Classical Music Recommendations
Editor: These all came from the Music Side Bar. Every so often I collate them to be preserved. Due to space limitations, no pics and small fonts.
CD
Two Great Recitals Amy Yang Like most UK Classical magazines, MusicwebInternational tends to over-praise, but if not for them I'd never have heard these two wonderful young pianists. Amy Yang is the better known but this is her first solo CD, and it is wonderful. I don't easily take to Schumann's piano music unless it is a great performance and it certainly is here. Beautifully done. Tony Chen Lin is very young and even more obscure. His album by coincidence has so much in common with Yang's. Both feature a Bach work and a major Schumann work. Both include new music. Lin's Bartok Sonata I also find lovely, especially the last movement. I like his way with Bach even more than than Yang's more opulent ways. Both of these discs require concentration on the part of the listener to appreciate the subtleties on offer. Both form a complete recital. Both can be streamed on Spotify.
Top Drawer Prokofiev I have heard and recommended many versions before, but this one still stuns me: 1) the totally appropriate gritty playing by the excellent violinist; 2) transcendental recording quality and a beautiful balance. Relished from the first to the last notes. Unbeatable. If you enjoy this, check out the equally outstanding Prokofiev Violin Sonatas by this same soloist.
What Flair! Biber Mystery Sonatas I am a great fan of Biber's Violin Music, and the Mystery Sonatas comprise his greatest achievements. This echt-dramatic performance is top drawer. I wanted to list it as "This Round's Pick" but refrained. Why? Because it is recorded in a quite reverberant acoustic that not all will like.
Editor: These all came from the Music Side Bar. Every so often I collate them to be preserved. Due to space limitations, no pics and small fonts.
CD
Two Great Recitals Amy Yang Like most UK Classical magazines, MusicwebInternational tends to over-praise, but if not for them I'd never have heard these two wonderful young pianists. Amy Yang is the better known but this is her first solo CD, and it is wonderful. I don't easily take to Schumann's piano music unless it is a great performance and it certainly is here. Beautifully done. Tony Chen Lin is very young and even more obscure. His album by coincidence has so much in common with Yang's. Both feature a Bach work and a major Schumann work. Both include new music. Lin's Bartok Sonata I also find lovely, especially the last movement. I like his way with Bach even more than than Yang's more opulent ways. Both of these discs require concentration on the part of the listener to appreciate the subtleties on offer. Both form a complete recital. Both can be streamed on Spotify.
Top Drawer Prokofiev I have heard and recommended many versions before, but this one still stuns me: 1) the totally appropriate gritty playing by the excellent violinist; 2) transcendental recording quality and a beautiful balance. Relished from the first to the last notes. Unbeatable. If you enjoy this, check out the equally outstanding Prokofiev Violin Sonatas by this same soloist.
What Flair! Biber Mystery Sonatas I am a great fan of Biber's Violin Music, and the Mystery Sonatas comprise his greatest achievements. This echt-dramatic performance is top drawer. I wanted to list it as "This Round's Pick" but refrained. Why? Because it is recorded in a quite reverberant acoustic that not all will like.
A Landmark Shostakovich Box from New Names Wonders never cease! I have heard so many cycles that it will take quite something to make me jump out of my seat. Yet the first disc in this box did precisely that. The conducting is sure and exciting, and different! And the orchestra plays with fantastic color that are missing from even top bands. Recordings are superb too! What's not to like? Exorbitant price for the CD set! Better listen on Spotify!
Tianwa Yang makes us Listen Anew This disc has smaller works in addition to better known ones like the Havanaise and Introduction and Rondo Cappricioso. The familar works sound utterly fresh. Delectable! If you like this, there is more on a companion Naxos disc!
Young Artist: Camille Thomas A couple of years ago I liked her recital on Fugera Libera and remembered the name. Imagine my surprise when I found out that she's recording for DG (good albums) but this earlier one is even better, with a beautiful Ysaye solo sonata, rarely heard. France has more than its share of excellent cellists. Usually they are bright toned and incisive, but Franco-Belgian Thomas is different, very smooth and rich toned. Great taste. Note that since 2019, she has been playing the famous Hubermann cello.
Young Artists: Esme Quartet These 4 young Korean ladies have everything, looks, technique...They have been friends since childhood and it shows in the blend. Adventurous program centered on a work by Korean composer Unsuk Chin, but the Beethoven is well done too.
The Great Monteverdi This is probably the crowning masterpiece of this master. This version has expressive, even majestic, singing and playing. Best listened to as you start your day. I was going to just sample a few tracks but ended up listening to a lot more.
Walton Symphony No. 1 This is an exciting early work of Walton. The benchmark has always been Andre Previn/LSO. This reading is very different but really excellent. Crank it up!
Suave Handel I have always liked Handel's Violin Sonatas. These are performed with both harpsichord and cello as continuo, which yields a fuller sound than some rivals. Stylish playing.
Juxtaposing the Old and the New Refreshingly different solo violin recital pitting 17th century works against modern ones. The violin sound is especially beautiful.
Berio Berio and Stockhausen are the modern composers that influenced rock musicians. Berio's Sinfonia is likely THE most iconic piece of modern music. Make sure you read the link for the Mahler context.
Weinberg from a hot new female conductor This is a challenging one. Weinberg, Shostakovich's friend, is less sardonic and more measured, and his symphonies require tremendous concentration to listen to. This issue has the best orchestras to do him justice, all under a dynamic conductor. The two here bracket Weinberg's life. The 21st is a hugely long work, and requires as much concentration as when listening to Mahler, Bruckner, but its language is not far from late Shostakovich (like my favorite, and enigmatic, N0.15). The conductor even does a vocalise in the last movement. Exceptional!
Poised Tchaikovsky from Rolston String Quartet Yet another new name delivers an incredibly blended sound in 2 Tchaikovsky masterpieces. The Andante Cantabile in the Quartet No. 1 is justly famous and lovely here. Wiki it to learn of how Tolstoy and Helen Keller reacted to it.
A Favorite Violinist Antje Weithaas is a violinist's violinist who sounds exactly the same in concert (I had the fortune of hearing her in Shenzhen). I streamed almost all of her albums and there is not a loser in the lot. This one has an unusual coupling and both works were performed wonderfully.
Lean and mean period style Mozart I find these performances of the last 2 symphonies very exciting!
It Takes New Names to Tango Piazolla All the musicians are new to me, yet the performances are dynamite, much better than Gidon Kremer's recordings (he popularized Piazolla among classical lovers but I always thought he didn't have that primal emergy). Recording is appropriately up close. Piazolla's Seasons contain quotes of Vivaldi, and Schnittke's piece quotes Mozart and Haydn. This is not my favorite Piazolla piece but when done so well it is immensely satisfying. These musicians shall be on my radar from now on. Read the link for more info.
Transfigured Isabelle Faust Schoenberg's Transfigured Night here is its sextet version, and played beautifully by the star-studded lineup. But what is REALLY transfigured here is the notoriously difficult and acerbic, even aseptic, violin concerto. It is still challenging listening, but there is great beauty in it. Best recording I have ever heard and a sonic spectacular.
Symphonie Fantastique! A period instrument version of Berlioz' masterpiece. Exciting, as always from Les Siecles under Xavier-Roth. There is another good period version by Immerseel on Zig Zag. If you like this performance, you may want to investigate the same forces' Harold in Italy, my next favorite Berlioz work. Magnificent sound, as usual from this label.
Young Artist: Camille Thomas A couple of years ago I liked her recital on Fugera Libera and remembered the name. Imagine my surprise when I found out that she's recording for DG (good albums) but this earlier one is even better, with a beautiful Ysaye solo sonata, rarely heard. France has more than its share of excellent cellists. Usually they are bright toned and incisive, but Franco-Belgian Thomas is different, very smooth and rich toned. Great taste. Note that since 2019, she has been playing the famous Hubermann cello.
Young Artists: Esme Quartet These 4 young Korean ladies have everything, looks, technique...They have been friends since childhood and it shows in the blend. Adventurous program centered on a work by Korean composer Unsuk Chin, but the Beethoven is well done too.
The Great Monteverdi This is probably the crowning masterpiece of this master. This version has expressive, even majestic, singing and playing. Best listened to as you start your day. I was going to just sample a few tracks but ended up listening to a lot more.
Walton Symphony No. 1 This is an exciting early work of Walton. The benchmark has always been Andre Previn/LSO. This reading is very different but really excellent. Crank it up!
Suave Handel I have always liked Handel's Violin Sonatas. These are performed with both harpsichord and cello as continuo, which yields a fuller sound than some rivals. Stylish playing.
Juxtaposing the Old and the New Refreshingly different solo violin recital pitting 17th century works against modern ones. The violin sound is especially beautiful.
Berio Berio and Stockhausen are the modern composers that influenced rock musicians. Berio's Sinfonia is likely THE most iconic piece of modern music. Make sure you read the link for the Mahler context.
Weinberg from a hot new female conductor This is a challenging one. Weinberg, Shostakovich's friend, is less sardonic and more measured, and his symphonies require tremendous concentration to listen to. This issue has the best orchestras to do him justice, all under a dynamic conductor. The two here bracket Weinberg's life. The 21st is a hugely long work, and requires as much concentration as when listening to Mahler, Bruckner, but its language is not far from late Shostakovich (like my favorite, and enigmatic, N0.15). The conductor even does a vocalise in the last movement. Exceptional!
Poised Tchaikovsky from Rolston String Quartet Yet another new name delivers an incredibly blended sound in 2 Tchaikovsky masterpieces. The Andante Cantabile in the Quartet No. 1 is justly famous and lovely here. Wiki it to learn of how Tolstoy and Helen Keller reacted to it.
A Favorite Violinist Antje Weithaas is a violinist's violinist who sounds exactly the same in concert (I had the fortune of hearing her in Shenzhen). I streamed almost all of her albums and there is not a loser in the lot. This one has an unusual coupling and both works were performed wonderfully.
Lean and mean period style Mozart I find these performances of the last 2 symphonies very exciting!
The Indefatigable Meredith Monk Everyone knows Thelonious but to New Yorkers there is another Monk, Meredith that is. She has been a fixture of NY's Avant Garde for Decades. Her music is minimalist, vocal oriented and incorporates speech and improvisations, frequently in multimedia presentations. Bang on A Can is of course NYC's (and the Nation's) Foremost New Music Ensemble. Refreshingly different. This is on Spotify too.
Two by Vasks What is it with these Baltic States? They produce excellent musicians and composers like Arvo Part and Peteris Vasks. Sample these 2 Vasks discs to see if you like this style. The Violin Concerto is often recorded and on the same label you can find a very recent SACD version by Vadim Gluzman, but somehow I like this one more. Thoroughly committed performances. And this disc presents Vasks' chamber works, quite unlike classical works, but equally entrancing.
Undersung Masterpiece When Suk was writing the Asrael Sympony, his wife, Dvorak's daughter and her father both died. The grief is written on the page and is extremely moving to me. Regrettably, this is rarely played in concert. If you like this one, sample the equally powerful one by Flor and the Malaysian Philharmonic on a splendid BIS SACD (I have recommended that one before).
Cello Bonbons Just like the linked review, I was surprised by the quality of the playing and sound. This cellist was member of the famous Arditti Quartet, who played almost exclusively modern music. Hard to imagine him playing these chestnuts but hearing is believing.
A Spectacular Debut The young violinist is now concertmaster of the great Staatskapelle Berlin. These 2 works are not quite mainstream but they receive definitive performances here that elevate their status. The orchestral contribution is sterling.
More New Names in two less travailed Violin Concertos This is brand new on NML, and there is not a single review. The Stravinsky is a personal favorite, and I have heard the Corigliano before (orignated from his film score). Refreshing and taut performances that were just perfect with my cup of coffee! Excellent sound
Less Known Shostakovich I have long loved Shostakovich's Film Music. But this issue is different in that it is played by a chamber orchestra with great incisiveness. Exciting and in excellent sound. Make sure you read the review.
Symphonie Fantastique! A period instrument version of Berlioz' masterpiece. Exciting, as always from Les Siecles under Xavier-Roth. There is another good period version by Immerseel on Zig Zag. If you like this performance, you may want to investigate the same forces' Harold in Italy, my next favorite Berlioz work. Magnificent sound, as usual from this label.
Mozart's Most Popular The two concertos are Mozart's most popular and often played works. The pianism of Bavouzet is fresh, as one can expect of this excellent artist. Icing on the cake is the thoroughly engaged conducting of and orchestral support. It should be noted the conductor is a founding member of the renowned quartet that bears his name.
Great Bach from Concerto Italiano They are one of the best baroque music groups and every one of their recordings are worth hearing. Actually I like their Brandenburg Concertos even better, but they are out of print, though you can download or stream.
More Joyous Bach from unsung forces When I was younger I listened to a lot of Bach Cantatas. Somehow as audio grew that was lost. But I just streamed this one and it was joyful from start to finish.
Chiaroscuro from Volodos That's the word one critic (click link) used aptly to describe the incredible pianism of Volodos. Old-timers like I will find the reading of one of Schubert's greatest works wayward, but there's no denying the pianism. Make sure you are focused and not doing anything else when listening. Better at night!
Brahms String Quartets and Piano Quintet This issue by my favorite Belcea Quartet outshines even the Emerson I wrote about not so long ago. My top choice now of these very difficult works (I mean the string quartets; the piano quintet is more easily assimilated) that I am growing more and more fond of.
Dvorak American Quartet and Quintet There is nothing like a top Czech quartet playing music they own, and so it proves here with the top-notch Skampa Quartet. Resplendent sound that is superior to the also good Pavel Haas Quartet on Supraphon. This goes to the top.
Martinu Violin Concerto No. 2 I am a great Martinu fan, and have heard most of the Supraphon and Hyperion series, but this one, by one of my favorite violinists, Isabelle Faust, goes to the top. The coupled works are just as delightful.
Bach on the Piano Finally I get to catch up with the excellent pianist Rafal Blechacz's earlier Bach album, which is so clear and good, even better than his Chopin!
Bach Viola da Gamba Sonatas I love the rich sound of the Gamba here. The playing of Marianne Muller and Francoise Lengelle are fluid and time flies by easily.
Light over Darkness When it comes to expressing grief, few can equal Shostakovich, except perhaps Schnittke. This CD pairs the mournful Piano Quintet with an elegiac piece by Kancheli in electrifying performances by the Lutoslawski Quartet and pianist Erato Alakiozidou. See also below for Shostakovich's counterpart.
Shostakovich Piano Quintet and Quartet No. 3 A great Piano Quintet played with rarefied feelings, with a great coupling. Belcea Quartet strikes again.
Shostakovich Trios and Viola Sonata Surprisingly ardent performances, especially of the early First Trio. Excellent playing by all, but the subtle violin playing of Philharmonia concertmaster Visontay deserves special mention.
Art of the Fugue (for String Quartet) This long piece is one of my favorite Bach, and I prefer it in non-keyboard string/chamber version. My benchmark has always been the starkly magnificent Musica Antiqua Koln, but the Delian Quartet's more dancing version is just as good, and most people will likely prefer the less sombre view. Excellent and a new standard for string quartet versions!
Lyrical Schubert Trio No. 2 Previously I have heard the Trio Wanderer in many German works and I found them fluid but lacking a little in gravitas. Not so in Schubert, where they have the perfect blend of lyricism and feelings. Sample the transcendental slow movement of the Op. 100. The E Flat Trio is hard to get right and has eluded many more famous ensembles, and somewhat less popular than its predecessor, the Op. 99, B Flat.
Debussy and Poulenc Cello Music The elusive Debussy Cello Sonata and the even less played Poulenc cello works receive definitive treatments by the excellent cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras. Superb sound and the many technical effects on the cello are likely to please the audiophile.
Bach Goldberg Variations (for String Quartet) This masterful arrangement by the Quartet Ardeo is utterly beguilingly played, much more vibrant than the better known Sitkovetsky string trio arrangement. This shoots to the top.
SACD
Elfa Run Kristinsdottir I LOVE the cover art, but even more the playing of yet another young violinist. This is done at breakneck speed but I don't feel breathless! Note that only the double violin concert is one for the violin, the other 2 are better known as harpsichord concertos, but you would not know it when listening. The good thing is if you have the regular 3 concertos, there would not be too much duplication. Catch up with her equally excellent solo Bach on Spotify!
Grieg and Sibelius Quartets are not as mainstream as Beethoven and Shostakovich, but they are special and here performed beautifully by this Norwegian group previously unknown to me. If you like it, their Mozart and Schumann Albums are equally accomplished
Saariaho Ever since I first heard her electronic music, I have followed this iconic composer. Here is a wonderful compilation, better than any ECM new age stuff (a few of her works are available on that label too). This is hip.
The Power of Youth Mendelssohn's Octet, a youthful work, is one of a kind and this performance is sheer exhilaration. The coupling though may not be to everyone's liking.
Fresh Mozart Many established violinists fail to make Mozart flow, but this young lady sure did! The orchestra is wonderful too.
Czech Master Ever since I heard him live with the NYPO I became a Jacub Hrusa fan. His sensitivity is amazing. Now the director of the magnificent but undersung Bamberg Symphony, he is recording for TUDOR. This Smetana is excellent, so are all the other Dvorak releases. Great sound, as usual for this label.
Three from Honeck I have never been really impressed by Reference Recordings, sonically or artistically. Now, at least, they have the fantastic Pittsburgh Symphony under the charismatic Manfred Honeck, who can do no wrong. His Tcahikovsky 4th is a non-hysterical but exciting version of this frenetic work. Ditto the Bruckner 9th. This is my favorite Bruckner Symphony. To me the adagio is the most graphic depiction of the struggles with death and acceptance. My benchmark is the Schuricht/VPO on EMI, but this one shoots to the top along with Abbado/Lucerne on DG. And then this Shostakovich 5th sounds fresh, and that is a miracle for me! This work is so over-programmed that I do not want to hear it in concert! Splendid!
Sensational Dvorak Symphonies 7-9 from Unusual Forces Flor honed the Malaysian Philharmonic into an excellent ensemble. I started with the 9th, then the 8th and 7th. All are excellent and in superb sound, as is usual with this label. You can't go wrong with all three. In fact I urge you to listen to them all. This is from some time back; too bad that country's cultural and political landscape had narrowed. If interested read about what happened to the orchestra by googling for the wiki entry.
St Matthew's Passion An excellent version of the monumental work from Suzuki and Bach Collegium Japan. Unlike many others, it doesn't bog you down. I listened straight through!
Another Goldberg! Fabulous String Trio version to rival my favorite quartet version (Quatour Ardeo). Playing of Zimmermann is just fabulous.
Forgotten Composer Losy is a composer completely new to me. Played by a master lutenist, it is a luxury! Play it while you read the morning news while having coffee! Guaranteed satisfaction.
Prokofiev Violin Concertos Vadim Gluzman has made many good discs for BIS, and these fluid performances from the soloist and orchestra are no exception. Splendid sound, which does the ex-Auer Strad justice.
Historical Recording
Heifetz Live I am very happy I found Music and Arts on NML. This is one of the best Historical Recording Labels around. These Heifetz Concerto recordings are exciting.
Clifford Curzon and Amadeus Quartet Many of the BBC Legends are not quite that, but this one most certainly is. Perfect and in fine sound.
Grieg and Sibelius Quartets are not as mainstream as Beethoven and Shostakovich, but they are special and here performed beautifully by this Norwegian group previously unknown to me. If you like it, their Mozart and Schumann Albums are equally accomplished
Saariaho Ever since I first heard her electronic music, I have followed this iconic composer. Here is a wonderful compilation, better than any ECM new age stuff (a few of her works are available on that label too). This is hip.
The Power of Youth Mendelssohn's Octet, a youthful work, is one of a kind and this performance is sheer exhilaration. The coupling though may not be to everyone's liking.
Fresh Mozart Many established violinists fail to make Mozart flow, but this young lady sure did! The orchestra is wonderful too.
Czech Master Ever since I heard him live with the NYPO I became a Jacub Hrusa fan. His sensitivity is amazing. Now the director of the magnificent but undersung Bamberg Symphony, he is recording for TUDOR. This Smetana is excellent, so are all the other Dvorak releases. Great sound, as usual for this label.
Three from Honeck I have never been really impressed by Reference Recordings, sonically or artistically. Now, at least, they have the fantastic Pittsburgh Symphony under the charismatic Manfred Honeck, who can do no wrong. His Tcahikovsky 4th is a non-hysterical but exciting version of this frenetic work. Ditto the Bruckner 9th. This is my favorite Bruckner Symphony. To me the adagio is the most graphic depiction of the struggles with death and acceptance. My benchmark is the Schuricht/VPO on EMI, but this one shoots to the top along with Abbado/Lucerne on DG. And then this Shostakovich 5th sounds fresh, and that is a miracle for me! This work is so over-programmed that I do not want to hear it in concert! Splendid!
Sensational Dvorak Symphonies 7-9 from Unusual Forces Flor honed the Malaysian Philharmonic into an excellent ensemble. I started with the 9th, then the 8th and 7th. All are excellent and in superb sound, as is usual with this label. You can't go wrong with all three. In fact I urge you to listen to them all. This is from some time back; too bad that country's cultural and political landscape had narrowed. If interested read about what happened to the orchestra by googling for the wiki entry.
St Matthew's Passion An excellent version of the monumental work from Suzuki and Bach Collegium Japan. Unlike many others, it doesn't bog you down. I listened straight through!
Another Goldberg! Fabulous String Trio version to rival my favorite quartet version (Quatour Ardeo). Playing of Zimmermann is just fabulous.
Forgotten Composer Losy is a composer completely new to me. Played by a master lutenist, it is a luxury! Play it while you read the morning news while having coffee! Guaranteed satisfaction.
Prokofiev Violin Concertos Vadim Gluzman has made many good discs for BIS, and these fluid performances from the soloist and orchestra are no exception. Splendid sound, which does the ex-Auer Strad justice.
Historical Recording
Heifetz Live I am very happy I found Music and Arts on NML. This is one of the best Historical Recording Labels around. These Heifetz Concerto recordings are exciting.
Clifford Curzon and Amadeus Quartet Many of the BBC Legends are not quite that, but this one most certainly is. Perfect and in fine sound.
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