Streaming Classical Music (22-3): A Potpourri
Revised 3/3/2022. A bit of expansion here and there, and a citation.
Editor: 1) I want to thank Musicweb-International, a webzine that I have long recommended and promoted, for their uninterrupted service during the pandemic. They seem to have less reviews of mainstream stuff now but the large number of reviews on new music is always interesting, if not generally recommendable (especially to audiophiles). I also use it often as a jumping platform to explore performers who are new to me. Keep up the good work! 2) for those with NML, another excellent way to discover albums is by perusing the New & News section (left column, under Home). I do it every Friday so as not to duplicate efforts. I have discovered many interesting albums and old favorites this way.
Chopin Issues always come at a fast pace. DG had recently released fine recordings by Jan Lisiecki and Seong-Jin Cho, but they pale in "individuality" next to the highly eccentric Ivo Pogorelich (Sony). Is that good or bad? You should answer your own question. For me, Pogorelich’s funereal tempo works at most half of the time. Nocturnes are somnolent, but the intrinsically graver Fantasy in Fm and Sonata Bm work better. I shall give it more tries, as to me it’s a lot better than his last Sony Beethoven and Rachmaninov album. Pogorelich is always controversial, but so be it. Come to think of it, Sony has a penchant for signing on pianists who greatly distort the text. Think of Volodos, though he can be astonishing, but Khatia Buniatishvili? Just wilful populism that goes nowhere musically. Pogorelich? He is inching in the latter's direction.
Historical Treasures For those who like fine sound, the great Igor Markevitch has finally received his due. DG has issued its edition, whereas his Philips Legacy now appears in a Decca box. There is nothing that this composer cum conductor does not do well. One can start with his Tchaikovsky, still tops. In lesser mono sound (though not bad at all) Dimitri Mitropoulos and Arthur Rodzinski (Sony) have finally received their dues. If you do not always need the best sound, you should sample some of these 2 legendary conductors' work. But my nominations for the finest releases in this department go to, first, the Beethoven Piano Concertos by Rudolf Serkin and Raphael Kubelik (Orfeo). Serkin was in his 70’s, yet these live accounts convey true collaboration, where the musicians breathe as one. Incredible and what concertos should sound like but rarely do! Now my top recommendation (sound is excellent). Second, due to the death of Fou Ts’ong (sadly from Covid), his long neglected Columbia (Sony; fine sound) and Westminster recordings have been revived. His Chopin, particularly the mazurkas, have long been legendary among connoisseurs, but his Mozart can be equally disarming (EMI, Westminster/DG and Polish recordings, all in fine sound). For those interested, in his later life he recorded much great music for the UK Meridian label (all oop, though can be streamed).
Bruckner Andris Nelsons and the great Leipzig Gewandhaus have finished their Bruckner cycle with the 1st and 5th. This offering is one of the better ones in the series, which overall is disappointing (my life concert experiences of Nelsons have been lukewarm too, particularly a flaccid BSO/Mahler 5th). DG’s recordings are good but not in the top echelon. But what is more lacking is majesty, which a good Bruckner performance must have. It is curious that for such a great orchestra, there have only been 2 complete cycles. The one that towers way above the Nelsons is Herbert Blomstedt (Querstand, oop; available on Chinese Bilibili, likely also youtube). Then there is the one by almost totally forgotten Kurt Masur, a hero of East Germany around the time the Wall came down (the cycle is equally uneven but RCA/Sony should re-issue it - even in CD form it once was the cheapest Bruckner cycle ever). The recent Nelsons album that is a surprise is the Gubaidulina album (DG), which is excellent. I have followed this great composer for decades, and this is a good one. Thielemann and Poschner Two other cycles are ongoing. So far I have not been too thrilled by either VPO/Christian Thielemann (Sony) nor Bruckner Orchestra Linz/Markus Poschner (Capriccio). Regarding the latter, the most recent No. 0 Die Nullte, is actually quite good. Regarding the excellent Linz orchestra it's just really unfortunate that their excellent old cycle conducted mostly by Kurt Eichorn and with contributions from Martin Sieghart (Japanese Camerata) is very expensive and hard to find. As for transcriptions for Organs (which I always follow) I somehow could not get into the Hansjorg Albrecht ongoing cycle (Oehms), but maybe later major works will change my mind (I hope).
Brahms I likely play Brahms Symphonies even more than Bruckner, for the simple reason that they are shorter. Not many recent cycles thrill me, not the Nelsons, nor the Ticciati. But I was pleasantly surprised by Christoph Eschenbach’s latest one, with the Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra (Berlin Classics), for the beautiful sound of the orchestra. Grant you, Eschenbach is a veteran and first recorded a decent cycle with the Houston (Virgin), but the playing cannot hold a candle to this one in terms of idiom and sensitivity. Thumbs up, Berlin has so many good orchestras (and the current BPO ranks last imho)! Another good one, coupled with an excellent MacMillan piece, is the highly charged Symphony 4 by Pittsburgh/Honeck (RR), but my heart (as of now) belongs to Eschenbach, who has been otherwise hugely inconsistent on records and in concert in my experience! Piano Concerto 1 I am a sucker for the piano concerti. I was really surprised that Geoffroy Couteau’s account with the hitherto unknown (to me) Lorraine National Orchestra under David Reiland provided sympathetic support (La Dolce Vita). Surprisingly decent! Yet not so, as Couteau was 2005 International Brahms Competition winner and had recorded the composer’s chamber music in an extensive and well reviewed series for the same label. Also, the standard of regional orchestras throughout Europe are just astonishing; often they are more interesting than bigger names.
Berlioz After an excellent /Vaughn Williams Symphonies (LSO Live) release, Antonio Pappano, a personal fav, produced this excellent Requiem with the great Concertgebouw (RCO Live). He has made many a splendid discs with his highly colorful Santa Cecilia Orchestra (the best in Italy now), in repertoire one doesn’t always associate with Italian orchestras, including a wonderful Rachmaninov Symphony 2 (EMI/Warner). Speaking of lesser orchestras, it has always been my conviction that under a great conductor they can transform themselves. This is why I follow conductors rather than orchestras. You only have to see that the BPO produced nothing much memorable under Abbado and Rattle to understand. The VPO fares not much better, though their playing has retained a wholesomeness whereas the BPO had unfortunately not. In case of Italy, one only needs to hear the wonderful Mozart and Beethoven recordings made by Peter Maag with the unsung Padova e del Veneto Orchestra (ARTS). Incidentally on this label there is one of the best Beethoven piano concerto cycle, with Galina Vracheva and the Kiev Chamber Orchestra under Roman Kofman. It hurts to imagine that some of the male instrumentalists may be toting guns now rather than their instruments (Ed: the day after I published this article, I read in the SCMP about Ukranian musicians in Korea returning to take up arms)! What courage, what patriotism and, most of all, what a tragedy! We better get back to Berlioz: another excellent recording is Les Nuits d'Ete with the perennial Pasdeloup Orchestra under Wolfgang Dorner (Gramola). Stephanie d'Oustrac is the excellent soloist. This interpretation has plenty of atmosphere and a luxuriant texture, which more often than not is missing in rival accounts.
Tchaikovsky Out of the blue, we have a really solid cycle. Very few cycles are successful, particularly when it comes to the earlier (and weaker) symphonies. Most famous conductors in concert only do 4-6. I have long followed Paavo Jarvi, who is almost an antithesis of his father Neeme, preferring to go after details than the broad strokes. His recent cycle with the Tonhalle Zurich (Alpha; excellent sonics) is highly refreshing. Each one pays dividends. Some of the best Tchaikovsky I have heard in a long time. Come to think of it, his several Bruckner recordings with the Frankfurt SO, which were good, have been out of the circulation (RCA/Warner). Incidentally, a little known good Bruckner recording by the Zurich forces is by the great Rudolf Kempe (now on SOMM; I have the original BASF LPs)
Heinz Rogner I have long sung praises of this solid conductor in Bruckner (with his Berlin Radio Symphony; Brilliant Classics). MDR Klassik has just released an excellent set of live recordings with the MDR Symphony (Genuin), and it is solid music making. But, most surprising of all is his recording of Mahler 3, also with the Berlin Radio Symphony (Eterna) - this is a long symphony but it is so good that I have played it a few times and this version now shares top honor with my long time favorite Horenstein/LSO (hard to source now; Originally on Unicorn LP and CD; also Nonesuch LP; once contained in a cheap Brilliant Classics Mahler complete symphonies black box, all oop; now on expensive Pristine Classical).
Shostakovich Just as Teodor Currentzis put the Siberian MusicaAeterna on the map, Dimitry Liss had done the same for the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra. Their latest recording is a very good Symphony 15th (Fuga Libera). The playing is intensely colorful, an absolute wonder, though perhaps a little mystery is missing - this symphony should feel like something is fading... Otherwise, there have been little of note on the symphony front (Noseda/LSO continue to bore). Liss/Ural concerto recordings with the volatile Boris Berezovsky (Mirare) are also well known. In any case, I urge you to stream everything the Liss/Ural do. Liss also records with the Phil Zuidnederland (Fuga Libera) but this Dutch orchestra, though very good, does not have the color of the Ural forces (I hope Liss changes them in due time). The music making (Tchaikovsky Symphony 4, Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique and Shostakovich Symphony 10) is highly satisfying, but the recordings are a little bass heavy in a swimmy acoustics, OK but not as good as the Ural recordings on the same label.
A Little Baroque Bach Keyboardist Jorg Halubek has directed his Il Gusto Barocco in a very solid set of Brandenburg Concertos (Berlin Classics), which have served me many mornings. Leclair This composer imho is hard to serve. No matter in the old days (3 appeal to me in baroque, Arthur Grumiaux, Ida Haendel and Lola Bobesco) or now (HIP) not too many recordings are memorable. In the Violin Sonatas David Plantier and Les Plaisirs du Parnasse (Ricercar; a good label for baroque chamber music) did a very good job (on the smooth side). His Duo Tartini has recorded some good works of, of course, Tartini (Muso). But for even more flair, listen to the Leclair Violin Concertos played by Leila Schayegh and the La Cetra Baroque Orchestra Basel (Glossa). For excellent Telemann playing, Stream his Overtures played by the Orfeo Baroque Orchestra led by Carin van Heerden (CPO series). Pristine recorder playing, with excellent dance quality in orchestral support.
Music with Organ (and Trumpet) Gambist Romina Lischka and organist Marni de Cat gives us a very pleasant disc of Bach (Ramee). Lischka also directs the Hathor Consort, which has given us (and I have praised it before) a ravishingly beautiful Biber Requiem on the same label. This label is very interesting for its coverage of obscure baroque composers and use of many historic organs. For more conventional Bach music, I was surprised by Norwegian organist Kare Nordstoga’s Toccata, Preludes and Fugues (LAWO). The thrice familiar D Minor (BWV565) sounds less “majestic” but more organic and dynamically miraculously scaled to me. Bravo! This album is just one of many on the label. Even more surprising is his partner Tine Thing Helseth in Magical Memories of Trumpet and Organ. What a find! Trumpet and Organ music are not uncommon, and certainly not a new thing. Decades ago I had enjoyed the albums Maurice Andre recorded with Marie-Clair Alain (Erato). These two were giants of their instruments; while I have many organists I like as much, to me Andre has never been surpassed in classical trumpet. Neither Hakan Hardenberger nor Alison Balsom measure up to Andre’s humanity. Whatever he plays (from Bach to Jolivet) one listens with a smile. Imagine my surprise when I get the same feeling with Helseth!!! On the said album, the warmth of the playing is utterly beguiling. I just played this one album all morning. It showcases the trumpeter’s personal favorites and has mixture of traditional and classical stuff. Included is Mouret’s Fanfare and of course that brings back memory of all the transcendental Masterpiece Theatre stuff I watched! Younger readers, accustomed to streaming on demand, will not understand the earnestness we older generations wait for our favorite shows on TV. When Mouret sounds, I know there’s at least 40 minutes of gripping stuff to watch (like Brideshead Revisited and Jewel in the Crown). Ah! Well, back to Helseth, she’s certainly no Tiny Thing, but a giant of the trumpet! I understand she dapples in other genres, which I’d be eager to hear (Ed: I just found out there is quite a bit on Kuwo, which I shall try out)! This is the kind of trumpet album even our friend Vivek will enjoy (he famously said: "...I now realise that I like jazz artists who don’t hit higher notes often..." LOL), Incidentally, organ recordings are proliferating at a fast pace and there are so many excellent organists around. For another version of Bach’s Toccatas and Fugues (which are among his best works), Elena Privalova (Quartz) is highly satisfying. As an aside, Messiaen was a great organist and composer. One outstanding recent release features 3 pivotal works played brilliantly by the great Bavarian RSO under the always dependable Kent Nagano.
Berlioz After an excellent /Vaughn Williams Symphonies (LSO Live) release, Antonio Pappano, a personal fav, produced this excellent Requiem with the great Concertgebouw (RCO Live). He has made many a splendid discs with his highly colorful Santa Cecilia Orchestra (the best in Italy now), in repertoire one doesn’t always associate with Italian orchestras, including a wonderful Rachmaninov Symphony 2 (EMI/Warner). Speaking of lesser orchestras, it has always been my conviction that under a great conductor they can transform themselves. This is why I follow conductors rather than orchestras. You only have to see that the BPO produced nothing much memorable under Abbado and Rattle to understand. The VPO fares not much better, though their playing has retained a wholesomeness whereas the BPO had unfortunately not. In case of Italy, one only needs to hear the wonderful Mozart and Beethoven recordings made by Peter Maag with the unsung Padova e del Veneto Orchestra (ARTS). Incidentally on this label there is one of the best Beethoven piano concerto cycle, with Galina Vracheva and the Kiev Chamber Orchestra under Roman Kofman. It hurts to imagine that some of the male instrumentalists may be toting guns now rather than their instruments (Ed: the day after I published this article, I read in the SCMP about Ukranian musicians in Korea returning to take up arms)! What courage, what patriotism and, most of all, what a tragedy! We better get back to Berlioz: another excellent recording is Les Nuits d'Ete with the perennial Pasdeloup Orchestra under Wolfgang Dorner (Gramola). Stephanie d'Oustrac is the excellent soloist. This interpretation has plenty of atmosphere and a luxuriant texture, which more often than not is missing in rival accounts.
Tchaikovsky Out of the blue, we have a really solid cycle. Very few cycles are successful, particularly when it comes to the earlier (and weaker) symphonies. Most famous conductors in concert only do 4-6. I have long followed Paavo Jarvi, who is almost an antithesis of his father Neeme, preferring to go after details than the broad strokes. His recent cycle with the Tonhalle Zurich (Alpha; excellent sonics) is highly refreshing. Each one pays dividends. Some of the best Tchaikovsky I have heard in a long time. Come to think of it, his several Bruckner recordings with the Frankfurt SO, which were good, have been out of the circulation (RCA/Warner). Incidentally, a little known good Bruckner recording by the Zurich forces is by the great Rudolf Kempe (now on SOMM; I have the original BASF LPs)
Shostakovich Just as Teodor Currentzis put the Siberian MusicaAeterna on the map, Dimitry Liss had done the same for the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra. Their latest recording is a very good Symphony 15th (Fuga Libera). The playing is intensely colorful, an absolute wonder, though perhaps a little mystery is missing - this symphony should feel like something is fading... Otherwise, there have been little of note on the symphony front (Noseda/LSO continue to bore). Liss/Ural concerto recordings with the volatile Boris Berezovsky (Mirare) are also well known. In any case, I urge you to stream everything the Liss/Ural do. Liss also records with the Phil Zuidnederland (Fuga Libera) but this Dutch orchestra, though very good, does not have the color of the Ural forces (I hope Liss changes them in due time). The music making (Tchaikovsky Symphony 4, Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique and Shostakovich Symphony 10) is highly satisfying, but the recordings are a little bass heavy in a swimmy acoustics, OK but not as good as the Ural recordings on the same label.
A Little Baroque Bach Keyboardist Jorg Halubek has directed his Il Gusto Barocco in a very solid set of Brandenburg Concertos (Berlin Classics), which have served me many mornings. Leclair This composer imho is hard to serve. No matter in the old days (3 appeal to me in baroque, Arthur Grumiaux, Ida Haendel and Lola Bobesco) or now (HIP) not too many recordings are memorable. In the Violin Sonatas David Plantier and Les Plaisirs du Parnasse (Ricercar; a good label for baroque chamber music) did a very good job (on the smooth side). His Duo Tartini has recorded some good works of, of course, Tartini (Muso). But for even more flair, listen to the Leclair Violin Concertos played by Leila Schayegh and the La Cetra Baroque Orchestra Basel (Glossa). For excellent Telemann playing, Stream his Overtures played by the Orfeo Baroque Orchestra led by Carin van Heerden (CPO series). Pristine recorder playing, with excellent dance quality in orchestral support.
Music with Organ (and Trumpet) Gambist Romina Lischka and organist Marni de Cat gives us a very pleasant disc of Bach (Ramee). Lischka also directs the Hathor Consort, which has given us (and I have praised it before) a ravishingly beautiful Biber Requiem on the same label. This label is very interesting for its coverage of obscure baroque composers and use of many historic organs. For more conventional Bach music, I was surprised by Norwegian organist Kare Nordstoga’s Toccata, Preludes and Fugues (LAWO). The thrice familiar D Minor (BWV565) sounds less “majestic” but more organic and dynamically miraculously scaled to me. Bravo! This album is just one of many on the label. Even more surprising is his partner Tine Thing Helseth in Magical Memories of Trumpet and Organ. What a find! Trumpet and Organ music are not uncommon, and certainly not a new thing. Decades ago I had enjoyed the albums Maurice Andre recorded with Marie-Clair Alain (Erato). These two were giants of their instruments; while I have many organists I like as much, to me Andre has never been surpassed in classical trumpet. Neither Hakan Hardenberger nor Alison Balsom measure up to Andre’s humanity. Whatever he plays (from Bach to Jolivet) one listens with a smile. Imagine my surprise when I get the same feeling with Helseth!!! On the said album, the warmth of the playing is utterly beguiling. I just played this one album all morning. It showcases the trumpeter’s personal favorites and has mixture of traditional and classical stuff. Included is Mouret’s Fanfare and of course that brings back memory of all the transcendental Masterpiece Theatre stuff I watched! Younger readers, accustomed to streaming on demand, will not understand the earnestness we older generations wait for our favorite shows on TV. When Mouret sounds, I know there’s at least 40 minutes of gripping stuff to watch (like Brideshead Revisited and Jewel in the Crown). Ah! Well, back to Helseth, she’s certainly no Tiny Thing, but a giant of the trumpet! I understand she dapples in other genres, which I’d be eager to hear (Ed: I just found out there is quite a bit on Kuwo, which I shall try out)! This is the kind of trumpet album even our friend Vivek will enjoy (he famously said: "...I now realise that I like jazz artists who don’t hit higher notes often..." LOL), Incidentally, organ recordings are proliferating at a fast pace and there are so many excellent organists around. For another version of Bach’s Toccatas and Fugues (which are among his best works), Elena Privalova (Quartz) is highly satisfying. As an aside, Messiaen was a great organist and composer. One outstanding recent release features 3 pivotal works played brilliantly by the great Bavarian RSO under the always dependable Kent Nagano.
Mozart I knew of it a couple of months ago, but finally Elisabeth Leonskaja’s Complete Piano Sonatas (Warner) become available on NML! An event! Readers of my Classical Columns know that I regard her as a Goddess, and she does not fail to impress and excite here! This cycle goes to the top of my list - only Reine Gianoli (oop and this lady deserves a compilation!) can come close to the total command here. Natural, fulfilling, nourishing, as always, yet one comes away with new discoveries and details heard. A surprisingly pleasant issue is the Elblag Chamber Orchestra under Marek Mos (DUX), where violinist K Nowotczynska and cellist M Zdunik play a superb Sinfonia Concertante and 3 duos for Violin and Viola *arranged for Cello). Now, the former is one of my favorite pieces, on par with Bach’s Double Violin Concerto. This is as good as it gets, and the Symphony 29 is very good too. Just as I love Russian musicians, their Polish counterparts often impress too!
More Accordion Contemporary Blaszewicz’s Sonata and Double Concerto music for Violin (K Mikolajczyk) and Accordion (I Jedynecki) with the Silesian PO under MJ Blaszczyk (Dux) is a complete winner. It sounds fresh and challenging. Now to Ksenjia Sidorova, whom DG markets as a “crossover” artist. But her earlier recital albums (Champs Hill) are much more rigorous and impressive, featuring modern composers such as Berio and Schnittke. Equally good is her Piazzolla album (Alpha). There is some passion there, ironically missing in many people who promote the composer (like Kremer and the vast Dutch bastion, including Isabelle Van Keulen). The younger and more heart-on-sleeve classical generation is more equipped to tackle Piazzolla (outstanding examples are Katherine Hunka/Irish Chamber O (Orchid) and Karen Gomyo (BIS), both of whom I have previously highly praised). Here, may I remind you to play the master’s own recordings so as you’d not forget how the music should go. There is a huge amount out there (of variable sonic merit) which you should explore. I’d just like to recommend some late works, such as The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night and Zero Night (Nonesuch).
More Transcriptions I am a fan of transcriptions, and spend much time listening to them, especially piano ones. One of the most curious one lately is Hummel’s transcriptions of Mozart Piano Concerto 24 and Beethoven Symphony 1, scored for the unusual combination of piano, flute, violin and cello, well performed by keyboardist Aurelia Visovan and Friends (Ricercar). Visovan is 2019 winner of the Musica Antiqua Competition Brugge (fortepiano) and here plays a Graf. She can also be heard as harpsicordist in Ligeti's riotous Hugarian Rock on an unusual album that pays tribute to keyboardist Gordon Murray and his harpsicord collection, Harpsifly (Gramola). The interesting albums features 5 keyboardists and 5 replicas of famous instruments, and you will be surprised how different they sound. And if you haven't heard Ligeti's harpsicord music, you MUST! When it comes to Beethoven symphony transcriptions, even big names Ax, Ma and Kavakos have recorded an enjoyable 2 and 5 in more conventional Piano Trio (Sony). Back to Mozart, don’t miss the series of Lachner transcriptions of the Mozart Piano Concertos, beautifully performed by pianist Alon Goldstein and the venerable Fine Arts Quartet (Naxos). The latest DG issue of Principal Harpist of the estimable Bavarian RSO Magdalena Hoffmann Nightscapes is also surprisingly excellent. I have grown impatient of DG's current way of recording young artist in miniatures, but this one proves a good surprise.
More Accordion Contemporary Blaszewicz’s Sonata and Double Concerto music for Violin (K Mikolajczyk) and Accordion (I Jedynecki) with the Silesian PO under MJ Blaszczyk (Dux) is a complete winner. It sounds fresh and challenging. Now to Ksenjia Sidorova, whom DG markets as a “crossover” artist. But her earlier recital albums (Champs Hill) are much more rigorous and impressive, featuring modern composers such as Berio and Schnittke. Equally good is her Piazzolla album (Alpha). There is some passion there, ironically missing in many people who promote the composer (like Kremer and the vast Dutch bastion, including Isabelle Van Keulen). The younger and more heart-on-sleeve classical generation is more equipped to tackle Piazzolla (outstanding examples are Katherine Hunka/Irish Chamber O (Orchid) and Karen Gomyo (BIS), both of whom I have previously highly praised). Here, may I remind you to play the master’s own recordings so as you’d not forget how the music should go. There is a huge amount out there (of variable sonic merit) which you should explore. I’d just like to recommend some late works, such as The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night and Zero Night (Nonesuch).
More Transcriptions I am a fan of transcriptions, and spend much time listening to them, especially piano ones. One of the most curious one lately is Hummel’s transcriptions of Mozart Piano Concerto 24 and Beethoven Symphony 1, scored for the unusual combination of piano, flute, violin and cello, well performed by keyboardist Aurelia Visovan and Friends (Ricercar). Visovan is 2019 winner of the Musica Antiqua Competition Brugge (fortepiano) and here plays a Graf. She can also be heard as harpsicordist in Ligeti's riotous Hugarian Rock on an unusual album that pays tribute to keyboardist Gordon Murray and his harpsicord collection, Harpsifly (Gramola). The interesting albums features 5 keyboardists and 5 replicas of famous instruments, and you will be surprised how different they sound. And if you haven't heard Ligeti's harpsicord music, you MUST! When it comes to Beethoven symphony transcriptions, even big names Ax, Ma and Kavakos have recorded an enjoyable 2 and 5 in more conventional Piano Trio (Sony). Back to Mozart, don’t miss the series of Lachner transcriptions of the Mozart Piano Concertos, beautifully performed by pianist Alon Goldstein and the venerable Fine Arts Quartet (Naxos). The latest DG issue of Principal Harpist of the estimable Bavarian RSO Magdalena Hoffmann Nightscapes is also surprisingly excellent. I have grown impatient of DG's current way of recording young artist in miniatures, but this one proves a good surprise.
Chopin Issues always come at a fast pace. DG had recently released fine recordings by Jan Lisiecki and Seong-Jin Cho, but they pale in "individuality" next to the highly eccentric Ivo Pogorelich (Sony). Is that good or bad? You should answer your own question. For me, Pogorelich’s funereal tempo works at most half of the time. Nocturnes are somnolent, but the intrinsically graver Fantasy in Fm and Sonata Bm work better. I shall give it more tries, as to me it’s a lot better than his last Sony Beethoven and Rachmaninov album. Pogorelich is always controversial, but so be it. Come to think of it, Sony has a penchant for signing on pianists who greatly distort the text. Think of Volodos, though he can be astonishing, but Khatia Buniatishvili? Just wilful populism that goes nowhere musically. Pogorelich? He is inching in the latter's direction.
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