Bartok: Piano Concerto Nos. 1 & 3 (CD review)

Also, Divertimento for String Orchestra. Peter Serkin, piano; Seiji Ozawa, Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Rudolf Barshai, Moscow Chamber Orchestra. HDTT HDCD248.

American pianist Peter Serkin (b. 1947) is into his fifth decade of performing, and while he is among the world's leading pianists, he has never quite achieved the intense following his father, pianist Rudolf Serkin, acquired. I suppose that's one of the drawbacks of performing in the shadow of an illustrious parent, unfair as it is. Anyway, on this remastered disc from HDTT (High Definition Tape Transfers), we hear Peter Serkin in one of his earliest recordings, two 1967 performances of Bartok with Maestro Seiji Ozawa and the Chicago Symphony.

The album begins with the Piano Concerto No. 1, written in 1926 by Hungarian composer Bela Bartok (1881-1945). It is not the most smiling work in the world, full of hard edges and blunt percussives. Although it displays much of the coarse dissonance typical of Bartok's work, it also utilizes a good deal of Baroque-style counterpoint. Along with his Concerto for Orchestra, which came much later, the First Piano Concerto remains one of the composer's most popular pieces.

So, how does Serkin handle it? Well, he's an extremely discerning, precise, and somewhat reserved player, so his interpretation is characteristically more reflective than it is edgy or exciting. The problem is, I'm not sure that's exactly what the music needs.

All three movements of the First Concerto seem more leisurely than one usually encounters in Bartok performances, making them perhaps a shade more scholarly than not. In the Andante, especially, Serkin imbues the music with an eerier quality than do most other pianists, taking it at a much slower pace; but that's about the only place his approach works well. One thing he does provide in abundance, though, is contrast, because after the ultraslow Andante, he launches into a pretty heady Allegro. Still, what I missed most was a compelling forward pulse, a building of tension and its consequent release. It is these qualities one finds in Bartok readings from pianists like Stephen Kovacevich (Philips), Zolton Kocsis (Philips), Krystian Zimerman (DG), and Vladimir Ashkenazy (Decca).

Serkin fares better with the Concerto No. 3, written in 1945, maybe because it is lighter than the First. Bartok wrote the Third at the very end of his life, not even finishing the last few bars, and it might have been his way of showing the world that he had softened considerably from his younger, more defiant days. Here, Serkin, with his studied approach, seems more at home with the composer's newfound melodic normalcy, even if there still appears to be a degree of slackness in the rendition.  Be this as it may, when you factor in the excellence of the HDTT remastered sound, Serkin's Third might be a reasonable consideration for anyone who enjoys Bartok.

Bartok's Divertimento for String Orchestra comes from 1939, and on the present disc we have it performed by Rudolf Barshai and the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. Barshai helps it along with dash and élan in the outer movements and splendid atmosphere in the Adagio. You won't find a better reading than this one, and when you again count in the superb audio quality, you get a top-of-the-line choice in this repertoire.

RCA recorded the Piano Concertos in 1967, and HDTT transferred them to compact disc from an RCA 4-track tape. The sound is a tad forward overall, but it suits the music, and it provides an exceptionally well detailed experience, with plenty of air around individual instruments. The transient response is quick and taut, the piano firmly grounded within the orchestral setting, its attack strongly delineated. While the clarity and exactitude of the sound tend to diminish somewhat the apparent size of the orchestra, a fairly realistic stage depth helps the illusion of one's being in front of a live ensemble. Loud outbursts, cymbals, and triangles emerge impressively, as do all of the percussive instruments for that matter, including the piano.

Decca recorded the Divertimento in 1962, and HDTT transferred it from a London 4-track tape. It may not have quite as much orchestral depth as the RCA production, but it displays a better left-to-right stereo spread, with better fill. It also sounds a shade bright to my ears. Be that as it may, like the RCA recording it exhibits a vivid, vibrant sound, a wide dynamic range, and a potent transient impact.

For information on HDTT discs and downloads, you can check out their Web site at http://www.highdeftapetransfers.com/storefront.php.

JJP

Gershwin: Concerto in F (CD review)

Also, Rhapsody No. 2; I Got Rhythm Variations. Orion Weiss, piano; JoAnn Falletta, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Naxos 8.559705.

American composer George Gershwin (1890-1937) made his name in the musical world in 1924 with Rhapsody in Blue, in which he fused American jazz and classical orchestral music. It probably seemed unique at the time, and it certainly proved influential. But maybe folks back then had already forgotten that the American pianist and composer Louis Gottschalk had done much the same thing some half a century earlier with his Night in the Tropics symphony and Latin American Symphonette. Be that as it may, audiences loved what Gershwin did, and in the following thirteen years before his untimely death, he practically changed the way people would look at serious music forever, with the Concerto in F, An American in Paris, the Cuban Overture, the opera Porgy and Bess, and a whole series of film and Broadway show songs.

In the present album American pianist Orion Weiss, conductor JoAnn Falletta, and the Buffalo Philharmonic present three of Gershwin's most-famous creations, the Concerto in F, the Rhapsody No. 2, and the I Got Rhythm Variations. Although I was not familiar with Mr. Weiss's playing, I have been an admirer of Ms. Falletta's work in Buffalo for some time and looked forward to their collaboration. They did not disappoint me.

Gershwin wrote his Concerto in F in 1925, and in its way it's a bit odd, the piano never quite dominating the proceedings the way you would expect in a concerto. An Allegro opens the piece in a big, robust, sweeping fashion, with Weiss and Falletta leading the way in a forward drive they sustain wonderfully. Supposedly, the Concerto in F was Gershwin's way of saying he could write a "proper" concerto after the popular success of Rhapsody in Blue a year before. The fact is, the Concerto is not as melodic as the Rhapsody, which is probably why it is not as memorable, yet the two works bear a marked resemblance to one another.

The second-movement Adagio evokes the languorous, soulful mood of a nocturne, particularly in the bluesy segment for trumpet and cornet and then in a more breezy and buoyant section when the piano enters. As Gershwin was a fan of Chopin, who wrote so many nocturnes, the similarities would seem appropriate. When the piano does appear, Weiss maintains a good, jaunty, yet poetic cadence.

Then the finale takes up where the first movement left off, big and brassy, Weiss's piano displaying a bravura temperament. Weiss shows us he's a spirited Gershwin interpreter, and one hope he returns for more.

Next up is the Rhapsody No. 2, which Gershwin wrote in 1931 for a Hollywood film, Delicious, with Janet Gaynor. The studio wanted the music to represent the hustle and bustle of New York City, prompting the composer originally to call it Rhapsody in Rivets. Fortunately, he changed his mind about that one. Here, everyone involved with the performance is again in top form, and the piece bubbles over with extravagant, effervescent enthusiasm.

Gershwin wrote the I Got Rhythm Variations for Piano and Orchestra in 1934 for a concert tour celebrating the tenth anniversary of Rhapsody in Blue. It would be the last composition he would fully orchestrate. He based the variations on the tune of the same name from his 1930 hit musical Girl Crazy, the variations marking various musical styles from waltz to Chinese to Arabesque. Weiss, Falletta, and the orchestra handle all of it with ease and practically bring down the rafters.

Naxos recorded the music in Kleinhaus Concert Hall, Buffalo, New York, in November of 2010. It's something a little different for the company in that rather than the warm and slightly veiled sound we often hear from Naxos recordings, this one is very open, very clear, very clean, and very transparent. Coupled with a huge dynamic range, strong transient impact, and deep, taut bass, the results are often startlingly realistic. The piano is somewhat close, true, but it fits in well with the rest of the sonics.

JJP

Classical Music News of the Week, February 26, 2012

Music Institute Announces Winners of 2012 Generation Next Young Composer's Competition

The Music Institute of Chicago has announced the winners of its Generation Next Young Composer's Competition, which encourages and promotes the development of young composers:

First place: Jonas Tarm, 18, Highland Park, Ill. for Las Ruinas Circulares for flute, violin, cello, and piano. Tarm is a student in the Music Institute's prestigious Academy for gifted pre-college musicians.
Second place: Robert Didier, 17, St. Charles, Ill. for Beatitudes–6 Preludes for piano
Third place: Chason Goldfinger, 16, Malvern, Penn., for Mediterrarabian Pastiche, Op. 10 for Solo Clarinet in B-flat
Honorable Mention: Joseph Jordan, 12, New York, for Impromptu on a CD Going Haywire for solo piano

Students from the Academy will perform the three winning compositions at its free Young Composer's Concert March 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston, Il. The program also will feature works from the Music Institute's Composer's Lab Program, created by Composer-in-Residence Mischa Zupko, and performances by young composers from the studio of Chicago-based composer Dr. Stacy Garrop. The Music Institute again has partnered with 98.7 WFMT to record the performance for future broadcast on the popular radio program Introductions, which celebrates talented pre-college classical musicians.

The concert is part of the Music Institute's annual Four Score Festival, which celebrates contemporary music--this year highlighting Charles Ives March 4 and Aaron Copland March 11.

--Jill Chukerman, JAC Communications

EMI Classics in Partnership with the Juilliard School Announce Global Release of  "The Juilliard Sessions," Available Exclusively on the iTunes Store
February 21, 2012 marked the global release of the Juilliard Sessions, a partnership between EMI Classics and the Juilliard School that aims to present to the world some of classical music's most promising young stars in a series of digital EP albums. The three inaugural recordings are by recent Juilliard alumni Paul Appleby (tenor) and Sean Lee (violin), as well as pianist Conrad Tao, who is a Pre-College alumnus currently at Columbia University studying in the combined bachelor-master degree program with Juilliard. They will be released by EMI Classics, available now exclusively on iTunes (www.itunes.com).

This unprecedented joint initiative offers a way to help these students gain exposure and experience in the fast-moving digital world of today's classical music, teaching them the process of recording and releasing an album online.

Each student was selected by a panel of judges first at Juilliard, then at EMI Classics, and was given the opportunity to record an EP-length album consisting of repertoire they themselves selected.  The EPs are mastered specifically with iTunes in mind, using high-resolution sourced audio to deliver the music to listeners exactly the way the artists and recording engineers intended. The end result provides fans with an incredibly rich and detailed listening experience.

Juilliard will celebrate the release with a free public concert featuring all three students in performance on Monday, March 12th at 8:00 p.m. in the School's Paul Recital Hall (155 W. 65th St., New York, 10023; Messrs. Appleby, Lee, and Tao will perform selections from the tracks recorded for The Juilliard Sessions.  Free tickets are available starting February 27 at the Janet and Leonard Kramer Box Office at Juilliard, 155 West 65th Street, Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Phone 212 769-7406; information at events.juilliard.edu.

The three EP releases feature a broad variety of repertoire, reflecting the diverse musical tastes of the three winners.  Pianist Conrad Tao chose a pair of Debussy preludes, followed by Stravinsky's Three Movements from 'Petrushka' (a piano arrangement of music from the ballet of the same name), and closing with a work composed by Conrad himself, entitled Three Songs.  Tenor Paul Appleby recorded a trio of Schubert songs and Britten's Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo.  Twenty-four year old violinist Sean Lee recorded Richard Strauss's Sonata for Violin & Piano in Eb major, a work written when the composer was the same age as Lee is now.

The Digital Debut Series--which launches with The Juilliard Sessions recordings and a similar series of releases from students at The Royal College of Music, London--is an initiative by EMI Classics to present to international audiences the work of some of classical music's most promising young stars.  Beginning with two the world's most prestigious music schools, Digital Debut plans to expand each year to include new conservatories from around the world.

--Andrew Ousley, EMI Classics

Emerson String Quartet Announces Departure of Cellist David Finckel. Paul Watkins to join quartet in Fall 2013
The Emerson Quartet announced what will be its first member change in 34 years when cellist Paul Watkins replaces David Finckel at the end of the 2012-2013 concert season. Mr. Finckel, who joined the Emerson Quartet in 1979, will leave the group to devote more time to his personal artistic endeavors.

Eugene Drucker, Philip Setzer and Lawrence Dutton jointly stated: "For more than thirty years we have worked intensively with David Finckel, sharing countless personal and musical experiences. Our collegial feelings toward this marvelous cellist are mingled with awe and admiration for his manifold talents as a chamber music player, soloist and artistic director of two major presenting organizations and a recording company. Anyone who comes into contact with David must be struck by his unflagging energy, insatiable appetite for work and astonishing ability to manage his time (without which his three parallel careers would be impossible). His passionate, uncompromising commitment to our art could serve as a beacon to those who have lost their way in these economically and culturally disorienting times.

The impending departure of such an extraordinary colleague has given us a chance to reassess our goals and articulate a new vision for the future of the Emerson String Quartet.

It is only fitting that David's successor be a multi-talented musician, an accomplished conductor as well as an outstanding soloist and experienced chamber music player. In Paul Watkins, we three upper string players of the ESQ will continue to find a source of inspiration. Since Paul is almost two decades younger than the rest of us, we see his coming both as an opportunity to reaffirm and renew our commitment to the musical values we have long held dear, and as a chance to ensure the continuation of the Emerson String Quartet beyond the participation of any individual member."

The Emerson String Quartet has an unparalleled list of achievements: nine Grammy Awards (including two for Best Classical Album, an unprecedented honor for a chamber music group), three Gramophone Awards, the coveted Avery Fisher Prize and an international reputation for groundbreaking chamber music projects and correlated recordings. In addition to a career which has been unrivaled by any string quartet, Philip Setzer, Eugene Drucker, Lawrence Dutton and David Finckel are respected for their integrity, the tireless effort with which they reach out to others on behalf of the music they serve, and a unique generosity of spirit and enthusiasm which has remained untarnished for thirty-three years.

--Kirshbaum Demler & Associates

William VerMeulen to Perform Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 3 with National Philharmonic at Strathmore
Horn player William VerMeulen will perform  Mozart's charming Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat Major with the National Philharmonic, under the direction of  Associate Conductor Victoria Gau, on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 8 pm at the Music Center at Strathmore. The All Mozart concert will also feature the composer's moving Requiem in D minor, with soprano Esther Heideman, mezzo-soprano Linda Maguire, tenor John Aler, bass Kevin Deas and the National Philharmonic Chorale. The program also includes Mozart's Serenade in G Major, K. 525 (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik).

Assistant Conductor Victoria Gau makes her National Philharmonic debut in this all-Mozart concert, which opens with the composer's joyful and beloved Eine Kleine Nachtmusik ("A Little Night Music"). The Horn Concerto No. 3 was written for the outstanding horn player Joseph Leutgeb, a lifetime friend of Mozart's.  Mozart's Requiem, his final and arguably greatest work that was left unfinished at his death, has generated speculation, rumor and mystery, beginning with melancholy fantasies of the composer himself. It is considered one of Mozart's most profound and moving works.

Principal Horn of the Houston Symphony, a position he has held since 1990, William VerMeulen, leads his generation of American horn soloists. He is hailed as "an impeccable solo horn" by the Berlin Neue Zeit; In Tune magazine comments, "the horn playing of William VerMeulen is miraculous!...clearly one of today's superstars of the international brass scene;" and Fanfare magazine observes, "Horn virtuoso William VerMeulen may be the best of the lot, commanding his difficult instrument with suavity and grace."

Lauded by critics for her "strong sense of style and drama" and her "enthusiastic and perceptive conducting,"  National Philharmonic Associate Conductor Victoria Gau is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Capital City Symphony and former Conductor and Music Director of the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra.

A free pre-concert lecture by National Philharmonic Music Director & Conductor Piotr Gajewski will be offered at 6:45 pm on Saturday, March 24 in the Concert Hall at the Music Center at Strathmore. To purchase tickets to the All Mozart concert, please visit nationalphilharmonic.org or call the Strathmore box office at (301) 581-5100. Tickets are $28-$81; kids 7-17 are FREE through the ALL KIDS, ALL FREE, ALL THE TIME program (sponsored by The Gazette).  ALL KIDS tickets must be purchased in person or by phone. Photo of horn player William VerMeulen was taken by Eric Arbiter.

--Deborah Birnbaum, National Philharmonic

Music Institute of Chicago Honors Pulitzer Prize Winner Stephen Sondheim at 82nd Anniversary Gala, May 1
The Music Institute of Chicago, now in its 82nd year, hosts its annual gala Tuesday, May 1 at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, 120 East Delaware Place. The oldest community music school in Illinois and one of the three largest community music schools in the nation, MIC is planning a celebratory evening highlighted by the presentation of the Dushkin Award to internationally acclaimed stage and film composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim.

Chaired by Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols, the evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, followed by an elegant dinner and awards presentation.

The prestigious Dushkin Award, established 26 years ago and named for MIC's visionary founders Dorothy and David Dushkin, recognizes international luminaries in the world of music for their contributions to the art form, as well as to the education of youth. Past recipients include Riccardo Muti, Yo-Yo Ma, Leon Fleisher, Renée Fleming, Placido Domingo, William Warfield, Isaac Stern, Sir Georg Solti, Pierre Boulez, Samuel Ramey, and Bruno Bartoletti, among others. This year's recipient, Stephen Sondheim, has been honored with multiple Tony Awards, as well as Grammy and Academy Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1985.

The Music Institute of Chicago will confer its third annual "Cultural Visionary Award for Chicago," which recognizes individuals who have provided visionary philanthropic and civic leadership for the broad spectrum of arts in Chicago and Illinois, on Marilynn Alsdorf, an unparalleled leader in supporting Chicago's visual arts institutions.

Musical performances throughout the evening will include young musicians from both the Music Institute's Community School, including the Musical Theater program, and the prestigious Academy for gifted pre-college musicians, many of whom receive financial aid or scholarship support. Ensemble in residence Axiom Brass also will perform.

Honorary Chairs for MIC's 82nd Anniversary Gala include John H. Bryan, Joan W. Harris and Cindy Pritzker, all of whom received the inaugural "Cultural Visionary Award for Chicago" at the 2010 80th Anniversary Gala.

The generosity of individuals and companies who support the annual gala provide the primary source of scholarship and financial aid programs that benefit more than 5,000 students annually at the Music Institute's eight primary campuses, as well as through its extensive outreach programs in Chicago Public Schools and with community-based nonprofit organizations.

Tickets to the Music Institute of Chicago's 82nd Anniversary Gala are $550. For information, please call 847.448.8327.

--Jill Chukerman, JAC Communications