Ashkenazy’s performance of Elgar’s Second was a blinder and a very exciting event. However, live performances do not always translate to equally successful recordings. Elgar’s Second never fully recovered from the expectations of the original audience. His First Symphony had been a great success and the flag-waving Brits of 1910 were up for more pomp and circumstance, especially coming only days after the death of Edward VII. Instead, Elgar gave them this remarkable, wonderful symphony, a much harder nut to crack than his first, with its broad, confident themes. Many experts, from composer George Lloyd onwards, have regarded the Second as the greatest English symphony ever written.Though this is an excellent recording of the work, it is somewhat brash and often lacks nuance. A reflection of Ashkenazy’s bull-in-a-china-shop approach to conducting, which can be very exciting in the concert hall, especially when the Sydney orchestra lets out all of its considerable stops. The benchmark recording of the work is that of Sir John Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra (EMI 50999 9 68924 2). Immediately you can hear the problem with the newer… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The Times of London said of the playing of Alison Balsom that “she makes the trumpet sing with an irresistible exuberance and eloquence”. I think that hits the nail squarely on the head. Her virtuosity is of quite a different order from that of, say, Sergei Nakariakov, whose blistering technique is something like watching a very accomplished acrobat. In Balsom’s case, it’s much more like listening to a very fine coloratura singer. This is especially evident in the slow movements of these fascinating concertos, where the trumpet really shines and sings with a lyricism rare for the instrument. This disc has a collection of the sort of music which really shows off Alison Balsom’s talents. The writing in many of these Baroque pieces is complex and high, but she takes it in her stride with polished ease. The one exception in the list of usual Baroque suspects (Tartini, Vivaldi, Marcello, Albinoni) is Domenico Cimarosa, who didn’t actually write the charming concerto included here. It was “assembled” by Australian composer Arthur Benjamin from themes from Cimarosa’s many operas. The adaptation is a great success,… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Ray Chen’s Sony Classical debut, Virtuoso, captures the unmistakable spark of brilliance in the 22-year-old’s command of showpieces.

Rachmaninov’s Symphony No 2 in E minor was written in 1906-7, after the composer had recovered from a bout of depression triggered by the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony. While he wrote significant works in between, the Second Symphony marks his full maturity as a master of the orchestra. This is not only the Rachmaninov of soaring, sequential string melodies but also of bouncing scherzos and piquant woodwinds. In particular, the slow movement requires a truly sensitive clarinettist. There have been several magnificent recordings of this symphony, starting with André Previn’s 1973 version (EMI). Previn’s approach was pliable and “capital R” Romantic. Pletnev (DG) was swift and articulate. Jansons (EMI) combined the best of both worlds, and Pappano does the same in this new live recording. As a leading opera conductor, Pappano knows precisely when to broaden the tempo, when to press forward, and how… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili has joined the ranks of Znaider, Ehnes, Hahn, Benedetti et al with this magnificent rendition of Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto – now virtually a calling card for every violin wizard. While any of David Oistrakh’s various versions of this work remain sans pareil (at least in interpretative terms) she’s still up against formidable competition. The kaleidoscopic combination of moods – ranging from the dark solemnity and emotional bleakness of the introduction to the exquisitely haunted lyricism of the passacaglia movement, to the manic, sardonic scherzo and final burlesque – clearly hold no terrors for her and her tempi, seemingly slower than usual, enhance the reading. Throughout, her playing radiates profound emotion. This is musicianship of a very high order. The other music on the CD is Giya Kancheli’s V and V for violin and taped voice with string orchestra, Shostakovich’s Lyrical Waltz from The Seven Dolls Suite arranged by her father, Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel (“Mirror in the Mirror”) and Rachmaninov’s Vocalise, all played with… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Led by Perth-based composer and arranger Johannes Luebbers, this dectet successfully straddles the jazz-classical divide. The album touches other forms such as rock and pop: Aaron Malone provides a soulful vocal cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, accompanied by nimble guitarist Simon Jeans. The title track is layer upon layer of richly bladed sectional coatings underneath exciting solos by altoist Ben Collins and pianist Chris Foster, bookended by a jaunty dialogue between piano, drums and bass. Just Ripe is a lavish theme given a post-modern bent featuring trumpeter Callum G’Froerer. Everything for Brod increases in lyrical intensity with an oboe intro from Steph Nicholls but soon swells in orchestral energy before retreating to woodwind and piano sobriety – only to explode once again, exemplifying the textural and dramatic qualities of Luebbers’ pen. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Wow. Just when you thought you knew all about Cuban music, along comes this steaming hot release to prove you wrong. If the incredibly spirited music of the Creole Choir is distinctly different from the Cuban dance music of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon, it’s for a good reason. Its ten members are descended from Haitians who were brought to Cuba as slaves in the 18th century. Those slaves’ ancestry accounts for the heavy African sound in both their drumming – the only instrumental accompaniment – and striking vocal melodies. If you also think you hear French and Spanish inflections in the vocals, it’s because the choir sing in Creole, a pot pourri of European, Caribbean and African tongues. These are extraordinarily fiery performances – enough to light up the sky on the darkest of days. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Fans of Fado might like to investigate Joana Amendoeira’s new disc Setimo Fado. As indicated, this is her seventh disc, but it’s only her second album to be released here. Fado’s nostalgic longings for love, life and distant shores are understood universally – across language and culture. In 17 short songs, with their traditional accompaniment of Portuguese guitar, bass and acoustic guitar (and touches of piano, accordion and cello), Joana Amendoeira sings directly from her heart. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

This is an outstanding new Australian release, a beautiful and moving disc. Liminal is somewhat reminiscent of the “holy minimalism” of Górecki and Tavener, recorded with clean resonance. Beneath the liquid surface, however, lies an undercurrent of just-contained fire. Nick Tsiavos is a very active Melbourne double bassist and composer; he’s one of those quiet achievers whose work you may have heard without knowing it. His music is a fusion of ancient Byzantine chant, European jazz, minimalism and the free-form exuberance of ’70s rock. The eight pieces here draw together two strands of his work. Earlier discs like Transference, recorded late at night in a giant incinerator, comprise rich yet understated solo improvisations. By contrast, his quintet Jouissance reinterprets medieval and renaissance music within a contemporary frame. The opening track here, Axion estin, sets the tone – resonant bells and long-stretched bass notes support Deborah Kayser’s ethereal voice. The Shaman Dances are… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Despite the received wisdom that his music is dry and academic, much of the material is energetic and convivial – even witty. The viola was his instrument and he composed seven sonatas for it, in addition to these pieces. The two neo-classical works, Konzertmusik Op 48 and Kammermusik No 5, are 20th-century takes on Handel’s Concerti Grossi and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti respectively and feature masterful orchestration – especially in the superlative woodwind writing and bustling outer movements – while affording ample scope for the viola’s exquisitely soulful qualities. His only fully fledged concerto for the viola was Der Schwanendreher (“The Swan Turner”). This is based on old German folksongs, played by an iterant fiddler (the viola soloist), in an attempt to evoke the spirit of a more innocent age; understandable, considering Germany’s increasingly bleak political climate (Hindemith was resolutely anti-Nazi). This is the… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

I was somewhat baffled by this CD. It’s clearly a promotional tool for Stuart & Sons Pianos on the new Leatham Music label, produced by Gregory Lewis and engineered by Trevor Doddridge in All Saints Anglican Church, Albury. Fair enough, but the title, Beauties and Beasts, becomes rather confusing. The inclusion of the four-handed arrangement of Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite is fine, especially since one movement is called Beauty and the Beast. The next piece, Part 1 of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, is understandable, although the abrupt, unresolved ending makes it more like a “bleeding chunk”. I was also reminded of Stravinsky’s remark that Karajan’s first interpretation of his Rite of Spring was a “pet savage, not a real one!” The second two works on the CD hardly reinforce the theme: Schubert’s Waltzes, Op 18A, radiate Biedemeier charm and Gemütlichkeit but are hardly… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

This distinguished performance of a much maligned work, more a symphonic cantata than a real symphony, will no doubt form another step in its rehabilitation, although it’s doubtful that Lobgesang “Hymn of Praise” will ever occupy the same exalted rank as the Scottish or Italian Symphonies. It was composed in 1840 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of printing with moveable type – it’s always intrigued me that the powers that be apparently saw fit to celebrate in religious terms the invention of what, in its time, must have caused as great an explosion of knowledge and information as the Internet and Google have done in ours. With at least one Anglican clergyman among my own ancestors, I’ve no wish to denigrate the Protestant religion, which was in itself a major liberating force in Western Europe, but with Mendelssohn everything often ends up sounding Lutheran. That said, this is an absolute cracker, as a performance, recording and interpretation. Märkl invests the opening movement with admirable vigour, as if determined to sweep away portentousness; the Adagio is also purged of etiolated Victorian piety (just!) The unusual combination of singers (two sopranos and a… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per…