Orchestral
CD and Other Review

Review: Rosetti: Sinfonias and Concerti

It’s a bizarre feeling to listen to a world premiere recording of works finished in the 18th century. Compagnia di Punto, a modular ensemble specialising in historical interpretations of early music, have released the first recordings of a handful of Antonio Rosetti’s last works. A contemporary of Haydn and Mozart, in his time he was praised as “one of the most beloved composers”. After listening to the disc, I agree, and I’m wondering why I haven’t heard Rosetti more. This disc features a variety of Rosetti’s works, three sinfonias and two concerti – one for flute and the other for natural horn. Many composers are flippantly compared to Mozart, but in this instance the comparisons are warranted. The opening bars of the first sinfonia throw me straight into the midst of The Marriage of Figaro. Compagnia di Punto musicians do use historical instruments, and so this adds an earthy, rustic quality to the balance, much like a hearty soup. It’s especially evident in the wind parts, where the articulation is rough, or the pitch is slightly bent for further emphasis. Sure, it’s different from the polished interpretation you expect from a ‘classical’ recording, but it adds an infectious enthusiasm to…

September 29, 2016
Orchestral
CD and Other Review

Review: Czerny: Grand Concerto in A Minor

Czerny isn’t remembered in history with as much prestige as Mozart and Beethoven, but his works have just as much to say. While the weighty strings which open the Grand Nocturne Brilliant, Op. 95 sound reminiscent of Mozart’s Requiem, the work is quick to form its own identity. Remarkably balanced winds and strings give way to the main feature: Tuck. At once, she is romantic, aggressive and pronounced; her melodies don’t flow smoothly, but this sheds light on her precision and accuracy (and the clear recording). The title concerto is next, off to a modest start. The work and its interpretation are as predictable as we’ve grown to expect (largely thanks to Mozart, who Czerny was performing at nine years old). But Czerny’s concertos offer similar pleasures and complexities – without the ego. This honours the pianist’s virtuosity but pays respect to the form, which relies on other instrumentalists. Thankfully, this collection of musicians under Richard Bonynge is remarkable. Finally we come to the Variations de Concert de l’Opéra Le Siège de Corinthe, Op. 138. The disjointed opening takes a good 30 seconds to find its way into a building melody. A couple of minutes in, the horns interject with…

September 29, 2016
Orchestral
CD and Other Review

Review: Shostakovich Under Stalin’s Shadow (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

The recently appointed Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, continues his series of the ‘war symphonies’ of Shostakovich in this double-disc set. The Tenth appeared a year ago to great acclaim, and the Sixth and Seventh are slated for future release. This series of symphonies is the pinnacle of Shostakovich’s achievement in the form, reputedly mapping the composer’s anxiety, anger and subversion during the fraught years of war and Stalin’s rule. Valery Gergiev recorded much the same selection with the Kirov (Mariinsky) Orchestra in the early 2000s for Philips (leaving out the post-war Tenth, arguably the best, and adding the experimental pre-war Fourth). That set makes for an interesting comparison. The Boston Symphony is known for its polish, and it is an aural pleasure to revisit their beautifully upholstered, well recorded sound. Nelsons has galvanised these musicians.Dramatic moments like the descending brass motifs in the Eighth’s third movement absolutely tell. Quirky, pointed phrasing from the clarinet brings Shostakovich the clown to life in the central movement of the Ninth, and the Fifth’s first movement climax carries plenty of weight. The passage that follows, with flute and horn mingling in gentle counterpoint, is as meltingly lovely as it…

September 29, 2016