2 sem 2015 - Part Four

Jan Garbarek & The Hilliard Ensemble
Officium Novum




By Stephen Eddins
More than 15 years separate the release of Jan Garbarek's best-selling album Officium from his Officium Novum. The newer release, like the original, features Garbarek on soprano and tenor saxophones and the male vocal quartet, the Hilliard Ensemble. In both albums, Garbarek takes preexisting vocal pieces and embroiders them with his soulful obbligato contributions. The chaste austerity of the men's voices and the reedy plaintiveness of the saxophone make for a surprisingly effective pairing. Garbarek and the singers manage to merge two very different musical worlds without compromising the integrity of either, and that is part of what gives these albums such an impact. The first album used primarily Medieval and Renaissance material -- chants, motets, and liturgical song -- while this second mostly uses more recent source material, primarily from Eastern Europe. In addition to several medieval sources, included are works by early 20th century Armenian priest, musicologist, and composer Komitas; Nikolai N. Kedrov, a Russian composer of the same era; mid-20th century Greek composer Giorgios Sefaris; Estonian Arvo Pärt; and several original pieces by Garbarek himself. Like the first album, this one is suffused with a sense of distant mystery and a profound, powerful melancholy that is given voice with intense feeling. The sound again is spacious and warmly resonant, with an earthy, enveloping ambience. This album will be a must-have for anyone who loved the first one, and it should appeal to any listener with an affinity for meditative Eastern European spirituality, especially when tied to contemporary expressivity and stylistic freedom.
Tracks:
1. Ov zamranali (Armenian traditional/ Komitas, Hilliard Ensemble/Jan Garbarek)
2. Svjete tihij (Byantine chant, Hilliard Ensemble/Jan Garbarek)
3. Allting finns (Jan Garbarek)
4. Litany (Hilliard Ensemble/Jan Garbarek)
5. Surp (Armenian traditional / Komitas, Hilliard Ensemble/Jan Garbarek)
6. Most Holy Mother Of God (Arvo Part)
7. Tres morillas m'enamoran (Spanish anonymous/Hilliard Ensemble/Jan Garbarek)
8. Sirt im sasani (Komitas, Hilliard Ensemble/Jan Garbarek)
9. Hays hark (Armenian traditional/ Komitas, Hilliard Ensemble/Jan Garbarek)
10. Alleluia, Nativitas (Perotin. Hilliard Ensemble / Jan Garbarek)
11. We are the stars (Jan Garbarek)


Vladimir Horowitz
Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon - 6 CD's




By Doug - Haydn Fan VINE VOICE
For reasons perhaps reflecting what may very well be a coming collapse of classical music pricing and distribution, bargains of an almost too good to be true nature continue to emerge on Amazon. This certainly is one! With the already very reasonable price slashed by half, you can now purchase all six Horowitz discs making up his recordings for DG for a little over twenty-five dollars. It's a buyer's market!
This set includes the famous Moscow Concert, a number of selections of pieces Horowtiz did very well, including Schumann, Liszt, Chopin, Scarlatti, and Scriabin, and even includes a Mozart Concerto, with large-scaled backing by Giulini. By this time in his career Horowitz plays more reflectively; the huge passionate outbursts of his salad days, with thunderous dynamics and blazing tempos are not the main attraction. One should absolutely not expect the reincarnation of, say, live concerts with Horowitz and Toscanini! Instead, perhaps channeling late Liszt, Horowitz seems at his best here when playing music requiring reflection and poetry.
Of course, this IS still Horowitz the virtouso - despite his age at the time of these recordings, around eighty - there's still plenty of pyrotechnics, though I find them more careful, and with a few bald spots showing through when he strives for more full sonorites and explosions. Opinions differ on the DG sound - Horowitz apparently never made life easy for the engineers, and there is some variance here, with some of the results not at all the equal of the best modern recordings.
If you don't yet have the Cd of the legendary return to Moscow Concert, or any of Horowitz's other late DGs, this is a great chance to hear them at an extremely modest cost.

2 Sem 2015 - Part Three

Valentina Lisitsa
plays Philip Glass - 2 CD's



By Michael Birman
Philip Glass may be characterized as a minimalist composer but his music transcends the genre. Minimalism is a catch-all phrase but basically it means a compositional style that considers horizontal development to be more important than the vertical component of a musical piece. In other words, that the melody line is the main focus of the composer's attention and, while not entirely ignoring the vertical or polyphonic (counterpoint) elements, the composer is really more interested in the temporal or melodic aspects of music rather than the spatial interplay of several lines of notes.
This is hardly a new development in the history of music. Something similar occurred around 1750 with the death of Bach, when there was a declining interest in "archaic polyphony" by composers who wanted a simpler, more immediately appealing form of music that we now call homophony. This meant creating new textures in which multiple parts move together but with a single melody line of prime importance, and a renewed interest in chords and harmony. A new aptitude for writing melody for its own sake resulted (melody had become difficult to discern in complex polyphonic music like a Bach fugue). The Classical style music of Haydn and Mozart was born. Something similar occurred in reaction to the perceived sterility of atonal and 12-tone serial music championed by Schoenberg, Webern and others during the mid-twentieth century. Minimalism led to simplification in some of the more intellectual aspects of music and there was a new interest in harmony, melody, and instrumental textures for their own sake. Philip Glass is a master of this new style and his music reflects so much more than merely Minimalism.
The three works - The Hours, Metamorphosis and Mad Rush - recorded on these two CDs by pianist Valentina Lisitsa all reflect the composer's meditative compositional style in which blocks of melody are created, examined from every conceivable angle to the point of near exhaustion until new elements can create new blocks of melody, with the process repeating itself until it seems as if a self-replicating process has begun. Of course, that is one definition of the biological processes that we call "life" and the parallels seem appropriate.
The music of Philip Glass has an organic quality that operates like a melody engine fed by musical motifs (a usually short succession of musical notes that create a single impression; or a brief melodic or rhythmic formula out of which longer passages can be developed). This organic, living melody engine is significantly more complex and a much more creative process than the name of the genre that is used to categorize it (the "M" word again) would lead you to think. Glass is a master at creating these small elements of melodic germination that power the engine that drives his music.
Lisitsa has the pianistic mastery to convey the composer's ideas with almost effortless grace. She makes it look and sound easy but it really isn't. Glass, like Mozart, is a difficult composer to play partly because the music sounds so simple while so much goes on "under the hood". Lisitsa is a pianist with exceptional control of keyboard dynamics (watch her YouTube video in which she plays the final movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata, for an example of her brilliant use of dynamics for expressive purposes). She uses that control to emphasize different blocks of notes as they flow by but always with great subtlety, making the music sound as if it were constantly re-inventing itself, always sounding fresh and new.
Repetition, which is the hallmark of this music, is craftily de-emphasized in Lisitsa's playing by varying its dynamics, volume, velocity and even her playing style at times. Lisitsa's sparkling playing becomes an aspect of the music's creation. Her performances in all three works have some improvisational qualities, another aspect of Minimalism reminiscent of the Classical era (Mozart and Beethoven were renowned as improvisers before they were famous for their compositions). These two CDs are a superb introduction to the piano music of Philip Glass and Valentina Lisitsa is an excellent interpreter of his music. If you're a fan of the composer you'll probably love these discs. Lisitsa is a gifted pianist who appears unafraid of being challenged by new music. She certainly rises to the occasion on these exemplary recordings. Decca's engineers have crafted superb sound: the piano is nicely centered in a well-focused soundstage, its deeply resonant tone abetted by a slight application of reverb. On good systems the piano sounds as if it is in the room with you. 

Impressive recordings in all respects.
Track Listings:
Disc: 1
1. Glassworks: Opening
2. Truman Sleeps
3. The Poet Acts
4. Morning Passages
5. How Now
6. Something She Has To Do
7. I'm Going To Make A Cake
8. Olympian: Lighting of the Torch
9. Mad Rush
Disc: 2
1. Dead Things
2. Tearing Herself Away
3. Wichita Sutra Vortex
4. Escape!
5. Choosing Life
6. The Hours
7. Metamorphosis One
8. Metamorphosis Two
9. Metamorphosis Three
10. Metamorphosis Four
11. Metamorphosis Five
12. Mishima: Closing


Valentina Lisitsa
Études - Chopin & Schumann




By Virginia music lover
Not that many pianists record all the Chopin Etudes from Op. 10 and 25. The reason? They're tough to play, tougher to play very well. The Etudes span every mood, from sadness to winter storm to warlike, and were designed to test a pianist's technique and nerve.
Valentina has a lot of serve. She recorded these under the watchful eye of her public, live streaming two days of her sessions. There's no snip and paste here -- at the sessions she played each etude in whole. A knowledgeable producer would discuss the piece with her and off she'd go again. I listened to much of it and the commenters (one of the beauties of live streaming) would consistently say, "Wow, that one's perfect." Frankly, almost every one of her takes would have been recordable. As she has shown in the past, her pieces are played as a whole, keeping a singing line. Her technique is flawless, and her playing is so clear that you can hear the most minor nuance even while there is a whirlwind of notes. She is also a very fast player, but to me she never sounds rushed. Her clarity of technique means that you don't hear a jumble of sounds. I'm open to debate as to whether anyone plays the Etudes better. But I'll be listening to these on my desert island. Remember, the entire body of these is so difficult that Rubinstein never recorded them -- and he is on record as saying some of them were beyond him. Imagine.
The Schumann Symphonic Etudes are likely less familiar to many, but they are masterful (and difficult) works. The gold standard for these works has been Sfronitsky's interpretation, thankfully on You Tube. It is said no one ever played them better, and the works were nicknamed "sofronicheskie etudy." This may rile people but I think Lisitsa's version is better. Naturally, the recording is clearer -- there's a five decade gap in technology (plus Sfronitsky plays live which is often harder to record). But after the quiet opening, check Lisitsa's Tracks 26-27 and Sfronitsky (starting at about 2:30). Lisitsa's fingerwork is more agile, and every bit as lovely. On to the finale -- Lisitsa plays over 30 seconds faster and for the opening bars of the finale it sounds too fast at first listen. But she maintains the tempo and it really makes sense as the piece builds to its climax. When I went back to the Sfronitsky it sounded a little plodding.
One may disagree with the Sfronitsky comparison I made, but (a) at the very least the modern sound is more enjoyable, and (2) she plays the hell out of the Etudes.
Track Listings:
Disc: 1
1. Chopin No.1 In C Major 12 Etudes, Op.10
2. Chopin No.2 In A Minor -Chromatique 12 Etudes, Op.10
3. Chopin No.3 In E Major -Tristesse 12 Etudes, Op.10
4. Chopin No.4 In C Sharp Minor 12 Etudes, Op.10
5. Chopin No.5 In G Flat Black Keys 12 Etudes, Op.10
6. Chopin No.6 In E Flat Minor12 Etudes, Op.10
7. Chopin No.7 In C Major 12 Etudes, Op.10
8. Chopin No.8 In F Major 12 Etudes, Op.10
9. Chopin No.9 In F Minor 12 Etudes, Op.10
10. Chopin No.10 In A Flat Major 12 Etudes, Op.10
11. Chopin No.11 In E Flat Major 12 Etudes, Op.10
12. Chopin No.12 In C Minor Revolutionary 12 Etudes, Op.10
13. Chopin No.1 In A Flat Major- Harp Study 12 Etudes, Op.25
14. Chopin No.2 In F Minor 12 Etudes, Op.25
15. Chopin No.3 In F Major 12 Etudes, Op.25
16. Chopin No.4 In A Minor 12 Etudes, Op.25
17. Chopin No.5 In E Minor 12 Etudes, Op.25
18. Chopin No.6 In G Sharp Minor 12 Etudes, Op.25
19. Chopin No.7 In C Sharp Minor 12 Etudes, Op.25
20. Chopin No.8 In D Flat Major 12 Etudes, Op.25
21. Chopin No.9 In G Flat Major - Butterfly Wings 12 Etudes, Op.25
22. Chopin No.10 In B Minor 12 Etudes, Op.25
23. Chopin No.11 In A Minor Winter Wind 12 Etudes, Op.25
24. Chopin No.12 In C Minor 12 Etudes, Op.25
25. Schumann Theme Symphonic Studies, Op.13
26. Schumann Etude I Symphonic Studies, Op.13 - With repeat
27. Schumann Variation I Symphonic Studies, Op.13 -Appendix - With repeat
28. Schumann Etude II Symphonic Studies, Op.13 -With repeat
29. Schumann Etude III Symphonic Studies, Op.13 -With repeat
30. Schumann Etude IV Symphonic Studies, Op.13
31. Schumann Etude V Symphonic Studies, Op.13 -With repeat
32. Schumann Variation II Symphonic Studies, Op.13 - Appendix
33. Schumann Variation III Symphonic Studies, Op.13 - Appendix - With repeat
34. Schumann Variation IV Symphonic Studies, Op.13 - Appendix - With repeat
35. Schumann Variation V Symphonic Studies, Op.13 -Appendix - With repeat
36. Schumann Etude VI Symphonic Studies, Op.13
37. Schumann Etude VII Symphonic Studies, Op.13
38. Schumann Etude VIII Symphonic Studies, Op.13 -With repeat
39. Schumann Etude IX Symphonic Studies, Op.13
40. Schumann Etude XSymphonic Studies, Op.13 -With repeat
41. Schumann Etude XI Symphonic Studies, Op.13
42. Schumann Etude XII (Finale) Symphonic Studies, Op.13
43. Chopin 3 Nouvelles Etudes No.1 In F Minor
44. Chopin 3 Nouvelles Etudes No.2 In A Flat
45. Chopin 3 Nouvelles Etudes No.3 In D Flat

2 Sem 2015 - Part Two

Sol Gabetta
Prayer



By James Manheim
The fast-rising Argentine-Swiss cellist Sol Gabetta took the name of this recital from the "Prayer" movement of Ernest Bloch's From Jewish Life, which she has performed as an encore to great success and to an obvious emotional reaction from audiences. She went in search of similar music, found the path partially trodden by Pablo Casals, and put together a program that is actually quite novel -- of the music on the album, only Bloch's Schelomo (track 10) is really common -- and yet seems as though it's always been there. Tribute is paid to Casals not only in the emotive playing, but in the presence of El Cant dels Ocells (The Song of the Birds), one of several Casals compositions deserving of more frequent performance. The most unusual entry here, and perhaps the least successful one, is the selection of pieces from Shostakovich's song cycle From Jewish Folk Poetry, arranged here for cello and orchestra by Mikhail Bronner. It seems to be part of the general mood, but it's not; despite the theme, it's pure postwar Shostakovich, and Gabetta doesn't quite catch its note of tension. The much-recorded Schelomo, however, fares very well here, even with a switch in orchestra, venue, and conductor. As usual, a bracingly fresh program from this charismatic and intelligent cellist.
Tracks:
- Bloch, E
From Jewish Life
Schelomo
Nigun (Baal Shem No. 2)
Méditation hébraïque
- Casals
El Cant dels Ocells (Song of the birds), with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta
- Shostakovich
Lullaby (from From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79/79a), arranged for violoncello & string orchestra by Mikhail Bronner
A Warning (from From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79/79a), arranged for violoncello & string orchestra by Mikhail Bronner
The Song of Misery (from From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79/79a), arranged for violoncello & string orchestra by Mikhail Bronner
The Young Girl’s Song (from From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79/79a),arranged for violoncello & string orchestra by Mikhail Bronner

Performed by Sol Gabetta, cello, with the Orchestre National de Lyon, Leonard Slatkin conducting.

Leonidas Kavakos & Yuja Wang
Brahms - The Violin Sonatas



By Robert Roy
It's taken a long time for Kavakos to be snapped up by a major record company after years of making modestly promoted discs for smaller companies such as BIS. (His recording of the Sibelius concerto in it's original and revised forms is one of the best performances of this much recorded masterpiece). His outings either Decca have, so far, been outstanding with a thought provoking Beethoven sonata set and a wonderful Brahms concerto with Chailly. However, I do wonder if he has been 'marketed' into this latest venture. (I'm trying to imaging the 'suits' discussing this 'concept'. "Okay, we need a new recording of the Brahms sonatas. Lots of great names have recorded them so is there anything we can do to put our disc at the top of the heap?" "I know - let's team up our latest signing with Yuja Wang. She's making a big name for herself. Let's show that she can 'do' chamber music too". "Great idea".)
Kovakos appears to be approaching these works with almost a period instrument frame of mind. Vibrato is kept to a minimum, bowing appears to have been calculated to the millimetre, (how I wish he would just SING now and again) and there is a feeling of austerity to his playing. As for Ms. Wang, well, we know that she can play BIG when she wants to but here she seems to doing her very best to keep a lid on her temperament.
The first movement of the G Major sonata has moments of idiosyncrasy. The second subject melody seems, to me, to be starved of feeling. You can almost hear Kovakosis' fiddle and bow begging to be released from their disciplined straight jacket. The pizzicato chords are most odd where the violinist accompanies the pianist. Korvakos spreads them slowly so that the top note sounds late.
Actually, another problem has already become apparent although I accept it may bother some listeners more than others. I obviously don't know if Kovakos had a cold or not when he and Yuja Wang recorded these between Christmas and New Year 2013 but, my goodness, he sniffs! It's really distracting and, while I appreciate he has to breath, this is up there with Glen Gould's 'vocalise'!
The second movt. is much better with some gorgeous double stopped playing from Kovakos. And I've heard lots of things in the piano part I've not heard before. (Surely the reason for buying yet another recording of these immortal masterpieces!). The last movement, IMHO, lacks a little of the wistfulness and regret that this music needs.
In conclusion, perhaps I've heard too many warmly romantic performances from, amongst others, Oistrakh, Perlman, Mutter, Zukerman and Mr. Heifetz to name but five great names to fully respond to this approach but I DO know that, despite my reservations, I'll be returning to this disc again and again to investigate its unique approach.

2 Sem 2015 - Part One

Hélène Grimaud
Brahms Concertos - 2 Cd's



By Martin Buzacott/Limelight
You’ll read reviews of this CD where itinerant and half-hearted Brahmsians will tell you that the tempi taken by conductor Andris Nelsons and soloist Helene Grimaud in this utterly remarkable, inspired and inspiring recording of the two Brahms piano concertos are too slow and leaden. You must not believe them. Just as true Brahmsians appreciate the glacial tempi of the symphonies in Celibidache’s legendary complete set, so here Nelson’s slower pace is all about unfolding the Brahms universe with its profound richness of detail and astonishing warmth of tone. There are so many recordings of Brahms First Piano Concerto, but few could be classified as Desert Island Discs and in fact many are downright disappointing. Well this performance of it recorded live in Munich changes all of that, and if by the end your legs are still able to support the weight of your body, assume that Brahms just isn’t really your thing. From that first opening orchestral chord, surely the most arresting ever captured on disc, Nelsons announces the epic scope of the enterprise ahead. Just three seconds in and your breath’s been taken away, and from there, he and remarkable Frenchwoman Grimaud are like two Alices in the Brahmsian Wonderland, each glorious new entry, whether in the piano itself, on the horn, or especially in the lower strings, unfolding at a tempo beyond human agency, like the clear dawn emerging after a storm, dazzling the senses in the process. Grimaud’s drama-charged, percussive style, eschews sentimentality but remains passionate nonetheless, filled with an emotion generated from within the music itself, the performers simply a part of a much larger whole. This is Brahms in 3D, everything standing up and being counted, almost as if it has some sort of moral presence all its own, gorgeously captured by the DG engineers in this textbook example of live recording. And then, after two movements of vastly intelligent, intense colour and drama, the finale of the First enters, now transformed into breakneck pace, but never losing its shape or focus as Grimaud, noted for her technical prowess, simply rips the thing apart. The Second Concerto doesn’t have quite the same inherent drama, but here it gets treatment as the First, with a different orchestra but the same injection of momentum with each new musical incident. Some people may mark this recording down a star because of Grimaud’s noticeably heavy breathing throughout, but many more, and definitely males, will give the allure-advantaged soloist bonus points for the very same reason. My God, what a disc.


Hélène Grimaud & Sol Gabetta
Duo


By RBSProds
An inspiring, enjoyable, powerhouse meeting between two award-winning highly-individualistic classical music superstars who consider their initial meeting as fateful, not coincidence. Hélène Grimaud (who is called "the earth" in their interview), one of the greatest interpretative classical pianists who experiences sound as colors, and star cello virtuoso Sol Gabetta ("the air"), famed for the nuanced, singing quality of her instrumental interpretations and her highly emotional playing, meld their 'earth and air' talents and personae into a marvelous musical duo. It began in 2011 in a joyful, fateful musical encounter that 'clicked' immediately. In a wide spectrum of musical tastes, they cover the duo compositions of Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy, and Dmitri Shostakovich, and this diverse program works wonderfully and has toured to great success. All performances are excellent and the 'best of the best' begins with the 'storm to calm' of the 'Finale' of Debussy's Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in D Minor; the awesome beauty and virtuosity of the spellbinding 12 minute Shostakovich Allegro non troppo from the Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in D minor, Opus 40; the fiery third movement of Schumann's 'Drei Fantasiestücke' (Three Fantasies), Opus 73 and the overpowering beauty of the familiar 14 minute Allegro non troppo and the 6 minute Allegro-Più presto movements of Brahms Sonata for Piano and Violoncello No 1 in E minor, Opus 38. Awesome Grammy-nominated performances by two great artists who form a dynamic duo of singular musical purpose. My Highest Recommendation! Five BRILLIANT Stars! (13 tracks; Time 73 minutes, 45 seconds. Booklet notes in English, German, and French. 

- This recording won the 2013 ECHO Klassic award as the Chamber Music Recording of the Year in the 19th Century Music (Mixed Ensemble category).

1 Sem 2015 - Part One

Joshua Bell & Academy Of St Martin In The Fields

Bach



By James Manheim
Reactions to this release may well depend on how listeners feel about violinist Joshua Bell's music-making in general. Bell is an heir to the violin idols of the early 20th century, and he grabs attention and doesn't let it go: his tone is startlingly brilliant, his execution flawless, his insights into the music generally well-worn ones. In the two Bach violin concertos that make up the bulk of this Sony release, that's what's here, and he is ideally partnered by the champions in the silvery-strings derby, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, under his own direction. He holds the ensemble together with a naturalness that takes the whole enterprise beyond the old-fashioned. But there is a new wrinkle to this release: a pair of arrangements of arrangements. Most daring, and perhaps less successful, is an orchestration of Mendelssohn's version of the Chaconne from the Partita No. 2 for solo violin in D minor, BWV 1004. Bell's idea seems to be that this is something his forerunners of a century ago might have done, and indeed the Mendelssohn arrangement is a work that gives insights into how he and his time experienced Bach. Adding the orchestra to it introduces another level of noise, however, and it's not at all clear that the result is to the good. The situation is similar with the little Gavotte and Rondeau twice filtered through Schumann and the same arranger as with the Mendelssohn, Julian Malone. None of this is going to bother listeners coming to this album already enamored of Bell's flashing tone, however, and it must be said that on that terrain he is in unusually good form here.

By Eric C. Sedensky "late-to-jazz musician"
By now, most music fans and probably all of Joshua Bell's fans will be familiar with the story of how, on a very cold morning in January 2007, Joshua Bell disguised himself as a street musician at a metro station in Washington D.C. during rush hour and played some classical music pieces for about 45 minutes. Included therein was a piece that many consider to be the most beautiful and complicated violin piece in history: Bach's Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor. He played his heart out on this difficult piece with his multimillion Stradivarius violin, but even this proved ineffective in getting the busy people of our nation's capital to slow down long enough to listen and enjoy.
It's a compelling story and statement, but more amazing to me as a Joshua Bell fan is that despite Mr. Bell's love of Bach's music, his occasional live performances of Bach sonatas and the sensational stunt at the metro station, he has never recorded Bach in the past. (That's not counting the Bach inventions #7 and #15 he did with Bela Fleck on Perpetual Motion.) Probably, just like he spent some time looking for the perfect orchestra he could comfortably play with before recording Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, he must have decided to take his time before recording the Bach pieces. Now being the busy director and conductor of the prestigious British chamber orchestra, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, there was probably no reason to wait any longer to record some Bach.
As a former church organist who learned Bach before just about everything else, I feel I at least have an inkling of shared feeling with Mr. Bell when he said (in Michael Lawrence's film Bach & Friends) that "Bach's music makes you feel alive and it tells you about life and about the world in a way that nothing else can. Bach manages to take you through the entire range of human emotion..." That's a mouthful, but incredibly, it was this feeling that comes through in Mr. Bell's powerful performances on this CD. And as good as Mr. Bell is with his violin, let's keep in mind two more things. One is that he is being backed by one of the great contemporary orchestras, the aforementioned Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Their depth of emotion is startling, and the clarity and overall execution of the music to sound as the composer intended puts them on a par with any orchestra anywhere. The second thing to keep in mind is, Mr. Bell also happens to be the conductor of the orchestra, so if anybody would have been able to get the pacing, feel, and flow of the orchestra to match his own vision, it would be him. In the end, all of the tracks sound refreshingly brilliant and show off Mr. Bell's ringing and swirling violin, the orchestra's limitless breadth, and the subtleties, emotions, and triumphs of Bach's music, all in one delightful and imminently listenable package.
Speaking of which, let me just point out, too, that the CD's production is quite crisp, keeping all the movements and pieces lush but even from track to track. The sound mastering and balance is flawless as well, with soft and slow sections leading into and out of the loud and fast sections, and vice versa, in a flowing waltz of quiet and force, majesty and humility, and everything in between. And what can I say about the tough look on the cover photo, a black and white "back at `cha" shot, other than, it's about time Mr. Bell shoved aside his choir boy image and used his good looks to demand attention and focus. (Maybe now that he's spent enough time in England he's gotten a little James Bond-ian on us?) The cover shot is augmented by black and white silhouette photos throughout the booklet and back cover. The overall effect is powerful, and I feel it will go a long way toward attracting people to the musical side and helping this recording gain the respect and attention it deserves.
Joshua Bell rarely (the missus would say "never") puts out a bad recording, but when it comes time to choose a favorite, I think these Bach renditions will be at the top of a lot of fans' lists. Five stars almost seem inadequate, but that's as high as it goes, so that's what this fantastic and imaginative CD gets.


Alisa Weilerstein & Daniel Barenboim

Elgar Cello Concerto Carter 



By Blair Sanderson
Making her debut on Decca, Alisa Weilerstein presents three major works of the cello repertoire with Daniel Barenboim leading the Staatskapelle Berlin. The star vehicle, naturally, is Edward Elgar's Concerto in E minor, which Weilerstein plays with commanding presence, rich tone, and emotional depth. Most listeners will be drawn primarily to this performance because of the piece's familiarity, and Weilerstein's charisma and passionate playing make it the album's main attraction. Yet listeners should give Weilerstein and Barenboim credit for following the Elgar with an important if not instantly recognizable or approachable modernist work, Elliott Carter's powerful Cello Concerto. Weilerstein is quite bold to play this intensely dramatic and angular composition, and while it's unlikely to appeal to the majority of fans who adore the Elgar, it deserves its place on the program for its seriousness and extraordinary displays of solo and orchestral writing. To close, Weilerstein plays Max Bruch's Kol Nidrei, a Romantic work that returns the program to a mellow and melancholy mood and brings the CD to a satisfying close. Decca's reproduction is excellent, putting Weilerstein front and center with full resonance, but not leaving the vibrant accompaniment of the orchestra too far behind her.

By Andrew R. Barnard 
Decca wants to turn its debut of Alisa Weilerstein into an occasion. No one has been able to erase memories of Jacqueline du Pre in the Elgar Cello Concerto; no doubt performers feel intimidated. The dominance of du Pre is realized when Amazon's editorial review tries to hype this recording by pointing out that du Pre's husband Daniel Barenboim hasn't touched the piece much without his wife. Could it be that a bit of the du Pre magic has continued with Barenboim?
The problem, of course, is that the magic was never Barenboim's. Weilerstein is left with the same mountain to climb as the rest of du Pre's successors. For Weilerstein, the best way to compete with du Pre is to try a completely different approach. Du Pre pushed forward with searing passion, baring her soul with no attempt to mask her feelings. While Weilerstein showcases Elgarian richness and melancholy, she is considerably more reserved. On the podium, Barenboim places less stress on grandeur, aiming to emphasize the work's dark undercurrent. He makes the Staatskapelle Berlin play from the bottom up. Both conductor and soloist seem to agree that reticence has its place. While they make the concerto have darker hues, the whole event ends up sounding less personal, sometimes mannered. There's little overt excitement. This hurts the 2nd movement the most, as Barenboim unwisely chooses to smooth out the sudden surprises near the opening, erasing all hushed anticipation. The rest of the concerto fares better, thankfully, with both interpreters seeming to understand Elgar's world. (There's not much restlessness, and melancholy doesn't become impatience). While there is much to admire about this recording, I miss the final thrust of inspiration. We hear personality, to be sure, but I feel that the music is being played from a distance, with Weilerstein admiring the concerto instead of completely taking over.
The Carter Concerto is new to me. It's an aggressive work with none of the beauty of the Elgar. For all I can tell, this is a fine reading. I'm sure its fans will be pleased to see it recorded by big names on a major label. If you're willing to get into the austere work, this interpretation beckons, particularly because of the wonderful sound. Weilerstein's tone is dark and biting, as if seeking to find meaning in the midst of chaos. Barenboim's conducting is full of sarcasm, allowing the work's forward-looking scoring (there's significant percussion) to come across clearly.
Weilerstein and Barenboim take Bruch's Kol Nidrei with much darkness, giving it a lonely feel. I appreciate the commitment, even though it can sound idiosyncratic. Again, excitement isn't a big concern, but it's hard to complain in the face of such lovely playing.
For Weilerstein, then, this is a success. These are interesting readings in very good sound. Weilerstein doesn't erase memories of Du Pre, but to be fair, no one has. She does prove, along with sensitive Barenboim, that there are alternative ways to success in the Elgar.
P.S. January 2014: Having just posted a review of Weilerstein's new Dvorak release, I must say that I am now a complete believer in Weilerstein, and find my initial hesitations about this album intangible. I hope to soon get around to fully editing this review.