Page 92 - BBC Music (January 2020)
P. 92
Brief notes
Our monthly selection of shorter reviews has new works and forgotten gems
Babajanian • Tchaikovsky Franck Redemption Juris Karlsons Sacred Choral Flor Peeters Organ music
Piano Trios Flemish Radio Choir et al Works Latvian Radio Choir et al Roberto Marini (organ) Brilliant 95637
Yevgeny Sudbin (piano) et al BIS-2372 Musique en Wallonie MEW 1994 Ondine ODE 1342-2 Flor Peeters’s organ
Tchaikovsky’s Piano The music contains From quiet music doesn’t set
Trio can sometimes some longeurs, but contemplation to the world alight,
feel baggy, but the there are some lovely raw emotion, the but there are one or
intensity of sound, moments scattered representation of two gems lurking
emotion and purpose throughout Franck’s prayer lies at the here: Suite Modale, the Aria and the
turn this into a gripping, charged Berliozian oratorio. Playing and heart of this Latvian composer’s Toccata, Fugue and Hymn on Ave
performance. Arno Babajanian’s singing are top notch. (OC) HHHH Adoratio for choir and orchestra. Maris Stella. (OC) HHH
Trio is an excellent companion. (RF) It’s powerful stuff, passionately
HHHH Gesualdo Madrigali performed. (JP) HHHH Chang Ping
Exaudi Vocal Ensemble Oriental Wash Painting
JS Bach Magnificat Winter & Winter 9102592 Aaron Jay Kernis China National Symphony Orchestra
La Chapelle Harmonique et al This programme Flute Concerto etc Naxos 8.570627
Chateau de Versailles CVS009 of 19 remarkable Marina Piccinini et al Naxos 8.559830 If you’re looking
Splendidly alert, madrigals by the The 2015 Flute for gently ambient
life-affirming Italian composer, a Concerto is the chinoiserie, these
musicianship here, horrifying character headline work here four concertos are
particularly the with a lurid biography, is sung with (and it’s a cracker), the wrong place to
brass playing in the blazing intensity and total precision but the much earlier turn – Chang Ping’s style is often
opening minutes of the Magnificat by Exaudi. (RF) HHHHH Second Symphony (1991) leaves dramatic and hard-hitting, aided
and the thrilling final moments of the biggest impression, packing an by thrilling solo performances. (JP)
BWV 63. (OC) HHHH Gesualdo emotional punch. (MB) HHHH HHHH
Secondo Libro Di Madrigali
Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2 etc La Compagnia del Madrigale Magnard Symphonies Nos 3 and 4 Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky etc
Baibe Skride (violin) et al Orfeo C 950 191 Glossa GCD 922809 Freiburg Philharmonic Orchestra Utah Symphony Reference FR-735
Bartók’s Second The distinctive Naxos 8.574082 This knocked my
Violin Concerto timbres of individual The ghosts of Wagner socks off! Some of
is paired with two voices bring and Bruckner Prokofiev’s most
rhapsodies here, intimacy to La haunt the final thrilling music,
performed with real Compagnia del two symphonies of performed by
bite. Skride’s characterful playing Madrigale’s latest volume of Albéric Magnard, a massive orchestral and choral
is matched by the orchestra’s sturdy Gesualdo, which turns to the second French composer who pretty much forces in a sublime recording. (MB)
sound. (FP) HHHH book of madrigals. It’s sensitively spanned the late Romantic period. HHHHH
recorded. (RF) HHHH Vivid performances. (RF) HHH
Bon Six Flute Sonatas Rahbari My Mother Persia (Vol. 2)
Vladimir Soares (recorder) et al Karl Jenkins Miserere Marchand • Guilain Organ Works Mohammad Motamedi (tenor) et al
Drama Musica DRAMA007 Polyphony et al Decca 481 8580 David Ponsford (organ) Nimbus NI 6390 Naxos 8.574065
Eighteenth-century Jenkins’s vision of Played on a largely Eastern flavours
Italian composer peace and unity authentic French abound in Rahbari’s
Anna Bon has since in the Middle East organ, these symphonic tributes
disappeared into inspires a masterful collections of late to his Iranian
relative obscurity. blend of musical 17th- and early heritage which take
The young prodigy’s first set of styles and a typically sumptuous 18th-century Pièces d’orgue radiate influences from Rimsky-Korsakov
flute sonatas – performed here on soundworld. And what a line-up! a stately, often melancholy beauty. and Borodin among others. (OC)
recorder with purity and control Iestyn Davies captivates. (MB) Seek out Marchand’s Dialogues in HHH
– suggests that this is entirely HHHH particular. (OC) HHHH
undeserving. (FP) HHH Sibelius Kullervo
Lydia Kakabadse Moniuszko • Zarebski The Polytech Choir et al
John A Carollo Symphony No. 3 Choral and Vocal Works Chamber Works Ondine ODE 1338-5
LSO/Miran Vaupoti! Navona NV6250 Clare McCaldin (mezzo) et al Plawner Quintet CPO 555 124-2 The Finnish
There are Divine Art dda 25188 Juliusz Zarebski’s orchestra pays
invigorating Kakabadse’s Odyssey Piano Quintet homage to the great
moments of lyrical for choir and harp is immediately Finnish composer’s
drama in this work, wends its Homeric grabbing, a far bolder symphony, deeply
itself jam-packed way in pleasant if creation than the rooted in Finnish culture. A win
with themes and colourful ideas. not particularly nonetheless engaging pair of string all round. Despite a slightly muted
There’s some disconnect between memorable style. The songs for quartets by his Polish compatriot, start, the orchestra springs into
movements perhaps, but great mezzo and piano that follow are Stanis!aw Moniuszko. An enjoyable action when the voices join. (FP)
GETTY playing from the LSO. (MB) HHH more characterful. (JP) HHH album all round. (RF) HHHH HHH
94 BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE
