Mendelssohn/Bruch Violin Concertos (CD Review)

by Ryan Ross

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64; Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26. Johan Dalene, violin; Gemma New/Malin Broman, conductors; Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Kaspars Putniņš, choral conductor; Swedish Radio Choir. BIS 2610

So often when I listen to a classical release, and check other reviewers’ takes, I’ll wonder if we actually heard the same thing. Even when my reactions aren’t that different, I’ll sometimes be amazed at how my counterparts choose to couch their remarks. Take this new Johan Dalene recording, for instance. Some reviewers apparently think these concerto performances are the best things since indoor plumbing. (We’ll deal with the Vaughan Williams-Drayton monstrosity in due course.) And you know what? They’re…okay. Good. Very good, even. But there are now hundreds of recordings of the Mendelssohn Op. 64 and Bruch Op. 26 each. What does this new offering add that’s noteworthy? I have to say that it adds very little. Which is perfectly fine, but to praise it to the skies like some are doing seems excessive. Don’t they know the classic (and much stronger) performances by Heiffetz? Oistrakh? Milstein? Etc.? Or are we just in the business now of being too nice to anything that’s new from anyone who happens to have a pulse?

Actually, I have nothing against Mr. Dalene. He’s an excellent violinist, and still very young.  It’s not his fault that his playing doesn’t have the character of the legends I just named. But after all, he’s putting himself out there, and I can’t see the point in not being honest. Most people will be well served by this Mendelssohn performance. Conductor/concertmaster Malin Broman and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra all provide solid support for Dalene, even if at times they impose themselves slightly overmuch. And maybe it’s just my imagination, or Dalene’s interpretive style, but his tone sometimes sounds a tad huskier or scratchier than the rich ones in the best recordings. The finale tends to be where the cream rises to the top, and here I detect these minor imperfections rather more insistently. Again, it’s all  fine…but not in the S-tier, and certainly no better than dozens of other performances I’ve heard. It’ll all do, certainly. But not if you’re seeking “great” rather than just “excellent.”

 

Similar things could be said for the Bruch, although here I’m all the more needing a “presence” that Dalene doesn’t quite provide. He acquits himself very respectably, but there’s something extra missing. I’m afraid his supporting cast here doesn’t completely help him, as it’s even more invasive than in the Mendelssohn. Or maybe I notice it more because the Bruch is so much a “soloist’s” concerto, and the SRSO at times almost sounds like they’re covering, or even competing, with him in the character department. Conductor Gemma New and Company supply a fire that I wish Dalene matched. Will the casual listener care about any of this? Probably not. But I’d be interested to know how many other longtime fans of the concerto hear what I do.

 

I would have been happy to end this review right here with a “solid yet undistinguished” verdict, and to have begun my next Classical Candor project forthwith. But alas, there is one remaining item on this release: a 2019 arrangement by Paul Drayton of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending for violin and choir. I wish I could tell you that this is a version of the beloved work that you didn’t know you needed. But if you’re like me, you’ll listen to it and know that it was never needed. It might have been okay were it just a question of the choir taking the place of the orchestra. That’s harmless enough, right? But Drayton felt compelled to have the choir sing parts of the poetry by George Meredith that forms an epigraph to the work. The result sounds every bit as cheesy as you can imagine. It smacks of wanting to include a novelty that flatters Dalene’s artistry in a way his traditional performances here don’t quite achieve. It’s also a gimmick designed to cash in on The Lark’s popularity, and I’m sorry to say that it will probably work if for no other reason than its stoking of sheer curiosity. Still, I regret that one of a number of shorter, neglected works for violin and orchestra couldn’t have been included in its original form instead. There’s something to be said for blazing trails, an activity eminently suited to Dalene’s gifts. But he misses the opportunity, and so we’re left with a mildly frustrating mixture of unremarkable + remarkable in the wrong way.

Recent Releases No. 79 (CD Reviews)

by Karl Nehring

B.A.C.H. Martin Fröst. J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria (Arr. for Clarinet and Bass by Martin Fröst and Sebastien Dubé); Sinfonia in G Major, BWV 796 (Arr. for Clarinet and Cello by Matthias Spindler); Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639 (Arr. for Clarinet and Theorbo by Martin Fröst and Jonas Nordberg); St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244: No. 62. "Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden" (Arr. for Clarinets and Cello by Martin Fröst); Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068: II. Air (Arr. for Clarinet, Theorbo and Bass by Martin Fröst, Jonas Nordberg and Sebastien Dubé); Invention No.10 in G Major, BWV 781 (Arr. for Clarinet and Viola by Göran Fröst); French Suite No.5 in G Major, BWV 816: III. Sarabande (Arr. for Clarinet and Theorbo by Martin Fröst and Jonas Nordberg); Sonata for Viola da Gamba in D Major, BWV 1028: I. Adagio (Arr. for Clarinet, Cello, and Bass by Martin Fröst, Anastasia Kobekina and Sebastien Dubé); Pastorale in F Major, BWV 590: III. Aria (Arr. for Clarinet and Theorbo by Martin Fröst and Jonas Nordberg); Invention No.4 in D Minor, BWV 775 (Arr. for Clarinet and Cello by Matthias Spindler); French Suite No.5 in G Major, BWV 816: I. Allemande (Arr. for Clarinet and Theorbo by Martin Fröst and Jonas Nordberg); Prelude in D Minor, BWV 851 (Arr. for Clarinet and Bass by Martin Fröst and Sebastien Dubé); Gounod: Ave Maria (Meditation on the Prelude by J. S. Bach) [Arr. for Clarinet and Cello by Martin Fröst]; Bach: Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV 335 (Arr. for Clarinet and Theorbo by Martin Fröst and Jonas Nordberg); Invention No. 6 in E Major, BWV 777 (Arr. for Clarinet and Viola by Göran Fröst); Prelude in C-Sharp Major, BWV 872 (Arr. for Clarinet, Theorbo and Bass by Martin Fröst, Jonas Nordberg and Sebastien Dubé); Largo (after Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056) [Arr. for Clarinet and Piano by Martin Fröst and Benny Andersson]. Martin Fröst, Clarinet; Jonas Nordberg, theorbo; Anastasia Kobekina, cello; Sébastian Dubé, double bass; Göran Fröst, viola; Benny Andersson, piano. Sony Classical 19802814742

 

As Ry Cooder almost once sang, oooohhh, I’m a fool for a clarinet. Back in the day, one of my musical heroes was fellow Ohio State grad Richard Stoltzman (double major: music and mathematics), a true master of the instrument who made remarkable recordings in a variety of genres. Today, Swedish clarinetist Martin Fröst is making a name for himself as a master of the instrument, and like Stoltzman, Fröst is willing to explore innovative ways to showcase his musical abilities. Back in 2022, we reviewed an album by Fröst in which he explored music from a diverse group of composers ranging over such figures as Bach, Scarlatti, Purcell, Rameau, Richard Rogers, Gordon Jenkins, and Chick Corea (you can read that review here).  In past concert performances, Fröst sometimes devised programs titled "Beyond All Clarinet History" (B.A.C.H.), which intertwined some Bach’s melodies with new arrangements; what we have here is an entire album – appropriately titled “B.A.C.H.” – entirely devoted to the music of Bach, but presented in new interpretations both for clarinet and a variety of other instruments, such as bass, cello, and theorbo (for those unfamiliar with that instrument, imagine a lute on steroids), and on the final track, a piano – played by Benny Andersson of the world-famous pop group ABBA. Although Bach never wrote for the clarinet, nothing here sounds forced or gimmicky. Recorded in an old wooden chapel set in the Swedish countryside that Fröst purchased, restored, and turned into a studio and concert venue, the album has a warm, intimate sonic quality that is well-suited to Bach’s music. You don’t need to be a fool for a clarinet to enjoy this album, but you might become one after giving it a listen. This is a recording that should appeal to a wide variety of musical tastes.

Brahms, Balkans & Bagels. Paquin-Bugi: Mahler Goes Meshuge; Traditional: Kolomeyka; Paquin-Buki and Paquin / Brahms: Élégie des vieux amants; Saint-Saëns: Balkanale; Svigals: Glazier's Hora;  Traditional: Beresh Katz Bulgar; Liszt: Rhapsodie hongroise no 2; Pigeon: Trumpet Doina, wie aus der ferne; Traditional: Der yidisher soldat in di trenches (WWI); Traditional: Reel de Béatrice; Kodály: Kállai kettõs; I. Weber: Wiegala. Oktopus (Matthieu Bourget, bass trombone; Guillaume Martineau, piano; Gabriel Paquin-Buki, clarinet; Maxime Philippe, drums and percussion; Francis Pigeon, trumpet; Julie Blanchet, flute; Noémie Caron-Marcotte, flute; Laetitia Francoz-Lévesque; Simon Jolicoeur, trombone; Kalun Leung, trombone; Julie Rivest, violin) with guest musicians Éric Breton, percussion; Catherine Chabot, flute; Corine Chartré-Lefebvre, horn; Pascal Demalsy, accordion; Janna Kate, vocals; Charles-André Labelle-Giroux, tuba; Emie Rioux-Roussel, piano; Rosanne Philippens, violin.

 

This delightful album should bring many a smile to those listeners with a deep affection for classical music; it may even have some of them leaping from their listening positions and whirling about the room in half-crazed dances of delight; I foresee broken furniture – but pray for no broken bones.  In Brahms, Balkans & Bagels, the Canadian octet Oktopus digs into the question of how popular music may have inspired great composers. The opening track is a perfect example, highlighting the influence of klezmer music on Gustav Mahler. Mahler fans will certainly be able to recognize the themes and enjoy the energetic interweaving of Mahler and madcap. Another highlight is their arrangement of Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, which highlights above all the impressive talent of pianist Guillaume Martineau, who improvises a virtuosic cadenza before the group ends the piece with a klezmeresque flourish. It’s an album full of delights and surprises; moreover, what is especially rewarding is that the overall tone is one of joy and respect for classical music – the musicians of Oktopus are not mocking the music of the great composers, they are reveling in it and inviting you to join them in their revels. My goodness, this is a fun release!

Fred Hersch: The Surrounding Green. Hersch: Plainsong; Ornette Coleman: Law Years; Hersch: The Surrounding Green; Egberto Gismonti: Palhaço; George and Ira Gershwin: Embraceable You; Charlie Haden: First Song; Hersch: Anticipation. Fred Hersch, piano; Drew Gress, double bass; Joey Baron, drums. ECM 2826

 

Here we have the most recent release from the veteran American jazz pianist Fred Hersch (b. 1955). Hersch’s story is an inspiring one, for he has come back from the brink of death to regain his ability to play the piano and resume his life and career, as you can you can learn more  about from the pianist himself in from this compelling YouTube video  We have previously reviewed a couple of albums by Hersch, beginning with an album that Hersch recorded in his home during the dark early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. That album was recorded on a less than ideal piano in a less than ideal (at least in terms of recording acoustics) room; however, Hersch’s talent and love for the music made his 2021 release Songs from Home (Palmetto PM2197) a winning collection of tunes that is well worth a listen (you can find our review here). Then in 2024 and we reviewed a his Silent, Listening release on the ECM label, this one recorded under much different and more advantageous circumstances, playing a beautifully tuned piano in an acoustically perfect European hall under the watchful eyes and ears of a world-class producer and engineer (you can find that review here). And a decade before we ever reviewed an album recorded by Fred Hersch himself, our founding father John Puccio reviewed an album recorded by the classical pianist Lara Downes titled 13 Ways of Looking at the Goldberg: Bach Reimagined, in which she had invited various composers to provide their own modern variations on Bach’s original theme. One of those variations that Ms. Downes performs is music that John describes as a “lyrically flowing version by Fred Hersch” (you can read John's review here). 

 Fred Hersch, Drew Gress, Joey Baron

This new ECM release finds Hersch in a trio setting, but “lyrically flowing” remains an apt description of his playing throughout, sympathetically supported by bassist Gress and drummer Baron, themselves like Hersch veterans of the NYC jazz scene; however, prior to this recording, these three musicians had never recorded together as a trio. You’ never guess that from listening, though, as the music just seems to flow so naturally, so beautifully, so lyrically. That doesn’t mean “easy listening,” however; the inclusion of an Ornette Coleman tune, Law Years, should provide a clue that all is not simple tunefulness. But even here, there is nothing to assault the senses; rather, it’s more a feeling of contrast and coloration. After all, Ornette was nothing if not lyrical. Perhaps not traditionally so, but my goodness, his music bursts forth with tuneful joy, and these three musicians understand that. Hersch’s title track, The Surrounding Green, which follows, is another exemplar of lyrically flowing music that cannot but help induce aesthetic satisfaction. Recorded in ECM’s typical warm, spacious sound quality and featuring especially appealing cover art (although, sadly but not surprisingly, no liner notes), this is an easily recommendable release of tasteful, thoughtful, rewarding jazz.

Chamber Works by Ernest Kanitz (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

Kanitz: Sonata, Op. 10 for Violin and Piano*; String Quartet in D major; Sonata for Solo Cello; Concertino for Five Players**; Sonata Californiana for E flat Alto Saxophone and Piano. ARC Ensemble (Erika Raum, violin; Marie Bérard, violin**; Steven Dann, viola; Thomas Wiebe, cello; Joaquin Valdepeñas, clarinet; Kevin Ahfat, piano; with special guests Wallace Halladay, saxophone; Anna Stube, violin*; Joel Quarrington, double-bass). CHANDOS CHAN 20374

 

Over the past several years we have reviewed several releases by Canada’s ARC (Artists of the Royal Conservatory) Ensemble, an assemblage of musicians engaged in a series of recordings for the CHANDOS label under the heading “Music in Exile,” starting with our review (which you can read here) of the first commercial recording devoted to music by the Czech-born Jewish composer Walter Kaufmann (1907-1984). Other composers who were exiled by the Nazi regime but whose music has been brought out from the depths of obscurity by the ARC Ensemble’s noble efforts have included the Jewish-Ukrainian composer Dmitri Klebanov (1907-1987) (reviewed here); Alberto Hemsi (1898-1975), who was born in the Ottoman Empire in an area that is now part of Turkey (reviewed here); and the German-Jewish composer Robert Müller-Hartmann (1894-1979, who fled to England to work with the great British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (reviewed here).

This newest release, the ninth in the Music in Exile series, features music by the Jewish Austrian-born composer Ernest Kanitz (1894-1978). His story is an interesting one. He had enjoyed early success in his career and had in fact become a prominent musician in Vienna during the 1920s and ‘30s, with frequent concerts and radio broadcasts. However, after the Nazi takeover of Austria in 1938, Kanitz eventually made his way to the United States, where he was able to continue his musical career by teaching and composing, but with death, his modest musical reputation quickly faded away and his music disappeared from the concert stage. Now the ARC Ensemble and CHANDOS are offering the musical world a chance to hear the music of Ernest Kanitz, which based on this release, is well worth hearing. 

The ARC Ensemble

The opening Sonata for Violin and Piano is a melodic marvel, three movements that are a delight from start to finish. So often, listening to sonatas by unknown 20^th-century composers can be a nearly unbearable experience; however, this was just the opposite. His String Quartet, although more serious in tone than the sonata that preceded it, particularly the opening movement, is still quite listenable and enjoyable. The relatively brief Sonata for Solo Cello provides a wide range of stylistic effects over its 10-minute duration, ranging from throwback to modernistic. It is one of those pieces that would benefit from being able to see the performer actually play in live performance to gain full appreciation of their performance; however, it is still an involving performance when only heard and not seen. The Concertino for Five Players, which is scored for clarinet, violin, viola, double bass, and piano, is a jaunty, slightly spiky three-movement work that is the most formal, modern-sounding composition on the program. However, it is also emotionally engaging in its own way, with many tender passages that speak to the heart. The quirkily named Sonata Californiana closes the program with three movements of expressive music that appeal to both heart and mind. The second movement, “Lament,” is a slow movement of utter beauty, followed then by the closer, “Hollywood,” a bustling romp.

Having listened to this recording many times, I find myself hoping to hear more music by Ernest Kanitz in the future. He composed orchestral music – let’s have it! And surely there is more chamber music. For now, however, we have this fine release, and once again, we music lovers owe a debt of gratitude to the ARC Ensemble and CHANDOS for bringing to light music that would have otherwise languished in darkness.