Thursday 17 December 2015

A French Hammerklavier

Paul Dukas : Piano sonata in E flat minor, Abel Decaux : Clairs de lune.

Performer : Marc-Andre Hamelin piano.

Some have called Dukas's piano sonata a French Hammerklavier, which it certainly is in length but also in scope and the demands it places on the pianist.

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Bach In Early Style

J.S.Bach : Actus Tragicus, cantatas BWV 4, 12, 106, 196.

Performers : Cantus Colln directed by Konrad Junghanel.

Both early and more mature Bach cantatas.


Tuesday 15 December 2015

Concertos a la Mode

Prokofiev piano concertos nos 1 and 3 . Scriabin miniatures.

Performer Evgeny Kissin piano, Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Claudio Abbado.

Prok 3 seems the young firebrands go to concerto these days and this was recorded by Kissin back when he was in the young firebrand bracket.

British Pastoral ( English and Scottish )

BBC Music magazine free cover disc.

George Butterworth : The Banks of green Willow, A Shropshire Lad Rhapsody, Two English Idylls.

Hamish MacCunn : Land of the Mountain and Flood, The Ship o' the Fiend.

Performers : BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra variously conducted by Andrew Manze, Osmo Vanska and Martyn Brabbins  and BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Keith Lockhart.

Caught One More time

Van Morrison : Astral Weeks

Nothing else remotely like it really, despite numerous borrowings to be found in the work of others. Nostalgic in 1968, nostalgia that only grows with the passing years and becomes more powerful.

Agnostic Take On Faith

Vaughan Williams : Sancta Civitas and Dona nobis pacem

Performers : London Symphony Orchestra and chorus, Choristers of St Paul's cathedral, Yvonne Kenny soprano, Bryn Terfel baritone, Philip Langridge tenor. Conducted by Richard Hickox.

Chorus master Stephen Westrop, orchestra leader Vasko Vassilev.

Similarities to VW's opera on Pilgrims Progress which was long in gestation.

Monday 14 December 2015

Later With Levit

Beethoven : The Late Sonatas

Performer : Igor Levit, piano.

Op 101, 106 ( Hammerklavier ), 109, 110, 111.

Massive early career confidence from Levit.

Deluxe Duo

Mendelssohn, Grieg, Hough cello sonatas.

Performers : Steven Isserlis cello, Stephen Hough piano

Strong advocacy for Grieg, Mendelssohn not in need of special pleading and Hough's sonata ( piano left hand only ) well worth hearing.

Friday 11 December 2015

Viola To The Fore

Maxim Rysanov plays Martinu.

Rhapsody concerto for viola and orchestra, works for viola and violin and sonata for viola and piano.

Performers : Maxim Rysanov viola, BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jiri Belohlavek, Alexander Sitkovetsky violin, Katya Apekisheva piano.

Fireworks

Mozart String Quartet no 15, Mendelssohn String Quartet No 2

Performers : Chiaroscuro Quartet

Quartet led by Alina Ibragimova as one of her many projects.

Thursday 10 December 2015

Mozart Live In London

Mozart Piano Sonatas Volume 3. Live at Wigmore Hall.

Performer : Christian Blackshaw piano.
Sonatas Nos 6, 12, 14, 16 and Fantasie in C Minor.

Very good current cycle of the sonatas on a concert grand.

Russia On The South Coast

Prokofiev symphonies nos 3 and 7

Performers ; Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kirill Karabits.

The BSO are a really fine outfit under Karabits ( if they were not before )