WAYLTL November 2021

[Gerard]

Tchaikovsky: Symphony 1, and Francesca da Rimini. Tonhalle-Orchester
Zürich, Paavo Järvi. On the label Alpha.

This is a very fine performance of the symphony. The Francesca is not as
wild as (e.g.) Stokovsky's, specially not at the beginning, but
disappointing this is not.
Really good is the sound. It seems that the recording has been made in a
temporary concert hall (Tonhalle-Maag) that has been constructed
specially "for the occasion" in an old factory. Beautiful details in the
woodwinds.

[HT]

Maltempo, Russian piano sonatas: Balakirev #2, Glazunov #2, Kozenko #2.

These performances are excellent but not great. I'm an admirer of Maltempo's pianism, but somehow he doesn't convince me in these works. Movements and passages are great, not the complete work. I like Balakirev and the slow movement of Kozenko best. Glazunov is nice, and that's it. But I have yet to hear a composition I really like (perhaps his violin concerto?).

Henk

[Chris from Lafayette]

Post by HT
Maltempo, Russian piano sonatas: Balakirev #2, Glazunov #2, Kozenko #2.
These performances are excellent but not great. I'm an admirer of Maltempo's pianism, but somehow he doesn't convince me in these works. Movements and passages are great, not the complete work. I like Balakirev and the slow movement of Kozenko best. Glazunov is nice, and that's it. But I have yet to hear a composition I really like (perhaps his violin concerto?).
Henk

I think that Glazunov's idiom is often elusive. I listened to his music for decades with little interest, but now. . . I'm a believer! ;-)

OTOH, Ms. CfL still thinks of Glazunov's music as nothing more than mildly pleasant. One result of her attitude is that she never minds when I have Glazunov's music playing! "Ballet music for rich people"? Well, maybe some of it! ;-)

I wish there would be more live performances of Glazunov's music (outside of Russia). We heard a live performance of Glazunov's Eighth Symphony in Helsinki eleven years ago, with the Helsinki Philharmonic and a young Lithuanian conductor (whose name I now forget - it was something like Locutus - I know I'm confusing it with that of the Star Trek character!) at the old Finlandia Hall (before the Helsinki Music Center had been finished) - the performance made a deep impression on me and I was grateful for the experience.

BTW, thanks for the heads up on that Maltempo album - it sounds exactly like the kind of recording I would love!

[Frank Berger]

Tchaikovsky: Symphony 1, and Francesca da Rimini. Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi. On the label Alpha.
This is a very fine performance of the symphony. The Francesca is not as wild as (e.g.) Stokovsky's, specially not at the beginning, but disappointing this is not.
Really good is the sound. It seems that the recording has been made in a temporary concert hall (Tonhalle-Maag) that has been constructed specially "for the occasion" in an old factory. Beautiful details in the woodwinds.

I saw that Amazon has a box of these Jarvi/Tonhalle Tchaikovsky recordings. Needing another Tchaikovsky set like a hole in the head, I tried checking reviews (not dismissing yours) and found them scant and inconsistent. Apparently if you like your Tchaikovsky heart-on-sleeve, you might not like this set so much. Anyway, I inexplicably pulled the trigger, possibly because I haven't been buying much lately. I'm very fond of the 1st, favorites being, off the top of my head, Golovanov, Ivanov, Markevitch and Tilson-Thomas (of course),

[Gerard]

Post by Frank Berger

Post by Gerard
Tchaikovsky: Symphony 1, and Francesca da Rimini. Tonhalle-Orchester
Zürich, Paavo Järvi. On the label Alpha.
This is a very fine performance of the symphony. The Francesca is not
as wild as (e.g.) Stokovsky's, specially not at the beginning, but
disappointing this is not.
Really good is the sound. It seems that the recording has been made in
a temporary concert hall (Tonhalle-Maag) that has been constructed
specially "for the occasion" in an old factory. Beautiful details in
the woodwinds.

I saw that Amazon has a box of these Jarvi/Tonhalle Tchaikovsky
recordings.  Needing another Tchaikovsky set like a hole in the head, I
tried checking reviews (not dismissing yours) and found them scant and
inconsistent.  Apparently if you like your Tchaikovsky heart-on-sleeve,
you might not like this set so much.  Anyway, I inexplicably pulled the
trigger, possibly because I haven't been buying much lately. I'm very
fond of the 1st, favorites being, off the top of my head, Golovanov,
Ivanov, Markevitch and Tilson-Thomas (of course),

That is the box I have. 5 cds. Regrettably no Manfred and no Serenade
for strings. Romeo and Julia are present.
I have seen some reviews of the 5th symphony (mostly quite
enthousiastical).
An extreme review (of #2 and 4) - ways too long to read:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2021/Jul/Tchaikovsky-sys24-735.html
(Every minute of Järvi's recording is compared with Ettinger's - huh?
why Ettinger?)

The 1st symphony does not 'need' a heart-on-sleeve approach i.m.o. In
the last 3 symphonies I can miss that too, most of the time. So I like
sober and cool recordings (e.g. by Haitink and Pletnev) as well. But
after sampling a few tracks I suspect that Paavo's are not real cool
performances.

[Chris J.]

Joseph Haydn: Overtures and Music for Prince Esterhazy and the King of
Naples. Haydn Sinfonietta Vienna, Manfred Huss. PourPre, 8 CDs, 19,99
euros (JPC).

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/joseph-haydn-musik-fuer-den-
fuersten-esterhazy-den-koenig-von-neapel-saemtliche-ouvertueren/hnum/
8746013?lang=en

Koch/Schwann recordings, later released in remastered versions by BIS and
subsequently on the PourPre budget label.

https://bis.se/conductors/huss-manfred/haydn-complete-ouvertures

https://bis.se/label/bis/haydn-music-for-prince-esterhazy-and-the-king-of-
naples

The overtures are excellent, the music for prince and king enjoyable and
elegant.

Chris

[number_six]

Part - Triodion (Hyperion) Stephen Layton /Polyphony
choral works, spacious sound, highly recommended

up next -- Boulez Erato box

[sci.space]

Schoenberg's Serenade, Op 24, Mitropoulus recording in Counterpopint/Esoteric LP.. Ok sound, tremendous performance

[HT]

Mejoueva who recorded (excerpts from) Medtner's Opus 8, 9, 11, 14, 20, 25, 26, 27, 31, 34, 38, 39, 42, 51, 59.

John Gavin's enthusiasm kept me listening to this music. Mejoueva (Miguel mentioned her first, iirc) finally convinced me: it is great music (if played by musicians like her and Sudbin).

Henk

[HT]

I just received Huangci's Bach Toccatas BWV 910-6, Bach/Busoni's BWV 565 included. The toccatas I did hear were as well played and recorded as her Scarlatti sonatas. It's a great CD.

Henk

[Chris from Lafayette]

Post by HT
Mejoueva who recorded (excerpts from) Medtner's Opus 8, 9, 11, 14, 20, 25, 26, 27, 31, 34, 38, 39, 42, 51, 59.
John Gavin's enthusiasm kept me listening to this music. Mejoueva (Miguel mentioned her first, iirc) finally convinced me: it is great music (if played by musicians like her and Sudbin).
Henk

Yes! Not to mention Mejoueva's recording of the Night Wind Sonata - maybe not quite as literally faithful to the score as Hamelin, but her playing really packed an emotional wallop for me in this magnificent work. (More so than Hamelin.)

[JohnGavin]

Post by Chris from Lafayette

Post by HT
Mejoueva who recorded (excerpts from) Medtner's Opus 8, 9, 11, 14, 20, 25, 26, 27, 31, 34, 38, 39, 42, 51, 59.
John Gavin's enthusiasm kept me listening to this music. Mejoueva (Miguel mentioned her first, iirc) finally convinced me: it is great music (if played by musicians like her and Sudbin).
Henk

Yes! Not to mention Mejoueva's recording of the Night Wind Sonata - maybe not quite as literally faithful to the score as Hamelin, but her playing really packed an emotional wallop for me in this magnificent work. (More so than Hamelin.)

Agree - the Night Wind Sonata is a great work - deeply spiritual and haunting. The greatest performance is one-third Mejoueva for sensitivity, one-third Hamish Milne for seasoned maturity, and one-third Hamelin for sweep, cohesiveness and power. 😀

[number_six]

Post by number_six
Part - Triodion (Hyperion) Stephen Layton /Polyphony
choral works, spacious sound, highly recommended
up next -- Boulez Erato box

First few disks of Boulez box are a sentimental journey through some familiar Stravinsky and Schoenberg.

But it also becomes a journey of discovery. On Disk 6, my first encounter with Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorem, a more brutal, percussive approach than I've heard before from Messiaen.

Looking forward to disk 9, which includes works by Kurtag, Birtwistle and Grisey that will all be new to me.

[number_six]

Post by number_six

Post by number_six
Part - Triodion (Hyperion) Stephen Layton /Polyphony
choral works, spacious sound, highly recommended
up next -- Boulez Erato box

First few disks of Boulez box are a sentimental journey through some familiar Stravinsky and Schoenberg.
But it also becomes a journey of discovery. On Disk 6, my first encounter with Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorem, a more brutal, percussive approach than I've heard before from Messiaen.
Looking forward to disk 9, which includes works by Kurtag, Birtwistle and Grisey that will all be new to me.

After concluding the good old-fashioned modernism of the Boulez Erato box, I reset my palate with a rehearing of the Arvo Part Triodion CD. Truly a sublime album.

[number_six]

Lutoslawski -- Concerto for Orchestra and three other works
impressive showpieces, Concerto was composed 1954, others from '61 to '76
in this recording, Polish Radio NSO is conducted by the composer
Disk is #13 in EMI Matrix series

[JohnGavin]

Post by number_six
Lutoslawski -- Concerto for Orchestra and three other works
impressive showpieces, Concerto was composed 1954, others from '61 to '76
in this recording, Polish Radio NSO is conducted by the composer
Disk is #13 in EMI Matrix series

Alkan - Esquisses, op. 63 - Steven Osborne (Hyperion)

48 miniatures, varied and fascinating pieces. They suggest that Alkan possessed multiple personalities - he must have been a real character! Steven Osborne is a truly incredible pianist - with his sense of color, his creative use of the sustain pedal is far beyond most pianists these days. His CDs are all well worth owning.

[HT]

Post by JohnGavin

Post by number_six
Lutoslawski -- Concerto for Orchestra and three other works
impressive showpieces, Concerto was composed 1954, others from '61 to '76
in this recording, Polish Radio NSO is conducted by the composer
Disk is #13 in EMI Matrix series

Alkan - Esquisses, op. 63 - Steven Osborne (Hyperion)
48 miniatures, varied and fascinating pieces. They suggest that Alkan possessed multiple personalities - he must have been a real character! Steven Osborne is a truly incredible pianist - with his sense of color, his creative use of the sustain pedal is far beyond most pianists these days. His CDs are all well worth owning.

Maltempo - Liszt Jeux d'eau, Reminiscence de Norma, Polonaise mélancolique, Soirée de Vienne, Tarantelle de La Muette de Portici, Paganini etudes #2, Totentanz, Isoldes Liebestod.

Maltempo has great fingers. I liked in particular his Polonaise and Paganini etude.

Henk

[Al Eisner]

Maltempo - Liszt Jeux d'eau, Reminiscence de Norma, Polonaise mélancolique, Soirée de Vienne, Tarantelle de La Muette de Portici, Paganini etudes #2, Totentanz, Isoldes Liebestod.
Maltempo has great fingers. I liked in particular his Polonaise and Paganini etude.
Henk

But (a temptation I've long resisted) I have to ask: does he play
at the right soeed? :)

Anyway:

The two-and-a-half Roussel CD's in the Martinon "Late Years" box on Erato.
Most of the music was new to me, but it's nearly all really impressive,
at least as conveyed here (Martinon, Orchestre nationale de l'O.R.T.F,
with chorus for "Aeneas").

In a recent video, Dave Hurwitz promoted Roussel's Symphony #2 as the
greatest French symphony. If it weren't for Berlioz, I would say he has
a point. What else might contend (again, beyond Berlioz)? The popular
works of Saint-Saens and Franck, perhaos some of Magnard, what else?
It's a compelling work, albeit sometimes obsessive (here not a bad thing),
even better for me on second hearing.

By the way, I have DH to thank for calling my attention to this box.
I already knew Martinon's Debussy and Ravel, and this set has a lot
of repertory for which (even if familiar) I'm short on recordings
(if any). I'm looking forward to going through it.

[MELMOTH]

Post by Al Eisner
The popular
works of Saint-Saens and Franck, perhaos some of *magnard*, what else?
It's a compelling work, albeit sometimes obsessive (here not a bad thing),
even better for me on second hearing.

*Tournemire*...*Sauguet*...*Landowski* have written very beautiful
symphonies too...

[Al Eisner]

Post by Al Eisner
The popular
works of Saint-Saens and Franck, perhaos some of *magnard*, what else?
It's a compelling work, albeit sometimes obsessive (here not a bad thing),
even better for me on second hearing.

*Tournemire*...*Sauguet*...*Landowski* have written very beautiful symphonies
too...

Entirely unfamiliar with those three, but a symphony (along with a piano
concerto) by Landowski is in the Martinon box, so I'll be getting
to that before long.

[Todd M. McComb]

*Tournemire*...*Sauguet*...*Landowski* have written very beautiful symphonies

Entirely unfamiliar with those three, ....

Dying in 1939 really denied Tournemire the sort of posthumous
celebration of his work that would've put him more firmly into the
classical music consciousness... and, of course, when French music
returned, it was time for atonality.

[JohnGavin]

Post by Todd M. McComb

*Tournemire*...*Sauguet*...*Landowski* have written very beautiful symphonies

Entirely unfamiliar with those three, ....

Dying in 1939 really denied Tournemire the sort of posthumous
celebration of his work that would've put him more firmly into the
classical music consciousness... and, of course, when French music
returned, it was time for atonality.

From the Alicia De Larrocha Icon Box on EMI - Granados - 7 Pieces on Popular Spanish Songs - These recordings originate from the Hispavox Label from the mid 1960’s. Pure greatness is the best way to describe this playing. She is incomparable.

[HT]

Post by Todd M. McComb

*Tournemire*...*Sauguet*...*Landowski* have written very beautiful symphonies

Entirely unfamiliar with those three, ....

Dying in 1939 really denied Tournemire the sort of posthumous
celebration of his work that would've put him more firmly into the
classical music consciousness... and, of course, when French music
returned, it was time for atonality.

From the Alicia De Larrocha Icon Box on EMI - Granados - 7 Pieces on Popular Spanish Songs - These recordings originate from the Hispavox Label from the mid 1960’s. Pure greatness is the best way to describe this playing. She is incomparable.

She is. Certainly in Spanish music.

Henk

[HT]

Eckardstein's version of Prokofiev's sonatas 6-8, recorded by Radio Bremen in Germany in 2020.

This version is the antipode of Ashkenazy's. The tempi are not particularly fast, the pedal is used sparingly, but to great effect. The tone is full. Interesting (at least preferable to Pollini), but there must be a more exciting version.

Ashkenazy and several pieces by Scriabin and Prokofiev (Decca), including Scriabin's piano concerto. Lorin Maazel holds back, certainly compared to Gergiev (Trifonov/Gergiev - DG), but still the orchestra continues to dominate where it shouldn't. Is there a recording that does full justice to the piano?

Henk

[number_six]

Post by Al Eisner
In a recent video, Dave Hurwitz promoted Roussel's Symphony #2 as the
greatest French symphony. If it weren't for Berlioz, I would say he has
a point. What else might contend (again, beyond Berlioz)? The popular
works of Saint-Saens and Franck, perhaos some of Magnard, what else?

Even Bizet had his say.

[Al Eisner]

Post by number_six

Post by Al Eisner
In a recent video, Dave Hurwitz promoted Roussel's Symphony #2 as the
greatest French symphony. If it weren't for Berlioz, I would say he has
a point. What else might contend (again, beyond Berlioz)? The popular
works of Saint-Saens and Franck, perhaos some of Magnard, what else?

Even Bizet had his say.

The Bizet is a fine work, which has gone from being unknown to being
overplayed. Delightful, if not heard too often, but I don't think
it is in the same class as the above.

By the way, since MELMOTH mentioned L:andowski, I've heard his second
symphony on the Martinon late years set. A very impressive work, well
worth hearing, but, again I would put it a tier below (if such a
comment is worth anything). I was not at all taken with his second
piano concerto, in that same set.

[number_six]

Post by Al Eisner

Post by number_six

Post by Al Eisner
In a recent video, Dave Hurwitz promoted Roussel's Symphony #2 as the
greatest French symphony. If it weren't for Berlioz, I would say he has
a point. What else might contend (again, beyond Berlioz)? The popular
works of Saint-Saens and Franck, perhaos some of Magnard, what else?

Even Bizet had his say.

The Bizet is a fine work, which has gone from being unknown to being
overplayed. Delightful, if not heard too often, but I don't think
it is in the same class as the above.
By the way, since MELMOTH mentioned L:andowski, I've heard his second
symphony on the Martinon late years set. A very impressive work, well
worth hearing, but, again I would put it a tier below (if such a
comment is worth anything). I was not at all taken with his second
piano concerto, in that same set.
--
Al Eisner

I expect DH touted Roussel knowing full well that "hey! Whaddabout Berlioz?" would be a common reaction. In other words, being an agent provocateur....

[[e-mail]]

Post by Al Eisner
In a recent video, Dave Hurwitz promoted Roussel's Symphony #2 as the
greatest French symphony. If it weren't for Berlioz, I would say he has
a point. What else might contend (again, beyond Berlioz)? The popular
works of Saint-Saens and Franck, perhaos some of Magnard, what else?
It's a compelling work, albeit sometimes obsessive (here not a bad thing),
even better for me on second hearing.
Al Eisner

For me one can't get past the symphonies of Chausson in Bflat, or Bizet in C, or Honegger 3.

For sheer melodic invention, Bizet's Carmen and L'arlesienne suites sweep the board for me as far as the 19th century goes.

Ray Hall, Taree