Benjamin Britten Centenary

BBC Music magazine gets in early for the Britten centenary year with the free cover disc featuring his War Requiem. Murphy's Law for me since I only recently purchased another recording of the piece and would not have bothered had I known this was upcoming. This is a perectly respectable performance of the work by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Paragon Ensemble, Edinburgh Festival Chorus and National Youth Choir of Scotland conducted by Ilan Volkov and Garry Walker. A live recording from the Edinburgh Festival, the soloists are Olga Guryakova soprano, Mark Padmore tenor and Christian Gerhaher baritone.

Suk It And See

Josef Suk A Summer's Tale, Prague. Symphonic poems for large orchestra. Performers : BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jiri Belohlavek Wonderful orchestral showpieces.

Poland Asserts Itself

Lutoslawski Orchestral Works III Mala Suite, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Grave for cello and string orchestra, Symphony No 2 Performers : Paul Watkins cello, BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Edward Gardner Getting the attention the music deserves as a centenary approaches.

Oriental Meets Pastoral

Paul Patterson Phoenix, Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto, Howells Sonata for Oboe and Piano ( arranged for oboe and string orchestra by Benjamin Wallfisch ) Performers : Emily Pailthorpe oboe, English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Wallfisch Eastern influences for the Patterson, expansive Englishness from VW and Howells.

It's His Forte

Mozart Piano Concertos Nos 17 and 22 plus Rondo in A major Performers Kristian Bezuidenhout piano, Freiburger Barockorchester directed by Petra Mullejans Fortepiano performance and period ensemble playing at the top of the range.

Romance Of Its' Time

Reger : Eine Romantische Suite, Bocklin-Suite, Eine Ballet-Suite Performers : SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg conducted by Hans Zender The ballet suite is perhaps a bit of a routine affair but the other two suites are excellent late romantic tone poems to rate with Strauss.

Psalm Like It Baroque

Heinrich Schutz : Psalmen Davids Performers : Cantus Colln, Concerto Paladino, directed by Konrad Junghanel Double cd set of the complete psalm settings by Schutz. On the cusp between Renaissance and Baroque.

What key Is It ?

Terry Riley, In C. Performers : Terry Riley with Members of the Centre of the Creative and Performing Arts in the State University of New York at Buffalo. Pioneering minimalism in the form it was premiered, though performance practice has evolved and varied since this time.

Time Removes The Edge

The New Tristano : Lennie Tristano piano. Like Monk, looked upon as a bit of an off kilter maverick back in the day but now it does not seem especially radical but simply superbly realised improvisatory jazz.

Ding dong

The free disc with the Christmas edition of BBC Music magazine. Silent Night, Christmas Choral Music. Performers : Laudibus conducted by Robert Isaacs. Not as saccharine as last year's offering but still veering a bit too close to that for my taste. Maybe next year they can take a more leftfield approach to Christmas music.

Anatomy Of Melancholy

Severn Meadows : Songs By Ivor Gurney Performers : Paul Agnew tenor, Julius Drake piano. One has to be in a certain mood to sit through the entire recital. Maybe best sampled in smaller chunks or mix 'n' matched with another composer.

Not Unduly Christmassy

The latest edition of BBC Music magazine has an organ recital as the free cover disc. Messaien : La Nativite du Seigneur Hakim : Le Tombeau d'Olivier Messaien Performer : Naji Hakim organ. Played on the organ of Messiaen's church where Hakim was his successor, Church of La Trinite Paris.

A Very Personal Requiem

Howells : Hymnus Paradisi Performers : BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Richard Hickox, chorus master Stephen Jackson. Joan Rodgers soprano, Anthony Rolfe Johnson tenor Purchased after seeing this piece performed at this years BBC Proms. Disc also contains A Kent Yeoman's Wooing Song with the same forces apart from Alan Opie baritone instead of Anthony Rolfe Johnson.

Across The 20th Century Piano Spectrum

Stravinsky : Three Movements From Petrushka Prokofiev : Piano Sonata No 7 Webern : Variations for Piano Boulez : Second Sonata for Piano Performer : Maurizio Pollini piano.

Off The Beaten Clarinet Track

Francaix : Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra ; Theme and Variations for Clarinet and String Orchestra. Prokofiev : Sonata Op 94 ( originally for flute and piano, transcribed for clarinet and orchestra by Kent Kennan ) Performers : Shirley Brill, clarinet. National Radio Orchestra of Romania conducted by Adrian Morar. The Prokofiev transcription works especially well.

Cavalier Airs

William Lawes : Consorts to the Organ. Performers : Phantasm with Daniel Hyde organ. Seven sets of fantasies, airs and dances with a maverick edge.

It's A Gas, Gas, Gas

Artistically, the worst thing to happen to Rod Stewart was Maggie May being such a massive worldwide hit, which led to entry into the then fledgling tabloid celeb scene and a descent into crowd and record company pleasing middle of the road lowest common denominator mediocrity. And laughing all the way to the bank ! But lest it be forgot, for a short spell the Faces were a stonking rock band and his early solo career showed surprising sensitivity and understated musicality which is best represented on Gasoline Alley, one of those essential albums and one to best represent his career.

Discovering Martin

Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Frank Martin Violin Concerto. Performers: Baiba Skride violin, BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Thierry Fischer Orchestral fillers : Honegger Pacific 231 and Rugby and Stravinsky Circus Polka. The Martin is the real discovery.

Sound Of Dresden

A disc by violinist Johannes Pramsohler leading the International Baroque Players of violin concertos from Dresden associated in some way with the figure of Pisendel. Works included are by Fasch, Heinichen, Handel, Telemann and Pisendel himself. I saw this ensemble in concert at St John's Smith Square presenting a very similar programme and enjoy this disc, which is only marred slightly by an over bright and metallic recorded sound with very abrupt fades to black at the end of each movement.

A Rolls Royce Of An Orchestra

As part of the celebration of the centenary of the birth of Sir Georg Solti, the latest BBC Music magazine free cover disc features the World Orchestra for Peace which he founded. The works featured are Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra and Rossini's William Tell Overture, both conducted by Solti, and Stravinsky's Petrushka conducted by his successor Valery Gergiev. A Rolls Royce of an orchestra and in markedly better sound than most of these BBC Music discs.

Requiem For The 20th Century

Britten : War Requiem Performers : London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Choir of Eltham College. Sabina Cvilak soprano, Ian Bostridge tenor, Simon Keenlyside baritone. Consucted by Gianandrea Noseda. Not a piece for everyday listening but a masterpiece, powerful and humane but on a human scale using large forces sparingly.

Celebrating The Piano

Vintage recordings by pianist Claudio Arrau on the latest BBC Music magazine free cover disc, presumably to tie in with Radio 3's piano season. Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata and Les Adieux Sonata plus Schumann's Carnaval. All of which I have on other recordings but as time goes on the frequency with which the magazine cover disc features works new to me is likely to decrease.

Classically Civilised

Haydn : Symphonies Nos 76, 77, 78 Performers : The Hanover Band directed by Roy Goodman Relatively early period instrument recording of Haydn but fine sound and playing.

Bohemian... No I Won't Say It !

Dvorak : Piano Quintet, piano quartet. Performers : Schubert Ensemble. Chamber music making out of the top drawer.

A Left Field Take On English Pastoral

Saltash Bells : John Surman soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones, bass and contra bass clarinets, harmonica , synthesizer. Mostly very fine, only occasionally veering a bit too close to ambient and only occasionally the synth tinklings sounding a bit dated.

A World In A Grain Of Sand

The English Song Series 22. Britten : Songs and Proverbs of William Blake, Tit for Tat, Folk Songs. Performers : Roderick Williams baritone, Iain Burnside piano.

Is it All Pastoral ?

British Clarinet Sonatas Volume 1. Performers : Michael Collins clarinet and Michael McHale piano. Sonatas by Ireland, Stanford, Bliss, Bax and Howells. Pre WW1 to post WW2 development.

An English Shostakovich ?

Malcolm Arnold Symphonies 5 and 6. Performers : London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Hickox. Encouraged to buy this by the recent BBC Music cover disc of the 1st symphony, am inclined to think of Arnold as an English Shostakovich.

Mass In Summation

J S Bach : Mass in B Minor. Performers : Collegium Vocale Gent directed bu Philippe Herreweghe. Soloists : Dorothee Mields soprano, Hana Blazokove soprano, Damien Guillon countertenor, Thomas Hobbs tenor, Peter Kooij bass. Sublime.

Galway Girl

Steve Earle : Transcendental Blues. A good solid Steve Earle album, made essential for those who know the city by the bay for the inclusion of the town's national anthem, Galway Girl. A few exotic pschedelic Indian touches alongside the expected bluegrass / country / rock mix and some powerful songs.

20th Anniversary Fanfare

BBC Music magazine 20th anniversary issue free cover disc. Featuring a specially commissioned fanfare by Mark-Anthony Turnage which also began the Prom season on the first night but otherwise nothing obviously celebratory. Turnage : Canon Fever : BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Gourlay Dvorak : Carnival Overture : BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michal Dworzynski Dvorak : Symphony No 9 : BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Donald Runnicles

Man Sings With Friends

J.S. Bach : Cantatas Vol. 50 Cantatas From Leipzig 1726-29. BWV 149, 145, 174, 49. Performers : Bach Collegium Japan directed by Masaaki Suzuki. Hana Blazikova soprano, Robin Blaze counter-tenor, Gerd Turk tenor, Peter Kooij bass. Superb sound recording of wonderful performances.

Gothic Voices

Leonin and Perotin : Sacred Music from Notre-Dame Cathedral. Tonus Peregrinus Atmospheric plainchant and beyond. Not totally authentic since a mixed choir is used but true to the spirit of the music.

He's Not So Scary

Schoenberg : Pelleas und Melisande, Symphonic Poem for Orchestra. Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Matthias Bamert Schoenberg : Piano Concerto. Danish National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Schonwandt. Amalie Malling, piano.

Award Winning Piano

Schumann : Humoresque, Studies For The Pedal Piano, Morning Songs. Piotr Anderszewski, piano. Won BBC Music magazines disc of the year award for 2011. Highly subjective of course but a fine record regardless if it is due that accolade.

Spanish Impressionism

Turina Chamber Music : The Nash Ensemble Piano Quartet in A minor, Violin Sonata No 2, Escena Andaluza for viola and piano quintet, Piano Trio No 1 and La Oracion del Torero for string quintet. Spanish flavours give a twist to early 20th century impressionism.

Recovering A Lost Symphony

E. J. Moeran : Sketches for Symphony No 2 realised and completed by Martin Yates. Performers : Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Martin Yates. I don't know how much is Moeran but Yates has done a fine job in compiling a very worthwhile addition to the mid - 20th century English symphonic repertoire. The fillers on the disk fall a bit too close to the light music genre for my taste, Moeran's Overture for a Festival as orchestrated by Rodney Newton and John Ireland's Sarnia : An island sequence for orchestra.

Another Composer Overdue A Re-assessment

This month's free cover disc from BBC Music magazine is a 60th anniversary celebration of the BBC Concert Orchestra. A bit of a jack of all trades work horse orchestra, it can play well given the opportunity. A lot of the work is with very light material and that is shown here with Coates's The Three Elizabeth's Suite, conducted by Barry Wordsworth and by J Strauss II's Tritsch - Tratsch Polka and Enescu's Romanian Rhapsody No 1 conducted by Johannes Wildner. I could happily never hear these again but the most substantial piece on the disc in terms of length and content is admirable, Arnold's First Symphony conducted by Keith Lockhart. Another composer overdue a re-assessment.

Not Only An Opera Composer

Massenet : Scenes Dramatiques, Scenes de feerie, Scenes Alsaciennes, Scenes Pittoresques, Don Quichotte Interludes, Le Dernier Sommeil de la Vierge. Orchestre National de L'Opera de Monte Carlo conducted by John Eliot Gardner. Known for his operas but colourful orchestral suites.

Rach Tracks

The Proms edition of BBC Music magazine but no obvious Proms tie in with the free cover disc. Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 2 : Barry Douglas piano, Ulster Orchestra conducted by Michal Dworzynski Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances : BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Olari Elts

Venice's Finest

Vivaldi : Sacred Works for Soprano and Concertos Performers : Florilegium. Elin Manahan Thomas soprano. Pretty classy stuff.

Fragrance Of The Night

De Falla : Nights in the Gardens of Spain. Performers : Javier Perianes piano. BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Josep Pons Plus, the rest of De Falla's solo piano music played by Javier Perianes. homages to Debussy, Dukas and Rubinstein plus regional Spanish pieces and dance styles.

Core Clarinet Repertoire

Carl Maria von Weber : Concertante Works for Clarinet and Horn. Performers : City of London Sinfonia with Michael Collins clarinet / Conductor. Stephen Stirling horn. Both of Weber's clarinet concertos, which are the core material of the disc. Also a worthwhile concertino for clarinet and a more disposable one for horn.

Reassessment Year For Delius

The current free cover disc from BBC Music magazine is another of those anniversary tie ins. One of "this year's" composers is Delius. Sea Drift : Thomas Hampson baritone, BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, The Bach Choir, Conducted by Richard Hickox from a 2004 prom concert. Piano Concerto : Benno Moiseiwitsch piano, BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent from a vintage 1955 prom concert. Poem of Life and Love : BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Vernon Handley.

Timeless And Evocative

G.I. Gurdjieff Sacred Hymns : Performer, Keith Jarrett piano. Contemplative and mystical music but with enough depth and outbursts of passion to keep it well above a mere chill out session.

Home Thoughts From Abroad

Hugh Masekela : Home Is Where The Music Is From 1972 when the removal of the Apartheid regime in South Africa looked an impossiblity. Hugh Masekela exiled in the US, Dudu Phukwana in London. They join forces on this fine album recorded in London and remixed in LA. African blues influenced jazz grooves before world music was coined as a term. Supporting Masekela's flugelhorn and Phukwana's alto sax is an exemplary rhythm section of Larry Willis piano, Makhaya Ntshoko drums and Eddie Gomez bass. Originally a double vinyl album, it now makes a nicely filled cd.

They Were Better Than This

The Yardbirds : The Ultimate Collection. Er, no not really. Two out of three ain't bad but this Yardbirds compilation doesn't do the band justice. There are good tracks but nothing from the Roger The Engineer album and nothing from the death throes of the band with Jimmy Page. Instead there are some feeble demos from very, very early days before even Clapton joined. Still, cheap enough and two thirds of the two disc set is ok.

Come On Children

Small Faces : Ultimate Collection Another two disc set that includes just about everything one would expect. And a little bit of a revelation concerning how good a band the original Small Faces were and what a great vocalist Steve Marriot was. Still underrated.

Out Of My Brain On A Train

The Who : The Ultimate Collection. Not a misnomer, hard to think of anything essential that is not included on this two disc set. A couple of fillers from much later in the band's career but most of it out of the very top drawer of rock / pop music. First of a trilogy of purchases to accompany the earlier Kinks set and indulge in a little 1960s London nostalgia fest. Crawdaddy, Marquee, Ricky Tick, Flamingo etc etc.

Cavalier Approach

Latest off the conveyor belt of free BBC Music magazine free cover discs. Strauss : Scenes from Der Rosenkavalier. Performers : BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra cinducted by Donald Runnicles. Twyla Robinson soprano, Marschallin. Lucy Crowe soprano, Sophie. Daniela Sindram mezzo-soprano, Octavian. Not my usual listening fare but not as difficult a listen as I had suspected.

Percy's Progress

The Grainger Edition Volume 8, Works For Wind Orchestra 2. Performers : Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra ; Conductors Timothy Reynish or Clark Rundell, James Gilchrist tenor on Bell Piece. Some pieces stray close to light music, others are truly excellent, Hill Song and The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart.

Colourful

Arthur Bliss A Colour Symphony; The Enchantress; Cello Concerto Performers : Ulster Orchestra conducted by Vernon Handley. Linda Finnie mezzo-soprano in The Enchantress, Raphael Wallfisch cello in the concerto.

Plebeian Music

Una Musea Plebea Performers : Lucidarium and traditional poets from Tuscany and Corsica. Everyday music from Renaissance Italy, madrigals and instrumental pieces interspersed with recitations from the improvisatory poet tradition of the peninsula and islands. A Late Junction inspired special !

Soaring Top Line

No particular tie ins with anniversaries or radio schedules in this month's offering from BBC Music with the free cover disc.

Byrd and Tallis Sacred Choral Music.

Performers : The Cardinall's Musick directed by Andrew Carwood.

An Under Appreciated Genre

The English Song Series 15 : Finzi

Performers; Roderick Williams baritone. Accompanied by Iain Burnside piano on Earth and Air and Rain and To a Poet and by the Sacconi Quartet on By Footpath and Stile. Williams has a feel for the often under appreciated genre, Burnside always brings out fine detail in his accompanimemnts and the Sacconi's strings do all that is required of them expertly.

Soul Of A Nation

Lorcan MacMathuna : Rogaire Dubh

Song in the Irish sean nos tradition. The other side of traditional Irish music from the craic or the sentimental. The soul of the nation kept alive in contemporary times.

Dues Fully Paid Up

Blues of the Month Club : Joe Louis Walker.

Along with Robert Cray, Joe Louis Walker was the great hope for keeping the blues alive and relevant in the 80's and 90's. It's a little melancholy now to think that these two are elder statesmen themselves and there is not much sign of a further generation picking up the baton. But this album from 1995 shows him to be at the very top of his game.

You Can See What Miles Saw In Him

Ahmad Jamal Trio : Complete Live at the Pershing Lounge 1958. Despite initial superficial appearances, this is so much more than cocktail bar jazz played live in a fifties cocktail bar ! Piano jazz trio at the very top of its game with musical intelligence and experimentation placed ahead of flashy virtousity but all the technique you can shake a stick at.

So Let Us Not Talk Falsely Now

Filling in a conspicuous gap in the collection, Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding. Brother album to Blood On The Tracks maybe ?

Going Bump In The Night

Completing the mini J Geils Band splurge with the remaining essential album that wasn't in that 5 cd collection. Nightmares...and other tales from the vinyl jungle. Not vinyl any more of course, digitally remastered etc etc.

Get Him, Got Him ?, Good

Get Carter - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Roy Budd.

Great movie, fabulous theme which is the main selling point of the disc, irresistable bass riff, atmospheric harpsichord and sparkling electric piano underpinned by tablas. Otherwise a few dated throwaway pop songs and some Ramsey Lewis / Jimmy Smith inspired instrumentals but judiciously chosen dialogue extracts keep the plot moving.

Colossal

Saxophone Colossus : Sonny Rollins. Seeing Sonny Rollins birthday concert celebrations on tv, I was inspired to add another disc to my collection, particularly wanting a performance of his signature piece St Thomas. There may in fact be better recordings of that work than on Saxophone Colossus but this is a worthwhile two cd set compiling three late fifties vinyl albums. As well as Saxophone Colossus, the other two albums are Newk's Time and Tenor Madness which is boosted by the appearance on the title track of John Coltrane. Other sidemen are Tomy Flanagan, Wynton Kelly and Red Garland as the pianists, Doug Watkins and Paul Chambers as bassists and drummers Max Roach and Philly Joe Jones.

The Party Goes On

Original Album Series : J Geils Band. A bargain issue with the band's first five albums; The J Geils Band, The Morning After,"Live" Full House, Bloodshot and Ladies Invited. A shame that they are remembered in popular consciousness for one later novelty hit, for this was the greatest blues / rock good time party band in the world. Hugely charismatic front man Peter Wolf, one man horn section and harmonica pyrotechnic Magic Dick, keyboard and songwriting skills from Seth Justman and a powerhouse rhythm section, all held together by the underrated guitar of J Geils, an exponent of the "less is more" school of lead playing.

Journey's End

At the end of next month, BBC Radio 3 is having one of its periodical composer marathons and the beneficiary this time is Schubert. So the free BBC Music magazine cover disc is a tie in with a performance of Winterreise from New Generation scheme artist baritone Henk Neven, accompanied by pianist Hans Eijsackers.

She Ain't Heavy, She's His Sister

Sibelius : Kullervo

Performers : London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus conducted by Sir Colin Davis. Peter Mattei, baritone, Monica Groop, mezzo-soprano.

Split Personality

Peter Warlock : The Curlew, Capriol, Serenade, Songs for tenor and string quartet

Performers : John Mark Ainsley, tenor. The Nash Ensemble.

Heseletine or Warlock ? It wasn't just pop and movie stars that changed their name.

It's All Greek To The French Baroque

Monteclair Cantates a Voix Seule

Performers : Emma Kirkby, soprano. London Baroque.

Short pacey cantatas on classical Greek themes from the French baroque.

Jumping Johann Fasch And It's A Gas

Johann Friedrich Fasch : Concertos for various instruments.

Performers: Il Gardellino. Baroque concertos for trumpet, flute, bassoon, oboe, strings, timpani in different combinations.

Improvisations On Ancient Tradition

Colla Voche : Ernst Reijseger, cello. Tenore e Cuncordu de Orosei, Sardinian vocal ensemble.

Mix of improv, folk and traditional. A lot of plucked cello ala a jazz double bass. Unique vocal tradition from Sardinia. Elements of throat singing, at other times strangely reminiscent of native American chanting and even South African vocal styles.

Arab, Flamenco, Fado Fusion

Arco Iris by Amina Alaoui. Showing the roots of Arabic Al-Andalus in flamenco and fado. Some tracks fusions of these influences, others straight examples.

Going For A Walk

Wanderer : Songs by Schumann, Killmayer and Mahler.

Schumann songs arranged for small ensemble by Marcus Maria Reissenberger
Killmayer four songs from Holderlin-Lieder ll
Mahler arrangements for small ensemble by Schonberg of Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen

Performers : Christoph Pregardien, tenor. Ensemble Kontraste.

Wheel Of Fortune

Saturnine by Jackie Oates. New folk, sincere and committed. Vocals, fiddle, piano, hurdy gurdy, guitar, accordion, double bass, mandolin, bazouki, viola da gamba. harmonium and hand bells all figure at some point in the arrangements.

He's A Martyr To It

The first composer anniversary related free cover disc from BBC Music magazine in 2012. Debussy's The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.

Performers : BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales conducted by Thierry Fischer with Irene Jacob narrator, Elizabeth Atherton soprano, Jennifer Johnston and Tove Dahlberg mezzo sopranos.