Reviews in September 1997

Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)

Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat major, Op.83; Rhapsody in G minor, Op.79 No.2; Intermezzi: in B-flat minor, Op. 117 No.2, and in C major, Op.119 No.3

Solomon, piano / Philharmonia Orchestra / Issay Dobrowen (Testament SBT 1042) Nothing can be more tragic and frustrating than to have one's brilliant career brought to a premature end.

At the height of his powers, pianist Solomon Cutner (affectionately known to the public by his first name right from the very beginning) suffered a stroke in 1956 that disabled half of his body permanently, thus short-changing audiences around the world of that magic Solomon pianism. The worst part is, Solomon had to see the rest of his life pass him by as he lived for another 32 years after that.

Here's something to serve as a timely reminder of his spontaneous playing when he was in his prime: a reissue of his 1947 recording of the more popular of Brahms' two piano concertos. And it is a CD I would urge you to snap up as quickly as you can. To put it simply, here is a poetic performance that is as profound, fresh and visionary in its dramatic and lyrical insights as it is powerful and exhilarating in its virtuosity and magisterial strength.

Speeds are often far better-judged than in the famous recording by Gilels and Jochum on DG, which has garnered an unqualified popularity that I somehow still find unfathomable. The problem with the DG rival is that Jochum directs the peerless Berlin Philharmonic with a heavy-handedness often wrongly associated with Brahms' music. The great Gilels joins in with similarly earthbound ideas, and the overall result sounds sluggish and tired. (The second and fourth movements are just too slow!)

In the present performance, it is as much Issay Dobrowen's success as it is Solomon's, for he directs the Philharmonia Orchestra with steadfast certainty and strength. Together with the pianist, whose playing is mercurial in its fantasy, he allows the concerto to soar to a higher level than what Gilels and Jochum could achieve. The present artists show that for all its sometimes overly-thick orchestral textures and excessively ponderous intensity, Brahms' music does not have to sink with a dramatic deadweight attached to it during a performance. It too can soar and sing freely, and still convey a massive expressive intensity. Solomon and Dobrowen manage this perfectly, without becoming too lightweight and frivolous.

The only edge the Gilels/Jochum pairing has over this older recording is the beautiful Berlin Philharmonic sound. Here, the Philharmonia lend sterling support, but alas, their fallible strings are somewhat leaner than their more famous colleagues in Berlin.

In many ways, Alfred Brendel's digital recording with Abbado (Philips) is somewhat similar to Solomon's, though the latter remains very special.

The recording date might scare the daylights out of the average collector, but trust me, it really isn't as bad as it suggests. Surface noise is almost non-existent, and the mono sound, while dry and lacking in bloom, remains clear and focused. Solomon's remarkable pianism (which sounds like it is produced on a piano that is a little unregulated at the top) still comes shining through triumphantly.

The remaining pieces are, expectedly, eloquently advocated, though they are not particularly generous fillers.

Written by Lionel Choi

Bernard Herrmann (1911 - 1975)

The Film Scores: The Man Who Knew Too Much: Prelude; Psycho: A Suite for Strings; Marnie: Suite; North By Northwest: Overture; Vertigo: Suite; Torn Curtain (Excerpts); Fahrenheit 451: Suite for Strings, Harps and Percussion; Taxi Driver: A Night-Piece for Orchestra

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen (Sony 62700)

As film score buffs know, the masterpiece here is the music from Psycho. Without doubt, this score registers the coldest, most insensitive depiction of movie characters in film history. There is not a note of sympathy for the desperate but likable embezzler, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh). Nor is there a hint of understanding for her deranged murderer, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). The music is hard as ice and just as chilling. If you're one of the few who hasn't seen Psycho, you must realize that this coldness and insensitivity are deliciously appropriate for what is, after all, a black, albeit terrifying, comedy.

The shrieking string glissandos from The Murder (track 6) are so convincingly horrifying that they sear the musical psyche indelibly, leaving you with a bad taste in your mouth to accompany your perversely satisfied ears. But it's the opening Prelude (track 2) that rises to an even higher artistic plateau: this two-minute cue so perfectly captures the desperation, the darkness, the twistedness of the film's characters and happenings. The anxiety in the rhythm, the madness in the ostinato, and the urgency in the searching violin theme combine here to produce one of the most intense opening sequences ever written for a film. The Finale (track 12) is pleasingly morbid, with not a hint of consolation or feeling.

The rest of the selections on this disc are a mixed bag. The Marnie music is good, as is the brief number from North By Northwest. The five cues from Taxi Driver show Herrmann at his least effective, least Herrmannesque. The slices from Vertigo and Torn Curtain are effective when accompanying their respective films, but don't stand up as well alone. The remainder of the music is a rather middling affair.

Esa-Pekka Salonen seems at one with Herrmann's varied musical persona, whether it's in the chill of Psycho's strings, or in the mystery of the Prelude from Fahrenheit 451, or in the ebullience and humor of the Overture from North By Northwest. As you listen to this disc, close your eyes and you can see the knife and the shower curtain and Marion Crane's terror, or you can envision Scottie Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart) grappling with vertigo and villainy.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic plays superbly, and is captured in splendid sound by Sony's engineers. Fine notes, too, by the eminent musicologist Alex Ross. Despite my carping about certain mediocrities in some of this music, I highly recommend this disc mainly because of that most compelling of Herrmann's film scores, Psycho.

Written by Robert Cummings

Sir William S. Gilbert (1836 - 1911) & Sir Arthur S. Sullivan (1842 - 1900)

Highlights from 5 operettas : The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeoman of the Guard and Trial by Jury.

Welsh National Opera / Sir Charles Mackerras (Telarc CD-80431) Who was the most consistently tuneful British composer? Many would say Andrew Lloyd Webber. Try going back a hundred years.

Sir Arthur Sullivan produced 14 operettas with Sir William Gilbert between 1875 and 1896. The traditional performers of these hilarious, outrageously tuneful works were from the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, London. There are many recordings by them, some of which directed by the late Sir Malcolm Sargent. Recently, recording companies have started a revival, with Philips, TER Classics and Telarc joining the bandwagon.

Sir Charles Mackerras is a "musician's musician". He is famous for his interpretations of Mozart through Stravinsky, and notable in Janacek. Together with the Welsh National Opera, and a phenomenal cast assembled from some of the finest opera singers in Britain, he has produced what is, to me, the definitive interpretations of these unassuming operettas. It is not a disastrous attempt like many of those full orchestra recordings of "The Sound of Music", "My Fair Lady", "Fiddler on the roof" and so on. The lyrics, the humour, the score and the characterizations are all here. Sir Charles displays a wit and a mercurial lightness of touch that is quite irresistible.

The cast is headed by the veteran G&S bass Donald Adams, nearing the end of his career, but sounding as masterful and authoritative as he did decades ago on the old D'Oyly Carte recordings. The rest of the line-up reads like a English National Opera dream cast - Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Felicity Palmer, Richard Van Allen, Thomas Allen, Anne Howells, Janice Watson, Marie MacLaughlin and others.

The Welsh National Opera respond to their conductor with precision and good ensemble. They are not "great", but are more accomplished in this repertoire by some distance even to the technically superior Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (playing Yeoman of the Guard on Philips). The choral interjections are something to relish.

My favourite is, however, the delightfully light baritone, Richard Suart. The patter-song could not be better served, and his astounding virtuosity in high-speed enunciation will have you in stitches. I wish I could actually see him perform - he would bring the house down. This is essential listening.

Thankfully, all his solo contributions are included in this highlights CD. He can be heard on the sound clip announcing "I am a judge!"

There is an argument among theatre-goers as to which is the funniest of the operettas. My vote would go to The Mikado, from which it is surely impossible to extract "highlights". The selection is of the most popular arias and ensembles, but I miss the superb trio I am so proud. Some of my favourites are here though - Poor wand'ring one is a coloratura display that is surely inspired by Der Hölle Rache from Mozart's "Magic Flute"; ensembles like We sail the ocean blue are farcical send-offs of those in Wagner's "Dutchman"; the Three Little Maids could be straight out of Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte" and some large choruses (With Cat-like thread) poke fun at the orchestral style of Donizetti. Some mezzo arias (featuring Felicity Palmer) even remind me of Puccinian sumptuousness. Ah leave me not to pine is a love duet of touching beauty and simplicity.

The 20-bit Telarc recording is made in the pleasant acoustic of the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea, Wales, and even the most confusing contrapuntal passages turn out extraordinarily clear.

For those of you who wish to have the complete sets, the catalogue numbers are as follows:

I urge the reader to at the very least try this disc of highlights; it will surely lift your spirits on a rainy day. Oh, joy unbounded indeed!

Written by Rajeev Aloysius

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)

Overture, op 21, and Excerpts from The Incidental Music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream", op. 61 (includes text by William Shakespeare [1564-1616]); Symphony no 4 in A major, op. 90 "Italian"

Kenneth Branagh, narrator / Sylvia McNair, soprano / Angelica Kirchschlager, mezzo-soprano / Women of the Ernst-Senff Chorus / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Claudio Abbado (Sony SK 62826) The opening woodwind chords of Mendelssohn's overture set the mood for a most enjoyable and rewarding interpretation of the work of two of the greatest artistic minds in history. The music itself cannot be faulted in any way - it is a work of a great master, brimming with melody, exemplary orchestration and understanding of the text for which it was written. The person who actually fitted in the Shakespeare extracts is not credited, but in my opinion it could not have been done better. The Overture and the Scherzo are played with unbridled joy, the orchestra conveying a palpable sense of sheer enjoyment.

The Incidental Music is part of a live concert, and this is very beneficial to recordings of this kind. An unfortunate side effect is that the full depth of Kenneth Branagh's voice is not well-caught when the orchestra is louder than piano. However, soloists, chorus and orchestra are in their element, giving performances of great accomplishment.

This Berlin Philharmonic is quite different from the orchestra that used to play for Karajan. The refinement is of quite a different kind, moving away from the opulent and full sound made a few years ago. Make no mistake, the legendary virtuosity of these players is by no means diminished. However, the transparency of period performances is getting more marked these days. Try track 12 at 8'00" to hear what I mean. Then again, it could be the work of the Sony engineers, who achieve a good sense of balance that eludes their DG counterparts.

This is truly Midsummer fairy music, with quicksilver playing from all departments. The chorus is excellent, without a trace of a German accent, and with diction that would do the English National Opera proud. The wobbly sopranos usually heard in this repertoire are mercifully absent, the ensemble and choral balance are well judged.

Branagh is on top form (even with the caveat above), producing Olivier-like trumpet tones for Oberon, a light feminine voice for Titania and an appropriate cockney accent for Puck. Sylvia McNair is a lyrical soprano of unusual gifts, the dulcet tones can be heard in their beauty on track 5, sung in almost half-voice, with excellent diction and effortlessly perfect phrasing.

In The Wedding March, the trumpets at the outset and the horns at the close are incisive and thrilling. The celebrated March is paced with a sense of grandeur that is far better than in the rather rushed Philharmonia/Francesco d'Avalos (ASV) performance which I am used to. The central section makes perfect sense here, and one doesn't wish for the main theme to return.

A shortcoming that I am obliged to point out is that some of the music is missing. Alternatives that include every note are: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields under Sir Neville Marriner (Philips); a fine budget performance by the London Philharmonic under Litton (EMI Eminence); and the sentimental favourite, featuring Mendelssohn's own orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus under Kurt Masur (Philips). The only other CD that also includes the Shakespeare narrative is Seiji Ozawa's on DG with the Boston Symphony forces and narrator Dame Judi Dench.

But this CD also offers a substantial bonus. This is probably the finest Italian Symphony ever, even displacing Abbado's earlier reading with the London Symphony (DG). Speeds are consistently brisker, and the results are desirably light-footed and Italianate.

Dynamics are suitably wide, but not as much as they were under Karajan. In this case, one volume setting can be found such that everything can be heard, and fear not of being blown out of one's seat in the tutti sections. I found myself marvelling at the wonderful phrasing by all departments and the impeccable ensemble. The performance of the finale is unique in its urgency, very exciting, with rushing strings and perfect intonation. A fitting end to one of the best Mendelssohn discs in the catalogue.

The packaging is beautiful. The Berlin Philharmonic has chosen to use the Philharmonie logo, and the usual colours found on their concert programmes dominate. The artwork is also quite special. I'm looking forward to more Mendelssohn from this collaboration. Perhaps Abbado will oblige with a full Symphony cycle?

Written by Rajeev Aloysius

Music in Mixed Accents - New Works for Solo Instruments and Chamber Ensemble

Trojanowski - Treatment; Rabushka - Suite for Viola and Piano; Yasinitsky - On Wings of Angels, Music of Wood, Silver and Ivory; Sukegawa - Komoriuta; Snyder - Sonata; Rabushka - Etude Fantastique, Canzona e Scherzo

Makiko Hirashima, Miroslav Kasny, Alice Flajsingrova, Ann Marie Yasintsky, Linda Wharton, Gerald Berthiaume, William McMullen, Catherine Herbener, Milos Machek, Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra (Vienna Modern Masters VMM 2012)

This is one of the few occasions I've had the privilege of reviewing a disc compiling works of only living composers. This is certainly an unusual and in many ways compelling album. While I do not profess familiarity with any of the works of composers on the disc, these are obviously works of merit. Trojanowski's 'Treatment' is an angry and percussive piano composition dedicated to the victims of abortion. Requiring virtuosity of Lisztian proportion, this powerful and moody piece was inspired by the interruption of life of twin sisters. The work moves through the different phases of a fetus' life, to its conception to its final and brutal interruption. The work ends eerily with a farewell by the dead child, a single note mindlessly repeated. Those familiar with Sorabji's seminal 'Opus Clavicembalisticum' will feel at home here.

Rabushka's 'Suite for Viola and Piano' reminds me remarkably of Shostakovich's works. There is that same mournful and mechanical air, the music relentlessly soaked with grief and despair. I do not know what the suite is attempting to depict, but it is supposedly cast in the mold of the French dance suite. Each of the movements in the Suite is in binary form and is spun from a group of four notes. Despite the technical nature of the work's construction, this is a surprisingly accessible work and brings the listener through a fascinating musical voyage of different moods.

True to its title, 'On Wings of Angels' possesses a dream-like and haunting voice that is almost soporific. Ethereal and lyrical, the work is dedicated to the composer's wife (who incidentally, plays it on this disc). While some might find a work made up entirely of a free-flowing solo flute not terribly interesting, I guess this work should find some supporters. The other Yasinitsky work is more interesting. Made up of three instruments, the work is scored for the flute, cello and piano. That same ethereal quality that permeates the previous work can be found here too but the pace is more relentless and gritty. The work revolves around a primary theme found in the first movement but the tempi and air of the work fluctuates over movements, from a fantasy-filled 'Mist and Undertow' to a very introspective 'With a Whisper and a Prayer'.

Sukegawa's 'Komoriuta' is a spare, somber work based on an ancient Japanese folk-tune. The pensive and symmetrical melody is repeated six times without change over the course of the work, but the accompaniment is changed with each cycle. Very new-age sounding and probably will appeal to lovers of nature music. Snyder's Sonata is one of my highlights on this disc. Quirky and humorous, the oboe is personified initially as a detached and cautious observer who gradually becomes more and more involved with the piece, under the persuasive remonstrations of the piano. The second movement is labeled 'Nostalgic' and is consequently darker and more sinister, with the oboe sounding positively mean and threatening, in contrast to its earlier nonchalant and curious self.

Another Rabushka work, the 'Etude Fantasque', is a swirling and psychedelic work with some very curious technical details. The outer sections are more recitative while the inner section is more metric in nature. In some parts of the work, the pianist is asked to imitate the style of a harp or guitar! From what I can glean, the etude is based on a theme of six notes stated on the work's first beat and this hexachord is permuted and manipulated in various ways throughout the work. Last but not least, Rabushka's 'Canzona e Scherzo' caps a very unconventional hour of music. The material in the work glimmers a little of Prokofiev but Rabushka's distinctive voice can be heard in the way he plays around with the initial theme first stated by the flutes. The Canzona is free-wheeling and exploratory without any sense of structure of coherence, but I guess that's the effect Rabushka was attempting to capture. The 'Scherzo' is whimsical and cheerful and alternates between two themes that run through a gamut of lackasical indolence, the pseudo pomp of a military march and finally to a frenetic and exciting coda.

All the performers here are obviously dedicated and passionate advocates of the new works they are performing and it is obvious that they are all competent. The sound of this disc is extraordinarily transparent and dynamic and the sound engineers are to be commended. All in all, an interesting and unusual musical voyage that you might well want to go through to widen your musical horizons.

Written by Melvin Yap

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Copyright © 1997 Lionel H Y Choi, Melvin J Yap, Robert Cummings, Rajeev Aloysius