Tonight A Twelve Hour Haydn Marathon

Bernstein  Conducts Haydn 

The Creation   

 For Masses

London & Paris Symphonies 

Mass in C, “Mass in Time of War.”
Mass in d, “Nelsonmesse.”
Mass in B♭, “Theresienmesse.”
Mass in B♭, “Harmoniemesse.”
Symphony No. 88 in G major
Symphonies Nos. 82–87

New York Philharmonic
Camerata Singers
Norman Scribner Choir
Westminster Choir
London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Chorus

Sony has done Haydn and Bernstein aficionados a tremendous favor by reissuing these now-classic recordings of the *Paris* and *London* Symphonies (plus no. 88), *Creation* and four out of the six late Masses, housed in a fairly sturdy space-saving box. Sony's asking price is relatively high for such boxes these days (compare with recent offerings from EMI, such as their "Complete Oistrakh Edition"), especially since the skimpy booklet contains no annotations beyond the usual work-and-track listing. Moreover, within the box the CDs are gathered into laminated and hinged cardboard pockets that make the task of retrieving one more trouble than it should be. The recordings have apparently not been remastered; that fact may account for the mediocre sonics throughout this collection. The *London* Symphonies, in particular, suffer from thin, acidic-sounding strings, unduly recessed woodwinds, blaring brass (not Bernstein's fault), and a fair amount of distortion in the louder tutti passages. Moreover, the latest recording included here (a London-based *Theresienmesse* from 1979), though smoother-sounding, lacks bite and focus, largely due to a distant, mushy-sounding chorus.

With those caveats out of the way (and they are sufficiently serious to cost my evaluation one star), I must affirm the legendary status of these recordings. Bernstein brings enormous gusto to Haydn, and the result is an altogether winsome marriage of intellectual and physical vigor. This is Haydn without the wig. In the Symphonies, Bernstein favors bold, incisive sonata allegros; deeply meditative and just as often bewitchingly mischievous slow movements; steady and stately minuets, with some delightfully humorous touches; and dashing finales. Bernstein's earlier, and finer, account of *Creation* is truly a celebration of Nature in all its rough-and-tumble splendor; and the Masses are just as notable for their operatic as for their religious fervor. The playing of the NYPO in the Symphonies, as well as the singing in the choral works, is quite variable--greater polish would have been welcome. But Lenny's elemental vigor and warm-hearted embrace of Haydn's always-stunning originality carry the day.

What more to add but enjoy this amasing treat...

Starts at 8pm GMT+1 

Better Late Than Never - Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert
Born 31 January 1797.

Today and tonight we dedicate it to his genius...

n a short lifespan of less than 32 years, Schubert was a prolific composer, writing some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies (including the famous "Unfinished Symphony"), liturgical music, operas, some incidental music and a large body of chamber and solo piano music. Appreciation of Schubert's music during his lifetime was limited, but interest in his work increased significantly in the decades following his death. Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn, among others, discovered and championed his works in the 19th century. Today, Schubert is seen as one of the leading exponents of the early Romantic era in music and he remains one of the most frequently performed composers.

From 1826 to 1828, Schubert resided continuously in Vienna, except for a brief visit to Graz in 1827. The history of his life during these three years was comparatively uninteresting, and is little more than a record of his compositions. In 1826, he dedicated a symphony (D. 944, that later came to be known as the "Great") to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde and received an honorarium in return. In the spring of 1828, he gave, for the only time in his career, a public concert of his own works, which was very well received. The compositions themselves are a sufficient biography. The String Quartet in D minor (D. 810), with the variations on "Death and the Maiden", was written during the winter of 1825–1826, and first played on 25 January 1826. Later in the year came the String Quartet in G major, (D. 887, Op. 161), the "Rondeau brillant" for piano and violin (D. 895, Op. 70), and the Piano Sonata in G (D. 894, Op. 78) (first published under the title "Fantasia in G"). To these should be added the three Shakespearian songs, of which "Hark! Hark! the Lark" (D. 889) and "An Sylvia" (D. 891) were allegedly written on the same day, the former at a tavern where he broke his afternoon's walk, the latter on his return to his lodging in the evening.

In 1827, Schubert wrote the song cycle Winterreise (D. 911), a colossal peak in art song ("remarkable" was the way it was described at the Schubertiades), the Fantasia for piano and violin in C (D. 934), the Impromptus for piano, and the two piano trios (the first in B flat (D. 898), and the second in E flat, D. 929); in 1828 the Mirjams Siegesgesang (Song of Miriam, D. 942) on a text by Franz Grillparzer, the Mass in E-flat (D. 950), the Tantum Ergo (D. 962) in the same key, the String Quintet in C (D. 956), the second Benedictus to the Mass in C, the three final piano sonatas (D.958, D.959 and D.960), and the collection of songs published posthumously as Schwanengesang ("Swan-song", D. 957)^. This collection, while not a true song cycle, retains a unity of style amongst the individual songs, touching depths of tragedy and of the morbidly supernatural which had rarely been plumbed by any composer in the century preceding it.

Six of these are set to words by Heinrich Heine, whose Buch der Lieder appeared in the autumn. The Symphony No. 9 (D. 944) is dated 1828, but Schubert scholars believe that this symphony was largely written in 1825–1826 (being referred to while he was on holiday at Gastein in 1825 – that work, once considered lost, now is generally seen as an early stage of his C major symphony) and was revised for prospective performance in 1828. This huge, Beethovenian work was declared "unplayable" by a Viennese orchestra. This was a fairly unusual practice for Schubert, for whom publication, let alone performance, was rarely contemplated for most of his larger-scale works during his lifetime. In the last weeks of his life, he began to sketch three movements for a new Symphony in D.

In the midst of this creative activity, his health deteriorated. The cause of his death was officially diagnosed as typhoid fever, though other theories have been proposed, including the tertiary stage of syphilis. By the late 1820s, Schubert's health was failing and he confided to some friends that he feared that he was near death. In the late summer of 1828, the composer saw court physician Ernst Rinna, who may have confirmed Schubert's suspicions that he was ill beyond cure and likely to die soon.

Some of his symptoms matched those of mercury poisoning (mercury was then a common treatment for syphilis, again suggesting that Schubert suffered from it). At the beginning of November, he again fell ill, experiencing headaches, fever, swollen joints, and vomiting. He was generally unable to retain solid food and his condition worsened. Schubert died in Vienna, at age 31, on 19 November 1828, at the apartment of his brother Ferdinand. The last musical work he had wished to hear was Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131; his friend, violinist Karl Holz, who was present at the gathering, 5 days before Schubert's death, commented: "The King of Harmony has sent the King of Song a friendly bidding to the crossing". It was next to Beethoven, whom he had admired all his life, that Schubert was buried by his own request, in the village cemetery of Währing.

In 1872, a memorial to Franz Schubert was erected in Vienna's Stadtpark. In 1888, both Schubert's and Beethoven's graves were moved to the Zentralfriedhof, where they can now be found next to those of Johann Strauss II and Johannes Brahms. The cemetery in Währing was converted into a park in 1925, called the Schubert Park, and his former grave site was marked by a bust.

Today Two Live Treats and much more...

Two live performances to put your hairs on end...

Maria Stuarda
Donizetti- Sung in English.
With: Janet Baker. Pauline Tinsley Dir: Charles Mackerras
English National Opera Orchestra & Chorus.
English National Opera 1982. 

This production could not be dearer to me as I saw it in 1982, my second time to the opera at just 18 years old. Janet Baker blew me away with her majestic artistry. I came out of the ENO flying!!

In 1982, Dame Janet Baker made a highly regarded studio recording of Donizetti?s Maria Stuarda , sung in English. Featuring Rosalind Plowright and David Rendall, and also conducted by Mackerras, that EMI set has always garnered praise, and deservedly so. The English language makes it, of course, sui generis , and many listeners have found the English more of a distraction than a benefit. The diction of the singers, particularly the women, was not always clear?given the stress that Donizetti?s florid writing already put on them. When the words were clear, more bel canto opera in their comedies). But Baker?s compelling performance of the title role received almost unanimous praise. In Fanfare 13:1, 

Robert Levine wrote: She handles the fioriture beautifully, gives each word and phrase (those which can be understood) proper weight, and she makes us understand this proud, bruised, complicated woman as no other singer does on discs, save, perhaps, Beverly Sills. There is a warmth to her tone . . . which is unmatchable, and she rises to the vitriol of the confrontation scene with surprising strength (although no one can touch Leyla Gencer here).

What this has, however, is the smell of the theater about it. Baker?s inflections, outbursts, tenderness, tragic utterances, all have that extra intensity that happens in live performance, and the singing, captured almost a decade earlier, is vocally more secure, more even. This is a truly magnificent performance, by one of the greatest singers of the second half of the 20th century, captured in her prime. Baker fans, and those interested in great Donizetti singing, should snap this up.


Der Rosenkavalier 
Strauss
With: Montserrat Caballé, Otto Edelmann, Teresa Zylis-Gara, Edith Matthis Dir: John Pritchard, London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Glyndebourne Chorus

Live from Glynebourne 1965

Recorded in the 1965 Festival, this production of Der Rosenkavalier was the last directed by Carl Ebert and was hailed as one of his finest achievements. Conducted by John Pritchard this recording features a notable Glyndebourne debut by Montserrat Caballé as the Marschallin with Edith Matthis as Sophie, Teresa Żylis-Gara as Octavian and Otto Edelmann as Baron Ochs.

“The performance provides the kind of enchanted evening which Glyndebourne exists for - when the opera, however familiar, is experienced with a new intensity; when all one’s senses are alive and alert; when it seems that the work can never have been better done. In short, the Glyndebourne miracle - produced by the intimacy of the house, sensitive casting, dedicated loving rehearsal, and brilliant direction in every department.”
- Financial Times, 1965

Today's Highlights

Beatrice di Tenda by Bellini
A beautiful and unjustly neglected opera.It contains gorgeous melodies, great arias and exciting finales. Joan Sutherland made the role very much her own in the early 1960's. This first studio recording made in 1966 still standswell. Sutherland captures the character's sadness and dignity well with beautiful and poised singing and naturally shines in cabalettas. The unkown Cornelius Opthof holds himself very well next to Sutherland with a secure top and incisive phrasing as the wicked Fillipo. As the second couple we have a fiery Josephine Veasey as Agnese and a very young Luciano Pavarotti as Orombello. Excellent sound and briskly conducted by Richard Bonynge.

verdi's Il Trovatore
Leontyne Price, Franco Bonisolli, Piero Cappuccilli, Elena Obrazova and Karajan at the baton. Interestingly, in November 2005 BBC CD Review pundit Hilary Finch tacitly revoked her earlier pronouncements in "Gramophone" and chose this as her favourite version. I bought and I enjoyed it as a result, while still acknowledging that there is some audible evidence of the ravages time had wrought on Price's voice; it is a little husky but there is still a majestic and stately grandeur in her smoky tone. I do not agree with the opnion that a cast like Bonisolli, Cappuccilli, Obratsova and Raimondi is not up to international standard or that Karajan is "glib", even if I do accept that the 1970 Mehta account is superior and that Karajan's conducting is more visceral in the 50's version - but I like to hear an interpretation which provides a subtler alternative to the usual "gung-ho" approach. It's such a pleasure to hear an orchestra caress this music instead of banging the hell out of it and there is a depth and richness in the strings so often missing in more provincial bands - and let's face it, most orchestras can sound provincial next to the Berlin Philharmonic. Bonisolli's baritonal heft is very welcome, as is his willngness to sing tenderly. There is a temptation to characterise him as a grand-standing clown on account of his ability and willingness to prolong barn-storming top C's but he's much more than that. Obratsova's vast, even crude, voice with its booming lower register and secure top notes provides real thrills in a role to which she is perfectly suited and in which she rivals Cossotto for sheer visceral attack. Both Raimondi and Cappuccilli are a little too soft-grained but again, it's a change to hear these roles so carefully sung, with attention to the subtlety of dynamics and phrasing which Karajan's more relaxed tempi evidently encourage. Yet there's no lack of brio in the opening to Act 3; Karajan brings much more energy to the score.

Wagner's Tristan Und Isole
Solti's Tristan und Isolde (1960)is one of the great Wagner recordings, capturing Nilsson at her very zenith, partnered with a most impassioned Tristan, Fritz Uhl. Resnik is the most intense Branganae on disc, with her Act II interjections hair-raisingly beautiful, yet still menacing. Nilsson shows her absolute mastery of this most difficult soprano role, both vocally and dramatically, with Solti proving to to be a more congenial counterpoint than Bohn from 1966, who rushes things along too often. Fritz Uhl is an authentic heldentenor who has a innate feel for the role - his Act III is among the finest on disc. The remastered recording belies its 40 some odd years and sounds quite impressive, with a perfect balance between soloists and orchestra - John Culshaw knew how to produce his Wagner and Strauss! A must have recording for any serious Wagnerite.

Night Music
Mompou Plays Mompou These are performances from the mid 70s recorded by mompou himself (in his early 80s, but his technique is great). Four CDs of introspective, deceptively simple, beautiful music. He's been compared to the Impressionist and Satie... this is Spanish impressionism and I find it less tiring and repeatitive than much of Satie's work. Recording quality is very good... not excellent. If you have not discovered Mompou's work and enjoy solo piano, this is your chance.

Plus much more before and in-between...

Wagner's Lohengrin Live From Berlin 1982

With the wonderful James King, Caterina Ligendza, Bengt Rundgren, Janis Martin, Franz Ferdinand Nentwig Dir: Silvio Varviso Berlin, Deutsche Oper Orchestra & Chorus.