Recent Reases No. 86 (CD Reviews)

by Karl Nehring

Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 “Unfinished”; Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944 “The Great”. Park Avenue Chamber Symphony; David Bernard, conductor. Recursive Classics RC6758911

Today we think of these two Schubert symphonies as old friends, natural discmates on CD, works that have been part of the standard orchestral repertoire ever since Schubert completed putting pen to paper. However, the actual story is much different, as music critic David Patrick Stearns explains in his liner note essay: “Franz Peter Schubert’s nine symphonies represent a Viennese musical crossroad – a busy one – though when different currents came together in his final few works, nobody knew it for decades. In Schubert’s lifetime (1797-1828) Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished) was partly completed in 1822, later forgotten and not heard until 1865. Symphony No. 9 (The Great) was finished in 1827, not published until 1849, was considered unreasonably long and laughed at by orchestral musicians.” Fortunately, conductor David Bernard and the musicians of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony (a full-sized symphony orchestra) hold these symphonies in high regard and present them here in performances that strive for balance and clarity. The music seems to simply unfold naturally, without exaggeration, an approach that is especially well-suited to the Ninth, which can become exhausting if a conductor tries to over-dramatize the score. Not here. Maestro Bernard seems to find the sweet spot between the Classic and Romantic sides of the work, an interpretive approach that comes across as neither buttoned-down nor overblown. The sound quality of this recording is also exemplary, offering an excellent stereo spread plus a sense of depth and warmth. The Stearns essay is a welcome bonus, making this CD an easily recommendable release.

 

Orff: Carmina Burana. Chen Reiss, soprano; Reginald Mobley, countertenor; Audivi, chorus; Detroit Opera Youth Chorus, children’s chorus; Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Jader Bignamini, conductor. PENTATONE PTC 5187 519

Back in the 1970s when I first began to develop an interest in classical music, there were a couple of compositions that seemed to get a remarkable amount of airplay. Every few days on the local classical FM station we would hear Pictures at an Exhibition or Carmina Burana – or maybe even both. In addition, it seemed as though every classical record label had new recordings of these compositions coming out, not to mention all the recordings already in their back catalogs. These days, however, things seem to have changed. FM classical radio is barely hanging on, and neither Pictures at an Exhibition nor Carmina Burana seem to be attracting much public attention. Lo and behold, however, suddenly it’s 2026 and along comes Pentatone with a new recording of Carl Orff’s greatest hit. As we have come to expect these days, it’s a live concert recording – the days of assembling such a large group of musicians for a “studio” recording are pretty much behind us. Fortunately, the first-class engineering team from Soundmirror has done a commendable job and the sound has convincing impact and clarity – not quite Telarc-class, given the restriction of live performance, but still more than adequate. The performance comes across with life and conviction, reminding the listener of how entertaining this piece can be when performed with conviction by musicians at the top of their game. For those music lovers who have not yet encountered Orff’s spectacular composition, this new performance from Detroit would serve as an excellent introduction.

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.