BBC Music Magazine Choices,
BBC Music Magazine - June 2022 Choices
June's Recording of the Month sees the Castalian String Quartet present an imaginative programme of Renaissance transcriptions, Beethoven and Adès that meditates on the eternal cycle of day and night.
John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London strings turn their attentions from English music (the focus of a now award-laden album last January) to Germany, with a triptych of Strauss, Schreker and Korngold; Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Gábor Takács-Nagy continue their acclaimed series of Mozart piano concertos with the Manchester Camerata; tenor Benjamin Bernheim delves into a crosslingual treasure-trove of Italian opera arias sung in French; and Suzi Digby's ORA Singers continue to explore the choral glories of the Renaissance through the prism of "reflection" commissions, here responding to the Marian works of the Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria.
Recording of the Month
'Perceptively programmed, Between Two Worlds explores the mystic properties of time through a series of intricately connected works, each performed with rare beauty and originality by a quartet working at the height of its powers.'
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Orchestral Choice
'Wilson’s 23 Sinfonia of London strings are some of the best in the world (if only the players were listed); the solos have supreme eloquence, the perfectly-released dynamics, top-to-bottom sonorousness and staggered entries reinforce how Strauss makes his impact.'
Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Concerto Choice
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 22 & 23
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano), Manchester Camerata, Gábor Takács-Nagy
'Generally it could be argued that the repertoire is already well served. It is all the more remarkable, then, that Jean-Efflam Bavouzet continues to bring freshness and renewed enjoyment to these pieces with the latest volume in his complete concerto series.'
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Opera Choice
Boulevard des Italiens
Benjamin Bernheim (tenor), Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Frédéric Chaslin
'The change of language is in some cases revelatory: familiar Puccini arias sound beguilingly mellow. Bernheim, who has a voice of immense clarity and lyrical attractiveness, sings Puccini like a dream. But there are also rarer delights aplenty here...Taking a stroll with him down the Boulevard des Italiens is a real treat.'
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Choral & Song Choice
'Suzi Digby coaxes highly expressive performances from the ORA Singers. Despite the wide ranges in dynamics, tessiture and repertoire, the voices are never forced and their pristine, resonant sound is rapturous.'
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC
Chamber Choice
Schubert: Violin Sonata in A Major, Fantasie in C Major and Rondo in B Minor
Viktoria Mullova (violin), Alasdair Beatson (fortepiano)
'Listening to these profoundly intimate performances is to be reminded how the evolution of both piano and violin has reshaped the way Schubert’s music is perceived...To effectively play instruments such as Schubert would have recognised requires super-refined technique and boundless musical imagination – there is simply nowhere to hide.'
Available Format: CD
Instrumental Choice
'Sokolov is in top form, with some of his chosen pieces having the freshness of a new revelation. The first Impromptu (marked Allegro moderato) begins with such slow deliberation that one fears it will never get airborne, but when it delicately jewelled. He brings to the work a light, transparent touch and a sweetly singing tone.'
Available Formats: 2 CDs + Blu-ray, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Historical Choice
Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Martha Argerich (piano), Arthur Moreira Lima (piano), Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Witold Rowicki
'It’s easy to hear how the 24-year-old Martha Argerich emerged as the winner of the 1965 Chopin Piano Competition. Here she is in the final round, playing with fiery spontaneity in the First Concerto, capturing all its turbulence and wistfulness, with insouciant playfulness in the finale.'
Available Format: CD
Jazz Choice
'Bortenfor incorporates subtle, well-integrated echoes of traditional music. There is a gratifying grace and elegance to many of the melodic lines. Vemøy’s burnished tone and Hefre’s big but husky sound create spellbinding sonorities, flawlessly underpinned by Haga’s gorgeous bowed and pizzicato work.'
Available Format: CD
Chris O'Reilly - Chief Executive
