Page 22 - BBC Music (January 2020)
P. 22
The full score
Meaningful voice:
singer Mercedes Sosa
inspires Elsa Dreisig
Stunning Strauss:
Norwegian soprano
Lise Davidsen
Orchestra. Another great piece
is called Fachwerk, which is for
bayan – a type of accordion – and
orchestra. It’s been recorded by
Geir Draugsvoll, a brilliant player.
Her music is so well written, and
I’m fascinated by its constant
connection to her spirituality. I
hope to be conducting a lot of her
music in the near future.
And also…
I’ve been travelling a lot recently,
and the book I have with me is by
a Portuguese author called José
Music to my ears Tolentino de Mendonca. He’s a
great poet and also a priest – he’s
just been made a cardinal. I don’t
know if his work is translated into
What the classical world has been listening to this month English so much, but he’s written
a few librettos for contemporary
pieces and he’s a fantastic artist.
Joana Carneiro Conductor has been recorded many times, CRITIC’S CHOICE Any poetry by him is very moving.
I’ve been listening to but I’m particularly fond of the Joana Carneiro conducts the
Alexandra Wilson
a very beautiful combination of mezzo-soprano BBC Symphony Orchestra at
As a Puccini scholar,
recording of Anne Sofie von Otter and bass- I hear an awful lot of Saffron Hall on 19 January
Richard Strauss’s baritone Thomas Quasthoff, with Toscas and La bohèmes.
Four Last Songs. It’s Claudio Abbado conducting. So I relished listening Kynan Walker Violinist
a new disc from Quasthoff is fantastic, of course, to Opera Rara’s release A friend recently
of his first opera, Le
Decca featuring the Norwegian Willis. Puccini is in lent me their copy of
soprano Lise Davidsen with the There is something supernatural vein here Bruch’s Octet,
Philharmonia, who premiered the but his trademark played by the Nash
work in the 1950s, and Esa-Pekka so pure about the way passionate style is Ensemble, and I’ve
Salonen conducting. Davidsen’s mezzo Anne Sofie von already discernible and been particularly
conveyed exuberantly
voice has this depth – as soon as by the LPO under enjoying the slow movement. For
you hear her, there’s something Otter sings ‘Urlicht’ Mark Elder, with me, this recording epitomises
very profound that connects with Ermonela Jaho as a chamber music – I love how the
you as a listener. She has deeply but there’s something so pure suitably vulnerable performers all play their own raw
jilted fiancée. I was
studied the text and that really about the way Von Otter sings, also enchanted by interpretations of the music but,
shows from the first note. There’s for example, ‘Urlicht’. It’s just a delicately etched through communicating with each
something very moving about it. wonderful music-making. Die Zauberflöte at other, then intertwine them. I was
There’s one recording that I Currently I’m listening to a lot Covent Garden, the blown away by the performance
always listen to constantly, and of Sofia Gubaidulina. I really sympathetic cast led and have been inspired to apply it
by Benjamin Hulett
it comes with me everywhere love her Violin Concerto, in the to my own playing.
as Tamino and Elsa
I go. It’s Mahler’s Des Knaben recording by Oleh Krysa and the Dreisig as Pamina. At the BBC Proms in the
Wunderhorn, which is a piece that Royal Stockholm Philharmonic summer, I went to see a concert
24 BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE
