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