In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day.
25th April 2008
****
“The German baritone’s approach to Schumann’s lieder is eminently sensible, sensitive to every word, the curve of each phrase, carefully weighting emotions and colours, strongly supported throughout by Gerold Huber’s poetic piano accompaniments. The Liederkreis cycle is the prime offering, but watch out too for the Hans Christian Andersen settings (Op 40) – in these musicians’ hands, masterpieces of foreboding, death stalking sunshine.”
July 2008
“With his bright, burnished high baritone, expressive diction and alert, unexaggerated response to mood and nuance, Gerhaher confirms his credentials as one of the most probing Lieder singers of the younger generation.”
July 2008
*****
“Gerhaher twins the Eichendorff Liederkreis with Schumann's four settings of poems by Hans Christian Andersen - and reveals, in minutely sensitive, sometimes harrowing performances their emotional and musical kinship. And the Op. 39 Liederkreis itself? Well, Gerhaher's fusion of deeply pondered insight and unselfconscious enunciation, together with Gerold Huber's sentient piano allow this exceptional performance to become a benchmark in its own right.”
2010
“Though the catch-all title 'Melancholie' is slightly misleading, Christian Gerhaher's enterprisingly planned programme provides a conspectus of Schumann's art as a Lieder composer. With his bright, burnished high baritone, expressive diction and alert, unexaggerated response to mood and nuance, Gerhaher confirms his credentials as one of the most probing Lieder singers of the younger generation. While it is virtually impossible for a single voice to do equal justice to all 12 songs of the Liederkreis, he succeeds better than most. He beautifully suggests the melancholy and mystery of the opening 'In der Fremde', singing with fine legato and a subtly judged use of rubato, and brings an impetuous urgency and a chilling final frisson to the Lorelei scene 'Waldesgespräch'. 'Die Stille', a difficult song for a man to bring off, is delicate and wondering without archness; the bardic 'Auf einer Burg' is hypnotically sustained in a numb, blanched tone, devoid of all nuances, while the final 'Frühlingsnacht', which can easily sound flustered, here has an ecstatic sense of finality. Perhaps Gerhaher and the discerning if sometimes over-discreet Gerold Huber slightly miss the tremulous expectation of 'Intermezzo'; and there have been more magical performances of 'Mondnacht', here taken dangerously slowly. But for imaginative depth in the Liederkreis Gerhaher can certainly stand alongside the best. Gerhaher and Huber choose unusually slow tempi for one or two of the other songs, most questionably in the Andersen song 'Der Spielmann', where the village wedding music should surely suggest more feverish wildness than here. Far more often, though, Gerhaher impresses with his unselfconscious eloquence, whether in the anguished life-weariness of the Harpers' songs, a chillingly timed and coloured 'Der Soldat' or in the potentially mawkish 'Liebesbotschaft', sung with a rapt, echt Schumannesque inwardness. Not for the only time in these Reinick songs, Gerhaher makes you 'upgrade' music that can look distinctly homely, even bland, on the printed page. The baritone provides his own thoughtful note, though frustratingly you'll have to go to his website for English translations of the song texts.”
Click on any of the works listed above for alternative recordings.
Editor's Choice
Prices shown exclude VAT. (UK tax is not payable for deliveries to United States.) See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates.
'Be comforted! I am not cruel; sleep in peace in my arms', murmurs Death to the Maiden in a song written in 1817, seven years before the quartet to which it gave its name and which has since become one of the pillars of the repertoire. Here is a new challenge for the members of the Jerusalem Quartet, whose most recent incursion into Romantic territory, with Dvorák's 'American' Quartet, received exceptional praise from Le Monde de la Musique for 'its virtuosity, its vitality, its energetic, buoyant phrasing'.
“The superlative technical skills of these young Russian-Israelis, and a tendency to squeeze out every drop of expression, can actually obstruct the music they play so brilliantly. Thus, the natural sweetness of the D minor andante’s major-key variation is so overemphasised as almost to negate its purpose. That, however, is the obverse of their great virtues. Death and the Maiden is a haunted work, and the way they seize on the tiniest detail to increase the tension - a pianissimo tremolo, a brief, explosive forte - is often thrilling. They need only relax a little to be genuinely outstanding.” Sunday Times, 25th May 2008 ***
“[The Jerusalem Quartet's] recording of Schubert's Death and the Maiden quartet finds them at their most uncompromising, with an epic, angry interpretation of a work usually considered elegiac and consolatory. From the furiously articulated opening chords, this is first and foremost a howl of rage against encroaching mortality. The integrity of the performance is never in doubt, and the playing is often breathtaking in its commitment and fire, but the unremitting bleakness of it all can be as forbidding as it is impressive. Its companion piece, the C Minor Quartetsatz, is similarly interpreted in the starkest of colours, with the dialogues between the first violin (Andrei Pavlovsky) and cello (Kyril Zlotnikov) sounding not so much like duets as duels. An admirable disc, though one that's also hard to like.” The Guardian, 9th May 2008 ***
“Passion and a feverish energy characterise this young Israeli quartet. First up is Schubert’s magnificent Quartettsatz, and the temperature continues for Death and the Maiden. Yet they’re never undisciplined – the cellist even keeps his head playing Jacqueline du Pré’s cello (loaned by Daniel Barenboim). Other groups get closer to Schubert’s tender side, but for racing blood, go to Jerusalem.” The Times, 9th May 2008 ****
“The youthful Jerusalem Quartet… are to be heard on an outstanding disc… Their mastery of rubato is as refined as that of any contemporary group, and this disc is as near to perfection as one can possibly find.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2008 *****
Exuberant and charismatic, Rolando Villazón is the tenor of today. Here he releases his first solo album on Deutsche Grammophon. The soaring title track from Ponchielli’s La Gioconda inspired Villazón to become a singer. Here it is the starting point for an intriguing album which moves far beyond the usual “greatest tenor hits”. Less familiar masterpieces by Boito, Cilea and Verdi feature alongside little-known Donizetti arias and rarities by Gomes, Mercadante and Pietri. The album is Villazón’s personal homage to his illustrious predecessors in the lyric-dramatic repertoire – great tenors such as Bergonzi, Caruso and Domingo. Cielo e mar offers something special for connoisseurs of opera, Villazón’s many fans and mainstream listeners who will be gripped by the beauty of both his voice and the music.
This is the third volume in Hyperion’s set of the complete works for violin and orchestra by Martinuo, featuring the wonderful Bohuslav Matoušek with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Christopher Hogwood. Many first ecordings are included in the series, as well as works totally unperformed outside the Czech Republic. The two very different versions of Martinu’s Suite concertante are fascinating rarities. The only well-known work on this disc is the
Rhapsody-Concerto for viola and orchestra: a lyrical, virtuosic piece written for Jascha Viessi and one of the most performed viola concertos of the twentieth century.
The programme notes by Aleš Buesina are meticulously researched and provide a comprehensive background to the genesis and performance history of these works.
“Bohuslav Matousek plays all three works here with energy and an imaginative range of tonal colour, while the accompaniments from Christopher Hogwood and the Czech orchestra are equally resourceful.” The Telegraph, 3rd May 2008
“The new Suite languished unplayed until 1999. Both versions are delightful. Matoušek plays both with great understanding and finesse: the music needs lightness of touch. In the Rhapsody-Concerto Matoušek shows himself as adept a viola-player as he is violinist, sweeter-toned that Telecký and a match for Imai and Bukac.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008
“The performance of the second version is exemplary, as is that of the two-movement Rhapsody Concerto where Matoušek, exchanging violin for viola, luxuriates in the radiant lyricism of Martinu's last period.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2008 ****
“There is not a weak link in this superb cast, with all the singers perfect for the vocal and dramatic properties of their roles. The overture oozes with charisma and the orchestral playing is beautifully paced and articulated. All in all, this is a perfect Handel opera recording” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008
“Tolomeo is sung here by Ann Hallenberg, whose range of technical skills includes neat runs and a very presentable trill. As his wife Seleuce, Karina Gauvin is charming, and decorates her music gracefully. As Tolomeo's villainous brother Alessandro, Romina Basso's mellow mezzo is well deployed. The orchestral playing is brisk and characterful, while conductor Alan Curtis provides a vital response to the music's needs...” BBC Music Magazine, April 2008 ****
“Tolomeo was the last opera Handel wrote for the Royal Academy of Music before the opera company dissolved in 1728. It is a fine work that combines pastoral charm with some powerfully melodramatic scenes. The best known aria is 'Non lo dirò col labbro' (famous in Somervell's arrangement 'Silent Worship'), here sung sweetly by Romina Basso. There is not a weak link in this superb cast, with all the singers perfect for the vocal and dramatic properties of their roles. Ann Hallenberg's supple coloratura is perfectly aligned with dramatic awareness and melodic sensibility in numerous accompanied recitatives and arias: the sleep scene in Act 1 is beautifully judged and the hedonistic accompagnato that precedes 'Stile amare' is gripping. Anna Bonitatibus's singing is magnificent, and her ornamentation and cadenza are fabulous. Pietro Spagnoli sings the tyrant Araspe firmly but one also feels a degree of sympathy for his hopeless infatuation with Tolomeo's wife Seleuce. Karina Gauvin's singing is dramatic and colourful: her interplay with two recorders in 'Fonti amiche' is simple yet ravishing and the hushed 'Dite, che fa' (with muted strings and offstage echoes from Tolomeo) is utterly gorgeous. Alan Curtis's recent Handel opera recordings have been admirable in patches but flawed by inconsistent casts and occasionally weedy instrumental playing. It is a delight to hear the Italianbased American harpsichordist and Il Complesso Barocco back on top-notch form in this delectable performance. The overture oozes with charisma and the orchestral playing is beautifully paced and articulated. Each ritornello shows finesse and a deep-rooted fondness for the subtleties in Handel's writing. Recitatives are never sluggish but Curtis does not force proceedings unnaturally, allowing the language and rhetoric enough space to work their magic. He has all the energy and dynamism necessary but also realises that courtliness and elegance are vital elements of Handel's music. All in all, this is a perfect Handel opera recording.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010
Among the repertoire on the disc are two of Haydn’s greatest symphonies: the heart-rending Symphony no.49
‘La Passione’, one of the finest examples of Haydn’s Sturm und Drang period, and no.22 ‘The Philosopher’, often
thought to be named after the piece's use of a tick-tock effect evoking the image of a philosopher deep in
thought while time passes.
“Based in Devon, this new orchestra, drawn from former European Union Chamber Orchestra members, display a tight, light sound that serves most of this Haydn programme well. The finale to Symphony No 49, La Passione, needs more passion and drive; but there’s enough joy elsewhere, in the Philosopher symphony (No 22), and two divertimenti. Strings are incisive, sometimes slashing like scythes, and woodwinds very clean.” The Times, 23rd May 2008 ***
“There is a distinct lack of routine in all these performances, the small band of musicians acquitting themselves very creditably indeed.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008
“The Sinfonia Classica under Gernot Süssmuth really breathes life into all these pieces, hitting on exactly the right colour and atmosphere for each.” BBC Music Magazine, Proms 2008 ****
Supremely talented guitarist Xuefei Yang’s second disc for EMI Classics, 40 Degrees North, comprises guitar music from Spain and China.
Xuefei Yang was not only the first guitarist in China to enter music school and later to graduate from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing with a Bachelor of Arts degree, but she was also the first Chinese guitarist to study classical guitar in the West.
The disc is so titled because the capital cities of both countries lie near latitude 40 degrees north. As Yang says: “To me, this parallel has come to symbolize the connection I feel to the music of both countries.”
The Spanish repertoire includes original solo guitar compositions (such as Tárrega’s Carnival of Venice) as well as arrangements of pieces written for piano or two guitars (Albéniz’s Seguidillas). Many of these works appear in new arrangements by Yang herself.
Since China has no established guitar repertoire of its own, the Chinese pieces on this recording originate either from arrangements of traditional Chinese pieces (including two traditional Chinese folk songs arranged for guitar by Gerald Garcia), or new compositions based on Chinese themes (such as Welsh composer Stephen Goss’s Chinese Garden, written especially for Yang).
Also included on this recording is Butterfly Lovers, originally written as a violin concerto using Western orchestral instruments and arguably the best known piece of Chinese music.
“One of the most satisfying and well thought-out classical guitar programmes I've heard in a long while… Yang's playing exhibits that kind of subtle intelligence that makes even the most disparate elements seem effortlessly to cohere.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008
“From Beijing to Wimbledon, this is consummate guitar playing from a lady with no equal.” Classic FM Magazine
Bel Air present Don Pasquale, a true masterpiece from Donizetti. It's one of the funniest operas ever
composed, but it also shines with Donizetti's trademark touch of gentle pathos and some of his finest music.
The production is from the Grand Theatre of Geneva, with soprano Patrizia Ciofi as Norina and baritone
Simone Alaimo in the title role.
“Donizetti's final comic masterpiece demands velocity, pathos and above all wit. This Don Pasquale from Geneva has them all, and with Evelino Pidò conducting in the pit, it bubbles with excitement.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2008 *****
“Evelino Pidò is a specialist in this repertory and he leads the Geneva forces in a well balanced account of what many people consider Donizetti's masterpiece, The outstanding performance comes from Simone Alaimo in the title-role.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008
Recorded at Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, 4-5 September 2007 and Abbey Road Studio 2, London, 17 December 2007
“Three familiar, three new to disc: this is a rattling Rawsthorne collection.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008
“Baritone Jeremy Huw Williams is his usual reliable self in the Diptych, and everything is expertly paced and balanced, crisply played and brightly recorded.” BBC Music Magazine, Proms 2008 ****
“Her performance of the Leibestod is an object lesson in engagement with the text, sensuality and controlled power.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008
“What a revelation this disc actually turns out to be. Lott's voice brings wonderful subtlety and intensity to the music, Isolde's death scene in particular.” Classic FM Magazine
“The Schumann Quartet's pianist, Christian Favre, has made these clear, practical transcriptions (rather than arrangements, the bookletnote stresses) inspired by Chausson's Chansonperpetuelle, and with a view to adding to the chamber music literature from the Romantic world of song. So expect a scaled-down report on the works concerned rather than Schoenberg's interventionist way with Johann Strauss or Brahms, or the risk-taking panache of Liszt's operatic adaptations. Not the least virtue of the exercise is that we get Dame Felicity Lott in repertoire she might otherwise not have attempted. Her performance of the Liebestod – or 'Verklärung' as we should call it – is such an object lesson in engagement with the text, sensuality and controlled power that one might imagine the late Carlos Kleiber (whose favourite Marschallin she was) contemplating a further recording of the opera with her. The Wesendoncks have a similar sensual (and lean) intelligence, devoid of the stuffy Victorian abstractions that Mathilde's dreadful poetry can often produce in performance. And, if this is not the ideal-est voice for the darker corners of the Rückert-Lieder, you'll need to hear what Lott makes of the poems. The Tristan Prelude is fine too; it's just that it doesn't have a voice part. Good recordings, and 100 per cent worth it for the singing.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010
The three works included here outline the transitional phase in which Roussel’s mature idiom took shape. Most important of these is his Second Symphony, with its densely intricate orchestration and its wide range of expression, while Pour une fête de printemps is a symphonic poem that could be thought of as preparation for the larger work.
With the Suite in F, Roussel arrived at his mature style; the piece is taut and economical in design, with a distinctly ‘contemporary’ feel.
“energy, enthusiasm, and panache” American Record Guide
“Denève and the RSNO are strong advocates for the all-too-rarely heard Second Symphony.” BBC Music Magazine, Proms 2008 ****
“Denève's pacing feels perfectly natural… The Royal Scottish National Orchestra play with élan throughout, relishing the music.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008
“The most recent digital set on Naxos is, on balance, perhaps the best [Roussel cycle], and is certainly well on its way to being the most comprehensive...Unlike the majority of performances in this cycle, the Second Symphony is taken at quite a slow pace, but not unsympathetically slow. All the brooding colours of this densely impressionistic score are brought out, allowing the listener to wallow in much gorgeous orchestration.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition
“Stéphane Denève and his orchestra bring plenty of verve and nuance to their interpretation [of Roussel's Second Symphony], and with the equally well-played couplings - a festive symphonic poem and a more Classically shaped suite - the disc adds up to a highly recommendable window on to the world of a fascinating composer” The Telegraph, 3rd May 2008
Exuberant and charismatic, Rolando Villazón is the tenor of today. Here he releases his first solo album on Deutsche Grammophon. The soaring title track from Ponchielli’s La Gioconda inspired Villazón to become a singer. Here it is the starting point for an intriguing album which moves far beyond the usual “greatest tenor hits”. Less familiar masterpieces by Boito, Cilea and Verdi feature alongside little-known Donizetti arias and rarities by Gomes, Mercadante and Pietri. The album is Villazón’s personal homage to his illustrious predecessors in the lyric-dramatic repertoire – great tenors such as Bergonzi, Caruso and Domingo. Cielo e mar offers something special for connoisseurs of opera, Villazón’s many fans and mainstream listeners who will be gripped by the beauty of both his voice and the music.
“This anthology's title track, 'Cielo e mar!', comes from Ponchielli's La Gioconda, the opera that first inspired this thrilling tenor to become a singer. It gets Villazon's first solo album for DG off to a sizzling start, continued with standard fare from Verdi, Boito and Cilea. But there are also rarities, from composers such as Mercadante and Pietri.” The Observer, 22nd June 2008
“Villazon needs no special pleading for the glory of his voice (a dark, baritonal timbre that opens out thrillingly at the top) and his intensity as a performer is captured here as never before. An odd hint of strain in the Boccanegra and Poliuto items suggest he should think carefully before tackling the tenor parts from these operas in the theatre, but the rest is pure gold.” Sunday Times, 8th June 2008 ****
“In glorious voice, Villazón identifies ardently with each of these dreamy or distraught Romantic heroes. His familiar no-holds-barred intensity can occasionally misfire, as in a rather relentless account of a once-popular serenade from Pietri's Maristella. But far more often he compels with his thrilling, darkly burnished tone, generous phrasing and care for legato and shading.” The Telegraph, 31st May 2008
“Villazón sings with admirable intensity, his diction is excellent, and he can float a pianissimo when necessary. The aria from Boccanegra is one of the best things Villazón has done so far on the disc.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008
“This is a well chosen selection of tenor arias with a few comparative rarities to offset the more obvious favourites. In its way it is a mini-history of a century of Italian opera, from Donizetti's Poliuto (1838) to Pietri's Maristella (1934). The Donizetti is the longest item and well though Villazón copes with this, it's hard to imagine him in this part, beloved of tenore di forza of the past including Tamagno and Corelli. In fact he has not sung any of these roles on stage yet; in a note he explains that the repertory here is something 'with more spontaneity…without the burden of history'. Be that as it may, the parts for which he would seem to be destined are Gabriele Adorno in Simon Boccanegra, Rodolfo in Luisa Miller and Viscardo in Il giuramento. Mercadante's opera is based on the same Victor Hugo play as Ponchielli's La Gioconda, so it is a good idea to contrast these two very different interpretations of the same character. The little romanza from Pietri's opera is the only piece by him that we ever get to hear. It was a favourite with Gigli, and several other tenors have recorded it. The aria from Brazilian composer Carlos Gomes's 1873 opera Fosca is a highvoltage outpouring of emotion, as is the aria for Azael in Ponchielli's Il figliuol prodigo. Villazón sings them all with admirable intensity, his diction is excellent, and he can float a pianissimo when necessary, as in the opening 'Cielo e mar' from La Gioconda that gives the disc its title. Recording quality is first–rate, and the accompaniment is always sympathetic.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010
BBC Music Magazine
Gramophone Awards 2009