New Releases

Boris Blacher’s oratorio, Der Großinquisitor, was only half finished in 1943. Having found himself in truly dire straits – forced to withdraw from musical life thanks to his inclusion on the Nazi register of Jews in music, and hit by a particularly nasty relapse of tuberculosis – it took the friendship and hospitality of his pupil, Gottfried von Einem, to help him regain his health and confidence, and finish the oratorio.

The text is based on Dostoyevsky’s novel, The Brothers Karamazov, illustrating Jesus’s return to earth in 16th‐century Seville. The depiction of the heretics burned to the glory of God could not be a clearer reflection of the fate of the Jews at the hands of the Nazis. Distinct from the other works in Blacher’s oeuvre thanks to its seriousness and tonal harmony, Der Großinquisitor also contains elements that are typical of the composer’s style, such as terse rhythms and seemingly aimless melodic lines.

The role of the Inquisitor is sung by German bass‐baritone, Siegmund Nimsgern, who has enjoyed an international career as an opera singer, performing with the Royal Opera (London), Metropolitan Opera (New York) and the Vienna State Opera, among others. Alongside him is the Rundfunkchor Leipzig and Dresdner Philharmonie, conducted by Herbert Kegel.

Recorded in May 1986 at the Lukaskirche in Dresden.

Contains liner notes on the work.

Sung texts includes in booklet.

Caspar Kummer is a composer of unjustly little renown. Held in high esteem by his contemporaries, relatively little information can be found on his life in the leading music dictionaries of today, a fact that stands in stark contrast to his compositional excellence as well as his virtuosity as a flautist. Though Kummer rose to the position of Kapellmeister in the castle chapel of an important German duke in his later years, his creative output failed to reach a similar level of renown after his death in 1870.

The music on this collection, constructed around his favourite instrument, goes some way towards doing the composer some justice. There are a number of noticeable highlights here. Von Dir! is a fascinating attempt – on the performers’ part – at ‘making an instrument speak’: the original vocal part is interpreted by a lyrical and otherworldly clarinet, which is in constant dialogue with the complementary flute. The challenging Adagio and Variations, meanwhile, requires a mastery of the basset horn (an instrument that, interestingly, was rather out of fashion for much of Kummer’s life), pushing the instrument to the upper edge of its range. The final Trio leaves us with a suggestion of the greater stylistic variety within Kummer’s work, leaning towards the Romantic rather than the dominant Classical style of the rest of the collection.

This exploration of a relatively unknown composer is undertaken by an ensemble who are appearing here for the first time on Brilliant Classics: the Italian Classical Consort, led by multi‐instrumentalist Luigi Magistrelli. Even more fittingly, they specialise in performances of the much neglected Classical and Romantic repertoire, and they are known for their concerts and masterclasses the world over.

The French violinist and composer Jean‐ Baptiste Cartier once said: ‘If God wanted to speak to man through music, he would do so through the works of Haydn; if he wished to listen to music himself, he would choose the works of Boccherini.’ Often considered the finest Italian composer of the Classical era, Luigi Boccherini was not party to the Viennese school of music which was in vogue at the time, and therefore his compositions retain that unmistakable Italian flair, but with modest and subtle brilliance.

His Stabat Mater – written in 1781 and scored for small forces of just soprano and strings – exudes elegance and beauty. While bearing the influence of the Stabat Mater of Pergolesi from 45 years earlier, Boccherini’s composition often delves into the realms of the operatic, thanks to arias such as the passionate and dramatic ‘Quis est homo’ and the agile ‘Cujus animam gementem’.

The Stabat Mater is sung by Italian soprano Barbara Vignudelli, international performer and prizewinner, widely acclaimed for her interpretations of both sacred music and opera. She is joined by the musicians of the Orchestra da Camera ‘Benedetto Marcello’, which is directed by Flavio Emilio Scogna.

Contains notes on the composer and the music.

Sung text included in booklet.

Edvard Grieg was the father of Norwegian music; his most famous pieces are the Piano Concerto in A Minor and the incidental music to Peer Gynt. Sent to study at the conservatory of Leipzig during his teens, his compositions show a thorough grounding in the European Romantic tradition, although his later works explore the idea of a national Norwegian style.

His chamber music showcases the way in which he actively sought to weave the characteristics of Norwegian popular music into accepted compositional forms and styles. Grieg himself said of the violin sonatas: ‘They are representative of the three periods of my evolution: the first naïve and full of melodic ideas, the second nationalistic, and the third turning to much vaster horizons.’ The quartet in G Minor initially proved a problem for the composer, but it is nonetheless a triumph, brimming with impressive moments such as the beauty of the pastoral reverie and the relentless rhythm of the energetic finale. The collection also includes the Cello Concerto in A Minor – written for Grieg’s brother John, an amateur cellist – the String Quartet No.2 in F and the Andante con moto for piano trio.

The recording boasts a wealth of renowned chamber musicians; among them are the Moscow Trio, an ensemble that has achieved great success in Europe. Also featured are acclaimed performers such as Alexander Vinnitsky, Vladimir Ovchinnikov and Alexander Rudin.

Described and caricatured as an eccentric and even as a late developer, Anton Bruckner, born in Linz, Austria, in 1824, is today considered one of the greatest late‐ Romantic composers. Famed for his symphonies – grand, epic creations that are individually linked responses to the notion of absolute music – Bruckner was also a fine choral composer. This release is dedicated to his three Masses and Te Deum of 1884.

Indeed, Bruckner was not quite forty by the time he came to write his Mass No.1 in D Minor. An extraordinary modern work, it was universally acclaimed upon receipt of its first performance, and was essentially responsible for Bruckner finally leaving the excessively long years of study behind him. Its success also spawned the Mass in F Minor, a work that coincided with important biographical events in the composer’s life – including the death of his venerated teacher, Simon Sechter. While the Third and final Mass was written for choir and 15‐ strong wind orchestra, a combination suited to the work’s open‐air premiere on the Linz Cathedral Square, the Te Deum – perhaps the composer’s finest piece of choral writing and one which is musically related to the Seventh and Ninth Symphonies – was composed between 1881 and 84. When Bruckner realised that he would not be able to complete his Ninth Symphony, he is said to have considered using the Te Deum as its final movement. The Chamber Choir of Europe and the Rundfunkchor Berlin are the two eminent choral bodies featured on this release, expertly directed by Nicol Matt and Heinz Rögner respectively and accompanied by a host of acclaimed soloists. All in all, this is an engaging release that represents a worthwhile addition to Brilliant Classics’ ever‐expanding vocal catalogue.

Spread over nine CDs, this release represents a treasure trove of works by Dvořák, dedicated to and featuring the best of his orchestral music. The composer stands as the most popular of the Czech nationalist movement, one who despite German influences (Dvořák counted Brahms and Wagner among his inspirations) became a byword in the assimilation of folk roots into serious musical composition. Not only did he use existing melodies, but he composed his own folk‐based themes too. Apart from the nine symphonies, which of course include the enduringly popular ‘New World’, written during the composer’s sojourn in America, the compilation also features a series of overtures (such as the famous Carnival Overture, an exuberant celebration of human life at its best), tone poems (A Hero’s Song, which is a sort of Czech equivalent to Strauss’s somewhat later Ein Heldenleben, and four gruesome folk ballads which represent the composer’s Indian Summer, among others), the famous Czech Suite which has a Mozart Serenade quality about it, and the two sets of Slavonic Dances – the first of which represents a tribute from the younger composer to Brahms’s own Hungarian Dances and firmly established Dvořák as a leader of the new Czech national school. Performing these works is a trio of great ensembles: the Staatskapelle Berlin under their esteemed director of 26 years, Otmar Suitner; The Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra – natural experts in this type of repertoire; and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, performing under the baton of John Farrer. The edition is an excellent addition to the Brilliant Classics orchestral catalogue and records a crucial facet of the output of one of Europe’s most famous composers.

Recordings: 1979–2004.. Contains notes on the composer and the music.

The genius of Beethoven is probably not most commonly associated with chamber music.

Indeed, for considerable stretches of his career he avoided the string quartet, a musical form with such an exalted status at the time; he mostly took on the challenge towards the ends of what are often regarded as his two ‘creative periods’. When he did, however, he was at the pinnacle of his chamber music abilities. The pieces in this collection can be grouped according to three distinct periods of Beethoven’s life. The first set are to some extent indebted to Haydn and Mozart – as the melancholic Op.18 No.6 shows in particular – but equally show Beethoven starting to forge a new path of his own. The (at the time) somewhat misunderstood middle set stretch the quartet form to nearsymphonic length, and add a level of virtuosity worthy of the concert hall rather than the traditionally private sphere of chamber music.

Finally, the last set transcend the composer’s previous quartets both in form and harmony to reach a level of technical abstraction that was not recognised for its brilliance until after the composer’s life – a quality audible especially in the quartet in B flat major, which Beethoven’s biographer referred to as a ‘monster of quartet music’. The pieces are performed by the Suske Quartett, a German quartet whose popularity was at its height in the 1970s, and for whom recording Beethoven was a staple of their musical life: the recording career of the group’s original line‐up both began and ended with Beethoven pieces.

Gustavo Núñez, principal bassoon with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, is considered one of the best bassoonists of his generation. He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1965.

After playing the violin for several years, he switched to the bassoon at the age of eleven and was first taught by his father.

From the age of sixteen he studied with Kerry Camden at the Royal College of Music. From 1984-1988 he pursued his studies with Klaus Thunemann in his prestigious class in Hannover, Germany. Still a student, Gustavo Núñez was awarded the Prix Suisse at the International Competition in Geneva, and the Carl Maria von Weber Prize in Munich, both in 1987. In 1988 he played with the Darmstadt opera and from 1989 he was principal bassoon with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, where he remained until his Concertgebouw appointment in 1995.

In addition to his work with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Gustavo Núñez teaches at the Robert Schumann Academy of Music in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Cecilia Bartoli presents Vincenzo Bellini’s “Norma” like you have never heard it before – a new complete studio recording of one of the most iconic operas in music history, in its original form.

For generations Bellini’s “Norma” has been looked at from the vantage point of the Verismo era at the beginning of the twentieth century. Now Cecilia Bartoli unveils the opera’s original pre-Romantic style and colour by taking Norma back to its roots.

For the first time ever the entire music is recorded with period instruments from Bellini’s time. Traditional cuts are reinstated. Keys and tonalities are put back into place and the music is executed according to Bellini’s own tempo indications. A new critical music edition was compiled from the autograph score and many manuscript sources.

Originally planned as an 85th birthday tribute, this set documents over 3 decades of exceptional artistry by the Sir Colin Davis, one of the musical pillars of the Philips label (now part of Decca Classics), who died Sunday 14th April 2013. He was a musician of incomparable integrity and class.

After signing to Philips exclusively in the mid-1960s, over more than three decades he then produced work for the label of the highest quality and range:-

• the first (and still greatest) Berlioz cycle

• pioneering Tippett,

• superb Haydn and Mozart,

• plus top-ranking Sibelius, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Dvorak and Britten, and much else.

His many recording orchestras included the English Chamber Orchestra, London Symphony, BBC Symphony, Royal Opera House, Royal Concertgebouw, Boston Symphony, Bavarian Radio and Dresden Staatskapelle, as well as the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics.

His great Philips collaborators on disc include Stephen Kovacevich, Kiri Te Kanawa, Jon Vickers, José Carreras, Jessye Norman, Arthur Grumiaux and Claudio Arrau.

An extraordinary number of his recordings have achieved legendary status and are enduring staples of the catalogue. This set balances all his most important musical spheres as well as many of his most important artistic relationships with soloists, orchestras and opera houses around the world.

The booklet notes are in English, French and German with an excellent appreciation of his work for Philips by Jeremy Hayes.