IVES : Symphonies Nº 1 & 4 • Central Park in the Dark (Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton) (2006) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For the Charles Ives enthusiast on the left side of the Atlantic "pond," this Hyperion release, Ives: Symphonies 1 & 4, brings up some red flags upon first appearance. While the movers and shakers in English classical music circles are famously xenophobic, they tend to fault Americans for being equally so, and when an American sees the music of Charles Ives on an English label, that instinctively comes to mind. These are not English performances, though; they were made at McDermott Concert Hall in Dallas and feature the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Andrew Litton. That brings up another red flag: Litton has already recorded Ives' Orchestral Set No. 1: Three Places in New England with Dallas for the late Dorian label, and that hardly set the world on fire at the time of release (in 1996). On the other hand, it is not as though record companies are trying to outdo one another recording Ives' symphonies at present, so it might not be a bad idea to give Litton's Ives: Symphonies 1 & 4 a chance. The Dallas Symphony and the music of Ives already have an established history which goes back to at least the 1960s, when conductor Donald Johanos led the DSO in a widely circulated performance of Ives' Holidays Symphony for Vox Turnabout.

The performance of Ives' Symphony No. 1 here is of the highest caliber. Ives regarded it as one of his "weak sisters," a school assignment barely worth discussing, and annotator Jan Swafford, who should know better, sides with the composer in this instance. Nevertheless, Ives' First has a gentle, persuasive power uniquely its own that has hooked some listeners who could care less about Ives' noisy orchestral sets and the Symphony No. 4; Litton manages to tease this persuasiveness carefully out of the Dallas Symphony. Additionally, the score utilized here seems to make little to no use of any of Ives' variant concepts for this work -- not a desirable state of affairs for all of Ives' symphonies, but not a bad idea for this one. Ives: Symphonies 1 & 4 might contain the finest Ives First to appear on record since André Previn's with the London Symphony Orchestra back in 1971. Ironically, Litton's ability to make the Dallas Symphony sound like an English, or at least European, orchestra is one of the things that makes this recording so good; notwithstanding the flag-waving xenophobes out there.

The Symphony No. 4 and Central Park in the Dark, however, are another matter. Litton does make use of the optional chorus in the first movement of the Fourth, and it is nicely done. However, Hyperion's recording is none too friendly to the extremes of volume in this symphony. Litton manages to get very good results out of the quartertone section in the strings that open the second movement "comedy," but it is hard to hear, even when played back at top volume. The same goes for Central Park in the Dark, marked to be played very quietly in the score, but just because you can get that quiet doesn't mean that you should do so on a recording, as loud sections might terminate one's speakers with prejudice. Nonetheless, another aspect of this particular Fourth that may or may not be so desirable is that Litton has shaped it so carefully. The whole work has been marked out to separate foreground elements from the rest, tempering Ives' divine approach to chaos. This may prove a boon to those who can generally make no sense of the Fourth, but for experienced Ivesians, part of the appeal of the Fourth is its wacky and transcendental messiness. Of course, such does not apply to the Fourth's traditional third movement, which comes off quite well here. In general, the rule with Litton's Hyperion traversal through Ives' symphonies seems to be the more stylistically conservative a given Ives symphony is, the better the results. If so, then if you could own only one of the two volumes, this one would not be the more desirable choice. by Uncle Dave Lewis  

 CHARLES IVES (1874-1954)

   Symphony No 1 [37'10]
Symphony No 4 [30'52]
Central Park in the Dark [9'46]

Orchestra – Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Conductor –  Andrew Litton

IVES : Symphonies Nº 2 & 3 • General William Booth enters into Heaven (Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton) (2008) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Ives: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 is the second disc in Andrew Litton's cycle of Charles Ives' symphonies for the Hyperion label with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Of the two discs devoted to this series, this is better from a performance standpoint, as the first disc suffers from a so-so Symphony No. 4 even as it sports a terrific Symphony No. 1. The recorded sound here is something of a mixed bag as it is dark and fuzzy at the edges, although in terms of distance relative to volume it is very, very well made. In the Symphony No. 2, later movements are better than the earlier ones, with a stronger sense of pickup and forward momentum. The opening Andante moderato lacks focus and the strings are rather sludgy in the first two movements, but the brass section sounds very good in the Allegro molto vivace. The famous final discord, though, lacks punch. Hyperion's recording of the percussion parts in this Symphony No. 2 come through with more clarity than on any other recording.

Symphony No. 3 is probably the greatest of Ives' symphonies, so the bar for any recorded version is set very high indeed, particularly as there is a splendid, thoroughly transparent version made for Mercury Living Presence by conductor Howard Hanson that's hard to beat. Here Litton attempts to put some distance between himself from other recordings by observing strict adherence to the pacing of the symphony and utilizing many of Ives' suggested "shadow parts" -- discordant patches of music that are heard as if in a distance. In this instance, the recording's great sense of interior depth does work well, as these parts do not intrude on the main texture and are heard as "shadows," as Ives intended. It's a little harder to get used to the strict observance of tempo; most recorded versions don't make much of a distinction between the tempi of the three movements except that the second movement is a tad faster than the first. Here Litton spells it out and makes each movement roll at a distinct speed. It leaves one with a mixed impression, but overall it is a very good realization of the Symphony No. 3 and it demonstrates that this symphony, despite its grounding in a traditional style, is as open to nearly the same variety of interpretations as the ones that follow -- the Symphony No. 4 and the Universe Symphony.

John J. Becker's mini-oratorio-like arrangement of Ives' General William Booth Enters into Heaven was made at Ives' instigation in the mid-'30s as the composer by then did not have the stamina, or the eyesight, to see through to full fruition nine pages of sketches already at hand. It hasn't been recorded very often, although a very fine version was made for Columbia Masterworks in 1966 with Archie Drake singing the solo bass part with chorus and orchestra under the leadership of Gregg Smith, and this has never appeared on CD. With that recording, the solo singing was fabulous, but the orchestra and chorus were muddy and indistinct; here, the chorus and orchestra are just right -- especially the chorus -- but Donnie Ray Albert's bass is semi-buried and sounds "squashed." Despite such middling complaints, one must give credit where it is due and admit the choice of this work was a nice and imaginative touch as filler to these two symphonies. Litton's Hyperion set of Ives' symphonies, in sum, does put some pressure on Michael Tilson Thomas' set for CBS, even if it doesn't have the edge. by Uncle Dave Lewis

 CHARLES IVES (1874-1954)

  Symphony No 1 [37'10]
Symphony No 3 'The Camp Meeting' [23'48]
General William Booth Enters Into Heaven [5:13]
Arranged By – John J. Becker
Baritone Vocals [Baritone] – Donnie Ray Albert
Choir – Dallas Symphony Chorus
Chorus Master [Chorus Directed By] – David R. Davidson
Words By – Vachel Lindsay

Orchestra – Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Conductor – Andrew Litton
Leader – Emanuel Borok

LITOLFF : Concerto Symphonique No 2 In B Minor (First Recording) • Concerto Symphonique No 4 In D Minor (Andrew Litton · Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra · Peter Donohoe) (1997) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 14 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The Scherzo from Litolff's Fourth Concerto has long been a Classical lollipop; now find out what the rest sounds like …

Litolff was one of the great virtuosi of the nineteenth century. His five Concertos Symphoniques (the first of which is now unfortunately lost) were of major influence in the transition from the Classically-derived concertos of Hummel, Moscheles and Chopin to the more symphonic late-Romantic concertos. He pioneered the use of a four-movement structure which included a Scherzo (as in Brahms's Second Concerto) and gave the orchestra much more of the thematic material. Indeed, although the piano writing is very brilliant, much of it is accompanimental. The Second Concerto is a real rarity, the orchestral parts proving very hard to locate. This is probably its first performance in over 130 years. Hyperion

Henry Charles Litolff (1818-1891)
    
Concerto symphonique No 2 in B minor Op 22 [32'03]
    
Concerto symphonique No 4 in D minor Op 102 [37'42]

Credits :
Conductor – Andrew Litton
Orchestra – Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Piano – Peter Donohoe

LITOLFF : Concerto Symphonique No 3 In E Flat Major • Concerto Symphonique No 5 In C Minor (First Recording) (Peter Donohoe · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra · Andrew Litton) (2001) The Romantic Piano Concerto – 26 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This recording is the companion to Donohoe and Litton's earlier recording of Litolff's Concerto Symphoniques 2 & 4 (CDA66889) and completes our survey of the composer's works for piano and orchestra (Litolff's first concerto was never published and is lost).

Both works owe the 'Symphonique' title to their four-movement structure (all Litolff's concertos contain a Scherzo in addition to the three conventional movements), and the importance of the orchestra in their thematic development. The Third Concerto was (along with the Fourth) the most popular in Litolff's lifetime and was written for performance in the Netherlands. It uses two popular Dutch melodies which no doubt explains it early success. The Fifth Concerto is the most obscure of the four extant works yet it is the most ambitious in scale with a particularly imposing orchestral exposition. Unfortunately by the time the work was composed (1867) Litolff had faded from the public eye and the work received few, if any, performances. It's Scherzo, obviously modelled on the equivalent 'hit' piece from the Fourth Concerto, has the potential to be almost as popular, though it's virtuosic leaping octave passages are likely to deter all but the most muscular of pianists. Hyperion

Henry Charles Litolff (1818-1891)
                
Concerto symphonique No 3 in E flat 'National Hollandais' Op 45[30'47]
                        
Concerto symphonique No 5 in C minor Op 123[35'08]

Credits :
Conductor – Andrew Litton
Leader – Elisabeth Layton
Orchestra – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Piano – Peter Donohoe

Alnæs : Piano Concerto In D Major, Op 27 (First Recording) ♦ Sinding : Piano Concerto In D Flat Major, Op 6 (Piers Lane · Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra · Andrew Litton) (2006) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 42 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For the 42nd entry in its The Romantic Piano Concerto series (is it already really that many?!), Hyperion travels to the chilly land of Norway. The one and only piano concerto from this region of the world -- and it is a very famous one -- that automatically comes to mind is Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, a youthful, formally sprawling work that stands as a landmark among romantic piano concertos. The concerti by Norwegians Eyvind Alnaes and Christian Sinding postdate the Grieg by at least two decades and are both more concise and assured by comparison, not to mention lush and strongly melodic with big tunes and showy virtuosic stuff for the soloist. For Alnaes, his D major concerto from 1914 is the exception rather than the rule; he was an organist and the most prominent Norwegian art song composer of his day. Alnaes' Piano Concerto in D major is the last large-scale work among only a few that he completed. While it superficially evokes the manner of Rachmaninoff, it is pleasant without being particularly engaging. One does not regret Alnaes' investment in song; this concerto confirms that he put the best of himself into his shorter vocal works, though it has its moments and is worth listening to at least one time.

Christian Sinding was once viewed as being direct heir to Grieg, although this is wrong -- he was German trained, lived in Germany for nearly four decades, and it shows in his music; if anything he was a lesser heir to Robert Schumann. Sinding's concerto is full of the flashy sprays of virtuosic filigree encountered in his once popular salon piece Rustle of Spring, and yet that will take far less of one's time than this concerto, dating to 1889 but revised in 1901. It belongs to its era and is an inferior effort in comparison even to the Alnaes in that it's rather dull. Pianist Piers Lane makes the best case imaginable for both concerti; his playing is both sensitive and keen, bringing out the lyric side of the writing while making more ostentatious sections impressive sounding by the mere effortlessness of his handling of them. The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, under Andrew Litton, makes a somewhat less than precise impression and is a little loose in spots. These are not essential romantic piano concerti; they both sound nice, but fail to stick with the listener, not a quality one can attribute to the piano concerto of Grieg, despite its flaws in formal construction. Uncle Dave Lewis  

Eyvind Alnæs (1872-1932)
Piano Concerto in D major, Op. 27

Christian Sinding (1856-1941)
Piano Concerto in D flat major, Op. 6

Credits :
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Andrew Litton
Piers Lane (piano)

BRANFORD MARSALIS - Romances for Saxophone (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Romances for Saxophone was released in 1986 by CBS Masterworks' Light Classics division. Branford Marsalis, usually known for his jazz background, asserts his mastery of the soprano saxophone on this excellent collection of romantic chamber music. Accompanied by the English Chamber Orchestra, Marsalis indulges us with some of his most fervent music yet. Each piece explores a different aspect of love and romance. Vocalese, originally for the soprano voice, portray the vocal lyricism and musicality of Marsalis' soprano saxophone. The "Rachmaninoff Vocalese" is an exceptional confirmation of the mastery of tone and musicianship that defines the music Marsalis is known for. Other well-known works, such as Debussy's L'Isle Joyeuse and Stravinsky's Pastorale, brilliantly contrast the air that Marsalis has played since 1981. The French and Russian compositions add a new dimension to the young Marsalis repertoire -- classical romantic. by Paula Edelstein
Tracklist:
1    L' isle joyeuse, for piano, L. 106    6:46
Claude Debussy
Orchestrated by Michel Colombier        
2    Pavane, for orchestra & chorus ad lib in F sharp minor, Op. 50 5:44    
Gabriel Fauré
Arabesques (2) for piano, L. 66    
3    Arabesque No.1, Orchestrated by Michel Colombier 4:15    laude Debussy
Vocalise, instrumental arrangement, Op. 34/14    
4    Vocalise, Edited by Michel Colombier 6:01    
Sergey Rachmaninov
5    Pastorale, song without words for voice & piano 2:43    
Igor Stravinsky
6    Emmanuel, for saxophone & orchestra 2:52        
7    Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, for voice & 8 cellos, A. 389 5:36        
Heitor Villa-Lobos
8    Gymnopedie for piano No. 3 2:31    
Erik Satie
9    Prélude, for piano 3:19        
Maurice Ravel
Edited by Michel Colombier    
10    Vocalise-Étude en forme de Habanera, for voice & piano 2:44
Maurice Ravel
11    Sicilienne, for cello & piano, Op. 78    3:36    
Gabriel Fauré
Edited by Michel Colombier     
12    Serenade for piano in A major 2:59    
Igor Stravinsky
Pictures at an Exhibition (Kartinki s vïstavski), for piano    
13    The Old Castle, Edited by Michel Colombier 4:25
Modest Mussorgsky

Directed By – Andrew Litton
Orchestra – The English Chamber Orchestra
Orchestrated By – Michel Colombier
Soprano Saxophone – Branford Marsalis