A place for our reviews of New Releases

[Barbirollians]

Beethoven Piano Concertos No 3 and 4 - Maria Joao Pires/Harding .

Her playing is quite entrancing in both works ,such delicacy yet no shortage of power when needed especially in No 3 - the slow movement of No 4 is stunning . Strongly recommended.

[Zucchini]

Beethoven Piano Concertos No 3 and 4 - Maria Joao Pires/Harding .

Yes. Wonderfully natural and right. As always, the clarity of Pires' articulation is dazzling. Harding shows again what a fine and positive participant he is with top flight soloists.

[silvestrione]

The Melodiya box of 'previously unreleased' Schubert from Sviatoslav Richter (to mark his centenary) has arrived.

There are three discs of sonatas, and one of miscellaneous pieces, mostly miniatures. I bought the box for that last disc really, and though it is uneven, it does not disappoint. Delightful performances of the D flat Scherzo and some landlers and Moments Musicaux (the usual, 1, 3 and 6), an extraordinarily powerful Allegretto in C minor, an affecting series of Ecossaises, etc. There's an awful March in E (which has been out before) and a slightly dragging, unconvincing Impromptu in G flat (no match for the one on Vol 15 of the SR Archives, from Budapest).

The sonatas are marvellous. If you can take his speeds, the G major Sonata is here (but I think it's the same as on Brilliant Classics in their 5 CD box 'Historic Russian Archives'): wonderful concentration, though I suspect even he loses a little in the second-time of the long exposition. The C minor is fine (but Richter does that change-down to a much slower tempo for the first-movement second subject, which is hard to take).

What would be a wonderful performance of the Richter favourite A major D664 is slightly marred by a scrunched chord in the last movement. The F minor unfinished sonata, as in other Richter versions, comes out as as a mesmerising piece.

There are two performances of the E minor D566 (one of them in four movements, adding the Rondo D506), which Richter also seems to have had a special affection for. Lovingly played.

The only really new material to the Richter discography is on the last disc, so its relatively high price (I paid £20 odd) may put you off. I'd pay the money just for the that disc of miniatures and D664 and D625!

No D960 here, for once.

[Barbirollians]

Yes. Wonderfully natural and right. As always, the clarity of Pires' articulation is dazzling. Harding shows again what a fine and positive participant he is with top flight soloists.

I agree entirely about her articulation. Every note sounds as it should . Harding might be regarded as a touch brusque by some but somehow that hits with her renditions of the solo parts .

A very fine record !

[Stanfordian]

Petrenko's Shostakovich 13 - I have seen some reviews lamenting the lack of a Russian choir but it does not bother me . Quite gripping throughout to my ears and a very fitting end to a generally excellent cycle .

Hiya Barbirollians, I think Petrenko's Shostakovich 13 with the RLPO on Naxos is most excellent too. His Russian bass soloist is stunning. I also admire the 2006 Grammy award winning account for brest orchestral performance with Mariss Jansons and the Symphonieorchester und Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks on EMI.

[Barbirollians]

Another new release - Mendelssohn Piano Concertos and music from a Midsummer Night's Dream with the original version of the Ruy Blas overture .

I have three sets of those concertos all good but all rather elderly Katin, Serkin and Perahia. These new recordings with the LGO/Chailly and Saleem Ashkar are very fresh gossamer light performances with lovely flowing slow movements no Victorian sentimentality or surface playing . The LGO play particularly beautifully in the music from a Midsummer Night's Dream although the vocal items are missing and the Ruy Blas goes with a bang though I cannot really here much difference from the published version - perhaps anyone with access to the scores can tell us .

Excellent record IMO.

[Ferretfancy]

I'm afraid I have to disagree with Barbirollians about these Mendelssohn performances, partly because of the sound quality, but also because of speeds. I have several versions already, including the elderly Katin and Serkin recordings, plus versions by Andras Schiff, Howard Shelley and Benjamin Frith. Askkar tears through the first movement of the G minor concerto in only 6.41, which makes him by far the fastest of the ones I've listened to. This would be bearable if the balance allowed the articulation to be heard more clearly, but the sound has that noisy squeezed down a tunnel effect that happens too often with multi-tracked engineering, with narrow stereo width and no real sense of space.
It's interesting to hear what Decca achieved in the Peter Katin recording, one of their earliest stereos. Yes, the strings are fierce, but the piano sounds much more rounded. Katin takes a full minute longer than Ashkar but still manages to make it molto allegro con fuoco as marked.

Of the others, Serkin takes 7 minutes for the first movement, again the recording shows its age. Overall, the Howard Shelley on Chandos is very fine, with beautifully spacious sound, that would be a first choice for me.

Perhaps I do rebel against so many new pianists who come out as speed merchants, but I don't mind fast tempi as such, it's just that so much in between the notes gets lost.

[Barbirollians]

I'm afraid I have to disagree with Barbirollians about these Mendelssohn performances, partly because of the sound quality, but also because of speeds. I have several versions already, including the elderly Katin and Serkin recordings, plus versions by Andras Schiff, Howard Shelley and Benjamin Frith. Askkar tears through the first movement of the G minor concerto in only 6.41, which makes him by far the fastest of the ones I've listened to. This would be bearable if the balance allowed the articulation to be heard more clearly, but the sound has that noisy squeezed down a tunnel effect that happens too often with multi-tracked engineering, with narrow stereo width and no real sense of space.
It's interesting to hear what Decca achieved in the Peter Katin recording, one of their earliest stereos. Yes, the strings are fierce, but the piano sounds much more rounded. Katin takes a full minute longer than Ashkar but still manages to make it molto allegro con fuoco as marked.

Of the others, Serkin takes 7 minutes for the first movement, again the recording shows its age. Overall, the Howard Shelley on Chandos is very fine, with beautifully spacious sound, that would be a first choice for me.

Perhaps I do rebel against so many new pianists who come out as speed merchants, but I don't mind fast tempi as such, it's just that so much in between the notes gets lost.

I am not sure it is right to say he is by far the fastest - yes he is quick but I must admit to not having much trouble with that or the recording but he is not by far the quickest Serkin is only 21 seconds slower and Perahia too is 7.06 . Moura Lympany and Kubelik are also under 7 minutes at 6.58

[Ferretfancy]

I am not sure it is right to say he is by the fastest - yes he is quick but I must admit to not having much trouble with that or the recording but he is not by far the quickest Serkin is only 21 seconds slower and Perahia too is 7.06 . Moura Lympany and Kubelik are also under 7 minutes at 6.58

I know that just noting relative speeds can be a bit of a snare. I think it's the hectoring nature of the performance that I found rather exhausting. As you say, Serkin is pretty fast, but he manages a very dramatic first movement which still has light and shade.We'll have to agree to disagree, in any case it's helpful to have different views. Incidentally, it's been a very long time since I've heard either of the Mendelssohn concertos in a live concert, maybe they are deemed too short or light weight. It seems odd, since Mendelssohn's music in general is held in higher regard generally than it was a generation ago.

[Barbirollians]

I know that just noting relative speeds can be a bit of a snare. I think it's the hectoring nature of the performance that I found rather exhausting. As you say, Serkin is pretty fast, but he manages a very dramatic first movement which still has light and shade.We'll have to agree to disagree, in any case it's helpful to have different views. Incidentally, it's been a very long time since I've heard either of the Mendelssohn concertos in a live concert, maybe they are deemed too short or light weight. It seems odd, since Mendelssohn's music in general is held in higher regard generally than it was a generation ago.

Yes I think you are right that they are seen as too short . Might be a good choice for a Last Night of the Proms though !

There is a Yuja Wang/Masur performance on You Tube that appears to be even faster than Ashkar.

[amateur51]

Yes I think you are right that they are seen as too short . Might be a good choice for a Last Night of the Proms though !

There is a Yuja Wang/Masur performance on You Tube that appears to be even faster than Ashkar.

Get Julia Fischer in to give Mendelssohn piano concerto in the first half and a Mendelssohn violin concerto after the interval

Throw in an overture and a symphony and you've got a lovely Prom

[Ferretfancy]

Here's an unreserved recommendation, Beethoven's The Creatures of Prometheus splendidly played on original instruments by Armonia Atenea directed by George Petrou on Decca 478 6755.
I don't know this group, but they sound superb, and the recording is of demonstration quality, made in Athens at the Dimitris Mitropoulos hall, Megaron.

This is of course Beethoven's only ballet score, first performed in 1801, and it has a couple of dozen performances before disappearing from view. Apparently the dancers were not very good, and Beethoven was accused of being too intellectual, not understanding the needs of dance. Well, we can enjoy it today as a precursor of the Eroica, ending as it does with that famous tune from the symphony's finale.

I do have another version on modern instruments, a rather elderly Vanguard recording with the Utah SO and Abravanel. It's nicely done, but doesn't compare with this new version. Strongly recommended.

[Roehre]

Here's an unreserved recommendation, Beethoven's The Creatures of Prometheus splendidly played on original instruments by Armonia Atenea directed by George Petrou on Decca 478 6755.
I don't know this group, but they sound superb, and the recording is of demonstration quality, made in Athens at the Dimitris Mitropoulos hall, Megaron.

This is of course Beethoven's only ballet score, first performed in 1801, and it has a couple of dozen performances before disappearing from view. Apparently the dancers were not very good, and Beethoven was accused of being too intellectual, not understanding the needs of dance. Well, we can enjoy it today as a precursor of the Eroica, ending as it does with that famous tune from the symphony's finale.

I do have another version on modern instruments, a rather elderly Vanguard recording with the Utah SO and Abravanel. It's nicely done, but doesn't compare with this new version. Strongly recommended.

An important recording indeed. The last couple of years Prometheus (which is Beethoven's 2nd ballet score BTW, the Ritterballett WoO 1 preceding it by a decade or so) has been recorded a couple of times, including by Harnoncourt (HIPP and a bit edgy).
Two fragments are remarkable in B's output: a quite extensive cello solo + orchestra fragment (this is how a Beethoven cello concerto's slow mvt might have sounded) and a mvt with flute and harp pre-echoing Bizet. Both well done in this new recording.

[Nick Armstrong]

Armonia Atenea directed by George Petrou on Decca 478 6755.
I don't know this group, but they sound superb, and the recording is of demonstration quality, made in Athens at the Dimitris Mitropoulos hall, Megaron.

This is the group in which the son of Radio 4's John Humphrys plays (prinicipal cello I think). They played at the Proms this year

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/whats-on/2014/august-02/14964

[tigajen]

Here's an unreserved recommendation, Beethoven's The Creatures of Prometheus splendidly played on original instruments by Armonia Atenea directed by George Petrou on Decca 478 6755.
I don't know this group, but they sound superb, and the recording is of demonstration quality, made in Athens at the Dimitris Mitropoulos hall, Megaron.

This is of course Beethoven's only ballet score, first performed in 1801, and it has a couple of dozen performances before disappearing from view. Apparently the dancers were not very good, and Beethoven was accused of being too intellectual, not understanding the needs of dance. Well, we can enjoy it today as a precursor of the Eroica, ending as it does with that famous tune from the symphony's finale.

I do have another version on modern instruments, a rather elderly Vanguard recording with the Utah SO and Abravanel. It's nicely done, but doesn't compare with this new version. Strongly recommended.

Melbourne SO/Halasz on Naxos make a pretty good job of it too,and bargain at amazon