Boulez: Livre Pour Quatuor
Quatuor Diotima
'Formed from graduates of the Paris Conservatoire, Quatuor Diotima can persuasively claim to be second-to-none in their commitment to commissioning new works for string quartet. One of the composers they worked closely with was Pierre Boulez, who was notoriously dissatisfied with many of his earlier works, often withdrawing them. One such piece was the Livre pour Quatuor, which Boulez ultimately abandoned leaving the fourth of six movements incomplete (he subsequently refashioned the first two movements for string orchestra as Livre pour cordes). In 2017 the composer Philippe Manoury was commissioned to complete the twelve-minute fourth movement, and this reconstruction receives its premiere recording here in a masterful, extraordinarily virtuosic performance from Quatuor Diotima.' (James Longstaffe)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Errollyn Wallen: Orchestral Works
BBC Concert Orchestra, John Andrews
'There's such a variety of colours and textures on this instantly engaging collection, from the sparse unsettling beauty of 'By Gis and by Saint Charity' (setting part of Ophelia's mad-scene from Hamlet and sung with fierce commitment by Ruby Hughes) to the quirky cake-inspired Fondant and the full-blown operatic scena This Frame Is Part of the Painting (given a knock-out performance by powerhouse mezzo Idunnu Münch). Taking in Scottish reels, jazz, blues and even a Handel Sarabande, Dances makes for an electrifying opener, whilst the closing work Mighty River (interweaving the spirituals 'Amazing Grace', 'Go down, Moses' and 'Deep River' )has a John Adams-ish drive and energy.' (Katherine Cooper)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
La Serenissima (Venetian Silhouettes)
Sophie Junker (soprano), {oh!} Orkiestra, Martyna Pastuszka
'The spritely playing by {oh!} Orkiestra,and the bright vocal dexterity of Sophie Junker in the music of Lotti, immediately conjures up the glittering Italian Baroque. Junker’s agility, natural phrasing and ornamentation, support a strong sense of character, from the flames of that opening, to the weeping sadness of 'Come mai puoi vedermi piangere', from Arianna (Marcello). Singer and orchestra work together as one, conjuring an enthralling variety of colour. The same is achieved when Martyna Pastuszka leads one of Vivaldi’s most engaging violin concertos. This is a captivating release from start to finish, and one I recommend regardless of your usual relationship with this music.' (Matthew Ash)
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Mozart: Complete Works for Clarinet, Vol. 1
Nicolas Baldeyrou, Alexandre Chabod, Gabriel Pidoux, Hélène Devilleneuve, David Douçot, Thomas Quinquenel, David Guerrier, Hugues Viallon, Yann Dubost, Franck Amet, François Miquel, Antoine Dreyfuss, Anne Broussard
'A sumptuous feast for the ears – Mozart’s wind serenades present an instantly-recognisable and beautifully warm sound-world. The Gran Partita K361 is rightly compared to a miniature ‘opera’, but the two smaller works included here (K375 and K388) are much more than warmup acts. The former stands out especially for its serene Adagio; the latter, in C minor, explores more sombre moods and features a particularly stern, imposing opening movement. Nicolas Baldeyrou is embarking on a complete survey of Mozart’s music with clarinet, and it speaks volumes that he’s chosen to start out as one player among a period-instrument ensemble.' (David Smith)
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Havergal Brian: Agamemnon & Symphonies Nos. 6 & 12
John Findon (Agamemnon), Eleanor Dennis (Clytemnestra), Stephanie Wake-Edwards (Cassandra), Robert Murray (Watchman), Clive Bayley (Herald/Old Man) English National Opera Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
'Brian's one-act prequel to Strauss's Elektra gets a suitably bloodcurdling (and long overdue) first commercial recording here, even if the raw, taut-as-a-drum score often seems strangely at odds with Aeschylus's gloriously ornate poetry. The singers handle the fearsome vocal demands with élan, particularly the rising dramatic tenor John Findon, who brings shades of the late Jon Vickers to the stentorian title-role. But it was the short 'Sinfonia Tragica' which lingered longest in my memory, its distant bird-calls and fanfares (as well as the two central Lentos) sounding for all the world as if Mahler has been reduced over a low heat.' (Katherine Cooper)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Songs With Words
Malakoff Kowalski, with Johanna Summer, Igor Levit, Chilly Gonzales
'Malakoff Kowalski flips the Romantic period idea of songs without words on its head in this off-the-wall concept, pairing poems of Allen Ginsberg with short, mostly well-known piano pieces. Igor Levit's involvement prompted me to listen, and It’s a fascinating collection that draws together a mosaic of influences, sometimes positively uncomfortable in their juxtaposition. The piano parts stand out as more song-like than Kowalski’s singing, but this gives space for the Beat poetry to retain its natural rhythm, in an engaging conversation between two quite different aesthetics. Think of Tom Waits meets Chopin. The artistry of those involved has made for an engaging, thought-provoking collection.' (Matthew Ash)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Franz Schubert: Symphonies, Vol. 4
Mary Bevan (soprano), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner
'Edward Gardner and the CBSO conclude their cycle of Schubert’s symphonies with the ‘Great’ C major. It’s a stylish, energetic reading, with Gardner shaping phrases beautifully whilst keeping things lean and never stodgy. For the remainder of the album they are joined by soprano Mary Bevan in orchestral arrangements of Schubert Lieder, including Britten’s jaunty version of Die Forelle (with a cheeky clarinet depicting the slippery, eponymous trout), and Reger’s luminous arrangement of Im Abendrot. The highlight, though, must be Berlioz’s slightly bonkers but highly entertaining orchestration of Erlkönig, conjuring up such a storm that I almost thought I had accidentally started listening to Wagner’s Die Walküre!' (James Longstaffe)
Available Formats: SACD, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Steve Reich: Jacob's Ladder/Traveler's Prayer (EP)
New York Philharmonic, Synergy Vocals, Colin Currie Group, Jaap van Zweden, Colin Currie, Steve Reich
'Two glorious new works from Steve Reich, both with Hebrew texts and seemingly representing a move by the composer to more fully embrace his Jewish identity. Jacob’s Ladder, a setting of the vision of the ladder of angels from Genesis 28, has a distinctively Reich-ish sound – oscillations, polyrhythms, plenty of tuned percussion. The poised, hypnotic Traveler’s Prayer is far less obviously Reich – at times one has the sense that Arvo Pärt is peeking through the music. It relies just as heavily on a sense of stillness (partly inspired by its composition having straddled the coronavirus pandemic) as Jacob’s Ladder does on a feeling of ceaseless motion.' (David Smith)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
