t provide. But at the same time, the harpsichord one seems more authentic, more truly baroque, more “Bach”. Those two verswions, anyway, were played in a much more frenetic, romantic style than this one by Gustav Leonhardt, who performs a cold, scientific, rigorous reading of the Klavier books. This is very good in the faster pieces (mostly, the preludes), where we don’t endure the tendency to go too fast of other baroque interpreters. But this hurts the experience a little in the fugues, especially in some of the slower ones, which sound too mechanic, even lifeless at times.

For this reason, while I strongly recommend this four-disc set to anyone wanting to discover this great music played on (likely) its intended instrument, I advise caution and patience. Trying to cover all of them in one seating will be almost impossible to accomplish, not so much because of the music itself, which is vibrant and varied, but because of the exact, cold approach of the performer.

3.5/5

Mozart, Saint-Saens et al. - Chamber music works - FIU Chamber Players - Miami, March 2010

The most recent concert I've attended took place in FIU’s Wertheim Performing Arts Center on Thursday March 04. The FIU Chamber Players performed works by Mozart, Saint-Saens, and Brahms, plus a composition/improvisation by the players. On paper, this chamber music concert looked much more to my liking than the first one I reviewed a few weeks ago.

Opening the concert we had the Piano Trio in B-flat, K. 502 by Wolfgang A. Mozart. The performers were Jose Lopez on the piano, Robert Davidovici with the violin and Ross Harbaugh in the cello. I had already watched Davidovici play in the previous concert in FIU and I was quite pleased to see him return, now to play a piece by one of my favorite composers. Needless to say, the music in the trio was of the highest quality, with that melodic gift that no composer or musician has ever been able to repeat after Mozart. The first playful movement was graciously played by the performers, in what resembled a duel between the two strings, on one side, and the piano on the other. While the piano went crazy with scales and arpeggios, the violin proposed the ideas and the big cello complemented them. In the second movement, once again the Salzburg master proved that he was unrivaled in writing music that is so beautiful, and at the same time, easy to listen to. The violin played with delicacy, with the other two instruments allowing it room to breathe and to shine. The final movement, a return to the playful spirit of the first one, was pure bliss, a perfect rondo of the kind only Mozart could give us. I was very satisfied with the playing by the three instrumentalists.

The second work of the night was Camille Saint-Saens’ “Fantaisie for violin and harp”. Davidovici came back for the violin part and Deborah Fleisher took charge of the harp. It was my first time seeing this big instrument so close to me, and I was amazed at its size (it really looks smaller when in the context of a big symphony orchestra) and its physical beauty. As for its sound, I already knew the wonders it could do thanks to Mozart and his glorious Concerto for Flute and Harp, but it was a revelation to hear it paired only with a violin. Saint-Saens was another composer with a talent for beauty and melody like no other, and the piece was a perfect showcase for the violin’s lyricism and the harp dream-like delicacies. The work had a few Spanish elements here and there, though in general it sounded more romantic and passionate. The Fantaisie is structured in a few separate sections, each with different subjects, but the spirit is the same throughout the entire score. I was extremely pleased with the music and the performance.

The next part of the concert was my least favorite. Deemed as a “Catch as Catch Can Composition/Improvisation”, what we heard next was clearly jazz, not classical/academic music. Gary Campbell played the saxophone, Jamie Ousley the bass, and Mike Orta the piano, in a work that felt less improvisatory than I expected, with the exception of the soloing by each one of the instrumentalists. What was good about the piece, for me, was the chance to see a big bass, a perennial pawn in the symphonic orchestra, taking center stage, and its user certainly knew how to make the most out of the occasion, with a tremendous solo that sounded as difficult as it looked uncomfortable to play. The musicians were good, their connection very firm, but the piece left me rather cold. There’s just a few jazz pieces I truly love, and this Composition/improvisation will not be entering that group anytime soon. Anyway, it was an interesting experience and a welcomed change of pace.

After the intermission, the same trio of the beginning plus Laura Wilcox in the viola returned to the stage, this time to play Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quartet in A, Op. 26. It was quite a coincidence that both my first two concerts with this group of players have ended with Brahms’ chamber music. Unlike the previous time, however, the Brahms was not the highlight of the event. The playing sure was fiery and impeccable. Amazingly, it was the work itself the one that didn’t get to me. I love Brahms symphonic music and in general all his works for big orchestra, and I like his string quartets, but this time I was left underwhelmed. The first movement seemed to drag forever without the clear purpose of other sonata movements by the Hamburg master, even when the first theme was particularly beautiful. The slow movement was not one of the most memorable. The music became more interesting to me with the arrival of the more ferocious third movement and the dramatic fourth movement. Thus, the concert ended on a high note, but not as high as I could have expected.

In general, the event was a good experience and the performances more than satisfactory. I think the jazz composition was at the same time a blessing and a curse: on one hand, it was a welcomed return to earth from the highs we were flying at after so much beautiful music by Mozart and Saint-Saens; on the other hand, it distracted me (and, as I noticed, the audience) and left us less ready to fully concentrate on the more complicated structures and thematic material of Brahms’ work. Putting a jazz piece in the middle of three classical/romantic compositions was an interesting experiment but one that, in my view, needs not be repeated.

Bach - Solo and Double Violin Concertos - Andrew Manze - The Academy of Ancient Music - (HARMONIA MUNDI)

Bach’s violin concertos are some of my favorite works by my favorite composer. There’s so much simplicity and, at the same time, musical wizardry in these three pieces that, even after having listened to them for so many years, there are still new things I discover with each new opportunity I have to enjoy them. Among the great violin concertos, Bach’s will not be qualified as the most demanding for the interpreter, but they certainly are some of the most rewarding for the listener.

This is the first time I approach these works through a period-instrument recording. As I have said before, in the past I used to like these kinds of versions much more than I do now, probably because modern instruments and techniques help make the music more emotional, passionate, and deep. I’m glad to say that this is one of the best of this “true baroque”-movement recordings I have yet heard.

First off, doing some research on the web I found out something I really hadn’t noticed the first time I listened to the disc: the music is being played at a very-slightly lower pitch than the current norm for these works, around one semitone lower. In true “period instrument” spirit, Manze and the Academy of Ancient Music play these concertos in the key that they would likely have been performed in the 18^th century. When I listened to the album for a second time, I was aware of the change, but it’s not immediately noticeable. Maybe it makes some of the passages sound a little like Vivaldi, but not to a high degree.

All the three concertos receive excellent treatment here. The recording, crystal clear and with enough depth to create the sensation of a live performance, helps put the soloist instruments at the very front of the sonic universe of this disc. I’ve read comments that criticize how up-front the violin sounds in comparison with the rest of the ensemble, but I think it’s not a big problem. The violins are the soloist instruments, after all. And they don’t take away from the sound as a whole. Every contrapuntal line, every continuo chord and figure can still be enjoyed to its fullest.

The tempos, usually a problem I find with period-recordings (they tend to be faster), are quite right here. My favorite of the three concertos, the double concerto in D-minor, has the same vitality and energy than in modern instrument recordings, the superb counterpoint of the majestic last movement played at the right pace. The same can be said about the A-minor one with its glorious slow movement and its exuberant final gigue. The lack of vibrato and other techniques takes its toll in the opening of the E-major concert, though, with the three opening notes sounding too brief, too rushed, with little power. But this and other minor qualms I have for this version of Bach’s masterpieces (mostly due to the dry sound of the soloist instrument) are irrelevant in the big picture. This is an excellent album, one that I would recommend to anyone looking for antique versions of these three glorious concertos.

The disc also contains an adaptation of Bach’s BWV 1060 concerto, which is thought to be for 2 harpsichords, and has also been played with a violin and an oboe. I’m not such a big fan of new approaches to music that is already perfect, but the idea pays off, and greatly, on this recording.

4/5

Telemann, Marcello et al. - Trumpet Concertos - Sergei Nakariakov (trumpet) - The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra - Hugh Wolff (TELDEC)

A long time I bought this recording exclusively for the Telemann piece (the F-minor one). At the time, I didn’t even check what else was on the disc; I just had to get a CD-version of the concerto written by the ultra-prolific German composer. As I found out later, the rest of the music is of hit-or-miss quality.

First on we have a concerto by Antonio Vivaldi. Originally written for violin and oboe, this piece in B-flat is a light little concerto that doesn’t completely grab my attention. Maybe it’s the fact that, because of the transcription, the trumpet sounds slightly out of place with the music that surrounds it, I’m not sure. As with all Vivaldi, though, one can’t expect anything else but a joyful time.

The second concerto is a D-major one by Georg Phillip Telemann. Unlike the one that steals the show at the end, this one lacks the dramatic punch or the melodic gift necessary to make it unforgettable. Anyway, this is a good rendition by the (then) very young Russian virtuoso Sergei Nakariakov and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Hugh Wolff.

The work of Johann Baptist Georg Neruda was unknown to me until I listened to the Concerto in E-flat, which is the longest one in the disc. The style of this piece is more classical and less baroque than the rest of the music on this album. To be honest, I'm not going to rush and get more recordings of Neruda’s works anytime soon. Though graceful and light, the concerto pales in comparison with the rest, with little character and invention, and short in melodic delicacies.

Things change for the better with Alessandro Marcello’s dark, winter-ready concerto in C-minor. The powerful statement that opens it sets the stage for the rest of the piece, where the trumpet sounds much more involved than in the previous one. The second movement is particularly beautiful, though I’m almost positive that it would sound even more beautiful in its original instrument, the oboe. Nakariakov plays with grace, though I think he could have avoided embellishing the theme when it is so perfect just by itself.

As is my norm, I pretty much ignored Bach’s Agnus Dei from his B-minor Mass here as it’s an adaptation and also an excerpt, unnecessarily cut from one of music’s all-time most glorious moments.

The best has been left for last. Telemann’s concerto in F-minor is also originally an oboe piece, but it has been played so often in this trumpet form that it has become a staple of the instrument’s repertoire. My favorite work by the composer, it’s presented brilliantly here by the Russian trumpeter who seems to understand it perfectly. The ambiguous, imposing first phrase of the concerto has all the necessary energy, though it could be played a hair slower for my taste. Unlike the Neruda piece, here the slow movement gets a great treatment by Nakariakov, who caresses the notes with his instrument. The third movement is an absolute gem of an interpretation, with the right speed and character.

As I said before, the album is not perfect but it’s highly recommended (if still possible to get), if only for the Telemann F-minor concerto and the Marcello work.

3.5/5

J. S. Bach - Brandenburg Concertos 4-6 - Sir Neville Marriner - Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields - PHILIPS

This is the second part of the “Brandenburg Concertos" recordings by Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Unlike the first one, I don’t have any problems with the tempos or with the general style of conduction in the second disc. The concertos are played, I think, at just the right pace and with just enough balance to make for a fantastic reading. There’s nothing that can be found wrong with the soloists either. Again, we are talking about modern instruments here, so people looking for that “antique” sound will not find it here. The orchestra sounds fuller and bigger due to modern playing techniques and modern instruments, and if it lacks that characteristic “baroque” sound of period-instrument recordings, it makes up for it with a greater degree of dynamic freedom and an easier display of emotion.

This set contains probably my least favorite of the six concertos, # 6 in B-flat. Written pretty much as a concert for two violas, it lacks the vitality of the rest of the pieces, in my view, in part due to the fact that it was the earliest concerto to be written, but also probably due to the dryer sound of the viola. On the other hand, we have the amazing concerto # 4, with the astonishingly original opening motif for two recorders (soft flutes), or the incredible # 5, an early keyboard-instrument concerto whose harpsichord cadenza at the end of the first movement still amazes me, for the breadth of invention that Bach packs in those several measures for the instrument playing solo.

A fantastic set. I’ll rank it higher than the first one in tempos and playing, but slightly lower because of the somewhat conventional concerto # 6. Owning these concertos, all of them, is essential nevertheless. And this is as good a place to start as any, if you’re looking for the rich sound of modern instruments.

4/5

J. S. Bach - Brandenburg Concertos 1-3 - Sir Neville Marriner - Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields - PHILIPS

Johann Sebastian Bach is, without a doubt, my favorite composer of all time. I find his music incredibly alive, complex, it fills me with a feeling that no other music can, it makes me doubt my knowledge of the languages I speak when I can’t ascribe any particular emotional label to some of his most arresting passages. His music makes sense musically first and foremost. To explain Bach’s music, you have to do it using musical terms. To like it, to enjoy it, we have to separate music from other arts and manifestations and listen to it only from its own perspective.

I have always been baffled at the magnificent work of the Eisenach master, amazed at his counterpoint, at his melodic grace, at the vitality, energy and dynamics of his music. While some people think of Bach as the ultimate artisan in music, a cold and cerebral genius, I hear his compositions and I see a connection of a higher level that I just fail to see anywhere else. Whether we believe or not in superior being is another matter (I don’t), but it’s clear nevertheless that Bach was inspired by sources of a definite different –higher- nature.

Of his gigantic output, one of my favorite works are the outstanding “Brandenburg Concertos” (whether they should be called that way should be discussed in a different forum), probably the most fantastic sets of orchestral music written before the arrival of the great symphonists of the classical and romantic eras. The degree of musical magic that the master can generate is nothing short of unbelievable. With just a handful of ideas he can create movements of the highest polyphonic complexity, and at the same time his gift for melody assures moments of more down-to-earth emotions.

Thus, I approached this recording of the first three concertos with optimism. After all, Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields have always been favorites of mine for pre-romantic music. Their use of modern instruments assured me that the intensity of the works would be fully conveyed and exploited.

The actual results of my experience have been great, tough less than perfect. The playing is superb, no questions about that. All solo instruments, from the violin(o) of the first concert to the trumpet of the second concerto, execute their task perfectly. The orchestra is top-notch, with a string section that captures all the energy of the phrases and creates a rich texture for the soloist instruments to play against.

The only little qualm I have with this recording lies in the tempos. At times the music moves just too fast. The grandiose opening of the third concerto, for example, it’s agile and joyful, yet it somewhat lacks the grace of other slightly-slower versions. The incredible third movement, in all its contrapuntal excellence, passes by like a tornado, dazzling the listener with its brilliance but also leaving him kind of wanting to go back and catch his breath.

It’s the style that Marriner instills to the music that tends to get on my nerves. It’s like he was directing Mozart, not Bach. For a few seconds, I actually thought of the music of the Salzburg master when listening to the treatment that the conductor selected for the string section. This, and the totally absurd addition of a movement of another work to “complete” the third concert and give it a second, slow movement (in a work that couldn't be more “complete” as it is, with the two chords that separate the first from the third movement), is my only complaint about this version and the reason this album full of the best music available doesn’t get a perfect score from me.

4/5

Vivaldi - L'estro Armonico ; 4 Concertos for wind instruments - Sir Neville Marriner - Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields - DECCA

I had always preferred Vivaldi’s latest concert cycles to “L’Estro Armonico” (his earliest), especially "Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione" (where his famous “Four Seasons” come from). Listening to this recording by the venerable Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields hasn’t changed my mind, but it has added extra weight to the figure of the Italian priest.

There are 12 concertos in the cycle, some in major, and some in minor keys. The breadth of variation here is enormous, with Vivaldi dazzling us in every piece with every little turn or twist. Though most concertos are in the three-movement form (with the exception of the 2^nd in G minor), not all of them adhere to the traditional fast-slow-fast structure, and the Italian master keeps surprising us with his creativity

As a second part of the set, we get 4 concertos for wind instruments. While not as vibrant or impressive as the ones in “L’Estro Armonico”, they serve as a good introduction for the rest of the composer’s concert output, which was not exclusively based on the violin and the other strings. I found two of them particularly exciting: the concerto for bassoon in A minor, where Vivaldi had to deal with an instrument that demanded a more cautioned approach to the orchestra part, and the one for 2 oboes, 2 horns and violin in F, where the composer masterfully combines 5 concertino voices with that of the ensemble.

The recording is not up to the best standards set by more modern releases, and at times the music just doesn’t jump up front. Clarity is OK but not perfect. The versions themselves, on the other hand, are of the same high quality that Marriner and his ASMF have made us used to. I recommend this double-set for the great music and the great playing in modern instruments by the performers. For a person new to Vivaldi, I’d try first with the “Four Seasons” before I jump to any complete cycle.

3.5/5

Ginastera, Brahms et al. - Chamber works - FIU Chamber Players - Miami, January 2010

On January 21 I attended a concert that took place in the Florida International University’s Wertheim Performing Arts Center. The program for the night consisted of chamber music performed by the FIU Chamber Players. During the first part of the concert the music was from Latin America composers, including 5 songs by the well-known Argentinian master Alberto Ginastera. The second part of the event featured a work by one of the biggest names in the post-romantic era (and one of my ten favorite composers), Johannes Brahms.

The auditory was not even half-full, a fact that, while not good by any means for the artists, helped bring the noise factor closer to zero. We were soon introduced to our soprano for the night (Kathleen Wilson) joined by the pianist, young Jennifer Renee Snyder.

The first group of featured works was by unknown-to-me composer Carlos Guastavino. The set consisted of 2 songs (or Lieder, if I’m not wrong in using this denomination to Spanish songs written in the 20^th century). I have never been a big fan of these kinds of compositions, not even of the ones by composers more familiar to me like Schubert or Mahler. The songs were brief and rather forgettable.

The second group of works was a selection of 5 songs by famed Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera. As the night was unfolding, I felt I had chosen the wrong concert to attend, but at the same time, I thought “this is more challenging than going to a concert full of music you already like”. Anyway, the music, rather simple and short, was pleasant, and worked well as introduction for what came next, since I started to hear more adventurous, constraint-free music. While the soprano sung very well but never really impressed me, the pianist showed a lot of energy and power in her performance, practically upstaging her vocal counterpart, especially in the faster songs like “Chacarera” or “Gato”. All in all, I’ve never been able to empathize with academic-music songs (for simple vocal music, I really prefer popular genres), and this first two sets left me rather cold..

The two musicians left the stage and came back joined by three more artists: viola player Laura Wilcox, clarinetist Julian Santacoloma, and the conductor, Orlando Garcia. Garcia introduced us to the work of Aurelio de la Vega, “The Magic Labyrinth”. To explain the work, an image of the score was projected on a screen behind the stage. The score featured a rather strange, labyrinth-like figure which, with a closer look, was revealed as the actual music. Garcia explained that the work was written in such a way that the key and harmonies had to pretty much be “sensed” by the musicians, and that they had to follow the labyrinth until the end. The music started and I was surprised. This was atonal music, the kind that has never been my favorite but that I have always wanted to see performed live. The melodic ideas were few and far between; most of the time harmony took center stage as the instruments’ dialogue was rather sequential, one speaking after the other. Lots of percussive effects by otherwise non-percussive elements like the soprano’s score-holder and the body of the grand piano joined forces with very-high, twirling figures in the viola and abrupt-ending scales and phrases in the clarinet. The soprano’s voice was used as another harmonic instrument, never really singing but providing bursts of harmony (or disharmony, I should say). The piece was effective and I enjoyed it a lot. I’m not sure I’ll run to buy a recording of it, but I’m glad I was able to listen to it live.

What followed next was a composition by the conductor himself, “Parallel Universe I”. Garcia explained us that this is part of a longer work exploring parallel universes in music. The screen projected a video of a foggy, dusty gray place that looked like a cell, gradually opening the shot during the performance until we saw the entire room. The music was atonal, devoid of melody, but in this case, sadly, also devoid of interest. The constant repetition of little ideas on each of the instruments, with almost no room for any thematic exploration, or even experiments in color, left me cold. The big idea was to explore the fusion of live music with recorded music. At some points, music would sound through the speakers in the auditory, and the live ensemble would harmonize with it and play at the same time. Though a novel trick, it felt more like a gimmick to me, with little substance. It was a new and somewhat exciting experience, though, and I’m glad I could take part of it.

After the intermission, finally, traditional music came back with a vengeance, so to speak. Johannes Brahms’ Sonata in D Minor, Op. 108 for piano and violin was the closing piece of the night. What a way to end a concert! A big fan of his music for big orchestra, I’ve just started to explore the chamber side of the catalogue of the Hamburg master. I was extremely pleased with the music, beautiful, romantic, powerful and soft, menacing and soothing, performed very well by Robert Davidovici on the violin and, especially, Kemal Gekic on the piano. I think Davidovici played in a great way but his actual stage presence was lacking - I know it’s not rock or metal, but the musician really looked like a robot in front of the piano, and while music is what really matters in the end, I believe a powerful-looking performance greatly enhances the transference of emotions to the audience-. Gekic, on the other hand, was outstanding, sending us wave after wave of emotion and passion for the art. The work itself was majestic, I particularly enjoyed the last movement, during the last moments of which piano and violin looked as if they were finally trying to settle the score of an impossible battle once and for all. The second movement was a good moment for the violinist to show us his most exquisite abilities, and his great understanding of the piece. In general, the way it was played, the sonata sounded more as a violin concerto, where the orchestra consisted of only one instrument, the piano,

I left the Wertheim Center very satisfied with what I just witnessed. I had the chance to step out of my comfort zone and venture into the world of songs and atonal music, and, especially the latter, I enjoyed it a lot. And, even better, the night was closed off with a grandiose finale.

Albinoni (Gaziotto) et al. - Adagio, Canon and more orchestral favorites - Herbert Von Karajan - Berlin Philharmonic - DG

When I think of Herbert von Karajan and his long term association with the Berlin Philharmonic, I rarely think of baroque music first. Usually, I picture Von Karajan conducting Beethoven or Mahler or some other Germanic, romantic-oriented composer. Nevertheless, I needed a new version of “Albinoni’s” “Adagio” and Pachelbel’s “Canon”, two of the best-known little baroque pieces that for some reasons weren’t in my collection in any shape or form. So I tried with this DG recording, and I can say that associating the Austrian maestro with baroque music will not be so far-fetched for me anymore.

The first track in the disc is the piece still known as “Albinoni’s Adagio”. It has long been established that Tomasso Albinoni never composed the piece, but Remo Giazotto, who published it and has been denied the fame he justly deserves even if only for this single work. This reading of the Adagio is fantastic, it literally made my eyes watery, conveying so much emotion; probably the best I’ve heard. Not good for purists maybe, but for me, Karajan added a romantic depth to the piece that turned it from a minor pretty composition into a masterpiece of sadness.

Next on is Vivaldi’s “La Notte”, a concerto for flute, strings and harpsichord. Vibrant as all Vivaldi is, it was the first time I ever heard it so I can’t compare it with other versions. The energy of the music is easily brought to life by the Berlin orchestra’s superb string section.

I didn’t pay much attention to Bach’s “Air” from his third orchestral suite as I don’t like listening to the piece without listening to the entire work. Anyway, it’s almost impossible to even imagine a bad version of Bach by the Germans and Karajan (actually, it’s hard to imagine anyone making this little thing sound anything else but glorious. Bach’s music is that perfect.)

Pachelbel’s “Canon and Gigue”, the other main reason for my buying this album, gets a good if-a-little-fast reading. Unlike with the Adagio, in here the orchestra sounds cold, playing through the motions. It’s the best orchestra in the world, so it sounds ok. But I’ve heard warmer versions. The addition of the entire work (some recordings omit the gigue) is welcomed.

Christoph Willibald Gluck’s music has never been one of my strong points. I have to admit listening to the “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” from “Orpheus and Eurydice” was a revelation. The music is astoundingly beautiful, Mozart-like beautiful, and the recording here does it justice.

The disc closes with Mozart’s “Serenata Notturna”, K. 239. A light, graceful, rather forgettable little piece by the Salzburg master, the work receives fair treatment by the orchestra. Though, again, I feel the version is a little on the uninspired side of things. It’s not Mozart’s best work, but I’ve heard it played with more gusto even by lesser ensembles.

Overall, this album is a good option for someone wanting to have a version of the Adagio and Pachelbel’s Canon without having to get more music by either Albinoni (who isn’t the author of the piece anyway) or the German composer. The recording is clear and efficient, and the playing is extremely accurate, and in three of the works, inspired.

3.5/5

Handel - "Water Music", "Royal Fireworks Music" - Neville Marriner - Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (DECCA)

Now we’re talking! This is probably the best version of Handel's “Royal Fireworks Music” I’ve heard so far, modern instruments and all. I absolutely love the grace, the emotion that modern strings and winds can convey when conducted by the right hands, and the right hands Neville Marriner’s certainly are. Though I have other preferred directors for music composed after the classical era, for baroque and classical-era works none does it for me like this conductor and his venerable Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields. Just listen to the first powerful notes of the magnificent overture, carrying all the pomp and elegance and honor that it’s supposed to carry. The sound of the recording helps matters, as all instruments strike the right balance. Right from the start, in the overture (which has some of the best music in all of Handel), we can see how Marriner’s expert hand combines the ceremonious, solemn side of the event, with the energy and vitality of the thousands of people present, in the absolutely marvelous second section of the piece, played perfectly. Unlike the last recording I reviewed, here the horns and winds in general are in the perfect level of volume and presence. Just listen to the fantastic "La Rejouissance" for evidence of this.

My only minor gripe with this recording is the snare used in the solemn and triumphant minuet that ends the suite. I have heard a few versions that include it but I really don’t like it that much. There was no need for that militaristic element that I’ve noticed absent in many other versions.

The “Water Music” suites are played perfectly. This is the best version I’ve found yet (though I loved an old Russian -soviet to be exact- vinyl I had in the MELODIYA label also. I can’t remember the orchestra). All the melodic wizardry of Handel is brought to the forefront by the orchestra. This version doesn’t include the variants on the themes that the Gardiner-PHILIPS version included, but I think it’s better this way, as those were unnecessary repetitions of themes already present, with slightly different orchestration, in the three suites.

This disc proves again that I favor modern instruments over period-instruments recordings of baroque music. I think the drama, emotion and energy that modern instruments can provide can’t be matched by period instruments and the style they demand to be played with.

4.5/5

Handel - "Water Music", "Royal Fireworks Music" - John Elliot Gardiner - English Baroque Soloists (PHILIPS)

Georg Friedrich Handel’s “Water Music” and “Royal Fireworks Music” are two of my all-time favorite works of the baroque era, especially the second one. The grace, the energy, the vitality and the beauty of the music is unparalleled. I’ve heard multiple versions, but this is my first time with a period-instrument recording.

Period-instrument recordings are not for everyone. Many people love to listen to baroque pieces in a style that probably resembles how they originally sounded centuries ago much more closely, but it’s not everybody’s cup of tea. The lack of modern techniques like vibrato, the slightly colder sound of less-developed instruments sometimes prove too much for some music lovers used to the deep and powerful sounds of 20^th century orchestras.

In my view, Handel’s masterpieces receive a great treatment in this Philips recording but ultimately the sound of period-instruments leaves me a little cold. I miss the sweeping vibrato of modern versions like Marriner’s with the St. Martin-in-the-Fields Academy. Notes sound too blunt, too final when performed in period-instruments, compared to the depth that modern strings and winds provide. Also, I have some gripe with the horns, so important especially in the suites in D and F of “Water Music”. They’re too over-the-top on this recording, pretty much robbing the rest of the ensemble of its importance whenever they appear. It might be a problem with the sound quality of older horns and trumpets or with the recording, I’m not sure.

The tempos are OK but I feel they’re a little on the fast side. While Gardiner certainly known how to bring about the vitality of the music, its pomp, its majesty, seem a little bit overshadowed on his version of both pieces, which were both composed for solemn occasions and for royal ears, but which seem too gentile, too light here.

I recommend this recording for fans of period instruments. But I’ll rather stay with the venerable version by Marriner and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-fields in DECCA.

3/5

"The Planets - An HD Odyssey" - Houston Symphony Orchestra - Hugo Graf - Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 2010

A couple of weeks ago I attended a concert in the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, with the Houston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of maestro Hugo Graf. The concert was named “The Planets -An HD-Odyssey”, for the main event was Gustav Holst’s masterpiece played in its entirety with a video presentation of the seven celestial bodies depicted in the music, in full HD. Completing the set were Stravinsky’s early “Scherzo Fantastique” and Dutilleux’s “Timbres, espace, movement”.

This was the first time I ever heard the Stravinsky’s piece. Familiar with his ballets and some of his unique symphonies, I’ve heard little of his early output. The “Scherzo Fantastique” was an entertaining little piece with hints of the revolutionary rhythm-work that the master would deliver later in his life with “The Rite of Spring” and his earlier ballets. The Orchestra played it very tight and smooth, with a fantastic string section that gave me a lot of hope for the main course of the concert, which was the one that attracted me to the event in the first place.

Next in the program was Dutilleux’s work, scored for a much smaller string section but a larger percussion group. I had never heard of this composer before and I was gladly impressed. The atonality of the music was not a problem, as the dynamics in the piece kept me interested all the way through, even when the melodic element was close to null. Harmonies and colors flying everywhere set up the mood perfectly for the second part of the concert. The orchestra, once again, delivered, imprinting some vitality in a difficult work where emotion takes a second seat to cold musical science.

After the intermission, the full orchestra came back. Lights were dimmed and the projection started with a rather uninspired documentary on the creation of the visuals. Maestro Graf came back to the helm and Holst’s masterpiece started in full energy with the percussive string pattern of “Mars, bringer of war”. The orchestra built the tension perfectly, making the arrival of the full-ensemble explosion much more of a relief for the listener. One thing I didn’t like (from the audience) was the applause in-between planets, which was unnecessary; neither the orchestra nor the conductor acknowledged it. Next on the list of seven planets (Earth is not depicted in the work, and Pluto was yet to be discovered when Holst composed the music) comes “Venus, bringer of peace”. The peaceful, beatific music has little to do with the character of the actual planet (a hell in the solar system, if there ever was one) and more with the deity after whom the planet is named. “Mercury, the winged messenger” came and left quickly. My favorite movement, “Jupiter, bringer of jollity”, started with fantastic precision from the strings and a rather imposing declaration by the brass. The tempo was just right for me, not too fast, not too slow. When the magnificent middle-section arrived, I was completely swept away by the emotion. The orchestra conveyed all the solemn grace of the music perfectly. “Saturn, bringer of old age” was the perfect contrast, and “Uranus, the magician” was, as its name requires, magical. “Neptune, the mystic” closed off the piece with its mystical, ethereal women chorus creating a sense of distance, of undiscovered territories, making the listener understand that while we know a little about our solar neighbors, there’s so much more that lies beyond.

The orchestra and conductor received a long round of applause by the audience, and after the second one Graf came back for a little surprise: Stravinsky again, this time with the minute piece “Fireworks”, a rather light, playful piece that closed the concert in a high, if a little irrelevant, note. Graf and the Orchestra received more than three rounds of applause before they left the hall.

This was an excellent concert, with the best orchestra I have seen live. The string section especially was phenomenal, with crystal clarity and perfect execution. Graf’s version of Holst’s suite was much to my liking, not overly fast, not terribly slow, but just at the right pace. I’m glad to say the event has marked me in more ways than I expected, since it has reignited in me the need to see live classical music performances that I had when I was considerably younger.

As a side note, the visual presentation was rather forgettable, as there was nothing of interest but shots of each planet with little energy and little relation to the actual musical events. Anyway, “The Planets” don’t need high definition video; they just need high quality performers. And that’s exactly what we’ve got with the Houston Symphony Orchestra under Hugo Graf.