Jimbo Listens

Lotichius: Piano Concerto No. 2

2010-11-16T14:54:00.000-08:00

Erik Lotichius: Piano Concerto No. 2 for piano, strings and 3 saxophones - Prima la Musica, Dirk Vermeulen, Eliane Rodrigues

Ingenious, hilarious, virtuoso, lyrical, invigorating.

Brilliant Classics 9158

Shostakovich: Violin Sonata

2010-04-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

Dmitri Shostakovich: Chamber Music

Some works in this 3-CD box are not all that infrequently performed, such as the Piano Quintet Op. 57 and the second Piano Sonata Op. 61. But it also includes a few gems one rarely hears, such as the sensational Violin Sonata Op. 134, in a thrilling performance by Isabelle van Keulen and Ronald Brautigam.

Brilliant Classics 7535

Field: piano concertos

2010-04-01T17:01:00.001-07:00

John Field: piano concertos - Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, Marco
Guidarini

Field is known as the composer who invented the piano nocture. But I find his piano concertos a lot more interesting. The 4 CDs in this box contain a wealth of delightful musical ideas and piano virtuosity.

Brilliant Classics 93783

Gernsheim: Piano Quartets

2010-04-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

Friedrich Gernsheim: Piano Quartets Nos. 1 and 3 - Andreas Kirpal, Diogenes Quartet

I am playing this CD over and over again because I just can't get enough of it. This music is as passionate as some of Brahms' best chamber music, but it has a very distinct character. Gernsheim (1839-1916) deserves to be rescued from his present obscurity.

Brilliant Classics 93997

Miaskovsky: symphonies

2010-01-01T10:17:00.001-08:00

Nikolay Miaskovsky: Complete symphonies - Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov

Some people may have heard of Miaskovsky (1881-1950), fewer have listened to some of his works, and fewer still know he wrote no less than 27 symphonies, here on 16 CDs.

Not all of his symphonies are equally interesting, and the performances are often extremely sloppy. Nevertheless, it was a revelation for me going through so much unchartered territory.

Warner Music France 2564 69689-8

Dohnányi: String quartets 2-3

2010-01-01T09:51:00.002-08:00

Ernst Von Dohnányi: String quartets nos. 2 & 3; Zoltán Kodály: String quartet no. 2 - Guarneri Quartet

Very powerful and original, yet neglected chamber music. The performances are top-notch.

Sony 88697158382

Schönberg: String quartets 1-2

2010-01-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

Arnold Schönberg: String quartets 1-2 - Prazák Quartet

Truly sublime performances of two enigmatic string quartets that reveal all their heavenly splendour only in the hands of the most able musicians.

Praga PRD 250 112

Britten: Violin concerto

2009-09-13T05:16:00.002-07:00

Benjamin Britten & William Walton: Violin concertos - Ida Haendel, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Berglund

Britten's concerto is performed with fervour, daring and extraordinary technique. This recording from 1977 deserves a place in every music collection.

EMI 764202 2

Szymanowski: Piano works

2009-09-13T05:02:00.000-07:00

Szymanowski: Piano works and works for violin and piano - Mikhail Rudy, Ulf Hoelscher and Michel Beroff

The piano music by Szymanowski is not well known but highly enjoyable. For an integral edition, the recordings by Sinae Lee are recommended. The recording by Mikhail Rudy on the first CD of the present 2-CD edition covers only about half of his piano works, but the performance is much superior to Sinae Lee's. The second CD in the edition, with works for violin and piano, played by Ulf Hoelscher and Michel Beroff, is less successful. E.g. for the Mythes Op. 30, the recording by David Grimal and Georges Pludermacher (see below) is to be preferred. But on the whole, this budget edition is an excellent opportunity to become familiar with Szymanowski's magical music.

EMI 476924 2

Enesco: Violin sonata no. 3

2009-09-13T04:30:00.000-07:00

Leoš Janáček, Karol Szymanowski, Béla Bartók, Georges Enesco: Works for violin and piano - David Grimal and Georges Pludermacher

All of the works on this CD are gems that deserve to be much better known. What swept me off my feet was the third violin sonata by Georges Enesco from 1926. The performance fabulously captures the spirit of folk music from central Europe.

Ambroisie AM 163

Bowen: 24 Preludes

2009-04-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

York Bowen: Sonata no. 6, 24 Preludes op. 102 - Joop Celis

York Bowen (1884 - 1961) is known among a select group of master pianists, but he is almost totally neglected by main-stream classical audiences, which is a shame as there is so much to be admired in his romantic, yet original, idiom, which is full of warmth and dazzling virtuosity. The most remarkable work on this CD is the 24 Preludes, which deserves to be mentioned next to the cycles by Chopin, Alkan, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich.

Also Volume 2 in the Chandos series, which almost entirely consists of premiere recordings, can be highly recommended, I've seen mention of a Volume 3 as well, but I haven't been able to find it in the UK yet.

Chandos CHAN 10277

Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated

2009-03-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Frederic Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated - Ralph van Raat

This is the most exciting new CD I've heard in a long time. The main work comprises 36 variations on El pueblo unido jamás será vencido by Chilean composer Sergio Ortega. The cycle was composed by Rzewski in 1975, as a tribute to the Chilean people suffering under the military regime, after the US-backed coup in 1973. Irrespective of political connotations, the work is exhilarating, passionate, poetic, ingenious, laden with pianistic virtuosity, and spanning an enormous range of musical expression. The performance by master pianist Ralph van Raat is terrific.

Naxos 8.559360

Jacob TV: Shining city

2009-01-27T17:30:00.001-08:00

Jacob ter Veldhuis (Jacob TV): Shining city

This is the second in a series of three boxes with Ter Veldhuis' music, each containing two CDs. The first two boxes also each contain a bonus DVD (which seems to be Region 0; in other words playable in all regions). While listening to the wealth of different pieces I went through a rare and wonderful experience of having to completely recalibrate the way I perceive sound and music. The pieces all consist of a collage made out of existing audio material, accompanied by various acoustic instruments, which play a mostly tonal part. What I found striking is how powerful the sounds from the collage are (e.g. snippets from a television commercial, a baby coughing, shouts from an 'evangelist' on Times Square, etc.) and how well these sounds blend together with the acoustic instruments. Highlights for me were the exhilarating The Body of Your Dreams, the raw Grab It! and the very moving May This Bliss Never End, a tribute to Chet Baker.

Basta 3091742

Messiaen: Préludes pour piano

2009-01-26T22:58:00.000-08:00

Olivier Messiaen Edition Vol. 1 (17 CDs) - Willem Tanke, Peter Hill, Ingrid Kappelle, Håkon Austbø

Once again, Brilliant Classics defies the laws of market economy, by the release of this super-budget edition, with Messiaen's complete works for organ, his complete works for piano, and his complete songs, repertoire that usually wouldn't appeal to main-stream audiences.

One discovery for me that swept me completely off my feet was the Préludes pour piano, composed when Messiaen was only 20. The idiom is reminiscent of Debussy, but at the same time these eight preludes are unmistakably the work of an independent musical genius. Peter Hill's performance is first-rate.

Brilliant Classics 8949

Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus

2009-01-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

Einojuhani Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus, Piano Concerto No. 1, Symphony No.3 - Laura Mikkola, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Hannu Lintu

Thanks to the Naxos series, Finnish composer Rautavaara (b. 1928) may finally receive the recognition he deserves. Cantus Arcticus combines bird sounds with a symphony orchestra, perhaps with more romanticism and less modernism than we would find with say Messiaen, but still very original and touching. Also the Piano Concerto No. 1 is exhilarating and illustrative of Rautavaara's personal style.

Naxos 8.554147

Schnittke: Faust Cantata

2008-07-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

Alfred Schnittke: Ritual, (K)ein Sommernachtstraum, Passacaglia, Faust Cantata - Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam, James DePreist

This CD contains some of the scariest music you may ever hear. The Faust Cantata later became the third act of the opera Historia Von D. Johann Fausten, which Schnittke was not able to complete fully before his death. A recording of a truncated version of the opera was released by RCA (Hamburg State Philharmonic Orchestra, Gerd Albrecht) but is not available at the moment. It is a disgrace no record company has taken it upon itself yet to record a satisfactory version, comprising all the material that Schnittke left us.

BIS-CD-437

Corelli: Complete Works

2008-05-18T14:55:00.001-07:00

Archangelo Corelli: Complete Works - Musica Amphion, Pieter-Jan Belder

These 10 CDs with all of Corelli's published work were quite a revelation to me. First because I found there was so much more delightful and highly inventive music than just the Concerti Grossi op. 6, and second because of the superb performance. What a joy!

Brilliant Classics 92118

Dvorák: Violin Sonata

2008-03-09T19:03:00.001-07:00

Antonin Dvorák: Works for violin and piano - Gil Shaham and Orli Shaham

I've known the Sonatina op. 100 for a long time, and every so often I hear the Romantic pieces op. 75. For some reason however I'd always overlooked the Sonata in F major op. 57. This fabulous composition from 1880 can hold its own next to some of the more famous violin sonatas from the same era (e.g. Brahms, Franck, Fauré).

The performance of all three works on this CD is heartfelt and technically impeccable.

Deutsche Grammophon 449 820-2

Rameau: Pièces de Clavecin

2008-03-07T20:29:00.001-08:00

Jean-Philippe Rameau: Pièces de Clavecin - Christophe Rousset

"Majestic" is not a strong enough term to describe this music. Rousset's now legendary performance is indispensable for anyone who loves keyboard music from the baroque period.

L’Oiseau-Lyre 425 886-2

Haydn: Piano Sonatas

2008-02-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

Joseph Haydn: Complete Piano Sonatas - Christine Schornsheim

Haydn wrote a few keyboard pieces that are not so exciting, but these are greatly outnumbered by many brilliant sonatas, all of which are included here on 13 CDs, played on a number of harpsichords, clavichords and pianofortes. Unless you already know all of Haydn's sonatas, you can expect many pleasant surprises. In addition, I've found Schornsheim's interpretation of Haydn more convincing than any other until now. The sound is wonderful.

There is a 14th CD with Schornsheim discussing and demonstrating the different keyboard instruments that were used. This is highly fascinating as well (for those who understand German).

The price is a bargain if anything is.

Capriccio CAP49404

Tormis: Forgotten Peoples

2008-02-20T16:06:00.001-08:00

Veljo Tormis: Forgotten Peoples - Musica Intima

Works by Estonian choral composer Veljo Tormis (b. 1930) are for a large part based on folksongs. If one thinks of folksongs as simple and conventional, one is probably not familiar with the Baltic-Finnish choral tradition. The music is witty, joyful, highly inventive, and at times offering the most daring harmonies. Listen for example to Singing Aboard Ship, the 19th song of the cycle.

The performance by the twelve members of the Canadian vocal ensemble Musica Intima is superb.

Atma ACD2 2354

Brahms: Liebeslieder-Walzer

2008-02-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

Johannes Brahms: Liebeslieder-Walzer op. 52, Drei Lieder op. 64, Neue Liebeslieder op. 65 – Marlis Petersen, Stella Doufexis, Werner Güra, Konrad Jarnot, Christoph Berner & Camillo Radicke.

The three included opus numbers with vocal quartets were primarily intended for domestic use. I was therefore somewhat surprised to find such poetic, exquisite and passionate music. Especially in op. 65 we find the richness in harmony and rhythm that is so typical for Brahms. The performance is outstanding. Heartily recommended.

Harmonia Mundi HMC 901945

Brahms: Lieder

2008-02-15T14:54:00.001-08:00

Johannes Brahms: Lieder - Bernarda Fink and Roger Vignoles

From Bernarda Fink and Roger Vignoles we expect nothing but the very best, and that is what we got. What a delightful CD!

Harmonia Mundi HMC 901926

Ten Holt: Soloduiveldans

2008-02-14T16:27:00.001-08:00

Simeon ten Holt: Soloduiveldans 2 & 4 - Ivo Janssen

Simeon ten Holt is best known for his Canto Ostinato, which exists in several versions (I would recommend the version for two pianos, played by Kees Wieringa and Polo de Haas). But I find this CD with two of his Solo Devil Dances even more exhilarating.

Ten Holt's style is perhaps best described as 'repetitive music', in the sense that motives are repeated with small variations, but the music develops so quickly, and with such finesse, that one can only keep up by listening attentively. The fabric of the many quick notes creates a unique kind of aesthetics.

The performance by master pianist Ivo Janssen is unsurpassable.

VOID 9903

Sinopoli: Lou Salomé

2008-02-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

Giuseppe Sinopoli: Lou Salomé -
Lucia Popp, José Carreras, Stuttgart Radio Symphony
Orchestra, Giuseppe Sinopoli

One of the most important compositions by Sinopoli is the opera Lou Salomé, first performed in 1981. This CD contains two suites with excerpts, which are compelling not due to dramatic effect, but to a deep musical expression, with a magical vocabulary most reminiscent perhaps of the music by Alban Berg.

It is a disgrace that no recording of the complete opera is available.

Deutsche Grammophon 415 984-2

Torstensson: In großer Sehnsucht

2008-02-12T13:59:00.001-08:00

Klas Torstensson: In großer Sehnsucht - Charlotte Riedijk, Ellen Corver, Peter Brunt, Larissa Groeneveld

The cycle of songs 'In großer Sehnsucht', for soprano and piano trio, is set on texts by five tragic women: Camille Claudel, Frida Kahlo, Cristina di Svezia, Rosa Luxemburg, and Louise Michel. This is an exceptional composition, that resembles nothing else. As so often with 'modern' music, one needs to abandon preconceived ideas of what classical music should be like. If one succeeds, the reward here is a unique listening experience.

The performance is of the highest quality.

COBRA 0018

Bach: Die Kunst der Fuge

2008-02-11T13:12:00.001-08:00

J.S. Bach: Die Kunst der Fuge - Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet

The Art of the Fuge, the single most impressive feat of fugal writing, represents many challenges when it comes to performance with a choice of four instruments, or on one or two keyboards. The biggest obstacle is the transparency of the contrapuntal fabric, while avoiding that any one voice takes a predominant role. This performance on four recorders, some of which were especially manufactured for the occasion, is the most ideal that I can imagine. It is wonderful how well the instruments mix with each other, while each voice can be perceived individually. The interpretation by the four virtuosi from Amsterdam is outstanding.

Channel Classics CCS 12698

Schnittke: Requiem

2008-02-10T06:13:00.000-08:00

Alfred Schnittke: Symphony No. 4, Requiem - Stockholm Sinfonietta,
Okku Kamu / Stefan Parkman

To be honest, I cannot appreciate all of Schnittke's compositions. At times, I'm seem to be missing the point. The Requiem is a very special work however. The 14 movements, all less than 4 minutes, are absolutely fascinating, each in its own way, and together they create a powerful ensemble. The fragmentary use in the Credo of rhythms from rock music, in combination with a pulsating high note from a trompet, gives a staggering effect.

The other work on the CD, the Symphony No. 4, is also fascinating. It shares with the Requiem the religious background and it also has a vocal element, which is used very effectively.

BIS-CD-497

Samama: En Hollande

2008-02-09T08:40:00.001-08:00

Leo Samama: 'En Hollande' for soprano and string quartet, Quintet for clarinet and string quartet, Sextet - Nienke Oostenrijk, Daniel Quartet, and others

The music by Dutch composer Samama is very accessible and tonally oriented, yet truly original and compelling. Especially the beauty of 'En Hollande', on a text by Paul Verlaine, is out of this world.

Composers' Voice CV106

Theresienstadt

2008-02-08T16:26:00.000-08:00

Theresienstadt - Anne Sofie von Otter and others

This CD contains a selection of music from Theresienstadt. All of the compositions are deeply touching. Some are so bitter because of the circumstances in which they were written. Knowing a little about the background, there are no words to describe Ilse Weber's Wiegala. Other compositions on the CD are of the highest quality from any perspective. I challenge anyone with their heart in the right place to listen to Viktor Ullmann's Beryozkele without getting tears in their eyes. Also the Four Songs on Chinese Poetry by Pavel Haas and the sonata for solo violin by Erwin Schulhoff are magnificent.

Human tragedy, and an entire generation of the world's most gifted composers cut short...

Deutsche Grammophon 00289 477 6546