13.2.22
12.2.22
RAUTAVAARA : 12 Concertos (2009) 4xCD BOX-SET / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
This four-disc Ondine set collects the complete concertos of Einojuhani Rautavaara. While these 12 works may not make the best argument for the Finnish post-modernist's status as a great composer -- his eight symphonies surely make good that claim -- they certainly make the best argument for his status as an amazingly effective, astoundingly diverse, and wonderfully individualistic composer. The works themselves are all from Rautavaara's wide-ranging maturity. There are three piano concertos, one concerto each for violin, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, organ, and harp, as well as a Ballad for harp and orchestra, plus the sui generic "Cantus Arcticus" for taped Artic bird songs and orchestra. Though the majority of the works are in three movements, each is unlike any other in conception and execution. From the megalomaniacal Piano Concerto No. 1 through the atmospheric Flute Concerto "Dances of the Winds" to the luminous Bass Concerto "Angel of Dusk," Rautavaara never repeats himself. Each work is superbly composed for its chosen soloist; the nearly Romantic Piano Concerto No. 3, "Gift of Dreams," written for Vladimir Ashkenazy, is a prime example. The soloists are always technically impressive, particularly Patrick Gallois' virtuosity on four separate flutes. They are also often emotionally compelling, especially Elmar Oliveira's seamless legato in the Tranquillo that opens the Violin Concerto. Recorded in cool, clear, deep, and very vivid digital sound, this set deserves to be heard by fans of the best of post-modernism. by James Leonard
16.1.21
29.12.20
MICHAEL HAYDN : Symphonies, Vol. 1 (2016) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
This album, the first in a series devoted to the 41 symphonies of Michael Haydn, leads off with perhaps the most historically famous one of all: the Sinfonia in G major, Perger 16, is none other than the missing Symphony No. 37 of Mozart, which was not removed from the Mozart canon until 1907. The reason for the error was that a copy of the work exists in Mozart's handwriting; he wrote a slow introduction to the first movement (not performed here), and apparently copied out the piece in preparation. It remains difficult to believe that listeners' suspicions weren't raised before that; the work's simple, squarish movements resemble those of the symphonies Mozart wrote in his mid-teens. The Sinfonia in D major (Perger 21), with its larger dimensions, comes a good deal closer to Mozart. The four symphonies are all tuneful, well constructed, and they benefit from the relaxed, slightly jocular performances by the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice (in whose hall the music was nicely recorded) under Patrick Gallois. An interesting feature of the music is the retention of the harpsichord parts, which seems justified in view of the cadenza-like passages in which they emerge from the background. Not Mozart by any stretch, but recommended for Classical period buffs. by James Manheim
MICHAEL HAYDN : Symphonies, Vol. 2 (2016) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
12.5.18
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ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO — Winter In Venice (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Esbjörn Svensson has stood not only once on stage in Montreux. He was already a guest in the summer of 1998 at the jazz festival on Lake Gen...