Recent Releases No. 85 (CD Reviews)

 by Karl Nehring

Bamboo Grove. Zhou Long: Bamboo Grove for Unaccompanied Violin; Chen Yi: Xian Shi for Viola, Percussion, and Piano; Zhou Long: Tales from the Nine Bells for Clarinet, Violin, Viola & Piano; Chen Yi: Suite for Viola and Chamber Winds. Patrick Yim, violin and viola; with Kirsten Docter, viola; Catherine Ramirez, flute; Jennet Ingle, oboe; John Diodati, clarinet; Anna Marsh, bassoon; Matthew Oliphant, horn; Charles Roberts, trumpet; Riley Leitch, trombone; Paul Vaillancourt, percussion; Shuai Wang, piano; Paul Hostetter, conductor. Pentatone PTC 5187 586 

In his extensive liner notes, Patrick Yim writes that “across these works, Western instruments are reimagined in striking and often unexpected ways. The violin and viola become vessels for the sounds of the erhu, guquin, yehu, pipa, xiao, lusheng, and ancient bell ensembles; intricate textures evoke the energy of Peking opera percussion and regional folk traditions such as Chaozhou xianshi. Through extended techniques sound color itself becomes an important expressive force… Exquisite orchestration, whirling timbres, finely woven textures, and impassioned lyricism define a sound world that is at one ancient and contemporary.”  The program begins with Yim playing the album’s title composition, Zhou Long’s Bamboo Grove, and yes, he truly does coax some unexpected sounds from his violin. I will confess that the first time I auditioned this track, I was put off; however, as I have listened to it more, I have come to appreciate its intricacy and energy. Still, I suspect it will be the most divisive piece on the album for most listeners. The remainder of the album is more likely to appeal to bring more joy to more ears. Chen Yi’s Xian Shi is rooted in folk ensemble music from the composer’s mother’s hometown; although the melodies are rooted in another culture, they still have melodic appeal, and the energetic percussion adds extra appeal. Zhou Long’s Tales from the Nine Bells has more of a dramatic character, the instruments seeming to convey shadowy characters from those mysterious tales. It’s an absorbing musical portrait. Then it’s back to Chen Yi for the final piece on the program, the four-movement Suite for Viola and Chamber Winds, which also features percussion. Adapted from a work for cello and string quartet, it lacks the immediate melodic appeal of her Xian Shi but is still enjoyable on its own merits.

 

All in all, then, Bamboo Grove is an album well worth seeking out by those music lovers with a desire to broaden their musical horizons. The music is of excellent quality, as is the engineering; moreover, Yim has provided an extensive booklet essay with background information on the composers and their music. For more background on this release, here is a link to a YouTube video. 

 

Constellations. Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin (transcr. Mason Jones); Pavane pour le Infante Défunte (transcr. Guy du Cheyron); Barber: Summer Music, Op. 31; Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, op. 110 (transcr. David Walter); Èlègie (arr. of Act I, Scene 2 from Lady Macbeth from Mtsensk, transcr. Nicolas Ramez). Ouranos Ensemble (Mathilde Calderini, flute; Amaury Viduvier, clarinet; Philbert Perrine, oboe; Rafael Angster, Bassoon; Nicolas Ramez, horn). Alpha Classics ALPHA 1183

 This is one of those releases about which you don’t quite know what to expect, but the idea sounds like an interesting one. A wind quintet playing the Ravel sounds perfectly plausible; however, a Shostakovich string quartet? Hmmm… Intrigued by this unusual program, we gave Constellations repeated auditions, ultimately finding it to be something of a mixed bag, although not without its rewards. Right out of the gate, the Ravel arrangement came across as a slight bit off. Perhaps the problem is one of familiarity with Ravel’s original arrangement for orchestra; in any event, as played here, the weight of the horn and bassoon parts seem to thicken the sound. It is certainly well played; however, there is just something about the overall sonority that just doesn’t quite feel Ravelian. The Barber Summer Music, however, is another story, sounding perfectly balanced for this ensemble; furthermore, like most of Barber’s music, it is engaging and entertaining. Perhaps not surprisingly, it is the only composition on this album that is not a transcription: Barber composed it as a wind quintet. The transcription of the Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 is the boldest stroke here, and the hardest to assess. On the one hand, it is certainly interesting to hear this familiar piece presented this way, but on the other hand, the original string quartet packs vastly more emotional wallop. The brief Èlègie brings the program to a peaceful, pleasant conclusion. For woodwind fans, Constellations is worth a listen, particularly for the Barber.

Clarinet Concertos by Freda Swain, Denis ApIvor, and Gerald Finzi (CD Review)

by Ryan Ross

Peter Cigleris, clarinet; Jonathan Raper, timpani; Austin Beattie, percussion; Lynn Arnold, piano; John Andrews, conductor; London Mozart Players. SOMM Recordings SOMMCD 0722

SOMM continues its survey of little-known British repertoire with this release of two newly-recorded clarinet concertos, anchored by one of the great works in the genre. As I have said about the CPO label, we owe SOMM a debt of gratitude for making this repertoire available for us to hear. But their niche is a double-edged sword. For while it is fun to explore fresh names and works, the flip side is that little of this music is likely to catch on widely. The label ostensibly hopes that it sells enough offerings of familiar fare to offset the risk of recording everything else. This probably explains the pairing here of the beloved Finzi Clarinet Concerto with two items that are solid but not nearly as memorable.

 

Of course SOMM can hardly be expected to come out and say this. But it is curious to read the liner notes by Robert Matthew-Walker, which suggest that all three of these composers are meaningfully groupable. He writes: “Each of these concertos contains elements of restrained, undemonstrative expression, set against moments of strong drama and occasionally trenchant language by composers who knew their limitations and so, in their various ways, achieved genuine art, even if their achievements were neither fully appreciated at the time nor – certainly in two instances – recognised since.” Matthew-Walker continues: “For some listeners, therefore, these three clarinet concertos will come as revelatory experiences – certainly in the previously unappreciated music of Denis ApIvor and Freda Swain.”

 

If we’re fair, Matthew-Walker does somewhat acknowledge that ApIvor and Swain are not in the same exact boat as Finzi. But when he speaks of shared “limitations” and “revelatory experiences,” I can’t imagine most listeners responding to these three pieces on comparable terms. The elephant in the room is that neither ApIvor nor Swain possessed anything close to Finzi’s enviable melodic gift. And while it’s true that the latter’s long-developing craft speaks to some limitations, he had spades of “IT Factor” that explain his minor-master status. The other two fall considerably short of that mark.

 

The most memorable thing about ApIvor’s Concertante for clarinet, piano and percussion is its instrumentation. He does achieve a distinctive sound by writing competently for this quirky ensemble. But the themes in all of the movements amount to an angular forgettability residing in much other competent but dry twentieth-century music. The best part is its second movement, which deftly employs a simple syncopated rhythm that enriches everything else. It is a testament to how even very small elements can have disproportionately enlivening effects. But I wonder if this will be enough to prevent me from skipping the movement when it henceforth pops up on my Spotify shuffle list. Freda Swain’s “Lumine naturi” Concertino for clarinet with string orchestra and (one) horn likewise leans on its unconventional instrumentation and, perhaps, a weird title. I cannot say I found its materials terribly compelling, though the opening “pastorale” movement does have an attractively brisk outdoor feeling. But after listening to it multiple times, that’s honestly all I can remember.

 

A stellar Finzi Concerto here would have done much to sell the album as a whole. Alas, no. The fault lies not with Peter Cigleris, who dispatches the solo part extremely well. Rather, John Andrews and the London Mozart Players sound bogged down and spiritually uncommitted next to my preferred accounts (Naxos 8.553566 and ASV CDDCA787), particularly in the first movement. I get more warmth and, dare I say it, SENTIMENTALITY elsewhere. But if you’re one of those listeners whose relationship with emotional fervor is like a vampire’s with garlic, you’ll probably be more enthused than I was.

 

If any SOMM leaders or musicians are reading this, I don’t want them to get too discouraged. Classical music needs more such recordings. Knowing what’s out there is a worthwhile enterprise apart from merely finding things to which one enjoys listening. In this case, I’ve met both goals. But with all of us, the matter tends to come back to these questions: how much money and time do we have? If you have enough of both, scoop this up. If you just have time, then yeah, give it a listen. If you have limited amounts of either, stick to the beaten paths.

Recent Releases No. 84 (Streaming Reviews)

by Karl Nehring

For Arvo (Extended Version). Pärt: Für Alina (Version 1); Variations for the Healing of Arinushka; Fratres (Transc. Osokins for Piano); Ukuara Waltz; Vier leichte Tanzstücke “Musik für Kindertheater” – No. 1, Der gestiefelte Kater; No. 2, Rotkäppchen; No. 3, Schmetterlinge; No. 4, Tanz der Entenküken; Mommy’s Kiss; Pari intervallo (Transc. Osokins for Piano); 2 Sonatinas for Piano, Op. 1 No. 1 - I. Allegro; II. Larghetto; Für Anna Maria; 2 Sonatinas for Piano, Op. 1 No. 2 - I. Allegro energico’ II. Largo; Partita, III. Allegro; Hymn to a Great City; Diagrams, Op. 11 – I. Unruhig; II. Ruhig; Partita, Op. 2 – I. Toccatina; II. Fughetta. III. Larghetto; IV. Ostinato; Lamentate: Fragile e conciliante (Transc. Osokins for Piano); Für Alina (Version 2); *Hymn to a Great City for 2 pianos (Live from the Martha Argerich Festival in Hamburg); Für Alina (Live from the Martha Argerich Festival in Hamburg). Georgjis Osokins, piano; *Martha Argerich, piano. Deutsche Grammophon 00028948676729

To celebrate the 90^th birthday of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, Deutsche Grammophon released the album For Arvo on September 11, 2025 (you can read our review of that album here).  Exactly one year later, September 11, 2026, DG has released what they are terming an “extended version” of For Arvo, adding two tracks recorded at the Martha Argerich Festival in June 2025. As I pointed out in my review of the original CD release, most classical music lovers should be familiar with Pärt’s music, given that his compositions have been recorded by myriad performers on a variety of labels. For those of us of a certain age, though, Pärt was once a newcomer who suddenly appeared on the scene with music unlike anything we had ever heard before. I can still vividly recall the first time I heard his music. While I was in graduate school, I had a weekend job as a security guard for a manufacturer of computer support equipment. One of my late-night duties was to drive from my post at the main plant to check on the training center, which was a couple of miles or so away. On one of those late-night drives, I found that our classical FM radio station was playing engrossing music unlike any music I had never heard before. I was spellbound! I parked in the training center parking lot and listened to the end of the piece, eager to find out what this music could possibly be. It turned out to be the landmark ECM release Tabula Rasa, featuring the music of Arvo Pärt as played by the then-young violinist Gidon Kremer and – of all pianists – the jazz icon Keith Jarrett. I have been an avid Pärt fan ever since and have auditioned and owned many of his numerous compositions over the past several decades. 

 

About a decade after my discovery of Pärt’s music, Georgijs Osokins was born into a family of pianists in the Latvian capital of Riga in 1995. Then in 2025, Osokins released his debut album on DG, For Arvo. “This album is a declaration of my deep love for Arvo and his music,” wrote Osokins in the liner notes of the CD. “It encompasses both completely unknown pieces, and some of the most-performed works of the last forty years. It Includes both original works and the art-form of piano transcriptions. I wanted to capture the very moment of the composer’s revelation – from complex contemporary avant-garde through to pure, luminous and enigmatic beauty and simplicity.” And that aptly describes what this release comprises; fortunately, the luminous and beautiful tracks outnumber the avant-garde. The opening tracks -- Für Alina, Variations for the Healing of Arinushka, Fratres, Ukuaru Waltz; Vier leichte Tanzstücke (“Four Easy Dance Pieces”), and Pari intervallo – are all relatively straightforward, easy on the ears, and the kind of music that most fans of Pärt have grown to appreciate. Especially noteworthy is Osokins’s transcription for piano of Fratres, which offer a fresh insight into this much-loved composition. The streaming version includes Mommy’ Kiss, a short but pleasant track that was not included on the CD. The two Sonatinas and the Partita are the works that lean more toward the avant-garde; however, although they are certainly not as easy on the ear as the other selections, neither are they the kind of dissonant, pounding piano works that the term “avant-garde” might scare one into fearing – in fact, they’re quite listenable. Sandwiched between the two Sonatinas is Für Anna Maria, brief but touching, and then after Partita comes the tender Lamentate, and the simple but expressive Hymn to a Great City. The first movement of Diagrams is frankly pounding and unpleasant, not at all typical of the style of the later Pärt, while the second movement, although still atypical, is at least easier on the ear. The second version of Für Alina is recorded more distantly, producing a haunting effect. Interestingly, time seems to be almost suspended, dreamlike, but the timing is the same as for the opening track. The beloved pianist Martha Argerich joins Osokins for a performance of Hymn to a Great City – her first public performance of Pårt’s music, and then the program closes as it began, with Osokins playing the deeply haunting Für Alina. Even for those who own the original CD, this new streaming release with its additional tracks is well worth seeking out.

 

Brahms: Symphony No. 3 in D Major, Op. 90 (arr. for two pianos by the composer). Piano duo Adrienne Soòs & Ivo Haag

I came across this release pretty much by accident late one evening on Amazon Music. I had been listening to this, that and the other when I noticed that the algorithm suggested this for me. I had no idea that Brahms had made a two-piano arrangement of my favorite of his symphonies. Hmmmm… I figured it would be worth a listen just to see what it would sound like. I didn’t expect to find it worth auditioning more than that one time; however, much to my surprise and delight, I found it to be a deeply satisfying recording, one that gave me an even greater appreciation for one of my favorite symphonies. We music lovers should be grateful that Brahms, who was himself a gifted pianist, decided to make his own transcriptions of his orchestral works rather than turn them over to staff arrangers at the publishing houses of his day. As you might expect, the arrangement captures the beauty and spirit of this remarkable symphony. The full palette provided by two keyboards allowed Brahms to paint a colorful pianistic portrait of his symphony, which the Hungarian/Swiss piano duo Adrienne Soós and Ivo Haag reproduce with artistry and affection. To those who hold the Brahms Third Symphony in high regard, I strongly suggest you give this two-piano version an audition.