Aspects Of Cello

The latest BBC Music magazine cover disc. Another tie in with the cover interview.

Kabalevsky Cello Concerto No 2 ; Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kirill Karabits, soloist Steven Isserlis.

Mendelssohn Piano Trio No 1 ; Joshua Bell violin, Steven Isserlis cello, Denes Varjon piano.

Brahms Cello Sonata No 1 ; Steven Isserlis celo, Stephen Hough piano.

Anything But Juvenile

Mendelssohn : Double Concerto for Violin and Piano, Piano Concerto in A Minor.

Performers : Kristian Bezuidenhout, fortepiano. Gottfried von der Goltz violin and direction. Freiburger Barockorchester.

Juvenile Mendelssohn apparently but my ear is not sophicticated enough to detect anything other than splendid pieces expertly played.

That Plaintive Oboe Sound

Bach : Concertos and Sinfonias for Oboe.

Performers : Heinz Holliger, oboe. Camerata Bern directed by Erich Hobarth.

Bach and oboes, you can't really go wrong can you ?

Medieval Musings

A Song For Francesca : Music in Italy 1330 - 1430.

Performers : Gothic Voices with Andrew Lawrence-King medieval harp and directed by Christopher Page.

Pieces by Andreas De Florentia, Dufay, Giovanni Da Cascia, Grossin, Haucourt, Landini, Lantins and Loqueville.

When Is A Cycle Not A Cycle ?.......

.......when it is Schubert's Schwanengesang. Marketed as a swansong by publishers after his death but really only loosely connected.

Performers : Mark Padmore, tenor and Paul Lewis piano.

Two other pieces on the disc, Auf dem Strom with Richard Watkins on French horn and Die Sterne.

In Retrospect

Purcell : Twelve Sonatas in Three Parts

Performers : Retrospect Trio

Two violins and bass viol but here also given a restrained continuo accompaniment by Retrospect Ensemble leader Matthew Halls on harpsichord or organ.

Music For Magyars

A two disc set of orchestral music by Bartok, featuring The Wooden Prince Suite, Two Portraits, Music for strings, percussion and celesta and Divertimento for strings.

Performers : Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adam Fischer. Soloist on Two Portraits, Gerhart Hetzel, violin.

How Perception Can Change Over Forty Years !

A re-issue of the first two albums by Third Ear Band, Alchemy and Elements. Rather wonderful. I remember on maybe half a dozen occasions in 1968 / 69 seeing Third Ear Band as the opening act on a lazy sunny afternoon at a free concert or festival and treating them as a bit of a benign joke. But these discs stand up extremely well and in fact sound better with age. Unclassifiable free improv with world and early music elements blended in. So what if there is no guitar hero ! Joyful and deeply serious at the same time.

When In Rome, Use Better Recording Engineers !

The latest BBC Music magazine free disk. A tie in with the cover interview with the conductor.

Respighi : Roman Festivals; National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain conducted by Vasily Petrenko. A live recording from the 2009 Proms and causing some controversy on message boards because of the poor recording quality.

Prokofiev : Cinderella Suite No 1; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko and a much less muddy recording though still live.