06/03/13 Audiophilia Recommended New Releases 2013 — Audiophilia www.audiophilia.com/wp/?p=9803#more-9803 1/11 Home About Advertise Contact The ‘A’ List Stars Subscribe Audiophilia Audiophilia Recommended New Releases 2013 March 5, 2013 · 1 comment in Classical Recordings , Jazz Recordings , Pop Recordings , Recordings , Soundtracks Audiophilia Recommended New Releases - Update 05/03/13 Purchase CDs at affiliate link (CD title). Mozart – Piano Concertos 13/14 [77:19] Chamber Players of Canada / Janina Fialkowska - Piano ATMA ACD2 2532 (2013) Mozart is often portrayed as the archetypal impoverished genius, yet for most of his life he generated a healthy income using the sound commercial acumen that his father had fostered in him. Having married and moved to Vienna in the early 1780s, he wrote three piano concertos (numbers 11 to 13) that were intended to cement his burgeoning reputation in the city, and self-published them on a subscription basis. To maximise their appeal to the growing ranks of amateur pianists and fashionable string ensembles, the orchestral backing was specifically created to be playable by string quartet, one to a part. The same approach was taken with the 14th Concerto the following year, though it was the last to be so structured as Mozart’s interest in financially risky publishing ventures waned. Augmented by double bass to fill out the bottom octave, it is the string quartet versions that
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Audiophilia Recommended New Releases 2013
March 5, 2013 · 1 comment
in Classical Recordings, Jazz Recordings, Pop Recordings, Recordings, Soundtracks
Audiophilia Recommended New Releases - Update 05/03/13
Purchase CDs at affiliate link (CD title).
Mozart – Piano Concertos 13/14 [77:19]
Chamber Players of Canada / Janina Fialkowska - Piano
ATMA ACD2 2532 (2013)
Mozart is often portrayed as the archetypal impoverished genius, yet for most of his life he generated a healthy
income using the sound commercial acumen that his father had fostered in him. Having married and moved to
Vienna in the early 1780s, he wrote three piano concertos (numbers 11 to 13) that were intended to cement his
burgeoning reputation in the city, and self-published them on a subscription basis. To maximise their appeal to thegrowing ranks of amateur pianists and fashionable string ensembles, the orchestral backing was specifically
created to be playable by string quartet, one to a part. The same approach was taken with the 14th Concerto the
following year, though it was the last to be so structured as Mozart’s interest in financially risky publishing
ventures waned. Augmented by double bass to fill out the bottom octave, it is the string quartet versions that
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receive a rare performance here – and the effect upon these familiar pieces is, to my ears, utterly charming! Thelightness, grace, transparency and sparkle, together with the delicious equality of the balance between piano and
ensemble, is such that it will be a long time before I’m tempted to pull out my recordings of the orchestral
versions again.
Offered as a particularly appealing filler is another work whose well-known orchestral version belies the fact that
it was written only for string quartet plus double bass – the incomparable serenade ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik”. If
you have never heard it performed as originally intended, the effect is a complete revelation. The string quintetachieves a nimbleness and grace that cuts to the heart of these over-familiar tunes; taken without repeats, this is
also likely the shortest version you’ll find at just 17 minutes. Tempos are brisk but not excessively quick, unlike
some of the other quintet versions I’ve heard and, though I retain a special fondness for the Salomon Quartet’s
mid-‘80s recording, this one is every bit as recommendable and even better sounding.
Beautifully played and finely recorded – as usual from ATMA – this is, in every respect, an incredibly appealing
disc. There’s an earlier sister release of the 11th and 12th Concertos that is now at the top of my wishlist too.
AF
Grieg – Music for String Orchestra [63:30]Australian Chamber Orchestra / Tognetti
BIS SACD 1877 (2012)
For a great composer, Grieg’s output is remarkably sparse in several of the traditional genres; he produced onlya single concerto (albeit a very fine one, for piano), no symphonies, one completed string quartet and, overall,
vanishingly little music for orchestra. The only well-known example is the Holberg Suite – yet even that wasoriginally written for piano and only rescored for orchestra a year later, in 1885. It was commissioned by thepeople of Bergen in Norway, Grieg’s birthplace, to celebrate another famous son, Baroque-era dramatist Ludvig
Holberg. Its structure is modelled on the keyboard suites of Bach and Handel and, while its melodies offer a fondparody of the baroque, its lush and romantic demeanour is pure Grieg. Also included here are Grieg’s
transcriptions of his own songs, Two Elegaic Melodies, and Richard Tognetti’s dynamic arrangement for stringorchestra of the String Quartet Op.27. He is not the first to recognise the work’s suitability for this adaptation,
which certainly allows the darkness and portent at its heart to be given full expression. While Grieg made clearthat this was a very personal work, it is also highly uncharacteristic; my personal impression is that the piece
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seems to battle a sense of inner anguish which leaves it unable to gather any real momentum or cohesion, though
its drama is undeniable.
Two things particularly drew me to this disc. One was the chance to experience again the ACO’s breathtakingplaying; in 2011’s RNR I gushed ecstatically about their recordings of the Mozart Violin Concertos, which
remain in the small handful of my absolute favourite discs. The other was the chance to pit their version of theHolberg against my long-term reference, by the revered Russian National Orchestra. The animation and sheer
joyousness that infects their every note easily carried the day for the ACO, making the Russians’ playing soundvery reserved and, indeed, unsuited to what is ultimately dance-based music. The performance of the String
Quartet is also stunning, easily surpassing the Oslo Camerata’s recent, highly-regarded version in its dynamicsand the precision of ensemble playing. The miniatures reflect a more familiar side of Grieg; cheerfully melodic and
full of the influence of Scandinavian folk music. Add in another really fine recording from BIS, and there is likelyno more recommendable version of these works. AF
The German composer, Friedrich Hartmann Graf, was a close contemporary of Haydn who travelled widely and
achieved great popularity and high regard across Northern Europe through the 1770s and 1780s. A flutevirtuoso, Graf composed around 50 concertos for his instrument and these enjoyed wide dissemination amongstthe musical nobility, securing his reputation from Italy to Scandinavia and in London, where he presided over theHanover Square subscription concerts several years before Haydn was accorded that honour.
The four concertos on this disc are believed to date from the 1770s; all for a single flute, plus a small orchestra of
strings and two horns, supplemented in one instance by two oboes … making this performance by theawkwardly-named but highly accomplished, 14-member German chamber orchestra entirely appropriate. Each
piece is characteristic of early classical form, in three movements (fast-slow-fast) with plenty of showpiece
passages for the soloist and many lovely moments to remind us why Graf was so feted in his lifetime.
Mozart, en route to Mannheim, met Graf in Augsburg in the autumn of 1777, where he participated (on violin) in
one of Graf’s concertos for two flutes. Typically acerbic towards his rivals, in correspondence with his father the
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young prodigy was later roundly disparaging of both Graf and his music – yet, as coincidence would have it,
within months Mozart had received a commission and created his own two magnificent flute concertos, a
supreme standard of excellence against which Graf’s works must inevitably fall short. Nonetheless, these aredelightful pieces, wholly characteristic of their time, and the very transparent, beautifully balanced recording from
CPO is a treat for all lovers of the flute. AF
Recommended New Releases 02/03/13
From the House of Master Böhm [79:48]
John O’Donnell - Harpsichord
Melba MR301143 (2012)
Georg Böhm (1661-1733) belongs to that generation of German composers immediately preceding JS Bach,
much of whose work is known to us only through manuscript copies taken and collected by the extended Bach
family. Recent scholarship has granted Böhm a special degree of pre-eminence amongst them, though – as it nowseems likely that the 15-year old Johann Sebastian was apprenticed to him, and lived in his house at Lüneburg.
Bach enthusiasts will, then, be keen to look for signs of his teacher’s influence in these works … and they will
certainly find them!
Böhm’s preserved output is not extensive; his organ works are the most recorded, while there are also some
choral pieces and a number of suites for harpsichord, four of which feature on this generously-filled disc. Two of
his chorale partitas also appear, a format pioneered by Böhm and comprising a number of variations on a chorale(hymn) theme, which was later enthusiastically taken up by Bach himself – these were probably intended for
harpsichord, but are also playable on organ. Much of the harpsichord music of this era that’s familiar to modern
listeners came from France, and there are occasional echoes of the French style, yet these works are distinctively
different; more direct, less florid, already demonstrating the German obsession with fugue and also the gift of aravishingly gorgeous melody.
John O’Donnell’s contribution to the Early Music movement, through his conducting, performing and academic
research is truly extraordinary – including as it does the record of being the first person to perform JS Bach’scomplete keyboard works. As his enlightening liner notes demonstrate, he brings to this music a high degree of
insight and affection. Where much solo harpsichord music can easily become monotonous, O’Donnell imbues
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this material with unusual energy, variety, warmth and sonorous beauty. Also making a claim for star billing is the
harpsichord itself, a modern reproduction of a Flemish instrument from the mid 1700s with an utterly gorgeous
sound, captured with exceptional focus and a rare sense of physical presence in Melba’s typically superiorrecording. Also available as a download, including 24/96 hi-rez, this is a disc to appeal to more than just the
harpsichord hardcore. af
Piano Music of Edvard Grieg, Volume 3 [70:20]
Sandra Mogensen, pianoChestnut Hall Music (2012)
After I reviewed outstanding Canadian pianist Sandra Mogensen’s two volumes of piano music of Grieg, thedelivery of a third volume came as a very pleasant surprise.
The first two CDs received enthusiastic reviews. In Volume 3, Mogensen conjures more Nordic magic. Grieg’s
piano miniatures are sparkling gems, and no matter the style, she judges her tone and the tempos perfectly.
I do love Emil Gilel’s way with Grieg’s music and I’m not sure anyone will match his glorious interpretations.
Yet, Mogensen knows her way around these deceptively light scores and they are recorded in the finest sound.
Nicely ambient with the underlying power of the instrument, Mogensen’s interpretations and her tone capturedbeautifully. Listening to the CD at length, Schumann’s description of Chopin’s music, ‘cannons behind flowers’
may be used to describe these mini masterpieces, too. ak
Matthias Goerne, baritone; Andreas Haefliger, pianoharmonia mundi (2013)
Matthias Goerne is one of the first calls for top class lieder programs requiring a baritone of international stature.
Blessed with a gorgeous, expressive voice, Goerne brings powerful interpretations of great art songs to stages allover the world. Goerne also is a presence on the world’s greatest operatic stages.
This new harmonia mundi CD is Volume 7 of his Schubert Series. I’m not sure about you, but for me poor old
Schubert always gets placed at the back of the classical superstar pack, behind Mozart, Beethoven Brahms, etal. He shouldn’t be. Happily, harmonia mundi’s review CDs of late include many of Schubert’s great works,
including his 600 songs.
Goerne delivers them with his usual panache, beauty of voice and appreciation of the text. Here, he includes
many of Schubert’s greatest songs: Der Wanderer, D493, Nachtviolen D752, Im Walde D834, An den Mond,
D259, Erlkönig, D328, Widerschein, D949, and many others.
Equal to the task is accompanist Andreas Haefliger. Both powerful and delicate when required, he supports his
singer with consummate musicianship. And, equal to the artists is a recording to match. Another triumph inGoerne’s must not miss series. ak
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J.S. Bach — The English Suites BWV806-811 [150:25]
Richard Egarr, harpsichordharmonia mundi (2013)
English harpsichordist Richard Egarr has recorded 30 CDs. This is the first time his name and product has
crossed my desk. Shame on me. Harpsichord is not my favourite instrument to listen to (interestingly, I love
performing with harpsichord accompaniment), but Egarr makes the two CD set of Bach’s English Suites sound
natural and effortless.
A student of the great Leonhardt, Egarr is blessed with excellent technique and a probing, musical mind. 150minutes of harpsichord music may be a lot in a single sitting, but Egarr’s superb performances make Bach and
