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Presto News - 8th June 2009Masterclasses |
 This week I'd like to take the opportunity to tell you about a DVD label devoted to Masterclasses. At first I was slightly hesitant about recommending them as, although they feature many world class musicians, they don’t actually contain full performances of any works, but I’ve watched several of them over the past few weeks and they are really fascinating and I think there is much to enjoy here (as well as a huge amount to learn) for music lovers as well as players.  Isserlis, Schiff and Vengerov Started by the award winning producer and director Mischa Scorer early last year, the sole aim of the “Masterclass Media Foundation” (which is also a registered charity) is to make masterclasses given by many of the world’s great musicians and teachers easily and widely available to music students, colleges and music lovers everywhere. So far they have released 28 discs, featuring artists like violinist Maxim Vengerov, cellist Steven Isserlis, pianist András Schiff, conductor Bernard Haitink, percussionist Evelyn Glennie and baritone Thomas Quasthoff. They’ve been recorded at a variety of places ranging from London’s Royal Academy of Music, the International Musicians' Seminar at Prussia Cove to the Verbier Festival Academy in Switzerland. The Foundation has ambitious aims of building a library of at least 150 to 200 hours of audio-visual material over the next five years, including solo and chamber music, singing, conducting and composing, so if you get to like them there are many more to come. So, what is so special about them and why might they be worth considering even if you’re not a performer yourself? Well, I think there are two main reasons. Firstly, they provide an almost unique opportunity to get under the skin of the music, and understand what the music means to these world-class players. Much of the repertoire they’re covering is also what they are most celebrated for playing, and hearing Vengerov explain and demonstrate what Shostakovich means to him, what András Schiff feels about Bach, or what Steven Isserlis feels about Schumann is not something you would otherwise get the chance to find out. It is quite fascinating and also enriches your understanding of the works themselves. Secondly, they demonstrate quite what a huge gap there still is between the very good musician (which a lot of the students are) and the truly world class. Time and again you hear a student play a passage and you think ‘well that sounded pretty good, what can he (or she) say about that’ at which point Vengerov, Isserlis or whoever finds countless very small points to work on in order to improve the phrase, whether it be a subtle dynamic shading, a different colour at a certain point, a different speed of vibrato towards the end or countless other things. But it is the sum of these countless little things which is what produces the world class, and these masterclasses more than anything else demonstrate that a natural ability and a superb technique is only half the way to being a great musician. You can see a listing of them all here, or scroll through full details of them over three pages starting here. You’ll notice that quite a few of them have a short video extract to give you an idea. This can be seen by clicking on the little speaker icon underneath the picture on the website.
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Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
New Releases8th June 2009 |
This is just the pick of the recent releases. The New Releases and Future Releases pages are always available for browsing all the new and forthcoming releases. |
 Vivaldi - Opera and Oratorio ariasMagdalena Kozena (mezzo soprano), Venice Baroque Orchestra, Andrea MarconKožená’s own selection of Vivaldi opera and oratorio arias emphasizes the gentler moods she is acclaimed for (Sol da te), but also shows off fierce Vivaldi virtuosity (Nel profondo). The suggestive Gelido in ogni vena is based on The Four Seasons’ “Winter” movement. Following her avidly received Handel album Kožená’s return collaboration with the VBO and maestro Andrea Marcon will rejoice her fans and make her new ones |
 Mozart - Complete Sonatas for Keyboard & Violin, Volumes 7 & 8Gary Cooper (piano) & Rachel Podger (violin)The final two volumes in this benchmark survey of Mozart’s complete music for Keyboard and Violin, released together at a special priced 2 disc set. |
 Janácek, Novák & Nedbal - Sonatas for Violin and PianoIvan Ženatý (violin) & Martin Kasík (piano)Following the highly acclaimed recording of J. B. Foerster’s violin concertos (BBC Symphony Orchestra / Jirí Belohlávek, Supraphon SU39612), the violinist Ivan Ženatý – who has gained international renown as both a virtuoso and pedagogue – and the pianist Martin Kasík have chosen violin sonatas by three Czech composers from the turn of the 20th century. Nedbal’s and Novák’s not overly known and in stylistic terms distinctly romantic works contrast with Janácek’s sonata, an opus of the mature master whose modernity places it firmly in the 20th century. |
 Purcell - Music for a whileMaarten Koningsberger (baritone), Fred Jacobs (theorbo)Amid all the fuss being made, rightly, over Haydn and Handel, it could be forgotten that this is also an anniversary year for Henry Purcell. There have been some distinguished discs, though, and here is another, with a Dutch view of these English songs courtesy of baritone Maarten Koningsberger. He sounds entirely idiomatic, though, and sings with perception and quite gorgeous tone. |
 Smetana - Orchestral Works Volume 2BBC Philharmonic, Gianandrea NosedaVolume 1 of this series was an Editor’s Choice in Gramophone and here Gianandrea Noseda conducts his second instalment in his Smetana Orchestral Works series. This latest programme is made up of the familiar Bartered Bride Overture and Dances with the overtures and ballets of his lesser-known operas, including his first opera The Brandenburgers, The Kiss – which was his first collaboration with the brilliant young librettist and poet Eliska Krasnohorska - and The Devil’s Wall, all of which offer Smetana’s masterful orchestration, panache and virtuosity. |
 Nino Rota - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2Filarmonica ‘900 del Teatro Regio di Torino, Marzio ContiNino Rota achieved international recognition primarily as a composer of film music. His most admired and enduring work in this field sprang from his collaboration with Federico Fellini. However, his orchestral music has recently undergone a reappraisal. Little of this music is available on CD and this programme is unique. |
 Farrenc - Piano Trios & SextetLinos EnsembleCPO follows its discs of Louise Farrenc’s symphonies and piano music with this new release of chamber music. Farrenc’s Piano Trios are full of dynamic energy. The Third Piano Trio interestingly replaces the violin with a clarinet and flute, and was praised by the contemporary music press for its “perfection of form, charm and elegance”. |
 Hindemith - The Complete Viola Music Volume 1Lawrence Power (viola) & Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano)Lawrence Power, Britain’s acknowledged greatest living performer on the viola, turns his attention to an incalculably important body of work for the instrument: a complete survey of Hindemith’s music for viola. Hindemith himself was an internationally renowned violist and gave the premiere of Walton’s Viola Concerto, writing more solo repertoire for the viola than for any other instrument. Hindemith is a genuinely undervalued composer, with a popular impression of his music as uncompromisingly gritty which will be proved by this series to be entirely undeserved. |
 BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 6th June 2009 |
Building a Library - Haydn: Symphony No. 94 in G Major 'Surprise' |
 First Choice(coupled with Symphonies 100 and 101)Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Dorati |
 First Choice(part of the complete Haydn Symphony set, 33 CDs)Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Dorati |
Disc of the Week |
 Janácek - Orchestral Suites from the Operas Volume 2New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Vesa-Matti Leppanen (violin), Peter Breiner |
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