Just as I’d begun to wonder if Ashkenazy has anything interesting to say about Mahler, this perfomance completely restored my confidence. It’s long been almost a truism to opine that no one will ever dislodge the Klemperer/Ludwig/Wunderlich recording, but this one yields to no one in its beauty and honesty. Both soloists are excellent. Stuart Skelton negotiates the orchestral tuttis of the first song (The Drinking Song of the Earth’s Sorrow) like a true heldentenor, seething with bitterness and contempt while never being swamped by the huge climaxes nor resorting to bluster or rant. In the second song, The Lonely One in Autumn, Lilli Paasikivi is perfect, conveying the sense of unhappy solitude while the orchestral accompaniment conveys a real autumnal chill. In Of Beauty her articulation and breath control during the manic so-called ‘horseback’ interlude are miraculous. In the wrong hands this passage… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The Art of Fugue is one of Bach’s most misunderstood works. As if all the other great Passions, Masses, instrumental suites, concertos and so on were not enough, Bach apparently set out in this work to demonstrate just what could be done with one of music’s great intellectual achievements, the fugue. There is the myth that he died while in the act of the composition of its last section: in fact he all but finished it some four years before his death, but always meant to go back to it. There is also the widely held misconception that it is a dry, academic work. It might be conceded that, if it is heard via one instrument only, or even by an unvarying ensemble of strings (say), then it might be somewhat challenging to follow its extraordinary complexity. If you feel any of those things, then this… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Looking for a new set of these remarkable works? A quick glance reveals there are over 30 sets of the Piano Concertos on the market at the moment, ranging from the historical (Schnabel and Kempff) to more contemporary recordings (Ashkenazy, Perahia, Brendel, Kissin and Barenboim). This new set from France is another take on these warhorses. Philippe Jordan states that he places the works at the core of his repertoire. They are well played and accompanied and there are no surprises. Simply good, sensitive Beethoven playing. Nor are these recordings overly reverberant, which is a blessing.The final movement of the Fifth is given a more lyrical treatment than usual. Quite often this section can turn into a piano bashing exercise, but Jordan treats it with welcome humour. The up-tempo section in the last movement of the First Concerto still makes one sit up. It is a delight,… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Mojca Erdmann is a young soprano from Hamburg, best known for her role in Simon Rattle’s Berlin recording of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges and as the soloist in Jonathan Nott’s performance of Mahler Four. In this, her first solo album, she seems perfectly matched to the Classical-period repertoire. Her smallish voice is flexible and pure-toned and she makes good use of vibrato for dramatic purposes, singing with great control, considerable beauty and an obvious awareness of character and dramatic context. The program consists mostly of Mozart’s lighter roles. She is a pert Zerlina, but less characterful as Susanna. Even so, she manages the legato winningly in Susanna’s aria Deh vieni, non tardar. She throws herself with gusto into Tiger! Wetze nur die Klauen from Zaide, capping the aria with a ringing top D, yet draws out the line of Pamina’s aria from The Magic Flute at a slow tempo to produce a poised and heartfelt interpretation. Erdmann also sings two… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

For the musicians of the Australian Art Orchestra, Crossing Roper Bar is a labour of love, an evolving project that began in 2005, when they first started collaborating with musicians from Ngukurr, in Arnhem Land. This recording features just six AAO members: Paul Grabowsky (piano), Tony Hicks (saxophones, flutes, clarinets), Erkki Veltheim (viola), Stephen Magnusson (guitar), Phillip Rex (bass) and Niko Schauble (drums). They perform alongside four members of the Young Wagilak Group: Benjamin Wilfred, Roy Wilfred, David Wilfred and Wesley Wilfred, who sing or chant, beat rhythms on clapsticks or play didgeridoos. There is a constant juxtaposition of ancient and modern sounds, traditional songs and improvised forays. The five pieces on the album make for a fascinating journey, with the AAO musicians setting the scene for the entry of the Wagilak group, then variously giving them space, or offering discreetly creative accompaniment before moving into bolder ensemble passages. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Since Fela Kuti’s death in 1997, his legend has spread far and wide. Enormously popular in his native Nigeria, he has been acknowledged as one of the greatest ever stars of African music. The musical Fela!, based on his life, is now playing on the stages of Broadway and London and his back catalogue is being re-released. This introductory compilation is an excellent edited choice of 13 powerful tracks. Known for his vibrant Afrobeat rhythms and his strident political messages, Fela Kuti’s voice will stay alive and unique. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

This Alexandre Desplat score was unfairly passed over for the Best Soundtrack gong at the Oscars.

In the 1990s Maria João Pires recorded all the Mozart keyboard sonatas for DG on a modern concert grand. She played with perfect balance and poise, and the sound was creamily beautiful, even in the allegros. I wouldn’t be without that set, but turn to Bezuidenhout and you’ll notice a more subtle and varied range of colours, especially at the dark end of the spectrum. The young South African pianist plays a copy of an Anton Walter fortepiano from 1802. He finds a burnished depth of tone in the middle register that really works for the plangent andante cantabile of the C major Sonata (K330). This reading is intimate and deeply felt: as much a tribute to Bezuidenhout’s focused, imaginative playing as it is to the tone of his instrument. Similarly, he launches into the finale with uninhibited joyfulness, the rasping accented bass notes delightfully brusque. He is equally deft at wringing emotion out of the chromatic turns of phrase… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

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