Sounds Of The 30s
Mannheimer Mozartorchester & Thomas Fey
By James Manheim
These "sounds of the 30s" are classical pieces, not jazz recordings or popular songs. But, from America to France to even the Soviet Union, the influence of vernacular music in the concert hall reached a high point not matched again until the 1990s and beyond. This release, reuniting the forces heard on an earlier Gershwin recording, makes sense programmatically in its collection of works influenced by popular models; the works here, with the exception of Victor de Sabata's Mille e una notte, are common enough, but they gain by being heard together. Jazz-oriented Italian pianist Stefano Bollani nails the Piano Concerto in G major of Ravel: it is a work deeply influenced by Gershwin and by the jazz Ravel heard directly in New York, but it was by no means an imitation, and it is actually one of Ravel's more intricately structured works. Tending even more toward the use of a vernacular style accent a composer's own personality is Stravinsky's Tango, which stretches out the Argentine dance's characteristic rhythms into dry, angular shapes. The Tango is included twice here, in piano and orchestral versions, for what seems to be no very good reason. Kurt Weill, by contrast, reacted to popular music by embracing it wholeheartedly; he is represented by orchestral versions of a pair of not very familiar but entirely lovely tunes. Which leaves de Sabata, better known as a conductor but also one of the original "pops" composers; Mille e una notte is a splashy work that wears out its welcome after a while but nevertheless offers an obviously much-enjoyed good time for the performers. Generally coherent, enjoyable, and recommended.
These "sounds of the 30s" are classical pieces, not jazz recordings or popular songs. But, from America to France to even the Soviet Union, the influence of vernacular music in the concert hall reached a high point not matched again until the 1990s and beyond. This release, reuniting the forces heard on an earlier Gershwin recording, makes sense programmatically in its collection of works influenced by popular models; the works here, with the exception of Victor de Sabata's Mille e una notte, are common enough, but they gain by being heard together. Jazz-oriented Italian pianist Stefano Bollani nails the Piano Concerto in G major of Ravel: it is a work deeply influenced by Gershwin and by the jazz Ravel heard directly in New York, but it was by no means an imitation, and it is actually one of Ravel's more intricately structured works. Tending even more toward the use of a vernacular style accent a composer's own personality is Stravinsky's Tango, which stretches out the Argentine dance's characteristic rhythms into dry, angular shapes. The Tango is included twice here, in piano and orchestral versions, for what seems to be no very good reason. Kurt Weill, by contrast, reacted to popular music by embracing it wholeheartedly; he is represented by orchestral versions of a pair of not very familiar but entirely lovely tunes. Which leaves de Sabata, better known as a conductor but also one of the original "pops" composers; Mille e una notte is a splashy work that wears out its welcome after a while but nevertheless offers an obviously much-enjoyed good time for the performers. Generally coherent, enjoyable, and recommended.
Mannheimer Mozartorchester & Thomas Fey
Antonio Salieri: Overtures & Stage Music
By Eric Cook
Another bright, clear and intelligent recording of Antonio Salieri's stage music, both opera overtures and interludes, and incidental music. The CD is particularly nice because it offers some real rarities from a rare composer. The music for Salieri's last opera Die Neger 1802/04, and for the spoken drama Die Hussiet vor Naumberg were the highlights for me. The playing is crisp, intelligent, up beat, and nuanced. At times I thought the interpretations verged a little too much toward the edgy, but the choices never seemed "wrong" in an ultimate sense. With Salieri the composer we have a wide range of moods, themes, and orchestration; but there is often something lacking, the work doesn't fully develop, it ends too soon, or lingers a little too long; the music is always fresh, theatrical, and well constructed - but these are not pieces one comes away humming, and while most of them do have weight and depth (some more than others) and bear up well on repeated listenings - they are certainly not on the same compositional level as something by Mozart or the mature Beethoven. I love the music and always feel bad for saying that, especially because at times they come so very, very close to perfection. Also in Salieri's late music we can see a bright shining farewell to the Classical style of German/Italian Opera Buffa, and of course throughout there are many innovations and hints of the Romantic era to come, the incidental music could almost be by Beethoven, it's a pity the choral music from the work was not included. I think there has been no better overall interpreter of this material before than Fey and his excellent ensemble, at times he seems a little too brittle but he avoids any cloying or overly romantic gestures that would bog the score down, and the scores punch and bend and sing. The recording quality is clean, upfront and excellent, the program notes are intelligent and sufficient for an introduction to the material. As is so common the CD case is brittle and arrived broken, and lacks the careful packaging that accompanied Vol. I of Fey's Salieri just two years ago. While CD's last this is one worth acquiring. And if you have not acquired the first Volume, you should do so!
Joshua Bell
Violin Favoutites & Virtuoso Showpieces: Kreisler, Brahms, Paganini, Sarasate, Wieniawski
By Vera Kolb
Joshua Bell showed up on my TV screen, for the New Year's concert in which he was the soloist to perform popular pieces, such as those of Fritz Kreisler. I was watching him with weary, suspicious eyes. What can this young man (notice the reverse age discrimination on my part) teach me about these old popular virtuoso pieces? How can this "kid" from Indiana soothe my nostalgia for these pieces that I associate with "the good, old Europe"?
By the time the concert was over, I have found out that Joshua Bell, now Maestro Bell rather than "the kid from Indiana", not only captured, but improved these old violin favorites! I rushed immediately to order his records.
On the double CD "Violin Favourites & Virtuoso Showpieces", Maestro Bell plays Kreisler, Brahms, Paganini, Sarasate, Wieniawski and other composers.
This phenomenal violinist plays these pieces with an unprecedented elegance and sophistication. Most importantly, he does not suffocate his listeners with his emotions, but instead he offers a refined performance with lots of musical space for the listeners to put their five cents worth of musical emotions. He has completely rejected the idea of any schmaltz, which has unfortunately become a signature for many of these pieces. Instead, he concentrates upon and captures the intrinsic beauty of this music.
I must address his virtuosity. He is so phenomenal, that I think that Paganini could not do it any better. Maestro Bell, I feel, is not really interested in dazzling his audience (although it happens automatically), but is simply exploring the limits of what violin as an instrument and he as a performer can offer. His left- and right-hand pizzicatos, double stops, harmonics, and staccatos at a very fast pace, make violin sounds so much more exciting. His virtuosity is in service of the interpretation of the pieces he plays.
Listen carefully to Maestro Bell! You can hear every note separately, no matter how fast he plays. You may wonder how fast Maestro Bell can play. In my opinion, if he played any faster, my ears could not detect the separate notes! His playing deserves an Olympic Gold Medal!
He plays popular pieces, such as those of Kreisler, which some listeners, who consider themselves sophisticated, look down upon. And yet, these may be the pieces that they often enjoy the most, out of the entire concert, when they are played as an encore. They would never admit it! Maestro Bell's sophisticated performance of these pieces has given such listeners an opportunity to come out of their closets and enjoy Kreisler openly. They can then join the rest of us who think that there is nothing wrong with the pretty music that many generations of listeners love.
This recording is an absolute must for anybody who ever played the violin. It will make you recapture your youthful love for this beautiful instrument, which Maestro Bell shows at its best! Thank you, Maestro Bell!
Needless to say, I give Maestro Bell five stars!
Lang Lang
By Vera Kolb
Joshua Bell showed up on my TV screen, for the New Year's concert in which he was the soloist to perform popular pieces, such as those of Fritz Kreisler. I was watching him with weary, suspicious eyes. What can this young man (notice the reverse age discrimination on my part) teach me about these old popular virtuoso pieces? How can this "kid" from Indiana soothe my nostalgia for these pieces that I associate with "the good, old Europe"?
By the time the concert was over, I have found out that Joshua Bell, now Maestro Bell rather than "the kid from Indiana", not only captured, but improved these old violin favorites! I rushed immediately to order his records.
On the double CD "Violin Favourites & Virtuoso Showpieces", Maestro Bell plays Kreisler, Brahms, Paganini, Sarasate, Wieniawski and other composers.
This phenomenal violinist plays these pieces with an unprecedented elegance and sophistication. Most importantly, he does not suffocate his listeners with his emotions, but instead he offers a refined performance with lots of musical space for the listeners to put their five cents worth of musical emotions. He has completely rejected the idea of any schmaltz, which has unfortunately become a signature for many of these pieces. Instead, he concentrates upon and captures the intrinsic beauty of this music.
I must address his virtuosity. He is so phenomenal, that I think that Paganini could not do it any better. Maestro Bell, I feel, is not really interested in dazzling his audience (although it happens automatically), but is simply exploring the limits of what violin as an instrument and he as a performer can offer. His left- and right-hand pizzicatos, double stops, harmonics, and staccatos at a very fast pace, make violin sounds so much more exciting. His virtuosity is in service of the interpretation of the pieces he plays.
Listen carefully to Maestro Bell! You can hear every note separately, no matter how fast he plays. You may wonder how fast Maestro Bell can play. In my opinion, if he played any faster, my ears could not detect the separate notes! His playing deserves an Olympic Gold Medal!
He plays popular pieces, such as those of Kreisler, which some listeners, who consider themselves sophisticated, look down upon. And yet, these may be the pieces that they often enjoy the most, out of the entire concert, when they are played as an encore. They would never admit it! Maestro Bell's sophisticated performance of these pieces has given such listeners an opportunity to come out of their closets and enjoy Kreisler openly. They can then join the rest of us who think that there is nothing wrong with the pretty music that many generations of listeners love.
This recording is an absolute must for anybody who ever played the violin. It will make you recapture your youthful love for this beautiful instrument, which Maestro Bell shows at its best! Thank you, Maestro Bell!
Needless to say, I give Maestro Bell five stars!
Lang Lang
The Chopin Album
By Santa Fe Listener
As he turns thirty, Lang Lang continues to create divisive reactions. His worldwide celebrity status makes him critic-proof, a fact that brings out even harsher opinions. contrary to the worst detractors, he isn't a fake; in concert the technique is spectacular, and he has a flair that throws the music over the footlights. The crowds adore him personally and always will, I imagine.
On records the story is different. As this Chopin recital shows, Lang Lang's playing can be blunt and without nuance. compared to the freshness and delicacy that was evident when he first appeared, the pianist has followed Kissin in becoming somewhat hardened and impersonal in his interpretations. the opening work is the second set of Etudes Op. 25, and where I admired the flash and dazzle of Lang Lang's recent Liszt album, his focus on extrovert display in Chopin plays to the gallery, reaching for big effects without delicacy or much personal feeling. Tender, reflective Etudes like the C-sharp Minor (no. 7) afford a lovely respite. Lang Lang has a poetic side, which I find is most convincing attribute as an interpreter. The famous, spectacular "Winter Winds" Etude (no. 11) begins with finesse before it virtually explodes and the roof caves in. It's a crude reading, even though one admires the ease with which the right and left hand parts are voiced without fudging the difficulties.
The two Nocturnes that come next appeal to the pianist's lyrical side, but in Op. 55 no. 2 the phrasing is impersonal and a tad proficient. Lang Lang has such a precise touch that he can create air in between very fast passing notes, which is a marvel when Liszt write up a firestorm. The same quality gives a nice open clarity in Chopin, but legato passages sometimes feel disjointed - I'm not naming a serious flaw, only noting that the singing line isn't always brought out enough. The second Nocturne here (Op. 15 no. 1) is the most successful item so far; it's quietly reflective and touching, with restrained passion in the contrasting middle section.
Lang Lang mentions that the popular Grande Valse Brillante (Op. 18 no. 1) was among the earliest Chopin that he learned. He splits the difference between the elegance of Lipatti and the boisterous exuberance of Kissin. the result is perhaps too much of a hybrid to sound distinctive on its own, but the reading holds it own, certainly. You feel that a musical imagination is expressing itself, if somewhat cautiously. The Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise, which is so rhapsodic that it can fall apart, wasn't a work that I expected Lang Lang to excel at, but it turns out to be very impressive. His touch and phrasing are lovely, and real personality comes through.
Just as engaging are the two numbers that end the recital, the Nocturne Op. Post. in C-shapr Minor and the "Minute Waltz" (not played for speed - Lang Lang takes 2 min.) If only the rest of the recital had risen to this level, revealing what he is capable of. Like his other albums, this one won't earn unreserved praise, but the best parts won me over. The recorded sound and the piano itself are fine.
(There's a bonus pop crossover song that I will leave as a surprise, as well as a 14 min. DVD about Lang Lang's love of Chopin, which wasn't part of my download.)
By Santa Fe Listener
As he turns thirty, Lang Lang continues to create divisive reactions. His worldwide celebrity status makes him critic-proof, a fact that brings out even harsher opinions. contrary to the worst detractors, he isn't a fake; in concert the technique is spectacular, and he has a flair that throws the music over the footlights. The crowds adore him personally and always will, I imagine.
On records the story is different. As this Chopin recital shows, Lang Lang's playing can be blunt and without nuance. compared to the freshness and delicacy that was evident when he first appeared, the pianist has followed Kissin in becoming somewhat hardened and impersonal in his interpretations. the opening work is the second set of Etudes Op. 25, and where I admired the flash and dazzle of Lang Lang's recent Liszt album, his focus on extrovert display in Chopin plays to the gallery, reaching for big effects without delicacy or much personal feeling. Tender, reflective Etudes like the C-sharp Minor (no. 7) afford a lovely respite. Lang Lang has a poetic side, which I find is most convincing attribute as an interpreter. The famous, spectacular "Winter Winds" Etude (no. 11) begins with finesse before it virtually explodes and the roof caves in. It's a crude reading, even though one admires the ease with which the right and left hand parts are voiced without fudging the difficulties.
The two Nocturnes that come next appeal to the pianist's lyrical side, but in Op. 55 no. 2 the phrasing is impersonal and a tad proficient. Lang Lang has such a precise touch that he can create air in between very fast passing notes, which is a marvel when Liszt write up a firestorm. The same quality gives a nice open clarity in Chopin, but legato passages sometimes feel disjointed - I'm not naming a serious flaw, only noting that the singing line isn't always brought out enough. The second Nocturne here (Op. 15 no. 1) is the most successful item so far; it's quietly reflective and touching, with restrained passion in the contrasting middle section.
Lang Lang mentions that the popular Grande Valse Brillante (Op. 18 no. 1) was among the earliest Chopin that he learned. He splits the difference between the elegance of Lipatti and the boisterous exuberance of Kissin. the result is perhaps too much of a hybrid to sound distinctive on its own, but the reading holds it own, certainly. You feel that a musical imagination is expressing itself, if somewhat cautiously. The Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise, which is so rhapsodic that it can fall apart, wasn't a work that I expected Lang Lang to excel at, but it turns out to be very impressive. His touch and phrasing are lovely, and real personality comes through.
Just as engaging are the two numbers that end the recital, the Nocturne Op. Post. in C-shapr Minor and the "Minute Waltz" (not played for speed - Lang Lang takes 2 min.) If only the rest of the recital had risen to this level, revealing what he is capable of. Like his other albums, this one won't earn unreserved praise, but the best parts won me over. The recorded sound and the piano itself are fine.
(There's a bonus pop crossover song that I will leave as a surprise, as well as a 14 min. DVD about Lang Lang's love of Chopin, which wasn't part of my download.)
Valentina Lisitsa & London Symphony Orchestra/Michael Francis
Rachmaninov: The Piano Concertos / Paganini Rhapsody
By Virginia Music Lover
The classical music reviewer Norman Lebrecht was right -- this is a dazzling Rachmaninov set that ranks with the very best ever done. He ranks it with his "modern" favorite, the early 70s version with Ashkenazy playing and Previn conducting. He also noted, interestingly, that the orchestra in each case was the London Symphony (though very few players, if any, would be the same for both sets).
In all four concerti, Lisitsa brings a highly nuanced reading which sounds completely natural. Too many players just play the torrent of notes, observing volume dynamics, but not doing much else with the pieces. Lisitsa makes little tone poems out of various sections but yet manages to hold all the sections together as one. If one listens closely one can hear not only great articulation (and power and speed where needed) but little accents and rubatos that make the pieces sing.
The LSO's playing is also on a very high level. Conductor Mike Francis, the double bass player who first made his name as a relief conductor when other conductors could not make a rehearsal, then graduated to his very own spots, is someone to watch. The LSO's playing is magnificent, lush and precise. I have read that Lisitsa sent videos to Francis before the recording sessions demonstrating how she wanted certain sections to be interpreted. (One would love to see those tapes as an instructional device.) The result is a razor sharp performance. Tutti attacks are as if one instrument was playing.
My theory about the LSO's gorgeous playing is this. As is known by some, Lisitsa mortgaged her home to make these recordings, at a personal cost of $300,000. Doubtless the LSO players knew something of this, because the circumstances of a recording session will be talked about among the players. Now imagine you are sitting in a section of the LSO, having toiled for years in music school and now in a prestigious symphony. But for many players there was always the hope that they would break from the pack and become the next Dennis Brain or Midori or whomever. I cannot help but think that the players played their hearts out for someone willing to risk all their savings on a project she believed in.
Again, the piano playing by Lisitsa is heavenly, the orchestra is responsive, the sound is well engineered (in a few cases I would have liked the engineers to have brought out a bit more piano detail but I understand there are limits to this in a concerto setting). If you want to hear the details of the piano playing, Lisitsa has recorded the solo versions of the concerti on her You Tube channel. In fact listen to the separate parts anyway, because you likely will hear notes that no recording ever uncovers.
I have listened to many many performances of these concertos over the years, from the famous and the obscure, and I cannot think of any that are better.
Most highly recommended.
By Virginia Music Lover
The classical music reviewer Norman Lebrecht was right -- this is a dazzling Rachmaninov set that ranks with the very best ever done. He ranks it with his "modern" favorite, the early 70s version with Ashkenazy playing and Previn conducting. He also noted, interestingly, that the orchestra in each case was the London Symphony (though very few players, if any, would be the same for both sets).
In all four concerti, Lisitsa brings a highly nuanced reading which sounds completely natural. Too many players just play the torrent of notes, observing volume dynamics, but not doing much else with the pieces. Lisitsa makes little tone poems out of various sections but yet manages to hold all the sections together as one. If one listens closely one can hear not only great articulation (and power and speed where needed) but little accents and rubatos that make the pieces sing.
The LSO's playing is also on a very high level. Conductor Mike Francis, the double bass player who first made his name as a relief conductor when other conductors could not make a rehearsal, then graduated to his very own spots, is someone to watch. The LSO's playing is magnificent, lush and precise. I have read that Lisitsa sent videos to Francis before the recording sessions demonstrating how she wanted certain sections to be interpreted. (One would love to see those tapes as an instructional device.) The result is a razor sharp performance. Tutti attacks are as if one instrument was playing.
My theory about the LSO's gorgeous playing is this. As is known by some, Lisitsa mortgaged her home to make these recordings, at a personal cost of $300,000. Doubtless the LSO players knew something of this, because the circumstances of a recording session will be talked about among the players. Now imagine you are sitting in a section of the LSO, having toiled for years in music school and now in a prestigious symphony. But for many players there was always the hope that they would break from the pack and become the next Dennis Brain or Midori or whomever. I cannot help but think that the players played their hearts out for someone willing to risk all their savings on a project she believed in.
Again, the piano playing by Lisitsa is heavenly, the orchestra is responsive, the sound is well engineered (in a few cases I would have liked the engineers to have brought out a bit more piano detail but I understand there are limits to this in a concerto setting). If you want to hear the details of the piano playing, Lisitsa has recorded the solo versions of the concerti on her You Tube channel. In fact listen to the separate parts anyway, because you likely will hear notes that no recording ever uncovers.
I have listened to many many performances of these concertos over the years, from the famous and the obscure, and I cannot think of any that are better.
Most highly recommended.
