Reviews in October 1996

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

Symphony No.3 in A minor, Op. 44

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

Symphony No. 6 in B minor

London Symphony Orchestra / André Previn (EMI CDM 7 69564 2)

This is a very curious coupling, putting together two works that were composed only three years apart, they are poles apart in both style and content. Rachmaninov's Third Symphony is a work torn between two identities --- on the one hand, intensely Romantic and lyrical, on the other hand taut and spare. This interesting tension is present throughout the work and is seen in the contrasts between the lyrical and dramatic elements of the work.

This is a nostalgic work, written with that lush orchestration that is so inimitably's Rachmaninov's. The middle movement is slow and grim, creating an ethereal mood that curiously is and yet is not Rachmaninov. The final movement is loud and festal, suggesting a dance or a celebration. There is an interesting contrapuntal passage in the center and the music becomes more muted and slower towards the end, somewhat like a folk-dance. This is however abruptly cut short by the loud and emphatic chords that signify the end of the work. Throughout the work, Previn does not lose his focus and he is able to temper the voluptuous richness of the work with clarity and this was most impressive.

Shostakovich's sixth symphony is powerfully presented by the LSO under Previn here. The tragic first movement is handled in a subdued yet unrelenting manner by Previn, slow yet implacable. This is clearly in contrast to the comparatively lively scherzo of the Allegro, whose cheerfulness seems to be under duress. The sheer virtuosity of the LSO under Previn is a joy to hear in this final movement.

With excellent sound and a memorable performance, this is a fine recording of both works and should be considered an excellent and value-for-money buy.

Written by Melvin Yap

Carmen - Fantasie

Works for Violin and Orchestra by Sarasate, Wieniawski, Tartini, Ravel, Massenet and Fauré

Anne-Sophie Mutter / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / James Levine (DG 437 544 - 2)

This is a fairly new compilation of various very popular violin pieces and was released in 1993. So with so many different compilations of this kind out there in the market, would this be worth the sticker price? In my opinion, there may be better alternatives out there, but there are some performances in this disc that might make you want to buy it anyway.

First, the good stuff. Anne-Sophie Mutter has noticeably changed her style quite a little bit since her childhood mentor Karajan died, and her performances now are generally, like her release of Bartók's second concerto, controversial. But one cannot deny that her performances are often impassioned and very exciting to listen to. Not many violinists these days can demand this type of attention through their playing since the days of Heifetz, and I would count Mutter as one of them. A good place to hear that greatness in this CD is at Ravel's Tzigane, given an arresting, haunting and totally bewildering performance that leaves one entirely breathless at Ravel's vision and mastery in a work that is after all only a single-movement orchestral piece. Mutter's interpretation is powerful, gripping and quasi-rhapsodic in style. Undoubtedly one of the best interpretations of this oft-recorded work I've ever heard.

The opening Zigeunerweisen by Sarasate is equally persuasive, with the Vienna Philharmonic unusually bold in orchestral textures and colours. Wieniawski's Légende in G minor is equally impressive, and I also quite enjoyed her account of the title track by Sarasate (although Perlman fans need not switch camps). The closing Berceuse by Fauré is a real gem, and given a low-key sweet yet firm performance by Mutter.

The rest of the CD however is not as persuasive. Tartini's Devil's Trill, here transcribed for violin and orchestra, sounds disappointingly aloof and uninvolved, hardly as haunting as one would expect from this work. The over-played Méditation from "Thaïs" by Massenet is another disappointment, not half as sweeping and emotive as her earlier account with Karajan (on EMI).

The recording is good, and Levine and the Viennese players lend ample, at times brilliant, support.

Written by Lionel Choi

Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886)

Piano Concerto No.1 in E Flat major; No.2 in A major; Totentanz (Danse Macabre): Paraphrase on Dies Irae for Piano and Orchestra

Krystian Zimerman / Boston Symphony Orchestra / Seiji Ozawa (DG 423 571 - 2)

This release is truly something to marvel at. And what a combination it offers: all the Liszt works for piano and orchestra, plus a team of stunningly good musicians to perform them. Krystian Zimerman makes one sit up and listen from the very opening chords of No.1. His style is a combination of fleet-fingered virtuosity and strong colourful keyboard authority (or what many 'dummies' call "heaviness"). From the very first notes to the last, Zimerman makes the music sparkle and at the faster and louder moments, a power and urgency rarely heard in studio recordings. His style is never merely impetuous, for he keeps the whole show in check, and the result is nothing short of sophisticated.

It is good that Zimerman has the Boston Symphony to accompany him, and under Seiji Ozawa, they support their prodigious soloist down to the very last man and woman. These are stunning performances that will make you want to keep the disc spinning in your CD player again and again. The recorded sound is focused and very clear, and with such playing in such showy repertoire, it does not really matter that the piano sounds a little more forward than usual.

A must-buy!

Written by Lionel Choi

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor, Op. 108; No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110; Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57

Sviatoslav Richter, piano (Op.57) / Borodin String Quartet (EMI CDC 7 47507 2)

It is difficult to be ambivalent toward the music of Shostakovich. One is either very passionate about it or find it utterly distasteful. I belong to the former camp and it is a wonder to me how a composer of his caliber can be relatively unprominent compared to his compatriots.

This disc features some choice chamber music of Shostakovich. I consider them some of the finest offerings of 20^th century chamber music repertory. The disc opens with the 7^th String Quartet, a pain-filled, anguished work dedicated to Shostakovich's late wife. It has a mournful start, marked by a plaintive question that has no answer. The following Lento is hushed, full of grief and terribly private, reflecting an uneasy rumination. The closing Allegro is swift, barbaric and mindless in its ferocity, yet not finding resolution. The work ends anticlimatically with the opening question --- which has no answer.

The following work, the 8^th quartet, is one of my personal favorites. It is inspired by the experience of the ruins of Dresden and is autobiographical in that it uses a motif of 4 notes --- D, E-flat, C and B --- also known as D, S, C and H or D. SCHostakovich. It is a peculiarly joyless and violent work and this clearly seen in the massive contrast between the anguished Largo and the maniacal moto perpetuo that follows it. The second movement is one of the most exciting and heart-stopping passages of music is my experience of music and the Borodin Quartet live up to the occasion, playing in tautly and deliberately with a cataclysmic explosion at the glorious quotation from the Piano Trio No.2. The Allegretto is some sort of variation on the DSCH motif, and it reminded me of some sort of sarcastic and grotesque dance. The work ends with a Largo that is at once graceful and pessimistic, signifying darkness.

The Piano Quintet, despite its central location in the repertory, is slightly less appealing to me, possibly because it lacks the private nature of the other two works. Nevertheless, it is a fine work with many memorable moments. It starts solemnly, almost ponderously. Richter and the Borodin Quartet exhibit remarkable chemistry and they complement each other like a glove and a hand. The first movement is lyrical and enigmatic, setting the stage for what promises to be a powerful work. The popular Scherzo is played briskly and with panache, clearly exhibiting Shostakovich's sardonic with and spikiness. Deceptively simple, the Scherzo climaxes at the point where Richter plays a feverish melody in octaves on a very high register, accompanied by the double-stopping of the strings. The work concludes, bizarrely enough, on a meditative and pastoral Finale, with fugal undertones that reminded me of Beethoven's later piano sonatas. Sadly enough, the work ends quietly without a sense of closure.

This is a glorious recording that surely is a classic. The Borodin Quartet is a superb interpreter of Shostakovich, bringing out all the pathos and wit in a sympathetic and brilliant manner that in this reviewer's mind would be nearly impossible to improve on. These are benchmark performances, incandescent and transcendental, and a Shostakovich lover who fails to make this an addition to his library has no idea what he's missing. The sound is a little dated but very vivid and forward, ideal for a chamber work recording.

Written by Melvin Yap

Callas: La Divina 2

Maria Callas, soprano / various orchestras and conductors (EMI CDC 5 55016 2)

Unlike many people, Maria Callas' soprano voice was not the first one that I had ever heard in my life, nor was it the one that sparked off my interest in opera. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Dame Joan Sutherland did that for me. Callas was someone I merely heard a lot about. And strangely, this was the first Callas CD I bought.

Maria Callas does not have a nice, beautiful voice. In fact, at times, it is actually quite awful! And not just the voice quality, even the technical control she exercises over the vocal cords is at times rather suspect too. Intonation is flawed, coloratura clean but clumsy. But there is something about Callas that strikes you the moment you listen to her sing, which probably explains why she is so famous.

I cannot quite pinpoint what exactly it is that makes Callas so special, but I think it is her ability to convey emotions inherent in the music more effectively than anyone else I know. You want a full heartache, you'll get a full heartache. You want joy and exuberance, that's just what you'll get too if that's what the music asks for. Callas is above all a voice dramatist. She is in every sense an actress, just that she sings rather than speaks her lines. With her, one gets the full impact of the music. You never quite catch Callas sleeping on the job when it comes to characterization.

The opening track, Gluck's Divinités du Styx from "Alceste" strikes you from the start. The Puccini extracts from "Manon Lescaut" and "La Bohème" are all excellently done. Verdi's O don satale from "Don Carlo" is just as arresting, and I love her interpretation of Aida in Ritorna vincitor, a truly excellent portrayal. There are a lot of bel canto arias in this collection, and though who are used to Sutherland, Studer, Sumi Jo, Gruberova or any other well-known coloratura sopranos will cringe at Callas' clumsiness and the excruciatingly shrill and raw qualities at the cruel, exposed high notes. But Callas' flashy personality is plainly irresistible - Violetta ("La Traviata") turns out to be a more sympathetic character in her hands, and Lucia (Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor") in her famous final mad scene could not be more believable, notwithstanding the sheer absurdity of the plot. Compagne, teneri amici…come per me sereno from "La Sonnambula" is just as riveting, and so are the bolero (Mercè, dilette amiche) from Verdi's "I vespri siciliani" and the polonaise (Ah, pour ce soir…je suis Titania) from Thomas' "Mignon".

As with most compilations of this kind, not everything is perfect. The over-the-top interpretation of the aria from Bizet's "Carmen" and the overtly expressive Depuis le jour by Charpentier are not quite convincing. Saint-Saëns' Printemps qui commence from "Samson et Dalila" is surprisingly ineffective, though the orchestra plays beautifully.

This compilation is superior to its best-selling predecessor, La Divina, in its sheer variety as we get to sample the Callas magic in many different forms, and in both popular and lesser-known arias. It makes an excellent buy for it is truly a fine documentation of the Callas genius. Listen to Callas to fully experience the music and the opera; try other singers if you want vocal beauty and flawless technique.

A word on the sound quality: it varies, and some tracks are in mono sound. But Callas' voice is almost always very clear. At 75 minutes, this is quite a bargain!

Written by Lionel Choi